Giant target tank t 14. Russia has just announced how many deadly Armata tanks it will build

Tank T-14 (GBTU index - Object 148) - the main battle tank, equipped with a 125-mm 2A82 smoothbore gun (with the possibility of installing a 152-mm 2A83) with a remote ( uninhabited tower), fully digitally controlled. Ahead behind a very powerful frontal armor is a protected isolated armored capsule from all sides with a crew sitting in a row. The gun will be controlled from an isolated armored capsule. The tank will be able to withstand a frontal hit by most modern and promising types anti-tank shells and missiles. A representative of Uralvagonzavod said that deliveries of the tank to the troops should begin in 2015. The tank will contain up to 40 projectiles for various purposes in an automatic loader, and will also have machine guns and sights that are superior to existing models, be able to fire on the move, and so on. Part of the developments, including the "monitor layout", the tank will acquire from the development of promising tanks T-95 and the Black Eagle, while it will be much cheaper than its "ancestors". According to some reports, it is planned to equip the tank diesel engine with a capacity of 1500-2000 horsepower, a 125-mm smoothbore gun with an ammunition load placed outside the habitable compartment. However, most of the tactical and technical characteristics of the tank are secret. The rollers are borrowed from the T-80, due to the lower weight, due to which the mass of the platform is less than a ton.

Layout

The hull is elongated, has seven road wheels, which indicates that the tank has an increased mass. Perhaps about 50 tons.

Combat information and control systems are built on modern digital technologies and solid-state element base of domestic production. The probability of hitting the target with the first shot is close to one hundred percent. For vital elements, constant monitoring of their condition is provided. This makes it possible to foresee possible malfunction even before its occurrence. Which, in turn, significantly increases the reliability and maintainability of a complex armored vehicle.

The body is crammed with video cameras. They allow the crew to observe the circular situation around the tank. If required, the zoom is turned on, and the distant object can be considered in detail. There is the possibility of thermal imaging and infrared vision in any weather conditions day and night.

Armor

The new armor steel grade 44S-sv-Sh will be used on the new Russian tank "Armata". The steel was created by the specialists of OAO Research Institute of Steel.

The use of this steel on the promising Armata platform will make it possible to “remove” hundreds of kilograms of weight from the vehicle, where it will also be used not only for armor purposes, but also as a structural material.

The new steel was developed according to the terms of reference of the Ural Design Bureau of Transport Engineering, which is part of the NPK Uralvagonzavod, which acted as a customer. Mining and industrial development fell on the shoulders of one of the flagships of Russian metallurgy - the Volgograd metallurgical plant "Red October", which is also part of the structure of "Uralvagonzavod".

Although the hardness of the steel is not less than 54HRC, its plastic characteristics remain at the level of serial steels having a hardness of 45-48HRC. It is this combination that makes it possible to reduce the thickness and, accordingly, the weight of armored structures made of new steel by 15% without reducing protective characteristics and survivability at low temperatures.

Power point

The power plant is a single 1200-horsepower diesel turbo piston engine A-85-3A (sometimes referred to as 2A12-3, 12CHN15 / 16 or 12H360) for front- and rear-located MTO. Motor resource not less than 2000 hours. Weight up to 5 tons. MTU volume up to 4 m3. There is a possibility of modernization. In terms of size, weight and power characteristics, the novelty should surpass the best foreign models of motor-transmission units. it should be noted that the rated power of the engine is 1500 hp, up to 1200 hp. a restriction was introduced, which significantly increased the motor resource.

The engine was developed by the Chelyabinsk GSKB Transdiesel, and will be produced at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. The 12H360 diesel four-stroke, X-shaped, 12-cylinder with gas turbine supercharged and intercooled air, liquid-cooled engine passed the whole range of tests, from resource to running ones back in 2011.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Video

In 2015, at a military parade in Moscow dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the latest Russian development was presented to the general public - the T-14 Armata tank, which should radically affect the equipment of the Russian ground armies and determine the concept of their use for the coming decades. This tank, positioned as a 4th generation tank, aroused great interest both in our country and around the world. In this article, we will look at the history and background of the creation of the Armata tank, its distinctive features and specifications, as well as prospects for use in real combat operations.

History and prerequisites for the creation of a new tank "Armata"

Another way

At the turn of the 2000s, 2 projects of a promising main battle tank, which should have been a replacement for the current Russian MBT - T-90. One of them is "Object 460" or(see photo above) - was the development of the Omsk Design Bureau. It had an elongated modified chassis from the T-80U tank, in which another one was added to six rollers, as well as a narrower turret of a new design, armed with a standard 125 mm smoothbore gun that had already proven itself. It was assumed that the mass of the tank would be about 48 tons, and it would be equipped with a 1500-horsepower gas turbine engine, which would give it a specific power of more than 30 hp / t and make it one of the most dynamic tanks in the world.

The second project is "Object 195" or(see photo below) - was the development of the Ural Design Bureau and the Uralvagonzavod corporation. It was an "Ubertank" for its time, in which an uninhabited (unmanned) turret, armed with a formidable 152 mm smoothbore gun, was also installed on a seven-roller chassis. The crew of the tank (a total of 2 people) was housed in an isolated armored capsule in front of the hull. The weight of the tank was not small - about 55 tons, and it was supposed to be equipped with a 1650 hp diesel engine, which would also give it good dynamic characteristics.

It was assumed that kinetic energy projectile fired from the 152 mm smooth-bore gun "Object 195" is so large that if it hits the turret of an enemy tank, it simply tore it off.

But in 2009-2010, both projects had to be curtailed for several reasons. Firstly, the development of both tanks was not very active, and during the design and testing period (which is about 15-20 years), they simply became obsolete. Secondly, the transition to the use of such supertanks as the T-95 - quite expensive and resource-intensive in production - would be, to some extent, a transition to the German path of development of tank building during the Second World War, i.e. absolutely unjustified "way royal tigers and mice." What we needed was a universal, mass-produced tank with the best value for money, like our famous T-34. And, thirdly, both of these tanks did not quite correspond to the concept of network-centric warfare.

The concept of network-centric warfare

Network-centric warfare is a modern military doctrine, focused on increasing the combat effectiveness of various military formations participating in armed conflicts or modern wars, by combining all combat and auxiliary units into a single information network and, as a result, achieving infocommunication superiority over the enemy.

Those. it turns out that by combining and almost instantaneous communication of command and control means, reconnaissance means, as well as means of destruction and suppression, a more accelerated control of forces and means is achieved, an increase in the effectiveness of defeating enemy forces and the survivability of their own troops, and each combatant receives full and timely information about the real combat situation.

Tank formations must also be adapted to the modern realities of network-centric warfare, for this the tanks themselves must be able to connect to a single information network and be able to almost instantly transfer to it information received by the tank from the outside due to their own "overview" modules. In fact, this is practically one of the requirements for the new 4th generation tanks.

Tank 4th generation

"Object 195" in the view of the artist.

The classification of tanks by generation is actually not official, it is very conditional and looks something like this:

To the first generation include tanks from the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Soviet T-44 and T-54, the German Panther, the English Centurion, and the American Pershing.

Second generation associated with the emergence of the so-called main battle tanks (MBTs). It includes tanks of the 1960-1980s, such as the Soviet T-62, the American M-60, the English Chieftain, the German Leopard and the French AMX-30.

