Fire control system of the tank. CH 5. LMS of T-80U, М1, "Leopard 2" tanks and Т-72 family
After implementation on tanks M60A2, T-64B, "Leopard A4" of the first generation of the LMS, characterized by the presence of laser rangefinders and ballistic computers, the next generation of the LMS is being introduced on the T-80, M1 and Leopard 2 tanks with the use of more advanced gunner's sights and panoramic sights of the commander with thermal imaging channels and linking them into a single automated complex.
LMS of T-80U tank (T80-UD)
The first FC “Ob” on the Soviet T-64B with the Cobra controlled weapon system remained the most advanced until the introduction of the FCA on the tank “Leopard 2А2”. The further development of the Soviet tank control system went in two directions: for the T-80 family of tanks on the basis of the Ob system, the target gunner complex was improved and the commander’s target complex was created, linked into a single system of the gunner complex, and simplified versions were created for the T-72 tank family. systems based on the sight of the gunner TPD-2-49.
The stage was the creation of the LMS 1А42 "Irtysh" for the T-80U tank (1985). The main task was to develop a simpler and more technologically advanced gunner’s sight and a new commander’s sighting system, as well as a simpler guided weapon system. The lead for the development of the OMS TsKB KMZ (Krasnogorsk) did not fulfill its functions and the structure of the system was determined in the tank design bureau in Kharkov and Leningrad.
The developer of the gunner's sight was determined by the Tochpribor Central Design Bureau (Novosibirsk). He was assigned the cipher "Irtysh", the continuity of the sights "Ob" and "Irtysh" was visible in their names, the river Irtysh is a tributary of the Ob.
According to its characteristics, the 1-X46 “Irtysh” day sight was not fundamentally different from the “Ob” sight. In the sight, there was an optical channel with a more gradual increase in x3,6 ... 12,0, a laser rangefinder and instead of an optical-electronic channel for determining the coordinates of a Cobra guided missile, there was a missile guidance channel along the Reflex laser beam.
The development in the instrument-making design bureau (Tula) of the 9K119 “Reflex” guided weapons complex with a missile pointing at the laser beam made it possible to significantly simplify the tank armament complex by excluding the Cobra radio command guidance station and simplifying the design of the 1-NNX gunner's sight. The tank was provided with effective firing from the spot and the run with artillery shells, as well as a guided missile 46М9 with a probability of hitting the 119 target at a distance of up to 0,8 m.
The gunner installed a Buran-PA night sight with dependent stabilization of the field of view and a vision range at night in the passive 1000 mode and active 1500 mode. With the further modernization of the T-80UM (1992) tank, the Buran-PA night sight was replaced with the Agava-2 thermal imaging sight with a night vision range in the passive mode up to 2000 m and in the active mode with backlighting with the blind Curtain system up to 2500 m.
As a commander's sight, a panoramic sight was developed with independent stabilization of the field of view both vertically and horizontally. But the developer of the TsKB KMZ sight insisted on a simplified version of the day-night sight of the commander and the sight of the commander TKN-4 “Agat-S” was developed with the field of vision stabilized only vertically with the vision range at night in passive mode 700 m and active mode 1000 m. With the help of the TKN-4С sight, the tank implemented dual control of the fire from the gun of the commander’s seat.
The weapon stabilizer 2E42 ensured the stabilization of the gun vertically by means of an electro-hydraulic drive and horizontally by means of an electromachine drive.
The 1В528 calculator provided automatic accounting of meteo-ballistic parameters, as in TBN 1В517 on the T-64Б tank, and additionally automatically took into account the parameters of pressure and air temperature and wind speed from the atmosphere state sensor. The TBV automatically calculated the aiming and lead angles and entered them into the gun drives, ensuring the optimal mode of operation of the gunner when firing.
As an auxiliary weapon on the T-80U tank, the Utes anti-aircraft gun was used from a closed-type T-64B tank with remote control through a ROM-7 sight.
