Weapon t 90. How much does a tank weigh?

Main battle tank T-90

History of creation

The serial production of the T-72B, which began in 1985, already at the time of its creation turned out to be outdated in terms of the fire control complex, since there was no automated fire control system on it at all. The T-72B lagged behind both the foreign Leopard-2 and Abrams tanks and the domestic T-80BV, T-64BV, T-80U and T-80UD, which were produced in the second half of the 80s. Therefore, immediately after the start of production of the T-72B, work began on its improvement. Various modernization options were developed, including the installation of the 1A45 weapons control complex, already installed on the T-80UD and T-80U, while maintaining the existing layout of the T-72B. The modernized vehicle received the index “Object-188”. The first four tanks entered testing in 1989, and two more modified models were tested in 1990.

Along with the installation of the 1A45, there was a simpler improvement option that included modification of the 1A40-1 tank sighting system and the installation of the Shtora-1 optical-electronic suppression complex.

The design of the T-72B improved tank had no major differences from the T-72B, and the 1A45 system had long been tested on tanks developed by the KMDB named after. Morozov and Leningrad "Spetsmash". In fact, the task of the UKBTM designers was only to install a ready-made weapons control system in the T-72B tank. But even this task turned out to be difficult for the UKBTM designers, which is why, in the opinion of both testers and tankers, the working field of the gunner and commander and the ergonomics of their workplaces were poorly implemented.

The tank was put into service in 1992 after the collapse of the USSR. Initially, a new name “T-88” was intended for this rather modest modernization, which was later replaced by “T-90”.

Production of T-90 tanks for the Russian army began in 1992, at a time heavy enough for Russian times, but thanks to the patronage of Russian President B.N. Yeltsin, before this chairman of the Sverdlovsk Regional Committee, the plant received funding. From 1992 to 1997, about 120 T-90 tanks were produced for the Russian armed forces. The first vehicles reached training centers, the T-90 entered service with the 21st Taganrog Order of Suvorov motorized rifle division and the 5th Guards Don Tank Division. In the 90s, some of the tanks were dismantled, many were not combat-ready. In the mid-2000s, the remaining T-90 tanks were transferred from Siberia to the 2nd Guards Taman Division in the Moscow region and a number of training centers.

For deliveries abroad, an export modification of the T-90S tank with improved characteristics was developed. Since 2004, production of the improved T-90A began.

Firepower

The main armament of the T-90 is the 125 mm modernized smoothbore gun-launcher 2A46M-2.

The tank's ammunition capacity is 43 rounds, of which 22 rounds are placed in the rotating conveyor of the automatic loader and 21 in non-mechanized stowage.

A 7.62 caliber PKT machine gun is paired with the cannon. The machine gun's ammunition capacity is 200 rounds (8 belts of 250 rounds each). A machine gun paired with a cannon can be fired from the gunner's or commander's position.

The anti-aircraft machine gun is located on the commander's hatch, has a remote control and is designed for firing at air and ground targets with closed tank hatches from the commander's seat. The vertical guidance angle is from -5° to +70°, horizontally - in the range of +/- 90° along the course, or 360° together with the tank turret. The machine gun is stabilized vertically in the angle range from -3° to +30°. Ammunition for the anti-aircraft machine gun is 300 rounds (2 belts in magazines of 150 each).

The main anti-tank weapons of the T-90 are also armor-piercing sabot shells (3BM-22, 3BM-26, BM-29, 3BM-42) and a guided weapon system with 3UBK14 and 3UBK20 rounds. Rate of fire - 6...8 rounds per minute. Russian BPS with T-90 ammunition lag behind the American ones in terms of armor penetration because were mainly developed back in the 80s under the USSR.

Another factor hindering the development of high-power ammunition for the T-90 tank is the limitations of the automatic loader (AZ) in terms of the length of the loaded projectile.

T-90 tanks equipped with the 9K119 Reflex KUV receive fundamentally new combat capabilities: the TUR firing range is 2...2.5 times greater than the return fire range of the BPS of any modern tanks. This allows domestic tanks to win the battle before entering the effective fire zone of enemy tanks.

The 1A45-T fire control system consists of a 1G46 gunner's day sight, a TO1-KO1 gunner's night sight with a Buran-PA sight, a PNK-4S commander's sighting and observation system, a PZU-7 anti-aircraft sight, and a control system anti-aircraft installation 1ETs29, ballistic computer 1V528-1 with input information sensors, weapons stabilizer 2E42-4 and other devices.

The 1G46 gunner's day sight has a line of sight stabilized in two planes, a built-in laser rangefinder and a guided missile control channel.

Night sighting system TO1-KO1 with a TPN-4 “Buran-PA” sight with an electron-optical converter.

The PNK-4S commander's sighting and observation system consists of a TKN-4S commander's combined day-night sight and a gun position sensor. The TKN-4S commander's combined sight is stabilized in the vertical plane and has three channels: a single day channel, a multiple day channel with a magnification of 8x, and a night channel with a magnification of 5.4x. The commander can switch from the day channel to the night channel (with an electro-optical converter) and back using a lever.

The anti-aircraft sight allows the commander to fire at air targets from an anti-aircraft machine gun mount while being protected by the turret's armor.

To calculate ballistic corrections, the 1B528-1 ballistic computer automatically takes into account signals coming from the following sensors: tank speed, angular speed of the target, roll angle of the gun trunnion axis, transverse component of wind speed, range to the target, heading angle. Additionally, for the calculation, the following parameters are manually entered: ambient air temperature, charge temperature, barrel bore wear, ambient air pressure, etc.

The disadvantages of the T-90 fire control system are errors in stabilizing the field of view of the night sight, which makes it difficult to observe and aim while moving. The TPN-4 night sight has dependent stabilization in both planes.

The T-90S and T-90A are equipped with an improved fire control system with an Essa thermal imaging sight; the conditions for observing a target and aiming through the second sight in motion are no worse than when working through the first.

T-90 security

The design of the turret with a cast base of the T-90 tank is similar to that used on the T-72B. Filler packages are of the “semi-active” type.

On the frontal part of the turret of the T-90 tank there are 7 containers and one block of dynamic protection installed, which cover less than half of the frontal projection of the turret at a heading angle of fire of 0°.

There are 21 containers installed on the roof of the tower, protecting attackers from above from ammunition.

Due to the unsuccessful installation of jammer searchlights from the Shtora-1 KOEP, a large area of ​​the turret projection in the most threatening sectors of fire is not protected by dynamic protection. The areas on the sides of the embrasure are also very weakly protected, with one container and one section of reduced size.

Further modernization of the tower is difficult due to the significant moment of imbalance of the tower (the center of gravity is shifted forward).

The armor of the T-90 hull consists of spaced barriers made of high-hardness steel and armor using “reflective sheets” on a principle of operation similar to the package used in the tank turret.

On the upper part of the frontal assembly there is a built-in dynamic protection “Contact-V” installed, which provides protection not only from cumulative PTS but also from OBPS.

Power shields with built-in dynamic protection are installed on the sides of the hull.

Tanks equipped with built-in Kontakt-V dynamic protection provide protection against the M829A1 armor-piercing sabot projectile (APP).

Comparison characteristics
Type	Country of origin	B.weight, t.	Armor penetration (mm./60 0)		Protection eq. (mm.)
			BPS	KS	from BPS	from KS
T-90	RF	46,5	220…300		670…700	1000

Optical-electronic suppression complex "Shtora-1"

The "Shtora-1" optical-electronic suppression complex provides the tank with individual protection against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) with command semi-automatic guidance systems such as "TOW", "Hot", "Milan", "Dragon" and laser homing heads such as “Maverick”, “Hellfiree”, “Copper head” by creating active interference with their guidance. In a split second after the laser beam of the “enemy” rangefinder hits the T-90 automatic sound signal warned the crew of the danger and fired a grenade in the threatened direction, which, upon exploding, created a dense aerosol cloud that completely absorbed the tank. As a result, the laser rangefinder lost its target and the ATGM went off course.

The Shtora-1 complex consists of two independent systems: a remote system for setting up aerosol formations, designed to cover the fields of view (hardware and visual) guidance systems using laser illumination, and an optical-electronic countermeasures station TSHU 1-7, designed to organize false signals in the control loop of anti-tank shells with semi-automatic command guidance systems.

The Shtora-1 complex provides: jamming in the form of modulated infrared radiation affecting the semi-automatic missile control system; automatic shooting of an aerosol-forming grenade in the direction of the laser illumination source and blocking this direction with an aerosol curtain, determining the direction to the laser illumination source and issuing a command to rotate the tank turret in the indicated direction, light and sound signaling when the tank is irradiated by laser target designators and rangefinders, setting in front of the tank there is a masking aerosol curtain.