To the third generation include the latest modern tanks, such as the Soviet T-80 and Russian T-90, the American Abrams, the French Leclerc, the English Challenger, the Ukrainian Oplot, the South Korean Black Panther, the Israeli Merkava, the Italian " Ariete" and the German "Leopard-2".

It is clear that later generations of tanks were distinguished by stronger armor, more advanced protection and more formidable weapons. This also applies to the 4th generation of tanks, the appearance of which is long overdue. But besides this, as mentioned above, tanks of the 4th generation should be maximally adapted to network-centric warfare, and also, if possible, meet a number of other requirements:

- have an uninhabited tower and an automatic loader;
- the crew must be isolated in an armored capsule;
- the tank must be partially robotic.

By the way, a fully robotic unmanned tank can be considered a 5th generation tank.

Approximately with such a list of requirements, our designers approached the development of a new tank, when in 2010, after the phasing out of the Object 195 and Object 640 projects, they were given the task to design a new generation tank as soon as possible.

Platform "Armata"

The order for the design, testing and production of a new tank was received by the state corporation UralVagonZavod, located in Nizhny Tagil and engaged in the development and production of various military equipment. When developing a new tank in the Ural Design Bureau, tied to UralVagonZavod, ready-made promising developments were actively used on the Object 195 already being developed here, as well as on the project of the Omsk Design Bureau - Object 640. Both closed projects to a large extent helped our designers to quickly cope with the task.

But the most important thing is that this time our constructors (as well as our military leadership) saw the problem of building a new tank more widely, and it was decided to develop not just a 4th generation tank, but a universal tracked platform that could be used to design a wide variety of military equipment, which would solve the problem of versatility, mass and ratio described above prices and quality.

Thus, "Uralvagonzavod" designed and implemented the so-called unified combat heavy tracked platform "Armata", on the basis of which it is planned to create about 30 different types of military equipment. Moreover, not only the platform will be common to them, but also general system combat control, a common communication system, a common active defense system, and many other units and modules.

The universal heavy combat platform "Armata" has three engine layout options: front, rear and middle. This allows you to use the platform for the construction of almost any type of military equipment. For a tank, for example, they use the rear engine placement, but for an infantry fighting vehicle, on the contrary, the front one.

On the this moment our defense industry has already received the first pieces of equipment based on the new platform - this is armored recovery vehicle BREM T-16(so far only as a project), and of course the main combat one, which we could already see at the Victory Parade in Moscow.

The T-14 tank is the latest Russian tank of the 4th generation on the Armata universal combat heavy tracked platform. The tank received the index "14" as usual for the year of the project - 2014. At the project stage, the tank had the designation "Object 148".

It is believed that the T-14 "Armata" tank is the world's first tank of the 4th generation, the first tank in the framework of the concept of network-centric warfare, and that it has no analogues at all. In general, according to many of our and foreign experts, today the Armata is the best tank in the world.

First, let's take a quick look at what this new tank"Armata", what design solutions our design engineers embodied in it, what main features it has:

The main features of the T-14 "Armata" tank

- The tank has an uninhabited tower. It is equipped with the already proven remote-controlled 125 mm smoothbore gun with an automatic loader.

- The design of the tank allows you to install on it a 152 mm gun, already tested on the "Object 195".

- The crew of the tank is located in an isolated armored capsule that can withstand a direct hit from all existing modern anti-tank shells.

- The armored capsule with the crew is securely separated from the ammunition and fuel tanks.

- Active suspension will allow the tank to conduct accurate aimed shooting at speeds up to 40-50 km / h.

- It is assumed that active suspension will allow the tank to move at speeds up to 90 km / h, not only on the highway, but also on rough terrain.

- Used in a tank the new kind combined layered armor 15% different than used in domestic tanks 3rd generation. The armor thickness equivalent is about 1000 mm.

- All tank modules are controlled by the latest tank information and control system (TIUS), which, in the event of any malfunction, notifies the crew of this by an appropriate voice message.

- The Armata radar complex uses active phased array radars capable of conducting about 40 ground and 25 air targets at a distance of up to 100 km.

- If a projectile flying into the tank is detected, the Afghanit active defense system automatically turns the tank turret towards this projectile in order to meet it with more powerful frontal armor and be ready to strike at the enemy that fired this projectile.

- The range of destruction of 125 mm guns is up to 7000 m, while for the best Western models this parameter is 5000 m.

- In the tank "Armata" applied a large number of effective stealth technologies that make it virtually invisible or difficult to detect for many types of weapons.

TTX tank T-14 "Armata"

Infographics and location of modules in the T-14 tank

A good infographic of the T-14 tank with the location of the modules was made by the RIA Novosti agency:

Video review "Multi-purpose tank T-14 on the tracked platform Armata"

For the 80th anniversary of Uralvagonzavod, an interesting mini-video review about the T-14 Armata tank was released:

Radar complex

The T-14 is the first tank in the world to use an active phased array radar (AFAR radar). Radars of the same type are being installed on the new Russian fifth-generation T-50 multirole fighters, which are to replace the SU-27. Unlike radars with a passive array, AFAR radars consist of a large number of independently adjustable active modules, which significantly increases the tracking ability and reliability, since in the event of a failure of one of the radar modules, we will get only a slight distortion of the “picture”. True, the cost of such radars is somewhat higher.

Armata uses 4 AFAR radar panels located along the perimeter of the tower (see photo above). They are protected by bulletproof and anti-fragmentation screens, but, nevertheless, can be easily replaced in the field (the photo shows plastic loops for removing radar panels).

The radar complex of the T-14 tank can simultaneously track up to 40 ground moving and up to 25 airborne aerodynamic targets, which makes it one of the key elements on the battlefield within the concept of network-centric warfare. The target tracking distance is up to 100 km.

If, for the purpose of camouflage, the main surveillance radar of the tank is turned off, then at close range it is replaced by two ultra-fast reaction radars, which are also used to trigger destructive elements of active protection against projectiles fired at the tank.

Target detection systems in the infrared and ultraviolet range

On the T-14 turret, on the same axis as the machine gun mount, a panoramic sight is installed, which serves to determine the coordinates of targets received by various survey modules, while it rotates 360 degrees regardless of the machine gun.

The panoramic sight includes a visible camera, an infrared camera and a laser rangefinder. As each new target is captured by the radar, the panoramic sight automatically turns in its direction to determine its exact coordinates. The information received is displayed on the monitors of the tank crew in the form of a tactical map with the coordinates of fixed targets, and if necessary, you can specify the coordinates of a particular target by pressing your finger on the image on the touch screen.

In addition to the panoramic sight, the T-14 tank is equipped with six autonomous high-definition cameras that allow the crew to monitor the situation around the tank along the entire perimeter. These cameras allow tankers to assess the situation when the radar is turned off and in the conditions of the enemy's electronic warfare, and also record laser pointers aimed at the tank.

In addition, these HD cameras can see through a smoke screen (in infrared), giving Armata a significant advantage using this type of camouflage. This gives the following example:

When the T-14 tank is surrounded by enemy infantry, it can put a smoke screen around it, making it invisible to enemy grenade launchers, and shoot them from a machine gun mount according to infrared HD cameras.

Active protection complex "Afganit"

And radar complex of 4 AFAR radars and 2 high-speed radars, and infrared HD cameras are part of the active tank protection complex, which serves not only for reconnaissance of targets, but also for the timely detection of threats to the tank and their elimination. Here are the features of the Afghanit active protection system installed on the Armata:

- When an enemy projectile flying towards the tank is detected, the Afghanit automatically turns the tank turret towards this projectile in order to meet it with more powerful armor on the one hand, and on the other hand, to be ready to strike at the object that fired this projectile.

