T-80 Tank
Machines of the T-80 family can be safely called the pinnacle of Soviet tank building. The T-80, manufactured by Transmash of Omsk, appeared as production model in 1984, retaining the basic features of the T-64 series (including the 125mm smoothbore gun with autoloader). The T-80 main tank was in many ways an unusual machine. It is believed that its appearance was due to the theory of a tank breakthrough during the Cold War. The philosophy of the T-80 is a swift attack and high-speed movement along highways. In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, Soviet tank units located in Eastern Europe could, in a short time, make a throw to any part of the continent. On the highway, the T-80 was able to develop a record speed for tanks up to 80 km / h.
Major innovations included the first Soviet use of a gas turnine engine, providing increased speed and power, and the first use of a laser rangefinder providing major improvements in fire control. The T-80 is very similar in appearance to the T-72. It incorporates features common to both the T-64 and T-72, especially in weaponry. Easily distinguishable features of this tank as compared with the standard T-72 are the attachment of side skirts and twelve turret-mounted grenade launchers with seven on the left side and five on the right side.
The T-80 was the first Soviet operational tank to be powered by a gas-turbines, with a GTD-1000 gas-turbine engine developing 1100 hp. The GTD-1000T gas turbine engine was created on the basis of aviation developments at the plant named after. V.Ya. Klimov (today UEC-Klimov). Another advantage of such a power plant over the traditional diesel for tanks was the increased adaptability of the T-80 to low temperatures. If a diesel engine needed a long (about half an hour) warm-up to start in a strong minus, then the gas turbine engine is ready for attack and defense in less than a minute after launch. This ability to quickly engage in work in the cold and saved the T-80 project from oblivion in the 1990s. The road wheel spacing is not identical, with distinct gaps between the three pairs of road wheels. To extend the operational range of the T-80, additional fuel tanks can be mounted at the hull rear, which can be quickly jettisoned if required. A large circular container mounted on the turret rear carries two snorkels for deep fording operations. The larger one provides an air intake for the gas-turbine, with the other being fitted onto the radiator grill.
The T-80 was also the first production Soviet tank to incorporate a laser range finder and ballistic computer system. The original night sight is the II Buran-PA (800-1300 meters range). The 12.7-mm MG NSVT has both remote electronically operated sight PZU-5 and gun-mounted K10-T reflex sight. The night sight cannot be used to launch the ATGM. The daysight can be used at night for launching ATGMs if the target is illuminated. A variety of thermal sights is available, including the Russian Agava-2, French SAGEM-produced ALIS and Namut sight from Peleng. Thermal sights are available for installation which permit night launch of ATGMs. There are thermal sights available for installation which permit night launch of ATGMs.
The T-80 uses the same 125-mm gun and horizontal ammunition system as the T-72, though the fire control system is an improvement over that fitted to earlier Soviet tanks. The BK-29 round, with a hard penetrator in the nose is designed for use against reactive armor, and as an MP round has fragmentation effects. The more recent BK-27 HEAT round offers a triple-shaped charge warhead and 50 mm more penetration. The electronic round fuzing system for Ainet rounds is available for other tanks. This round uses technology similar to that for French Oerlikon's AHEAD rouns. The round is specially designed to defeat targets by firing fragmentation patterns forward and radially, based on computer calculated settings from the laser range-finder and other inputs. Targets are helicopters and dug in or defilade priority ground threats, such as ATGM positions. Rate of fire is 4 rd/min. If the BK-29 HEAT-MP is used, it may substitute for Frag-HE (as with NATO countries) or complement Frag-HE. With three round natures (APFSDS-T, HEAT-MP, ATGMs) in the autoloader vs four, more antitank rounds would available for the higher rate of fire. The ATGM may be launched while moving slowly (NFI). The AT-8 can be auto-loaded with the two halves mated during ramming; but the stub charge is manually loaded.
When fitted with explosive reactive armor [ERA] the T-80 is virtually immune over its frontal arc to penetration from all current NATO ATGMs which rely on a HEAT warhead to penetrate armor. On the turret of the T-80, the panels are joined to form a shallow chevron pointing. Explosive reactive armor is also fitted to the forward part of the turret roof to provide protection against top attack weapons. The explosive reactive armor does not provide any added protection against APDS or APFSDS attack.
T-80 - Program
During the Cold War, Soviet units in Eastern Europe equipped with the T-80 kept NATO leadership on their toes. Powerful gas turbine engines allowed these tanks to make lightning-fast dashes along European autobahns.