The optical-electronic suppression station OTSHU-1, installed on the T-90S tank, provides interference in the form of modulated IR radiation in the wavelength range 0.7-2.5 microns in the sector +-20 degrees from the axis of the barrel bore horizontally and at 4.5 degrees - vertically.

The system for setting up the aerosol curtain reacts to laser radiation within 360 degrees in azimuth and -5...+25 in the vertical plane. An aerosol curtain is formed at a distance of 55-70 meters 3 seconds after shooting 3D17 grenades. The duration of the aerosol cloud is about 20 seconds (according to foreign sources). The weight of the system is about 400 kg.

Tactical characteristics of the SHTORA system
Probability of aiming failure anti-tank weapons types ATLIS, TADS, PAVE-SPIKE	during the day 0.85
Probability of failure of guided missiles with laser homing heads such as “Maverick”, “Helfair”
Probability of failure of Copperhead-type guided artillery shells
Probability of failure of targeting of target designators with an electron-optical modulator	0,8 - 0,9
Probability of failure of the guidance of anti-tank guided missiles with Maverick and Helfire television heads	0,54
Probability of failure of the guidance of anti-tank guided missiles such as "Milan", "Hot"
Increased likelihood of protection from artillery systems with laser rangefinders by several times	1,3 - 3,0

Mobility

The tank is equipped with a V-84MS engine with a power of 840 hp. differing from the B-84-1 in the design of the exhaust manifolds.

The seven-speed onboard gearbox (BKP) was developed in the early 60s for the T-64 tank for the 5TDF engine with a power of 700 hp. In the 70s, the BKP was strengthened for the V-46, and then the V-84 and V-92 engines.

Naturally, the BKP developed in the 60s no longer fully meet modern requirements. Due to the use of an outdated design of the rotation mechanism, the role of which is performed by onboard stepped gearboxes, the maneuverability of the Russian T-90 tank is lower than that of foreign tanks.

In addition to maneuverability, the disadvantage of the tank's transmission is the low reverse speed - 4.8 km/h. Modern Western tanks use hydrostatic turning mechanisms with digital automatic control systems, allowing reverse movement up to 30 km/h.

Another aspect is the ease of maintenance of the tank engine, in which the B-84 is inferior to foreign diesel engines. Replacing an engine is difficult due to poor access to it in the engine compartment and the need for alignment work - replacing an engine with a factory crew of 4 people takes 22.2 hours. The presence of a guitar and the need to align other units with it complicates and complicates repair work in the engine and transmission department. This did not meet the requirements for promising armored vehicles back in the 70s.

The T-90's chassis is similar to that used on the T-72B.

Tactical technical specifications
Parameter	Unit of measurement	T-90
Gross weight		46,5
Crew	people
Power density	hp/t
Engine	HP	V-84MS
Tank width
Specific ground pressure	kgf/cm 2	0,94
Operating temperature	°C	40…+50 (with power reduction)
Tank length
with the gun forward	mm	9530
housing	mm	6917
Tank width
on the caterpillar	mm	3370
on removable protective screens	mm	3780
Tower roof height	mm	2228
Support surface length	mm	4270
Ground clearance	mm	426…470
Track width	mm	2790
Travel speed
Medium on dry dirt road	km/h	35…40
Maximum on paved roads	km/h
In reverse gear, maximum	km/h	4,18
Fuel consumption per 100 km
On a dry dirt road	l, up	260…450
On a paved road	l, up
on main fuel tanks	km
with additional barrels	km
Ammunition
Shots to the cannon	pcs

The T-90 was also successful in the international arena - today it is the most commercially successful and best-selling in the world Russian tank. Currently, the T-90 is in export version in service with India, Algeria, Uganda, and Turkmenistan. As of 2012, the total production of T-90s was at least 1,335 tanks.

The history of the T-90 began under the USSR - in the mid-80s. Then a completely sensible idea prevailed in the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Ministry of Defense Industry (MOD) of the USSR about the need to develop a single promising main tank for the entire Soviet Army. With its adoption, an extremely unique period of Soviet tank building was supposed to end, when factories were simultaneously producing two or three types of main tanks - T-64, T-72 and T-80. They were similar in combat characteristics, but differed significantly in design, which extremely complicated the process of their operation among the troops due to the de-standardization of the tank fleet. In accordance with the Government Decree “On measures to create a new tank” issued on February 7, 1986, the Kharkov T-80UD was to serve as the basis for it. It was an improved “eighty” with a compact two-stroke diesel engine 6TD instead of the expensive and power-hungry gas turbine GTD-1000. Gradually, the T-80UD would replace other types of tanks in the army.

It was assumed that the “highlight” of the promising vehicle would be only the computerized control system for units and subunits, which was then becoming fashionable, down to the individual tank. However, while the promising tank was just a “pie in the sky”, the question arose of what to do with the “birds in the hand” - the numerous main tanks in the army, the combat characteristics of which no longer met the requirements of the time. This primarily applied to the T-72 early modifications. It is no secret that this tank was a variant of a combat vehicle for the mobilization period, and its design was simplified as much as possible for mass production and operation by poorly trained personnel.

This is partly why the “seventy-two” were widely supplied abroad to Middle Eastern and African countries, and licenses for their production were sold to allies Warsaw Pact- Poland and Czechoslovakia, The main disadvantage of the T-72 was considered to be its primitive, albeit reliable, 1A40 sighting system, which no longer provided the effective fire required from modern tanks. The fact is that although the 1A40 complex measured the range to the target and determined the lateral lead angles (for a moving target), however, the introduction of corrections to the aiming angle for: deviation of the ambient air temperature, charge temperature, atmospheric pressure from normal, as well as a drop in the initial the projectile velocity as a result of wear of the gun bore had to be entered only manually before firing. The instructions described the introduction of amendments as follows: “The tank commander, if information is available (!), determines the amendments using the nomograms located on the right side of the gun panel and transmits the resulting value to the gunner.” Those. almost “hand to eye”.

It was necessary to “pull up” the characteristics of the “seventy-two” to a level not lower than the T-80U and, first of all, increase firepower. It must be said that similar events have already been carried out by the Soviet defense industry. In the early 80s similar program to improve the efficiency of fire and security was implemented for the T-55 medium tanks. The result was a modification of the T-55AM, the combat effectiveness of which corresponded to the level of the early T-64 and T-72. To do this, a new sight, laser rangefinder, and ballistic computer were installed on the T-55AM, and some of the vehicles received the Bastion guided weapon system. On July 19, 1986, a Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, which entrusted the Ural Design Bureau of Transport Engineering (UKBTM) with work on the topic “Improving the T-72B”, or, more simply, bringing it to the level of the more advanced Soviet tanks T-80U and T-80UD.

The start of work on this resolution coincided with a change in the management of UKBTM - chief designer V.N. Venediktov, who headed the design bureau for almost two decades after L.N. Kartsev, retired, and V.I. was appointed in his place. Potkin. To increase the firepower of the T-72B, it was necessary to equip it with a modern, effective fire control system (FCS). To speed up work, reduce the cost of modernization and increase the degree of unification domestic tanks UKBTM designers decided to use the 1A45 Irtysh fire control system, already tested on the T-80U and T-80UD tanks, for the modernized “seventy-two”. It was modified to function together with the automatic loader of the T-72 tank (the loading mechanism of the T-80 was significantly different from the automatic loader of the T-72, in the first the shells were placed horizontally and the charges vertically, in the second - both were horizontal). The modified fire control system was designated 1A45T.

In January 1989, a prototype version of the modernized T-72, which received the internal designation “Object 188,” entered the state testing stage. In various official documents and external correspondence, the vehicle was referred to first as the T-72BM (modernized), and later as the T-72BU (improved) - in all likelihood, the word “modernized” sounded too simple to the UVZ management. In the USSR, testing new military equipment was taken very seriously. So, in the 70s for testing various types Tanks were organized on runs of up to 10 thousand km in various regions of the USSR. Tankers and designers jokingly called them “star runs.” It was no longer possible to organize such a large-scale event during Gorbachev’s perestroika, but nevertheless four prototypes“Object 188” was tested for about a year in various climatic conditions, including at the Uralvagonzavod testing grounds in Siberia, as well as in the Moscow, Kemerovo and Dzhambul regions. The vehicles, modified based on the test results, were once again driven through testing grounds, and at the end, to determine the level of security, one vehicle was shot.

According to the recollections of A. Bakhmetov, a participant in these tests, at first a landmine corresponding to the most powerful anti-tank mines of foreign countries was placed under one of the tracks, but after the explosion the vehicle was brought back into working order by the crew within the required time, then the tank was subjected to brutal shell fire at “ weak points. The tank successfully passed tests, and on March 27, 1991, by a joint decision of the USSR Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Defense, the “Object 188” was recommended for adoption by the Soviet Army. However, just six months later, neither the Soviet Army nor the Soviet Union itself disappeared, and the prospects for mass production of the improved T-72B became very vague. Nevertheless, despite the difficult economic situation, the management of Uralvagonzavod and UKBTM managed to push through the decision to accept the improved T-72 for service with the Russian Army. During this struggle for production, in order to emphasize the “Russian” origin of the tank and disassociate itself from the era of the “stagnant” USSR, the idea arose to change the name of the tank from the trivial improved-modernization T-72BU to something more sonorous and original. Initially, the name T-88 was proposed (obviously, by analogy with the object index 188). But fate decreed otherwise.

