Burevestnik readies marinised AU-220M RCWS
Russia’ design institute Burevestnik (a subsidiary of Rostec’s concern Uralvagonzavod) has developed a marinised variant of its new AU-220M (M for Upgraded, Modernizirovannaya) heavy remotely operated weapon station (ROWS). A scale model of the ROWS was unveiled at Defexpo 2020.
According to Burevestnik, the station is designed for small surface combatant vessels with a displacement of no less than 150 tonnes. The ROWS is proposed to be installed in a deck bow-mounted superstructure, which is closed in the cruising mode. Once the gun is ordered to fire, the sides of the triangular-shaped superstructure unfold. The station’s sensor suite is located in the rear part of the turret.
The baseline marinised AU-220M is armed with a 57 mm automatic gun with a rate of fire of 100-120 rounds per minute. The gun is coupled to an ammunition magazine hosting up to 148 rounds. The station’s maximum firing range reaches 14.5 km. The main gun has an elevation angle between -7° and +85°, while the gun mount provides a -160° – +160° azimuth angle.
The module itself weighs 5 tonnes; the weight of the mount with additional ammunition is some 3.5 tonnes.
Owing to the capability of firing rounds of legacy and existing 57 mm artillery systems, the AU-220M has high cost-effectiveness ratio.
Russia’s Rosoboronexport (a subsidiary of Rostec) arms exporting company has already introduced to the global market a variant of the AU-220M ROWS for ground combat platforms.
Photo by Dmitry Fediushko
