Armored vehicles

Kurganets-25 represents two members of a new family of medium armored vehicles designed to replace the BMP-2 and MT-LB platforms in mechanized formations of the Russian Army. As their predecessors, the new vehicles have amphibious (swimming) capability, enabling uninterrupted mobility across rivers. The Kurganets is manufactured by Kurganmashzavod, the plant that produced the previous generations of BMP-1, BMP-2 and BMP-3 vehicles.

BAE Systems introduced today the fifth evolutionary variant of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle that embeds many of the upgrades and modifications designed through the evolution of the vehicle family.

The Russian Army is planning to begin modernize its armored and mechanized forces beginning in 2015, fielding a new family of vehicles comprising the new Armata main battle tank, Kurganets-25 armored infantry fighting vehicles, and various support platforms.

Facing serious threats to their armored forces operating in Syria, the Turkish Army turned to Ukraine to counter the Kurd missile attacks on their tanks. The system presented by the Turks as ‘Akkor Pulat’ is actually the light version of the Ukrainian Zaslon that has recently completed its initial tests in Ukraine and now enters an accelerated test series in Turkey. Designed with simplicity and relatively simple integration, the system is expected to be fitted soon to all types of Turkish main battle tanks currently operating in Syria.

The Australian Defense ministry announced that two European companies - British BAE Systems and German Rheinmetall, as the bidders shortlisted as potential suppliers of armored combat vehicles for the Australian Army’s Mounted Combat Reconnaissance Capability, also known as 'Land 400 Phase 2' program, to become the successor of the 8x8 ASLAV currently in service. The Australian Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne, announced.

The largest fleets of M-60 are in Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, where the M-60 is used alongside the M-1A1. In the recent years, these tanks are heavily engaged in combat operations, in Yemen, Syria, and Sinai where they have suffered significant losses to anti-tank weapons. To survive and continue to be effective in service these tanks must be modernized.

The Boomerang 8x8 armored infantry fighting vehicle is the latest wheeled armored vehicle developed in Russia, a design introducing significant changes and improvement over the BTR-60, 70 and 80, that were in service since the early 1960s. The first pre-production vehicles delivered for operational testing were publicly displayed in 2015. Following those tests VPK is expecting orders for 2,000 such vehicles, in various configurations.

IMI will unveil the CombatGuard - a light, agile off-road armored vehicle at the Eurosatory. Adapted to asymmetric and high intensity warfare, IMI claims it offers unprecedented protection, speed and mobility even in the most rugged terrain for an armored vehicle of its class.

Israel's Ministry of Defense (IMOD) plans to continue the acquisition of Trophy active protection systems (APS), to equip every new Merkava 4 tank and Namer Heavy Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) with active protection, providing significant additional protection for every tank and APC.

The T-72 is the most popular tank currently in service. With over 22,000 produced, the T-72 is involved in almost every theater of war, and, with the transformation of warfare from symmetric to asymmetric combat, waged in urban areas, the T-72 must also adapt, to maintain its effectiveness in complex terrain. This article reviews the new, T-72 urban warfare upgrade kit displayed at KADEX 2016

Finland and the Netherlands have agreed to transfer most of the remaining stock of Dutch Leopard 2A6 Main Battle Tanks (MBT) to Finland over a period of four years, for amount around €200 million. Defence Minister Carl Haglund has approved the acquisition of last thursday. Under the agreement Finland will procure 100 Leopard 2A6 tanks from the with the...

Germany plans to equip one tank company with Rafael Trophy Active Protection Systems (APS) to better protect a rapid reaction force it plans to deploy as part NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). German officials confirmed the news at the International Armored Vehicles forum (#IAVevent) in London this week. The unit is...

As part of TATA’S strategy to enhance the scope of its defense business Tata Motors HAS showcased the ‘Kestrel’, an 8x8 wheeled armored amphibious vehicle platform providing protected mobility and firepower to the troops. TAT Motors unveiled at Defexpo 2014 an 8x8 Amphibious Armored Fighting Vehicle and (AFV) and 4x4 Light Armoured High Mobility Vehicle (LAMV), functioning as a recon...

Above: Upgraded Marder APC. Photo: Tamir Eshel, Defense-Update // // Main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) as well as wheeled armored combat vehicles continue to form the backbone of modern mechanized armed forces. Even in contemporary asymmetric conflicts, their mobility, excellent protection, firepower and C4I capabilities render them invaluable. Rheinmetall is offering upgrading and modernization of legacy vehicles such as...