On October 5, 1992, by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 759-58, “Object 188” was adopted by the Russian Army, but under the name T-90. According to one version, the President of Russia personally ordered that the tank be given this name. The same decree allowed the sale abroad of the export modification of the T-90S. T-90MS commander's workplace: 1 - video viewing device; 2 - multifunctional panel; 3 - all-round viewing prisms; 4 - internal communication and switching equipment; 5 - controls and indications for matching the commander’s sight with prismatic instruments; 6 - commander's sight control panel; 7 - control panel for the backup sight; 8 - commander's console; 9 - air conditioner cooling unit; 10 - automatic loader loading panel Serial production of the T-90 began at Uralvagonzavod in November of the same year, but, unlike Soviet times, when tanks were produced in the hundreds, the annual production volumes of the T-90 were only in the tens. The T-90 was the first Russian tank in technological terms. It was necessary to restore production cooperation, destroyed after the collapse of the USSR, within the framework of the Russian defense industry alone. In total, from 1992 to 1998 (when production of the T-90 was suspended), about 120 vehicles were built. And the point here is not that Uralvagonzavod was unable to launch large-scale production, but that the Russian military did not have enough funds to purchase weapons in these troubled times. The first T-90s were sent to a unit stationed closer to the manufacturing plant - the 821st Taganrog Red Banner Order of Suvorov motorized rifle division of the Siberian Military District, where they were formed into a tank regiment. Later, T-90s also ended up in the 5th Guards Don Tank Division in Buryatia (up to a battalion).

What was the T-90 model of 1992? The tank retained the classic layout of the T-72B with the placement of the control compartment in the frontal part, the fighting compartment in the middle and the engine-transmission compartment in the rear. Compared to the T-72B, the protection was strengthened and an automated fire control complex was installed; the hull and turret were adapted to install a new built-in dynamic protection (EDP). Thanks to the use of an automatic gun loader (A3), the T-90 crew consisted of three people - a driver, a gunner and a commander. The hulls of the T-90 and T-72B were almost identical. But the upper frontal part of the T-90 receives built-in dynamic protection. The turret remained cast with combined armor in the frontal part (at heading angles up to 35 degrees). It also had dynamic protection (DZ) - seven blocks and one container were installed in the frontal part, in addition, 20 blocks were installed on the roof of the tower. Exact data on the effectiveness of the T-90's armor remains classified. However, numerous assessments by both domestic and foreign experts can be found in the public domain. The armor resistance of the frontal projection of the hull and turret against shelling by armor-piercing finned sabot projectiles (BOPS) is assessed in general, taking into account the built-in dynamic protection, as equivalent to 900-950 mm of rolled armor steel (without taking into account the built-in armor protection: turret 700 mm; hull - 650 mm) .

The armor resistance of the hull and turret against shelling by cumulative shells (CS), taking into account dynamic protection, is estimated at 1350-1450 mm (excluding built-in armor protection: turret - 850 mm; hull -750 mm). Additional protection against damage from T-90 anti-tank guided missiles is provided by the Shtora-1 optical-electronic suppression complex. The T-90 became the first production tank on which it was installed. The Shtora-1 complex includes an optical-electronic suppression station (SOEP) and a curtain installation system (SPS).

Additional protection against damage from T-90 anti-tank guided missiles is provided by the Shtora-1 optical-electronic suppression complex. The T-90 became the first production tank on which it was installed. The Shtora-1 complex includes an optical-electronic suppression station (SOEP) and a curtain installation system (SPS). The main idea of ​​​​the complex’s operation is to generate a signal from the EPDS, similar to the signal from the tracers of Western ATGMs, which entails disruption of their guidance, and also reduces the likelihood of hitting the target with weapons that use laser target illumination. The curtain system achieves the same result by setting a smoke screen.

When irradiation of a tank by laser radiation is detected, the system for setting the curtains determines the direction of irradiation and notifies the crew, after which an aerosol grenade is fired automatically or at the direction of the tank commander, which, when exploded, creates an aerosol cloud that weakens and partially reflects the laser radiation, thereby disrupting the operation of the missile guidance systems. In addition, the aerosol cloud acts as a smoke screen, camouflaging the tank. It should be noted that some experts believe that the installation scheme for jamming searchlights of the Shtora-1 complex on the T-90 was implemented extremely poorly - because of them, a large section of the tower projection in the most threatening sectors of fire was left without dynamic protection units.

The main armament of the T-90 is the 125-mm smoothbore gun 2A46M-2, which is a modification of the 2A46M-1 gun (installed on the T-80U) for the T-72 autoloader. The gun's ammunition, in addition to armor-piercing sub-caliber, cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles (HEF), also includes 9M119 guided missiles. Thanks to the electromechanical automatic loader, the T-90's combat rate of fire is 6-8 rounds/min. The mechanized circular rotation arrangement includes 22 separate loading shots: the shells are placed horizontally on the bottom of the fighting compartment, under the powder charges. The minimum charging cycle is 6.5-7 seconds, the maximum is 15 seconds. The automatic loader is replenished by the crew in 15-20 minutes.

The 1A45T “Irtysh” fire control system includes the 1A42 fire control system (FCS) and the 9K119 “Reflex” guided weapon system (KW), the TPN-4-4E “Buran-PA” gunner’s night sight and the PNK-4S commander’s sighting and observation system with day/night sight TKN-4S "Agat-S". The 1A42 fire control system includes a 1G46 rangefinder sight, a 1V528-1 electronic ballistic computer and a 2E42-4 stabilizer. The control system available on the T-90 allows you to introduce amendments to the firing parameters, taking into account the speed of the tank, the range and angular speed of the target, temperature, air pressure and wind speed (determined by the DVE-BS sensor), charge temperature, the angle of inclination of the gun trunnions and wear of the barrel bore, The 1G46 gunner's day sight has a line of sight stabilized in two planes, a built-in laser rangefinder and a guided missile control channel. The 1B528-1 ballistic computer automatically takes into account signals coming from the following sensors: tank speed, angular speed of the target, roll angle of the gun trunnion axis, transverse component of wind speed, range to the target, heading angle. Additionally, for the calculation, the following parameters are manually entered: ambient air temperature, charge temperature, barrel bore wear, ambient air pressure, etc. Unlike the control system of all Soviet tanks, on the T-90 the ballistic computer performs the functions of a firing permission unit, i.e., when the axis of the barrel bore deviates from the direction given to it more than the threshold, the shot does not occur.

The PNK-4S commander's sighting and observation system consists of a TKN-4S commander's combined sight and a gun position sensor. The TKN-4S combined day-night commander trailer is stabilized in the vertical plane and has three channels: a single day channel, a multiple day channel with a magnification of 8x, and a night channel with a magnification of 5.4x. The 9K119 "Reflex" guided weapon system provides firing at stationary and moving targets at speeds of up to 70 km/h (according to the manufacturer - even helicopters) at ranges of up to 5000 m, at a tank speed of up to 30 km/h, while Firing from the KUV 9K120 mounted on the T-72B could only be done from a standing position. In general, the presence of guided weapons provides the T-90 with a greater effective target engagement range than tanks equipped only with artillery weapons, for which, even with the most modern sighting systems, effective shooting at “tank” type targets at a distance of more than 2500 m is already seriously difficult.

The TPN-4-49 "Buran-PA" gunner's night sight operates in passive mode in natural night illumination of 0.0005 lux and above, while its electro-optical converter amplifies the reflected light of the stars and the moon. When illumination is less than 0.0005 lux, the sight operates in active mode, i.e. when illuminating the area with infrared rays. Used as an infrared illuminator on the T-90 infrared emitters optical-electronic suppression system "Shtora-1". The T-90 is equipped with a closed anti-aircraft machine gun mount (ZPU) with remote electromechanical control, from which the commander does not need to leave the vehicle to fire. Similar remote-controlled launchers have been installed on the T-64 since the 70s, and later on the T-80, but all previously produced modifications of the T-72 had an open manually controlled launcher, to fire from which the commander had to lean out of his waist up to his waist. hatch. The T-90 of the 1992 model was equipped with a multi-fuel diesel engine V-84MS with a power of 840 hp, developed by the Chelyabinsk Design Bureau "Transdiesel".

