Russia Debuts Shturm Robotic Assault System

For the first time, Russia has showcased a combat vehicle from the Shturm unmanned assault system, built on the chassis of a T-72 tank.

The video of this new military technology was shared by defense analyst Andrei_bt.

Captured by eyewitnesses, the footage reveals key components of the Shturm system – including a combat vehicle based on a modified, remotely operated T-72 tank that can still be crewed manually, as well as a command vehicle mounted on a T-72 (T-90) tank chassis.

A distinctive feature of the system is its use of a 125 mm short-barreled gun designed for operations in urban environments. Notably, the video shows that the combat vehicle is being operated by its own crew, rather than remotely.

Shturm Unmanned Assault System

Alexander Potapov, General Director of Uralvagonzavod (UVZ), revealed at the ADEX exhibition in 2018 that the corporation is developing a robotic complex based on the T-72B3 tank on behalf of the Ministry of Defense.

According to Potapov, since the technical specifications for the robotic system project based on T-72 have been approved by the Ministry of Defense, the manufacturer is already partially confident that there will be an order from the armed forces. However, at that time, he was unable to provide an exact timeline for when the first prototype of the robotic complex based on T-72B3 would be ready.

In August 2018, the publication RBC, citing a source within the Ministry of Defense, reported that Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) was developing a heavy assault robotic complex based on the chassis of the T-72B3 tank. The research and development project is named “Shturm.” According to the Ministry of Defense source, a prototype of the system with combat equipment has already been created, demonstrating elements of movement.

According to the RBC source, one of the main requirements for the robotic system based on T-72 is the presence of extremely high all-around protection, capable of maintaining combat effectiveness after being hit by 10-15 grenades from a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher and a detonation on an anti-tank mine. Judging by the renderings of the complex and the published video, this protection is achieved through the extensive use of reactive armor.

Additionally, the vehicle must be capable of maneuvering in confined urban spaces, including unrestricted 360-degree turret rotation in narrow passages, made possible by the use of a shortened barrel.

Overall, the plan was to develop four types of combat vehicles with different armaments:

• A combat vehicle weighing up to 50 tons equipped with a 125 mm D-414 gun with a shortened 4000 mm barrel and an automatic loader holding 22 rounds. A 152 mm version of the gun is also planned;
• A combat vehicle equipped with launch blocks for RPO-2 Shmel rocket flamethrowers and a secondary 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun;
• A combat vehicle with a combat module featuring two 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannons (ammunition up to 1000 rounds), a 7.62 mm PKTM, and RPO-2 Shmel rocket flamethrowers;
• A combat vehicle armed with unguided 220 mm MO.1.01.04M thermobaric rockets, similar to those used on the TOC-1A heavy flamethrower system.

To control the robotic tanks, it is proposed to create a highly mobile remote command post also based on the T-72B3 chassis, equipped with all-around protection against handheld cumulative anti-tank weapons. It is expected that each command post will be able to control a platoon of combat vehicles within a 3 km radius. The maximum speed of the robots under remote control is 40 km/h.

As noted by Andrei_bt, the new complex’s design does not include any additional protection for the turret roof and hatches. However, it allows the use of T-72A tank hulls from storage – of which Russia still has reserves – unlike the more recent models.

This is not Russia’s first attempt to create a heavy assault robotic system. Combat robotic vehicles like the Uran-9 were deployed in Syria and later during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, their use was sporadic and not particularly successful.

Therefore, the reliability of such a complex robotic system functioning effectively on the real battlefield remains uncertain. It is also unclear how far Russia has progressed in the actual development of the Shturm system. However, considering the current battlefield conditions, the trend toward further automation and the development of ground-based robotic platforms is likely to continue.