The T-80 tank with a gas turbine engine was put into service in 1976 as the main tank T-80 / "object 219sp2". Serial production of the first modifications was carried out at the Kirov Plant (LKZ, Leningrad) from 1976 to 1978. Subsequently, serial production was carried out at LKZ (until 1992) and since 1985 at the OZTM plant (Omsk). The development of all modifications of the tank (except for the T-80UK) - SKB-2 LKZ, modification of the T-80BK, T-80UK and some others were developed by the OZTM Design Bureau. On the basis of the T-80 tank, a tank with a T-80UD diesel engine was created at KhKBTM (Kharkov).
It is believed that China had ordered 200 T-80Us in late 1993.
By 1992 the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it could no longer afford to manufacture two MBTs in parallel. Since both the "quality" T-80U and the cheaper "quantity" T-72B were each being built at one plant, and each plant was critical to the economy of the city it was in, the Government gave small orders to both. Omsk built five T-80Us and Nizhni Tagil 15 T-72s, and both built more against the hope of winning large export orders.
The Russian Defense Ministry made a selection of a single MBT in 1995. The fighting in Grozny had been shown around the world and the reputation of Russian tanks was sullied. Although many casualities were due to bad tactics and many T-72s were also lost, it was the knocked-out T-80s which made an impression. More had been expected of the "quality" M-80 MBT. This is alleged to have tipped the balance against the T-80 in the selection. The T-80 was already more expensive and its delicate, fuel-hungry turbine engine was still giving problems.
1993, UAE, international exhibition and sale of weapons IDEX in Abu Dhabi. The American Abrams tank, the hero of Operation Desert Storm, is inferior in a duel to its Russian “colleague” - the T-80U tank. Having won in the range of the shot, the “eightieth” does not let up and makes an impressive jump from a springboard to a distance of 14 meters, which the “Abrams” does not even try to repeat. Thus, according to its creators, the best tank in the world was put into place, and the Soviet-Russian T-80 gained the glory of a “flying tank.”
The challenge facing the Omsk factory was how to get its output onto the international market. Three weapons exhibitions held in Omsk produced minor results. But after participation in international displays in Adu Dabi in the Arab Emirates, Geneva, Cairo, Le Bourget in France and Farnborough in England the T-80U tank captured contracts from number of countries.
Russian troops began to be replenished with T-80BVM tanks in 2019. In July 2021, Rostec handed over to the Ministry of Defense another batch of T-80BVM tanks produced by Omsktransmash. Before shipping, the tanks underwent a series of tests, during which the company’s specialists checked the proper operation of all mechanisms. The test included overcoming water obstacles, which the vehicles successfully completed. In addition, the tanks passed the tests, covering 5,000 km and demonstrating high reliability.
According to the general director of the enterprise, Igor Lobov, at Omsktransmash, priority is given to the implementation of state defense orders. The operation of machines of this model for several years has shown their advantage when working in various conditions, including at negative temperatures.
The T-80BVM model differs from the previous version in increased firepower. In addition, the modernization has improved the protection and maneuverability of the vehicle. The developers worked in particular detail on the gunner's multi-channel sight, the design of which previously used imported components.
Russian tank-making giant Uralvagonzavod mulled restarting the production of the T-80, the legendary, turbine engine-equipped main battle tank (MBT) which singlehandedly gave birth to the third generation of tank construction. "Such a task has been set, at least the military has set it for us. We are now actively collaborating, working, and exploring these questions with the Ministry of Industry and Trade as well, because this will require new production capabilities," Uralvagonzavod general director Alexander Potapov told Russian media.
Tankers fighting in the conflict in Ukraine have sung praises to the T-80, with the tank crew of the upgraded T-80BVM ‘Alyosha’ garnering national and international media attention last month after singlehandedly destroying two Ukrainian T-72Bs, an M113 armored personnel carrier and five MaxxPro armored fighting vehicles and then towing their comrades’ damaged tank to safety.
The Russian Federation is preparing to resume production of T-80 tanks from scratch. In recent years, the modernization and repair of already produced machines has taken place. The decision was influenced by the effectiveness of the T-80 during a special military operation. Alexander Potapov, General Director of Uralvagonzavod Concern JSC (Rostec Group of Companies), stated this 10 September 2023 on the air of "Military Acceptance" on the Zvezda TV channel. "This is the task, at least the military has set it for us. And we are now actively interacting, working, exploring these issues with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, because this requires, accordingly, new capacities," Potapov said.