The previous version of the B-84, installed on the T-72B, revealed a drawback during operation - overheating and burnout of the exhaust manifolds. Therefore, bellows were installed on the exhaust manifolds of the B-84MS, mixing exhaust gases with atmospheric air, which improved the thermal operating conditions of the manifolds and, in addition, reduced the visibility of the tank in the infrared range. The disadvantages of the engine include the significant time it takes to replace it - a team of qualified technicians needs 6 hours to do this (according to other sources, it takes even longer), while on the American M1A1 Abrams it takes only 2 hours.

With the V-84MS engine, the specific power of the T-90 is 18 hp/t, which by modern standards is considered insufficient, even in Soviet times a requirement was voiced for its minimum value - at least 20 hp/t. The mechanical planetary transmission remains almost the same as on the T-72B; it provides 7 forward gears and one reverse gear. The machine is turned by engaging a low gear in the gearbox on the side of the lagging track. Due to this outdated turning pattern, the maneuverability of the T-90 is lower than that of foreign tanks. Another disadvantage of the T-90 transmission is the low reverse speed - 4.8 km/h. On modern Western tanks, which use hydrostatic turning mechanisms with digital automatic control systems, the reversing speed reaches 30 km/h. The chassis also remained virtually unchanged, with the exception that the track rollers were widened by 10 mm - according to the designers, this improved the load distribution on the track.

Back in Soviet times, UKBTM received the task of developing, on the basis of Object 188, its command version, which was supposed to provide control of subordinate units during combat operations both day and night, as well as communication with higher commanders. The tank received the name T-90K (commander's tank) and was equipped with special equipment - a short-wave radio station P-163-50K ("Ar6alet-50K"), tank navigation equipment TNA-4-3, a telescopic antenna mast, a PAB-2M artillery compass and an AB electrical unit -1-P with a power of 1 kW, which serves to provide power to the equipment during parking, with the tank engine turned off. With an 11-meter mast antenna, the shortwave radio station R-163-50K provides stable communication at a range of up to 350 km. Despite the fact that a significant number of additional units of the fire control system and communications equipment had to be installed on the command vehicle, the combat characteristics of the T-90K were maintained at the level of the linear T-90.

Almost simultaneously with the basic “Object 188”, its export version, the “Object 188C”, was also developed, mainly characterized by lower security and differences in configuration. Outwardly, they were practically no different. Although permission to export the T-90S was received simultaneously with the adoption of the basic vehicle in 1992, the vehicle was not able to immediately break through beyond Russia. At that time, officials from Rosvooruzhenie relied on the more advanced and expensive gas turbine T-80U, which, in their opinion, was more attractive for export. The military was of the same opinion. Even in 1996, when the T-90 was officially chosen as the tank for re-equipping units of the Russian Army, the then head of the GABTU, Colonel General A.A. Galkin spoke out against the T-90, considering the T-80U to be a more promising vehicle. True, only Cyprus and South Korea managed to sell T-80U tanks abroad, and then the latter to pay off the Russian debt to this country.

A contract worth $172 million for the purchase of 41 T-80U/UK for arming the Cyprus National Guard was signed in April 1996. Delivery of the tanks began in the summer of that year and ended in June 1997. In 1996, Russia officially announced the export of 33 T-80U tanks to South Korea. For these deliveries, Russian debt in the amount of $210 million was written off. According to other sources, by 2007, South Korea already had 80 such tanks. In both cases, these were not newly produced vehicles, but vehicles from the Armed Forces. The T-90S was first exported abroad only in 1997, when it was presented at the YuEX-97 arms exhibition in Abu Dhabi. In the meantime, the search for foreign customers was underway, the export T-90C was slowly being improved. First of all, the characteristics of the night sighting system were improved. Even during the ground operation to liberate Kuwait - “Desert Sword”, in 1991, American and British tank crews, taking advantage of a significant advantage in target detection range in conditions of limited visibility, which provided them with the use of modern thermal imaging night vision systems, in a series of night battles 25 -February 26 inflicted heavy losses on Iraqi troops. Since the movement of Iraqi tanks during the day was practically impossible due to the air supremacy of allied aviation, tank battles, as a rule, took place at night.

Thermal imaging sights also turned out to be useful during the day, since visibility was often limited due to smoke from burning oil fields, damaged equipment, dust squalls or rain. Compared to the old second-generation infrared sights installed on the T-72 and T-90 tanks of the 1992 model, thermal imagers were devoid of many shortcomings. In particular, their performance did not deteriorate during bad times. weather conditions, the sight was not “blind” from the flashes of shots, it did not need external illumination, which would unmask the tank (large infrared illumination spotlights disappeared from Western tanks back in the late 70s). It is not surprising that foreign customers, when purchasing armored vehicles, paid great attention to the availability and quality of thermal imaging sights. But since Russia did not have its own production of thermal imaging sighting systems, the demonstration samples of the T-90S had to be equipped with Belarusian sights from the Peleng company, which used the French Catherine-FS thermal camera. Another direction for improving the T-90 turned out to be forced. When in Russia in the second half of the 90s, due to lack of demand, large-scale production of tank turret casting at ZSO (the Sergo Ordzhonikidze plant in Chelyabinsk) “died” due to lack of demand, and tank turrets cast in small batches turned out to be extremely expensive, designers had to look for a way out . Fortunately, there was a “backlog” from the times of the USSR, when the design of a tank turret for the T-72, welded from rolled armor plates, was worked out. With the same strength and protection as cast, it had less weight, in addition, the internal volume increased slightly and projectile resistance increased. The grimace of the Soviet planned economy was that the welded tower was not put into production earlier because they did not want to disrupt the established production of cast towers. Now the welded tower has been given the green light. The first welded turrets for the T-90 were manufactured in 1998 and successfully passed full-scale shelling tests at the training ground. Since 2002, all produced T-90S have already received a welded turret. A similar story happened in Ukraine. With the closure of the production of cast towers at the Mariupol plant, which equipped the T-80UD, in Kharkov at the plant named after. Malyshev also switched to a welded tower. As a result, 175 T-80UD tanks, out of 320 delivered to Pakistan under the contract signed between this country and Ukraine in 1996, were equipped with welded turrets.

Deliveries of the T-80UD to Pakistan greatly contributed to the export success of the T-90S. Pakistan's longtime rival, India, could not remain indifferent to its restless neighbor receiving a new tank division; this violated military parity in the region. On the other hand, there was no longer any hope of meeting the deadlines for the development program of India’s own Arjun tank. Therefore, given the significant number of Soviet T-72M and T-72M1 tanks available in India, the Indians naturally showed interest in the T-90. Preliminary negotiations, consultations and approvals lasted for more than two years, until in April 1999 an agreement was reached to test three T-90S in India. All three tanks were different from each other. Thermal imaging sights were different - “Nocturne” or “Essa”, only one tank had the “Shtora” system installed, two tanks had cast turrets, and the third had a welded one.

May 8 - August T-90S underwent a test program in the Thar desert, in extreme conditions- during the day the heat here reached 50 degrees Celsius. The vehicles traveled 2,000 km across this hot desert and then fired 150 rounds. The Indian military was satisfied with the test results, and a long process of agreeing on the terms of the contract began. In the east they love and know how to bargain, so the final signing of the contract took place only after almost a year and a half - on February 15, 2001 in Delhi. Under its terms, Russia undertook to supply India with 310 T-90S tanks, which was enough to rearm the tank division (by this time Pakistan has already received all 320 T-80UD tanks). Of these, 124 were assembled in Russia and delivered to the customer in finished form, and 186 tanks were to be assembled from assembly units in India itself at the state-owned HVF (Heavy Vehicles Factory) plant in the city of Avadi (Tamil Nadu). Total cost The contract amounted to $800 million, and deliveries under it were fully completed in 2003.

So what did Indians get for their money? As a result of persistent demands, they received not just an export T-90S in its original 1992 configuration, but a vehicle that combined (in their opinion) all the best of the three models proposed for testing. It is interesting that this “Indian” T-90S was significantly superior to the T-90 of the 1992 model, supplied by Uralvagonzavod for the Russian Army. On Indian tanks, instead of the Buran-PA night sight, which was on Russian cars, a more advanced thermal imaging sight for the gunner "Essa" of joint French-Belarusian production was installed. The commander received the PNK-4S "Agat-S" sighting and observation system. The Indians abandoned the Shtora-1 optical-electronic suppression complex, and in place of its illuminators in the front part of the turret, additional trapezoidal containers of the Kontakt-5 dynamic protection complex were mounted, as a result of which the turret’s security increased compared to Russian tanks. Interestingly, the Indians also demanded that anti-nuclear defense be strengthened. At their request, the thickness of the anti-neutron lining was almost doubled, despite the fact that the anti-nuclear protection of the Russian T-90s was already considered quite powerful. Considering that the eternal enemies - India and Pakistan - are both members of the nuclear club, such a requirement suggests that the Indian military does not rule out the use of tactical nuclear weapons in a likely armed conflict with Pakistan. All Indian T-90S (except for the first forty vehicles) were equipped with welded turrets, a reinforced chassis, as well as a 1000-horsepower V-92S2 diesel engine (remember that the Russian T-90s at that time had a B-84 diesel engine with a power of 840 hp ).

