Russian tank-based combat UGV faces challenges to service entry
The Shturm family of UGVs and its mobile control station will all be based on the T-72B3 chassis. (Photo: Rostec)
UralVagonZavod is set to commence live-fire trials of a family of armed uncrewed ground vehicles based on the T-72 MBT chassis. This design approach has a cheaper development path, but creates an overly heavy platform with operational limitations.
In April 2022, Russia will start live-firing tests of the Shturm heavy uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) based on the T-72 tank, a source in the defence industry complex told the RIA Novosti Russian state-run news agency. According to the source, ‘the tests involve firing on targets, including from the main weapon of the robotic vehicle complex — the 125mm shortened gun’.
The first reports about the Shturm UGV appeared in the Russian press in August 2018. The project is run by UralVagonZavod and involves the development of four variants. They will be built on a common tank chassis with different
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