The introduction of the 80А1 sighting system on the T-45U tank with the 1Axfour reproduction of the Irtysh, 42K9 "Reflex" guided weapons and the TKN-119С "Agat-S" guided armament made it possible to implement the armament with the same result of the year 19 and also significantly increase the commander’s ability to search for targets and fire from a cannon and anti-aircraft machine gun.
In Russia, 2010 began the development of the production of thermal imaging arrays, which made it possible to eliminate the lag in the development of thermal sights. Prior to this, on the basis of the French thermal imaging matrices, the “Plisa” thermal imaging sight was developed for the modernization of the T-80U tank. In 2017, the domestic Irbis thermal imaging sight with a target recognition range at any time of day to 3200, was designed to upgrade T-80Y and T-90CM tanks.
OMS tank "2 Leopard"
The control system of the 2 Leopard (1979) tank was created taking into account the experience of introducing the control system on the Leopard A4 tank and the use of separate instruments of this system.
The main aim of the gunner was a combined sight EMES 15 with an optical channel and a laser rangefinder, the design of the sight provided the possibility of introducing a thermal imaging channel, which was implemented on the modification "Leopard 2-2" (1983). Since the thermal imaging channel was not ready for mass production for adoption by the tank, the PZB 200 sights of the image brightness were mounted on the first batches of the tank.
The sight had independent stabilization of the field of view vertically and horizontally, the optical channel provided an increase with the multiplicity x12 and the laser range finder measured the range with an accuracy of 10 m in the range 200 ... 4000 m.
As a backup sight gunner was installed telescopic articulated sight FERO Z18, associated with the gun, providing emergency firing in the event of an LMS failure.
The commander installed a panoramic sight with independent stabilization of the field of view vertically and horizontally with the sight head rotating 360 degrees horizontally, providing him all-round visibility regardless of the gunner, searching for targets, targeting the gunner and firing the gun from the gunner instead of the gunner when combining the panorama axis with the longitudinal axle sight gunner. The design of the commander's sight also provided for the possibility of introducing a thermal imaging channel, which was introduced to modify the Leopard 2А2 tank, while the gunner and the commander were able to see at night at a distance of up to 2000 m.
The weapon stabilizer was the same as on the A4 Leopard, with electro-hydraulic gun turret drives. The central element of the LMS was an analog-digital ballistic computer that automatically records meteorological data with a standard set of sensors, calculates aiming and lead angles and inserts them into gun and turret drives, while maintaining the gunner’s fixed target profile.
With further modernization of the tank on the modification “Leopard 2А4”, the analog-digital ballistic computer was replaced with a digital one, and the more fire-safe electric drive was introduced for the modification of the A5 Leopard instead of the electro-hydraulic drive of the tower.
MSA tank M1
The control system of the M1 tank (1980) was different from the control of the tank “Leopard 2” not for the better, for reasons of simplicity of design and cheapening of the cost of the system, they abandoned the combined gunner sight and panoramic sight of the commander with independent stabilization of the field of view in the vertical and horizon.
The gunner installed a periscopic monocular GPS gunner combined sight with a built-in thermal imaging channel and a laser rangefinder. The sight had an independent stabilization of the field of view only vertically and dependent on the horizon on the weapon stabilizer with all the drawbacks of the gunner sight of the M60 tank.
The optical channel of the sight was provided with a discrete magnification with a multiplicity of x3 and x10, and in a thermal imaging series of discrete magnifications, including an electronic one with a multiplicity of x50. The sight provided a range measurement in the 200 range ... 8000 m and a vision range at night to 2000.
For the commander to fire from a gun instead of a gunner in the gunner's sight, there was an ocular retraction for the commander. An optical telescopic articulated sight with a magnification ratio of x8 was mounted as a gunner's backup sight.
