The latest Russian tanks. Tank breakthrough: how is the modernization of the main combat vehicles of the Russian army Russian tank fleet

Instruction

Since 2005, the following tanks have remained in service with the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation: the T-72BA, the T-80 in several modifications, and the T-90A. The most modern of them is the T-90A. Currently, the Ministry does not purchase new models of tanks until the creation of a single tank platform "Armata", which is planned to be presented to the public in 2015.

The T-72BA is the T-72 main battle tank upgraded to the current level, adopted by the USSR in 1972. The T-72 tank was the most bulk tank II generation in the world. It was in service with dozens of countries around the world, and in some it still stands. From the T-64 tank, which was in service with the USSR in the 60s, 70s and 80s, it favorably differed in cheapness and manufacturability. It was these two qualities that made the T-72 popular all over the world. In the 90s, the tank was no longer produced, but not yet out of service. Total tanks in service - about 15,000.

The T-80 is represented by modifications of the T-80BA, T-80UA and T-80U-E1, which are just different options for upgrading the base tank. The T-80 tank itself became the world's first tank with a gas turbine engine, adopted by the USSR in 1976. Until the end of the 80s, the T-80 tank was considered the most advanced tank in the world, but its operation was 2.5 times higher than the cost of operating a diesel T-72, which was too expensive even by Soviet standards. Therefore, the number of T-80s in the troops was many times less than the T-72. In fact, it has not been produced since the early 90s, but legally since 1996. The total number of tanks in service is 6000.

T-90A is a modernized T-90 tank, adopted by Russia in 1992. In fact, the T-90 is a successful idea for a cheap and serious modernization of the same T-72. At the development stage it was called T-72BU, but for marketing purposes it was later renamed T-90. Considered the most advanced tank Russian army, but their number is negligible - about 800 copies. Despite the loud statements of the patriots about the perfection of the tank, its characteristics lag behind many modern tanks. developed countries. The only huge plus is the low price, good quality and not very strong obsolescence due to periodic upgrades.

Also in the warehouses of the Ministry of Defense are 23,000 obsolete T-55 and T-64 tanks. Formally, they are not in service with the Ground Forces, but if necessary, they can be used en masse. At one time, the country spent enormous efforts and resources on the production of these tanks, so it’s a pity to simply dispose of them. Small batches of them are slowly being sold to third world countries that cannot afford a dozen modern tanks, but they are quite capable of purchasing hundreds of T-55s.

Modern battle tanks of Russia and the world photos, videos, pictures to watch online. This article gives an idea of ​​the modern tank fleet. It is based on the classification principle used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, then others have already become a museum exhibit. And all for 10 years! To follow in the footsteps of the Jane's guide and not consider this combat vehicle (quite by the way, curious in design and fiercely discussed at the time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet of the last quarter of the 20th century, the authors considered it unfair.

Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of weapon ground forces. The tank was and probably will remain for a long time modern weapons due to the ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable crew protection. These unique qualities of tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technologies accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers of combat properties and achievements of the military-technical level. In the age-old confrontation "projectile - armor", as practice shows, protection from a projectile is being improved more and more, acquiring new qualities: activity, multi-layeredness, self-defense. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.

Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to perform quick maneuvers on impassable roads, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through the territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, induce panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and caterpillars . The war of 1939-1945 was the most ordeal for all mankind, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was the battle of the titans - the most unique period that theorists argued about in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large numbers by almost all the warring parties. At this time, there was a "check for lice" and a deep reform of the first theories of application tank troops. And it is the Soviet tank troops that are most affected by all this.

Tanks in battle that became a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, be able to launch powerful tank formations on the battlefield already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks "in the days of testing ", from 1937 to the beginning of 1943. When writing the book, materials from the archives of Russia and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that was deposited in my memory with some depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and stopped only at the beginning of forty-three, - said the former general designer Self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, - some kind of pre-stormy state was felt.

Tanks of the Second World War, it was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of "the wisest of the wise leader of all peoples"), who was able to create that tank that, a few years later, would shock German tank generals. And what’s more, he didn’t just create it, the designer managed to prove to these stupid military men that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked “highway”. The author is in slightly different positions that he formed after meeting with the pre-war documents RGVA and RGAE Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something "generally accepted". this work describes the history of Soviet tank building in the most difficult years- from the beginning of a radical restructuring of all the activities of design bureaus and people's commissariats as a whole, during a frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.

