With a series of highly advertised sea- and air-launched cruise missile attacks against targets in Syria, the Russian government has demonstrated that it doesn’t have a military need for the controversial ground-launched cruise missile that the United States has accused Russia of developing and test-launching in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

Moreover, President Vladimir Putin has now publicly confirmed (what everyone suspected) that the sea- and air-launched cruise missiles can deliver both conventional and nuclear warheads and, therefore, can hold the same targets at risk. (Click here to download the Russian Ministry of Defense’s drawing providing the Kalibr capabilities.)

The United States has publicly accused Russia of violating the INF treaty by developing, producing, and test-launching a ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) to a distance of 500 kilometers (310 miles) or more. The U.S. government has not publicly identified the missile, which has allowed the Russian government to “play dumb” and pretend it doesn’t know what the U.S. government is talking about.

The lack of specificity has also allowed widespread speculations in the news media and on private web sites (this included) about which missile is the culprit.

As a result, U.S. government officials have now started to be a little more explicit about what the Russian missile is not. Instead, it is described as a new “state-of-the-art” ground-launched cruise missile that has been developed, produced, test-launched – but not yet deployed.

Whether or not one believes the U.S. accusation or the Russian denial, the latest cruise missile attacks in Syria demonstrate that there is no military need for Russia to develop a ground-launched cruise missile. The Kalibr SLCM finally gives Russia a long-range conventional SLCM similar to the Tomahawk SLCM the U.S. navy has been deploying since the 1980s.

What The INF Violation Is Not

Although the U.S. government has yet to publicly identify the GLCM by name, it has gradually responded to speculations about what it might be by providing more and more details about what the GLCM is not. Recently two senior U.S. officials privately explained about the INF violation that:

• it is not the R-500 cruise missile (Iskander-K);
• it is not the RS-26 road-mobile ballistic missile;
• it is not a sea-launched cruise missile test-launched from a ground launcher;
• it is not an air-launched cruise missile test-launched from a ground launcher;
• it is not a technical mistake;
• it is not one or two test slips;
• it is in development but has not yet been deployed.

Rose Gottemoeller, the U.S. under secretary of state for and international security, said in response to a question at the Brookings Institution in December 2014: “It is a ground-launched cruise missile. It is neither of the systems that you raised. It’s not the Iskander. It is not the other one, X-100. Is that what it is? Yeah, I’ve seen some of those reflections in the press and it’s not that one.” [The question was in fact about the X-101, sometimes used as a designation for the air-launched Kh-101, a conventional missile that also exists in a nuclear version known as the Kh-102.]

The explicit ruling out of the Iskander as an INF violation is important because numerous news media and private web sites over the past several years have claimed that the ballistic missile (SS-26; Iskander-M) has a range of 500 km (310 miles), possibly more. Such a range would be a violation of the INF. In contrast, the U.S. National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) has consistently listed the range as 300 km (186 miles). Likewise, the cruise missile known as Iskander-K (apparently the R-500) has also been widely rumored to have a range that violates the INF, some saying 2,000 km (1,243 miles) and some even up to 5,000 kilometers (3,107 miles). But Gottemoeller’s statement seems to undercut such rumors.

Gottemoeller told Congress in December 2015 that “we had no information or indication as of 2008 that the Russian Federation was violating the treaty. That information emerged in 2011.” And she repeated that “this it is not a technicality, a one off event, or a case of mistaken identity,” such as a SLCM launched from land.

Instead, U.S. officials have begun to be more explicit about the GLCM, saying that it involves “a state-of-the-artground-launched cruise missile that Russia has tested at ranges capable of threatening most of [the] European continent and out allies in Northeast Asia” (emphasis added). Apparently, the “state-of-the-art” phrase is intended to underscore that the missile is new and not something else mistaken for a GLCM.

