The Serbian Armed Forces is Strengthened by 30 T-72MS Tanks and 30 Armored Reconnaissance Vehicles BRDM-2MS
Sunday, 23.5.2021 | International Co-operation
In the barracks "Mija Stanimirović" in Niš, the handover took place today of T-72MS tanks and BRDM-2MS armored reconnaissance vehicles, donated to the Republic of Serbia by the Russian Federation.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Phd Nebojsa Stefanović, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Milan Mojsilović, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Army General Nikolai Pankov, Deputy Defence Minister, General Alexander Fomin and the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko.
Symbolically, at today's handover ceremony, General Fomin handed over the key to the tank to General Mojsilović. On that occasion, General Fomin pointed out that today was another successful step in strengthening the Russian-Serbian military-technical cooperation. He emphasized that this technique fulfilled all modern standards and would strengthen the combat potential of the Serbian Armed Forces and secure national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
General Mojsilović thanked the state leadership of the Russian Federation and everyone who have participated today and to this day in the process of equipping the tank and armored reconnaissance battalion with Russian-made combat means.
General Mojsilović emphasized that this military-technical cooperation resulted in the Serbian Armed Forces strengthened by 30 T-72MS tanks and 30 armored combat vehicles BRDM-2MS, as well as that the results of our solid partnership and good military cooperation were visible on the ground today.
— The combat technique that we have the opportunity to see today, and now classify as part of the Serbian Armed Forces equipment, will aim to strengthen the overall capacity and operational capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces as a whole — general Mojsilović concluded.
The T-72MS tank is a modernized variant of the T-72 tank. Tank modernization was conducted at the 61st Armored Overhaul Institute (BTRZ) in the Russian Federation. The T-72MS tank weighs 44.5 tons. The maximum speed is 60 km/h. It is armed with a 125mm gun with a combat set of 42 projectiles, PKT 7.62mm machine gun with a combat set of 2,000 bullets and a heavy machine gun KORD 12.7mm with a combat set of 600 bullets.
The BRDM-2MS armored reconnaissance vehicle is intended for reconnaissance in all combat operations and for all types of reconnaissance on land and water. Moreover, it can be used for combat security, combat with enemy security units, transporting couriers and liaison officers, as signal means, as a command vehicle, and for attacking enemy landing forces.
Equipping the reconnaissance units of the Serbian Armed Forces with armored reconnaissance vehicle BRDM-2MS has improved, above all, the ability to observe, aim and shoot at night. The BRDM-2MS armored reconnaissance vehicle is equipped with a thermal imaging camera that allows to spot targets at a distance of 3.5 km, and recognition at 2 km. The device has a stabilized dome in two planes and can successfully target moving targets.
Today, armored reconnaissance and tank battalion were also shown on the march in the Niš barracks, while the basic tactical and technical characteristics of the T-72MS tank and the BRDM-2MS armored reconnaissance vehicle were presented separately.