Tanks Wikipedia the author wants to express his special gratitude for the help in the selection and processing of materials to M. Kolomiyets, and also to thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication "Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941" because this book helped to understand the fate of some projects, unclear before. I would also like to recall with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former Chief Designer of UZTM, which helped to take a fresh look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War Soviet Union. Today, for some reason, it is customary to talk about 1937-1938 in our country. only from the point of view of repressions, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime ... "From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinkogo.

Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time sounded from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events soviet tank began to turn from a "mechanized cavalry" (in which one of its combat qualities was emphasized by lowering others) into a balanced combat vehicle, possessing at the same time powerful weapons sufficient to suppress most targets, good maneuverability and mobility with armor protection, capable of maintaining its combat capability under shelling the most massive anti-tank weapons of a potential enemy.

Large tanks were recommended to be added to the composition only special tanks- floating, chemical. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was reinforced by the transition from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form in 1938 to the four existing mechanized corps three more, believing that these formations are immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they require a different rear organization. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, have been adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov, the new chief demanded to strengthen the armor of new tanks so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).

The latest tanks in the world when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one step ... "This problem could be solved in two ways: First, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly," by using increased armor resistance". It is easy to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use in a special way hardened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its resistance by 1.2-1.5 times. It was this path (the use of specially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.

Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most massively used, the properties of which were identical in all directions. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of the armor business, the craftsmen strove to create just such armor, because uniformity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of the armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. So heterogeneous (heterogeneous) armor came into use.

In military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a result) to an increase in brittleness. Thus, the most durable armor, other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often pricked even from bursts of high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production in the manufacture of homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the highest possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened by saturation with carbon and silicon armor was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, processing a hot plate with a jet of lighting gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required high costs and an increase in production culture.

Tank of the war years, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But still, it was expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in terms of protection to the same, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in mass.
Also, by the mid-1930s, in tank building, they learned how to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known from late XIX century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.

How tanks shoot videos up to half the thickness of the plate, which, of course, was worse than carburizing, since despite the fact that the hardness of the surface layer was higher than during carburizing, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the "Krupp method" in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even somewhat more than carburizing. But the hardening technology that was used for sea armor of large thicknesses was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost never used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.

Combat use of tanks The most developed for tanks was the 45-mm tank gun mod 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain, it was believed that its power was enough to perform most tank tasks. But the fighting in Spain showed that the 45-mm gun can only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even the shelling of manpower in the conditions of mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was only possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point in the event of a direct hit. Shooting at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the small high-explosive action of a projectile weighing only about two kg.

Types of tanks photo so that even one hit of a projectile reliably disables anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun on the armor of a potential enemy, as in the example French tanks(already having an armor thickness of the order of 40-42 mm) it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly strengthened. There was a right way to do this - an increase in the caliber of tank guns and a simultaneous increase in the length of their barrel, since a long gun of a larger caliber fires heavier shells with a larger initial speed over a longer distance without correcting the pickup.

The best tanks in the world had a large caliber gun, also has big sizes breech, significantly more weight and increased recoil reaction. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, the placement of large shots in the closed volume of the tank led to a decrease in the ammunition load.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give an order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik Design Bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained at liberty, who from the beginning of 1935 tried to bring his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the team of plant No. 8 slowly brought the "forty-five".

Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but in mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one was accepted ... "In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, which were worked on in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to the series. Moreover, despite the decisions on most upper levels on the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines This process was hampered by a number of factors. Of course, diesel had significant efficiency. It used less fuel per unit of power per hour. Diesel fuel is less prone to ignition, since the flash point of its vapors was very high.

Even the most advanced of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (there were no machine tools of the required accuracy yet), financial investments and strengthening personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel engine with a capacity of 180 hp. will go to mass-produced tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to find out the causes of tank engine accidents, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not fulfilled. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a capacity of 130-150 hp.

Brands of tanks with specific indicators that suited the tank builders quite well. Tank tests were carried out according to a new methodology, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the ABTU D. Pavlov in relation to combat service in war time. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop traffic) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a "platform" with obstacles, "bathing" in the water with an additional load, simulating an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for examination.

Super tanks online after the improvement work seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the general course of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during the tests, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. Chief designer N. Astrov was suspended from work and was in custody and under investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new improved protection turret. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank a larger ammunition load for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (before there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).