- When shells flying up to the tank are detected, Afghanit automatically controls the machine gun mount to destroy them.

- If increased camouflage is required, Afghanit can operate in passive mode with the radar turned off, focusing on HD camera data.

- "Afghanit" is safe for its infantry, located near the tank, as it uses to a greater extent the means of electronic warfare and smoke-metal curtains to counter enemy missiles.

- In addition, according to the latest data, "Afganit" successfully resists modern armor-piercing projectiles with cores.

The Afganit active defense complex is capable of hitting projectiles flying up to the tank at speeds up to 1700 m/s. But our designers are already developing a new active protection - "Barrier", which will be able to intercept shells flying up at speeds up to 3000 m / s.

Complex of dynamic protection "Malachite"

On the T-14 tank, the Malachite dynamic protection complex is also installed. Here are the features it has:

- "Malachite" successfully resists not only various cumulative shells, but is also capable of destroying the latest NATO sub-caliber shells, which were specially designed to penetrate such dynamic defenses that preceded "Malachite" as "Relikt" and "Contact-5".

- Malachite is much better at resisting the most advanced anti-tank missile systems (ATGMs).

- By reducing the amount of explosive in the dynamic protection "Malachite", the option of hitting one's own infantry and damaging the tank's observation devices is practically excluded.

Armament of the T-14 tank

The fire control system of the T-14 tank is connected to the Afghanit active protection system and its radio-optical modules. With their help, the tank's weapons are guided to the detected targets. Besides, aiming uses data from the following sensors:

— gyroscopic sensors of the angular orientation of the tank in space;
- air temperature and humidity sensor;
- wind direction and speed sensor;
- barrel bending sensor from heating.

The tank receives its own coordinates using the GLONASS satellite system.

As we wrote above, the T-14 tank can be equipped with both a standard 125 mm gun and a 152 mm cannon. As standard, the Armata is equipped with the already proven 125 mm 2A82-1C smoothbore gun, which has a 17% higher muzzle energy and 20% greater accuracy than best samples western guns mounted on tanks.

It should also be noted that the range of destruction from this gun is about 7000 m, which exceeds the performance of foreign tank guns, for the most part of which the range of destruction does not exceed 5000 m. This again gives the Armata a significant advantage - it is our tank that will own the right " long arm”, i.e. he will be able to shoot enemy tanks without even approaching them at their range.

In addition, the 2A82 gun has the ability to fire ammunition up to 1 meter long (for example, such as high-powered armor-piercing shells "Vacuum-1"). The T-14 is equipped with an automatic loader for 32 rounds, due to which a rate of fire of 10-12 rounds per minute is achieved.

Some of the Armata tanks are going to be equipped with a 152 mm 2A83 gun, whose armor-piercing shells are more than 1000 mm, and their speed is 2000 m / s, which leaves no chance for everyone known modern tanks. In addition, as the leaders of the Uralvagonzavod corporation say, the kinetic energy of the 152 mm gun projectile is such that more often it will simply tear off the turret of the enemy tank being hit.

Both guns allow their barrel to be used to launch guided missiles. It is assumed that for 152 mm guns, missiles with armor-piercing up to 1500 mm and a range of up to 10,000 m can be used, which can hit both ground and air targets.

At the same time, some experts point to the possibility of using guided active-rocket projectiles with a range of up to 30 km on T-14 tanks armed with 152 mm guns, which turns such an “Armata” into a fire support tank using both against enemy infantry and against heavily protected enemy targets.

Of the machine gun armament, the Armata is equipped with a large-caliber 12.7 mm Kord machine gun, remotely controlled by the crew and included in the Afganit active defense complex, as well as a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov machine gun, coaxial with a tank gun. Moreover, for reloading "Korda" there is a special automated system that does not require the participation of crew members.

Reservation of the T-14 tank

As we indicated above, one of the main features of the Armata tank is the presence of a special isolated armored capsule, separated from the rest of the tank by armored partitions and serving to accommodate the entire crew with control computers. In addition, the armored capsule protects against weapons mass destruction and has an air conditioning system and a fire extinguishing system. All this significantly increases both the survivability of the crew and the survivability of the tank itself. It is stated that the maximum duration of the continuous stay of the crew in the armored capsule is about 3 days.

In the production of Armata tanks, a new type of armored steel with ceramic inserts is used, which has increased armor resistance. This made it possible, with the same armor thickness, to achieve a smaller mass of the tank, and, accordingly, better dynamics. However, it is expected that front projection The T-14 has an armor equivalent of more than 1000 mm against sabots and about 1300 mm against HEAT rounds. This makes the tank resistant to hits on the forehead of any modern ammunition and capable of withstanding such formidable anti-tank weapons as the American heavy and American portable .

Tower T-14

The structure of the tower is classified information, however, it is assumed that it consists of an external anti-fragmentation casing, under which the main armor of the tower is hidden. The anti-fragmentation casing performs several functions.:

- protection of tank instruments from fragments, high-explosive shells and bullet penetrations;
- reduction of radio visibility to counter ATGMs with radar guidance;
- shielding of external electronic fields, which makes the tower devices resistant to various kinds of magnetic impulses.

Below is a video with a possible device for the T-14 tank turret:

stealth technologies

Another significant feature of the T-14 is the use of various stealth technologies, which drastically reduce the visibility of the tank in the infrared, radar and magnetic observation spectra. Here are the stealth tools used in "Armata":

- unique GALS-coating, which reflects a wide range of waves and protects the tank from overheating in the sun;

- flat reflective edges of the hull, reducing the visibility of the tank in the radio range;

- a system for mixing exhaust gases with ambient air, reducing the visibility of the tank in the infrared range;

- thermal insulation on the inside of the case, which also reduces the visibility of the T-14 in the IR range;

- heat traps that distort the "signature" (the visual image of the tank) in the infrared range;

- distortion of its own magnetic field, making it difficult to determine the location of the tank for magnetometric weapons.

All this causes significant difficulties for the enemy in detecting the "Armata", in determining its coordinates and in general in identifying it as a tank.

Many experts believe that the T-14 Armata is the world's first stealth tank.

Engine

The T-14 tank is equipped with a multi-fuel 12-cylinder four-stroke X-shaped turbocharged diesel engine (12N360), which was designed in Chelyabinsk and is produced there at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. The engine has a switching power from 1200 to 1500 hp, but on serial vehicles it is planned to install an engine with a maximum power of 1800 hp. This will provide the tank with excellent dynamic characteristics - so maximum speed on the highway will reach 90 km / h. In addition, this four-stroke engine is much more economical than the old two-stroke ones, which ensures a cruising range of 500 km without refueling.

The box on the T-14 is automatic robotic with the ability to switch to manual control.

It should also be noted that the exhaust gases are removed through pipes passing through additional fuel tanks. This provides them with additional cooling and ultimately reduces the visibility of the tank in the infrared range. The tanks themselves are covered with armor plates and anti-cumulative screens, and they are protected from fire by an open-cell filler.

The engine and transmission are combined into a separate module, which makes it possible to replace a failed power unit in less than an hour.

active suspension

If earlier on Russian tanks a 6-roller chassis was used, then the Armata platform has a 7-roller one, which makes it possible to build equipment with a maximum weight of up to 60 tons on its basis. Therefore, the T-14 tank has a huge potential for all kinds of upgrades.