T-80BV / “Object 219RV”
In 1985, a new modification of the T-80 tank entered service, which received the designation T-80BV. The main tank T-80BV was mass-produced by LKZ. Some T-80B tanks were upgraded to T-80BV at repair plants of the USSR Ministry of Defense. This option has reinforced armor - mounted dynamic protection on the hull and turret. The tank is equipped with an improved 125-mm 2A46M-1 cannon-launcher and a coaxial 7.62-mm PKT machine gun. In addition, a more powerful engine was installed on the tank. The driving performance of the T-80BV, despite the increased weight, remained at the same level. The new complex of guided weapons made it possible to increase the range of destruction of armored targets to 2000 m.
T-80BV / “object 219RV” was developed by SKB-2 PA “Kirov Plant” (Leningrad) as a modernized version of the T-80B tank with the installation of a new set of mounted dynamic protection “Kontakt-1”. On June 6, 1976, the T-80 main battle tank was adopted by the Soviet Army. This tank was created on the basis of the T-64A tank. The T-80 retained from the T-64A weapons and ammunition, an automatic loader, individual components and systems, as well as armor elements; the shape of the tower was changed. For the first time in the world, the T-80 used a powerful single gas turbine engine, which made it possible to accelerate a tank weighing 42 tons to 70 km/h. The increased weight and changed dynamic characteristics of the tank required significant changes to the chassis.
In the early 1980s, Soviet tank builders carefully analyzed the experience of combat use of armored vehicles in Afghanistan. It turned out that the greatest danger to Soviet tanks was posed by mobile groups of Mujahideen armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers of various systems. Taking into account the Afghan experience, the Object 219RV was developed at the Design Bureau of the Leningrad Kirov Plant. Unlike the basic T-80 model, this modification was equipped with a 125-mm 2A46-M1 cannon, a more advanced 1A33 fire control system, and a complex of mounted dynamic protection against cumulative ammunition “Kontakt-1”. In 1985, the Object 219RV was adopted by the Soviet Army under the designation T-80BV. The T-80B and T-80BV modifications had the ability to fire not only shells, but also 9M112 guided missiles at a range of up to 4 km,
The T-80 tank with a gas turbine engine was put into service in 1976 as the main T-80 tank / “object 219sp2”. Serial production of the first modifications was carried out at the Kirov Plant (LKZ, Leningrad) from 1976 to 1978. Subsequently, serial production was carried out at LKZ (until 1992) and since 1985 at the OZTM plant (Omsk). The development of all modifications of the tank (except for the T-80UK) - SKB-2 LKZ, modification of the T-80BK, T-80UK and some others were developed by the OZTM Design Bureau. On the basis of the T-80 tank, the KhKBTM (Kharkov) created a tank with a T-80UD diesel engine.
The main tank T-80BV was put into service in 1985; it was mass-produced by LKZ. Some T-80B tanks were upgraded to T-80BV at repair plants of the USSR Ministry of Defense. As of 2010, there were about 6,500 T-80U and T-80BV tanks in the Russian Armed Forces. As of early 2013, the Russian Army had approximately 4,000 T-80BV and T-80U, of which 3,000 were in storage. The number of T-80 tanks in active units was gradually decreasing and as of 2017 there are 450 T-80BV and T-80U tanks. In addition, about 3,000 T-80B, T-80BV, T-80U tanks are in storage. In December 2021 the Pacific Fleet Marine Corps was reinforced with modernized T-80BV tanks. According to the plan, the tank units of the Coastal Forces were supposed to receive T-80BVMs, but T-80BVs were supplied from army warehouses.
The tank is made according to the classic design - a control compartment in the front part of the hull, a fighting compartment in the central part and an engine compartment in the rear part. The hull is welded from rolled sheets, the angle of inclination of the frontal top sheet is 68 ° , a V-shaped dirt deflector is installed (similar to the T-72, on the first modifications of the tank).
The turret is a hemispherical welded one (on the T-80BV) of a streamlined shape with a narrow embrasure for the gun. The frontal part of the hull and turret has a three-layer combined armor with ceramic filler. On the Object 21 prototypes and production T-80s, the turret design is slightly different. On serial T-80 tanks since 1976, a different grade of armor steel, BTK-1, has been used in the hull design, which has increased protection against armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles by 1.2-1.25 times.
The T-80BV tanks are equipped with a GTD-1000TF gas turbine engine with a power of 1100 hp. The stabilizer of the weapon systems and the turret rotation mechanism are switched off when the tank rolls 15-20 ° (for T-80U tanks of different production series).
The T-80BV tanks are equipped with a set of mounted dynamic protection "Contact-1". No mounted dynamic protection was installed on the side screens. The configurations of different subseries and tank configuration options were different. After 1985, similar hinged protection was installed on previously produced T-80Bs. On some versions of the T-80BV, the first three sections of the side screen are of increased height.