The commander in a rotating turret for visibility and search for targets had only a set of prism observation devices. To control the anti-aircraft machine gun, he had a M919 daytime periscope sight with a magnification of x3 and a field of view 21 hail. The sight was installed in the commander's turret and was connected with a machine gun parallelogram mechanism. The turret rotated on the horizon with the help of an electric motor drive.
The weapon stabilizer stabilized the gun vertically and horizontally with the help of electro-hydraulic drives. At the same time, a high transfer speed of 40 deg. / From the tower over the horizon was ensured.
The gunner’s and commander’s instruments and sights were combined into a single system by an analog-digital ballistic computer that automatically calculates and enters the aiming and lead angles into the sight according to the data of the laser rangefinder, the speed of the tank and the target, the speed of the side wind and the roll of the axis of the trunnions of the gun. The parameters of temperature and air pressure, charge temperature, bore wear were entered manually.
The imperfection of the MSN of the M1 tank was clear in comparison with the tank control of the Leopard 2 tank. The commander practically had no instruments for searching for targets, the М919 sight with a small magnification and limited field of view did not allow him to timely detect targets and target the gunner, and the gunner’s sight with a dependent field of view on the weapon stabilizer did not ensure effective firing from the gun . On the modification of the tank M1A2 (1992) the OMS was significantly upgraded.
The gunner’s sight obtained an independent stabilization of the field of view both vertically and horizontally, the laser range finder was replaced with a more advanced CO2 operating, which provides distance measurement in the presence of meteorological and smoke interference. The analog-digital ballistic computer was replaced by a digital one and TIUS elements were introduced, which combined the elements of the OMS to a digital data transmission bus.
Instead of the M919, the commander installed a CITV panoramic thermal sight with an independent stabilization of the field of view both vertically and horizontally and with the head of the sight rotating at 360 degrees. The introduction of a panoramic sight with an optical channel, like on a Leopard 2 tank, on a MXXUMX1 tank was refused.
OMS family of tanks T-72
For the T-72 family of tanks, simplified versions of the SLA were developed based on the TPD-2-49 gunner's sight with vertical field of view stabilization and an optical rangefinder, similar to the T-64A tank. A modification of the T-72A (1979) tank instead of the TFD-2-49 is set by its modification of the TFD-K1 with a laser rangefinder, which based on the measured distance and speed of the tank calculated the aiming angle. The lateral lead angle was entered manually by the gunner. The 2EX28М weapon stabilizer ensured the stabilization of the gun vertically and horizontally with the help of electro-hydraulic drives, while upgrading the turret drive was replaced with a power-driven machine.
In the future, instead of the TPD-K1, its modification of the 1А40 sight was set on this tank, which was distinguished by the presence of a device for generating a lateral lead angle introduced into the sight, the gunner displaced the aiming mark by the amount of lead angle.
On the modification of the T-72B (1985) tank, instead of the TPN-3 gunner's night sight, a 1K13 night sight with the Svir 9K120 “Svir” guided weapons channel is installed for firing from a spot controlled by a laser beam with an 9XXUMUM rocket. The 119А1 sight is preserved, in addition to it, a ballistic corrector is installed, with the help of which corrections are introduced for the charge and air temperature, atmospheric pressure, angular and radial velocity of the tank and the target.
On the budget modification of the T-72B3 (2013) tank, instead of the 1K13 sight, a multi-channel Sosna-U sight with optical, thermal imaging, laser missile guidance, laser range finder and automatic tracking is installed. The thermal imaging channel provides the vision range at night to 3000 and the field of view on the gunner’s monitor and the commander’s monitors. Information on the stabilization of the visual field is contradictory, for some sources it is two-plane, for others it is one-plane vertically.
The simplified ballistic corrector calculates aiming and lead angles from the laser range finder, roll sensor, angular and radial velocity of the tank and the target, air temperature and pressure, wind speed, charge temperature and bend of the gun barrel. In the variant with dependent stabilization of the field of view on the horizon, the lead angle cannot be introduced into the tower drive, this is realized electronically in the thermal channel.
