Kurganets-25 Russian Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)

The Kurganets-25 Russian Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) is a lightly armed armored personnel carrier that can move 8 infantrymen to the battle with the support of one 12.7mm machine gun. The machine gun is in a remotely controlled turret. As part of the Russian army’s efforts to modularize their combat systems, the Kurganets-25 IFV and APC will evolve into various models, gradually replacing BMP, BMD, MT-LB and other types of tracked Soviet armored platforms. The Kurganets-25 will have modular armor that can be upgraded for specific threats. The Kurganets-25 IFV and APC variants were first seen in public during rehearsals for the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade. The Kurganets-25 is designed to bring the Russian tracked troop carrier fleet up to standard with Western designs like the American M2 Bradley and British Warrior, which outclassed their Soviet Cold War BMP-series counterparts. Kurganets-25 is based on Armata Universal Combat Platform while being lighter than the T-15 Armata "heavy IFV" based on the same and similar to wheeled VPK-7829 Bumerang. The APC carries 8 troops. Other variants proposed for the Kurganets include an armored ambulance, an 82 mm Vasilek mortar carrier, anti-tank vehicle, armored recovery vehicle, a reconnaissance vehicle, a command vehicle, and an armored engineering vehicle. The vehicle represents a departure from traditional Russian low profile designs, having a higher floor more suited for mounted combat rather than troop carrying, which also provides better IED and mine protection. While the T-15 is expected to be deployed with T-14 tanks in armored formations, Kurganets-25 platforms will equip mechanized units.