Russia's BMPT Terminator 'Tank' Is Not To Be Toyed With
The Russian military's invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the poor performance of many of its tanks and armored vehicles, which are often seen destroyed along Ukrainian roads. However, the BMPT "Terminator," a Tank Support Fighting Vehicle derived from the T-72 Main Battle Tank, has shown resilience.
Summary and Key Points: The Russian military's invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the poor performance of many of its tanks and armored vehicles, which are often seen destroyed along Ukrainian roads. However, the BMPT "Terminator," a Tank Support Fighting Vehicle derived from the T-72 Main Battle Tank, has shown resilience.
-Designed to protect main battle tanks, the BMPT is equipped with powerful autocannons, anti-tank missiles, and advanced armor.
-Despite some losses, the BMPT has performed respectably in the conflict, countering threats like unmanned aerial vehicles.
Russia's BMPT Terminator Shows Resilience Amid Tank Failures in Ukraine
One of the chief story lines of Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion is the under-performance of the Russian military—a point that Russia's widespread equipment loss serves to emphasize. Russian tanks and armored vehicles, in particular, have fared poorly during the conflict. Images from the battlefield often depict what appears to be a graveyard of Russian tanks, lining Ukrainian roads and fields, with burnt out husks. The failure of Russia’s tank and armored vehicle corps has raised wider questions about the effectiveness of the Russian military, in general; yet one platform does seem to be performing adequately, the BMPT “Terminator.”
Introducing the Terminator Tank
The BMPT Terminator, a Tank Support Fighting Vehicle, is derived from the Soviet Union’s Cold War-era T-72 Main Battle Tank. The idea for the BMPT is rooted in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (which draws parallels to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine). In Afghanistan, the Soviet Union’s infantry vehicles, particularly the BMP-1 and BMP-2, performed poorly against Afghan (i.e., Taliban) guerillas. In an attempt to improve BMP performance, the Soviet Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant set about designing a new vehicle. The result was the BMPT, which was introduced well after the Soviet Union collapsed, in 2013.
In urban environments, the BMPT is deployed to protect main battle tanks, at a ratio of two BMPTS for every one main battle tank. Outside of urban environments, the ratio is reversed; one BMPT is deployed to protect two main battle tanks.
The BMPT is equipped with two 30-millimeter 2A42 automatic cannons, which can be used to load four laser-guided Ataka-T anti-tank missile systems. The BMPT also features a PKTM coaxial machine gun and 850 rounds of ammunition. Some upgraded versions of the BMPT have also been outfitted with two 30-millimeter automatic grenade launchers. The BMPT’s autocannon can hit targets as far away as 2,000 meters; the Ataka missiles are accurate up to 6,000 meters.
The variety of weaponry available to the BMPT makes the vehicle a capable platform for countering Ukraine’s unmanned aerial vehicles, which have plagued Russian forces despite being low-cost and low-tech.
For protection, the BMPT relies on module Explosive Reactive Armor. For deception, the BMPT is equipped with smoke grenades that can offer the vehicle a visual screen. The BMPT is also equipped with nuclear, biological, and chemical protection measures.
The BMPT Terminator in Ukraine
Despite the BMPT's respectable capabilities, the vehicle is far from impervious. BMPT losses have been recorded in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Last August, Ukraine published images that seem to show an attack on a BMPT in the Donetsk Oblast region. A swamp of small drones coordinated the attack, demonstrating the drone tactics that have been so effective in serving the Ukrainian defense.
Still, the BMPT has fared respectably in the conflict—a rarity amongst a slew of systems that have performed poorly against a relatively weak and underequipped adversary.
About the Author: Harrison Kass, Defense Expert
Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.
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