At 12th edition of DefExpo-2022, on Land, Naval & Homeland Security Systems Exhibition at Gandhinagar, India, JSC NIMI named after V.V. Bahirev (Technodinamika subsidiary of Rostec Corporation managed by Tecmash Concern) is presenting a broad range of ammunition for tank, field and naval artillery.

Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (NIMI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of field, tank, anti-tank and naval artillery rounds, as well as an ammunition supplier to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and for export.

Started in 1932, this year NIMI celebrates its 90th anniversary. Over the 90 years of existence, the engineers of the Institute have developed and put into service for the Army and Navy more than 1000 types of ammunition.

Two new tank rounds with armour-piercing projectiles occupy a special place in the exposition at DefExpo 2022: the 125-mm 3VBM23 Svinets-2 round and the Mango-M, an experimental model of upgrade 3VBM17 round. As compared to the 3VBM17 round, two new products feature 30% higher armour penetration performance, which allows for engaging all types of foreign armour and military equipment from more than 2 km away.

It is no coincidence that India became the demonstration venue for the Mango-M. India is traditionally one of the main and largest partners of Russian defence products, especially armour-piercing tank rounds.

For example, India is known to produce Russian T-90 tanks under license; there are already more than a thousand units in service. Moreover, the Indian version of the tank is equipped with an automated loader designed for regular ammunition. Therefore, a very important task was to develop a round that would have superior characteristics, but would be suitable for vehicles used in India.

In addition to the upgraded Mango round, NIMI also demonstrates the Svinets-2 round. This is a 125 mm 3VBM23 round commissioned by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. In 2018, the Institute received the right to export it and demonstrated it for the first time during the Army-2019 forum in Russia.

This is a new generation of tank rounds with an armour-piercing sub-calibre projectile, its characteristics significantly exceeding those of both the regular Mango and its modernised version.

Therefore, in this situation, we can say that, firstly, NIMI constantly improve their ammunition, inventing complex technical solutions in non-standard situations; and secondly, company do not focus only on its tasks, but also try to create ammunition, that are suitable for any requirements of their partners.

Says Director General Nikolay Semenenko: ‘India historically demonstrates an interest in our products, not least because the country’s army operates a significant number of Russian-made combat systems. With military equipment becoming increasingly sophisticated and its protective characteristics increasing, upgrading and improving the ammunition is a critical objective. We offer our foreign clients both ready-to-operate products meeting their demands and production localization options. We are also prepared to extend the service life of previously supplied systems by way of assessing their condition and carrying out repairs as required.

NIMI and the Ministry of Defense of India have long and interesting path of cooperation. One of the largest Russian projects in the field of military-technical cooperation with India was the creation of the production of Russian 125-mm tank rounds 3VBM17 "Mango” on Indian land. The project is extremely successful and continues to evolve, allowing us to learn and share experiences over the years with our esteemed Indian colleagues.

The Indian Government held a course for development of its own industry. Russia, as an old partner and friend, is trying to provide all possible support at all levels. The “Mango” project is the first and very important project in our cooperation history. We are confident that it will grow and continue, and our cooperation will only become stronger.

In addition, we would like to send our greetings to India for 75th Independence Day, which is held on 2022. We are happy to compliment India on this great holiday and happy to be involved in it, because India is not only our constant partner, but also a reliable friend. Participating such large-scale joint projects that serve for the sake of safety and world peace, we are proud to be part of this great holiday and are glad that we manage to leave our small mark in the history of a great country.’

Started in 1932, this year NIMI celebrates its 90th anniversary. Over the 90 years of existence, the engineers of the Institute have developed and put into service for the Army and Navy more than 1000 types of ammunition.