Armored Vehicles

BMO-T

Also known as
  • Object 564
  • Boevaya Mashina Ognemetchikov-Tyazhelaya
  • Boyevaya Mashina Ognemyochikov
  • БМО-Т
  • Объект 564

The BMO-T is a rare Russian T-72-based heavy armored carrier built for flamethrower squads armed with RPO-series disposable thermobaric launchers. Omsktransmash is listed as the manufacturer, and reference sources describe a two-person crew, seven carried troops, tank-level frontal protection, a 12.7 mm machine gun, and internal stowage for roughly 30 to 32 RPO launchers. In Ukraine, public evidence mainly documents Russian losses and one captured vehicle used by Ukrainian troops for recovery work rather than confirmed Russian flamethrower-squad employment.

BMO-T, Heavy flamethrower-squad armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles
Image source: Wikimedia Commons BMO-T Photograph

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Russia
Type
Heavy flamethrower-squad armored personnel carrier
Service note
Entered Russian service in 2001; documented in the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Designed
Late 1990s to early 2000s
Produced
Accepted into Russian service in 2001; limited production
Number built
About 10 vehicles reported in reference and Ukraine-war loss coverage

Specifications

Crew
2
Dismounts
7 troops
Combat weight
43.9 t
Length
7.22 m
Width
3.79 m
Height
2.24 m
Armament
Remote-controlled 12.7 mm machine gun; internal stowage for roughly 30-32 RPO-series disposable flamethrowers
Base chassis
T-72 main battle tank chassis
Engine
V-84-1/V-84-family diesel listed in open references; 840 hp in Army Guide and Weaponsystems.net data
Road speed
60 km/h
Road range
500-712 km across open-reference data
Protection
Composite frontal armor, built-in explosive reactive armor panels, spall liner, NBC protection, and automatic fire suppression listed by Army Guide
Smoke
Two banks of six 81 mm smoke-grenade launchers listed by Weaponsystems.net
T-72 Chassis And Crew Layout

The BMO-T removes the T-72 tank turret and replaces the fighting compartment with a raised protected troop and weapon compartment for a flamethrower detachment. Army Guide and Weaponsystems.net describe the vehicle as using a T-72 chassis with a two-person crew and room for seven troops, while Defense Express identifies the same T-72 basis in Ukraine-war reporting.

Base vehicle

T-72 tank chassis with turret removed and a raised armored superstructure.

Carried troops

Seven flamethrower-squad personnel in addition to commander and driver.

Launcher stowage

Open references list roughly 30 to 32 RPO-series disposable launchers carried inside the vehicle.

Ukraine evidence

Public conflict evidence centers on Russian vehicles destroyed or captured and a captured example used by Ukraine for towing, not confirmed Russian flamethrower-squad employment.

Carried Flamethrower Launchers

The vehicle was purpose-built around the protected movement of Russian flamethrower squads and their disposable RPO-series launchers.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
RPO-A Shmel, Disposable shoulder-fired thermobaric rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsRPO-A ShmelDisposable thermobaric launcher

Army Guide and Weaponsystems.net describe BMO-T as a dedicated transporter for flamethrower squads armed with RPO-series launchers; Defense Express specifically identifies RPO-A Shmel launchers as the carried weapons.

Sources: Army Guide BMO-T, Weaponsystems.net BMO-T, Defense Express Captured BMO-T

Timeline

BMO-T Key Events

  1. Accepted into Russian service

    Army Guide reports that the BMO-T was accepted into Russian Army service in 2001, but not produced in quantity.

    Sources: Army Guide BMO-T

  2. Captured example photographed in Kyiv

    A Wikimedia Commons photograph documents a BMO-T displayed in Kyiv in August 2022, with the file caption identifying it as a Russian T-72-based heavy armored personnel carrier.

    Sources: Wikimedia Commons BMO-T Photograph

  3. Captured BMO-T reported in Ukrainian use

    Defense Express reported that Ukrainian troops were shown using a captured BMO-T to tow damaged equipment, while Oryx's visually confirmed loss list separately recorded Russian BMO-Ts as destroyed and captured.

    Sources: Defense Express Captured BMO-T, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses

Media

BMO-T Images

BMO-T, Heavy flamethrower-squad armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons BMO-T Rear Exercise Photograph
BMO-T, Heavy flamethrower-squad armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons BMO-T Armiya 2020 Photograph
Related Weapon Systems
TOS-1A Solntsepyok, 220 mm thermobaric multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryTOS-1A Solntsepyok220 mm thermobaric multiple rocket launcherThe TOS-1A Solntsepyok is a Russian tracked heavy flamethrower system that functions as a short-range thermobaric multiple rocket launcher. Built around a BM-1 launcher on a tank chassis with transporter-loaders, it fires unguided 220 mm rockets to support infantry and armor against fortified positions, vehicles, and troops in cover. In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War it has been documented in Russian service near the front line, where its short range creates both destructive local effects and high vulnerability to Ukrainian targeting.
TOS-2 Tosochka, Wheeled 220 mm thermobaric multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryTOS-2 TosochkaWheeled 220 mm thermobaric multiple rocket launcherThe TOS-2 Tosochka is Russia's wheeled successor to the tracked TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system, using 220 mm thermobaric and incendiary rockets from an 18-tube launcher on a Ural 6x6 truck. Public Russian and U.S. Army reporting emphasizes the integrated crane, automated fire-control equipment, and wheeled chassis as the main mobility and reload changes, while conflict reporting has documented Russian TOS-2 employment and later Ukrainian strikes against the rare system during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Sources

Army Guide BMO-TPublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports manufacturer, service-entry, role, T-72 chassis, crew/troop capacity, RPO-series stowage, protection description, and specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Weaponsystems.net BMO-TPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports design context, BMO-T designation, 2001 service entry, limited production, T-72 chassis, crew and troop capacity, RPO-A carriage, Kord machine gun, dimensions, engine, mobility, smoke dischargers, and protection details. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Defense Express Captured BMO-TPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict-use context: a captured BMO-T used by Ukrainian troops to tow damaged equipment, Russian BMO-T losses, T-72 chassis context, and RPO-A Shmel carriage. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Oryx Russian Equipment LossesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict-use context by listing visually confirmed Russian BMO-T losses in Ukraine, including destroyed and captured vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons BMO-T PhotographPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and reuse context for the CC BY-SA 4.0 BMO-T photograph taken in Kyiv on August 23, 2022. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons BMO-T Rear Exercise PhotographPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery provenance and reuse context for a CC BY-SA 4.0 BMO-T photograph by Vitaly Kuzmin showing the vehicle from the rear during an exercise or display. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons BMO-T Armiya 2020 PhotographPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery provenance and reuse context for a CC BY-SA 4.0 BMO-T photograph from the Armiya 2020 exhibition. | Accessed: 2026-07-03VPK BMO-T ReferencePublisher: VPK.name | Note: Supports Russian-language reference context for the T-72 chassis, 43.9 t weight, 2-person crew, 7 carried troops, 30 RPO-A launchers, 12.7 mm weapon, speed, and range. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikipedia T-72 Operators And VariantsPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Baseline designation source noting BMO-T as a T-72-family transport vehicle for flamethrower squads armed with RPO launchers. | Accessed: 2026-07-03