In the Russian army, the "Motolyga" has been added to the T-72 "Tsar-tanks" with enhanced anti-drone protection, and the "Spartak" and "Akhmat" armored vehicles with "Tsar-Mangals". A video has appeared online showing this multi-purpose light armored transporter equipped with a "Tsar-Mangal".
According to the "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", this design has been popularly nicknamed "mini-turtle". The "mangal" completely covers the MT-LB hull with screens down to the ground. This prevents kamikaze drones from detonating at the lower frontal part of the hull or ramming the sides of the vehicle.
The Multi-Purpose Light Armored Transporter (MT-LB), also known as "Motolyga," is a Soviet design from the 1960s that can serve as a tractor, an evacuation vehicle, a tractor for anti-tank guns, a self-propelled mortar, and an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun.
The armored personnel carrier can ford water obstacles by swimming and climb mountains at an angle of 35 degrees. The ten-ton MT-LB can simultaneously carry up to 13 people, two of whom are crew members. It reaches speeds of up to 60 km/h on the highway and is capable of traveling about 500 km.
It is known that the tracked MT-LB in the hands of the Russian military also serves as a base for installing weapons that must operate in impassable conditions. In particular, anti-tank missile systems "Shturm-S", anti-aircraft guns S-60, mortars 2B9 "Vasilek" are installed on it.
Read more on the topic:
Russian "Motolyga" turned anti-tank "Rapira" into self-propelled guns
To help the "Tsar-tanks": the Russian armored car "Akhmat" received the "Tsar-mangal"
The new Russian armored car "Centurion" appeared on the Web
Russian armored car "Spartak" is testing new protection against drones and fragments