MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. State trials of Russia’s amphibious self-propelled tank destroyer, Sprut-SDM1, are to begin in October, a defense industry source has told TASS.

"State trials of Sprut-SDM1 are to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018," the source said.

Russia’s state corporation Rostec did not comment on the timeframe, saying only that "trial models of Sprut-SDM1 are ready for testing, the customer is still interested in the project."

The Sprut-SDM1 self-propelled anti-tank gun (SPATG) has been developed by the Volgograd Tractor Plant (VTZ, a subsidiary of the Tractor Plants concern). The vehicle was presented at the Army-2015 international military-technical forum held in June 2015 in Kubinka outside Moscow. According to the official information issued by the manufacturer, the Sprut-SDM1 is a tracked amphibious armored vehicle that can be airdropped with its crew inside. The SPATG has a full combat weight of 18 tonnes, and its crew totals three (a commander, a gunner and a driver). The vehicle is powered by a UTD-29 diesel multifuel engine with a power output of 500 hp that produces a speed of up to 70 km/h on road and up to 7 km/h in water. The Sprut-SDM1`s armament suite incorporates a 2A75 125 mm smoothbore main gun, a coaxial PKTM 7.62 mm medium machinegun and a PKTM machinegun integrated with a roof-mounted remotely controlled weapon station. The 2A75 is coupled to an autoloader that drastically increases its firing rate. The gun can fire anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM). The self-propelled gun is also fitted with six Tucha-type smoke dischargers mounted on the turret. The SPATG is based on the chassis of the newest BMD-4M airborne infantry fighting vehicle (AIFV).

The gunner`s seat is fitted with a PNM Sosna-U sighting system combined day-night sight with independent field-of-view (FOV) stabilization, an integrated rangefinder, a calculator and ATGM laser guidance channel. The Sosna-U has been complemented by a PDT optoelectronic backup sight with stabilizer and an autonomous power source. The commander of the SPATG has received a PKP combined day-night panoramic sighting system with independent FOV stabilization, an integrated rangefinder and a calculator.

The Sprut-SDM1`s firepower is almost equal to that of the T-90MS main battle tank (MBT), owing to the integration of a modern fire control system. The SPATG and the MBT fire the same munition range, the manufacturer of the self-propelled gun says. The Sprut-SDM1 is a reliable vehicle that can be operated in mountainous terrains and hot climate. The vehicle also features high power-to-weight ratio.