The Russian military in December of this year will begin ground tests of a modified airborne self-propelled antitank cannon "Sprut - SDM 1" (product 2S25M).
The machine, developed at the Volgograd Tractor Plant, is designed to equip units of the airborne troops and marines.
The machine’s versatility is ensured by the possibility of its transportation to the theater of operations by military transport aircraft (Il-76 and An-124 Ruslan, Mi-26 helicopter (on the external suspension)) and landing craft.
In the first case, both a parachute is possible (using a fourteen-domed parachute system) and a landing method of delivery. In the second, the combat vehicle is supposed to leave the landing craft at a distance from the coastline, followed by independent movement on the water surface at a speed of up to 7 km / h due to the work of two water jets built into the design.
The crew of a combat vehicle consists of three people - the commander, gunner and driver. The body is made of welded sheets of armored aluminum. The mass of the machine with a tracked chassis does not exceed 18 tons. The speed on the highway is limited to 70 km / h. The smooth-bore gun of 125 mm caliber with a paired 7.62 mm machine gun is in service. High-explosive, cumulative, armor-piercing projectiles, including guided ones, can be used for firing.
A feature of this amphibian is the possibility of its use in the conditions of radiation, chemical or biological contamination of the area due to the presence of a special system of protection against weapons of mass destruction.
In case of successful passage of military tests, the modified Sprut-SDM 1 shock complex in 2020 will begin to enter the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
The presence of the airborne assault battalions of the Airborne Forces and the Marine Corps of a modified airborne Sprut-SDM 1 anti-tank self-propelled anti-tank cannon will give a significant advantage over the defensive enemy due to the unique capabilities for deploying the combat vehicle inside the fighting force.