Some believe the GLCM may be the 9M729 missile, and unidentified U.S. government sources say the missile is designated SSC-X-8 by the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Forget GLCM: Kalibr SLCM Can Do The Job

Whatever the GLCM is, the Russian cruise missile attacks on Syria over the past two months demonstrate that the Russian military doesn’t need the GLCM. Instead, existing sea- and air-launched cruise missiles can hold at risk the same targets. U.S. intelligence officials say the GLCM has been test-launched to about the same range as the Kalibr SLCM.

Following the launch from the Kilo-II class submarine in the Mediterranean Sea on December 9, Putin publicly confirmed that the Kalibr SLCM (as well as the Kh-101 ALCM) is nuclear-capable. “Both the Calibre [sic] missiles and the Kh-101 [sic] rockets can be equipped either with conventional or special nuclear warheads.” (The Kh-101 is the conventional version of the new air-launched cruise missile, which is called Kh-102 when equipped with a nuclear warhead.)

The conventional Kalibr version used in Syria appears to have a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). It is possible, but unknown, that the nuclear version has a longer range, possibly more than 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles). The existing nuclear land-attack sea-launched cruise missile (SS-N-21) has a range of more than 2,800 kilometers (the same as the old AS-15 air-launched cruise missile).

The Russian navy is planning to deploy the Kalibr widely on ships and submarines in all its five fleets: the Northern Fleet on the Kola Peninsula; the Baltic Sea Fleet in Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg; the Black Sea Fleet bases in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk; the Caspian Sea Fleet in Makhachkala; and the Pacific Fleet bases in Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk.

The Russian navy is already bragging about the Kalibr. After the Kalibr strike from the Caspian Sea, Vice Admiral Viktor Bursuk, the Russian navy’s deputy Commander-in-Chief, warned NATO: “The range of these missiles allows us to say that ships operating from the Black Sea will be able to engage targets located quite a long distance away, a circumstance which has come as an unpleasant surprise to counties that are members of the NATO block.”

With a range of 2,000 kilometers the Russian navy could target facilities in all European NATO countries without even leaving port (except Spain and Portugal), most of the Middle East, as well as Japan, South Korea, and northeast China including Beijing (see map below).

As a result of the capabilities provided by the Kalibr and other new conventional cruise missiles, we will probably see many of Russia’s old Soviet-era nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles retiring over the next decade.

The nuclear Kalibr land-attack version will probably be used to equip select attack submarines such as the Severodvinsk (Yasen) class, similar to the existing nuclear land-attack cruise missile (SS-N-21), which is carried by the Akula, Sierra, and Victor-III attack submarines, but not other submarines or surface ships.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Now that Russia has demonstrated the capability of its new sea- and air-launched conventional long-range cruise missiles – and announced that they can also carry nuclear warheads – it has demonstrated that there is no military need for a long-range ground-launched cruise missile as well.

This provides Russia with an opportunity to remove confusion about its compliance with the INF treaty by scrapping the illegal and unnecessary ground-launched cruise missile project.

Doing so would save money at home and begin the slow and long process of repairing international relations.

Moreover, Russia’s widespread and growing deployment of new conventional long-range land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles raises questions about the need for the Russian navy to continue to deploy nuclear cruise missiles. Russia’s existing five nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles (SS-N-9, SS-N-12, SS-N-19, SS-N-21 and SS-N-22) were all developed at a time when long-range conventional missiles were non-existent or inadequate.

Those days are gone, as demonstrated by the recent cruise missile attacks, and Russia should now follow the U.S. example from 2011 when it scrapped its nuclear Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missile. Doing so would reduce excess types and numbers of nuclear weapons.

This publication was made possible by a grant from the New Land Foundation and Ploughshares Fund. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author.

3 thoughts on “Kalibr: Savior of INF Treaty?

Jeanmarie Amend says:
January 20, 2016 at 9:58 am
Hello, good morning: I am anticipating a meeting at CNS here in DC on the question of deterrence and the instrumental role of NPT seems omitted in respect of the above-referenced INF treaty; would the ratification of NPT serve deterrence, I think it would. Tension within the country, Russia, being severe (separatist reactionary as in the case of the “Chechen strongman” Ramzan Kadyrov, and economic) one offers that treaty and diplomatic discourse improve relations toward normalcy.