Being part of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, T-80BV tanks took an active part in the operation to restore constitutional order in the Chechen Republic in 1994–1996. However, due to the fact that the Kontakt-1 system was incomplete on many tanks, in the battles for Grozny the T-80BV suffered serious losses from militant RPG fire. There were several cases of ammunition explosions and crew deaths. Currently, the T-80 is one of the most popular main tanks of the fourth generation, second only to the T-72 and the American M1 Abrams.
The Abrams is equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, the T-80BV is equipped with a 125 mm smoothbore gun. The American tank has more advanced sub-caliber ammunition, but the Russian tank is capable of using guided missiles at a greater distance, that is, it has a “long arm.”
The Russian T-80BV tank is claimed to surpass the latest modification of the American Abrams in terms of specific power and driving performance. Both tanks are equipped with gas turbine engines, but the American tank has a more powerful engine - 1,500 horsepower versus 1,100 for the Russian tank. This modification of the Abrams weighs almost 67 tons, the T-80BV is about 24 tons lighter, and therefore the specific power of the Russian tank is greater - 25 horsepower per ton versus 22. In addition, the T-80 has a significantly lower specific ground pressure - 0.86 kilograms per square centimeter versus 1.1 for the Abrams.
The high acceleration and mobility of the T-80BV was a trump card of the Soviet tank. At one time, the T-80 was compared with the T-64A, and it turned out that the Omsk tank (the vehicle was assembled at Omsktransmash) had an average speed 1.3 times higher, acceleration from standstill to 61 km/h 1.7 times less times, and armor protection is 1.25 times more effective. In addition, each gas turbine tank requires a smaller range of fuels and lubricants. According to Russian tank crews, the higher the mobility of tanks (all other things being equal) in the Ukrainian theater of operations, the higher the survivability. This is indirectly confirmed by the lower losses of the T-80BVM relative to the T-72B3 - at least based on photographic evidence.
When successive trains with armored vehicles removed from storage move to the West in Junee 2022, this caused strange indignation among the public. The equipment was in storage, to participate in battles where firepower and armor are crucial. Especially when volunteer units go into battle. The appearance of the T-62 and T-80BV in Ukraine was a sign of a change in the nature of warfare. Losses in tanks on the part of the allied forces, since the transition to positional battles in the Donbass, have decreased sharply. And this is not only the assessment of Russian experts, British and American intelligence insisted on this. This was largely why they pointed to a decrease in the effectiveness of light anti-tank weapons supplied under Lend-Lease.
Columns of armored vehicles, convenient for shooting from ambushes, stopped breaking deep into the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And since tanks die less, they naturally become an even more valuable asset on the battlefield. Moreover, the vast expanses of eastern Ukraine are very favorable to this. And, by the way, they reduce the effectiveness of small-caliber artillery of light armored vehicles - there is a lack of power and range. Therefore, if T-62 and T-80BV tanks come to Donbass to replace armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, then this was simply great news for the Russians.
Tanks taken out of storage and supposedly hopelessly outdated are in all cases more effective than light armored vehicles. Iinitially there were no T-80BVs in service with the Russian army in Ukraine. On the basis of these tanks, they built the most modern modification of the BVM, which has proven itself well in special operations in Ukraine.
At the first stages of the special operation, when tank units carried out raids behind enemy lines, the efficiency of the engines really played a critical role. Nowadays, tanks are often used on the principle of “throwing a couple of shells at the nationalists and running away.” The firing range usually does not exceed several hundred meters, which seriously complicates return fire from light anti-tank weapons.
Ahead of the allied forces were large-scale assaults on urban areas, in which the T-80BV will perfectly replace armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. Unfortunately, this light equipment is forced to carry out suicidal work to suppress enemy firing points in cities almost point-blank. The weight of a 125-mm gun salvo, especially when there are many of these guns, becomes an excellent tool for the denazification of Ukrainian cities. Therefore, given the positional nature of combat operations, high fuel consumption no longer plays a big role.
Of course, the sighting systems of new Ukrainian tanks, especially those with thermal imaging surveillance channels, are much more advanced than the T-80BV equipment. But there is less and less Ukrainian armor at the front, which means the number of tank-dangerous targets is decreasing. At the same time, the density of artillery fire remains high and mine warfare is gaining momentum - all these factors seriously complicate the work of light armored vehicles. So, it was time to use the Soviet tank heritage.
