UR-77 Meteorit
Soviet/Russian mine clearing vehicle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The UR-77 Meteorit (Russian: УР-77 «Метеорит», lit. 'Meteorite') is a Soviet mine clearing vehicle, based on a variant of the tracked 2S1 Gvozdika chassis.[4]
| UR-77 Meteorit | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Mine clearing vehicle |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1978–present[1] |
| Used by | Russia Syria Ukraine |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1977[5] |
| Manufacturer | Kharkiv Traktor Plant Soviet Union |
| Produced | 1978 |
| No. built | 550 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 15,500 kg (34,200 lb) |
| Crew | 2[5] |
| Effective firing range | 90 m (300 ft)[5][4] |
Main armament | Mine-clearing line charge |
Description
The vehicle is armed with a launcher and two mine-clearing line charges. When launched, a rocket deploys a line charge by extending it out into a line that crosses the minefield. When detonated, the charge causes a shock wave that destroys or disables all the shells or mines in an area along the line charge with a width of 6 metres and length up to 90 metres. Thus a break in the minefield is created.[5][1]
The vehicle has also been used offensively in Syria, where its line charge has been used to destroy entire streets in urban combat,[4] and by the Russians and Ukrainians in Ukraine.[6][7][8]