GarryB says:
May 20, 2016 at 6:59 am

The US is installing what is basically a land based AEGIS system in eastern europe.
The launcher used for the Standard SAM is a unified Mk-41 launcher that is also designed to launch cruise missiles and is a direct violation of the INF treaty.
The future models of the Standard missile will also violate the treaty.
The claims that Russia is violating it is a smoke screen to take attention away from the fact that they are violating it themselves.

Hans M. Kristensen says:
May 21, 2016 at 10:58 am

It is not my impression that the US claim that Russia is violating the INF is an attempt to cover up US violations, as you call them. That would be kind of childish, like a brawl between two gang leaders. I think the two issues are separate, at least for the US government. But I for one have urged the US government to be more specific about the GLCM that it says Russia has developed and tested in violation of INF.

It is not clear to me why future models of the Standard interceptor would violate the INF, just like Russian S-400 or future S-500 interceptors are not said to violate the treaty.

As for the modified Mk-41 launcher used for the Aegis Ashore missile defense system, I agree it is confusing why a launcher developed to launch (among other things) cruise missiles on a ship would not also be able to do so when it is deployed on land in Romania or Poland. The US argument is that the Aegis Ashore launcher is a modified launcher that is not capable of launching cruise missiles. Brian P. McKeon, the Principal Deputy Secretary for Policy at the Department of Defense, recently explained:

“The Aegis Ashore system is only capable of launching missile defense interceptors such as the SM-3, which are not subject to the treaty. While the Aegis weapon system aboard the Aegis destroyers and cruisers can fire cruise missiles, this capability is not included in Aegis Ashore.” The Aegis Ashore system “may look a lot like the system on a cruiser, but it lacks essential elements for launching a land-attack missile, including software, fire control hardware, and additional support equipment.” The modified launcher has never been tested for — nor is it capable of — launching a Tomahawk cruise missile, and therefore complies with the INF Treaty, McKeon said.

It seems there are two issues here. One is whether the Aegis Ashore launcher is a violation of the INF. This is a purely legal and technical issue that to me so far sounds like it doesn’t violate the treaty. The second issue is whether the Aegis Ashore launchers could potentially in the future be re-equipped with the “software, fire control hardware, and additional support equipment” that McKeon says they don’t have, and therefore provide the United States with a quick option to return INF weapons to Europe. Militarily that wouldn’t matter because Tomahawk cruise missiles are already onboard ships sailing in the Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Norwegian Sea. One way to resolve the dispute might be for the United States to allow Russia to inspect the Aegis Ashore launchers to verify that they indeed don’t have the capability to launch cruise missiles, and for Russian officials to be able to inspect the launchers in the future to check that they indeed only contain interceptors and have not secretly been re-equipped to launch cruise missiles.

fas.org

The 152mm 2С35 Koalitsiya-SV “Sniper” howitzer will complete its state tests in 2020. That weapon is designed to knock out armored vehicles, weapons systems, and critical infrastructure sites. It has a range of 70 km with precision guided rounds and 40 km with standard ammunition. Its maximum rate of fire is 20 rounds per minute, which is without parallel anywhere in the world. For comparison, the US M109A6 Paladin’s maximum rate of fire is 4 rounds per minute. The Russian system can fire a wide range of munitions, including standard and rocket-assisted HE-FRAG projectiles, cluster projectiles with anti-tank submunitions, and jamming ammunition.

Commander of the Russian Missile and Artillery Forces Lt. Gen. Mikhail Matveevsky said at the Army-2018 forum in August that "The Koalitsiya-SV multi-service force artillery system features our first step to introducing robotics in practice. It has an unmanned combat compartment and the process of loading and preparing for fire excludes any operations by an individual: everything is done automatically."