The gunner's 1А40 sight has been preserved as a reserve rangefinder sight. The commander’s sighting system is based on the TKN-3MK ancient day-night sight with a vision range at night to 500, however with this sight it was possible to realize a duplicate firing of the cannon from the commander’s place.
A full-fledged OMS did not appear on the T-72 tank family, and they were significantly lagging behind the T-64B and T-80У tanks in terms of fire efficiency. In this regard, when adopting the next modification of the T-90 (1991), it was decided to install an 1A45 sighting system from the T-80Y (Т80-УД) tank on this tank. At the same time, the T-90 tank was provided with firing from the spot and outright with artillery shells and the Reflex or Invar guided missiles, duplicated firing from the gun from the commander's seat and remote control of the Utes anti-aircraft installation.
On the modification of the T-90SM tank the OMS was seriously upgraded. Instead of the Agava-2 thermal sight, an Essa thermal sight was installed with a French thermal imaging matrix and dependent stabilization of the visual field, providing a vision range at night to 3000. The introduction of a high-resolution thermal imaging sight allowed us to create an automatic target tracking machine from the video image of the thermal imaging channel.
Has undergone major changes and sighting complex commander. Instead of a day-night sight of the commander PKN-4С with stabilization of the field of view only vertically and a night IR channel, a combined electro-optical sight PC-5 was installed with independent stabilization of the field of view vertically and horizon, with television and thermal channels and a laser range finder. The day channel of the sight provided an increase with the multiplicity x8, and the nighttime x5,2. The vision range at night through the thermal imaging channel has increased to 3000. Introduction to the laser rangefinder sight allowed the commander to increase the effectiveness of firing from a cannon when dubbed firing instead of a gunner.
The next step in the modernization of the T-90CM tank control system was the introduction of the Kalina control system from 2014, the main element of which is the commander’s panoramic sight, combining the latest developments of multi-channel sights. Panoramic sight PC "Falcon Eye" with a two-plane independent stabilization of the field of view, television and thermal imaging channels and a laser rangefinder provides the commander with all-day and all-weather observation and search for targets, as well as effective firing of guns, coaxial and anti-aircraft machine guns.
The OMS includes a digital ballistic computer, a set of weather-ballistic sensors, a display system for video signals from the gunner’s and the commander’s sights, a weapon stabilizer, and elements of a tank information and control system.
There was information that the Sosna-U gunner's multi-channel sight and the 1А40 sight doubles are also part of the Kalina OMS. There is no logic in this. On the T-90CM tank, the 1-XXNX “Irtysh” sight is used as the main gunner's sight, providing the firing of the Reflex or Invar guided missiles. The same control channel is available in the SosnaU sight. The “Pine U” sight is mounted to the left of the 46А1 gunner's sight, which creates certain inconveniences when working with it. The 40А1 sight, which has now become a backup rifle, is redundant in its design for the functions of a doubles sight and installed in the most optimal area for the gunner to operate.
The concept of the OMS for the modernization of the T-72 family of tanks is clearly not the best. Apparently, in place of the 1А40 sight, it is advisable to install a multi-channel day-night sight with a guided missile guidance channel and a two-plane independent stabilization of the visual field, all the more so this principle has already been implemented in the Commander Falcon eye panorama. As a sight –doobler there should be a simple telescopic sight connected with a gun. This concept of the OMS is adopted on the Leopard 2А2 tank and this is justified.
For the T-90CM and T-80U tanks, it is more reasonable to equip an SLA as part of the panorama of the Commander Falcon Eye, and the aiming gunner’s complex is based on a combination of the upgraded Irtysh sight and Irbish thermal imager or installing a multi-channel sight Irtysh independent two-plane stabilization of the field of view of the “Pine U” type and a simple double-body telescopic sight.
