At the end of February, the next stage of testing new armored vehicles began, created on the basis of the Armata heavy tracked platform developed by Uralvagonzavod. 20 T-14 tanks and T-15 infantry fighting vehicles are participating in the tests. The purpose of the tests is to verify the effectiveness of protection, which this moment no equal in the world. Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are mercilessly fired from various kinds weapons. According to the deputy director of the Ural enterprise for special equipment Vyacheslav Khalitov, in the field of armored vehicles, Russia is ahead of the leading tank-building countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany and France, by 8-10 years.

invulnerable transformer

Work on the creation of the platform began at Uralvagonzavod at the end of Soviet power - in 1990. Until the middle of the 2000s, life was barely glimmering in the defense industry, not so much was done. But then progress towards the goal accelerated significantly. The result is a unique product that will soon begin to enter the army. T-14 tanks and T-15 infantry fighting vehicles are waiting for the troops at the end of this year, in last resort, at the beginning of 2017. By the next decade, 2300 new tanks will be produced.

When creating "Armata" a number of revolutionary engineering ideas were used, thanks to which the platform became "multifacetedly unique". It is extremely versatile, it is a kind of transformer that can turn into armored vehicles for various purposes with a set of different capabilities. There are 30 transformation options in which the engine takes various provisions, and armored vehicles can be equipped with a variety of weapons in various combinations.

The options for creating a tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, a self-propelled artillery mount. It is planned to create a tank support combat vehicle, a repair and recovery vehicle, combat control vehicles, military air defense, rocket launcher, logistics support ...

Being armored vehicles of the fourth generation (only the third generation exists in the West), all tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other armored vehicles are included in a single tactical level combat control system. The computerized system, based on the tactical situation, distributes roles and issues tasks to each unit of armored vehicles - tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled guns. Moreover, for the purpose of secrecy, it is possible to transmit information in radio silence using infrared transmitters.

The protection of armored vehicles is also unique, which is 25-30% more effective than the current one on third-generation tanks. It has 4 levels.

The first level is to ensure the stealth of the tank in the optical, infrared and radar ranges. This is provided by a number of means. It uses coatings used in stealth technology that absorb radiation from enemy radars. A paint is applied that prevents the case from heating up, which ensures reduced visibility in the IR range. Exhaust gases are mixed with outside air. Special aerosol clouds are used, including atomized metal dust, which establish a visual, thermal and radio curtain.

The problem of combating homing ammunition based on IR sensors has been solved in an extremely interesting way. Against them, not only thermal fired traps are used, but also " intelligent method". The fact is that modern anti-tank missiles, having remembered the "image" of the tank when pointing, i.e. his signature, are no longer deceived by traps and fly to the image of the tank. But the T-14, due to laser technology, is able to change its signature, which leads the IR homing heads to "great bewilderment."

The second level is active defense: the destruction of missiles and shells flying up to the tank. This defense system is called "Afghanite". It involves the detection of enemy ammunition that poses a threat with the help of an optical-location system in the infrared and visible range and with the help of radar. Moreover, the latest radar with an active phased antenna array is installed on the tank, such ones are just beginning to be introduced into fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

To destroy shells and missiles, grenades are used, installed in mortars located along the perimeter of the tank turret. Grenade fragments flying at an angle of 20 degrees intercept enemy ammunition within a radius of 15-20 meters. Also, the Afganit uses a high-precision machine gun, which, based on a tip from the radar, is capable of hitting even sub-caliber projectiles with a high probability (having a smaller diameter than the caliber of the gun barrel firing it, and having increased energy and speed).

And, finally, equipment is used to suppress enemy ammunition using an electromagnetic pulse, which burns out the homing electronics.

The third level is dynamic armor protection. The armor on the Armata is two-layer, it uses the latest materials developed at the Steel Research Institute specifically for this project. This and steel special properties, which does not give splinters, and composite materials. The outer layer of armor is cellular, it serves to have a destructive effect on the incoming projectile. Thanks to this, in 95% of cases, the core of the sub-caliber projectile is even destroyed. Well, grenade launchers are not capable of causing any harm to the tank.

Thanks to the use of new materials, it was possible to bring the equivalence of frontal armor to 1100 mm for sub-caliber shells and 1400 for HEAT shells.

There is also mine protection. It is a remote mine detector connected to the mine destruction system. So, mines with magnetic fuses are blown up outside the projection of the tank due to its distortion magnetic field.