In 2000, inspired by the emerging success in India, the Russians entered the T-90S to participate in an international tender for the purchase of tanks held by Malaysia. For testing, a T-90S copy, upgraded after testing in India, with an air conditioner installed, was delivered to Kuala Lumpur airport. Together with the T-90S, the Polish RT-91 Twardy tank (which is a modernization of the Soviet T-72M), the Ukrainian T-84 and the Swedish light tank CV90 120. Tests took place from June 19 to August 21, with local military personnel mainly interested in the mobility and operational reliability of tanks in difficult local conditions. The vehicles were asked to travel about 2,800 km through the jungle, mountainous terrain, through wetlands and water obstacles. During this “race” in the very center of the jungle, the T-90, not without the “help” of a Malaysian driver (the tests were carried out by mixed Russian-Malaysian crews), was pulled off a washed-out clay road into a ditch, from where it could only be retrieved with effort, according to one version , two Hyundai excavators, and according to another, the T-90S was evacuated using a 50-ton Japanese KATO crane, paying 5 thousand dollars for this. But despite all the odds, the T-90S successfully reached the finish line.

True, the results of the Malaysian competition were quite unexpected. Despite the fact that during testing the Polish RT-91M was significantly inferior to both the Russian T-90S and the Ukrainian T-84 in most key indicators, in April 2002 the Malaysian government announced its decision to purchase 48 PT-91MZ tanks and six ARVs. WZT-4" in Poland. The total contract amount was $370 million. Russian experts claim that one Polish tank cost Malaysia approximately $4 million, or 1.2 million more than the Russian T-90S that participated in this tender. According to one version, this decision was explained by a policy of diversification - Malaysia purchased Su-30MK fighters from Russia, and the contract for tanks was given to Poland; according to another, it was due to banal corruption."

The failure in the Malaysian tender was more than compensated for by a large contract for the supply of 185 T-90 tanks to Algeria. Taking as a basis the design of the T-90S tank from 1999, supplied to India, UKBTM modified it in accordance with the requirements of the new buyer. The result was a version of the tank with the installation of an air conditioning system (taking into account hot climate Algeria), as well as with an improved laser irradiation detection system, which received the factory index “Object 188CA” (“A” - Algerian) and the designation T-90CA. A prototype of the T-90SA successfully passed rigorous tests in the Algerian desert in 2005, and in January of the following year a contract was signed between Rosoboronexport and the Algerian side. Deliveries for it were fully completed in 2008, however, there was a scandal.

According to press reports, the Algerians made complaints about the configuration of the vehicles - allegedly some of the equipment installed on them was not new, but already used. In 2006, the leader of the Libyan Jamahiriya Muammar Gaddafi almost purchased the T-90S, but the cost of the T-90S was considered too high, and the Libyan military had to be content with purchasing modernized T-72s. In the same 2006, the Indian government, probably deciding that “there are never enough tanks,” signed a contract for the licensed production of 1000 T-90SA tanks worth $2.5 billion (to be built by 2019), and a few months later There is also an additional contract for the supply of 330 T-90SA tanks during 2007-2008, with the assembly of part of this batch of tanks in India. The ordered tanks featured a modernized chassis, an improved fire control system with an Essa thermal imager, and Indian Kanchan dynamic armor. The tank was named "Bhishma" in honor of the legendary hero of the ancient Indian epic. This was not the end of the matter, and in 2007 another contract was signed for the supply of 347 T-90SA worth $1.2 billion, in the form of 124 finished tanks and 223 tank kits for licensed production. The first ten T-90SA tanks, already made in India, entered service with the 73rd Regiment of the Indian Ground Forces in the summer of 2009. In total, India intends to increase the number of T-90s in its troops to 2000 by 2020. In 2008, Indian Defense Minister D. Singh called the T-90 “the second deterrent after nuclear weapons” in the conflict with Pakistan.

But let's return to Russia. Here, in 2004, the next stage in the history of the T-90 development began. After a long break Russian Ministry Defense ordered 14 tanks from Uralvagonzavod (as mentioned above, the T-90 has not been produced for Russia since 1998). However, apparently, the Russian military, due to limited funding, was so unaccustomed to ordering weapons and out of touch with the realities of production that they ordered the “Object 188” of the 1992 model, which, naturally, over the past 12 years has already become significantly outdated and inferior even to export T- 90C supplied to India. Although the Customer was eventually convinced to make changes to the design of the tank that had already been mastered by the plant, the matter was complicated by the fact that they were not ordered by the military department, and therefore were not tested or accepted. Therefore, in order to “legalize” new design solutions, we had to receive technical specifications from the Customer for ready-made components, coordinate the stages of ongoing development work, etc. etc. The tank, modernized in 2004 for the Russian Army, received the internal factory designation “Object 188A1” and had a number of important improvements compared to the “Object 188” of the 1992 model,

First of all, instead of the 840-horsepower V-84 engine, a 1000-horsepower V-92S2 diesel engine was installed (it was also possible to install a 1200-horsepower V-99 diesel engine). The previous cast turret was replaced with a reinforced welded one with frontal parts measuring up to 950 mm, which significantly increased its resistance against BOPS/KS. The tank was armed with a modernized 125-mm 2A46M-5 smoothbore gun. This gun had half the thickness of the muzzle of the tube (0.4 mm instead of 0.8 mm), and the cradle neck was extended by 160 mm with two play-selecting devices. In addition, both guides of the cradle were made as a prism. All this made it possible to reduce the average dispersion of projectiles by 15%. The gun stabilizer was replaced, which doubled the aiming speed and improved the accuracy of firing on the move. The T01-K05 Buran-M thermal imager was used as a night sight. Based on an analysis of the experience of battles in Chechnya and in other regional conflicts, a set of measures was implemented to strengthen the local protection of tank elements vulnerable to RPG fire, in particular, the protection of fuel tanks was improved. An upgraded Shtora optical-electronic countermeasures complex has also been installed. In this form, the improved vehicle was put into service in 2005 under the army name T-90A. In 2004 and 2005, the military ordered and received 14 and 18 T-90A tanks (two of them with a cast turret in the commander's version). Most of the first T-90A entered service with the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Taman Order of the October Revolution Red Banner Order of Suvorov Division named after. Kalinin, stationed near Moscow.

Starting in 2006, a more modern second-generation Essa thermal imager with a Catherine FC matrix, integrated with the main sight and its rangefinder channel, began to be installed on all T-90As under construction, this made it possible to increase the night vision range from 1800 to 4000 m. In 2006 In 2007 and 2007, 31 tanks were produced, and in 2008 and 2009, production volume doubled - 62 vehicles were built per year. Thus, from 2004 to 2009 inclusive, 30 T-90A (with Buran-M), 180 T-90A (with Essa), 2 command T-90K (with Buran-M) and six command T-90AK (with Essa), or a total of 218 tanks. In 2010, purchases were increased to 63 T-90A tanks per year, but this was the “last push” - the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that from 2011 it would stop purchasing T-90A tanks for the Russian Army. This decision was somewhat unexpected; after all, the T-90 tank had a good reputation in Russia, and by 2010 it had become the best-selling of the newly built tanks on the world market - the volume of export deliveries of T-90S was about 1000 units .

