Russia’s new self-propelled anti-tank gun to begin state trials in October — sourceForeign customers eye Russia’s unique sea minesRussian fighter jets hold training dogfight in stratosphere Foreign customers eye Russia’s unique sea mines jnkjnkj     Russia’s state corporation Rostec did not comment on the timeframe MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. State trials of Russia’s amphibious self-propelled tank destroyer, Sprut-SDM1, are to begin in October, a defense industry source has told TASS. "State trials of Sprut-SDM1 are to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018," the source said. Russia’s state corporation Rostec did not comment on the timeframe, saying only that "trial models of Sprut-SDM1 are ready for testing, the customer is still interested in the project." The Sprut-SDM1 self-propelled anti-tank gun (SPATG) has been developed by the Volgograd Tractor Plant (VTZ, a subsidiary of the Tractor Plants concern). The vehicle was presented at the Army-2015 international military-technical forum held in June 2015 in Kubinka outside Moscow. According to the official information issued by the manufacturer, the Sprut-SDM1 is a tracked amphibious armored vehicle that can be airdropped with its crew inside. The SPATG has a full combat weight of 18 tonnes, and its crew totals three (a commander, a gunner and a driver). The vehicle is powered by a UTD-29 diesel multifuel engine with a power output of 500 hp that produces a speed of up to 70 km/h on road and up to 7 km/h in water. The Sprut-SDM1`s armament suite incorporates a 2A75 125 mm smoothbore main gun, a coaxial PKTM 7.62 mm medium machinegun and a PKTM machinegun integrated with a roof-mounted remotely controlled weapon station. The 2A75 is coupled to an autoloader that drastically increases its firing rate. The gun can fire anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM). The self-propelled gun is also fitted with six Tucha-type smoke dischargers mounted on the turret. The SPATG is based on the chassis of the newest BMD-4M airborne infantry fighting vehicle (AIFV).   The gunner`s seat is fitted with a PNM Sosna-U sighting system combined day-night sight with independent field-of-view (FOV) stabilization, an integrated rangefinder, a calculator and ATGM laser guidance channel. The Sosna-U has been complemented by a PDT optoelectronic backup sight with stabilizer and an autonomous power source. The commander of the SPATG has received a PKP combined day-night panoramic sighting system with independent FOV stabilization, an integrated rangefinder and a calculator. The Sprut-SDM1`s firepower is almost equal to that of the T-90MS main battle tank (MBT), owing to the integration of a modern fire control system. The SPATG and the MBT fire the same munition range, the manufacturer of the self-propelled gun says. The Sprut-SDM1 is a reliable vehicle that can be operated in mountainous terrains and hot climate. The vehicle also features high power-to-weight ratio.