bk1009Uh, guys, I don't know what this kit is of, but it sure isn't of the Terminator 2. The easiest way to spot this are the two sponson-mounted AGS-17's that are present on this bugger, As far as I could gather, UVZ deleted the grenade launchers as the Terminator 2 is actually a retrofit package for normal T-72's and they (apparently) decided to forego the hull mods needed to install the weapons and crew stations present on the purpose-built BMPT's. This has left me wondering, if this is mislabeled modification of the original BMPT featuring the -2's ATGM mounts and a new ERA scheme (going by the unused parts on the sprues) or this is a new vehicle. Aside from that, it's already shaping up to be a fun build.
Edit: Going down the rabbit hole, I found a couple of articles in Russian that feature a vehicle that looks like this kit and things are definitely a bit odd. Basically, the article claims the pictured "Terminator" is based on a T-90 chassis, plus the Russian wiki about the BMPT also mention a "related vehicle" based on that chassis that was developed (or in development). Perhaps, they reused the nickname of the BMPT-72 (the upgrade package that doesn't seem to've been accepted into service) for a series run on a T-90-based BMPT (perhaps incorporating some of the features of the BMPT-72, ie the redesigned Ataka launchers and autocannon mount)?
Edit2: I just noticed that some of the pictures being captioned as "Terminator 3" and sure enough, googling BMPT/BMOP Terminator 3 yields a ton of results.
12 July 2022, 16:32
Kai R. IngebrigtsenThere are "Terminator 2" in the Ukraine that have the AGS launchers.
The kit is pretty accurate to what is currently in service.
23 January 2023, 08:29
bk1009The kit is very accurate to the vehicles used in Ukraine, my hangup was that the Terminator 2 is a different beast than the one in this kit. Look up the pictures of the Terminator 2 online - it's an obvious T-72 hull (with minor modifications - notice the different sponsons without the AGS17 stations and the equally nonexistent hatches and optics on the sides of the driver's position) mated to an upgraded turret from the Terminator-1 (newer auto-cannon shroud/mount, shielding over the ATGM tubes). Looking up this bugger online (using an unholy combination of my half-forgotten Russian and google Translate), the vehicle may've been unofficially dubbed the Terminator 3 (and is using modified new-build T-90M hulls), which further complicates things as there are rumours of an Armata-based Terminator-3 in the works as well to make things that much more confusing 😄
Then again, it's not the first time the Russians used confusing naming conventions for their military gear - a gold standard being the Tu-22M, which has almost nothing in common with the Tu-22... Or the T-80 originally being essentially several related (but distinct) vehicles with differing power plants and opto-electronics packages that began life as a deep modification program of the T-64A
23 January 2023, 13:17