The 2S25M used an autoloader which had 22 shells or missiles ready for use. Instead of six infantry passengers and a small turret with an autocannon, the tank destroyer carried 40 rounds of 125mm ammunition for use by the same 125mm gun found on most Russian tanks. There are several variants of the basic BMD design and one of them was the 2S25M, which was a modified tracked vehicle with a turret added to a BMD that now carried a crew of three. Most of these were IFV (Infantry fighting vehicles) that were amphibious and easy to move around using military cargo aircraft, and could be delivered by parachute. Most of these were the BMD airborne armored vehicles. In addition, the airborne force lost most of the special armored vehicles they were issued. The Ukrainians were the most formidable opposition the airborne troops had ever faced and they suffered nearly 5,000 casualties (dead, wounded, missing) during the first year of the war. Then came the 2022 war in Ukraine, where the airborne forces were the most reliable and effective infantry Russia had available. The paratroopers were elite and eager for any challenge. Since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the reduction of military personnel by 80 percent, the 45,000 paratroopers became the most frequently used infantry force. After the Ukraine invasion began, orders for more of these tank destroyers were placed. Designed for the airborne forces, development began in the 1980s but production did not start until 2001. One of the strangest Russian tanks to show up in Ukraine was the amphibious 18-ton 2S25M tank destroyer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |