CHEBARKUL /Chelyabinsk Region/, November 8. /TASS/. The first nine ‘Terminator’ tank support combat vehicles will enter service with armored units of the Central Military District’s 90th Guards Tank Division stationed in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk Regions from December 1 after successful trials, Central Military District Commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin announced on Monday.
"This year, we have successfully tested new methods of employing tank support combat vehicles in the 90th Tank Division and this has been a long-awaited event for us. We have thoroughly studied all the characteristics of these combat vehicles and I can say for certain after the tests and the operational evaluation that we held in June this year that the tank support combat vehicle is very effective and unrivaled by its firepower in this class of vehicles," the commander said.
"We will now make a company of nine tank support combat vehicles operational in a tank regiment of the 90th Tank Division before the end of this year, by December 1, by a decision of the defense minister and on an instruction from the chief of the General Staff. In June next year, we will hold a larger operational evaluation exercise to explore the potential of employing a battalion of tank support combat vehicles," the general added.
Work will also be carried out to look into the potential of a company of tank support combat vehicles for a motor rifle regiment, the commander added.
"I am deeply convinced that this armor will successfully cope with its combat tasks in a combined arms engagement and in compliance with modern requirements as the most efficient firepower vehicle both to support tanks and address a broad range of missions in the mountains and in populated localities," the general said.
‘Terminator’ tank support combat vehicles arrived for the Urals Tank Division in December last year for operational evaluation and for the personnel to learn to operate the new armor.
The ‘Terminator’ is a multi-purpose heavily armored and armed tracked fire support fighting vehicle that features powerful armament, advanced fire control instruments and high maneuverability.
The ‘Terminator’ is capable of striking light armored targets, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, operate jointly with battlefield air defense systems to fight enemy helicopters and low-flying low-speed aircraft.