The BMO-T (Boyevaya Mashina Ognemyochikov) is a modified hull related to the Cold War-era T-72 Main Battle Tank (MBT) and intended as an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) for Russian Army "flamethrower" anti-infantry teams. The vehicle retains the running gear of the original combat tank - complete with its six road wheels to a hull side, rear track drive sprocket, front idler, and rear-mounted engine - while completely removing the traversing turret component. The driver maintains his place at front-center of the hull with the commander's access hatch direct aft and above. A pair of crew hatches bookend the commander's position.
At the commander's hatch is mounted a Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) to be used primarily as an anti-infantry / light-armor / anti-aircraft measure. Twin banks of smoke dischargers are present near each cheek position of the hull and used to screen the vehicle's movements. The BMO-T carries additional armor blocks / plates along its hull sides for enhanced crew / systems protection and additional covering is found over the upper reaches of the fragile track-link sections.
The flamethrower teams are typically armed with the RPO-A "Shmel" man-portable, single-use thermobaric rocket system. These 93mm 24lb anti-infantry battlefield solutions were inducted into the Soviet Army during the 1980s and have seen consistent battlefield service since the Soviet-Afghan War. The projectile detonates in-air, releasing a cloud of extreme heat / gas to decimate unfortunate ground troops. As such, it is not a flamethrower in the typical sense.
At least four of these vehicles are known to have been lost in the fighting related to the Russo-Ukrainian War of February 2022.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the BMO-T Heavy Armored Personnel Carrier.
1 x Turbocharged diesel-fueled engine driving conventional track-and-wheel arrangement. Installed Power
40 mph 65 kph Road Speed
270 miles 435 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the BMO-T Heavy Armored Personnel Carrier.
3 (MANNED) Crew
31.3 ft 9.55 meters O/A Length
11.8 ft 3.6 meters O/A Width
79,366 lb 36,000 kg | 39.7 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the BMO-T Heavy Armored Personnel Carrier.
1 x 12.7mm NSVT heavy Machine Gun (HMG) over the hull.
12 x Smoke grenade dischargers.
AMMUNITION: 500 x 12.7mm ammunition.
12 x Smoke grenades.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the BMO-T family line.
BMO-T - base Series Designation.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the BMO-T. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 55 Units Contractor(s): State Factories - Russia
[ Russia ]
Going Further... The BMO-T Heavy Armored Personnel Carrier appears in the following collections:
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