The Kurganets-25

The Kurganets-25 Background

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The Kurganets-25 Armoured Personnel Carrier foreground & Infantry Fighting Vehicle in rear – Click to enlarge

The BMP Series and MT-LB have served the Former Soviet and Russian Armies for over 50 years as the principal tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle and Armoured Personnel Carrier respectively.

The use of multiple designs in these vehicles generates problem with operating costs, maintenance, training, upgradeability and operational capabilities.

The Kurganets-25 has been developed to eliminate all these issues. Its début was made during the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade.

Using a universal chassis and hull, both an Infantry Fighting Vehicle and Armoured Personnel Carrier version have been developed and have distinct early recognition markers as seen during the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade.

The Kurganets-25 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

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The Kurganets-25 Infantry Fighting Vehicle – Click to enlarge

The very front and rear modules of the side modular armour are cut away for the mounting of what looks elements of an active protection system, with additional equipment mounted across the front of the hull top.

Though the turret was covered by blankets during the parade, pictures of the vehicle and its uncovered turret confirm that  the IFV version is using an unmanned turret developed by Russian Company KBP Instrument Design Bureau called the Boomerang-BM. Development may have started in 2013, but was first known about to the public during that year.

Boomerang-BM Turret Armaments and Features

Boomerang-BM Turret - Click to enlarge
Boomerang-BM Turret

Main Gun is a 30mm 2A42 auto-cannon with 500 round storage of varying ammunition. Coaxial is a PKT 7.62mm Machine Gun with 2,000 rounds ammunition.

Anti-Tank capability is a launcher with x2 firing tubes mounted on both the right and left hand side of the turret. These will fire The Kornet (Russian: “Корнет”; English: Cornet) ATM missiles.

The gunner sighting equipment includes day and night channels. His sight is located to the right of the main gun. The commanders sight has the same capabilities and located on the tip of the turret on the left, giving the vehicle a hunter killer capability.

The Boomerang-BM has other equipment, which maybe optical jamming and other active protection systems.

The Kurganets-25 Armoured Personnel Carrier

The Kurganets-25 Armoured Personnel Carrier
The Kurganets-25 Armoured Personnel Carrier – Click to enlarge

The APC version lacks the frontal and rear modifications to its side modular armour for the mounting of what looks like elements of an active protection system and equipment mounted across the front of the hull top.

The APC version is equipped with a Remote Weapon Station, which can be equipped with various calibre Machine Guns, but is featured in pictures as a PKT 7.62mm. It will be operated by most likely the vehicle commander remotely at his station and will probably have day and thermal channels on its sighting equipment.

The Kurganets-25 Common Features

Kurganets-25 Recognition Markers - Click to enlarge
Kurganets-25 Recognition Markers – Click to enlarge

1. At the front of the vehicle is a folded down trim vane. 2 Behind this is the engine compartment (visible by access hatches). 3 The driver is located centrally behind the engine and has a hatch with 3 periscopes. 4. To his right is the vehicle commander who has his own hatch and periscopes.

5 The troop compartment and weapon system (RWS or turret) is towards the rear, with access through 1 large door that opens to the left as the troops exit the vehicle.

6 The vehicle has very distinct large modular armour totalling 8 modules per side. The depth and their addition mean that varying levels of ceramic armour can be inserted dependant on the threat level in theatre and can effectively operate in built up city areas.

7 The front three modules have what look like holes, but are actually handles and foot steps for the crew to climb up the side of the vehicle on to the hulls roof.

The Kurganets-25 Photos

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See Also Other New Russian Vehicles

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Armata T-14 Main Battle Tank

Armata T-14 Main Battle Tank

t-15 Armata small
The T-15 Armata Infantry Fighting Vehicle

T-15 Armata Infantry Fighting Vehicle

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Bumerang 8×8 Wheeled

Bumerang 8×8 Wheeled

Note:

Special thanks to our fellow TankNut & Contributor Rustam Bogaudinov for helping with the content on this page.