The fourth level is internal protection. The crew is located in an armored capsule, where all the electronics are located. Engine compartment separated by an armored partition from fuel and ammunition. The crew is protected even in the event of a detonation of ammunition.

Another advantage that existing tanks do not have is active suspension. One allows you to reach speeds of 80 km / h on rough terrain and improves shooting accuracy.

Tank comparison

When comparing the new tank with the American Abrams, two circumstances should be taken into account. First, Abrams was created in 1980. Periodically, it was modernized, but the changes concerned only the instrument part. The armor has not undergone significant changes. True, in the frontal plane it was strengthened by hanging several additional plates. However, this was not of decisive importance for enhancing the survivability of the tank. Only the weight of the tank increased, the pressure on the soil increased and, accordingly, decreased driving performance.

Secondly, the creation of a new American tank in the foreseeable future is not drawn. And, consequently, the gap of 8-10 years, which the representative of Uralvagonzavod spoke about, in reality can be even more.

From the point of view of the survivability of two tanks, the advantage is clearly on the side of the T-14. The Abrams has partial dynamic armor protection. There is also passive protection (multi-layer armor), but it is available only in the frontal part and along the sides of the tower. The roof of the turret and the upper part of the hull are extremely weak - here the thickness of the armor is from 50 to 80 mm.

There is no way to destroy incoming missiles and shells. A rather primitive countermeasure (compared to the T-14) to ammunition with homing heads - they are blinded by an infrared beam. In this connection, it is impossible to deceive ammunition with intelligent homing.

The crew inside the tank is not protected in the event of a breakdown of the outer armor by an autonomous capsule. In addition, in the T-14 the tower is “non-residential”, it contains weapons: a cannon and machine guns controlled remotely. The Abrams has a crew member in the turret.

And, finally, the "American" does not have the ability to detect and remotely detonate mines. For this, there is a demining machine specially built on the Abrams platform.

Both the Abrams and the T-14 have approximately the same weapons. On the main gun and machine guns: three for the Abrams and two for the T-14. It is possible to launch rockets through the gun barrel. However, the gun of the T-14 is much more powerful - 152 mm versus 120 mm for the "American". The T-14 gun is even redundant on this moment, it is capable of penetrating armor with an equivalent thickness of 1000 mm, while no tank in the world has such protection. In addition, due to the loading machine, the rate of fire reaches 10 rounds per minute with a range of hitting targets of 7000 meters. The Abrams has a rate of fire of 3 rounds per minute and a range of 4,600 meters.

There is an advantage in the aiming and fire control system. The Abrams has no radar. In the T-14, together with an anti-aircraft machine gun, it, as mentioned above, works wonders, hitting not only aircrafts, but also intercepting missiles and shells.

We have already said about the progressiveness of the active suspension of the T-14 tank. As for the thrust-to-weight ratio, with equal engine power (1500 hp), it is higher for the T-14 due to its lower weight (48 tons versus 63 tons): 31 hp/t versus 24 hp/ t. Accordingly, the pressure on the ground varies significantly: for the T-14 - 0.73 kg / sq. cm, for the Abrams - 1.07 kg / sq. cm. All this eloquently testifies to the cross-country ability, and maneuverability, and mobility. The maximum speed of the Abrams over rough terrain is 67 km / h, for the T-14 - 80 km / h.

The T-14 "Armata" tank, which in Russia was proclaimed a miracle of technology, "which has no analogues in the world", will not be mass-produced and will not become the main combat vehicle of the Russian army. Although the military has been promised such weapons for many years. The country simply does not have the money for it.

The failure with the vaunted tank was recognized by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov, who is in charge of the country's defense industry. According to him, it makes no sense "to bombard the army with expensive "Armata", each of which costs 4 million dollars." The Russian military today has quite a few T-72s and its updated version, the T-90. Borisov says these tanks "are in great demand on the market" because they are allegedly cheap and "effective against American, German and French counterparts."

“If the existing armored vehicles, in particular, the updated T-72, were inferior to a potential enemy, we would promote the purchase of new weapons. But they are not inferior, which means there is no need to buy something,” the Russian official said. Borisov's arguments are surprising. After all, according to his words, the cost of the Armata tank should be about 4 million dollars. And it is 2 million cheaper than, for example, the German Leopard or the Israeli Merkava tank. The latter was called in Russia the only model that could compare with the T-14. What's more, a well-equipped T-90 costs as much as a vaunted new Russian tank.

