Rare tank destroyer "Object-14" unearthed in Kharkov
"Glider"
A significant event happened behind enemy lines in early December 2023 - after a Russian missile attack, a 125-mm self-propelled gun was found in one of the workshops of an unnamed enterprise in Kharkov. Several conclusions follow from this. Firstly, one can only rejoice at the accuracy and selectivity of the Russian army’s strikes. Secondly, the wealth and inexhaustibility of technical stories The Soviet state never ceases to amaze. It seems that with the advance of the Russian army to the west, we will see many more museum values from the storerooms of the Kharkov armored and tractor factories. Thirdly, the situation with armored vehicles in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is so complicated that they have to patch holes in the fleet with outright antiques.
At the same time, there is no reliable evidence that the self-propelled 125-mm cannon, known as the “Object-14”, is operational and capable of fighting. Photos of not the best quality appeared on the network from the enemy side, showing a seven-wheel chassis devoid of caterpillar tracks. The turret is a welded turret of a unique design, never seen before on domestic equipment. The main caliber is a 125 mm cannon. The chassis of the combat vehicle is unusually squat with a large angle of inclination of the upper frontal part. There are serious doubts that the militants managed to bring the vehicle into combat condition - the product can hardly move under its own power, let alone fight. Otherwise, Bandera’s Internet resources would have long ago been full of brave photographs of a functional armored vehicle.
Among the distinctive features of the presented product is a massive self-entrenching knife hung in front of the lower armor part. Moreover, in one of the photos it is missing - only fastening points are present. Based on the above, we have before us an example of late Soviet engineering creativity, belonging to the class of tank destroyers or light amphibious tanks. One of the ancestors of the modern Russian Sprut-SD car.
The main goal of the Planer R&D was to replace the tinned Motolyga in the army. For reference, the theme “Planer-1” included the development of a new generation MTLB
It is simply impossible to pass by such an artifact of Soviet technical history, especially since there is not much information about Object-14. To understand the goals and objectives of creating such an interesting object, it is necessary to remember the well-deserved “Motolyga” or the multi-purpose tracked vehicle MTLB. The real queen of special operations in Ukraine, Motolyga appeared in the army back in 1964 and by the end of the 80s required replacement. Despite all the merits and features, MTLB quickly became outdated, primarily morally. The military thought so, first of all. As a result, in 1985, the Main Armored Directorate of the USSR Ministry of Defense formulated requirements for a new platform intended to replace the Motolyga.
Experienced "Planer-1" in the version of a multi-purpose armored personnel carrier-tractor. The image is enlarged using neural networks
What didn’t suit the military in MTLB? Yes, almost everything - from symbolic security to low power density. It must be said that the requirements for the new MTLB were laid out with a large margin. For example, the crew had to live in the car for at least a day without any problems, and a hydrostatic mechanical transmission was introduced into the chassis. The latter significantly increased the ease of control of the armored vehicle and traction capabilities, but was expensive and difficult to manufacture and operate. The development of a transmission that has no analogues in the country was undertaken by the Kharkov Module Design Bureau at the FED plant. The abbreviation of the company's name stands for Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky. But let’s return to the armored vehicle itself, the experimental design work (R&D) for which it received the name “Glider”. Since the developer of the MTLB at one time was the special equipment department of the Kharkov Tractor Plant, the specialists of this particular department were tasked with creating a new generation machine.
Kharkov failure
A little earlier than the “Glider” topic, the Soviet Union began designing amphibious armored vehicles with guns of caliber from 120 to 152 mm. One of the products was the experimental self-propelled gun 2S18 “Pat-S” from Kurganmashzavod. The 152 mm gun was based on the BMP-3 platform. The self-propelled gun was not adopted, but later it was transformed into the 120-mm Vienna gun. Around the same period, work was underway in Kharkov on the Object-14 amphibious light tank, one of the prototypes of which was dug up by Bandera’s men under the rubble in Kharkov. The basis for the vehicle was the same “Glider”, developed to replace the MTLB. More precisely, even MTLB, that is, an elongated tracked vehicle with seven rollers on board. The experimental development received a separate name “Planer-1”. The Planera-1 chassis was also considered to accommodate the Pat system guns and the Sprut light tank. A distinctive feature of the chassis was its low silhouette, which is why on reservoirs the 20-ton product went under water almost up to the tower.
At the top is a chassis with a 152 mm gun, at the bottom is a 120 mm Nona-2. Both based on Planer-1 from Kharkov
The large angle of inclination of the upper frontal plate and the low profile of the body caused the driver to sit, as if in an Abrams, in a semi-recumbent position. In some variations, the driver could rise up and view the surrounding reality through a sealed cap with glass. It is not known whether the idea is being implemented on the Kharkov “Glider” with a 125-mm tank gun, but there is every reason to believe that the low chines of the turret and the gun still interfere with this. But the turret with a 152-mm cannon in the Pat self-propelled gun made it possible to drive the vehicle in a traveling manner with the head outside, which is confirmed by the sketches.
Layout of the driver-mechanic in the "Glider"
One of the reasons why they abandoned the Glider was the massive transition to self-propelled artillery. It seemed to military analysts that the new “Motolyga” simply would not find its way into the army. Part of the artillery fleet will switch to tracked vehicles, and the remaining MTLBs will handle the transportation of the remaining guns. In addition, the design solutions incorporated into the Planer did not allow it to achieve tangible superiority over the previous machine. The parameters largely coincided with Motolyga, but the cost was off the charts. It turned out that if MTLB was outdated, it was only morally - from a technical point of view, it was quite relevant for the end of the 20th century. With big reservations regarding armor and mine protection, Motolyga is still good.
The same “Object-14”, found under the rubble, most likely, of the Kharkov Tractor Plant. Enemy watermarks removed
As for “Object-14”, unearthed in Kharkov, its fate is unenviable. This museum exhibit is asking to be included in the “Patriot” exhibition, and not in the hands of nationalists. Moreover, it is unlikely that it will be possible to put it in order in Ukraine. Enemy commentators hint at the complete interchangeability of the fighting compartment of the T-64 and the Object-14. Even if this is so, the performance of the hydrostatic mechanical transmission is a big question. After more than thirty years of inactivity, the unit is clearly a sad sight. It will also not be possible to remove and install the transmission from the MTLB in this place - the layout and dimensions of the MTO will not allow it. So all that remains is to brag about the glorious Soviet heritage - Bandera’s information reason is not capable of anything more.
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