MUROM, Vladimir Region, February 26 (AVN) - The Muromteplovoz JS, a major defence industry enterprise of the region, started mass production of the new variant of the MT-LBM light multipurpose tracked technical support vehicle, the enterprise's director general Viktor Kharchenko told the Military News Agency on Monday.
MT-LBM is a high-speed amphibious armoured vehicle designed to tow 6.5t-heavy systems and trailers, carry people and cargoes, engage ground and airborne targets.
Unlike its predecessor, MT-LB, that was armed only with 7.62 mm PKT and 14.5 mm KPVT machine guns, the MT-LBM vehicle carries a 30 mm 2A72 cannon made by the Kovrov engineering plant. The turret mounting the cannon is produced by Muromteplovoz.
According to Kharchenko, Muromteplovoz plans to produce over 100 light multipurpose tracked vehicles on the basis of MT-LB in 2001.