To complete the control system of the Russian tanks, decent sights have been developed that are not inferior in terms of the main characteristics to foreign models. But the concept of the MSA for tanks manufactured by industry and for the modernization of many thousands of tanks in service and on storage bases has not been fully developed and requires the adoption of a special program for equipping Russian tanks with modern MSAs.
LMS of T-80U tank (T80-UD)
The first FC “Ob” on the Soviet T-64B with the Cobra controlled weapon system remained the most advanced until the introduction of the FCA on the tank “Leopard 2А2”. The further development of the Soviet tank control system went in two directions: for the T-80 family of tanks on the basis of the Ob system, the target gunner complex was improved and the commander’s target complex was created, linked into a single system of the gunner complex, and simplified versions were created for the T-72 tank family. systems based on the sight of the gunner TPD-2-49.
The stage was the creation of the LMS 1А42 "Irtysh" for the T-80U tank (1985). The main task was to develop a simpler and more technologically advanced gunner’s sight and a new commander’s sighting system, as well as a simpler guided weapon system. The lead for the development of the OMS TsKB KMZ (Krasnogorsk) did not fulfill its functions and the structure of the system was determined in the tank design bureau in Kharkov and Leningrad.
The developer of the gunner's sight was determined by the Tochpribor Central Design Bureau (Novosibirsk). He was assigned the cipher "Irtysh", the continuity of the sights "Ob" and "Irtysh" was visible in their names, the river Irtysh is a tributary of the Ob.
According to its characteristics, the 1-X46 “Irtysh” day sight was not fundamentally different from the “Ob” sight. In the sight, there was an optical channel with a more gradual increase in x3,6 ... 12,0, a laser rangefinder and instead of an optical-electronic channel for determining the coordinates of a Cobra guided missile, there was a missile guidance channel along the Reflex laser beam.
The development in the instrument-making design bureau (Tula) of the 9K119 “Reflex” guided weapons complex with a missile pointing at the laser beam made it possible to significantly simplify the tank armament complex by excluding the Cobra radio command guidance station and simplifying the design of the 1-NNX gunner's sight. The tank was provided with effective firing from the spot and the run with artillery shells, as well as a guided missile 46М9 with a probability of hitting the 119 target at a distance of up to 0,8 m.
The gunner installed a Buran-PA night sight with dependent stabilization of the field of view and a vision range at night in the passive 1000 mode and active 1500 mode. With the further modernization of the T-80UM (1992) tank, the Buran-PA night sight was replaced with the Agava-2 thermal imaging sight with a night vision range in the passive mode up to 2000 m and in the active mode with backlighting with the blind Curtain system up to 2500 m.
As a commander's sight, a panoramic sight was developed with independent stabilization of the field of view both vertically and horizontally. But the developer of the TsKB KMZ sight insisted on a simplified version of the day-night sight of the commander and the sight of the commander TKN-4 “Agat-S” was developed with the field of vision stabilized only vertically with the vision range at night in passive mode 700 m and active mode 1000 m. With the help of the TKN-4С sight, the tank implemented dual control of the fire from the gun of the commander’s seat.
The weapon stabilizer 2E42 ensured the stabilization of the gun vertically by means of an electro-hydraulic drive and horizontally by means of an electromachine drive.
The 1В528 calculator provided automatic accounting of meteo-ballistic parameters, as in TBN 1В517 on the T-64Б tank, and additionally automatically took into account the parameters of pressure and air temperature and wind speed from the atmosphere state sensor. The TBV automatically calculated the aiming and lead angles and entered them into the gun drives, ensuring the optimal mode of operation of the gunner when firing.
As an auxiliary weapon on the T-80U tank, the Utes anti-aircraft gun was used from a closed-type T-64B tank with remote control through a ROM-7 sight.
The introduction of the 80А1 sighting system on the T-45U tank with the 1Axfour reproduction of the Irtysh, 42K9 "Reflex" guided weapons and the TKN-119С "Agat-S" guided armament made it possible to implement the armament with the same result of the year 19 and also significantly increase the commander’s ability to search for targets and fire from a cannon and anti-aircraft machine gun.
