| The Kurganets is a new platform designed and developed by the Russian Defense Company Kurgan Machine-Building Plant to create a new family of light tracked armored vehicle.
The Kurganets-25 multipurpose tracked platform is still being developed by JSC Kurgan Machine-Building Plant (Kurganmashzavod/KMZ, a subsidiary of High-Precision Weapons). It is a new platform designed to create a new family of light tracked armored vehicles. The Kurganets-25 BMP is the IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) variant of the Kurganets family that also includes an APC variant.
The Kurganets-25 could replace the BMP IFV family in use by the Russian armed forces for decades. In January 2014, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Russian army ground forces planned to renew 70% of their fleet with new armored vehicles and main battle tanks by 2020. Russia would acquire the new main battle tank T-14 Armata, the 8x8 armored Boomerang and the new infantry fighting vehicle Kurganets-25. The Kurganets-25 was unveiled during a restricted show for Russian leaders at the defense exhibition Russian Arms Expo 2013 in Nizhny Tagil. The Kurganets-25 BMP was showed for the first time to the public during the military parade of Victory Day in Moscow on May 9, 2015.
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| Armament |
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The Kurganets-25 is equipped with an electrically powered unmanned turret mounted in the center of the hull. The turret is armed with the 2A42 30mm automatic cannon. A 7.62mm coaxial PKT machine gun is mounted to the left side of the main armament. Two launchers of the anti-tank guided missile Kornet-EM are mounted on each side of the turret. The Kurganets-25 can engage all mobile or static targets by day and night at a maximum range of 5,500m. The Kornet is an advanced ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) with a spiral trajectory. The Kornet-EM variant uses technical vision with an automatic target tracker to make it a "fire and forget" missile, giving it a 5-times increase in the accuracy of target tracking at any range. The fire-and-forget capability gives a vehicle the ability to salvo launch against two different targets at once, increasing its rate of fire and decreasing the number of vehicles needed for a mission. It can also salvo fire two missiles against one target to defeat vehicles equipped with an active protection system. The main armament can be controlled by either the commander or the gunner for firing operations.
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 Kurganets-25 BMP variant weapon station |
| Design and protection |
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The Kurganets-25 BMP uses the common chassis of the Kurganets tracked vehicle platform. The hull of the Kurganets-25 could be made of light armor with the driver's compartment at the front of the vehicle on the left, the engine compartment to the right and the troop compartment at the rear. The infantry enter and leave the vehicle through a large hydraulically operated ramp at the rear of the hull, which has an additional door in the center. The driver is seated at the front of the vehicle and has a single-piece hatch cover and three-day periscopes for forward observation, the center one of which can be replaced by a night vision periscope. Back of the driver position and at the front base of the turret there is three more hatches. The Kurganets-25 BMP carries a total of 9 soldiers, including a driver, commander, gunner, and 6 infantrymen. The Kurganets-25 will have modular armor that can be upgraded for specific threats. Each side of the hull is also protected with passive armor protection. According to Russian Internet sources, the Kurganets-25 is also fitted with the "Afganit" active protection system which provides protection against the latest generation of rockets and anti-tank guided missiles.
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| Mobility |
| The Kurganet-25 is motorized with a diesel engine developing 800 hp located at the front of the hull. The vehicle can run at a maximum speed of 80 km. The torsion bar suspension on each side consists of 7 rubber-tired roadwheels. |
| Accessories |
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The Kurganets-25 BMP is fully amphibious, being propelled in the water by two water jets at the rear of the hull. The vehicle is fully amphibious being propelled in the water by two water jets mounted on either side low down at the rear of the hull. Before entering the water the bilge pumps are switched on and a trim vane is erected at the front of the vehicle. The vehicle uses a new technology for an amphibious operation which increases the speed in the water up to 10 km/h. The Kurganets-25 will be equipped with an automatic fire control system that can select automatically the targets. Standard equipment of the Kurganets-25 could include a thermal imager, eye-safe laser rangefinder, GPS / inertial navigation system, and a computerized fire control system. As all the new combat vehicles showed at the Victory Day military parade 2015, the Kurganets-25 BMP is fitted with the "Afganit" active protection system including sensors and laser detection systems. On the front side of the vehicle, there are seven cylinders (five on each side near the front of the turret and two on each front side of the hull) which can launch projectiles to counter guided missiles. An LED searchlight is located at the left of the main armament. The Kurganets-25 BMP version is equipped with several cameras that allow the crew and the troops to have a 360° view of the vehicle.
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| Specifications |
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Armament
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One 30mm 2A42 automatic cannon, one 7.62 PKT coaxial machine gun, 4 launchers of Kornet-EM anti-tank guided missile
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Country users
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Russia
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Designer Country
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Russia
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Accessories
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a thermal imager, eye-safe laser rangefinder, GPS / inertial navigation system, and computerized fire control system.
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Crew
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3 + 8
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Armor
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Basic protection against small arms firing and shell splinters. Passive armor protection.
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Weight
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25,000 kg
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Speed
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80 km/h
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Range
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Dimensions
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Length: ? m; Width: ? m; Height: ? m
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