However, experts say that the price named by the Russian Deputy Prime Minister is not real. According to analyst Pavel Filgenhauer, the cost of a serial T-14 would be at least $8 million. Borisov himself, five years ago, as deputy defense minister, publicly insisted that Russia urgently needed to work on the Armata in order to put it into service as soon as possible. Because, as he said then, the T-72 and T-90 are already outdated, they are not amenable to modernization, and from many points of view they are losing to German and Israeli tanks.

Context

"Armata" is just an expensive coffin

Business Capital 01.08.2018

Russia has no money for "Armata"

Bloomberg 31.07.2018

Russian T-80 tank is no joke

The National Interest 07/30/2018

Putin's man wants to create a "Russian Airbus"

Handelsblatt 07/25/2018 “Our army can no longer live with the equipment left over from the USSR. We must do big jump and create a new one combat vehicle until 2015. And we will do it, ”he said in an interview for Ekho Moskvy radio in 2013. Obviously, the T-14 was being prepared for the anniversary. The revolutionary machine, which "takes over everything that other countries have," was supposed to come out on May 9, 2015 during a parade on Red Square. It was the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. And then 16 cars drove in front of the stands, which had been kept secret until then. But during dress rehearsal parade "Armata" broke down, no longer budge. She was barely towed from the square.

Military expert Ruslan Rukhov explained that the designers of the new Russian tank were trying to reproduce the advanced developments embodied in combat vehicles of other countries. “Something was spied on, something was stolen. But it takes a lot of time, money and effort to put all this into a single functional integrity, ”he explained. Despite all the problems, after the parade in 2015, Oleg Sinenkov, director of Uralvagonzavod, promised that his company would produce 2,300 T-14s for the Russian army by 2020. But until now, there are only those 16 cars that drove along Red Square.

A year ago, Borisov increased the order for the T-90 and clarified that in the coming years the army should expect no more than a hundred new "Armata". But now even these modest plans had to be finally buried. Military expert Alexander Golts, commenting on the fiasco of "Armata", recalled another "technological miracle" of Russia - the Su-57 fighter. In his opinion, this plane will also never reach series production, remaining a failure. Many years of work on it cost Moscow 3-10 billion dollars.

Golts emphasized that during recent years Russia is in economic agony. And it's time for her to cut her defense budget. However, instead, the country is throwing away money to finance developments that it cannot afford itself.

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

How are things going with the release of the T-14 today?

T-14 "ARMATA"

Back in March 2017 due to severe financial position, into which the enterprise led by him fell, the powers of Oleg Sienko were terminated ahead of schedule. And the number of T-14 tanks built here is not yet counted in thousands, but only a few dozen vehicles. There were 12 tanks in the first pilot batch (they passed through Red Square in 2015), after which another hundred tanks were ordered for “military trials”.

In 2017, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin stated that the tests of the T-14 Armata tank would end in 2018, and from the next 2019, its experimental military operation would begin (this, apparently, was intended for the aforementioned batch of hundreds tanks). Later, in February 2018, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov (since March 2018, Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Industrial Affairs), confirmed that the Ministry of Defense has a contract for the supply of two battalions of T-14 tanks for testing. More detailed information was given in the speech of Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko at the Army-2018 forum: “... a contract for 132 T-14 and T-15 vehicles has been signed today. We will receive the first nine cars already this year, production cars. By the end of 2021, the contract will be completed.”

T-14 "Armata"

This means that by 2022 the Russian army will have only about a hundred T-14s at its disposal, and, accordingly, we are no longer talking about thousands of Armats. These tanks, most likely, will be sent to one of the heavy brigades (type B), in which the states are supposed to have tanks on the heavy Armata platform (73 units) and heavy infantry fighting vehicles.

The temporary freeze on the start of large-scale production of the T-14 is also confirmed by other statements by those responsible for the "defense" who noted that the T-14 "Armata" tank is "too expensive for mass purchases." So on July 30, 2018, Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Industrial Affairs Yuri Borisov noted: “The Russian army does not have a great need for Armata tanks, and the current needs are covered by the modernization of the existing military equipment... We do not have a special need for this, these models are quite expensive in relation to the existing ones. ... if the existing armored vehicles, in particular, the updated T-72, were inferior to a potential enemy, we would promote the purchase of new weapons. But they are not inferior, which means there is no need to buy something.