The suspension used in the T-14 tank is active, that is, it is capable of detecting irregularities under the tracks using sensors and automatically adjusting the height of the rollers. This feature not only increases the tank's speed over rough terrain, but also significantly (by about 1.5 - 2.0 times) improves aiming accuracy on the move. High-precision shooting while moving quickly across the battlefield is another indisputable advantage of the "Armata" when it is possible to "meet" with such quite probable opponents as or who still use an uncontrolled hydropneumatic suspension developed more than 30 years ago.

Tank information and control system

One of the best tank information and control systems (TIUS) is installed on the Armata, which monitors all the modules of the tank in real time and automatically checks them for malfunctions. In the event that any problems are detected, the TIUS system informs the crew about this in voice mode and gives recommendations for their elimination.

Defense Order

At the parade in Moscow in 2015, T-14s from the first pilot batch (20 tanks) were presented to the public. Serial production of "Armata" began in 2016 and by its end it is planned to produce about 100 more machines, which will be actively used in various tests and exercises to identify shortcomings and determine the necessary improvements.

In total, by 2020, it is planned to commission 2,300 T-14 Armata tanks. This is how the state order was presented by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to the state corporation Uralvagonzavod. Moreover, it was separately indicated that the serial production of Armata tanks would not be stopped even in the conditions of a severe economic crisis.

By the way, the management of Uralvagonzavod indicates the cost of the tank at 250 million rubles (this is about 4-5 million dollars). This means that the entire batch of T-14s in 2300 tanks will cost our state 10 billion dollars.

Other combat vehicles on the Armata platform

Infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) T-15 "Armata"

In addition to the T-14 tank, on a unified heavy combat tracked platform, it is planned to produce an armored combat vehicle infantry T-15, the first copies of which were also demonstrated at the Victory Parade in Moscow. I must say that this is the first heavily armored infantry fighting vehicle in the Russian army. Its tank armor level is impenetrable for modern ATGMs with a caliber of up to 150 mm and BOPS with a caliber of up to 120 mm, as well as the presence of active protection "Afghanit" allows it to operate in one tactical group along with T-14 tanks and makes it a "network-centric" combat vehicle.

The mass of the BMP T-15 is about 50 tons, the crew is 3 people, in addition, it has a landing module for 9 people behind it.

The versatility and modularity of the Armata platform allows the T-15 BMP to have several combat configurations:

- The main version with the Boomerang-BM combat module, the armament of which includes an anti-tank missile system Kornet-EM, a 30 mm 2A42 automatic anti-aircraft gun and a 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun, allows it to successfully counter various ground and air targets at a distance of up to 4 km (universal air defense configuration).

- Option with the Baikal combat module, the armament of which includes a modified ship 57 mm anti-aircraft installation with higher firepower and range up to 8 km (long-range air defense configuration).

- Option with 120 mm heavy mortar (anti-personnel configuration).

Below is an infographic from the performance characteristics of the BMP T-15 "Armata":

Armored recovery vehicle (BREM) T-16 "Armata"

Above is a photo of the BREM-1M armored recovery vehicle, created on the basis of the chassis of the T-72 tank and designed to evacuate damaged or stuck equipment in combat conditions. On the basis of the Armata universal heavy platform, it is planned to release a new BREM under the T-16 index, which will be equipped with a more powerful cargo crane and a whole range of various special equipment.

Self-propelled artillery mount (SAU) "Coalition-SV"

In order to include in the same group with the T-14 tanks and the T-15 infantry fighting vehicle, equipment with powerful and long-range fire support is planned to be transferred to the Armata heavy combat platform and our latest self-propelled artillery mount 2S35 "Coalition-SV", which replaced the outdated self-propelled guns 2S3 "Acacia" and 2S19 "Msta-S". Developed by the Central Research Institute Burevestnik and produced at the Uraltransmash plant, also part of the Uralvagonzavod corporation, 152 mm self-propelled howitzer has the most diverse range of goals: from the destruction of enemy tactical nuclear weapons and the destruction of its fortifications to counteracting its manpower and equipment.

When designing the Coalition-SV, they also adhered to the principle of modularity and versatility, so this howitzer can be installed on almost any platform, including a ship one.

The main feature of the new self-propelled guns is its range - up to 70 km, which significantly exceeds all known foreign analogues. Ammunition "Coalition-SV" is 70 shells, rate of fire - 10-15 rounds per minute.

Besides, on the basis of the universal platform "Armata" it is also planned to build the following types of equipment:
- Fighting vehicle of flamethrowers (BMO-2)
– Heavy flamethrower system (TOS BM-2)
- Multi-purpose engineering vehicle (MIM-A)
- Transport-loading vehicle of a heavy flamethrower system (TZM-2)
- Mine layer (UMZ-A)
– Floating conveyor (PTS-A)
– Bridgelayer (MT-A)

Prospects for the use of the tank "Armata"

As we wrote above, the T-14 "Armata" tank was developed as part of a network-centric concept, so it is intended for combat operations as part of a tactical grouping, including equipment and systems of the different nature: other Armata tanks or T-90S tanks modernized for network-centric warfare, several T-15 infantry fighting vehicles, a Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled gun battery, attack helicopters KA-52 "Alligator" and other equipment. At the same time, the T-14 "Armata" in this group is assigned one of the key roles, namely the role of reconnaissance, target designator and command tank, controlling the battle through a single control system.

Conclusion

All this is good that in terms of military projects we do not lag behind, but somewhere we are ahead of other leading military powers of the world, and the development and implementation of the Armata universal heavy platform should significantly improve the defense capability of our country in case of a major (third world) war. The only question is what kind of big war it will be and whether it will be possible to emerge victorious from it?

P.S. Below is a video of recent history of our tank troops, presented by the Ministry of Defense on Tankman's Day, in which you can also see the hero of our review - the T-14 Armata tank.

This article analyzes the features of the new Russian tank T-14 Armata, but do not forget that its characteristics in given time are not disclosed, and the design itself can be finalized for several more years.

Therefore, the text does not claim to be true, but is only reasoning based on information in open sources.

Armored crew capsule

Let's start with the capsule, which, together with the uninhabited tower, is the most interesting feature Almaty. It should protect the crew much better than the simple hull of the MBTs we are used to.

But let's see if this is the case. Conventional armor can protect against conventional weapons like projectiles or shrapnel, as long as it is made thicker or stronger with new materials. In addition, if we assume that the crew sits shoulder to shoulder, then the capsule occupies almost the entire width of the hull, leaving no room for side armor, which is very weak and can only protect against all destructive weapons only in conjunction with active armor.

From the explosion of ammunition, which has become a sad association with Soviet MBTs, the capsule will not save in any way, so only the ignition of the ammunition remains as a result of its damage.

Yes, quite often there is not an instantaneous detonation, but a fire, leaving time for the crew to escape. But on tanks like the T-64 or T-72, the ammunition is separated only by a polycom, which practically does not protect against high temperature and fire, and here the capsule becomes an excellent solution that saves the lives of the crew.

Perhaps it was worth putting the ammunition itself, together with the automatic loader, into an armored capsule, reliably separating them from the crew?

Hatches in Armata

If you are interested in Armata, you have probably already read about the insufficient thickness of the hatches, due to which modern anti-tank weapons will easily hit new car. I am sure that the designers could not simply score on such a drawback, so let's talk a little about something else.

