I’m pretty sure they’re both in production. I’m more sure about the 2S25 Sprut-SD than the BMPT, but the 2S25 Sprut-SD is part of the big re-equipment of the VDV that’s going on. BMD-4, BTR-DZ (replacement of BTR-D, based on BMD-3 chassis) and variants thereof (like medevac BMM-1D, etc) and 2S25.

Russia set to buy 69 Topol-M missile systems by 2015

15:18 | 13/ 07/ 2006

Print version

VOLGOGRAD, July 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is planning to purchase 69 silo-based and mobile Topol-M ballistic missile systems in the next decade, the defense minister said Thursday.

“We are planning to buy 69 [Topol-M] systems by 2015,” Sergei Ivanov said at a meeting with defense industry officials in the Volgograd Region.

Ivanov, who is also a deputy prime minister, said the defense ministry was also planning to procure 60 Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile systems to equip five missile brigades, 57 Sprut-SD self-propelled guns, 499 Rakushka airborne armored personnel carriers, and several Bereg mobile coastal artillery systems.

The defense minister earlier said that Russia’s 2006 defense order would total $9 billion and increase by 20% to 303.7 bln rubles ($11.2 bln) in 2007.

However, Ivanov reiterated that defense industry enterprises should not rely solely on increasing state orders and must rapidly develop production of dual-purpose and civilian goods to stay competitive.

Rakushka = BTR-DZ. The BMD-4 has been in production from before this, that’s why I assume it wasn’t mentioned. All BMD-3s are being upgraded to BMD-4s as well (since it’s a turret replacement).

Note that’s enough to re-equip two of the four VDV divisions. The other two are being converted to lighter and more mobile helicopter + parachute & mountain rifle forces.

The limit of 40mm calibre for the rocket motor is very limiting. The PG-7VL rocket which has the 105mm warhead later used on the RPG-29 has a range of only 200m. When fired from the RPG-29 its effective range is 500m+

Actually the PG-7VL is the 93mm monobloc HEAT, the PG-7VR is the 105mm tandem. The RPG-7V2 allows for more effective firing of the PG-7VR, OG-7V and TBG-7V because it has a “UP-7V” sighting device that somehow functions along with the standard sight to extend the range.

Those tandem RPG-7 are interesting, some are probably Bulgarian, at least one may be a PG-7VR or copy thereof.

Clearly?

Yes. It’s not an RPG-27, that much is certain going from the RPG-27 round picture I posted. It can’t be a PG-7VR. There’s an RPG-29 launcher in the display (further up or down a row, you’ll have to see a video: Link) and to me, comparing it to PG-29V rounds commonly displayed, it’s identical.

An RPG-28 is a 125mm calibre disposable rocket launcher with a longer range than the RPG-27. Heavier warhead, longer range = larger rocket motor.

I haven’t seen one so I don’t know what the round looks like, but in any event, that Hezbollah would have them is even less likely than RPG-29, which we know they have.

Obviously a PG-29V when you have never seen an RPG-28…

Then show me an RPG-28 round. If it’s identical to a PG-29V give or take 20mm extra width, you may be correct, but I see no reason to think so based on the evidence at hand, which again includes an RPG-29 launcher itself.

Sorry, but I disagree.

The RPG-7s rocket comes in two parts that are screwed together before launch, but the RPG-29 comes packed in the rear portion of the launcher and is not assembled for launch.

The RPG-29 is a reloadable weapon. As for saying it’s not assembled at launch- actually the rocket being assembled makes a lot of sense from my POV- it’s a big fat round, and would be very unwieldy to carry as a single piece- but whether it’s assembled at launch or at the factory (since as we know the warhead itself is largely identical to the RPG-27 and PG-7VR, all Bazalt need do is produce the tandem 105mm warhead and then attach it as necessary to PG-7VR, RPG-27 and PG-29V rear sections) that is clearly a PG-29V rear section.

The rocket in Vaiars photo is the rocket from one of the disposable launchers sitting next to it.

Those are Fagot ATGM tubes.

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4751/104617140tl7.jpg

Just as there are 105mm warheads for the RPG-7 that have the same penetration performance as the RPG-29, there are also heavy disposable RPGs (RPG-26, 27, and 28) that also use both heavy warheads and large diameter warheads. From memory the RPG_27 has a 105mm warhead and the RPG-28 has a 125mm warhead of larger diameter than the RPG-29.

I’ve never heard of the RPG-28, but in any event, you can see in this RPG-27 pic that it’s definitely not an RPG-27 round:

Notice how the rear rocket motor section is much smaller in diameter in totality compared to the warhead, in comparison to the round seen at the Israeli display. It’s obviously a PG-29V.

If you go to http://www.rusarms.ru and click on the army products it will download a pdf version of the website. If you look for RPG-27 you will see a cross section of the RPG-27 in its launcher. If you look carefully you will see a waist between the rocket motor and the warhead. If you look at the specs you will also see the calibre of the weapon is 105mm… the same as the RPG-29. You will also notice that the weapons beside the rocket in Vaiar are the right size to be RPG-27s.

Vaguely, but as you can see from the close-ups, they’re ATGMs, not disposable RPGs- but in any event, there is no “waist” in the round on the Israeli display, just empty space.

EDIT: and as Vaiar mentioned, the RPG-29 launcher itself is clearly seen in the video of the same display, which I’ve seen. It’s a PG-29V.

This pic is a good look at the launcher and the round- quite high-resolution:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/RPG-29.JPG

The gap between the rear section and the actual warhead is extremely visible.

See also here in general:

http://www.bazalt.ru/bl-boy-eng.htm

hi,the 1st:KOPS(Kombinirovannaya Obzorno Pritselnaya Sistem)=FLIR

The Mi-28A doesn’t have a FLIR, that’s a daytime only system.