TMM-6

The TMM-6 is a Russian bridge-laying vehicle. It was developed by Omsktransmash in Omsk between 1999 and the late 2000s. It was built to replace older Russian bridge-launching vehicles

TMM-6
A TMM-6 in Omsk, 2009
Type	Wheeled vehicle-launched bridge
Place of origin	Russia
Service history
In service	2000-Present
Used by	Azerbaijan Russia Syria Vietnam
Wars	Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Designed	1990s
Manufacturer	Omsktransmash
Developed from	MZKT-7930
Produced	1999-?
No. built	unknown, likely low number produced.
Specifications
Mass	36.4 t
Length	12.67 m (without bridge)
Width	3.07 m
Height	3.02 m (without bridge)
Crew	2

Etymology

TMM-6 is an abbreviation for "Tyazhelo Mekhniznrovanny Most 6," which translates to "Heavy Mechanized Bridge 6" in English. It is also known as the "Gusenitsa-2." The original Gusenitsa-1 was the MTU-90, which was based on the Russian T-90 battle tank.^[1]

Description

The TMM-6 was designed to replace older bridge-launching vehicles, such as the Soviet T-72 AVLB. The chassis of an MZKT-7930 makes up the base of the launch vehicle. The TMM-6 has no armor, but it does feature an NBC defense system.^[1]

An earlier prototype, the TMM-5, was produced in very small quantities. The TMM-5 was based off the chassis of the Soviet MAZ-543.^[1]

Bridge

The single-span folded scissor bridge rests on a three-axle KamAZ-5350 chassis. A hydraulic winch is used to both assemble and dissemble the bridge. A single section of the bridge has a length of 17 meters, and a theoretically infinite number of sections can be added on. The sections of the bridge can be laid in gaps and water between 2 and 5 meters deep. It takes around 45 minutes to deploy the bridge. The bridge has a weight capacity of 60 tons and can, in a single hour, carry up to 400 vehicles moving at 30 kilometers per hour. A single vehicle's bridge is able to bridge a gap up to 40 meters wide.^[1][2]

Operators

• Azerbaijan - As part of a larger shipment of military supplies ordered from Russia in 2011, Azerbaijan received several TMM-6s in Baku. The deal was between the Russian defense company Uralvagonzavod and the Government of Azerbaijan.^[3][4]
• Russia - Russia has produced an unknown but likely low number of TMM-6s since 1999. They have entered service in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major escalation in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.^[1][5]
• Syria - Multiple MZKT-7930 chassis was purchased by the Syrian Government in 2010, as part of a larger purchase of K-300P Bastion-Ps.^[6]
• Vietnam - Also in 2010, Vietnam purchased several MZKT-7930 chassis. It was a part of their increase in defense and military spending.^[6]