In Russia, 2010 began the development of the production of thermal imaging arrays, which made it possible to eliminate the lag in the development of thermal sights. Prior to this, on the basis of the French thermal imaging matrices, the “Plisa” thermal imaging sight was developed for the modernization of the T-80U tank. In 2017, the domestic Irbis thermal imaging sight with a target recognition range at any time of day to 3200, was designed to upgrade T-80Y and T-90CM tanks.
OMS tank "2 Leopard"
The control system of the 2 Leopard (1979) tank was created taking into account the experience of introducing the control system on the Leopard A4 tank and the use of separate instruments of this system.
The main aim of the gunner was a combined sight EMES 15 with an optical channel and a laser rangefinder, the design of the sight provided the possibility of introducing a thermal imaging channel, which was implemented on the modification "Leopard 2-2" (1983). Since the thermal imaging channel was not ready for mass production for adoption by the tank, the PZB 200 sights of the image brightness were mounted on the first batches of the tank.
The sight had independent stabilization of the field of view vertically and horizontally, the optical channel provided an increase with the multiplicity x12 and the laser range finder measured the range with an accuracy of 10 m in the range 200 ... 4000 m.
As a backup sight gunner was installed telescopic articulated sight FERO Z18, associated with the gun, providing emergency firing in the event of an LMS failure.
The commander installed a panoramic sight with independent stabilization of the field of view vertically and horizontally with the sight head rotating 360 degrees horizontally, providing him all-round visibility regardless of the gunner, searching for targets, targeting the gunner and firing the gun from the gunner instead of the gunner when combining the panorama axis with the longitudinal axle sight gunner. The design of the commander's sight also provided for the possibility of introducing a thermal imaging channel, which was introduced to modify the Leopard 2А2 tank, while the gunner and the commander were able to see at night at a distance of up to 2000 m.
The weapon stabilizer was the same as on the A4 Leopard, with electro-hydraulic gun turret drives. The central element of the LMS was an analog-digital ballistic computer that automatically records meteorological data with a standard set of sensors, calculates aiming and lead angles and inserts them into gun and turret drives, while maintaining the gunner’s fixed target profile.
With further modernization of the tank on the modification “Leopard 2А4”, the analog-digital ballistic computer was replaced with a digital one, and the more fire-safe electric drive was introduced for the modification of the A5 Leopard instead of the electro-hydraulic drive of the tower.
MSA tank M1
The control system of the M1 tank (1980) was different from the control of the tank “Leopard 2” not for the better, for reasons of simplicity of design and cheapening of the cost of the system, they abandoned the combined gunner sight and panoramic sight of the commander with independent stabilization of the field of view in the vertical and horizon.
The gunner installed a periscopic monocular GPS gunner combined sight with a built-in thermal imaging channel and a laser rangefinder. The sight had an independent stabilization of the field of view only vertically and dependent on the horizon on the weapon stabilizer with all the drawbacks of the gunner sight of the M60 tank.
The optical channel of the sight was provided with a discrete magnification with a multiplicity of x3 and x10, and in a thermal imaging series of discrete magnifications, including an electronic one with a multiplicity of x50. The sight provided a range measurement in the 200 range ... 8000 m and a vision range at night to 2000.
For the commander to fire from a gun instead of a gunner in the gunner's sight, there was an ocular retraction for the commander. An optical telescopic articulated sight with a magnification ratio of x8 was mounted as a gunner's backup sight.
The commander in a rotating turret for visibility and search for targets had only a set of prism observation devices. To control the anti-aircraft machine gun, he had a M919 daytime periscope sight with a magnification of x3 and a field of view 21 hail. The sight was installed in the commander's turret and was connected with a machine gun parallelogram mechanism. The turret rotated on the horizon with the help of an electric motor drive.