T-80BV units can more effectively conduct “maneuverable defense,” that is, plug gaps and stop the enemy’s counteroffensive. Simply because tanks move faster along the front line. A gas turbine tank is easier for driver mechanics to master, as it requires less maintenance time and is easier to operate. The issue of restoring T-80BV systems, which are no longer produced in Russia, is being resolved at the expense of donor tanks in rear repair shops. With such a storage fund, the army can afford to use some of the armored vehicles not on the battlefield, but as a source of spare parts.
Unlike the T-62, the “flying tank” will fit into the battle formations of the allied forces much more organically. At a minimum, it will not require a fourth crew member and specific 115-mm shells. This means that the T-80BV for modern conditions of special operation “Z” will become a completely effective combat unit.
T-80BVM Mangal
The T-80BVM is a further modernization of the T-80BV tank. The vehicle is equipped with a Sosna-U multi-channel gunner's sight, a more advanced 125-mm 2A46M-4 gun, a modified gas turbine engine, and Relikt dynamic protection. Russia decided to resume production of the T-80 tank from scratch. This equipment was actively destroyed by Ukrainian defenders from the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The general director of Uralvagonzavod, Alexander Potapov, said that they want to produce T-80 tanks in Russia "from scratch."
"This is the task, or at least the military has set it for us. And we are now actively interacting, working, studying these issues with the Ministry of Industry and Trade," he added. The reason for this decision may be significant Russian losses of equipment, including tanks, during a full-scale war against Ukraine. According to Oryx, since February 24, 2022, 600 cases of destruction or capture of T-80 tanks in various modifications have been recorded. The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully destroyed the newest modification of the tank - the T-80BVM. In total, the Russian army lost at least 96 units of such equipment.
The general director of Uralvagonzavod admitted that "new capacities" are needed to resume tank production. As David Ax noted in a Forbes article, although Uralvagonzavod in Russia may still have equipment for production, it clearly will not have enough suppliers for tens of thousands of necessary parts.
The Russian T-80BVM tank, as a result of modernization based on the experience of its use in the special military operation (SVO) zone, received a complex for countering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as additional protection against cumulative weapons of Western production. This was reported 10 September 2023 by representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as specialists from the Omsk Transport Engineering Plant (Omsktransmash, part of the UVZ concern) on the air of the Military Acceptance program on the Zvezda TV channel .
Dynamic protection is now placed on the sides of the vehicle using boxes. In addition, the modernized version of the tank involves strengthening the turret with additional modules. In addition, based on the results of modifications taking into account the experience of the SVO, the T-80 received an additional roof over the turret to protect against the cumulative effects of anti-tank guided missiles - the so-called “barbecue”. According to a representative of Omsktransmash, during tests this design showed 100% protection against hits from the Javelin and NLAW complexes.
“Now let’s pay attention to the T-80 tank with an installed system for suppressing GPS channels and suppressing drone control channels. If you pay attention, these are these two antennas. <...> These systems are designed for all types of drones that are currently used by the enemy in the [zone] SVO. These systems are now being tested for the first time on the T-80BVM tank,” said a representative of the military department.
Dachas and private houses in the suburbs have one important advantage over apartments - their own plot. Regardless of the size, configuration and degree of landscaping, adjacent areas provide owners with many options for relaxation and pleasant pastime. For example, prepare the favorite dish of children and adults - delicious kebab, the aroma of which can be heard within a radius of several hundred meters. The grill (translated from Arabic as "broiler") is used mainly for preparing shish kebab. The main differences between a grill and a barbecue are the presence of a lid and a grate. Mangal is a Middle Eastern barbecue - it is the grilling apparatus on which meat, vegetables and etc. is cooked. The canopy [RU = naves] will always protect users from bad weather such as rain and snow, and gives the opportunity to cookr favorite dishes over coals at any time of the year.
A mangal or visor on a tank is necessary to increase protection from attack drones. Russian propagandists boast that the tank “will be able to withstand attacks from the Javelin anti-tank missile system,†thanks to the visor, which is already jokingly called a “barbecue.†The modernization of the tank does not consist of a “barbecueâ€, but of more elements with dynamic protection on the turret and other parts of the equipment. They also plan to place a mesh with metal elements on the T-80BVM turret, which supposedly should block the detonation of a rocket-propelled grenade or anti-tank missile in the event of a hit.
The Russians also say that an electronic warfare station will be installed on the vehicle, which should suppress satellite navigation and drone control channels. It was placed on the tower in the form of a characteristic "œmushroom".
