MOSCOW, June 22 (AVN) - The Uralexpoarms-2000 military exhibition will feature the first public presentation of the MI-LB(6MB) and MT-LB(6MA) light modernised tracked carriers, MT-LB modernised prime mover-carrier and Ural-53234-23 automobile with armoured cab, Major-General Alexander Yeliseyev, chairman of the automobile research and technical committee of the Defence Ministry main ordnance department, said on Thursday.
Earlier, the vehicles were only shown to the Russian government members and the Defence Ministry leadership before departure to Chechnya for tests, Yeliseyev told the Military News Agency.
The serial production of MT-LB family carriers is done by the Muromteplovoz JS in central European Russia. They can ferry over 100 various types of arms.
Besides, the carriers are used for transportation of landing parties and ammo, towing artillery systems and trailers weighing up to 6.5t. Their average speed is 30-40 km/h, fuel distance endurance 500km.
All MT-LB vehicles are equipped with the 300kW D-221 engine. They are only different in armament. MT-LB(6MB) is armed with the 30mm 2A72 cannon and the twin-barrelled 7.62mm PKT machine-gun., MT-LB(6MA) with the 14.5mm KPVT and twin-barrelled 7.62mm PKT machine-guns, and MT-LBM only with the PKT machine-gun.
As to Ural-53234-23, it has fire-protected fuel tanks and the fully-armoured 2,000kg cab which secures the three-strong crew from large-calibre machine-gun fire, anti-personnel mine and grenade splinters, Yeliseyev said.
The vehicle can also serve as a base for mounting arms and military equipment and tow artillery systems and trailers with the full weight of up to 12 tons. Its main characteristics match the world's best vehicles of such class, Germany's MAN-4540 and US M-97.