2018 is the year that the first steps were taken to add the 2S33 MSTA-SM self-propelled howitzer and Tornado-G MLRS with automatic guidance to the Russian arsenal. The MSTA-SM is equipped with an automated fire-control system with an increased rate of fire, digital electronic charts, ballistic computers, and satellite navigation systems. The long-range 300-mm Tornado-S is being adopted to replace the Smerch systems. Its maximum range is 120 km, compared to the 90 km range of the Smerch, and it can hit an area of over 60 hectares. The system features a new automated guidance and fire-control capability that can coordinate the combat activities of an entire artillery battalion. The Tornado-S can automatically calculate target data.

Deployed in the Eastern Military District in Buryatia, the self-propelled all-weather Khrisantema-S anti-tank system became operational this year. It can engage low flying helicopters. Its ability to be guided by either laser or radar makes it a standout among other anti-tank systems. Two targets can be fired on simultaneously: either one air and one ground target or two ground targets. A thermobaric warhead can be installed to engage soft-skinned targets, fortifications, and enemy troops. Russian Army Commander-in-Chief Colonel-General Oleg Salyukov said the new Nabrosok artillery system is under development.

Russia is upgrading its “big guns”: the 2S4 Tyulpan (Tulip) 240-millimeter mortar and the 2S7 Pion 203-millimeter howitzer. These are old warhorses that are immune to electronic warfare and well suited for specific missions, making it possible to save high-precision munitions.

The army is receiving state-of-the-art radars: the Aistyonok and Zoopark-1M, the AZK-7M acoustic detection system, and the PRP-4A electro-optical surveillance system, as well as unmanned aerial systems used for reconnaissance and guidance. New communications and data networks with a low probability of intercept are also being introduced.

According to Colonel-General Oleg Salyukov, all army units will receive contemporary rocket and artillery systems as well as auxiliary equipment by 2020. The ultimate goal is to create an integrated reconnaissance and combat network. The army missile and artillery troops are expected to have three types of highly mobile brigades: missile, rocket artillery, and artillery units, increasing their combat capabilities by 50-100%.

The army’s 2018 missile and artillery arm is quite a different force compared to the one that began the process of transformation a few years ago. The rocket artillery systems being added to the arsenal in 2018 offer a much greater range than their foreign equivalents, providing the option of mounting artillery bombardments without concern over counter-battery fire. There is a wide choice of available munitions for specific missions, thus making its shelling more lethal in any given situation. Today, Russian army units can strike at ranges in excess of 300km.

Russia is making strides toward developing the capability to engage in a new generation of warfare. Army units would rely on massive salvoes of precision rocket and artillery fire, assisted by UAVs and cyber and electronic warfare equipment, making Russia’ Missile Forces and Artillery second to none.

The R-37M is the only one of its class to boast a range exceeding 300 km. For comparison, the US AMRAAM AIM-120D has a maximum range of over 180 km. Compared to its predecessors, the R-37M version boasts a new guidance system and reduced weight, enabling it to be installed on smaller platforms. It was initially designed to equip the upgraded MiG-31BM Foxhound interceptors. The missile is also expected to become the primary weapon of the fourth-generation Su-30s and Su-35s. If this proves true, the R-37M will be used against almost any US military aircraft in various theaters of operation worldwide.

The system’s prime mission is to take down such assets as AWACS, JTARS, other C4ISTAR, and electronic attack and aerial-refueling aircraft, while keeping its launch platform out of range of any fighters that might be protecting the target. Weighing 60 kg, its high explosive fragmentation warhead is powerful enough to critically damage the largest aircraft.

The missile’s maximum speed of Mach 6 (compared to the AMRAAM’s and Meteor’s Mach 4) — more than 4,500 mph — and active-seeker homing system to guide it during its terminal phase make it a threat to all fighter jets. The seeker has 2 channels — X and Ku.