In the tanks familiar to us, the hatches on the tower leaned forward, protecting people during evacuation from small arms. In addition, the driver had his own, and in the bottom of the hull there was a special hatch for evacuation. Of course, this did not give any guarantee of survival to the crew of the wrecked tank, but there were chances to escape from the bullets.

The T-14 Armata has only 2 hatches in front, and their covers do not protect people leaving the tank in any way. Imagine a situation in which the crew is trying to get out of a tank that is under fire and becomes an excellent target for the enemy. Perhaps Armata will receive an evacuation hatch, but the presence of an armored capsule makes this option unlikely. I would like to be wrong.

Armored capsule and electronics

The saturation of the Armata with electronics is presented as an advantage, but this is also the Achilles' heel of the new tank. What will happen to him if the electrical systems fail? A blind and deaf tin in which people sit, and this is by no means an exaggeration.

All old MBTs allow you to fix minor malfunctions like a misfire or not sending a shell even during a battle, to fire a cannon or at least a machine gun manually.

Armata has an uninhabited tower completely separated from the crew, which excludes such a possibility.

The view from the tank is also provided by cameras, let's say that their resolution and screen resolution are enough for normal vision, which is not inferior to optical. But such a design requires a constant supply of electricity even to an ambush MBT, which can unmask it.

Well, it’s worth returning to the topic of crew evacuation. He will be forced not only to get out through the hatches in front of the tank, not only will he not be able to fight off enemy infantry even with a machine gun, but he will also be practically blind in his capsule, not seeing what is happening outside.

Armata's electronics, which provide excellent visibility, are certainly needed, and it was precisely this that our previous tanks lacked, but it would be better to have the usual observation devices as well.

It seems that they figured out the T-14 Armata capsule. Now there is a contradictory impression that the capsule saves the life of the crew only under certain conditions, and then only in order to deprive them of the possibility of self-defense and evacuation.

Tower

The Almaty Tower came out controversial, well, or the layout of the tower. Its body kit, and indeed the body kit, and not cardboard or something else, as they say in stupid gossip, is typical for most modern tanks that have main armor by no means outside.

Here is the shape of this body kit raises questions, because in some places it is very similar to cone-shaped bullet catchers, which will lead to bullets, along with fragments, entering optics, antennas and others important elements T-14 Almaty.

The machine gun coaxial with the cannon is not noticeable, and the existing 7.62 mm will be insufficient in areas with various buildings, where various concrete slabs and walls can serve as a cover from it, while a 12.7 mm or even an automatic 20-30 mm cannon allowed to hit targets behind cover.

Side screens

I would also like to note the unsuccessful mounting of side screens at Almaty. To the uninitiated, this may seem like a trifle, but the screens are a heavy legacy of the T-72, due to which a large number of tanks were lost.

In 2015, at a military parade in Moscow dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the latest Russian development, the T-14 Armata tank, was presented to the general public, which should radically affect the equipment of the Russian ground armies and determine the concept of their applications for the coming decades. This tank, positioned as a 4th generation tank, aroused great interest both in our country and around the world. In this article, we will consider the history and background of the creation of the Armata tank, its distinctive features and technical characteristics, as well as the prospects for use in real combat operations.

Basic information about the T-14 Armata tank

The T-14 tank is the latest Russian tank of the 4th generation on the Armata universal combat heavy tracked platform. The tank received the “14” index, as usual, according to the year of the project implementation - 2014. At the project stage, the tank had the designation “Object 148”.

It is believed that the T-14 "Armata" tank is the world's first tank of the 4th generation, the first tank in the framework of the concept of network-centric warfare, and that it has no analogues at all. In general, according to many of our and foreign experts, today the Armata is the best tank in the world.

To begin with, let's take a quick look at what this new Armata tank is like, what design solutions our design engineers embodied in it, what main features it has:

The main features of the T-14 "Armata" tank

• The tank has an uninhabited tower. It is equipped with the already proven remote-controlled 125 mm smoothbore gun with an automatic loader.

• The design of the tank allows you to install on it a 152 mm gun, already tested on the "Object 195".

• The crew of the tank is located in an isolated armored capsule that can withstand a direct hit from all existing modern anti-tank shells.

• The armored capsule with the crew is securely separated from the ammunition and fuel tanks.

• The active suspension will allow the tank to conduct accurate aimed fire at speeds up to 40-50 km/h.

• It is assumed that the active suspension will allow the tank to move at speeds up to 90 km / h, not only on the highway, but also on rough terrain.

• The new type of combined multi-layer armor used in the tank is 15% different than that used in domestic tanks of the 3rd generation. The armor thickness equivalent is about 1000 mm.

• All modules of the tank are controlled by the latest tank information and control system (TIUS), which, in the event of any malfunction, notifies the crew of this by an appropriate voice message.

• The “Armaty” radar complex uses active phased array radars capable of conducting about 40 ground and 25 air targets at a distance of up to 100 km.

• If a projectile flying into a tank is detected, the Afghanit active defense system automatically turns the tank turret in the direction of this projectile in order to meet it with more powerful frontal armor and be ready to strike at the enemy that fired this projectile.

• The range of destruction of 125 mm guns is up to 7000 m, while for the best Western models this parameter is 5000 m.

• The Armata tank uses a large number of effective stealth technologies that make it virtually invisible or difficult to detect for many types of weapons.

TTX tank T-14 "Armata"

To view the table on mobile devices, move it left or right.

Infographics and location of modules in the T-14 tank

A good infographic of the T-14 tank with the location of the modules was made by the RIA Novosti agency:

Video review “Multi-purpose tank T-14 on the tracked platform Armata”

For the 80th anniversary of Uralvagonzavod, an interesting mini-video review about the T-14 Armata tank was released:

Well, now let's talk about the T-14 Armata tank in more detail and discuss the history and background of its creation, its armament and armor, the characteristics of its main systems, as well as the possibility of using it in real combat operations.

The history and prerequisites for the creation of a new tank "Armata"

Another way

At the turn of the 2000s, 2 projects of a promising main battle tank were being developed in Russia, which should have been a replacement for the current Russian MBT - the T-90. One of them - "Object 460" or "Black Eagle" (see photo above) - was the development of the Omsk Design Bureau. It had an elongated modified chassis from the T-80U tank, in which another one was added to six rollers, as well as a narrower turret of a new design, armed with a standard 125 mm smoothbore gun that had already proven itself. It was assumed that the mass of the tank would be about 48 tons, and it would be equipped with a 1500-horsepower gas turbine engine, which would give it a specific power of more than 30 hp / t and make it one of the most dynamic tanks in the world.

The second project - "Object 195" or "T-95" (see photo below) - was the development of the Ural Design Bureau and the Uralvagonzavod corporation. It was an “Ubertank” for its time, in which an uninhabited (unmanned) turret armed with a formidable 152 mm smoothbore gun was also installed on a seven-roller chassis. The crew of the tank (a total of 2 people) was housed in an isolated armored capsule in front of the hull. The weight of the tank was not small - about 55 tons, and it was supposed to be equipped with a 1650 hp diesel engine, which would also give it good dynamic characteristics.

It was assumed that the kinetic energy of the projectile fired from the 152 mm Object 195 smoothbore gun was so great that if it hit the enemy tank turret, it simply tore it off.

