"Sleeve" and "Boomerang"
(note, the picture used to illustrate the article is only a supposed type of armored "Arm")
Recently, informational activity has been observed around the mysterious "unified platform Boomerang." Apparently, people quite poorly understand what it is, so fantastic versions are born that the point of buying Italian light armored vehicles "Lynx" is precisely in the use of "technology and nodes" "Rysey" in the design of "Boomerang" ...
I dared to do a little analysis, roughly describing the future car, as well as some information for reflection. But as long as there are no images, and even less a photo of the car, we just have to wait. How many? Find out in the article.
"Sleeve"
The BTR-90, which appeared to the public back in the 1994 year, was carried on for a very long time and was formally adopted for use in the 2008 year, but it was never mass-produced. The army abandoned the “sprout”, and an informal rejection of the BTR occurred shortly after its “adoption”.
The reason is a constructive flaw, in view of the classic Soviet BTR scheme with an engine in the stern and a landing party dismounting in the side hatches. What suited the Soviet military and the Russian GABTU until recently (before the significant military reform of the current leadership) was no longer suitable for the current conditions.
But there was an attempt to solve the problem with little blood, this was mentioned in an interview with Sergei Suvorov, a representative of the "MIC", back in the 2008 year. It consisted in the installation in the BTR-90 of the engine UTD-32 from the BMP-3. This very compact and flat engine, when installed in the BTR-90 overall hull, could give a unique opportunity - three exits for the landing: two standard side hatches and aft, with a “tunnel” above the engine (like the BMP-3 and BMD). Well, in addition, hatches on the roof.
Unfortunately, there is no further information (and any images) about such a “remotorized” BTR-90.
Actually after this begins story "Sleeve". For the first time, the media have started talking about the new BTR-based BTR-90 in 2010, with reference to AMZ. The use of this BTR is mentioned in the annual report of the plant for the 2009 year. But even earlier, in 2008, the same S. Suvorov mentioned a completely new BTR with a fodder landing, which is not a “remotorized” BTR-90.
What did the media say about the new APC?
According to the agency interlocutor, the “Gilza” BTR project is a modification of AMZ armored vehicles, known under the BTR-90 brand.
In the year 90, the BTR-2008 successfully passed the acceptance tests of the RF Ministry of Defense, however, for reasons beyond the company's control, the troops received only a few samples of the BTR.
According to AMZ, the main design feature of the new BTR is that the landing party will be able to land from the rear of the armored vehicle, and not from the side. On the BTR of this series, it is proposed to place a machine gun, a cannon, a grenade launcher and an ATGM (a double shot of which increases the armor penetration 2 times). The maneuverability of the armored personnel carriers of the new project should increase significantly, although the total mass of the BTR will be 24 t, while the average weight of the BTR-80 and BTR-82, depending on the weapons, is 12 –15 t.
In the year 90, the BTR-2008 successfully passed the acceptance tests of the RF Ministry of Defense, however, for reasons beyond the company's control, the troops received only a few samples of the BTR.
According to AMZ, the main design feature of the new BTR is that the landing party will be able to land from the rear of the armored vehicle, and not from the side. On the BTR of this series, it is proposed to place a machine gun, a cannon, a grenade launcher and an ATGM (a double shot of which increases the armor penetration 2 times). The maneuverability of the armored personnel carriers of the new project should increase significantly, although the total mass of the BTR will be 24 t, while the average weight of the BTR-80 and BTR-82, depending on the weapons, is 12 –15 t.
Presumptive view of the BTR "Sleeve", made by Allocer, a member of the militaryrussia.ru resource, based on drawings of the BTR-90 from A. Koschavtsev.
This image was based on this official brochure:
It shows that the whole family of unified machines with a full weight up to 24 tons was intended. All of them were united by a chassis with a middle location of the engine, which made it possible to have a full-fledged ramp for the landing in the BTR version.
But one way or another, the Bilka "Gilza" is also rejected .... in favor of a more sophisticated vehicle.
"Boomerang"
For the first time about the "Boomerang" (as well as about "Armata", and "Kurganze-25", and "Typhoon"), the world learned 2010 from the pages of the magazine "Red Star" in October from the words of SV Commander Alexander Postnikov himself. It was said about some "unified medium-type platforms", "with the level of protection of infantry fighting vehicles" and "intended for actions in difficult terrain and in coastal areas of the sea, carrying out raids to the rear of the enemy, as well as for dealing with the enemy's small-sized (portable) anti-tank weapons ".
A little later, there was a clarification: "The Boomerang system armored personnel carriers, the creation of which is currently at the development stage, will be handed over to medium-sized teams." Postnikov noted that "these machines will be floating."
Finally, Dmitry Galkin, Director General of VPK LLC, spoke in more detail about the new platform:
Works on the new platform are performed by the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant, which is part of the military-industrial complex. "Now the company's activity is focused on development work on the creation of a battle wheeled platform ordered by the Ministry of Defense," Galkin said. "This is the next generation combat vehicle."
According to him, the new car "will not look like a single modern BTR." "And this is not the BTR. We call it a" wheeled combat vehicle, "because at its base both the BTR and the BMP will be created, as well as a tank or a heavy weapon," said the head of the military-industrial complex.
He explained that within the framework of "modernization and rearmament of the Russian Armed Forces, the military department ordered simultaneously three types of development work: a wheeled vehicle — the military industrial complex company, a medium tracked vehicle — Kurganmashzavod” and a heavy tracked vehicle — Uralvagonzavod. ” maximum unification of all three cars.
