Tanks of the Tiran family. Trophies for the benefit of AOI
Trophies of War
Projects of the Tiran series were the direct result of the Six-Day War of the 1967. During this conflict, the armored group of the Arab states was based on the T-54 and T-55 medium tanks delivered by the USSR. The war ended with the victory of the IDF, which also managed to take rich trophies - among them there were significant numbers of tanks of various types.
About 200 captured medium tanks were in good condition and could remain in operation. In this regard, already in 1967-68 years. a decision was made to adopt technology into the arsenal of the Israeli army. For convenience, the tanks were renamed. T-54 machines were now called “Tyrant-1”, T-55 was designated as “Tyrant-2”.
The Six Day War was not the last open clash of nations. In subsequent wars, the IDF repeatedly captured the new T-54 / 55 tanks and adopted them. According to various sources, by the mid-seventies, about 350-400 of such tanks became trophies. The bulk of this technique has become the Tyrants.
As the captured tanks were in operation, various modernization projects were developed that involved the replacement of various equipment or the installation of new devices. All such projects retained the name "Tiran", and it was proposed to distinguish them by numbers and additional letters. Later, the entire series of projects received the general designation T-67 - two digits indicated the year of acquisition of the first "Tyrants."
First upgrades
The Tiran-1 and Tiran-2 medium tanks were the T-54 and T-55 without any modifications. The tanks simply changed their owner and received new identification marks. However, quickly enough, AOI began remaking equipment in accordance with its wishes and needs. The result of this was the emergence of the Tiran-4 and Tiran-5 projects. The project with a triple in the title was missing.
The Tiran-4 tank was made on the basis of the T-54 with some changes that did not affect the basic structural elements. So, a new loader hatch was installed on the tower, opening back. In front of him placed a turret with a machine gun M1919A4. Some tanks also received the M2 remote-controlled large-caliber machine gun over the gun. An 60-mm mortar was installed on the tower for the use of lighting or smoke mines.
Also, new antenna mounts appeared on the tower. At the rear of the tower mounted mounts for a pair of water tanks. Later, a full-sized basket was placed there. A similar capacity appeared at the stern of the hull. Over time, the “Tirana-4” received new fenders with drawers and fixtures for the property.
The Tiran-2 tanks were similarly processed, resulting in the appearance of the Tiran-5. Thus, the tanks of the fourth and fifth models had the maximum similarity, and their differences were mainly determined by the difference between the T-54 and T-55 designs.
Tiran-4 and Tiran-5 upgrades were completed at the end of the sixties. They simplified the operation of equipment in the specific conditions of the Middle East, and also ensured its unification with other AOI tanks. With all this, the performance characteristics have not changed.
New weapons
In the early seventies, shortly before the Doomsday War, the Tiran-4 / 5 tanks underwent a more serious modernization aimed at improving combat qualities. X-NUMX-mm guns D-100T ceased to arrange IDFs, because of which they were replaced by more powerful weapons. Also provided for updating management tools weapons.
A new installation with the 105-mm Sharir rifled gun, the Israeli version of the M68 gun from the American Patton tank, was placed in the fighting compartment. Together with the gun, new sighting devices were used. The crew compartment was redone for 105-mm unitary shots. Various improvements related to improving technical and operational characteristics were also offered.
By the name of the new gun, modernization projects received the designations “Tiran-4Ш” and “Tiran-5Ш”. By the beginning of the 1973 war, part of the medium tank fleet managed to get Sharir guns, but other vehicles retained their original equipment. Further modernization continued, and the proportion of carriers of the 105-mm gun increased.
In the second half of the seventies, new attempts were made to modernize the existing tanks. Inspection instruments were replaced, including using modern night vision equipment. Capacities for storage and transportation of property were changed, new lighting devices were introduced, etc.
At different times, the composition of weapons and their control systems was revised. Up to three machine guns of normal and large caliber could be placed on the tank tower. Some vehicles kept the M2 above the cannon, while on others it was transferred to one of the crew’s hatches. Several times the modernization of sights, calculators, etc. was carried out. Some of the tanks received engineering equipment - trawls or bulldozer dumps. By the end of the decade, the Tiran-4Sh / 5Sh tanks received Blazer dynamic protection.
New base
In 1973, the Arab states first used T-62 medium tanks in battle. According to the results of the Doomsday War, part of such equipment in good condition went to Israel. As during past conflicts, the IDF did not scatter trophies and used them to their advantage. T-62 tanks were adopted under the name "Tiran-6".
Initially, “Tiran-6” was a T-62 with new identification marks. Then the equipment was modernized taking into account the achievements of the Tiran-4 / 5 projects. The tanks were equipped with new storage boxes, other means of communication and surveillance. Was carried out the replacement of full-time machine guns on systems that are in service with the IDF. An 60 mm mortar was also used.
Export option
In the eighties, Israel decided to enter the international market. T-54 / 55 tanks are in service with several dozen countries, and many of them might be interested in an Israeli modernization project called T-67С.
The upgraded tank was equipped with a Detroit Diesel 8V-71T engine with 609 horsepower. and hydromechanical transmission. The hull and turret reinforced with dynamic protection. For firing from the 105-mm gun, a new fire control system based on imported components was used. Due to new optics and viewing instruments, the tank could work day and night.
As far as it is known, not a single foreign country wanted to modernize its T-54 / 55 according to the Israeli project. Like many other modernization options for old medium tanks, the T-67С did not live up to expectations.
Tanks in operation
The medium tanks of the Tiran family began their service in the late sixties, and this determined their future fate. They participated in all the major conflicts of the following decades, starting with the War of Attrition. Moreover, the role of "Tyrants" was constantly declining due to their small number.
AOI received only a few hundred tanks at a foreign base, and this limited the potential of such equipment. Losses during the fighting reduced its strength, and the construction or purchase of new models reduced its share in the troops. Nevertheless, the “Tyrants” of all modifications were actively used and contributed to the fight against the enemy.
Active operation of the "Tirans" continued until the beginning of the eighties, when the share of new equipment grew to the desired values. The rebuilt T-54 and T-55 began to be sent for recycling or for rebuilding on other projects. One of the main results of this was the appearance of the heavy Akhzarit armored personnel carrier. Part of the armored vehicles without alteration sold to third countries.
However, such events did not lead to a complete rejection of obsolete equipment. The "tyrants" of different versions remained in parts and in storage until the beginning of the current decade. Then it was reported about the presence of 350-370 armored vehicles of later modifications. To date, all or almost all of them have been decommissioned due to complete moral and physical obsolescence.
History medium tanks "Tiran" demonstrates a logical and frugal approach to the conservation and use of captured armored vehicles. Machines suitable for further operation were maintained and updated in accordance with the requirements of the new owners. All this made it possible to strengthen the armored units of the IDF and provide advantages over the enemy - including to capture new trophies. Over time, Israel was able to organize the mass production of its own equipment with high performance, and only after that the captured “Tyrants” began to go out of service.
- Ryabov Kirill
- Wikimedia Commons, Twitter.com/KitsAndCoffee
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