Bumerang (Boomerang)

The history of boomerang

During the decades of the Cold War, the Soviet Army advocated the use of multi-axle wheeled armored vehicles in its ground forces. This culminated in the classic BTR model line, centered around a basic 8x8 design and taking on the role of an armored personnel carrier (APC).

These types are widely used worldwide for procurement and operational services. Today (2015), the next incarnation of the BTR, the "Boomerang" represents service in the modern Russian army, bringing all the lessons learned from the recent battles in Chechnya and Ukraine, while applying them to From joint operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The vehicle is part of the "new-look" Russian army, which launched a series of modern vehicles in 2015. The boomerang will inherit the BTR-80/BTR-82 and BTR-90 series.

The boomerang was developed around a 2011 Russian Army requirement to ameliorate the weaknesses of the BTR-80 and BTR-90 designs while exploiting their strengths. Furthermore, these vehicles were designed at a time when war in Europe was considered the most likely to be a battlefield, but recent operations involving the Russian military prove that a new way of thinking is in order - unconventional warfare is here to stay.

By the end of 2011, the program was supported, and subsequently entered the design and development phase, which resulted in a new entry - named Boomerang ("Boomerang" for short). This product was publicly unveiled at the 2015 Moscow Victory Day military parade along with other Armata products.

Visually, the Boomerang is the same design line that is widely accepted on other modern 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicles. Ground clearance is excellent, thanks in part to eight large, height-adjustable runflat tires, four of which are mounted on the side of the hull. The Glacis panels are very shallow for basic ballistic protection, the driver's position hatch is on the upper left of the panel, and the engine is mounted on the right front of the hull.

The hull gained a flat roofline and a turret with primary and secondary weapon options available to the crew. The crew's roof hatch is located aft of the fuselage roof. The passenger compartment is located at the rear of the vehicle and is used to secure entry and exit through a rear door.

The standard operator is three, with additional seating for seven to nine combat-ready infantry.

The diesel engine is a 500-horsepower turbocharged unit, the same power that will be used in the upcoming Kurganets 25 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), as detailed elsewhere on this website. Road speed is estimated at 95 km/h, and each wheel is suspended for better off-road travel.

Like other historical Soviet APC/IFVs, the boomerang has inherent amphibious qualities. A collapsible rectangular panel attaches to the front end of the vehicle and opens before water enters.

The propulsion of the water source is provided by a pair of water nozzles mounted in the lower part of the fuselage tail.

The powered turret is a low-profile design that is remotely controlled by the crew (i.e. unmanned) from the safety of the hull. Primary armament will vary depending on mission needs, but at least a 7.62mm Medium Machine Gun (MMG) will be used. It is planned to accommodate a larger version of the turret with a 30mm automatic cannon or larger caliber main gun and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The basic 7.62mm machine gun can be easily replaced with a 12.7mm machine gun system, and even an automatic grenade launcher if desired. Turret options are also being developed to support anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers, adding a clear anti-tank capability to the boomerang.

Smoke grenade launchers allow readiness to self-check quality, and an integrated digital countermeasures suite will alert aircrews to incoming threats and respond automatically if necessary.

As with other vehicles in this class, the standard boomerang design will form the basis for other relevant battlefield vehicles, including armoured ambulances, command post vehicles (CPs) and mortar transporters (amongst others). In addition to the APC Boomerang and AFV Kurganets-25, the T-15 "Armata" Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle (HIFV) will join the Russian Army's roster - offering commanders a high degree of tactical flexibility.

The T-14 "Armata" will spearhead the Russian Armored Division when it goes live - and become the main battle tank (MBT) of the Russian Army.

The delivery of the Boomerang is scheduled to start in 2015.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

3,000 x 7.62mm ammo

12 x Smoke Grenade

Changes