US tanks as part of modernization work, on one serial model of the tank in 1938-1939. the torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the Design Bureau of Plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar in tests did not show good enough results, and therefore the torsion bar suspension during further work did not immediately pave the way. Obstacles to be overcome: rises not less than 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, overlapping ditch 2-2.5 m.

YouTube about tanks work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks is not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes. "Justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that a wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank version (factory designation 102 or 10-2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully meet the requirements of the ABTU.Variant 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull according to the type of hull, but with vertical side sheets of case-hardened armor 10-13 mm thick, because: "Sloping sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) broadening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.

Video reviews of tanks in which the power unit of the tank was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was mastered by the industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. Gasoline of the 1st grade was placed in a tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully met the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK caliber 12.7 mm and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS appears) caliber 7.62 mm. The combat weight of a tank with a torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with a spring suspension - 5.26 tons. The tests were carried out from July 9 to August 21 according to the methodology approved in 1938, with special attention paid to tanks.

Modern Russian tank / Photo: Nastol.com.ua

The Business Insider portal analyzed which tanks are in service with the Russian army and how many combat vehicles are in stock. Despite the fact that at the parade in 2015 it was shown newest tank T-14 Armata, there are few of these vehicles in the troops.

The publication writes that the tank will be ready for full-fledged service no earlier than 2019. In the meantime, most of the 2700 combat-ready tanks in the Russian army are T-72B3 and T-80U.

Developed in the mid-1950s, the T-55 tank is armed with a 100 mm cannon and can accelerate to 50 km/h. Over the years of production, the tank has been modernized more than once and today it exists a large number of modifications of the 55-ki. Now these tanks are not used by the Russian military, but about 2800 T-55s are still stored in warehouses.

Produced from 1961 to 1975, the T-62 tank is armed with a smoothbore gun and is capable of speeds up to 50 km/h on the highway and up to 27 km/h on rough terrain.

The T-62 performed well during both Chechen campaigns and now continues to fight in Syria (Russia supplies these tanks to the army of Bashar al-Assad). In Russia, these tanks were withdrawn from service in 2011. Now there are about 2500 T-62s of various modifications in storage.

The T-64 is equipped with a powerful 125 mm smoothbore gun with an automatic loader and is capable of firing up to eight rounds per minute. The T-64 could fire Cobra guided missiles at a range of up to 4 km and is protected combined armor in frontal projection. These tanks served for a relatively short time and were sent to the reserve. In total, there are about 2,000 of these tanks of various modifications in storage.

The production of this tank began in 1992. The T-90 received a 125-mm 2A46M-2 gun, a thermal imager, a new engine, enhanced armor and other improvements. At present, about 350 T-90/T-90A tanks of various modifications are in service in Russia, and another 200 are kept in reserve.

The T-80U entered service in 1985. He was the first in the world serial tank with a single gas turbine power plant and projectile reactive armor.

The T-80 could be accelerated to 80 km / h, the tank just flew along the highway. Now the troops have 450 T-80U tanks, another 3000 (T-80B, T-80BV, T-80U) are in storage.

Such combat vehicles are in service with the Kantemirovskaya division, an elite tank unit of the Russian army.

This is the most advanced version of the T-72 tank and features a new 1130 Horse power and a more advanced fire control system. The tank became more accurate in hitting targets due to the introduction of the Sosna-U multi-channel gunner's sight developed in Belarus, a digital ballistic computer with a set of weather conditions sensors, and an automatic target tracking machine. In total, the Russian army is armed with 1900 T-72s, another 7000 are in reserve.

T-14 "Armata"

The newest Russian tank equipped with a 125 mm 2A82-1C smoothbore gun mounted in an uninhabited turret with full remote digital control.

The range of its destruction of targets is up to 7000 meters and the rate of fire is 10-12 rounds per minute. For comparison: the American tank M1A2 SEP V3 Abrams can hit targets at a distance of 3.8 km, writes Business Insider.

This tank is technologically more advanced than any Russian or Western, but the cost of its production is very high. Therefore, Business Insider doubts that Russia will be able to afford mass production of the T-14 Armata in the near future.

