Will strengthen the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: self-propelled ATGM “Sturm-SM” has passed state tests (photo)
The self-propelled anti-tank missile system “Sturm-SM” has passed state tests.
This was said Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk.
According to him, the Ministry of Defense is rapidly continuing to work on the adoption and commissioning of new models of weapons and military equipment.
During the first week of 2024, nearly a dozen samples of weapons and military equipment were codified. These include robotic systems, UAVs, electronic warfare equipment, engineering equipment, a modernized version of the APCS, ATGMs and ammunition for them.
Also, state tests were completed and the mobile anti-tank missile system “Sturm-SM” based on one of the armored combat vehicles was codified. Ukrainian guided missiles with various types of warheads have been developed for the self-propelled ATGM.
It should be noted that the codification grants the right to conclude agreements with the manufacturer of weapons for their supply to the troops.
It is worth recalling that the Sturm-SM is a modified version of the Soviet Sturm-S complex.
The original self-propelled ATGM “Sturm-S” was developed in the mid-70s at the Kolomna Machine Building Design Bureau.
“Sturm-SM”
The modernized Sturm-SM was armed with the RK-2P Barrier-P guided missile from Luch Design Bureau with a range of 7 km. The prototype used a domestic optical sighting station OPSN-I developed by the State Enterprise “Izyum Instrument-Making Plant” as a sight.
The OPSN-I is designed for visual telemetry, target selection and tracking by the gunner, determination of the range to the target, formation of a laser information field for controlling the anti-tank missile at a programmed distance. As a standard, the sighting station was equipped with a thermal imaging channel (target detection range is from 14.5 km). It was also equipped with three digital multifunctional color cameras (targets can be detected at a distance of up to 12.5 km), as well as a laser rangefinder.
Initially, it was expected that the state tests of the Sturm-SM would be completed in 2022, but this timeline was affected by the Russian full-scale invasion.
Probably, the timing of the test was also affected by the replacement of the chassis, as follows from the words of Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk. Instead of the MT-LB tracked tractor, they decided to use another armored combat vehicle. As well as loss of production facilities at the Izyum Instrument-Making Plant as a result of the Russian occupation, which was the developer of the optical sighting station for the Sturm-SM, which necessitated looking for new suppliers or setting up production at other facilities.