The position of the military was explained by the then Russian Minister of Defense A. Serdyukov, who said that the military decided to refuse to purchase T-90 tanks because of their high cost. In addition, according to Serdyukov, the army currently does not experience a shortage of heavy armored vehicles - the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have more than 10 thousand tanks, and, according to him, the Ministry of Defense no longer wants to purchase old developments. Here, it is necessary to clarify that over the past years, the Russian Ministry of Defense has already curtailed several tank projects. Thus, in the spring of 2010, it was announced that funding for the UKBTM project to create the newest Russian T-95 tank was stopped, also due to its high cost. Previously, the work of the Omsk Design Bureau of Transport Engineering on the Black Eagle tank (modification T-80U) was stopped. So far, the Ministry of Defense has not abandoned only one tank project - after harsh statements addressed to tank builders, the department announced the creation of a fundamentally new tank based on the Armata universal tracked platform,

The project was officially approved in March 2012. It is being developed by UKBTM. The fundamental difference The “Armata” from the T-90 should have a so-called carriage layout - the turret will house a remote-controlled gun along with ammunition. The crew will be housed in an armored capsule. Tankers will receive information about the situation on the battlefield from thermal imaging, television and laser sensors on the monitor screen. Delivery of the first main battle tanks on this platform to troops is expected to begin in 2015. In the future, the new Armata should replace all T-72 and T-80. But let's return to the T-90. Indeed, its cost grew from year to year: in 2004 it was 36 million rubles, at the end of 2006 - 42 million rubles, and at the beginning of 2007 - the T-90A (“Object 188A1”) cost 56 million . rub. In 2010, the purchase price of the T-90 under contracts for the supply of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was 70 million rubles, and in 2011 the cost of the new T-90 increased noticeably and reached 118 million rubles. During 2011, other high-ranking military officials also criticized the T-90. In March, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel General A. Postnikov, said that the T-90 cannot withstand competition with NATO and Chinese equipment and at the same time is so expensive that instead of one machine for 118 million rubles you can buy as many as three higher quality German Leopards "(However, Postnikov did not specify from whom exactly he was going to buy three Leopards for 118 million rubles, since in 2011 the average cost of just one Leopard 2A6 was 6 million dollars, or about 172 million rubles ). Also, according to him, the T-90 does not represent anything new and “is in fact the 17th modification of the Soviet T-72, produced since 1973.” In September, the head of the Russian General Staff, Army General N. Makarov, for his part, attacked the T-90. He stated that the tank only partially meets the requirements of the Ministry of Defense and has a lot of shortcomings. According to the general, by and large, the designers succeeded only with the turret (probably referring to the T-90MS turret).

In addition to financial and technical side, the refusal to purchase the T-90 was obviously associated with changed views on methods of conducting armed struggle. Evolution modern weapons led to the massive use of drones, robotic combat systems, smart missiles, etc. Accordingly, there is an opinion in the Russian General Staff that the time of tanks has generally passed and that tank formations in the structure of the army of the future have no prospects, although not all experts are sure that wars will very soon become “contactless.” It must be said that the discussion about the place and role of main battle tanks in modern armies is also carried out in the USA. Previously, the United States planned to completely abandon the use of armored units by 2030, switching first to Stryker brigade combat teams and then to a new concept " Combat systems future." Based on the fact that the future US army will primarily be of an “expeditionary” nature, a number of US military personnel believe that there will be no need for a large number of heavy armored vehicles.

The history of the development of Soviet tank building began back in the 20s of the last century and had a number of its key features that set it apart from other powers. At first, these were machines completely manufactured on the basis of the developments of foreign designers, but closer to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (WWII), original and interesting machines began to appear.

Such as T-35, T-28, light T-26. The next round of development was the tank presented by Koshkin - the A-32. Subsequently, this armored vehicle received the index T-34. There is no need to mention the combat glory of this tank; it is already well known to everyone.

But the Soviet army required not only medium and maneuverable vehicles, but also means to break through the enemy’s layered defense. In 1939, an equally legendary tank, the KV-1, was put into service.

Legendary Soviet tank T-34

At the beginning of the Second World War, the tank forces of the USSR already had a considerable number of modern combat vehicles of this class, but the swiftness of the German attack did not allow them to fully realize their full potential. However, Soviet tanks performed well on the battlefield.

The armor of even medium T-34s made it possible to withstand shells from cannons used by the enemy. To destroy KVs, it was often necessary to bring up units equipped with 88-mm anti-aircraft guns. Others simply didn't take it.

The KV was not developed further; it was replaced by the IS breakthrough tank. The first models of this device had an 85-mm gun, which was also installed on the T-34-85, and did not have sufficient high-explosive impact of the projectile. These tanks were quickly equipped with D-25t guns with a 122-mm caliber.

Tank during the war (photo)

T-34/85 and IS-2 became the main tanks at the final stage of this terrible war. They can be seen on pedestals in every city in Russia and neighboring countries.

While the war was still going on, the next generation of medium tanks was sent to field testing. They had a name - T-44.

The main difference between the T-44 and the T-34 was improved armor

The main difference from the T-34 was improved armor, reduced dimensions, a different engine location, and the use of a torsion bar suspension; the enormous combat experience accumulated over the years was taken into account. for many years conflict. Subsequently, these developments were used in other, later T-54 and T-62 vehicles.

The line of IPs has also received its development. The last model developed was called IS-8 (later, after Stalin's death, renamed T-10). The tank had excellent armor, high mobility, and a 122 mm caliber gun. The tower housed the most modern fire control equipment.

The end of the era of medium and heavy tanks was marked by the cumulative ammunition developed during the war and the general development in the field of anti-armor weapons.

It was impractical to build up armor using only metal. The weight and dimensions increased, maneuverability and transportation capabilities decreased.

The Federal Republic of Germany even abandoned shell-proof armor on the Leopard line of tanks, focusing everything on high dynamic characteristics and fire control systems. For further development a breakthrough was required, a new idea and concept of defense.

In the Soviet Union, such a miracle was the T-64 tank, developed and embodied in metal on the territory of the Kharkov plant.

Between two layers of tank steel there was a layer that extinguished the cumulative jet. This not only increased security, but also reduced the weight of the T 90 tank.

The T-64 used a multi-layer armoring principle.

Combined armor was not the only breakthrough feature of this vehicle. During the design work, it was decided to abandon the infecting weapon and use a “carousel” type automatic loader for ammunition supply for the gun, capable of reloading in range conditions in 8 seconds.

There were other interesting innovations, but the article was about the T-90, not the T-64. It is only worth noting that it was no longer a medium tank, but an MBT (General Battle Tank).

Tank T-64, predecessor of the T-90

Later, in addition to the T-64, such vehicles as the T-72 and T-80 came into service with the Soviet Union. They all had their own characteristics and purposes of application. By the beginning of the 90s, the USSR arrived with three MBTs, which were produced at different factories and had almost no unified components.

History of the creation of the T-90 tank

In the mid-80s, serial production of the T-72B tank began at the Tagil plant. The combat vehicle turned out to be not particularly modern. One of the main drawbacks was the fire control system, which was worse than on tanks from NATO countries and more advanced ones Soviet tanks, like the T-80.

T-72s were the workhorses of tank forces.

It is worth noting, however, that the T-72s were the “workhorses” of tank forces and, first of all, they were planned as a cheap way to crush the enemy, regardless of losses in equipment.

Tank T-80, another example of domestic tank building

After the start of production of the T-72B, management immediately issued an order to carry out a deep modernization of the vehicles of this line. To increase firepower, a 1A45 Irtysh fire control system was installed. Previously, it was used only on T-80 tanks.

As a means of countering enemy ATGMs, they installed the KOEP (Optical-Electronic Suppression Complex) “Shtora”, which gave the tanks equipped with it an infernal appearance.

Vladimir Potkin. Chief designer of the T-90

In 1989, numerous field tests began. They were carried out throughout the entire USSR. The tank was subjected to the most severe test in Central Asia. Sand, dirt and heat are some of the most dangerous opponents for equipment.

All tests were completed in 1992. Almost immediately, production began on the machine, which was given the name T-90. This tank also has another name - “Vladimir”. In honor of the chief designer Vladimir Potkin, who tragically died of a heart attack in 1989.

Since 2011, tanks of this series have ceased to be purchased by the Russian Armed Forces.

Description TTX T-90

The tank is not unique in its design and arrangement of internal components. The internal space is conventionally divided into three compartments.

At the rear of the body is the MTO (Engine and Transmission Compartment). In the middle is the fighting compartment with seats for the tank commander and gunner. The first is on the left, the second is on the right of the gun.

At the front of the machine is the control compartment. There are controls for the armored vehicle and the driver's seat.

Security

The entire tank is made of armor based on composite materials. Armor plates are connected by welding. The front frontal part is made according to the sandwich principle and consists of several layers.

For additional protection, dynamic protection is attached to the outside of the case. In the latest modifications it is “Relic”. The installation of “Curtains-1” is provided. There is a system for setting up a smoke screen.

Armament and fire control system

In front of the turret there is a 125 mm smoothbore gun capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 5 km. To increase the efficiency of firing, the installation of a modern fire control system "Kalina" is provided.

There is a two-plane stabilizer that allows you to hit targets without reducing the speed of the tank. At night or in low visibility conditions, thermal imagers are used.

The ammunition rack is located in the central part of the tank. Some of the shells are stored in the automatic loader and are ready for immediate use, the rest are in niches. The total number of shots is 43.

The ammunition composition includes: sub-caliber, high-explosive fragmentation, caliber projectiles. Controlled analogues stand separately. They can rightfully be called a feature of Soviet and Russian tank building. In the West, similar systems appeared only in the 90s.

In tandem with the cannon is a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. Its ammunition capacity is designed for 2 thousand rounds. To conduct anti-aircraft fire, a large-caliber 12.7-mm machine gun “Utes” or “Kord” is installed on the turret » . They can be controlled remotely without leaving the fighting compartment.

