Russia's BMPT Terminator “Tank” Won't Do Anything 'Meaningful' in Ukraine War
The Russian BMPT Terminator is an advanced armored fighting vehicle (AFV) designed to support tanks in urban combat, using the T-72 tank chassis for increased durability.
What You Need to Know: The Russian BMPT Terminator is an advanced armored fighting vehicle (AFV) designed to support tanks in urban combat, using the T-72 tank chassis for increased durability. Introduced by UralVagonZavod, the Terminator has a five-person crew and features 30mm cannons, anti-tank missiles, and grenade launchers, offering comprehensive firepower against multiple targets.'
-With only 23 built to date, including units for Algeria and Kazakhstan, its battlefield presence remains limited.
-Deployed in Ukraine, the BMPT has demonstrated effectiveness but also vulnerability to Ukrainian forces. The Terminator represents a shift in Russian combat strategy, though its limited numbers may restrict its impact.
BMPT Terminator “Tank” (AFV) Profile
When one reads or hears the phrase “The Terminator,” chances are almost certain that he or she will think of the blockbuster sci-fi/action-adventure film series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, that first kicked off in 1984.
So, it’s not surprising that at some point, at least one real-world weapons system would end up getting tagged with the “Terminator” label. The kicker is that, even though “The Terminator” movie franchise is Western in origin, made in the USA, the eponymous weapons system we’re going to discuss right now is made in Russia. Say Privyet to the Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov (BMPT) armored fighting vehicle (AFV).
BMPT Initial History & Specifications
Designed by UralVagonZavod between 1998 and 2002, and, according to the Army Technology website, was unveiled in July 2000 at the Ural Second Exhibition of Armaments and Military Equipment and entered into official operational service with the Russian Army in 2005.
The vehicle is based on the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank (MBT). Though not a bona fide tank in its own right, an AFV such as the BMPT increases the efficiency of tanks in urban warfare, peacekeeping, and counterterrorist operations by allowing the tanks to advance by destroying antitank targets such as manpower, and lightly and heavily armored ground targets, such as tanks, as well as aerial targets. As a bonus, the “Terminator” can also operate independently of the MBTs to support infantry, fight terrorists, and escort convoys.
The “Terminator” comes with the following specifications and vital stats:
Crew Capacity: five (vehicle commander, driver, gunner, two grenade launcher operators)
Mass: fifty-three tons
Length: 6.96 meters (22.8 feet)
Width: 3.8 meters (12.5 feet)
Height: 3.44 meters (11.25 feet)
Max Speed: sixty kilometers/h (37.2 miles/h) on highways
Cruising Range: 550 kilometers (341.7 miles) w/external fuel tanks
Armament:
two 30 milimeter (1.181 inch) Shipunov 2A42 automatic cannons with 850 rounds
four 130 milimeter 9M120 Ataka-T anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers
two AG-17D or AGS-30 Atlant 30 milimeter grenade launchers with 600 rounds
one 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun with 2,000 rounds
For the sake of crew survivability, the vehicle is equipped with a combination of explosive reactive armor and basic steel armor.
As of December 2023, twenty-three of these AFVs have been built. In addition to the Russian Ground Forces, the Algerian People's National Army and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan have also adopted the Terminator.
Operational History
My colleague Stavros Atlamazoglou assesses the Terminator’s combat performance thusly, “Unlike the T-14 Armata main battle tank and the Su-57 Checkmate…the Russian military hasn’t hesitated to throw the BMPT Terminator into combat. The armored fighting vehicle has seen action in eastern Ukraine and the Donbas, showing positive signs. However, the Ukrainian forces have destroyed at least two BMPT Terminators….The Ukrainians destroyed the first armored fighting vehicle last February. Ukrainian marines incapacitated a BMPT Terminator with small-arms fire before Ukrainian artillery destroyed it in eastern Ukraine. Then, in August, Ukrainian special operators used suicide drones to first incapacitate and then destroy another BMPT Terminator in the Donbas.”
The Way Ahead
To quote Stavros one more time, “With only a handful of BMPT Terminators in service, the Russian military is unlikely to use the armored fighting vehicle in any meaningful way in the conflict. Sure, a BMPT Terminator can pop here or there, but unless Moscow finds a way to produce more, the weapon system won’t have a serious impact on the battlefield.”
Time will tell.
About the Author
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ). He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS).
Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.