“All these machines can be unambiguously unified across the CICS (on-board information and control system), aiming systems, communication systems, and combat modules,” the military-industrial complex head informed. Two prototypes of the wheeled vehicle should be built by the end of 2013, he said.
Galkin noted that within the framework of "permissible opportunities" it is planned to use promising foreign developments in this area. "We are now open in this regard, and where the defense and security of the country allows us, we use the best practices that exist in the world," he said.
The head of the company said that the development work being carried out is part of the State Armaments Program until 2020, and the armored vehicles being created by the new generation will be delivered to the army as part of this program.
According to him, the new car "will not look like a single modern BTR." "And this is not the BTR. We call it a" wheeled combat vehicle, "because at its base both the BTR and the BMP will be created, as well as a tank or a heavy weapon," said the head of the military-industrial complex.
He explained that within the framework of "modernization and rearmament of the Russian Armed Forces, the military department ordered simultaneously three types of development work: a wheeled vehicle — the military industrial complex company, a medium tracked vehicle — Kurganmashzavod” and a heavy tracked vehicle — Uralvagonzavod. ” maximum unification of all three cars.
“All these machines can be unambiguously unified across the CICS (on-board information and control system), aiming systems, communication systems, and combat modules,” the military-industrial complex head informed. Two prototypes of the wheeled vehicle should be built by the end of 2013, he said.
Galkin noted that within the framework of "permissible opportunities" it is planned to use promising foreign developments in this area. "We are now open in this regard, and where the defense and security of the country allows us, we use the best practices that exist in the world," he said.
The head of the company said that the development work being carried out is part of the State Armaments Program until 2020, and the armored vehicles being created by the new generation will be delivered to the army as part of this program.
Taking into account this information and information about the work on the "Gilze" we come to the conclusion: the Defense Ministry has embarked on a really maximum unification of combat vehicles, which has significant advantages - and this is also the reason for the closure of the "Sleeve" as more "independent", "non-standardized "systems. However, you should not discard the fact that the "Sleeve" could become outdated at the time of development, based on outdated components (for example, the same UTD-32 engines - after all, they were probably replaced by the "Boomerang" and "Kurgants-25" new engine series).
So, the average wheel platform "Boomerang" is a whole family of wheeled combat vehicles of the medium mass category. Focusing on the total mass of the "Sleeve" family, it can be assumed that these are 24 + - tons. Machine protection will most likely be modular. Among other things (and the armor-ceramic overhead panels will most likely be used), the developments will also be used according to the Typhon light vehicle protection kit in the form of gratings and DZ, which was tested on BTR-90. And this potentially means protection from small-caliber artillery in the frontal projection, protection of the aircraft from large-caliber machine guns (new standards - protection against KPVT from 200 meters) and from RPGs (at least with a monoblock warhead) around.
Considering that already on the BTR-90 the mine protection was significantly enhanced compared to previous models of the BTR, we should expect even better indicators on the Boomerang, especially since recently the MIC has been paying a lot of attention and has experience of such mine machines like the Bear and the Wolf-M. There is also reason to believe that at least most of the cars will have buoyancy and even seaworthiness - the experience of the BTR-90, which withstood the excitement of the sea to 3-x points, will not give way to nothing.
As a result, the machines will resemble their ancestor - they will have a welded, sealed bearing body, the wheel formula 8х8.
The family will include a wheeled tank - apparently, the development of the BO "Octopus-SD", but with a new SLA and, possibly, unified with a 2A82 gun from tank "Armata". It will look something like this:
At one time, AMZ had already made a combat vehicle about the same in combat power - a modification of the Bakhcha BTR-90M.
And also in the USSR they made a wheeled tank destroyer "Sting-S":
So, the “foreign developments” marked by D.Galkin in the form of the Centauro B1 wheeled tank, which, according to rumors, were taken by the MoD for testing, are not at all something exceptional and unique for our country.
In addition, the family of "Boomerang" should include BMP. In fact, the BTR-90 was also a BMP - more precisely, the KBMP, a wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, since, in fact, it did not differ in combat power from the BMP-2.
So the Boomerang BMP will somehow resemble its ancestor 90go. Naturally, with a reservation, he will have a stern output of the landing force, the BW will be unified with the "Kurganets-25" with a completely new weapon complex, and so on ... And yet:
And finally, the actual Boomerang BTR. The subtlety of their difference from the BMP is that the latter has greater firepower. But the armored personnel carrier first of all should transport the infantry - and preferably more infantrymen than in the BMP. This is achieved by the fact that the BTR does not need the bulky combat module of the BMP, which occupies a significant place inside the fighting compartment.
This illustrates this figure (apparently, it was some study of the modification of the BTR-90):
As you can see, instead of a large turret from the BMP-2, a small base was installed above the combat compartment from a remote-controlled machine gun. They can be controlled from a remote control, for example, by the commander of the vehicle, and he will not be placed in the tower of the combat compartment, but may sit next to the driver’s mechanic or with the infantry. As a result, considerable internal volume is freed up for a larger number of infantrymen, the need for a separate interceptor-operator disappears.
Naturally, the wheeled tank, the BMP and the BTR are not the only vehicles in the family. Surely there will be BREM, and KSHM, and sanitary versions, and CAO. Unification and modularity allow you to create a variety of modifications with great ease.
Conclusion:
It remains only to wait for 2013 of the year, when the future “Boomerang” will be shown to us.
Information