The Russian Ministry of Defense has presented a new video that shows an improved version of the Terminator Combat vehicle. The video shows the vehicle in action in the area of the special military operation.
The Russian “Terminator” combat vehicle, an officer known as BMPT (Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov) or “tank support fighting vehicle”, is one of the most distinctive modern armored vehicles of Russian military arsenal. Designed to operate together with the main battle tanks in the urban and complex field, the Terminator combines high fire, mobility and protection to provide devastating support in combat environments where the tanks are vulnerable.
The best known variant, the BMPT-72 “Terminator-2”, is based on the T-72 tank chassis, one of the most commonly used platforms in Russia. Its crew of three (commander, gunner and driver) is inside a highly protected armored helmet.
The armament includes:
- Two 30 mm 2A42 autocannones (troops against infantry, light armor and low flight air threats)
- Four ATAKA-T 9M120-1 antitankes anti-tank-guided missiles (capable of hitting enemy armor or long-term fortifications)
- A 7,62 mm pktm coaxial machine gun
- Two AGS-17 or AGS-30 automatic grenade launchers (in previous versions)
The combination provides the terminator with the ability to involve multiple types of simultaneous objectives, from infantry and light vehicles to hardened enemy positions.
BMPT is not a replacement of the tank, but a force multiplier. Its role is to support tanks formations, as special in urban war, where threats can come from multiple angles and elevations.
Whether it becomes stapatic units or remain a specialized support vehicle, the Terminator is a clear symbol of how war continues to evolve in the 21st century.
