Rostec plans 125mm cannon-armed wheeled AFV

Russia’s Rostec plans to develop a wheeled amphibious AFV featuring a 125mm cannon.

Plans would see a Sprut-SDM1 module installed on an amphibious wheeled chassis.

Kurganmashzavod – a division of Rostec - Volgograd Tractor Plant deputy chief designer Vladimir Budaev said: ‘We have an idea to install the Sprut-SDM1 module on a wheelbase chassis, which is also likely to be able to float.

‘What specific wheelbase we will use is still an open question; there are several very effective variants available in Russia and it all depends on the final purpose of the vehicle and which kind of troops will use it.’

Budaev added that a wheeled Sprut would likely be an export-oriented product as Russian forces traditionally prioritised tracked systems.

In July, during the first stage of trials on the Black Sea, the tracked Sprut-SDM1 light tank completed navigation capability tests and demonstrated its ability to be transported via a large landing craft.

The tracked Sprut-SDM1 features a UTD-29 500-horsepower engine capable of propelling the vehicle at speeds up to 70km/h on land and 10km/h on water.