As for the cost of the T-14, there are no exact figures yet, of course. According to the information of the general director of Uralvagonzavod, Oleg Sienko, referring to 2015, the cost of one T-14 Armata tank was a little more than 250 million rubles (at the then rate of about 3.7 million dollars), although some experts estimated it at 8 million million dollars. According to later information, the cost of the Armata tank should be about 4 million dollars (this is 2 million cheaper than, for example, the German
"Leopard" or the Israeli tank "Merkava", and the French "Leclerc" in general pulls at 8.5 million dollars), but the military was counting on the reduction in the cost of T-14 tanks by 2020.

T-14 "Armata"

AT last month the topic of possible deliveries of the T-14 for export is rather lively discussed in the media. As reported by the Indian news publication The Economic Times, India is considering the purchase of T-14 Armata tanks to replace obsolete T-72 modifications as part of the Multipurpose Future Ready Combat Vehicles program. At the same time, the announced sum of the probable agreement at 4.5 billion dollars (with an estimated volume of 1770 tanks) indicates that the information about the export of "Armata" is unlikely to be true. According to the Indian media, Delhi plans to pay a little more than $2.5 million for one tank, while even in the domestic market the price of the Armata exceeds $3.7-4 million.

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Photo: Free Wind 2014 / Shutterstock.com

Serious passions flared up around the Russian T-14 Armata tank. A number of foreign and domestic media reported that the Russian authorities allegedly abandoned the latest combat vehicle, in the development of which hundreds of millions of dollars were invested.

The reason for unequivocal conclusions was the statement of the curator of the national defense industry, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov. The official said that the "Armata" turned out to be quite expensive for the army, and for this reason it makes sense to bet on the modernization of the current tank fleet.

“Well, why flood everything with “Armata” armed forces? Our T-72 is in great demand on the market, everyone takes it, compared to the Abrams, Leclercs and Leopards, it significantly surpasses them in price, efficiency and quality, ”Borisov said.

In his opinion, in the coming years, the army can do without a massive supply of new generation vehicles, which are "rather expensive in relation to existing ones."

“We are already succeeding, having a budget ten times fewer countries NATO, due to such effective decisions, when we look at the modernization potential of old models, solve the tasks set,” Borisov emphasized.

Truth and deceit of Borisov

Currently, the Russian army is armed with about 1.8 thousand tanks, most of them are modernized versions of the T-72. Borisov was not cunning when he said that the domestic tank is not inferior in terms of price and quality to the American Abrams, the German Leopard and the French Leclerc.

The T-72B3 has the worst firepower, security and automation indicators compared to foreign vehicles. At the same time, the Russian tank is significantly superior to Western competitors in terms of mobility and reliability.

On the side of the T-72 and the economy. The cost of a brand new T-72B3 is about $2 million, and the modernization of each tank costs only $200,000.

At the same time, the price for one "Abrams", "Leclerc" and "Leopard" exceeds 5-6 million dollars. In unpretentious conditions of local conflicts, the T-72B3 will undoubtedly be stronger. In addition, the purchase and maintenance of a Russian tank does not require large expenses. By the way, "Armata" is not worth quite sky-high money. In the media, you can find a figure of 250 million rubles and 4 million dollars per unit.

Borisov did not distort reality when he emphasized the advantages of the T-72, but he can be safely reproached for changing ideas about the development of tank troops. In 2013, in an interview for Ekho Moskvy, while in the position of Deputy Minister of Defense, he stated the following: “Our army can no longer live with the equipment that has remained from the USSR. We must make a big leap and create a new combat vehicle before 2015. And we will do it."

Obviously, it was about "Armata". Nevertheless, Borisov's former peremptory attitude towards the Soviet legacy is justified by the factor of acute economic crisis that hit our country in 2014. The Ministry of Defense and the government were forced to adjust their procurement plans and sequester military spending.

In 2017, Borisov's predecessor, Dmitry Rogozin, announced that the State Armament Program for 2018-2027 envisages "serial deliveries" of T-14s. Most likely, last year the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation decided to equip several units with the Armata, which, as we figured out, is completely uncritical for Russian army.

T-14 ahead of its time

Since 2017, T-80 gas turbine tanks and T-90 diesel tanks (Proryv-3 development work) have been in the process of modernization. The start of the renewal of the fleet, in fact, of Soviet vehicles, was perceived by experts as the result of a slippage in the process of adopting the T-14.

And yet, it is unreasonable to conclude from Borisov's statement that Russia is abandoning the T-14. An example is the situation with the T-90 "Vladimir", which was considered the most advanced combat vehicle in the world as of the early 1990s. For a quarter of a century, the Russian army received only 350 of these tanks (about 20% of the tank fleet).