As one can see, this missile gives Russian warplanes an advantage over any NATO combat aircraft in both speed and reach. No other missile in the bloc’s current inventory can match it. Once the R-37M enters service, this will open a vulnerability gap that will remain until the US and other leading NATO members are able to put into operation the MBDA’s Meteor air-to-air missile that is currently being introduced in the Swedish Air Force.

The R-37M can attack targets at altitudes of between 15 and 25,000 m. It can hit stealth targets, such as the F-35, at a range of 190 km. The F-35 cannot accelerate to a speed that would allow it to escape a collision with the incoming missile.

Tracking its targets with both semi-active and active radar homing, the missile can also utilize a fire-and-forget mode, making it completely independent of its launch platform. It can destroy air targets head-on. Inertial guidance renders it invisible to radar during its midcourse flight. When active homing is activated, the pilot has only fractions of a second to take countermeasures. The R-37M’s warhead is resistant to electronic warfare and it has an off-boresight capability of 120. 

According to the Russian media, in September 2018, the missile was launched from a MiG-31BM and it intercepted an RM-75 Armavir target missile during an exercise held in the Trans-Baikal region. The Armavir was imitating a high-velocity ballistic target. Its effective radar cross section measured 0.1-0.4 sq. m. The Armavir’s speed ranged from 2,500—3,500 kmh. It took the R-37M only 5-7 seconds to intercept the target from a distance of 30 km at an altitude of roughly 9 km.

The newest F-35 that the US military is so proud of is far from invulnerable to Russia’s latest, sophisticated surface-to-air systems. The R-37M that is integrated with at least four platforms is another threat to that stealth super aircraft. AWACS and other large planes are not stealth, and they are all relatively easy targets for a platform armed with the R-37M. At present, there is no super weapon the US can rely on in its inventory that will ensure its dominance in the air if the enemy is Russia. Air-to-air warfare is where the US has lost its lead, as the R-37M’s performance is currently unmatched. Russia’s air-to-air missiles outperform any US analogs in terms of both range and speed.

Developed by Russia's Tactical Missiles Corporation, the Kh-35U is a unified, subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship cruise missile that consists of its body, an active radar seeker, a high-explosive fragmentation penetrator warhead, an independent self-destruct system, an inertial navigation system, a radio altimeter, an air intake, a fuel system, a sustainer turbofan, and a solid-state rocket booster. With a range of 260 km (144 mi), it can take out surface ships with a displacement of 5,000 tons. It should be noted that its specs are superior to those of the US air-launched Naval Strike Missile, which has a range of only 100 nautical miles.

Its minimum range is 7 km, speed: Mach 0.8–Mach 0.95 (609–723 mph; 980–1,164 km/h), and flight altitude: 10-15 m en route and roughly 3 m in its terminal stage. Its warhead includes a 145 kg HE fragmentation shaped charge designed to pierce horizontally through bulkheads and compartments prior to exploding inside a ship. The warhead’s small diameter — 45.0 cm — allows it to be fitted on various means of delivery.

Weighing 550 kg, the Kh-35U can be installed on a variety of platforms, such as helicopters, surface ships, and coastal defense batteries. At present, it can be carried by several types of surface combatants, the Su-24M, Su-30SM, MiG-29K/KUB, Su-35S, and Tu-142 combat aircraft, and the Ka-52K helicopters. The decision to introduce the Kh-35U to the armament suite of the Su-35S (a 4++ generation, advanced capability, multirole air superiority fighter that has become the backbone of the Russian Aerospace Forces) was made in early September. It has also been integrated into the Bal coastal-defense missile system. The Kh-35U can attack land targets, including heavily fortified enemy positions, warehouses, and mobile military equipment. This is beyond what its predecessor, the Kh-35 jet-launched anti-ship cruise missile, was able to do.

Leader, the new Russian icebreaker, is capable of shattering ice up to 4.5 meters thick, which will keep the Northern Sea Route and Arctic coast open year-round. The vessel will be equipped with containers holding weapon systems, including the Kh-35U and Kalibr anti-ship missiles.

