IMR-2

IMR-2
IMR
Type	Heavy combat engineering vehicle
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1982–present
Wars	Soviet–Afghan War First Chechen War Second Chechen War Syrian Civil War 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Designer	UVZ
Manufacturer	UVZ
Produced	1982–1990
No. built	659
Specifications
Mass	44.3 tonnes
Length	9.55 m (31 ft 4 in)
Width	4.35 m (14 ft 3 in)
Height	3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Crew	2
Armor	Protection against small arms and shell splinters
Main armament	1× 12.7 mm NSV machine gun
Engine	V-84MS V-12 turbocharged diesel engine 840 hp
Power/weight	19 hp/tonne
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	500 km
Maximum speed	50 km/h (31 mph)

The IMR-2 is a Soviet and Russian tracked military engineering vehicle built on the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank. IMR stands for Inzhenernaya Mashina Razgrazhdeniya (Russian: инженерная машина разграждения-2; ИМР-2), meaning "Clearing Engineering Vehicle".

Development of the IMR-2 began in the 1970s and was completed in 1980. Series production commenced in 1982. The IMR-2 was developed to replace the aging IMR, which was built on the basis of the T-54/55 tank. It is in service with the Russian Army and some foreign militaries. It took part in the Soviet–Afghan War, First Chechen War, Second Chechen War, Russian invasion of Ukraine and was in addition used in relief operations after the Chernobyl disaster.

Design

The IMR-2 was derived from the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank. The turret of the T-72 was replaced with a new rotating multipurpose telescopic crane. The IMR-2 has a bulldozer blade fitted on the front of the hull, which has a v-shape and a straight shape and a 200–250 m³/h capacity. When not required, the blade is folded upwards. Stone barriers can be cleared at the rate of 280 to 350 meter an hour while trenches and tree barriers can be filled in at the rate of 350 to 400 m³/h.

A 12.7 mm NSVT machine gun is mounted on the crew operator/commander cabin, for the self-protection of the vehicle.

Propulsion

The IMR-2 is powered by a multi-fuel water-cooled diesel engine V-84Ms developing 840 hp, the same engine used in the T-72. It can run at a maximum road speed of 50 km/h with a maximum range of 500 km. The IMR-2 uses the same torsion bar suspension as the T-72, which consists of six road wheels on each side. It is operated by a two-man crew.

Variants

• IMR: First version of combat engineering vehicle built on T-54/55 medium battle tank chassis, powered by a V-55 diesel engine developing 520 hp.
• IMR-2M1: Simplified model without the mine-clearing system. Entered service in 1982. Based on T-72A tank hull.
• IMR-2M2: Improved version that is better suited for operations in dangerous situations, for example in contaminated areas. It entered service in 1990 and has a modified crane arm with bucket instead off the pincers.
• IMR-2MA: Latest version with bigger operator's cabin armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun NSV.
• Klin-1: Remote controlled IMR-2.
• IMR-3M: Combat engineering vehicle built on the T-90 main battle tank chassis. The vehicle is 9,320 mm long, 3,500 mm wide and 3,430 mm high and weighs 49.5 t with the KMT-RZ minesweeping device. The IMR-3M is powered by an 840-hp V-84MS multifuel diesel engine, producing a maximum speed of 60 km/h and a range of 500 km. The baseline AEV is fitted with a U-type dozer blade, jib-type crane with an excavator bucket, and minesweeping plow. A chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear [CBRN] reconnaissance device, smokescreen generator, advanced signal suite and automatic fire extinguisher are fitted. The IMR-3M is armed with an NSVT 12.7 mm heavy machinegun [HMG] in a remotely controlled station. Production started in 2016 and is currently ongoing. IMR-3M is capable of fording water barriers up to 5 m deep along the bottom.

References