At first glance, the T-90 project seems to be a failure, since there was no truly large-scale supply of the latest tanks to the troops. However, for 25 years, the RF Armed Forces have not experienced any urgent need for these machines. What was the point then to invest in the creation of the T-90?

Firstly, Russia was able to make good money on Vladimir. In the 2000s, the T-90 became the best-selling tank on the international market. Secondly, on the basis of some technological innovations embodied in the T-90, the Armata was created. It is possible that, in general terms, the T-14 can repeat the fate of the Vladimir.

It is worth adding that the "Armata" project was developed to conduct a "network-centric war", which distinguishes high degree automation of battle management processes. T-14 should be included in a single information loop, which will allow you to receive information from multiple sources. This is the key advantage of the tank over its predecessors.

However, the Russian army still lacks drones, and the formation of a single information circuit is at an early stage. "Armata" was simply ahead of its time. And this fact cannot be the basis for asserting that Russia does not need a car. With a high probability, within the framework of the SAP, the Russian troops will receive several dozen T-14s, and if the economic situation improves, the Ministry of Defense will increase the volume of purchases.

It seems that the main trouble with the latest domestic tank is that it was praised too early by the federal media at the suggestion of the military and politicians. Against such an information background, any, even a not very serious problem with the T-14, is recklessly perceived as a disaster.

question

The development of a new (third post-war) generation tank began in the USSR a little later than the creation of the new main tank T-64A in the 70s. Leningrad, Chelyabinsk and, later, Kharkov designers participated in the work called "Theme 101".

A number of projects were implemented, both with traditional and new layouts, most of which remained on the drawings or in the form of layouts.

Tanks with traditional solutions, such as the "Object 255" and "Object 480" did not provide a significant advantage over the upgraded versions of the T-64A, T-72 and the tank with a gas turbine engine. Tanks with a new layout (Object 450) required a long search for both layout solutions and the creation of fundamentally new components.

These works are described in detail in the material TANKS AND PEOPLE. Diary of the chief designer Alexander Alexandrovich Morozov. Part 2.

In the late 70s and throughout the 80s, the Kharkov Design Bureau was chosen as the lead one on the topic of creating a promising tank of the 90s. These events are considered from the point of view of one of the developers of the tank, responsible for its electronic component - The last spurt of Soviet tank builders (diary of a participant in the development of the Boxer tank). Variants of the layouts considered in the 80s are considered in the material - Tanks "Rebel", "Boxer", "Hammer" (object 490, object 490A, object 477).

The development of a promising tank was never completed until the collapse of the USSR.

The design bureaus remaining in Russia set about creating a promising tank based on the existing backlog. Of the most advanced, we can mention the Leningrad Object 299 (JSC "Spetsmash"), which had a very bold layout. Which, along with objective reasons characteristic of the 90s, prevented its implementation.

The Omsk Object 640 "Black Eagle" was also a project with very ambiguous advantages, which is why it was chosen for demonstration (VTTV 1997) and even moved abroad.

Nizhny Tagil (UKBTM) had a project for the evolutionary development of the T-72, which did not give significant reasons for replacing the T-72 in production, since the solutions incorporated in it could also be implemented during modernization.

With improvement economic situation work has intensified. Here, as in the 70s, two projects were implemented, one of them with a high technical risk, the other with traditional and less risky solutions. The first is the Nizhny Tagil Object 195 "T-95" (OJSC "UKBTM") and the second Omsk project Development of a unified combat compartment, the theme "Burlak" (OJSC "KBTM").

In 2009, the closure of these projects was announced.

At the beginning, one gets the feeling that a promising tank in the post-Soviet space will never be created.

But in 2015, at the Victory Parade, products based on the Armata platform were presented to the general public - a new generation T-14 tank and a heavy T-15 infantry fighting vehicle with a front-mounted MTO.

With the advent of the first shots of the "Armata", a lot of speculation appeared about this tank. Someone gave it embellished qualities, someone called it plywood and invented non-existent flaws.

Layout

The scheme with the concentration of the crew in front of the hull requires maximum automation of the controls installed in the fighting compartment, creating a number of technical difficulties. Such a scheme is of interest due to the large opportunities for enhancing the protection of the crew, including from means mass destruction, as well as improving the conditions for interaction between personnel.