T-80BV - Ukraine
The T-80 tank was popular in the USSR - it was nicknamed “flying” for its amazing speed for those years. In 1991, Ukraine inherited about three hundred T-80B and T-80BV tanks from the Soviet army.The T-80 was the main tank produced in the Soviet Union. They were produced in St. Petersburg, Omsk, Kharkov. The tank has five main modifications, the latest of which was introduced in 2018 - the T-80BVM model. The Ukrainian military uses its predecessor for their own purposes.
The T-80BV was a modification of the T-80B tank with the installation of a new set of mounted dynamic protection "Contact-1". Adopted into service in 1985. The frontal part of the hull and turret has a three-layer combined armor with ceramic filler. The T-80BV tanks are equipped with a GTD-1000TF gas turbine engine with a power of 1100 hp.
These combat vehicles were withdrawn from Ukrainian service, and, judging by the available information, they were planned to be sold abroad. For this purpose, a modification of the T-80BVD (diesel) with a 6TD two-stroke engine with a power of 1000 hp was created in Kharkov. Similar power plants were already used on more modern T-80UD tanks, which at that time were in service with the most elite Russian formations and supplied to the Pakistani ground forces.
During this modernization, they decided to leave the fire control system the same, and did not replace the first-generation Contact dynamic protection system. Externally, this version differed from the basic model by the presence of a remote-controlled 12.7-mm anti-aircraft gun with the Utes NSVT, other equipment for underwater driving, and a modified stern with a different exhaust system.
It was reported that the maximum speed on the highway remained the same - 70 km/h. At the same time, some sources clarified that this characteristic was nevertheless inflated for advertising purposes, since full tests were not carried out. The fuel range was supposed to be 550-580 km.
The T-80 which had undergone dieselization, was demonstrated for some time at events involving armored vehicles. It was also advertised in materials and on the websites of special export organizations. However, later Kyiv officials realized that such a proposal could negatively affect the promotion of new Oplots to foreign customers, and chose not to mention this version anymore.
In 2015, when it became known about plans to equip the armed forces of Ukraine with T-80BVs that were in storage, some experts decided that vehicles with 6TDs would go into service with the troops, however, it turned out that they decided not to experiment anymore and left the original gas turbines.
The Russian occupiers continued to “supply” the Ukrainian Defense Forces with equipment taken during battles or the enemy’s retreat as trophies. One of the last tanks to fall into the hands of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kherson region was the T-80BV tank.
Currently, the main tank engines of the Russian army are the V-92S2 and V-92S2F. The first is for the engine-transmission compartment of the T-72B3M, the second is for the T-90M “Proryv”. For the “seventy-two” the engine power is 1,000 hp. s., for “Breakthrough” - by 130 hp. With. more. The 1,250 hp gas turbine engine stands out. With. for T-80BVM. Omsk intended to resume production of the famous “flying tank” from scratch - now the BVM series is mainly produced on the basis of vehicles removed from storage. This meant that GTD-1250 will soon be in great demand. This, by the way, is a greeting to everyone who buried the T-80BVM before the special operation. Of the entire line of Russian tanks, it is the gas turbine that provides the necessary throttle response and high maximum speed, which is one of the important conditions for survival in the northeast military zone. Approach the firing position, shoot off the ammunition and roll back - the faster, the less chance of getting under return fire. This works best in vehicles with high power density, for which the T-80BVM has no competitors. No one was interested in the excessive gluttony of a gas turbine engine. This could have been critical in the early stages of the special operation, when there were tank breakthroughs, but now this is not relevant. The defensive nature of combat operations offsets the advantage of diesel vehicles in fuel consumption. The average daily mileage of a tank is tens of kilometers. The trouble with the situation is that deep modernization of the honored and legendary B-2 is impossible. With a high degree of probability it can be stated that the V-92S2F for Proryv is the final version of the engine, the pedigree of which goes back to the early 30s of the last century. The B-2 variation will definitely celebrate its centenary in one of the engine and transmission compartments of the domestic tank. In one of the modern scientific publications, engineers and scientists from Nizhny Tagil (E.V. Isupov, E.G. Gaev, D.V. Yudintsev and M.A. Badrtdinov) rightly note that “the reserves for further increasing the power of the known design have been exhausted; a significant increase in performance requires a radical change with strengthening of all engine components, which leads to the need for a serious change in production, with corresponding significant financial investments, which casts doubt on the economic feasibility of this process.”
