MOSCOW, July 27. /TASS/. Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) and Omsktransmash (a subsidiary of Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer within Rostec), demonstrated the capabilities of the latest TOS-1A heavy flamethrower to foreign customers, the Uralvagonzavod press office reported on Monday.
The heavy flamethrower was demonstrated at the Staratel artillery proving ground in Nizhny Tagil in the Urals, the press office specified.
"The TOS-1A heavy flame-throwing system is a unique model for the world market and the world’s sole powerful short-range fire support weapon. This hardware is not produced anywhere else except Russia and we are proudly demonstrating it to our foreign partners," the press office quoted Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev as saying.
The latest heavy flamethrower confirmed its stated combat capabilities in real combat conditions in the Middle East, the chief executive stressed.
"Thanks to its highest characteristics, the TOS-1A is steadily among the top five weapons supplied by Rosoboronexport to customers’ ground forces," Mikheyev stressed.
The TOS-1A demonstrated its best operational characteristics and a high quality of fire at the proving ground, the press office quoted Uralvagonzavod CEO Alexander Potapov as saying.
"The system’s efficiency and its firepower have long been recognized throughout the world and the gun is a unique weapon in terms of its technical solutions and combat effectiveness," he added.
The TOS-1A heavy flamethrower combat vehicle weighs 44.3 tonnes and has a crew of three. The flamethrower features a 24-barrel rocket launcher and is capable of striking targets at a range of 400 meters to 6,000 meters. The combat vehicle’s full salvo time is 6 seconds.
The heavy flamethrower fires rockets with warheads filled with the incendiary substance or the thermobaric mixture. These mixtures create an aerosol cloud that produces the effect of a fuel and air explosion. The TOS-1A is especially effective in mountainous terrain or against sheltered structures (including, urban buildings).