In 2020, by order of the governor of the Moscow region, Techmet18 received a land plot to construct a metalworking workshop and a facility for producing components for airfield refueling equipment. Construction began in the “M8” Industrial Park in the city of Sergiev Posad. The investment value amounted to 200 million rubles, and the project is scheduled for completion by 2026. The plant is expected to employ more than 90 workers.
In 2023, the company joined the Technodinamika holding (sanctioned by Ukraine, the U.S., EU, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan), which is part of the state-owned corporation Rostec. Soon after, Techmet18 obtained a license for the production of military equipment. A year later, the firm participated in the Russian “Army-2024” military-technical forum, where it showcased its developments: a prototype of an anti-aircraft artillery system based on an armored combat vehicle and the “REKS” all-terrain unmanned FVP platform.
At the same forum, Techmet18 won a grant in a Russian program that supports dual-use innovative projects. The company was awarded for developing the “Chapay” turret, a semi-automatic remotely operated weapon station designed to target drones. According to the presentation, the turret is equipped with a combined thermal-optical channel and a neural network for automatic aiming and target tracking.
“Our software allows firing in a virtually automatic mode, particularly without the operator’s participation” – said Igor Shelkovsky, commercial director of Techmet, adding that negotiations for the first “Chapay” deliveries to the Russian army were in progress.
The software for the turret is likely being developed by Ventura.AR LLC, another company owned by Aleksandr Teplinsky, which specializes in creating digital tools using augmented reality. The firm emphasizes the importance of import substitution of Western software in order to safeguard Russian state and military secrets. Among the projects presented by Ventura.AR LLC are augmented reality helmets for industrial workers, object recognition systems for automated weapons targeting, training simulators for armored vehicle crews, and a programmable autopilot for military drones powered by neural networks.
Despite numerous military developments, the affiliation with the Rostec’s holding, and active involvement in Russia’s defense industry, Techmet18 LLC and its owners have not yet been added to any international sanctions lists. Teplinsky’s Ventura.AR LLC has also avoided restrictions.
Earlier, the Trap Aggressor project by the StateWatch think tank reported that the Tula-based “Oktava” plant of the Rostec state corporation had reoriented its production toward manufacturing body armor for Russian troops.