But in 2009-2010, both projects had to be curtailed for several reasons. Firstly, the development of both tanks was not very active, and during the design and testing period (which is about 15-20 years), they simply became obsolete. Secondly, the transition to the use of such supertanks as the T-95, which are quite expensive and resource-intensive in production, would be to some extent a transition to the German path of development of tank building during the Second World War, i.e. absolutely not justified itself “the way of royal tigers and mice”. What we needed was a universal, mass-produced tank with the best value for money, like our famous T-34. And thirdly, both of these tanks did not quite correspond to the concept of network-centric warfare.

The concept of network-centric warfare

Network-centric warfare is a modern military doctrine focused on increasing the combat effectiveness of various military formations participating in armed conflicts or modern wars by combining all combat and support units into a single information network and, as a result, achieving infocommunication superiority over the enemy.

Those. it turns out that by combining and almost instantaneous communication of command and control means, reconnaissance means, as well as means of destruction and suppression, a more accelerated control of forces and means is achieved, an increase in the effectiveness of defeating enemy forces and the survivability of their own troops, and each combatant receives full and timely information about the real combat situation.

Tank formations must also be adapted to the modern realities of network-centric warfare, for this the tanks themselves must be able to connect to a single information network and be able to almost instantly transfer to it information received by the tank from the outside due to their own “overview” modules. In fact, this is practically one of the requirements for the new 4th generation tanks.

Tank 4th generation

"Object 195" in the view of the artist.

The classification of tanks by generation is actually not official, it is very conditional and looks something like this:

• The first generation includes tanks from the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Soviet T-44 and T-54, the German Panther, the English Centurion and the American Pershing.
• The second generation is associated with the appearance of the so-called main battle tanks(OBT). It includes tanks of the 1960-1980s, such as the Soviet T-62, the American M-60, the English Chieftain, the German Leopard and the French AMX-30.
• The third generation includes the latest modern tanks, such as the Soviet T-80 and Russian T-90, the American Abrams, the French Leclerc, the English Challenger, the Ukrainian Oplot, the South Korean Black Panther, the Israeli Merkava , Italian “Ariete” and German “Leopard-2” (By the way, you can read more about third-generation tanks in our article).

It is clear that later generations of tanks were distinguished by stronger armor, more advanced protection and more formidable weapons. This also applies to the 4th generation of tanks, the appearance of which is long overdue. But besides this, as mentioned above, tanks of the 4th generation should be maximally adapted to network-centric warfare, and also, if possible, meet a number of other requirements:

• have an uninhabited tower and an automatic loader
• the crew must be isolated in an armored capsule
• the tank must be partially robotic

By the way, a fully robotic unmanned tank can be considered a 5th generation tank.

Approximately with such a list of requirements, our designers approached the development of a new tank, when in 2010, after the phasing out of the Object 195 and Object 640 projects, they were given the task to design a new generation tank as soon as possible.

Platform "Armata"

The order for the design, testing and production of a new tank was received by the state corporation UralVagonZavod, located in Nizhny Tagil and engaged in the development and production of various military equipment. When developing a new tank in the Ural Design Bureau, tied to UralVagonZavod, ready-made promising developments were actively used on the Object 195 already being developed here, as well as on the project of the Omsk Design Bureau - Object 640. Both closed projects to a large extent helped our designers to quickly cope with the task.

But the most important thing is that this time our designers (as well as our military leadership) saw the problem of building a new tank more widely, and it was decided to develop not just a 4th generation tank, but a universal tracked platform that could be used to design a wide variety of military equipment, which would solve the above-described problem of universality, mass character and value for money.

Thus, "Uralvagonzavod" designed and implemented the so-called unified combat heavy tracked platform "Armata", but on the basis of which it is planned to create about 30 different types of military equipment. Moreover, not only the platform will be common to them, but also a common battle control system, a common communication system, a common active defense system and many other nodes and modules.

The universal heavy combat platform "Armata" has three engine layout options: front, rear and middle. This allows you to use the platform for the construction of almost any type of military equipment. For a tank, for example, they use the rear engine placement, but for an infantry fighting vehicle, on the contrary, the front one.

At the moment, our defense industry has already received the first pieces of equipment based on the new platform - this is an armored recovery vehicle BREM T-16 (so far only as a project), an infantry fighting vehicle BMP T-15 and of course the main battle tank T-14 " Armata”, which we could already see at the Victory Parade in Moscow.

Overview of the T-14 "Armata" tank

Radar complex

The T-14 is the first tank in the world to use an active phased array radar (AFAR radar). Radars of the same type are being installed on the new Russian fifth-generation T-50 multirole fighters, which are to replace the SU-27. Unlike radars with a passive array, AFAR radars consist of a large number of independently adjustable active modules, which significantly increases the tracking ability and reliability, since in the event of a failure of one of the radar modules, we will get only a slight distortion of the “picture”. True, the cost of such radars is somewhat higher.

Armata uses 4 AFAR radar panels located along the perimeter of the tower (see photo above). They are protected by bulletproof and shatterproof screens, but nevertheless can be easily replaced in the field (the photo shows plastic loops for removing radar panels).

The radar complex of the T-14 tank can simultaneously track up to 40 ground moving and up to 25 airborne aerodynamic targets, which makes it one of the key elements on the battlefield within the concept of network-centric warfare. The target tracking distance is up to 100 km.

If, for the purpose of camouflage, the main surveillance radar of the tank is turned off, then at close range it is replaced by two ultra-fast reaction radars, which are also used to trigger destructive elements of active protection against projectiles fired at the tank.

Target detection systems in the infrared and ultraviolet range

On the T-14 turret, on the same axis as the machine gun mount, a panoramic sight is installed, which serves to determine the coordinates of targets received by various survey modules, while it rotates 360 degrees regardless of the machine gun. The panoramic sight includes a visible camera, an infrared camera and a laser rangefinder. As each new target is captured by the radar, the panoramic sight automatically turns in its direction to determine its exact coordinates. The information received is displayed on the monitors of the tank crew in the form of a tactical map with the coordinates of fixed targets, and if necessary, you can specify the coordinates of a particular target by pressing your finger on the image on the touch screen.

In addition to the panoramic sight, the T-14 is equipped with six autonomous high-definition cameras that allow the crew to monitor the situation around the tank along the entire perimeter. These cameras allow tankers to assess the situation when the radar is turned off and in the conditions of the enemy's electronic warfare, and also record laser pointers aimed at the tank.

In addition, these HD cameras can see through a smoke screen (in infrared), giving Armata a significant advantage using this type of camouflage. This gives the following example:

When the T-14 tank is surrounded by enemy infantry, it can put a smoke screen around it, making it invisible to enemy grenade launchers, and shoot them from a machine gun mount according to infrared HD cameras.

Active protection complex “Afganit”

Both the radar complex of 4 AFAR radars and 2 high-speed radars, and infrared HD cameras are part of the active tank protection complex, which serves not only for reconnaissance of targets, but also for the timely detection of threats to the tank and their elimination. Here are the features of the Afghanit active protection system installed on the Armata:

• When an enemy shell flying towards the tank is detected, Afghanit automatically turns the tank's turret in the direction of this shell in order to meet it with more powerful armor on the one hand, and on the other hand, to be ready to strike at the object that fired this shell.
• When shells approaching the tank are detected, Afghanit automatically controls the machine gun mount to destroy them.
• In case of need for increased camouflage, Afghanit can operate in passive mode with the radar turned off, focusing on HD camera data.
• "Afghanit" is safe for its infantry, located near the tank, as it uses to a greater extent the means of electronic warfare and smoke-metal curtains to counter enemy missiles.
• In addition, according to the latest data, “Afganit” successfully resists modern armor-piercing projectiles with cores.