Mobility

The first versions of the T-90 were equipped with a four-stroke diesel engine with 12 cylinders. Its power did not exceed 840 hp. Subsequently, on later modifications, a new power plant was installed, having a turbocharger and boosted to 1000 hp.

For its characteristics, the T-90 received the nickname “Flying Tank”.

The dynamics of the tank are at an acceptable level, and its weight and acceleration speed became the reason for giving it the nickname “Flying Tank”. The maximum fuel consumption of the T-90 tank was 450 liters for every 100 km of off-road travel. The T-90 suspension is almost completely similar to the T-72 tank, but has less weight.

Prospects for modernization

At its core, the T-90 tank is already a modernization of the T-72. Yes, they changed the control system on it, installed a different engine, changed the gun and installed modern dynamic protection. But the base remained the same and the same T-72B3 are not much worse than the latest T 90 variants, whose fuel consumption was much higher. Modernization has reached its climax and hit the ceiling. This does not allow us to count on further work in this direction.

It is because of this impasse that active testing of the T-14 Armata is now underway. It can be called a new round of domestic tank building. A crew in an armored capsule, a decent control system, a high-power engine - all this allows us to call this platform the tank of the future. The picture is spoiled by only one fact: all these developments were already partially used in the USSR.

Tactical and technical characteristics (TTX) of the T-90 tank

Wikipedia about the T-90 lists the following characteristics.

Dimensions and weight:

T-90 tank - technical characteristics of mobility:

Weapons:

T-90 - security characteristics:

Positive and negative qualities

• high mobility;
• reliable engine and chassis;
• small dimensions (a debatable plus, modern guidance means level it out.);
• the ability to fire ATGMs from a gun;
• acceptable level of security.

• low reverse speed;
• the crew of the T 90 tank consists of three people, located close to the ammunition stowage and fuel tanks;
• the first T-90s were equipped with an outdated fire control system.

Modifications

	T-90S	Export version
	T-90SK	Command version of the T-90s
	T-90K	Command version of the linear T-90
	T 90 A	An upgraded version of the standard tank. Features a welded turret, new AZ and power plant
	T-90AK	Command version of the T-90A
	T-90AS	Export version of the T-90A
	T-90AKS	Commander variant of the previous vehicle
	T-90AM	The latest modification of the T-90 (export version t 90). Its distinctive features are described in the article.

Video about T-90

A modern army cannot exist without constant updating of military equipment and weapons. This statement also applies to heavy armored vehicles. Despite expert forecasts that in the near future tanks will completely disappear from the battlefield, at the moment they sometimes play a decisive role in armed confrontations. A good example, the war in Iraq, when it was precisely due to the firepower and mobility of its tank units that the US Army was able to at a fast pace advance from the borders of the country to its capital.

Russia has the most advanced technologies in space development, but what can its army oppose in a ground confrontation? Quite often in various media you can find critical statements that the T-90 tank in its current form does not meet the requirements for a modern combat vehicle. The Germans believe that their modern Leopard is the best in the world and in confrontation it has no equal, and certainly not its competitor, the Russian T-90. Unfortunately, not only the Germans claim that our tank is morally and technically outdated; Alexander Postnikov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, also stated this. In his statement at the beginning of March, he spoke in an extremely disparaging manner about the technical data of the tank, which has nothing modern, and in reality it is just another modification of the Soviet T-72, which was created back in 1973. Of course, such words, and even from the mouth high-ranking official give reason to think, is the T-90 any good compared to foreign models of similar military equipment? To get the answer, let's look at the basic data of the T-90 and the German Leopard, as one of the main competitors.

Tank protection
T-90 has sharply differentiated ballistic armor protection. The main material used to make the tank hull is armor steel. To protect the frontal part of the turret, as well as the frontal plate of the hull, multilayer composite armor is used. The shape of the vehicle's armored hull and its layout have remained virtually unchanged compared to the T-72, but protection has increased compared to its predecessor due to the use of modern composite armor. Exact booking details remain confidential. The resistance of the armor against fire from sub-caliber armor-piercing finned projectiles, taking into account the built-in modern dynamic protection, is estimated as equivalent to 800-830 mm of armor steel. The armor resistance of the hull and turret when fired with cumulative ammunition is estimated at 1150-1350 mm. The indicated data refers to the maximum level of armor, namely the frontal part of the hull and turret, but the tank also has weakened zones: the area of ​​the driver-mechanic’s viewing device, as well as sections of the turret on the sides of the gun embrasure. In addition to traditional armor and dynamic protection, the tank is equipped with a system active protection, which consists of modern complex Electro-optical suppression "Shtora-1". The main purpose of the complex is protection against damage from anti-tank guided missiles. It includes an electro-optical suppression station and a system for installing external camouflage curtains.

"Leopard" unlike the T-90, it has a much lower degree of protection. First of all, this is due to the requirement of the army leadership in terms of maintaining the total weight at 50 tons. An increase in the level of protection was achieved through the use of modern welded structures of the tower and hull using multilayer armor, as well as a complex of improved design and layout measures. By weakening the armor level of the hull and turret roof, as well as the sides, the thickness of the armor on the frontal fragments has been increased. Upper front sheet tank corps has a significant angle of inclination (81°), the tower is made in a wedge shape. The frontal armor provides the equivalent of sheet armor of about 1000 mm when fired by cumulative ammunition and 700 mm when fired by armor-piercing sub-caliber ammunition. The tank is equipped with a high-speed automatic NPO system and smoke grenade launchers, the charges of which are painted with special dyes. One of the recognized advantages is the high degree of protection for the crew when the armor is damaged. This is due to the fact that the ammunition and fuel are reliably isolated from the crew. The combat stowage is equipped with folding plates that release the explosion energy outward. A number of elements used in the design also serve as additional protection. The fuel tanks are located in the front, most protected part of the fenders, which reduces the likelihood of the driver-mechanic being hit by fire from the sides. The sides of the hull are additionally protected by rubber screens and reinforced with armor plates.

Armament
The main armament of the Russian T-90 is a smooth-bore 125-mm 2A46M cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers / 6000 mm, which is located in the front part of the turret in a coaxial mount with a large-caliber machine gun on trunnions and stabilized in two parallel planes by the 2E42-4 “Jasmine” system. The gun is equipped with an automatic loader and has the ability to fire guided weapons. When firing armor-piercing cumulative and sub-caliber ammunition, the maximum sighting range is 4000 m, guided missile ammunition - 5000 m, high-explosive fragmentation ammunition - up to 10,000 m. In addition to widely used artillery weapons, the tank has the ability to fire anti-tank guided missiles of the 9M119M system. Missiles are launched using the main gun, missiles are guided by a laser beam in manual or semi-automatic mode. The guided weapon system allows firing with a probability of hitting a target close to one at moving at a speed of up to 70 km/h or stationary targets at a distance from 100 to 5000 m, in a static position of the tank or in motion at a speed of no more than 30 km/h. To conduct targeted fire in conditions of poor visibility and at night, the tank uses the Essa sight, which is integrated with a Catherine-FC thermal imaging camera. Sighting system consists of a thermal imaging camera that is stabilized in two planes. Using the camera, the tank commander and gunner can constantly monitor the terrain from separate screens, as well as perform precise weapon control using a standard shot control system.

Main weapons of the Leopard is a 120 mm smoothbore gun. The length of the gun barrel is 5520 mm. Range aimed shooting: in a static position - 3,500 m, in motion - 2,500 m. The main sight is EMES-12, which was developed by Zeiss specifically for this tank model. The sight consists of built-in laser and stereoscopic rangefinders. The combination of two different rangefinders allows you to increase the accuracy and reliability of measuring the distance to the target. As auxiliary equipment, the gunner can use a monocular periscope sight model - TZF-1A. The tank commander has a periscopic panoramic sight of the PERI-R-12 model, which has a stabilized line of sight. The tank commander has the ability to independently direct the gun, for which a mechanism is used to synchronize the axis of the gun barrel and the optical axis of the sight. For observation in conditions of poor visibility and at night, observation devices with optical-electronic amplifiers and active IR night observation devices are used. The FLER-H computer fire control systems generate firing data taking into account the distance to the target, atmospheric conditions, the spatial position of the tank, and the type of ammunition. For accurate aiming, the gunner only needs to select a target and place a marker on it. To detect camouflaged targets, a special sensor is used that reacts to their thermal radiation.

Power units
On T-90 a diesel engine with a power of 840 hp (on some modifications the engine power is increased to 1000 hp) liquid-cooled B-84MS is installed. These diesel engines are truly multi-fuel and can run not only on diesel fuel, but also on kerosene and gasoline, without loss of power. The V-84MS collectors are equipped with special bellows that allow exhaust gases to be mixed with air, which not only improves the temperature conditions for reliable operation of the collectors, but also reduces the thermal visibility of the tank.