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Each of us knows the phrase of the Roman historian Cornelius Nepos (94-24 BC): "If you want peace, prepare for war." Due to the fact that in recent times is gaining more and more activity (for example, intervention in the conflict between the US and Syria, the return of Crimea, etc.), many sane people have a lot of questions about the combat capability of our state. After all, sooner or later it can and will hardly be possible to resolve the issue by political means, then only forceful intervention will remain. And this is understood by many, so more and more often in various forums you can find questions of a similar nature: “How many tanks does Russia have?”, “How many submarines?” etc. Such interest reflects people's concern for the future of the country: whether it will be able to withstand an armed attack from, say, China or NATO forces. In this article, we will answer the question of how many tanks Russia has, consider what kind of armored vehicles it is, what are its characteristics and what is the most modern tank in service with our army.

What kind of troops is this?

The tank forces of Russia are the main strike force. They are mainly used in conjunction with motorized rifle units in the main directions. This type of troops is designed to perform the following main tasks:

1. In defense - direct support of motorized riflemen in repelling an enemy offensive, inflicting counterattacks and counterattacks.

2. On the offensive - inflicting powerful blows that cut the front to a great depth, developing success, defeating the enemy in oncoming battles and battles.

The tank forces of Russia are divided into brigades and battalions, they have great firepower, resistance to damaging factors nuclear weapons, high maneuverability and mobility. They are capable of making maximum use of the results of a nuclear or fire engagement of the enemy, in short time achieve the ultimate goal of an operation or battle.

Combat capabilities

Russian tank divisions, their formations and subunits make it possible to conduct active fighting both day and night, in a significant separation from the main forces, carry out raids behind enemy lines, destroy enemy equipment and manpower in oncoming battles and battles, overcome the zones of radioactive contamination on the move, and also force water bodies. In addition, they are able to quickly create a very strong defense, as well as successfully resist the offensives of significantly superior enemy forces.

The development of the combat capabilities of this type of troops is carried out by equipping it with more advanced types of armored vehicles, in which the following most important combat qualities are optimally combined: high firepower, reliable protection and maneuverability. Combined-arms tank subunits play an important role in improving the necessary organizational forms. This primarily corresponds to the content of the tactics of conducting modern combat operations.

Russian tank forces: rebirth after decline?

The crisis that hit the Russian army in the 90s of the last century, of course, did not bypass the tank troops. And the concern of the townsfolk, wondering "how many tanks does Russia have" is quite justified. After all, the nineties became literally a black page in the history of our army. Take, for example, the rapid withdrawal of troops from Mongolia and of Eastern Europe when a lot of cutting-edge technology at that time was left on adjacent territories, and the one that managed to be returned was, in fact, thrown into the mud, with consequences appropriate for the technique. As a result, expensive cars were brought to the state of scrap metal. In addition, the personnel structure also suffered significant damage: a huge number of very promising officers with impressive combat experience were forced to leave the ranks of the armed forces.

The first "bell" for the country's leadership was the conflict in Chechnya, when hastily assembled units, often on faulty and understaffed equipment, began to suffer serious losses. However, this tragedy did not stop the further degradation of the Russian tank forces. The quality of personnel training left much to be desired, and the acquisition of new generation equipment was completely stopped. The development of new models was based on the enthusiasm of designers and engineers, as well as individual military leaders. The defense complex, which produces armored vehicles, either went bankrupt or reoriented to export.

The beginning of the revival

Russian battle tanks met the new century by fighting in Chechnya. The sad experience of the first campaign was taken into account, now the losses among armored vehicles were significantly less. In 2000, it was first announced that a new modern tank was being created, known as the T-95, or "Object 195". It was assumed that he would enter the troops by 2005. However, this did not happen. The first purchases took place in 2004, but it was not the long-awaited T-95s that entered service, but the modernized T-90A, and even then in the amount of 15 units. In 2005, 17 more machines were purchased. These Russians were the best production models at that time, however new Age demanded and new technology, and the number of deliveries clearly did not meet the requirements of a huge country. Only since 2006, purchases began to be carried out in acceptable quantities, in addition, the modernization of the "old" equipment was actively carried out. However best tank Russia (T-95) remained a dream: its deliveries were constantly delayed.

Unfortunate reformers

In the rearmament program adopted by the Ministry of Defense, it was detailed how much armored vehicles needed to be modernized, how many new tanks should be manufactured. True, it was not clear which models should be produced: T-90A or T-95? As a result, battered T-72Bs that went through two Chechen wars, as well as T-62s nicknamed "museum" ones, were sent to resolve the Georgian conflict. Tank troops in this operation showed themselves with the best side, as a result of which the southern group received the main Russian tank, the T-90A, into service. Probably, in order to cool down the militant Saakashvili.