The Afganit active defense complex is capable of hitting projectiles approaching the tank at speeds up to 1,700 m/s. But our designers are already developing a new active protection - "Barrier", which will be able to intercept shells flying up at speeds up to 3000 m / s.

Complex of dynamic protection "Malachite"

The T-14 tank is also equipped with the Malachite dynamic protection complex. Here are the features it has:

• "Malachite" successfully resists not only various HEAT shells, but is also capable of destroying the latest NATO sub-caliber shells, which were specially designed to penetrate such dynamic defenses that preceded "Malachite" as "Relic" and "Contact-5".
• Malachite is much better at resisting the most advanced anti-tank missile systems (ATGMs).
• By reducing the amount of explosive in the dynamic protection "Malachite", the option of hitting one's own infantry and damaging the tank's observation devices is practically excluded.

Armament of the T-14 tank

The fire control system of the T-14 tank is connected to the Afganit active protection system and its radio-optical modules. With their help, the tank's weapons are guided to the detected targets. In addition, when aiming, data from the following sensors is used:

• Gyroscopic sensors of the tank's angular orientation in space
• Temperature and humidity sensor
• Wind direction and speed sensor
• Barrel bend sensor from heating

The tank receives its own coordinates using the GLONASS satellite system.

As we wrote above, the T-14 can be equipped with both a standard 125 mm gun and a 152 mm cannon. As standard, the Armata is equipped with the already proven 125 mm 2A82-1C smoothbore gun, which has a 17% higher muzzle energy and 20% greater accuracy than the best examples of Western tank-mounted guns. It should also be noted that the range of destruction from this gun is about 7000 m, which exceeds the performance of foreign tank guns, for the most part of which the range of destruction does not exceed 5000 m. This again gives the Armata a significant advantage - it is our tank that will own the right hands”, i.e. he will be able to shoot enemy tanks without even approaching them at their range. In addition, the 2A82 gun has the ability to fire ammunition up to 1 meter long (for example, such as high-powered armor-piercing shells "Vacuum-1"). The T-14 is equipped with an automatic loader for 32 rounds, due to which a rate of fire of 10-12 rounds per minute is achieved.

Some of the Armata tanks are going to be equipped with a 152 mm 2A83 gun, which has an armor-piercing capacity of sabots of more than 1000 mm, and their speed is 2000 m/s, which leaves no chance for all known modern tanks. In addition, as the leaders of the Uralvagonzavod corporation say, the kinetic energy of the 152 mm gun projectile is such that more often it will simply tear off the turret of the enemy tank being hit.

Both guns allow their barrel to be used to launch guided missiles. It is assumed that for 152 mm guns, missiles with armor-piercing up to 1500 mm and a range of up to 10,000 m can be used, which can hit both ground and air targets.

At the same time, some experts point to the possibility of using guided active-rocket projectiles with a range of up to 30 km on T-14 tanks armed with 152 mm guns, which turns such an “Armata” into a fire support tank that can be used both against enemy infantry and against heavily protected enemy targets.

Of the machine gun armament, the Armata is equipped with a large-caliber 12.7 mm Kord machine gun, remotely controlled by the crew and included in the Afganit active defense complex, as well as a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov machine gun, coaxial with a tank gun. Moreover, for reloading the Korda, there is a special automated system that does not require the participation of crew members.

Reservation of the T-14 tank

As we indicated above, one of the main features of the Armata tank is the presence of a special isolated armored capsule, separated from the rest of the tank by armored partitions and serving to accommodate the entire crew with control computers. In addition, the armored capsule protects against weapons of mass destruction and has an air conditioning system and a fire extinguishing system. All this significantly increases both the survivability of the crew and the survivability of the tank itself. In addition, it is stated that the maximum duration of the continuous stay of the crew in the armored capsule is about 3 days.

In the production of Armata tanks, a new type of armored steel with ceramic inserts is used, which has increased armor resistance. This made it possible, with the same armor thickness, to achieve a smaller mass of the tank, and, accordingly, better dynamics. Nevertheless, it is expected that in the frontal projection, the T-14 has an armor equivalent of more than 1000 mm against sub-caliber projectiles and about 1300 mm against HEAT projectiles. This makes the tank resistant to any modern munitions hit in the forehead and capable of withstanding such formidable anti-tank weapons as the American TOW heavy anti-tank missile system and the American Javelin man-portable anti-tank missile system.

Tower T-14

The structure of the tower is classified information, however, it is assumed that it consists of an external anti-fragmentation casing, under which the main armor of the tower is hidden. The anti-fragmentation casing performs several functions:

• Protection of tank instruments from fragments, high-explosive shells and bullet penetrations.
• Reduced radio visibility to counter radar-guided ATGMs.
• Shielding of external electronic fields, which makes the tower devices resistant to various kinds of magnetic impulses.

Below is a video with a possible device for the T-14 tank turret:

stealth technologies

Another significant feature of the T-14 is the use of various stealth technologies, which drastically reduce the visibility of the tank in the infrared, radar and magnetic observation spectra. Here are the stealth tools used in "Armata":

• A unique GALS coating that reflects a wide range of waves and protects the tank from overheating in the sun.
• Flat reflective edges of the hull, reducing the visibility of the tank in the radio range.
• A system for mixing exhaust gases with ambient air, reducing the visibility of the tank in the infrared range.
• Thermal insulation on the inside of the case, which also reduces the visibility of the T-14 in the IR range.
• Heat traps that distort the "signature" (the visual image of the tank) in the infrared range.
• Distortion of its own magnetic field, making it difficult to determine the location of the tank for magnetometric weapons.

All this causes significant difficulties for the enemy in detecting the "Armata", in determining its coordinates and in general in identifying it as a tank.

Many experts believe that the T-14 Armata is the world's first stealth tank.

Engine

The T-14 tank is equipped with a multi-fuel 12-cylinder four-stroke X-shaped turbocharged diesel engine (12N360), which was designed in Chelyabinsk and is produced there at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. The engine has a switching power from 1200 to 1500 hp, but on serial vehicles it is planned to install an engine with a maximum power of 1800 hp. This will provide the tank with excellent dynamic characteristics - so the maximum speed on the highway will reach 90 km / h. In addition, this four-stroke engine is much more economical than the old two-stroke ones, which ensures a cruising range of 500 km without refueling.

The box on the T-14 is automatic robotic with the ability to switch to manual control.

It should also be noted that the exhaust gases are removed through pipes passing through additional fuel tanks. This provides them with additional cooling and ultimately reduces the visibility of the tank in the infrared range. The tanks themselves are covered with armor plates and anti-cumulative screens, and they are protected from fire by an open-cell filler.

The engine and transmission are combined into a separate module, which makes it possible to replace a failed power unit in less than an hour.

active suspension

If earlier on Russian tanks a 6-roller chassis was used, then the Armata platform has a 7-roller one, which makes it possible to build equipment with a maximum weight of up to 60 tons on its basis. Therefore, the T-14 tank has a huge potential for all kinds of upgrades.

