Tigr-M armoured vehicles equipped with the remotely controlled Arbalet-DM combat module have been spotted with the Russian Ministry of Defence's Africa Corps in Mali.
A photograph of the vehicles was published on the Africa Corps 2.0 Telegram channel. The image shows a pair of AMN-233114 armoured cars fitted with the weapon station, which carries a heavy machine gun and an opto-electronic unit with a thermal imager.
The Arbalet-DM module provides target detection at a range of at least 2,500 metres. The vehicles in the photograph are also equipped with an electronic warfare system.
Arbalet-DM combat module and vehicle equipment
The AMN-233114 Tigr-M is a Russian four-wheel-drive multipurpose infantry mobility vehicle used for reconnaissance, patrol and convoy escort missions. Built with an armoured hull, it is designed to protect its crew against small-arms fire and shell splinters in combat zones.
Mounting a remotely controlled weapon station such as the Arbalet-DM allows the crew to aim and fire the roof-mounted heavy machine gun from inside the armoured cabin. Operators track targets on internal screens using the turret's cameras and thermal sight rather than standing exposed in an open roof hatch.
Electronic warfare systems carried on military vehicles are designed to jam radio control and satellite navigation signals, protecting crews against unmanned aerial vehicles and radio-controlled improvised explosive devices.
Previous Africa Corps vehicle sightings in Mali and Libya
The sightings follow earlier appearances of Russian armoured vehicles with the force in North and West Africa. In June, an AMN-590951 Spartak armoured vehicle belonging to the Africa Corps was spotted in Mali fitted with a Chinese W85 heavy machine gun.
The AMN-590951 Spartak is a heavier Russian mine-resistant armoured vehicle built to protect troops from roadside blasts, while the W85 is a 12.7-millimetre heavy machine gun originally developed in China for infantry and vehicle mounts.
In April, photographs emerged showing Russian Tigr-M vehicles in Libya. Those vehicles carried a factory add-on armour kit capable of withstanding fire from 7.62-millimetre bullets.
The Africa Corps is a military force operating under the Russian Ministry of Defence that deploys personnel and equipment to partner states in Africa, including Mali and Libya. Its units field a mix of Russian multipurpose armoured cars and mine-resistant vehicles alongside locally adapted weapons and protection kits.
