The BMPT Tank Support Fighting Vehicle, known for years as “Terminator”, has officially received a new name in Russia: “Spiridon” (Спиридон in Russian). The change was announced by Uralvagonzavod, a Rostec group company, as part of an initiative to adopt a designation considered closer to Russian tradition.
Uralvagonzavod, the Russian manufacturer of armored vehicles and part of the state-owned corporation Rostec, announced that the BMPT, an acronym for Tank Support Fighting Vehicle, will no longer be called “Terminator” and will instead receive the name “Spiridon”. The decision was announced amid celebrations marking the 90th anniversary of the plant in Nizhny Tagil.
According to the consortium, the change came at the request of factory workers and crews operating the vehicle in combat units. The company said the new name seeks to combine meanings associated with resilience, reliability, and Russian historical and spiritual references.
The name Spiridon was chosen after a competition launched in 2025, which reportedly received more than 10,000 letters from Russia and more than 20 countries. The choice refers to Saint Spyridon of Trimythous, a figure venerated in the Orthodox tradition, as well as other historical and military figures cited by Rostec in its symbolic justification.
According to Uralvagonzavod, the name also carries the idea of something “strong”, “robust”, and “reliable”, characteristics the manufacturer aims to associate with the armored vehicle. The company also noted that particles of relics attributed to the saint are preserved in churches in the Sverdlovsk region, an area linked to the Urals and to the Nizhny Tagil plant itself.
The BMPT was developed to support armored formations, operating alongside tanks or independently. According to the manufacturer’s description, the vehicle is designed to support operations against infantry, fortified positions, lightly armored vehicles, and other battlefield targets.
The platform has also been modernized based on combat-use experience. Information previously released by Rostec indicates that recent versions received reinforced protection, additional armor, and other systems adapted to conditions observed in the war in Ukraine.
With the change, Uralvagonzavod is attempting to replace a name associated with American popular culture with a designation carrying national and religious appeal. The former nickname “Terminator”, although widely known internationally, had been considered inappropriate by some Russian circles because of its foreign origin.
Source and images: Rostec/Uralvagonzavod, Interfax and TASS. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
