103 Armored Repair Plant
Grew up in the cold war

The 103rd Armored Repair Plant, one of the largest defense enterprises in Siberia and the Far East, was built in Transbaikalia in 1942 by order of the USSR's top military leadership. Despite the fact that construction of the new facility began during World War II, it was only able to begin its duties after it. 1946 was a turning point for the BTRZ. historical - the first repaired armored vehicles came off the assembly line.
And the USSR immediately entered the era of another war - the Cold War. The arms race, organized by the two superpowers, naturally, first of all affected defense enterprises, the power of which increased in geometric progression.
BTRZ, starting with repairs tank T-34, from year to year, mastered new technologies, keeping pace with the military achievements of the Soviet military industry. As soon as new armored vehicles entered service with the army, the plant was reconstructed and equipped with equipment for their repair. Since the beginning of the work of BTRZ, more than a thousand vehicles have rolled off its conveyors, among which were not only tanks of various modifications, but also infantry fighting vehicles, armored repair and recovery vehicles, minesweepers, universal tractors and others.
Even in the difficult 80s and 90s for the country, the 103rd BTRZ felt quite good. In 1992, the production of old equipment was completely stopped, and since 1993 the plant switched to repairing modern tank models: T-72A, T-72B1, BMP-2. At the same time, experimental models of the universal tractor BTS-5 based on the T-72 tank were manufactured, and the production of the minesweeper IMT "Kort-B" was mastered.
By the early 2000s, the plant had mastered the repair of all types of armored vehicles in service with the Russian army. Given the amount of military equipment being repaired and the geographic location of the enterprise, the 103rd BTRZ alone is capable of servicing the two largest military districts of our country - the Central and Eastern.

On June 11, 2009, the 103rd BTRZ officially became an open joint-stock company, in which the state remained the main owner. The change in the form of ownership did not particularly affect the work of the enterprise. It continues to fulfill orders from the Russian Ministry of Defense, including for foreign countries. For example, in 2009-2010, the plant repaired T-55M tanks for the Republic of Cuba, and now it is fulfilling a large order for Venezuela. At the moment, 98 T-72B-1 tanks have already been sent to the Latin American country, for the repair of which the Ministry of Defense pays almost 15 million.
Repair is a delicate matter!
The process of repairing military equipment is extremely complex. A tank that enters the plant is disassembled literally down to the last detail, of which there are about a thousand. Each of them goes to a specialized workshop. There it is washed, inspected for defects, repaired if necessary, and checked.
The section of armored vehicle body cleaning may seem interesting, which is carried out in a special chamber using cast iron shot. Parts of the tank are literally shot, which helps get rid of the old paint.
A much more delicate process occurs during the repair of turrets and guns. There can be no mistakes in this area, since the accuracy of the gun depends directly on the adjustment, regulation and testing of the sight and automatic loading system. These operations take place not only in the workshop, but also on the range during firing.
Some other details of the military vehicles' design are also surprising. For example, the tank contains about two kilometers of wires of different diameters. This is the reason for the existence of a special section for the restoration and production of wires at BTRZ.
In the huge mechanical workshops located here, they repair everything from rollers to transmissions. By the way, very interesting mechanisms exist here in almost every area. For example, after repair, the engine is installed on special equipment, with the help of which it is tested in a running state under different loads using water.
It is also noteworthy that the parts removed from a specific tank are marked with an individual number, so that after the repair is completed they are installed on it. With the exception of those that are replaced due to a breakdown.
At the final stage of repair, the vehicle is sent to a testing ground located near the plant after assembly, where it is accepted. A 100-kilometer run is enough not only to assess the quality of the repair, but also to get the freshly painted tank pretty dirty, so it has to be washed again.
Sometimes tanks arrive at the plant that are beyond repair. They are sent to the local "cemetery" - the repair park. Previously, parts from old vehicles were used for repairs, but now they are all sent for disposal, by sawing them up to a state from which restoration is impossible. The territory of the repair park and all its contents belong to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Defense depends on them
Today, more than 700 people of various specialties work at the plant in one shift. If orders from the Ministry of Defense increase, the enterprise can switch to two shifts, increasing the number of workers. Of course, for the people on whom the country's defense capability depends, it is necessary to provide all the necessary conditions for work and rest: a medical center, a canteen, a cultural center, a museum, a recreation center and a children's camp on Lake Arakhley.


2012 will be a historically significant year for the 103rd BTRZ, as it turns 70 this year. Judging by the number of orders and the amount of financial injections into the plant, there is no need to worry about its fate. In this regard, we can only congratulate the BTRZ workers on their anniversary and the recently held Tanker's Day, and wish their enterprise further prosperity!
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