Ukrainian Armor, a member of the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI), has unveiled its Novator 2 armored vehicle equipped with a new Ukrainian-made MBU-1 remotely controlled weapon station (RCWS) developed by a partner company. The weapon system has already appeared on another interesting platform this year.
According to Ukrainian Armor, the demonstration was conducted for units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the National Police. The participants evaluated the vehicle and its capabilities, including firing while stationary, on the move, and at drones.
Read more: Spaniards, Following Ukrainian Novator-2 Example, Modernize VAMTAC Armored Vehicle, Which Is In Service With Ukraine’s Army Too
The combat module is armed with a 12.7mm Browning M2 machine gun and has a capacity of 300 rounds. Its armor reportedly meets Level 4 protection standards. It can be assumed that this refers to ballistic protection under the Ukrainian PZSA-4 standard, which corresponds to the protection level of the Novator.
The weapon station is equipped with an ATN X-SIGHT 5 5–25X digital sight and an Archer TSA 7/75 thermal imaging system. According to a company representative, during the firing demonstration, the system achieved a 90% hit rate at distances of 100, 350, 600, and 1,000 meters.
The combat module can rotate 360 degrees and has an elevation range of −3.5° to +61.9°. It can be reloaded from both outside and inside the vehicle, improving crew safety. The module has an autonomous operating time of 6–8 hours.
Serhii Ruzhynskyi, a representative of the Central Directorate for Innovation Activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, added that the weapon station has already been adapted for use on various types of vehicles. In other words, it has been integrated not only onto the Novator but also onto at least the BRDM-2 and M113.
As previously reported by Defence Express, the MBU-1 weapon station has already been demonstrated on a heavy unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and an M113 armored personnel carrier. In those configurations, both the weapon station and the vehicle could be operated remotely, without requiring a crew inside.
The Novator 2 is an upgraded version of the SBA Novator armored vehicle, with its passenger capacity increased from five to up to 10 personnel. It is based on a Ford F-550 chassis.
This is not the first combat module to be demonstrated on the Novator 2. However, for the MBU-1 to enter service with the Ukrainian military, it would need to be ordered either as a standalone system or as part of a vehicle configuration equipped with the weapon station.
Read more: Ukrainian Defense Firm Can Develop New Novator Variant in Just 30 Days, Ready for Codification
