The Ukrainian military-industrial complex (MIC) continues to actively work on the modernization and creation of new types of weapons and military equipment for the Defense Forces of Ukraine. In April of this year, significant achievements in this field were announced, which indicates the constant development of the Ukrainian military industry.
New types of weapons continue to appear in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky was shown a new drone with machine vision and a range of over 100 km. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi was shown an updated BMP and a new armored vehicle.
Licensed Mbombe 6×6 and BMP-1TS — armored vehicles for the Armed Forces
On April 18, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi was shown the newest samples of armored vehicles. Among the novelties was a modernized infantry fighting vehicle BMP-1TS with a combat module "Spice-Synthez" and a six-wheeled armored vehicle. According to "Military", licensed production of South African Mbombe 6x6 armored vehicles was organized in Ukraine. In South Africa, it is produced by Paramount Group.
The Mbobme is a wheeled armored fighting vehicle that can accommodate eight infantrymen in a landing compartment. It has increased protection against detonation on mines. That is why a separate anti-mine chair is provided for each infantryman. The crew consists of three people: the commander, the gunner and the driver. Landing takes place through the aft aparel.
In the basic version, the weight of the machine is 16 tons, and the reservation provides protection against armor-piercing bullets of caliber 7.61x51 mm, which meets the STANAG 4569 class 3 standard. It is claimed that the armored vehicle can withstand a detonation charge weighing up to 10 kg in TNT equivalent. For this, the bottom has a two-layer V-shaped shape.
Mbobme 6×6 received the Ukrainian-made Spear-Synthez combat module. It is based on a 3TM-1 30-mm automatic cannon, a KBA-117 30-mm automatic grenade launcher and a 7.62-mm PKT twin machine gun, as well as two "Barrier" ATGM launchers.
The power plant is represented by a Cummins ISBe4 diesel engine with an Allison automatic transmission. The maximum speed is 100 km/h, and the range is 700 km.
The BMP-1TS is a modernization of the Soviet infantry fighting vehicle introduced in 2018. It was developed by the Techimpex company. The combat module was the main change of the machine. "Spies-Syntez" has, in addition to the characteristics listed above, a new weapons stabilizer, a weapons control complex and optics. In 2021, a contract was signed for the supply of an experimental batch of BMP-1TS to the Armed Forces.
One "Bohdan" every three days — Ukrainian artillery
The Bogdana self-propelled gun is a Ukrainian 155-mm artillery installation. The car began to be actively tested already in the conditions of a full-scale war. Over the years, several iterations of "Bohdana" have been created. The latter has a sender, which allows you to reload the gun installation faster. The Ukrainian military speaks positively about domestic development.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that 10 Bohdan self-propelled guns will be produced in April. There are plans to further increase the production of art installations. It is worth noting that as early as December 2023, Ukraine was producing 6 self-propelled guns per month. If the rate of 10 "Bohdan" self-propelled guns per month is maintained, the Armed Forces may receive another 80 Ukrainian artillery installations by the end of 2024.
- firing range — up to 42 km with conventional projectiles and up to 60 km with active-reactive ones;
- caliber — 155 mm;
- crew — 5 soldiers;
- speed — up to 80 km/h.
"Ukrainian Lancet" is a kamikaze drone with machine vision
President Volodymyr Zelensky was shown a new drone, which has already been nicknamed the "Ukrainian Lancet". On April 13, on the Day of Defense Industrial Complex Workers, the Ukrainian leader was shown a new model of a barrage drone. The declared range of the new drone is more than 100 km.
The name of the kamikaze drone is kept secret. However, it is known that the drone is already being used in the war zone. In the future, the drone will be able to hit targets in the sky thanks to the speed and power of the warhead. The Ukrainian Lancet is launched from a catapult, and the power plant has an electric motor. The shape of the barrage munition has an X-shaped fuselage, which provides high maneuverability. Depending on the purpose, the combat part of the drone can reach 3 kg. It can be presented in three versions:
- fragmentary;
- thermobaric;
- armor-piercing with a nuclear core (armor-piercing up to 40 mm with the creation of a large number of secondary fragments after "breaking through" the hull).
To intercept aerial targets, the drone will have a fragmentation warhead. It will be activated during a direct collision with the target or next to it at the operator's signal. The maximum speed of the product is 180 km/h, which should be enough to defeat Russian drones "Orlan-10", "Zala" or "Lancet", which have already been repeatedly spotted in the Ukrainian rear for correction.
"Military" also mentions another feature of the new UAV — it works in tandem with a repeater, which allows to guarantee long-distance communication. The drone has an encrypted communication module of the AES256 standard in order to counter electronic warfare.
And the last important point of the kamikaze drone is that it has "machine vision". It ensures the capture of the target and its automatic destruction. This allows you to hit the object even in the event of loss of control due to EW.
