Firefighters of Russian MoD to receives Zver mobile chemical protection TASS 81403173

Military Defense Industry Technology - Russia
 
Firefighters of Russian MoD to receives Zver mobile chemical protection
The firefighters of the Russian Defense Ministry will be issued Zver mobile chemical protection and camouflaging systems. The Zver developed by the Advanced Firefighting Technologies Company (Russian acronym SOPOT) in St. Petersburg can put out fires at nuclear weapons depots, prevent large-scale radioactive contamination and camouflage combat vehicles from enemy radars and spy satellites in a few seconds, according to the Izvestia daily.
     
The firefighters of the Russian Defense Ministry will be issued Zver mobile chemical protection and camouflaging systems. The Zver developed by the Advanced Firefighting Technologies Company (Russian acronym SOPOT) in St. Petersburg can put out fires at nuclear weapons depots, prevent large-scale radioactive contamination and camouflage combat vehicles from enemy radars and spy satellites in a few seconds, according to the Izvestia daily.
"Zver" mobile chemical protection container at Armiya 2016 (credit Army Recognition)
     
The Zver mobile chemical protection and camouflaging system looks like an ordinary 20-foot shipping container fit for carriage by any army truck, tracked vehicle or the PTS-2 amphibious carrier. Inside the module, there is a super-high-performance pumping unit and several reservoirs of the fire-suppressant compound based on silicon dioxide, or silicon earth. When in liquid form, the compound quickly spreads across the object engulfed in flames, fills every nook and cranny and solidifies in a few seconds, thus cooling the object instantly and stifling the fire.

"The Zver has passed the trials by special research institutes of the Defense Ministry," SOPOT Director General Gennady Kuptin tells Izvestia. "If all goes to plan, the system will be fielded with the firefighting units at ammunition and fuel depots. The Zver also will join the vehicular fleets of the rescue regiments being activated by the military districts. They are designed to deal with man-made and natural disasters, evacuate people and rebuild social infrastructure."

The Zver’s tanks are filled with 5 tons of silicon dioxide. Dumping it via a special delivery monitor in 1 min., the vehicle can cover several thousand square meters of land with the compound, remaining in safety 100 m away from the seat of the fire - a record-setting distance as far as fire engines are concerned. The distance is twice as long as that of the Defense Ministry’s in-service fire engines.

Another unique property of silicon earth is that the foam blocks the spreading of radiation and reduces the concentration of the chemicals and dangerous gases released into the atmosphere during fires. This enables the Zver to effectively put out fires at nuclear arms depots and contain radioactive contamination during accidents at nuclear powerplants and submarines. Ordinary water in such a case only aggravates the problem, because radioactive water is absorbed by the soil. The silicon dioxide foam both stops the spreading of dangerous substances and remains on the ground and thus can be easily removed.

The unique firefighting foam allows camouflaging combat vehicles. Silicon dioxide absorbs the signals of radars and spy satellites. According to Kuprin, the foam can protect vehicles for several months unless it is removed. If it has to be removed, rinsing a tank, an APC or a truck with lukewarm water will do the trick.

Expert Victor Murakhovsky reminded that several years ago, the Russian Defense Ministry had encountered a whole number of devastating fires and, as a result, devised a program on furnishing the ammunition depots with up-to-date fire-suppressant systems. The program is to be implemented in 2018. A special firefighting vehicle has been derived from the T-72 and T-80 tanks under the program, but it is less effective than the Zver is.

"Unfortunately, problems with fires have been tackled mostly by troops; hence, so many casualties caused by fires," Murakhovsky says in an interview with the Izvestia daily. "Naturally, automated hardware and highly effective fire-suppressant mixtures should be developed to minimize human presence in the danger zone. In this context, SOPOT’s vehicle is unique because it offers an integrated solution to the problem. The mobile system features a high-performance fire-suppressant capability and prevents the direct contact between people and fire in the danger zone."
     
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