Budget "Kurganets-25": Russia is testing a modernized BMP-2 with the Epoch module

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A video appeared on the Web, which allegedly depicts one of the stages of testing a new infantry fighting vehicle being developed for the Russian troops. Experts suggest that the footage shows a B-18, known as a modernized BMP-2 with an uninhabited Epoch combat module.

BM "Epoch" began to develop in 2013, but was first shown to the public only six years later. It was specially created for installation on the promising Kurganets-25 BMP, but due to a delay in its development, they decided to put the new BM on the BMP-2 and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles already in service. The specified combat module is equipped with an automatic low-ballistic gun LShO-57 (AGS-57) of 57 mm caliber (firing range 6 km), two launchers of the Kornet ATGM (4 ATGM ammunition, range 8-10 km), a new missile system " Bulat" - retractable launcher with small-sized guided missiles designed to destroy lightly armored equipment and firing points of the enemy (8 units), as well as a machine gun - a coaxial PKTM (ammunition load of 2000 rounds).




At the same time, experts consider the B-18 a hybrid and a budget option for the Kurganets-25, i.e. one of the products of the project of a promising universal medium tracked platform developed by the state corporation Rostec for a decade. The difficulty lies in the fact that the military, since 2015, wants to get an infantry fighting vehicle with a low profile, not a high one, calling it "a grenade launcher's dream." However, there is very little information about the B-18, but from the presented frames it can be concluded that very powerful dynamic protection is installed on its sides.

But there is a certain amount of data about the updated B-19 - an improved version of the BMP-3 with the Epoch BM installed. In 2017, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation ordered a batch of such armored vehicles for experimental military operation. In 2021, a B-19 platoon was spotted at the Mulino training ground during Zapad-2021 exercises. Moreover, the first samples were without BM "Sphere".
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  1. Dmitry Volkov
    Dmitry Volkov
    -1
    30 October 2022 20: 57
    Put a 57 mm gun
    with low ballistics and is it a success? Why not immediately 100 mm from the BMP-3, in fact, the module with Utes was enough for the armored personnel carrier and infantry fighting vehicle, their task is to bring the infantry to their destination and support, if necessary, with fire from 12.7, but not against tanks and pillboxes. It’s better to bring more T-62Ms for cover from the warehouses of infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, and their task is to deliver more people to the battlefield, that is, to throw out all these modules, towers, ammunition, all this place for fighters is both fire and explosive. ML-BT is better upgraded with Cliff! And it’s high time to upgrade the BTR-80 in warehouses with the removal of the tower and the installation of additional places for fighters and the module with the Cliff!
    1. Mat1xxx0N
      Mat1xxx0N
      -1
      30 October 2022 21: 54
      With complexes of the "Epoch" type, it would be possible to deliver soldiers to hot spots, helping with the destruction of fortifications. points, for example
    2. The comment was deleted.
    3. Grits
      Grits
      0
      31 October 2022 12: 27
      What is this stream of consciousness?
  2. vladivan
    vladivan
    +3
    31 October 2022 12: 07
    So 4-6 years of testing have passed! The testing period cannot be compared with a space rocket, which can be launched into low Earth orbit every month. And how many infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers have been created! BMP 90, BMP-3 BTR-87, Kurganets, Boomerang. ten modules are interchangeable. They surpassed all space technologies in complexity. All the general's Wishlist is apparently connected with one! How to export it, to satisfy the desires of buyers, and to show that we are generals, we can order from the Design Bureau something that no one else has. So for 4 years our armored troops did not see anything. There are about 700 BMPs in the whole country