MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/: The export version of combat vehicles based on Russia’s latest Bumerang standardized wheeled platform will differ from its configuration for the Russian Army but their design will be unchanged, CEO of the Military Industrial Company (the vehicle’s developer and producer) Alexander Krasovitsky told TASS on Friday.
"A promotional certificate and an export configuration certificate have been formalized for combat vehicles based on the Bumerang standardized platform. The configuration of the vehicles intended for exports differs from those that go to the Russian Army by communications and automated combat control systems, electromagnetic shielding and protection systems against the WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and the means of reducing visibility on the battlefield," the chief executive said.
At the same time, the combat vehicles’ design will not undergo any changes, he said. "No changes are stipulated in the design of the vehicle intended for exports. In any case, we will listen to the requirements of foreign customers and outfit the platform with the equipment, which they will request," he stressed.
The head of the Military Industrial Company told TASS in July 2019 that the latest K-16 armored personnel carrier based on the Bumerang platform would be 1.5-2 times cheaper than the models of the company’s closest rivals. He named the countries of Africa, South America and Asia as the most promising markets for the combat vehicle. The chief executive also said at the time that the licensed production of the export version of the K-16 Bumerang armored personnel carrier might be eventually organized on the territory of customer countries.
The Bumerang is the latest standardized wheeled platform for multiservice forces developed by the Military Industrial Company. The platform was used as the basis for developing the K-16 armored personnel carrier, and also the K-17 infantry fighting vehicle unveiled for the public at the Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square in 2015.
The combat vehicle’s baseline version is outfitted with the Epokha combat module with a 30mm automatic gun and a coaxial 7.62mm machine-gun and the Kornet anti-tank missile system. The K-16 armored personnel carrier is armed with a combat module with a 12.7mm machine-gun.
Russia to sell latest Bumerang combat vehicles worth $1 bln to foreign customers
Russia has started to promote the export of armored vehicles based on the latest Bumerang combat platform, with their sales estimated at about $1 billion, Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport announced on Thursday.
As Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev said, countries of Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the CIS have already displayed their interest in the Bumerang combat vehicle.
The Bumerang combat platform has been developed on order from Russia’s Defense Ministry. As its unique advantage, the platform can be used as the basis to build the widest range of vehicles with various weapons and equipment, Rosoboronexport stressed.
"The Boomerang 8x8 amphibious combat vehicle provides the capability to handle a wide range of combat missions and even peacetime tasks: when repelling aggression of a potential adversary, defending the state’s borders and fighting terrorist groups, as well as assisting the population in case of natural disasters and calamities," the state arms exporter said.
Depending on the armament installed, the combat vehicle based on the chassis of the universal wheeled combat platform can effectively engage various enemy targets (manpower, gun emplacements, armored and soft-skinned targets, including low-speed air targets) from a halt, on the move and afloat in any weather, day or night, Rosoboronexport stressed.
The combat vehicle can easily negotiate various obstacles, attain a speed of over 100 km/h on the highway and has a cruising range of at least 800 km. The Russian vehicle is most favorably distinguished from its foreign counterparts by its amphibious properties, which make it possible to negotiate water obstacles even in Sea State 3. Moreover, it develops a speed of at least 10 km/h on water, having endurance on water of up to 12 hours, Russia’s state arms seller said.
