Did you enjoy playing war games on Sony Playstation? Good. Were you a good player? Great. This means you’ll have no problem in driving Russia’s latest military tank, Kurganets-25, which features a controller similar to that of Sony’s Playstation instead of a steering wheel.
The vehicle has been designed to carry soldiers into battle while also sporting the firepower comparable to that of a tank. The public debut of the tank took place on 9th May, 2015. The vehicle was part of a parade held to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Russia’s victory in World War II. The manufacturer’s vice-president, Albert Bakov, told that the vehicle makes use of a device that is similar to a Playstation controller. In his own words, the Kurganets-25 infantry fighting vehicle uses a ‘console similar to a Sony Playstation gamepad’. The vehicle is being manufactured by Tractor Plants.
Bakov said, “I spent two years on convincing the designers to make the console similar to a Sony Playstation gamepad, to make it easier for a young soldier to familiarize himself with it.” He went on to say that the gamepad design has been perfected over the last few decades and therefore was the logical choice. It is also safe and requires much less space as compared to a steering wheel. He further added, “As it turns out, a steering wheel is dangerous for the rib cage during an impact and when climbing out. It takes up more space but provides nothing.”
As per the little information that has been released, the vehicle is a hybrid of armored tank and a full-size battle tank. It will be able to transport 8 troops in the back while requires a 3-person crew for its operation. It shall be able to attain a top speed of 50mph on its treads and comes equipped with amphibious ability. It also has a turret on top which most probably comes equipped with a machine gun, a 30-mm cannon and 4 anti-tank missiles. The mass production is scheduled for 2016 with the tank being tested currently in the Russian army.