When placing 3 crew members shoulder to shoulder, as is done, the crew is accommodated in fairly comfortable conditions. But at the same time, it is not possible to realize sufficient protection of the onboard part of the crew compartment. Even with a reduction in the width of the space allocated for each crew member from 70 to 60 cm, the opportunities to provide protection during shelling in the side areas are minimal. Wherein
railway dimensions do not allow to increase the width of the hull.

In addition, such a scheme does not provide a good all-round view to the tank commander, which in a number of countries, despite the development of technical vision, is considered an important quality. More details - Development of a promising tank in the USA.

Such a scheme has been considered more than once, since the 70s in different countries, but did not find application in tank building with the exception of experimental models, such as the American FTTB.

Crew capsule. The driver's seat is on the left along the tank.

The display complex of the driver (DKMV) installed on the tank is designed to replace the pointer instrumentation and provide solutions for control tasks, monitoring the operation, operational technical diagnostics of chassis systems and assemblies and issuing recommendations for the operation of the facility.

Gear shifting is carried out by buttons on the steering wheel. The most important information about the parameters of the movement is displayed directly on the remote display on the steering wheel. The monitor displays an image from a front-view thermal imaging device located on the upper part of the nose assembly of the hull.

video viewing device and block of control buttons

View of the driver's seat from the gunner's seat, located in the center of the crew capsule

PMF-5.0 monitors with LCD panels high resolution from a series of multifunctional panels "5".

On the left in the photo is the gunner's console.

Products PMF-5.0 (5.1) have an extended set of interfaces, including a touch panel with a multi-touch function, etc.
Development of the Instrument Design Bureau (UKBP), which is part of the Radioelectronic Technologies Concern.

The information management system displays information about the state of weapons systems, security, mobility, etc.
Informational messages are displayed on the screen below, critical messages are shown in red, important ones in yellow, regular ones in white.

View of the commander's and gunner's positions. Commander panels (3) right side of the photo.

They display video information from external sources, synthesized video information of devices (TV cameras, sighting systems), information exchange, the issuance of navigation cartographic information, as well as the input and transmission of information to control the main systems of the tank. Control panels are installed under the panels, the gunner and commander have similar devices

The devices are manufactured in the Russian Federation and are unified for the entire line of promising ground vehicles (Armata, Kurganets, Boomerang).

Devices are still manufactured and assembled by hand, but their reliability is growing.

It is on these devices that tank control is based.

Commander's place. A visual overview of the terrain is carried out through three viewing devices. The main information is supposed to be received through the TV cameras located along the perimeter of the tank and a multi-channel panoramic sight-surveillance device.

Such a decision can be called very bold, especially for ground vehicles, where conditions are much more severe than in aviation. On the right is the AVSKU-E control panel (equipment intercom, switching and control). Under the control panel is an optical sensor of the fire-fighting equipment system (OD1-1S). The installation of optical sensors and high-speed cylinders in the fighting compartment ensures fire detection and the release of fire extinguishing composition in no more than 150 ms. Such sensors are installed around the entire perimeter of the capsule.

View of back crew capsules. Visible ventilation and air conditioning systems

Despite many digital innovations, some traditions in post-Soviet tank building are unshakable, for example, not very accurate welding seams.

Comfortable seats - a big step forward compared to the tanks of the previous generation

Side view of the crew capsule from the gunner's seat. Crew seats have a wide range of adjustments, ensuring the comfort of the crew

Protection

The layout of the "Armata" is similar to that worked out on the "Object 195". Increased crew security is achieved by transferring the crew jobs located in the turret to a highly protected forward hull module, the protection mass of which can be increased by the amount of the reduction in the turret defense mass due to a decrease in its dimensions and internal volume intended for crew jobs.

Improving the security and survival of the crew in the module is achieved by reducing the total area of ​​the internal surfaces of the control module (compared to the habitable compartment of tanks of the classical layout).

The weapon module is separated from the transverse bulkhead control module, which reduces the likelihood of hitting the crew in the module.

The fire and explosion safety of the module and the survival of the crew are achieved by the complete separation of the crew's workplaces from the sealed volume of fuel and from the ammunition load.

Schematic representation of the general layout
tank T-14 "Armata" (similar to T-95)

The advantage indicated by the authors of the patent, along with the above, has one more drawback - insufficient protection of the tower. They will come to this question, as did the developers of the promising Soviet-era tank - the Hammer, the Note.

The tank protection complex includes combined and dynamic protection installed in the front part of the hull with the crew capsule.

