KARACHI /Pakistan/, November 29. /TASS/. Pakistan’s largest armor manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) has decided against purchasing Ukrainian remote-controlled combat modules when choosing armament for its new infantry fighting vehicle Viper, a source in HIT told TASS at the IDEAS international defense exhibition on Thursday.
"HIT is currently developing the new Viper infantry fighting vehicle that will replace the Pakistani army’s outdated M113 armored personnel carrier assembled under the license. The Ukrainian BM-7 Parus combat module was considered as the basic version of its armament," the source said.
"However, a decision was made to reject it due to the low reliability of the basic armament, the 30mm gun, its low turning speed and the short service life. The Slovakian Turra 30 module furnished with similar armament but characterized by its compliance with the requirements of the Pakistani army has been chosen for the Viper," the source said.
HIT held comprehensive trials of the Ukrainian Parus module before rejecting it, the source said.
"The BM-7 remote-controlled combat module has failed to meet the requirements of the Pakistani army both by its quality and its price," the source said.