After the events described above, another reform of the army begins in the country. As a result, Russian tank forces were reduced to the level of battalions and a few brigades. The unfortunate reformers refused to purchase the T-90A, and the development of the new Burlak combat module was completely stopped. And, most importantly, the most promising most modern tank in Russia - the T-95 - was sent to the scrap without leaving the assembly line. However, the country's leadership changed its mind in time, the Minister of Defense was removed from his post and a new one was appointed. The result of such changes was a new serious project in tank building - the development of a new platform "Armata" based on the T-95 and "Object 640" ("Black Eagle"). Armata will be a universal platform for a new generation of armored vehicles: self-propelled guns, tanks, infantry and support vehicles, as well as recovery vehicles. This installation has no analogues in the world; all the innovative developments of Russian design bureaus are collected here.

Still ahead

2013 became a milestone in the life of the Russian tank forces: as shown by numerous surprise inspections, many of the reforms did not affect the quality of the ongoing combat training. Therefore, a strong-willed decision was made to sharply increase the norms of allocated ammunition. In addition, much has been done to increase the prestige of this type of troops. As soon as they did not scold " Tank biathlon”, but thanks to these competitions, the citizens of our country for the first time in long years remembered that we, it turns out, still have tank troops. The Kantemirovskaya division was recreated. And now there is an active rearmament and modernization of combat vehicles. Already today, albeit experienced, but the first samples of the Armata family have already been made.

However, unfortunately, it is too early to talk about the results. We can only note the positive dynamics. Answering the reader's question about what tanks are in service with Russia today, it remains only to state the fact that the park is still the basis of our Armed Forces. old technology T-72B and T-80BV. There is still a lot to be done to make our army truly modern.

Tanks in service with Russia: T-64

This model was designed back in 1960, its serial production began in 1963, and it was put into service in 1967. The design of this machine used an improved version of the traditional turret layout with a rear engine compartment and separate crew members. These tanks were equipped with a rifled 100-millimeter cannon with 50 rounds of ammunition. Monolithic differentiated armor, a two-stroke diesel power unit, and a mechanical transmission were crushed. The frontal elements of the turret and body are capable of withstanding a direct hit by a 100 mm armor-piercing projectile from a distance of one kilometer. As you can see, these tanks have been in service with Russia for 47 years, and this is already a period. At one time, the T-60 was an excellent representative of the tank family and could compete with the vehicles that are in service with the NATO bloc, but time goes by, and the technical fleet needs to be modernized, and urgent.

Battle tank T-72

Serial production of the T-72A continued from 1979 to 1985 at a plant in Nizhny Tagil. Later, on its basis, they began to produce export version- the T-72M tank, and then its further modification - the T-72M1. After 1985, the modernized T-72B and its export version T-72S entered mass production. The last tank and to this day reliably serves in our army. In addition, it was massively exported to Eastern European countries, India, Finland, Yugoslavia, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait and Algeria. As you can see, the geography of distribution is very extensive. He showed excellent results in various climatic conditions, and, despite his respectable age, continues to serve in various parts of our planet. It was equipped with diesel power units capable of reaching speeds of up to 65 km / h, and very reliable 125-mm guns. The weight of the machine was 41 tons. On the basis of this tank, the BREM-1, the IMR-2 engineering vehicle, and the MTU-72 bridgelayer were developed.

Battle tank T-80

This car was put into service in 1976. It became the world's first production model with a main power unit based on gas turbine engine. The development of the system began back in 1955. The gas turbine engine was finally put into service in 1968. It was a power unit, the power of which was 1000 liters. With. The design of the combat vehicle uses elements that have been worked out and tested on the T-64A: an automatic loader, a cannon, ammunition, individual components and mechanisms of the armor protection and fire control system. The new unit led to an increase in the mass of the tank, and consequently, to a change in the dynamic characteristics. As a result, the designers had to design a new undercarriage: tracks with treadmills covered with rubber, hydraulic shock absorbers and torsion bars with improved performance, support and support rollers, drive wheel guides.