Also, dynamic protection is installed on the sides of the hull (up to the engine compartment). In front, the caterpillar branches are blocked by the DZ, which is especially important when placing the crew in the hull. In the front part of the side of the hull, the DZ blocks are made folding for ease of maintenance of the undercarriage. In general, the solutions for installing DZ are reminiscent of its installation on the Nota tank (KMDB).

A tower is covered from above with dynamic protection, and a remote sensing is also installed to protect the capsule, including hatches. Part of the side of the hull in the MTO area is covered with lattice screens.

DZ covers both the upper and lower parts of the nose assembly of the hull.

Externally, the DZ is similar to that installed on the T-95. the working surface of the thrown plate is significantly increased

The technical requirements for a promising tank, set back in the days of the USSR, required protection from above from cumulative ammunition with an armor-piercing ability of 250-300 mm. Despite the small size of the roof and hatches, which is clearly visible in the photographs, it can be assumed that this requirement is met.

The most important feature of the tank is the use of a set of means to protect against precision weapons. They include an active protection complex that provides cover in the range of 120 ° in the direction of the tank turret and a complex for setting up multispectral curtains and a complex of laser and UV radiation indicators installed along the perimeter of the turret.

In order to fire false IR and RL targets quickly and accurately in the direction of the means of attack from wherever it flies up, without turning the turret, the use of rapidly turning grenade launchers is required.

Thus, protection from attacking ammunition in a horizontal projection is provided by the KAZ and the jamming complex (in two rotary installations on the tower). And from the attackers from above - a jamming complex (in two fixed installations directed upwards).

An anti-mine electromagnetic protection system is also installed.

Tank protection complex from WTO

Along the perimeter of the tower are indicators of laser irradiation and ultraviolet radiation (missile launch detection system).

Under the front indicators of irradiation and missile launch, there are radars with headlight detection and target designation KAZ. On the roof of the tower, a system for launching multispectral interference in rotary and fixed installations

Irradiation and launch indicators in the photo and during the demonstration at the parade are covered with shutters. Next to the block of indicators of the TV camera of the front and side view

Installed under the radar block launchers KAZ. KAZ "Afganit" is the development of the "Drozd" system. This development of TsKIB SOO dates back to the 80s. The difference from Drozd is the possibility of correcting the fired counter-munition in azimuth (~ 0.5 m) and vertically (± 4 °). The complex has the ability to destroy anti-tank missiles attacking a target in flight, but does not protect against attackers from above

To reduce the visibility of the tank, a light casing is installed on the turret with geometric characteristics that are optimal for reducing visibility in the radar wavelength range.

Side view of the T-14 Armata, in the central third of the hull, DZ blocks are installed optimized for protection against cumulative warheads at an angle of impact close to normal

Part of the side of the hull in the MTO area is covered with lattice screens.
Fuel barrels are visible. At the parade in Moscow, "Armata" were without them. Apparently they think it's not fashionable

Firepower

The tank is equipped with a 125mm 2A82-1M high power cannon. Judging by the patents, the gun can use both regular shots and newly developed shots with an increased powder charge. Ammunition 40 shots (of which 32 in the automatic loader, 8 - transportable). The AZ ideology has been retained from the "Object 195", but the small 152 mm ammunition load has been increased to an acceptable value.

7.62mm PKTM machine gun in a remotely controlled installation on a platform combined with a panoramic sight-surveillance device. Ammunition 2000 rounds in a continuous belt.

The absence of a machine gun coaxial with a cannon is a strange and undoubtedly wrong decision. This will lead to an increased consumption of ammunition by the gunner on targets that do not correspond to 125 mm shells, to distract the commander from monitoring the battlefield when using a single machine gun. Some justification for this may be in the form of an automated ammunition load increased by 10 shots compared to the T-72. The 30 mm automatic cannon, as was the case on the Molot and T-95, is also missing.

Diagram of the AZ of an uninhabited tower.

Projectiles and charges are arranged vertically.

The conveyor is raised above the bottom of the hull to prevent jamming when the bottom deflects (undermining a mine).

The idea of ​​installing such a gun arose long ago, back in the late 70s (D-91T) and continued in the future, including the "Object 187". In terms of its potential, it is 30% higher than the regular one.

It is known that shots of increased power 3VBM22 with BPS 3BM59 "Lead-1" and 3VBM23 with BPS 3BM60 "Lead-2" with L = 740 mm have increased armor penetration by 100-150 mm. Improved BPS developed for the "Armata" will probably reach the level of more than 800 mm (450/60 °). EFFECT: possibility of using both regular ammunition and newly developed ammunition of increased power is provided.