The weapon stabilizer stabilized the gun vertically and horizontally with the help of electro-hydraulic drives. At the same time, a high transfer speed of 40 deg. / From the tower over the horizon was ensured.
The gunner’s and commander’s instruments and sights were combined into a single system by an analog-digital ballistic computer that automatically calculates and enters the aiming and lead angles into the sight according to the data of the laser rangefinder, the speed of the tank and the target, the speed of the side wind and the roll of the axis of the trunnions of the gun. The parameters of temperature and air pressure, charge temperature, bore wear were entered manually.
The imperfection of the MSN of the M1 tank was clear in comparison with the tank control of the Leopard 2 tank. The commander practically had no instruments for searching for targets, the М919 sight with a small magnification and limited field of view did not allow him to timely detect targets and target the gunner, and the gunner’s sight with a dependent field of view on the weapon stabilizer did not ensure effective firing from the gun . On the modification of the tank M1A2 (1992) the OMS was significantly upgraded.
The gunner’s sight obtained an independent stabilization of the field of view both vertically and horizontally, the laser range finder was replaced with a more advanced CO2 operating, which provides distance measurement in the presence of meteorological and smoke interference. The analog-digital ballistic computer was replaced by a digital one and TIUS elements were introduced, which combined the elements of the OMS to a digital data transmission bus.
Instead of the M919, the commander installed a CITV panoramic thermal sight with an independent stabilization of the field of view both vertically and horizontally and with the head of the sight rotating at 360 degrees. The introduction of a panoramic sight with an optical channel, like on a Leopard 2 tank, on a MXXUMX1 tank was refused.
OMS family of tanks T-72
For the T-72 family of tanks, simplified versions of the SLA were developed based on the TPD-2-49 gunner's sight with vertical field of view stabilization and an optical rangefinder, similar to the T-64A tank. A modification of the T-72A (1979) tank instead of the TFD-2-49 is set by its modification of the TFD-K1 with a laser rangefinder, which based on the measured distance and speed of the tank calculated the aiming angle. The lateral lead angle was entered manually by the gunner. The 2EX28М weapon stabilizer ensured the stabilization of the gun vertically and horizontally with the help of electro-hydraulic drives, while upgrading the turret drive was replaced with a power-driven machine.
In the future, instead of the TPD-K1, its modification of the 1А40 sight was set on this tank, which was distinguished by the presence of a device for generating a lateral lead angle introduced into the sight, the gunner displaced the aiming mark by the amount of lead angle.
On the modification of the T-72B (1985) tank, instead of the TPN-3 gunner's night sight, a 1K13 night sight with the Svir 9K120 “Svir” guided weapons channel is installed for firing from a spot controlled by a laser beam with an 9XXUMUM rocket. The 119А1 sight is preserved, in addition to it, a ballistic corrector is installed, with the help of which corrections are introduced for the charge and air temperature, atmospheric pressure, angular and radial velocity of the tank and the target.
On the budget modification of the T-72B3 (2013) tank, instead of the 1K13 sight, a multi-channel Sosna-U sight with optical, thermal imaging, laser missile guidance, laser range finder and automatic tracking is installed. The thermal imaging channel provides the vision range at night to 3000 and the field of view on the gunner’s monitor and the commander’s monitors. Information on the stabilization of the visual field is contradictory, for some sources it is two-plane, for others it is one-plane vertically.
The simplified ballistic corrector calculates aiming and lead angles from the laser range finder, roll sensor, angular and radial velocity of the tank and the target, air temperature and pressure, wind speed, charge temperature and bend of the gun barrel. In the variant with dependent stabilization of the field of view on the horizon, the lead angle cannot be introduced into the tower drive, this is realized electronically in the thermal channel.
The gunner's 1А40 sight has been preserved as a reserve rangefinder sight. The commander’s sighting system is based on the TKN-3MK ancient day-night sight with a vision range at night to 500, however with this sight it was possible to realize a duplicate firing of the cannon from the commander’s place.
