Tank carriers in Ukraine: invisible heroes of the NWO
KAMAZ-65225 is preparing for a special operation
Workers of the military arteries
A tank carrier has many roles at the front. He is engaged in the evacuation of damaged equipment, transfers reserves, and ensures the prompt redeployment of armored vehicles. In addition to the realities of the Russian special operation, tank carriers have a special role. The Ukrainian front is several thousand kilometers of steppe, forests, dirt and highways. reroll Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles on their own over such distances are long and expensive.
First of all, a scarce resource of engines, transmission and chassis is consumed. Secondly, long hauls under their own power require a considerable amount of fuel and cause unnecessary fatigue of the crews. That is why the conduct of maneuverable combat operations without tank carriers is nowhere.
For the transportation of lightly armored vehicles, any army truck tractor is suitable. If you have to scoop out everything that is from storage, then the well-deserved ZIL-131V will go into action. In the end, the already forgotten 9K55 Grad-1 on an all-wheel drive Zilovsky chassis were transferred to the NVO zone, so why not use the potential of truck tractors? True, it is recommended to load no more than 12 tons into a semi-trailer, but the "motorbike", for example, fits perfectly into this form factor. But while the ZIL-131V has not been seen in Ukraine, it means that everything is in order with tank carriers in the Russian army.
ZIL-131V. Source: auto.vercity.ru
The next truck tractor in the ranking list is the Ural-44202, which, coupled with the ChMZAP trawl, is capable of transporting infantry fighting vehicles. Similar tasks are performed by KamAZ-4410, the first all-wheel drive tractor from Naberezhnye Chelny.
But this technique also belongs to the category of mobilization reserve and is not used in the NWO. The three-axle KamAZ-53504, which can handle semi-trailers weighing 23 tons, can be considered a modern version of a tractor still of Soviet origin. The KamAZ-6450 truck tractor with an 8x8 wheel arrangement is much more adapted to the realities of Ukraine. This rather big car is equipped with a 360-400 hp boosted diesel engine. With. and can pull a semi-trailer with a gross weight of up to 26 tons.
Judging by experience, a four-axle tractor will take the tank away, but the BMP-3 is still the main customer. Like all other armored vehicle transporters, KamAZ-6450 has a high maximum speed (up to 80 km / h) and a rather large power reserve - up to 1 km. The all-wheel drive chassis allows the trawls to be driven along wet dirt roads, but the crew of the armored vehicle is forced to while away the road at their workplaces.
KAMAZ-65225. Source: telegra.ph
In general, there are practically no specially designed tank carriers in the Russian army, and thoroughly revised versions of civilian tractors are usually used. This, for example, was one of the most common tank transporters - KamAZ-65225.
Despite the fact that this is an all-wheel drive vehicle, the two rear axles of the tractor are dual-slope, which can significantly increase the load on the saddle. The tank carrier has a 400-horsepower engine and a gross train weight of 75 tons. "Armata", of course, will not be dragged away, but for the T-72, T-80, T-90, the safety margin is enough. The big minus of such a tank carrier is its low cross-country ability.
Firstly, the dual-slope rear axles interfere, and secondly, the diesel engine is not the most productive for a 75-ton machine. But in Ukraine it is still the most common tank carrier. This is favored by weather conditions and a developed road network. Partially, the off-road problem is solved by the KamAZ-65221 tank carrier, whose rear axles are already single-sided. Only now such a tractor transports tanks is already at the limit - the total mass of the semi-trailer does not exceed 51 tons. The machine is also used for the needs of the special operation.
KAMAZ-65221 Source: platesmania.com
BAZ-6403.01. Source: en.wikipedia.org
Russian tank carriers in Ukraine do not live by KamAZ alone. In the class of carriers of light armored vehicles - BAZ-6402 Voshchina-1, the main purpose of which is to transport S-400 complexes. The car is harsh - six wheels on torsion bar suspensions, a 9-speed manual gearbox, a 470-horsepower YaMZ diesel engine and a thirteen-meter turning radius at once. Such a hitch will not be able to carry tanks - the mass of the semi-trailer should not exceed 30 tons.
Completely in a different category is the Bryansk four-axle heavy truck BAZ-6403.01, capable of pulling a trawl weighing 70 tons. The total mass of the road train pulls 90 tons. Theoretically, the Bryansk tractor can deliver the 55-ton "Armata" to Ukraine. The car is rather big - 3 meters high, 9,9 meters long. The tractor was originally developed for the needs of the Almaz-Antey VKO concern, but is successfully used by tankers, including in Ukraine.
What if you dream?
What is missing for domestic tank carriers? First of all, an armored cabin. The queen of fighting in Ukraine is artillery with ubiquitous fragments and ready-made lethal elements. This adds serious risks to drivers in the frontline zone.
Back in 2016, there was hope for a solution to this problem - a four-axle Ural-6308 Tornado-U was developed in Miass. Everything is fine with this tank carrier - a double armored cab, which will comfortably accommodate the tank crew, and three single-axles at the rear, which at the same time increase the cross-country ability and the load on the saddle.
The motor was predicted to be 550-600-horsepower, which significantly increased the specific power of the machine. Especially in relation to predecessors. Do not forget about the luxurious independent spring agenda of the rear - "Armata" will not be rocked on potholes. The last axle was designed to be swivel, which made it possible, with the proper ability to maneuver in urban conditions. The very first prototype, however, was equipped with Hungarian bridges, a German automatic transmission, and the YaMZ engine was licensed from Renault.
We are waiting for this handsome man in Ukraine?
Ural-6308 "Tornado-U". Source: autoreview.ru
Belarusian MZKT can do this. Source: mpark.pro
K-78504 "Platform-O". Source: trucksplanet.com
K-78504 "Platform-O". Source: glav.su
One of the most important directions in the development of heavy tank transport is the development of tractors capable of taking a couple of tanks on a trawl. If not a couple, then at least a tank in the company with an infantry fighting vehicle. The Belarusian heroes of the MZKT have been able to do this for a long time, until recently they were in good demand. For example, the UAE willingly bought tank carriers and carried their BMP-3s with Leclerc on them.
Up to a certain point, Russia had a choice - either to become dependent on Belarus and buy not only rocket carriers, but also tank transporters, or independently develop an analogue. This is how the KAMAZ (more precisely, the developer was Remdiesel) Platform-O appeared - the largest and most expensive of the programs for the development of army wheeled vehicles in recent years. Two chassis - K-7350 and K-78504 - were potentially capable of competing with Minsk vehicles.
The scheme in Naberezhnye Chelny was chosen as an exotic one with a diesel generator and motor wheels. In fact, the tractors were designed from scratch. Did not work out. And the technical stuffing did not hold out, and the prototypes themselves turned out to be overweight.
Now the Minsk Design School will become the locomotive for the development of domestic tank carriers. History repeats - it was the special design bureau of MAZ after the war that became the ancestor of the entire Soviet line of heavy wheeled vehicles.
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