The suspension used in the T-14 tank is active, that is, it is capable of detecting irregularities under the tracks using sensors and automatically adjusting the height of the rollers. This feature not only increases the tank's speed over rough terrain, but also significantly (by about 1.5 - 2.0 times) improves aiming accuracy on the move. High-precision shooting while moving quickly across the battlefield is another indisputable advantage of the “Armata” in the event of a possible “meeting” with such quite probable opponents as the “Leopard-2” or “Abrams”, which still use an uncontrolled hydropneumatic suspension developed by over 30 years ago.

Tank information and control system

One of the best tank information and control systems (TIUS) is installed on the Armata, which monitors all the modules of the tank in real time and automatically checks them for malfunctions. In the event that any problems are detected, the TIUS system informs the crew about this in voice mode and gives recommendations for their elimination.

Defense Order

At the parade in Moscow in 2015, the public was presented with T-14s from the first pilot batch (20 tanks). Serial production of "Armata" began in 2016 and by its end it is planned to produce about 100 more machines that will be actively used in various tests and exercises to identify shortcomings and determine the necessary improvements.

Other combat vehicles on the Armata platform

Infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) T-15 "Armata"

In addition to the T-14 tank, on a unified heavy tracked combat platform, it is planned to produce the T-15 armored infantry fighting vehicle, the first copies of which were also demonstrated at the Victory Parade in Moscow. I must say that this is the first heavily armored infantry fighting vehicle in Russian Army. Its tank level of armor is impenetrable for modern ATGMs up to 150mm caliber and BOPS up to 120mm caliber, as well as the presence of Afganit active protection allows it to operate in one tactical group along with T-14 tanks and makes it a “network-centric” combat vehicle.

The mass of the T-15 is about 50 tons, the crew is 3 people, in addition, it has a landing module for 9 people behind it.

The versatility and modularity of the Armata platform allows the BMP T-15 to have several combat configurations:

• The main version with the Boomerang-BM combat module, whose armament includes the Kornet-EM anti-tank missile system, a 30 mm 2A42 automatic anti-aircraft gun and a 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun, allows it to successfully withstand various ground and air targets on distances up to 4 km (Universal air defense configuration).
• A variant with the Baikal combat module, whose armament includes a modified shipborne 57 mm anti-aircraft mount with higher firepower and a range of up to 8 km (Long-range air defense configuration).
• Variant with 120 mm heavy mortar (anti-personnel configuration)

Self-propelled artillery mount (SAU) “Coalition-SV”




In order to include in the same group with the T-14 tanks and BMP T-15 equipment with powerful and long-range fire support, it is planned to transfer to the heavy combat platform "Armata" and our latest self-propelled artillery mount 2S35 "Coalition-SV", which replaced the outdated self-propelled guns 2S3 "Acacia" and 2S19 "Msta-S". Developed by the Burevestnik Central Research Institute and manufactured at the Uraltransmash plant, which is also part of the Uralvagonzavod corporation, the 152 mm self-propelled howitzer has a wide range of purposes: from destroying enemy tactical nuclear weapons and destroying its fortifications to counteracting its manpower and equipment.

When designing the “Coalition-SV”, they also adhered to the principle of modularity and versatility, so this howitzer can be installed on almost any platform, including a ship one.

The main feature of the new self-propelled guns is its range - up to 70 km, which significantly exceeds all known foreign analogues in this parameter. Ammunition "Coalition-SV" is 70 shells, rate of fire - 10-15 rounds per minute.

In addition, on the basis of the universal platform "Armata" it is also planned to build the following types of equipment:

• Fighting vehicle of flamethrowers (BMO-2)
• Heavy flamethrower system (TOS BM-2)
• Multipurpose engineering vehicle (MIM-A)
• Transport-loading vehicle of a heavy flamethrower system (TZM-2)
• Mine layer (UMZ-A)
• Floating conveyor (PTS-A)
• Bridgelayer (MT-A)

Prospects for the use of the tank "Armata"





As we already wrote above, the T-14 Armata tank was developed as part of a network-centric concept, therefore it is designed to conduct combat operations as part of a tactical grouping, including equipment and systems of a very different nature: other Armata tanks or tanks modernized for network-centric warfare T-90S, several T-15 infantry fighting vehicles, a battery of self-propelled guns "Coalition-SV", attack helicopters KA-52 "Alligator" and other equipment. At the same time, the T-14 "Armata" in this group is assigned one of the key roles, namely the role of reconnaissance, target designator and command tank, which controls the battle through a single control system.

Conclusion

All this is good that in terms of military projects we are not lagging behind, but somewhere ahead of other leading military powers of the world, and the development and implementation of the Armata universal heavy platform should significantly improve the defense capability of our country in case of a major (third world) war. The only question is what kind of big war it will be and whether it will be possible to emerge victorious from it?

P.S. Below is a video about the latest history of our tank troops, presented by the Ministry of Defense on Tanker Day, in which you can also see the hero of our review - the T-14 Armata tank.

- the world's only tank of the third post-war generation. This is a completely Russian development.

Work on the creation of a new tank "Armata" was opened in 2010. The unified heavy platform of the Armata cipher, on the basis of which the tank was created, was developed by Uralvagonzavod from 2009 to 2010.

The T-14 "Armata" tank is equipped with a 125 mm 2A82 smoothbore gun (with the possibility of mounting a 152 mm 2A83) with remote (uninhabited turret) fully digital control. Ahead behind the powerful frontal armor is a protected isolated armored capsule with a crew sitting in a row on all sides. The gun is controlled from an isolated armored capsule. For the first time in the world, the crew is placed in an armored capsule, separated from the ammunition, which makes it possible for tankers to stay alive even with a direct hit on the turret and ignition of the ammunition. The tank will be able to withstand a frontal hit of most modern and promising types of anti-tank shells and missiles.

The tank contains up to 40 projectiles for various purposes in the automatic loader, and also has machine guns and sights that are superior to existing models, with the ability to fire on the move.

The power plant is a single 1200-horsepower A-85-3A diesel turbopiston engine for front- and rear-located engine compartments (MTO). Motor resource not less than 2000 hours, weight up to 5 tons. There is a possibility of modernization.

The Chelyabinsk GSKB "Transdiesel" was engaged in the development of the engine. Diesel four-stroke, X-shaped, 12-cylinder with gas turbine turbine supercharging and intercooling of air, liquid-cooled engine 12Н360 passed the whole range of tests, from resource to running in 2011.

Tank "Armata" the latest complex active protection "Afghanit", which can both physically destroy targets and disable them. Radio-optical radar "Afganit" consists of four active phased antenna arrays that warn of approaching projectiles. The electronic suppression system knocks down the trajectory of missiles - with the help of blocking lasers and radars and with the help of a smoke screen. In addition, the Armata is equipped with the Malachite dynamic defense system with the Relikt modular system, which, as expected, can easily eliminate tandem-type missiles.

The original silhouette, combined with the use of a special coating, significantly reduces the vehicle's visibility in the thermal and radar surveillance spectra.

Tactical and technical:

Combat weight - up to 55 tons

Crew - 3 people

Clearance - 500 mm

Caliber and brand of gun - 125 mm 2A82-1M

Engine power - 1500 liters. With.

Highway speed - up to 75 km / h

Target detection range - over 5000 m

Target engagement range - 7000-8000 m

Power reserve - over 500 km

Armor resistance - over 900 mm

For the first time, the T-14 tank on the Armata platform was demonstrated at the Victory Parade on May 9, 2015.