A full-fledged OMS did not appear on the T-72 tank family, and they were significantly lagging behind the T-64B and T-80У tanks in terms of fire efficiency. In this regard, when adopting the next modification of the T-90 (1991), it was decided to install an 1A45 sighting system from the T-80Y (Т80-УД) tank on this tank. At the same time, the T-90 tank was provided with firing from the spot and outright with artillery shells and the Reflex or Invar guided missiles, duplicated firing from the gun from the commander's seat and remote control of the Utes anti-aircraft installation.
On the modification of the T-90SM tank the OMS was seriously upgraded. Instead of the Agava-2 thermal sight, an Essa thermal sight was installed with a French thermal imaging matrix and dependent stabilization of the visual field, providing a vision range at night to 3000. The introduction of a high-resolution thermal imaging sight allowed us to create an automatic target tracking machine from the video image of the thermal imaging channel.
Has undergone major changes and sighting complex commander. Instead of a day-night sight of the commander PKN-4С with stabilization of the field of view only vertically and a night IR channel, a combined electro-optical sight PC-5 was installed with independent stabilization of the field of view vertically and horizon, with television and thermal channels and a laser range finder. The day channel of the sight provided an increase with the multiplicity x8, and the nighttime x5,2. The vision range at night through the thermal imaging channel has increased to 3000. Introduction to the laser rangefinder sight allowed the commander to increase the effectiveness of firing from a cannon when dubbed firing instead of a gunner.
The next step in the modernization of the T-90CM tank control system was the introduction of the Kalina control system from 2014, the main element of which is the commander’s panoramic sight, combining the latest developments of multi-channel sights. Panoramic sight PC "Falcon Eye" with a two-plane independent stabilization of the field of view, television and thermal imaging channels and a laser rangefinder provides the commander with all-day and all-weather observation and search for targets, as well as effective firing of guns, coaxial and anti-aircraft machine guns.
The OMS includes a digital ballistic computer, a set of weather-ballistic sensors, a display system for video signals from the gunner’s and the commander’s sights, a weapon stabilizer, and elements of a tank information and control system.
There was information that the Sosna-U gunner's multi-channel sight and the 1А40 sight doubles are also part of the Kalina OMS. There is no logic in this. On the T-90CM tank, the 1-XXNX “Irtysh” sight is used as the main gunner's sight, providing the firing of the Reflex or Invar guided missiles. The same control channel is available in the SosnaU sight. The “Pine U” sight is mounted to the left of the 46А1 gunner's sight, which creates certain inconveniences when working with it. The 40А1 sight, which has now become a backup rifle, is redundant in its design for the functions of a doubles sight and installed in the most optimal area for the gunner to operate.
The concept of the OMS for the modernization of the T-72 family of tanks is clearly not the best. Apparently, in place of the 1А40 sight, it is advisable to install a multi-channel day-night sight with a guided missile guidance channel and a two-plane independent stabilization of the visual field, all the more so this principle has already been implemented in the Commander Falcon eye panorama. As a sight –doobler there should be a simple telescopic sight connected with a gun. This concept of the OMS is adopted on the Leopard 2А2 tank and this is justified.
For the T-90CM and T-80U tanks, it is more reasonable to equip an SLA as part of the panorama of the Commander Falcon Eye, and the aiming gunner’s complex is based on a combination of the upgraded Irtysh sight and Irbish thermal imager or installing a multi-channel sight Irtysh independent two-plane stabilization of the field of view of the “Pine U” type and a simple double-body telescopic sight.
To complete the control system of the Russian tanks, decent sights have been developed that are not inferior in terms of the main characteristics to foreign models. But the concept of the MSA for tanks manufactured by industry and for the modernization of many thousands of tanks in service and on storage bases has not been fully developed and requires the adoption of a special program for equipping Russian tanks with modern MSAs.
Information