Russia may seek to export its Bumerang armored personnel carrier (APC) and is already seeing foreign interest, according to Alexander Krasovitsky, the head of the Military-Industrial Company.
Speaking to Izvestia in an interview released on July 4, 2017, Krasovitsky touted the Bumerang APC as “an engineering breakthrough” and noted, “The vehicle can be remotely-operated, which means that it is essentially a robot.”
He added that the vehicle features protective systems that can defend against incoming anti-tank weapons but did not specify further.
Krasovitsky further stated the vehicle “is taking our entire industry to an entirely new level. Its new engine built in Yaroslavl ushered in a real industrial revolution because Russia never had such an engine before.” Reportedly over 40 Russian firms are involved in the APC’s development.
The Russian military, National Guard, and Interior Ministry have already placed orders for an unspecified number of the vehicles.
Due to competitive pricing, the vehicle may also see interest abroad, according to Krasovitsky. He said, “We are already getting orders [for Bumerangs] from abroad, but the vehicle remains classified. We are not allowed to unveil its technical characteristics, let alone discuss the price. I’m sure that once the stamp of secrecy has been removed, we and Rosoboronexport will be able to sell it abroad.”
He did not identify which countries had expressed interest in purchasing the vehicle.
The Bumerang was unveiled in 2015. The 8×8 APC can carry nine soldiers as well as its crew of three. For armaments, the Bumerang can sport the same unmanned turrets as the Kurganets IFVs, which has a 30mm cannon with a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and four Kornet anti-tank guided missiles. Another version of the Bumerang will be armed with just a 12.7mm machine gun.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
