2S31 Vena Multipurpose Amphibious Vehicle

The 2S31 Vena is a multipurpose, amphibious self-propelled tracked artillery system, developed by OAO Motovilikhinskiye zavody for export markets as well as for the Russian Armed Forces.

The self-propelled gun provides direct fire support for the mechanised infantry divisions. The 2S31 Vena was developed in 1996. It is the latest in the Nona family of self-propelled tracked artillery systems. The system is designed to meet the requirements of the army, navy and marine corps.

The 2S31 Vena is armed with a 2A80 120mm rifled gun. The gun can fire all types of Russian and foreign 120mm mortar shells as well as Nato standard mortar mines. It has a maximum rate of fire of 8 to 10 rounds a minute.

The gun can be elevated from a -4º to +80º angle. The ammunition includes high-explosive anti-tank projectiles, HE-fragmentation mortar bombs, Kitolov-2 guided projectiles, smoke bombs and mines.

The gun delivers powerful closely-grouped high-explosive fire on a target with significant destruction impact in comparison with 152mm and 155mm artillery.

The gun can achieve a maximum firing range of 13km with high-explosive plastic (HEP) projectile and 7.2km with high-explosive bomb.

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T-80U Soviet Main Battle Tank

The T-80 main battle tank has been in production since the late 1970s. KBTM of Omsk, Russian Federation, manufactures the T-80U for general use in infantry and tank units and the T-80UK command tank and XKBM, Kharkov, Ukraine, manufactures the T-80UD and the T-84, the Ukrainian variant of the T-80UD.

The T-80 was the first Soviet operational tank to be powered by a gas-turbines, with a GTD-1000 gas-turbine engine developing 1100 hp. The road wheel spacing is not identical, with distinct gaps between the three pairs of road wheels. To extend the operational range of the T-80, additional fuel tanks can be mounted at the hull rear, which can be quickly jettisoned if required. A large circular container mounted on the turret rear carries two snorkels for deep fording operations. The larger one provides an air intake for the gas-turbine, with the other being fitted onto the radiator grill.

The T-80U carries the 9M119 Refleks (Nato designation AT-11 Sniper) anti-tank guided missile system which is fired from the main gun. The range of the missile is 100m to 4,000m. The system is intended to engage tanks fitted with ERA (explosive reactive armour) as well as low-flying air targets such as helicopters, at a range of up to 5km. The missile system fires either the 9M119 or 9M119M missiles, which have semi-automatic laser beamriding guidance.

The tank is fitted with a 125mm 2A46M-1 automatic smoothbore gun with thermal sleeve, which can fire between 6 and 8 rounds/minute. Loading is hydro-mechanical with a 28 round carousel container. 45 rounds are carried. The gun fires separate loading projectiles which have semi-combustible cartridge case and sabot. Ammunition can be AP (armour piercing), APDS (armour piercing giscarding sabot), HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) and HE-FRAG (high-explosive fragmentation).

The latest version of the T-80U is the T-80UM2, also called Black Eagle or Chiorny Oriol, which is designed to engage targets while stationary or on the move. The demonstration of the prototype tank was held in Omsk in September 1997. The tank has a new all-welded cast steel turret with ERA on the hull front and turret, an automatic loading system and relocation of the ammunition to the turret bustle for improved survivability.

Other improvements include a computerised fire control system, thermal imaging sights for commander and gunner, and the Arena active countermeasures system. The T-80 UM2 is planned for exports but production has not yet started.

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T-90S Russia Main Battle Tank

The T-90S is the latest development in the T-series of Russian tanks and represents an access in firepower, advancement and protection. It is bogus by Uralvagonzavod in Nizhnyi Tagil, Russia.

The T-90S entered account with the Russian Army in 1992. In February 2001, the Indian Army active a arrangement for 310 T-90S tanks: 124 were completed in Russia and the blow are getting delivered in "knocked down" anatomy for final accumulation in India.

The aboriginal of these was delivered in January 2004. The locally accumulated tanks are christened 'Bhishma'. The tanks are adapted with the Shtora self-protection arrangement and Catherine thermal imagers from Thales of France and Peleng of Belarus. The aboriginal ten Bhishma tanks were inducted into the Indian Army in August 2009. India affairs to abet 1,640 T-90 tanks by 2020.

The T-90S armament includes one 125mm 2A46M smoothbore gun, stabilised in two axes and adapted with a thermal sleeve. The gun tube can be replaced after dismantling central the turret. The gun can blaze a array of armament including APDS (Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot), HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank), HE-FRAG (high-explosive fragmentation) as able-bodied as armament projectiles with time fuses.

The T-90S gun can aswell blaze the 9M119 Refleks (NATO appellation AT-11 Sniper) anti-tank guided missile system. The ambit of the missile is 100m to 4,000m and takes 11.7 sec to ability best range. The arrangement is advised to appoint tanks adapted with ERA (explosive acknowledging armour) as able-bodied as low-flying air targets such as helicopters, at a ambit of up to 5km. The missile arrangement fires either the 9M119 or 9M119M missiles which accept semi-automatic laser beamriding advice and a alveolate allegation warhead. Missile weight is 23.4kg. The accoutrements automated loader will augment both ammunition and missiles.

Also adapted is a coaxial 7.62mm PKT apparatus gun and a 12.7mm air defence apparatus gun. A 5.45mm AKS-74 advance burglarize is agitated on a accumulator rack.

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