The Kh-35U features a normal aerodynamic configuration with cruciform wings and fins and a semi-submerged air duct intake. It’s a “fire and forget” weapon. Upon launch, the missile instantly finds its target and is independently guided toward it. It is controlled during flight by an inertial system. The ARGS-35E X-band terminal active radar homing head and  radio altimeter provide information during the final leg of the trajectory.  There have been reports that the Gran-KE, a new radar seeker, will replace the ARGS-35E in the future.

Target designation data is input from onboard organic and external sources, including those that are airborne.  Aerial unmanned and autonomous underwater vehicles can be used for targeting. The Kh-35U boasts improved guidance systems with a satellite navigation update and a more sensitive seeker with a range of 50 km.

Its small dimensions and sea-skimming capability greatly minimize the signatures of this weapon that can be employed under adverse weather conditions at sea states of up to 5-6, during the day or night, and while being subjected electronic countermeasures. The missile travels at an altitude of 10-15 meters. In the terminal stage of its flight it descends to 3-5 meters above the surface, or lower than the ship's deck, in order to evade hostile defense systems.  This makes it extremely hard to hit, even if detected. Its dual-band active/passing homing guidance system allows it to bypass missile-defense interceptor systems, as well as advanced electronic jamming.

The Kh-35U is a formidable weapon, boasting both high speed as well as evasive terminal profiles. Many details remain classified, but there is little doubt the missile has effective ECCM, otherwise other countries would not want to purchase it — and they do. According to the Russian media the ship-based version is of special interest to potential buyers. The Kh-35U incorporation makes any platform a multifunctional warrior able to deliver lethal strikes against an enemy’s key assets.

The modernization of Russia’s “big guns” — the 2S4 Tyulpan (Tulip) 240-millimeter mortar and the 2S7 Pion 203-millimeter howitzer — has attracted the attention of US military analysts. The Cold War weapons are being refurbished to adapt them for modern warfare. The program of modernization started about a year ago.   Nothing like it is being done anywhere else in the world. All in all, more than 400 Tyulpans and the same number of Pions have been produced. The exact number of artillery guns that will be added to the arsenal after the modernization has not been released, but the upgrade is in full swing. Analysis of the Russian military press provides some clues as to why the old big guns are back in the ranks.

Last summer, the Uraltranmash company, a subsidiary of Uralvagonzavod, showcased the modernized version of the 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar with new onboard systems and communications equipment. The 240mm self-propelled mortar is the largest artillery system in the world. It can fire high-explosive, armor-piercing, laser-guided, and cluster munitions as well as tactical nuclear rounds that can destroy hardened defensive positions. The primary ammunition is a high-explosive 53-F-864 mortar projectile that contains 32 kg of explosive charge.  Its rate of fire: one round per minute. With rocket-assisted projectiles its range is up to twenty kilometers or more. The mortar was also designed to fire the 3B11, a special nuclear munition developed specifically for this artillery system, which yields an explosive force of 2 tons of TNT — enough to wipe out an army brigade.

The thirty-ton artillery piece is installed on a tracked GMZ vehicle chassis. The system is operated by a crew of nine who are protected by up to twenty millimeters of armor.

The 2S7 Pion is a self-propelled system based on a T-80 chassis carrying an externally mounted 2A44 203mm howitzer on the hull rear, which is capable of firing nuclear munitions. Its rate of fire: 2.5 rounds per minute and its range: roughly 35 km. It can be extended up to 55.5 km, if rocket-assisted projectiles are used. For instance, the 110kg ZFO35 high-explosive fragmentation projectile can hit enemy targets at distances of up to 50 km.

With new automated fire-control systems, these weapons have a future. They make it possible to save precision-guided munitions for specific targets, while destroying those that can be knocked out with powerful conventional artillery shells. Some Russian sources mention the possibility of using the systems for launching hypervelocity missiles.    The modernization plans include the ability to fire high-precision munitions with a weight of 133 kg from a distance of 100 km. The accuracy will be improved if drones provide targeting data.