Object 299 maximum parameters tank (TPT)
In the new century the Russian Ministry of Defense decided that all new models of armored fighting vehicles should be built on the basis of unified platforms. Tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, etc. should be built on the same chassis, with minimal modifications. It is worth noting that this idea is not new and appeared quite a long time ago. Moreover, attempts have been made to implement it, which have yielded certain results. For example, a new chapter in the history of domestic heavy armored vehicles could be a universal chassis based on the Object 299 tank. The concept of a maximum parameters tank (TPT - tank predelnyh parametrov) was proposed by the Soviet designer Nikolai Fedorovich Shashmurin, who worked on the creation of such vehicles as the KV-1, KV-85, IS-1, IS-2, IS-7 and a number of others. The idea was proposed in the 60s and was that, in parallel with mass-produced main battle tanks, there should be so-called tanks of extreme parameters - small-scale vehicles whose combat capabilities have been brought to a qualitatively higher level than that of MBTs. In short: there should be a lot of good and relatively inexpensive tanks and a few very good ones, which are why they are very expensive to produce. Moreover, as technology develops and production processes improve, over time, tanks with maximum parameters should have replaced MBTs, and they would have been replaced by new TPPs. Shashmurin justified his idea by the fact that in war conditions a tank lives for a matter of days and in this short period of time it is necessary to realize the maximum combat potential of the vehicle. The main problem with this concept is that it could turn out that sSuch a vehicle would cost a colossal amount of money and it is far from certain that it would be able to realize its full potential due to the lack of similar tanks from the enemy. Although the concept was rejected, there were examples of tanks that, for the most part, correspond to the idea. These included the Tiger II, also known as the Royal Tiger, is a German heavy tank from the Great Patriotic War. The T-64 is a Soviet tank that featured many innovations of that time: combined armor was used for the first time, an automatic loader appeared, and the gun caliber grew to the modern standard of 125 mm. Soviet engineers formed the concept of a tank with maximum parameters. It provided for the creation of an armored vehicle with the highest possible characteristics, built on the basis of the most advanced solutions. Another study of similar ideas, carried out since the early eighties, led to the emergence of a proposal to create a universal armored tracked chassis, suitable for use not only as a basis for promising tanks. No later than the mid-eighties, the design bureau of the Leningrad Kirov Plant began working on the appearance of a new tank with maximum parameters, based on a number of non-standard solutions. The main goals of the new project were to increase the protection and survivability of the armored vehicle and improve fire characteristics. In addition, it was planned to ensure the highest possible mobility on the battlefield. To solve all these problems new original ideas had to be used. The new tank project received the working designation “Object 299”. “Object 299” was created as a tank of extreme parameters, and therefore had a number of special features. Some of the proposed ideas affected the design of the hull and chassis, which obviously should have affected other models. When creating the new tank, special attention was paid to protection and mobility, as a result of which it acquired a characteristic appearance and design. According to preliminary calculations, the “Object 299” was supposed to have a combat weight of no more than 50 tons. At the same time, it was planned to ensure the maximum possible mobility, which required the development of a new version of the power plant. The engine compartment of the new tank was placed in front of the habitable volume and served as additional protection for the crew. Taking into account the experience of the T-80 project, it was decided to build a power plant based on a gas turbine engine. Based on developments from the existing GTD-1000 and GTD-1250 projects, new engines with a power of 1400, 1500, 1800 and 2000 hp should be developed. All this made it possible to obtain the highest power density and corresponding driving performance. So, the speed on the highway could reach 80-90 km/h. It should have made it easier to overcome various obstacles. It is curious that more powerful engines made it possible to obtain certain savings. Already at power levels of 1400-1500 hp. The gas turbine system differed little in fuel consumption from a comparable diesel engine. After a time, “Object 299” has ceased to be considered solely as a new development for armored forces. There have been proposals to use the chassis of this tank as a universal platform for equipment for a wide variety of purposes. First of all, it was proposed to develop protected vehicles for infantry or carriers of various weapons. The possibility of developing engineering vehicles or even civilian equipment was also considered. The aft compartment could be modified by increasing its height and installing landing seats inside. In this case, the chassis turned into a heavy infantry fighting vehicle. This project also included the installation of a remote-controlled turret with a small-caliber cannon, a heavy machine gun and an automatic grenade launcher. Inside the landing compartment with aft doors, 11 soldiers with weapons were placed , as well as a supply of food and water for work for several days. Before the beginning of the nineties, the prototype “Object 299” managed to undergo lengthy and complex tests, during which it was able to show all its performance characteristics. Apparently, there were some comments, but after some modification, the basic design of the tank could have a great future. However, all the proposed