The 2T Stalker, also known as BM-2T Stalker, is a Belarusian armoured vehicle. it is a part of the GM chassis and It never entered production. ^[2]

Armament

Fire Control System

The vehicle incorporates a multi-channel day/night optical electronic suite. ^{[1] [2]}

Weapons

The weapon set of the 2T Stalker comprises a stabilized 30 mm caliber automatic cannon, a coaxial machine gun, an automatic grenade launcher, as well as four ready-fire missiles; two anti-aircraft and two anti-tank missiles. ^{[3] [2]}

Main and coaxial guns

The 2T Stalker comprises a 30 mm automatic cannon 2A42 as the main armament, as announced in 2001. ^[4] The gas-operated gun is a dual feed multipurpose small caliber weapon, ^{[5] [4]} that has a dual rate of fire with a minimum rate of 200-300 or 550 rounds per minute (rds/min), where the rapid fire mode assures 800 rds/min. ^{[4] [6]} The sustained rate of fire is 200 rds/min, though. ^[5] The gun is intended for engaging materiel, low flying aircraft, light vehicles, and dismounted infantry. ^{[5] [4] [6]} With a muzzle velocity of 960 m/s, ^{[5] [6]} the gun is capable of defeating a light Armored Personnel Carrier at a range of 1,500 meters, a soft-skinned vehicle at 4,000 meters, and slow-flying aircraft at altitudes up to 2,000 meters and slant ranges of up to 2,500 meters. ^[4]

The vehicle mounts a 7.62mm PKT in the coaxial gun position. ^[1]

Grenade launcher

The AGS-17 Plamya (Russian: Пламя) is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation. The AG-17 weapon system uses VOG-17M fragmentation rounds with a non-delay point fuse detonating on impact, designed to engage soft targets in cover. The weapon is fed from a box-stowed, metal linked belt holding 166 rounds.

Retractable launchers

The Stalker mounts two retractable launchers that each carry two ready-to-fire missiles, with an additional six reloads stored in the hull. ^[1] Typically, the left side carries ATGMs while the right carries light anti-aircraft missiles.

Anti-Tank Missiles ( AT-6 Spiral)

The 9K114 Shturm ( NATO reporting name is AT-6 SPIRAL) is a tube-launched, SACLOS antitank guided missile. ^[7] The missile has replaced the older 3M11 Falanga (AT-2 Swatter) on the Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter, yet the SACLOS system with IR missile tracking, and radio guidance, similar to the uprated version of the Swatter, the AT-2c, operates the same as the AT-4 Spigot and AT-5 Spandrel which unlike the AT-6 Spiral are wire-guided. ^[7] The AT-6 is said to be a laser-guided missile based on/ version of the American Hellfire missile, ^[8] however, that is as incorrect as the erroneous crediting of the missile with 7,000-10,000 meters as the maximum range. ^[7] The AT-6 missile is a 130mm caliber tube launched, Semi-Automatic Command to Line-Of-Sight ( SACLOS) Anti-Tank Guided Missile ( ATGM) that can engage targets within 400–5,000 meters. ^{[9] [10]} The conventional shaped-charge warhead of the basic Shturm is believed to ba capable of penetrating 560-600mm of armor, ^{[10] [11]} where the warhead that contains two tandem HEAT charges would punch through 600–700 mm of rolled homogenous steel armor ( RHA). ^{[7] [12][ unreliable source?]}

Anti-Air missiles ( SA-18 Grouse)

The 9K38 Igla ( NATO reporting name is S-18 Grouse) is a 72.2 mm man-portable air defense missile weighing 10.6 kilograms with a 1.3 kilogram warhead. ^[13] The missile itself is 1.67 meters long, the container is 1.708 meters and the whole system weights 17 kilograms. ^{[14] [15]} The system is designed to engage fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, cruise missiles and UAVs flying at speeds of 360–400 m/s in head-on engagement (approaching target) and up to 320 m/s in tail chase (receding target) within their optical visibility and in the night-time conditions in background clutter and thermal countermeasures environment. ^{[15] [16]} The system uses thermal battery/gas bottle, and is armed with a high-explosive warhead fitted with a contact and grazing fuse. The missile has a maximum range of 5200 meters and operates at altitudes from ten and up to 3500 meters. The 9M39 missile SA-18 employs an IR (infrared) guidance system using proportional convergence logic. The new seeker offers better protection against electro-optical jammers; the probability of kill against an unprotected fighter is estimated at 30-48%, and the use of IRCM jammers only degrades this to 24-30%. ^[17]

Comparable vehicles

Infantry Fighting Vehicles

• Mitsubishi Type 89 IFV
• BMP-3
• K21
• Puma
• A3 Bradley
• Egyptian Infantry Fighting Vehicle

See also

• Armored warfare
• Reconnaissance vehicle

References