Battle tank T-90

This best Russian tank is an improved T-72B. Adopted in 1993. The appearance of the machine was caused by the need for modernization (taking into account the war in Persian Gulf) existing models of equipment, as well as the reorientation of production to exclusively Russian components, because after part defense complex stayed abroad. These modern tanks Russians have a very low profile. The frontal armor of the round flat turret is reinforced with a slab type of the second generation. The driver's cabin is located in front of the body. Above it are a hatch and an observation system with wide-angle optics. The bow is equipped with a special acute-angled oval. The tank is equipped with a 125 mm cannon, equipped with a heat-insulating casing.

How many tanks does Russia have?

Now let's stop tormenting the reader and move on to the main issue of this article. Consider what is the number of tanks in Russia, and give the top 10 countries in this parameter. It turns out that our country is the absolute leader here: on the balance sheet of the Ministry of Defense, there are no less than 18,177 units of the mentioned military equipment. Of these, the main tanks are T-72B (7144 units), T-80 (4744 units) and T-64 (4000 units). In addition, the T-62 (689 vehicles) and T-55 (1200 tanks) are in service. Least of all in the tank troops there are armored vehicles of a new generation - T-90, there are only 400 of them. Agree that this is a negligible figure for such a large army. Let's hope that in the near future the situation will continue to change, and in a few years the statistics will change for the better.

And now let's see which country ranks second in our ranking. This is the United States - Russia's main competitor in the political arena. The US Army has 9125 tanks, of which 8725 are M1 Ambrams. As you can see, the US military is conservative - the basis of their tank forces is only one model. The third place in the rating is occupied by our eastern neighbor and strategic partner - China, which is armed with 8,500 armored vehicles, including 500 Type-99 tanks. The top three were far ahead of their pursuers. So, fourth place is occupied, oddly enough, by Syria with its 4750 cars, and most of one of them has a proud inscription: "Made in Russia". Next on the list are: Turkey - 3763, India - 3569, Egypt - 3380, North Korea - 3300, Israel - 3283, and closes the top ten South Korea- 2823 units.

And why all this?

From the above data, it can be seen that the number of tanks in Russia significantly exceeds the number of combat units of the closest competitor (almost twice). A pacifist-liberal minded reader may burst into an angry tirade about wasted money (for the creation and maintenance of such a lot of "iron"). However, in response, he can be reminded of the ancient wisdom with which we began this article: “If you want peace, prepare for war!” After all, the weak modern world be dangerous. If you periodically do not give your neighbors a “tough”, then you can lose, if not everything, then a lot. So, our strategic partner, China, sleeps and sees how to snatch Siberia right up to the Urals, and the NATO bloc is already knocking on our doors from the West.

By the way, in connection with the recent events in Ukraine, we can slightly expand our review. It turns out that there are 2522 tanks on the balance sheet of the Kyiv Ministry of Defense, and this is the eleventh position in our rating. True, these statistics were taken even before the start of the conflict with our neighbors, so after the loss of Crimea and the start of hostilities in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, this figure may decrease. After all, even official sources controlled by Kyiv reported combat losses among armored vehicles and even the transition of some military to the side of the rebels. Well, okay, enough about the sad, back to Mother Russia.

The future of tank building

As previously reported, the Russian army is developing the latest Armata system, which will become the basis for the creation of new types of armored vehicles. In this regard, in 2015, it is planned to begin a major modernization of the mechanized and armored forces, and from next year, the introduction of a new series of vehicles in all branches of the armed forces of our country. One of these models is the latest Russian tank T-99. This copy will be equipped with an improved version of the 125 mm gun. One of the main tasks set for the designers is to reduce the weight of the machine in order to increase maneuverability and mobility. In fact, the T-95 and the Object 195 “burned out” on these parameters. After all, the main task of our tanks is the protection of long land borders. Armored vehicles play a key role in maintaining military parity against any threat. It should be understood that our country is distinguished not only by its vast territory, but also by very diverse climatic conditions. The designers are faced with the most serious task: the creation of such equipment that will be able to function reliably both in the conditions of the Arctic and in southern regions our vast country. These are the conditions that the T-99 must meet. The new generation tank (Russia has always been distinguished by “Kulibins”, capable of solving any seemingly impossible task) is almost ready for mass production. As stated by the Ministry of Defense, the first copies will be shown to the public at the parade on May 9, 2015. So it remains to wait and hope that the country will not be covered by another political crisis capable of destroying any undertakings.