Power point "Leopard" combined into a single structural complex. The engine in the engine compartment is placed along the hull of the tank, and a fireproof partition is placed between the compartment itself and the fighting compartment. The tank is equipped with a multi-fuel V-shaped 12-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine MB 873 with a power of 1500 hp.

Bottom line
The characteristics listed above allow for a small comparison between the widely advertised German Leopard and the Russian T-90. It is obvious that our tank is much superior to the main German tank in terms of protection and armament. The only thing where the T-90 loses is in the power plant. This is due not only to the power advantage, but also to the amount of time required to change the engine. So, when repairing a T-90, mechanics will need about 6 hours to carry out a replacement, but in a German tank, 15 minutes are enough for this.

The advantage of the Russian tank is obvious, and given the fact that the T-90 can fire aimed fire at a distance of 5000 m, and the Leopard only 3000 m, there is little doubt that the German tank will even be able to approach the Russian one on the battlefield. In commercial terms, the T-90 also looks more attractive, its price is half that of the Leopard.

In the spring of 2011, A. Postnikov, who at that time was the head of the ground forces, spoke very harshly to the domestic defense industry. There have been statements that Russian equipment, especially tanks, are not only significantly inferior to NATO models, but also lag behind Chinese armored vehicles in terms of their characteristics. The head of the Army especially received the famous T-90 tank, which, according to Postnikov, is just another modification of the T-72 and began production in 1973. Even the new T-90MS is nothing more than another modification of the old model.

History of the T-90MS tank

The biggest hit in Postnikov's speech was the T-90MS tank, which was not only called a "restyling" of the T-72, but also incredibly expensive to produce. According to Postnikov, for the money that could buy 1 T-90MS tank, you could buy 3 German Leopard-2 tanks. However, the check showed that instead of 1 T-90MS tank, you can buy only 1 Leopard-2, and even that in the “basic” configuration.

In those years, it was very popular to criticize Russian military equipment. Some military officials considered the possibility of opening a line for the assembly of Italian armored vehicles in Russia, and in the summer of 2011 a contract was signed with France for the purchase of 2 Mistral amphibious helicopter carriers. However, in 2015 this contract was terminated.

As for the T-90 tank, its history began on June 19, 1986, when the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the CPSU Central Committee issued a Resolution on the start of development of the T-90 tank. After 5 years, an experimental model of the tank was tested and recommended for adoption. The collapse of the USSR prevented this vehicle from entering the series, although a year later the tank was shown to Russian President B. Yeltsin. After 3 months, the tank was put into service under the name "T-90". Since the economic situation in Russia was very difficult in the early 90s, Uralvagonzavod, which produces the T-90 tank, received permission to produce an export model of the tank under the name T-90S.

Despite difficult economic conditions, by the end of 1995, 250 T-90 tanks were produced, many of which were tested in real battles in Chechnya. The militants could not do anything against the powerful armor of the T-90 tank. After 1995, the budget for the purchase of tanks was sharply reduced, after which Uralvagonzavod switched to export production, otherwise it simply could not survive.

The history of world recognition of the T-90 tank

The military exhibition that took place in the United Arab Emirates in 1997 was decisive for the T-90 tank. It was there that representatives of Indian armed forces I liked the Russian tank. In order for a military vehicle to be purchased, it was necessary to fulfill a number of conditions set by the Indian military:

• Install a new engine on the tank;
• Install a thermal imaging sight;
• Conduct tests not only in Russia, but in India itself, so that partners can verify the quality of Russian tanks.

Since the economic situation at the Russian plant was not very simple, one can only guess how the plant workers managed to allocate funds for the production of 3 prototypes that meet the requirements of Indian customers. At the beginning of 1999, they were sent to India for testing, which was a huge triumph. Indian General Singh was so amazed by what he saw that he said the following: “The T-90 tank is the second factor in deterring enemy military forces after nuclear weapons.” Already in 2001, a contract for the supply of 310 units of the T-90S tank was signed. These vehicles proved to be very effective and reliable, so in 2005 Russia and India signed another contract for the supply of another 347 tanks.

After the tanks were delivered to India, other countries around the world became interested in the new combat vehicle. According to statistics, the T-90 tank became the best-selling newly manufactured tank in the world for the period from 2001 to 2015. The big money that Uralvagonzavod began to receive for sold T-90 tanks allowed it not only to actively increase production, but also to constantly modernize the combat vehicle, preparing it in accordance with changing world requirements and standards. Modifications of the T-90 tank were as follows:

• T-90A, which differed from the standard T-90 by the presence of a new welded turret and an engine capable of developing 1,000 l/s;
• Since 2006, the T-90 tank has received a thermal imaging sight;

It would seem latest model The T-90 tank is its next modification, although in fact, the T90MS received so many innovations that it is essentially a new model.

Main features of the new T-90MS tank

The main difference between the T-90MS was the turret, which was completely different from the turrets of previous T-90 models. The new tower received multi-layer armor and was equipped with entire complexes the latest systems combat control, many of which were innovative. The search for the target was now carried out by the tank commander, handing over the found target to the gunner in fully automatic mode.

Even today, thanks to constant improvements to the model, the T-90MS tank is not only not inferior in search and target targeting parameters to the best tanks in the world, but also surpasses some of them in a number of parameters. The command control parameters of the T-90MS tank are perfectly balanced, and the ability to hit a target with the first shot puts this model on the leaderboards year after year.

Another huge advantage for the T-90M tank is the presence of a 125 mm cannon, for the creation of which metal was used, which has a huge margin of safety. This made it possible to significantly increase the service life of the gun, regardless of the rate of fire. If we compare the Russian tank with its closest competitor, the Leopard-2 tank, the T-90MS can fire more intensely without fear of gun failure. In general, the Russian tank is able to “work” more effectively in battle.

Dynamic protection of the T-90MS tank hull covers the most important modules of the tank. It is able to withstand almost all types of modern sub-caliber projectiles. If you believe the words of the tank’s creators, the dynamic protection can even withstand hits from modern anti-tank shells. The only miscalculation of the designers is the lack of dynamic armor on the lower frontal plate of the tank. Even the T-72B had one row of armor on the lower frontal plate.

As for the armor of the tank turret, not everything is so simple. The sides of the turret's aft niche do not have dynamic protection. Since the turret contains an ammunition rack, a shell hitting this area can cause serious damage to the tank. Perhaps in the future, this miscalculation will be eliminated by the developers.

The T-90MS tank is equipped modern system fire control. Such systems are a mandatory element of equipping new tanks. All these systems work on the same principle; their main task is to detect the enemy and hit him with the first shot. In order to more effectively hit targets, the T-90MS tank has a target tracking system. Since modern tanks most often work as part of a group, they are equipped with a system for interacting with each other. At the same time, each tank can receive target instructions from the main tank of the group. It is planned to install the next generation Armata tanks as the command tank of the T-90MS group.

In addition to external changes, the T-90MS tank has also changed significantly internally. Now the driver controls a multi-ton combat vehicle not with the help of levers, but with the help of a multifunctional steering wheel. The T-90MS has an automatic transmission, which greatly facilitates the work of the driver-mechanic. All previous modifications of the T-90 had a manual transmission.

Another important innovation of the T-90MS tank is the presence of an electricity generator. Now, when parked, the tank is practically invisible to enemy detection in the infrared range. This becomes possible due to the use of an autonomous generator.

T-90MS or tanks of the Armata project

Although most military experts now consider tanks created on the Armata platform to be the only prospect for the development of tank forces, this opinion can be challenged:

• The T-90MS tank is today best tank in terms of price/quality ratio;
• Testing of the Armata has not yet been completed, but the T-90 platform has long been mastered;
• The price of T-90MS tanks is significantly lower;
• T-90MS have comprehensive protection for the hull and turret, which is a huge plus in urban battles;
• The new T-90MS engine is capable of developing 1130 l/s. According to these indicators, the T-90MS engine is not inferior to the best foreign tank engines;
• In addition, the T-90MS tank has significantly improved ergonomics;
• Part of the ammunition of the T-90MS tank is placed in a box, which is located behind the turret.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the T-90MS

TTX T-90MS look like this:

• The mass of the tank is 48 tons;
• The total length with the gun is 9,530 mm;
• The case length is 6,860 mm;
• Width – 3,460 mm;
• The tank's crew consists of 3 people;
• The main armament on the T-90MS tank is the 125 mm 2A46M-5 cannon. Ammunition - 40 shots;
• As additional weapons, tank missile weapons and 2 machine guns are used, one of which is anti-aircraft, and the second is coaxial.

The tank is capable of traveling on highways at a speed of 60 km/h and has a range of 500 km.

Tanks must fight in groups, so in modern realities it would be optimal to give each battle group a T-90MS tank as the main vehicle newest tank"Armata". Of course, in the future, T-90MS will gradually be replaced by "Almaty" (although it is possible that some kind of new model tank), but this future is still very far away.