MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax-AVN) - Amphibious combat vehicles will be designed for the Russian marines, according to Navy Commander Adm. Vladimir Korolyov.
"A family of combat vehicles will be designed and commissioned in the medium-term future to support combat capacities of the marines as a branch of the Navy," Korolyov said at a meeting of the coordination council of Navy veterans organizations.
The vehicles will be transporting marines to the mission zone on the shore, destroying armored vehicles and troops of the enemy, and providing fire support to landing forces, the Defense Ministry's newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda quoted Korolyov as saying.
"The highly mobile amphibious combat vehicles will be supporting marine operations in any latitudes and climate, including in the Arctic," Korolyov said.
The marines are a coastal branch of the Navy tasked with landing operations and defense of naval bases, strategic beaches, and coastal facilities. They are equipped with amphibious combat hardware, man-portable anti-tank and air defense systems, and automatic small arms.
Korolyov said in November that the marines would be supplied with new armored personnel carriers BTR-82A, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery systems.