Russian Strategic Missile Forces receive 70 Typhoon-M armored vehicles

The 8x8 vehicles are used for defense of Yars RS-24 mobile nuclear ICBMs

Russia's Ministry of Defense announced last weekend that the Russian Strategic Missile Forces have received 70 Typhoon-M 8x8 armored vehicles designed to conduct radio, optical and infrared surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The Typhoon is also used as a counter-sabotage vehicle.

The Strategic Missile Forces are part of the Russian armed forces branch that controls Russia's land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Those forces currently operate eight types of missile systems: the silo-based Voyevoda, Stiletto, Topol-M, Yars, and Avangard ICBMs, and the mobile Topol, Topol-M, and Yars RS-24 ICBMs.

The Army Recognition website said that the Typhoon-M, also called the BPDM 15TM56M, is used by the Strategic Missile Forces for defense of Yars RS-24 missiles. The vehicle's crew consists of the driver, commander, gunner, radar operator, and drone operator. The hull of the vehicle can also accommodate four military personnel. For self-protection, the vehicle has a remotely operated weapon station with a PKTM 7.62mm machine gun.

The Typhoon-M was specially developed for the Strategic Missile Forces based on the BTR-82 armored personnel carrier chassis. It supervises forces using radar, optical and infrared bands, and is said to be able to strike enemy reconnaissance units. The Typhoon-M is equipped with different types of reconnaissance and surveillance equipment including a TKN-4S night vision sight and Kredo-1 ground surveillance radar. The vehicle is also equipped with an electronic warfare suite able to detect or jam hostile radio communications or electronic attacks, according to the report.

The website adds that one of the main features of the Typhoon-M is the onboard Eleron-3SV drone used to perform reconnaissance and surveillance missions. The small unmanned surveillance aircraft has a maximum range of 25 km but is generally used to carry out missions at a maximum range of 5 km for two hours. The drone has a camera capable of saving footage on an internal memory card or broadcasting video back to the command unit with a maximum range of 5 km.

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