The artillery systems have an important advantage over missiles.  They are immune to the effects of electronic warfare. The weapons need neither GLONASS nor GPS.  An artillery munition with sophisticated devices attached that enable it to guide the artillery with great accuracy is much cheaper than any missile or a smart bomb.  Such a system will be a valuable asset if the mission is to attack targets in the mountains.

Putting heavy caliber artillery back in service is an effective way to substantially increase firepower at a low cost. The big guns have certain advantages compared to contemporary sophisticated systems. With precision-strike capability and the proper equipment installed, they’ll be able to engage in network-centric warfare. The old soldiers are back on duty. 

According to the terminology of the CFE Treaty, a fighting vehicle with a gun caliber of at least 75 mm, a 360-degree rotating turret, and a weight of at least 16.5 tons is considered a wheeled tank.

The 8×8 light wheeled tank (LWT) will be built on the basis of the VPK-7829 platform used by the K-17 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and the K-16 armored personnel carrier (APC). In addition to the cannon, the platform is usually armed with a 2A42 30mm automatic cannon, a 7.62mm coaxial PKT machine gun (MG), and a Kornet-EM anti-tank (AT) missile system. The “fire and forget” AT missiles have spiral trajectory.The capability to fire missiles in salvo against two different targets at once increases the rate of fire and makes it possible to use fewer vehicles per mission.Fire control is computerized. A 12.7mm heavy machine gun or a grenade launcher can be installed instead of the basic 7.62mm MG. The new tank weighs 30 tons. It makes it possible to install the 125mm anti-tank Sprut-SDM cannon used by airborne troops or any other large-caliber gun.

The Boomerang platform offers full 8×8 drive with power steering on the front four wheels. Four wheels are fitted to each side of the hull.The diesel engine is a four-stroke, turbocharged UTD-32TR, capable of 510 hp. It uses both hydromechanical and hydrostatic transmissions. The modified engine is a single block unit that can easily be replaced under combat conditions. The hull can be fitted with variable height control suspensions.

The platform uses its V-shape to deflect mine blasts anywhere under the platform, thus protecting the personnel inside the hull. In addition to standard welded steel that offers protection from shell splinters and small arms fire, it is equipped with bolt-on ceramic armor to provide all-around protection against 14.5mm, armor-piercing ammunition, and fragments of 152mm rounds.

The vehicle is amphibious. It has a folding rectangular plate installed on the nose that opens before the vehicle enters the water, andit is then driven forward by two propellers installed on either side of the hull at the rear. The LWT is equipped with air-conditioning, an NBC protection system, and night-vision devices. Full 360° visibility keeps the crew safe inside the hull.

The concept of a LWT was prompted by the invaluable experience obtained in Syria. Heavy tanks are less maneuverable and become easy targets for jeeps with installed field artillery pieces – the weapon so commonly used by terrorist units. More agile LWTs could be more effective on the battlefield against these weapons. Besides, a wheeled tank could do a great job ofblasting bunkers and other fortifications, as well as machine-gun nests and armored vehicles of all kinds. The combination of a large-caliber cannon and its superior maneuverability make it perfectly suited for such missions. In addition, an LWT could take over some of the tasks currently being carried out by main battle tanks.

The new tank’s speed, transportability, low detectability, armor enhancements, and defensive aids to minimize losses would significantly enhance the combat capability of airborne forces as well as motorized and rapid-reaction units.The wheeled chassis makes it a perfect weapon for desert operations.

The new LWT (as yet unnamed) equipped with a heavy cannon and the BMPT-72 Terminator-2 armored fighting vehicle are examples ofone-of-a-kind wheeled systems not found in other countries’arsenals. They complement each other, providing the Russian Army with the capability to effectively ease the burden on the main battle tanks whilecarrying out specific missions against terrorist armed groups in any environment, including desert and urban warfare.