The armoured vehicle increases the efficiency of a tank in urban warfare, peace-keeping and counter-terrorist operations. It allows the tank to advance by destroying antitank targets such as manpower, and lightly and heavily armoured ground targets, such as tanks, as well as aerial targets. The vehicle can also operate independently to support infantry, defeat terrorist groups and escort convoys.
The BMPT was designed based on combat experience gained during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and the First Chechen War. Combat experience during the lengthy war revealed that infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) like the BMP-1 and BMP-2 cannot fully cope with infantry despite the latter having a high gun elevation. Although main battle tanks (MBTs) possessed a high amount of firepower, the limited elevation and depression of the main gun made them easy targets in mountainous and urban terrain. In the 1980s, the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant began designing prototypes for the new concept, early prototypes being Object 781, Object 782 and Object 787. It was evident that a new vehicle concept was needed. The main requirements for this new machine was that it possessed immense firepower, a high angle of gun fire, and the protection equivalent to that of an MBT. An additional requirement that was meant to supplement the latter was enhanced protection from close range hand-held RPGs.
The need for a vehicle with all these requirements became even more evident during the First Chechen War. When using conventional armor during urban engagements, Russian forces suffered horrific losses in manpower and equipment, including the destruction of an entire mechanized brigade during the first battle of Grozny. While these losses cannot be entirely blamed on technology, it became clear that a dedicated anti-personnel fighting vehicle would provide valuable assistance in an urban environment. Self-propelled anti-aircraft (AA) guns were pressed as a temporary solution in Chechnya. However, these vehicles were not well-armored and do not possess the same obstacle-clearing capability as an MBT.
There have been several different prototype designs of a tank support fighting vehicle. For instance, the Object 193A and the Object 745. A mock-up of the Object 199 was shown for the first time in public during the summer of 2000. This vehicle was slightly different from the current design, being armed with only a single 2A42 30 mm gun and with four 9M133 Kornet missiles located on one side of the turret. The production model of the BMPT was introduced in 2002 which featured the twin 30 mm 2A42 automatic autocannons that can fire AP and HE projectiles. The two magazines can load ammunition of 850 rounds. Two coaxially mounted AGS-17A or AG-30 30mm grenade launchers stabilised in two planes and four supersonic Ataka-T anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers form the primary armament. The ATGMs are loaded with thermobaric, HE-FRAG and HEAT warheads and have a maximum range of 5km.
The driver has a single wide-angle day periscope, replaceable with a night-mode passive periscope. The 30mm grenade operator is provided with an Arat-MP day/night sight periscope. The workstations of the commander and gunner are equipped with PNK ranging sights. The main armament system is equipped with thermal and optical channel sights and a panoramic low-level TV sight. It can detect and fire at the targets 24/7 and in all weather conditions from long ranges. A computerised fire-control system allows the vehicle to engage moving and stationary targets in all weather and day/night conditions. The BMPT has an automatic two-discharge detection and fire-extinguishing system. It also has laser-detection system.
The protection of the BMPT is superior to most MBTs, as active and passive protection is used, and additional armor (the vehicle lacks a turret), is distributed to the hull of the vehicle. The BMPT is fitted with additional ERA, on the front and sides. The side skirts are equipped with dynamical protection and latticed screens, which provides protection against RPGs. According to the characteristics of protection boards, the BMPT is superior to the T-90 tank. Unlike the T-90, protection from anti-tank weapons are also provided towards the sides and the rear of the vehicle. The ERA used by the Terminator is "Relikt" which is claimed to be two to three times more effective than Kontakt-5. NBC protection is provided to the crew to ensure survival against radiation and biological weapons. As an option, the BMPT can be fitted with mine-clearing devices such as the KMT-7 or KMT-8 mine sweepers. T-72 tanks can be also converted into BMPT.
The Terminator possesses a System 902A automatic smoke grenade launcher on both sides of the turret which serves as camouflage and provides protection against infrared weapons. Special attention was paid to the survivability of the BMPT and its crew. Certain measures were taken to ensure this like placing the fuel tanks in a sealed housing compartment and fastening the seats towards the roof in case of a mine penetration. There are additional fuel tanks located in the rear of the hull in an armored compartment on the left fender. The vehicle is equipped with an automatic fire fighting system to fight any fires that will ignite within the vehicle.
The BMPT is powered by a V-92S2 diesel, four-stroke 12-cylinder, multi, supercharged diesel engine. It produces 1,000hp (736kW) at 2,000rpm. The power-to-weight ratio of the vehicle is 21.2hp/t. The right fender of the armoured compartment is also installed with a 5kW diesel generator to allow the operations of electrical equipment on board during shut-down of the main engine.
The torsion bar suspension on each side consists of six roadwheels with the idler at the front, drive sprocket at the rear and three return rollers supporting the inside of the track only. Like the T-72, the BMPT has a built in dozer to overcome obstacles. The maximum speed of the vehicle is 60 km/h over highways and a cruising range of 550 km with external fuel tanks. The BMPT can cross a trench that's as long as 2.7 ± 0.1 m and over come vertical obstacles as high as 0.85 m. Like the T-72, the transmission of the engine is manual with seven gears for forward and one gear for reverse. The maximum gradient for the BMPT is 30° and 25° when climbing forwards and travelling along a side respectively. Fording capabilities are provided by the BMPT. It can cross water obstacles with a depth of 1.2 m without preparation and 1.8 m with five minutes of preparation. When installed with a snorkel kit, this vehicle is able to cross rivers up to five meters in depth.
Weight
48 t (53 short tons; 47 long tons)
Length
7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
Width across the track
3.37 m (11 ft 1 in)
Width across the broad screens
3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Height of hull excluding the turret
1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Height of hull including the turret
3.44 m (11 ft 3 in)
Crew
5
Armor
Combination of composite armor, reactive armor and steel
Main armament
4× 130 mm Ataka-T launchers
2× 30 mm 2A42 autocannons
Secondary armament
2× 30 mm AG-17D grenade launchers
1× 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun
Engine
V-92S2 diesel engine 1,000 hp (736 kW)
Power/weight
20.4 hp/tonne (15.0 kW/tonne)
Suspension
Torsion bar
Ground clearance
406 mm (16.0 in)
Fuel capacity
1,200 L (320 US gal)
Operational range
≥550 km (340 mi)
Speed
≥60 km/h (37 mph)
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