Ukraine has created an unusual self-propelled anti-tank gun by combining the MT-LB tracked armor with the MT-12 Rapira.
The anti-tank self-propelled howitzer combined with the MT-LB armored vehicle with the MT-12 Rapira will help the Ukrainian Army improve the tactical features of the weapons that have proven obsolete.
The above unique image of combined weapons of the Ukrainian Army has appeared in a number of local newspapers, as well as been quoted by Russian media with considerable interest.
The above combination method will help take advantage of the high maneuverability of the MT-LB armored vehicle, as well as the rather strong power of the MT-12 anti-tank gun, although not comparable to the anti-tank systems. specialized but can not underestimate this weapon.
However, the aforementioned combination makes this self-propelled anti-tank gun quite obvious, losing the ability to camouflage to surprise the gunnery of the original MT-12 Rapira gun.
It is not clear at this time whether the above weapon complex has been launched by the Ukrainian Army in real battles or is only at the stage of field trials, as well as how many such prototypes have been created.
Perhaps the above idea of the Ukrainian Army was inspired by the experimental 2S15 Norov model during the Soviet era, but instead of the cannon being placed “openly”, it has a closed turret and a shape quite similar to a real tank consume.
The MT-12 Rapira is a 100 mm diameter smoothbore anti-tank gun that served in the Soviet Army before and is still in service in many countries today. This is a lightweight, high-power weapon, very reliable in operation.
The combat crew of the Rapira gun consists of 6 people, compared to the old version of the T-12, the MT-12 has been equipped with a laser rangefinder and a night sight. The maximum range of the cannon is about 8,200 m, the effective straight-line firing range is 1,800 m, and the rate of fire is 6 rounds/min.
One of the important advantages of the MT-12 is that it can fire from an obscured position. In addition to specialized anti-tank piercing bullets, Rapira is also supplemented with explosive fragmentation ammunition.
In addition, with an upgrade to integrate a laser target indicator, MT-12 Rapira can also launch AT-10 Bastion anti-tank guided missiles with a range of 4 km through the barrel.
Meanwhile, the tracked armored vehicle MT-LB was designed and put into use by the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. The vehicle was originally used for the purpose of transporting troops, goods, ambulances, and towing artillery.
However, the original MT-LB vehicle is not so famous and popular for the purpose of transporting mobile troops to the battlefield like using BTR-style wheeled armor. However, its chassis is quite common in deploying many different types of weapons.
MT-LB weighs 11.9 tons, is 6.45 m long, 2.86 m wide, and 1.86 m high, its tail door provides much better protection against fire on the battlefield than the line. BTR tires. At the same time, the vehicle can also carry 11 fully equipped soldiers or tow 6.5 tons of cargo.
The car is equipped with a YaMZ 238 Diesel engine with a capacity of 240 horsepower, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 61 km / h on flat terrain and can swim by the chain system at a speed of 5-6 km / h.
The MT-LB’s usual armament is a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun turret located on the right, allowing it to provide fire support for infantry on the battlefield. In addition, the chassis can also be attached to many other weapons, of which the MT-12 Rapira is a typical example.