projects were never developed. They appeared at an extremely difficult time at the turn of the eighties and nineties, when the financial capabilities of the military department decreased sharply. This forced it to abandon a number of promising projects. One of the victims of these reductions was the Object 299 tank of maximum parameters. The idea of building equipment based on a tank chassis was not forgotten. Two decades later, it was remembered, rethought and redesigned, resulting in the modern concept of a unified platform. The Armata platform can now be considered a direct ideological successor to Object 299. The term "cope cage" originated from a Twitter user who posted a screenshot of a Russian tank falling off a bridge. The user said that the cage didn't protect the tank from driving off bridges. The term "cope cage" became popular on 4chan image boards and was used in memes to mock the Russian military. The cages may have been added to reassure Russian soldiers before the invasion. The psychological value of armor, even if it's ineffective, has long been recognized. The "cope cages" were slats welded to the top of Russian tanks. The cages were intended to protect the tanks from drones and loitering munitions, such as the Turkish-made TB-2. By 2018 some T-72 tanks in service with the Syrian army were equipped with additional field-improvised anti-cumulative lattice screens for protection against cumulative shells. Manufacturers can also install similar protection on tanks, but in this case it is made in a homemade way, as evidenced by its size. However, the cages were said by some largely ineffective against modern anti-tank weapons used by the Ukrainians. Conventional armor such as for protecting vehicles is subjected to a variety of projectiles designed to defeat the armor by either penetrating the armor with a solid or jet-like object or by inducing shock waves in the armor that are reflected in a manner to cause spalling of the armor such that an opening is formed and the penetrator (usually stuck to a portion of the armor) passes through, or an inner layer of the armor spalls and is projected at high velocity without physical penetration of the armor. Conventional and improvised devices are cheap to manufacture and highly effective in terms of their capacity to devastate a wide array of targets. As each type of target presents a different physical destruction problem, a variety of general and special-purpose warheads are required, within the bounds of cost and logistical availability, so that each target may be attacked with maximum effectiveness. Some anti-armor weapons are propelled to the outer surface of the armor where a shaped charge is exploded to form a generally linear “jet” of metal that will penetrate solid armor; these are often called Hollow Charge (HC) weapons. A second type of anti-armor weapon uses a linear, heavy metal penetrator projected at high velocity to penetrate the armor. High Energy Anti-tank [HEAT] warheads were also developed during World War II, from extensive research and development into shaped charge warheads. The warhead functions by having the explosive charge collapse a metal liner inside the warhead into a high-velocity superplastic jet. This superplastic jet is capable of penetrating armor steel to a depth of seven or more times the diameter of the charge (charge diameters, CD) and its effect is purely kinetic in nature. The HEAT warhead has become somewhat less effective against tanks and other armored vehicles due to the use of composite armor, explosive-reactive armor, and active protection systems which destroy the HEAT warhead before it hits the tank although most of the solutions available result in too great a compromise between adequate protection and being sufficiently lightweight for reasonable protection of targets. To provide at least partial protection against these weapons, bar or slat armor has been developed, and is in use on a number of military vehicles. Slat or bar armor is known to typically include a series of rigid blades or a grid deployed around the target which can neutralize the warhead, either by deforming the conical liner, for example, in the case of a shaped charge or by short-circuiting the fuse mechanism of the warhead. The slat or bar armor is disposed in a predetermined distance from the target, so as to allow the armor to come in contact with the cover of the warhead in order to neutralize it before the trigger hits the target body. The distance between the armor and the target body is known as the standoff. Standoff distances for an Hollow Charge (HC) warhehad is good under 3 feet but at 10 ft or more it is very poor. While any anti-armor projectile can be defeated by metal armor of sufficient strength and thickness, extra metal armor thickness is heavy and expensive, adds weight to any armored vehicle using it which, in turn, places greater strain on the vehicle engine, and drive train. Armor solutions that offer a weight advantage against these types of weapons can be measured in how much weight of RHA (Rolled Homogeneous Armor) steel armor it saves. Various protection systems are effective at defeating HC jets. Among different systems the best known are reactive armors that use explosives in the projection layers that detonate on being hit to break up most of the HC jet before it penetrates the target. Such systems are often augmented by what is termed “slat armor,” a plurality of metal slats or bars disposed outside the body of the vehicle to prevent the firing circuit for an RPG from functioning. Modern weapons have reduced the effectiveness of passive armor on land vehicles. Portable missiles with warheads containing shaped charges can penetrate any thickness of armor. Sensor-fused munitions and top-attack missiles are designed to penetrate the more vulnerable top of the turret. Artillery, instead of rocket motors, can be used to launch missiles that cannot be detected by sensors designed to detect rocket plumes.|
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