[ fire power ] An upgraded version of the Shkval turret, the Shkval-A incorporates the Tandem-2 optronic surveillance and fire control system that provides several advantages over its counterpart seen on the Shkval turret prior to upgrade.
ZhBTZ’s Upgrade of the Shkval Turret
Zhytomyr-based Armor Plant (ZhBTZ) offers its BMP-1UM IFV vehicle upgraded with Shkval-A turret mount. An upgraded version of the Shkval turret, the Shkval-A incorporates the Tandem-2 optronic surveillance and fire control system that provides several advantages over its counterpart seen on the Shkval turret prior to upgrade. Further improvements may include a day/night fire control capability enabled particularly by the use of the KLW-1 ASTERIA cooled thermal camera that was displayed by PCO S.A, Poland, at MSPO 2015 expo. Traverse and elevation stabilization is ensured by the two-plane SVU-500-3Ts stabilization system produced by Kiev-based PJSC “Petrovsky R&D and Manufacturing Company”. The Shkval-A differs from the original Shkval in that is uses two Kompleks 212 ATGM launchers firing RK-2S missiles in place of as many Fag-
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ot ATGM launchers firing PU 9M113M missiles. The Shkval-A accommodates the same weapons kit as found in the original Shkval prior to upgrade, comprised of a ZTM-1 autocannon, a coaxial 7.62mm PKT7.62 machine gun, a 30mm AG-17 automatic grenade launcher and 6 smoke grenade launchers. It is noteworthy that the ZTM-1 cannon can be fired manually using a backup mechanical trigger in the event of vehicle power supply failure.
FIREPOWER FOR DOZOR-B ARMORED VEHICLE
The Dozor-B armored vehicle (produced by Lviv Armor Plant) uses as its main armament the turret mount BPU-12.7 developed and produced by Kharkiv Morozov Engineering Design Bureau. The BPU-12.7 is a standalone, non-stabilized turret controlled remotely from operator’s workstation. It is intended to engage lightly armored vehicles and low-flying aerial targets (helicopters) at ranges of up to 2,000 m during day and night operations. The weapons turret, which weighs 350 kg and is 618-mm high, hosts a 12.7-mm remotely controlled machine gun (NSVT or its Ukrainian counterpart KT-12.7), a laser rangefinder, a color TV camera and a thermal imaging camera, as well as a remote control unit. It offers enough elevation to engage and defeat low-flying slow targets, and carries 150 12.7-mm ready-to-fire rounds fed from a cartridge box belt, the reserve ammunition being stowed inside the hull of the vehicle.
LONG ARM FOR THE ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICLE
Ukrainian companies are also working on concepts that include a 23-mm anti-aircraft can-