NIZHNY NOVGOROD, February 22 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Defense Ministry is interested in buying Russian-made Tigr (Tiger) armored vehicles, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.
Different modifications of the vehicles exist, including those armed with antitank rockets that can effectively engage a superior enemy force as large as a tank company, he said.
This particular modification is being developed by the Arzamas Machine-Manufacturing Plant in conjunction with the Tula-based KB Priborostroyenia [Instrument Building] Design Bureau.
“We will show this machine at an exhibition in Nizhny Tagil. I think it will impress everyone - both our enemies and our state contracting authorities,” Rogozin said.
He said it is wrong to buy 100-percent foreign-made military arms and equipment, because such policy is detrimental to domestic manufacturers and does not involve technology transfers.
Rogozin also said the state will support private firms working under state defense contracts, adding that the relevant legislation is pending.
The SPM-2 GAZ-233036 Tigr (Tiger) is a high-mobility multipurpose military vehicle manufactured by MIC, a GAZ Group division, at the Arzamas machine-manufacturing plant.
It has a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour and can carry up to nine personnel or 1.2 tons of cargo.