Whether the truth is reached is an open question, all these topics have been underway for more than two decades. So the same "Lead-1" and "Lead-2" have been formally part of the ammunition load of the modernized T-72BA, T-80UA, T-80UE1 since 2004.

To combat infantry, a shot 3VOF128 "Telnik" -1 was developed (Completion of the R & D - 2014). The projectile implemented a trajectory gap on approach to the target (at a preemptive point) with the target being hit by the axial flow of the GGE; trajectory gap over the target with the defeat of the target by a circular field of hull fragments; shock ground break with installation for instantaneous (fragmentation) action; shock ground break with installation for high-explosive fragmentation action (small deceleration); shock ground break with a setting for a penetrating high-explosive action (large deceleration).

Armament stabilizer 2E58 - electromechanical with electric drive for vertical and horizontal guidance. It has reduced power consumption, increased accuracy and less fire hazard.

The UUI-2 transceiver is installed at the base of the barrel. Provides automatic measurement of barrel bending during firing.
Wind and pressure sensor (DVD). Capacitive type sensor provides measurement of longitudinal, transverse wind and atmospheric pressure.

Mobility

"Armata" is equipped with a 12-cylinder four-stroke X-shaped turbocharged diesel engine 2V-12-3A. Swing mechanism with GOP

Engine power 1200 Horse power. According to the developers, there are opportunities for forcing up to 1500-1800 hp. in perspective.

The total capacity of the fuel system of the tank is 2015 liters with two connected barrels. Of these, 1615 liters are in the internal and external fuel tanks of the tank, the fuel is partially located inside the hull (816 liters), the rest is in the fuel tanks on the fenders in the rear of the hull.

The transmission is mechanical with a planetary central gearbox with automatic shifting. The built-in reverser can provide an equal number of forward and reverse gears, which is important when unifying the chassis with the rear and front MTOs. The cooling fan drive is two-stage controlled.

The suspension stiffness is 167…206 kN/m, and the resistance of the hydraulic shock absorber in forward and reverse strokes does not exceed 55 kN and 120 kN, respectively.

the torsion shaft has an operating stress level of more than 147 104 kN/m2 and an allowable twist angle of more than 80°.

The damping characteristic of the hydraulic shock absorber is speed, that is, it represents the dependence of the resistance force on the speed on the lever. The kinematic connection of the hydraulic shock absorber with the suspension is designed to provide a gear ratio of the vertical speed of the track roller of the caterpillar mover of the tracked vehicle to the speed of movement of the hydraulic shock absorber lever 0.15 ... 3.5 with an increase at the end of the track roller travel.

EFFECT: increased progressivity of suspension characteristics of the suspension system and smooth running of tracked vehicles weighing up to 55 tons.

1 - guide wheel; 2 - caterpillars; 3 - track rollers; 4 - supporting rollers;
5 - torsion shaft; 6 - balancer; 7 - hydraulic shock absorbers; 8 thrust

The progressive suspension characteristic is shown in comparison with the suspension characteristic of the Leopard 2 tank.

Project evaluation

The positive side of the project is that it was nevertheless implemented, to a greater extent than any of the existing promising tank projects in the post-Soviet space after the creation of the T-64 tank.

Positive for the industry in the Russian Federation is the development of new technologies (touch panels), a new element base in tank control systems (IMS, FCS, etc.), the development of which can become a serious impetus to the development of the electronics industry.

Sufficient attention has been paid to the complex protection of the tank - KOEP, KAZ, DZ, etc.

Ergonomics meets modern requirements.

The negative features of the tank stem from the choice of its layout, this is the impossibility of providing a sufficient size of the onboard armor of the capsule due to the placement of the crew shoulder to shoulder, the vulnerability of the turret from the fire of modern automatic guns, the lack of a visual channel of the commander's and gunner's sights, the impossibility of providing all-round visibility from the commander's seat. Exhaust on both sides increases the IR visibility of the tank.

Of the removable shortcomings, the absence of a machine gun coaxial with a cannon can be noted. And the sight-understudy gunner.

And most importantly, what else can be added, the tank is being tested, a small number of them have been released at the moment. Most of the systems installed in "Armata" have not yet been sufficiently mastered, it will undoubtedly take a long time to cure "childhood diseases". So to be or not to be "Armata" time will tell.