Tank T-80U-M1 "Bars"
In different countries, the development of new models of military equipment and new technologies continues. Serious attention is also paid to the modernization of existing models. This is due to the presence of a significant amount of equipment in the army, and a tendency to reduce the cost of purchasing new weapons. Two other features should be noted firstly, the life cycle of military equipment is very long (15-20 years), secondly, in some areas progress so significant that it allows, without a significant change in the appearance of an object, to achieve a qualitative improvement in its combat characteristics.
An example is the T-80 tank, which was adopted by the Russian army in 1976. Vehicles of this family are produced by the Omsk production association "October Revolution Transport Engineering Plant". According to the Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev, the most combat-ready elite divisions of the Russian army are equipped with T-80U tanks.
Initially, there was considerable potential for modernization. The conceptual need to improve the combat and operational properties predetermined the phased modernization of the machines of this family. Today it is the T-80-M1 Bars tank, which retains the classic layout, in which the main armament is located in a rotating turret, power plant and the transmission is in the aft part of the hull, the crew is separately the tank commander and the gunner in the fighting compartment, the driver is in the control compartment.
Like his brothers, the T-80-M1 Bars tank is fast and unobtrusive in any terrain, capable of making marches over long distances and transported by all means of transport.
ARMAMENT
The variety of requirements for the tank, and a wide range of targets, both in terms of the degree of danger to the tank itself and in terms of their security, led to the need to equip the machine with a more sophisticated armament complex, ensuring the defeat of the enemy, both ground and air, to a range of 5000 meters.
On the T-80-M1 Bars' tank, a smooth-bore gun was installed - an 2А46М launcher of 125 mm caliber, stabilized in two planes. By increasing the rigidity of the barrel, the accuracy of shooting at 20 percent was preserved. trouble-free gun 2А46М-1.
The modern 1А45 fire control system includes a laser range finder, wind sensors, speeds of the tank and target, roll, charge temperature and environment, a tank ballistic computer. This system, together with a unique chassis with high smoothness, allows effective fire on rough terrain at speeds up to 35 km / h and any position of the turret. For this parameter, the T-80U family tanks have no equal.
The gunner controls the fire in the battle, but the guidance and aiming devices installed on the tank allow the commander to determine the most dangerous target, aim independently of the gunner and, pressing the "target designation" button on the control panel, deploy the turret and combine the gunner's aiming line to fully control the weapon on yourself ("Double" mode) and hit the target.
The guided weapons system (GWS) allows for almost 100 percent probability of hitting an armored or low-flying target rocket, controlled by a laser beam, at a range of up to 5 km, the KUV 9K119 has increased noise immunity and is easy to operate and maintain.
The T-80U-М1 tank can be equipped with the Buran night gunner's infrared sight or a Russian (Agave-2) thermal imager or a foreign-made sight. When installing a thermal sight, the gunner and the commander get the opportunity to fire the 9М119 guided missile both day and night.
Automatic loader provides rate of fire 7-9 shots per minute. Abroad, only the French tank Leclerc is equipped with an automatic loader. In the carousel-type conveyor of the automatic loader of the T-80-M1, 28 shots are stacked, while on the French Leclerc and on the Russian T-90 - 22 shots.
PROTECTION
The T-80U-М1 tank is protected from modern anti-tank weapons due to:
• combined multi-layer protection of the upper front part of the hull and a combined filler in the tower,
• complex of built-in dynamic protection (VDZ) of the hull and tower, as well as armored bulwarks with elements of VDZ,
• active protection complex "Arena",
• curtain installation systems for the Blind-1 optical-electronic countermeasures complex.
The use of VDZ in 80-s has significantly increased the degree of protection of tanks from cumulative projectiles, however, after the explosion of VDZ, part of the surface area of the main armor remains unprotected. The development of an active protection system over the last 10-20 years has been carried out in many countries. However, only in Russia they were brought to the production of ready-made systems, the Arena is one of them. Unmatched in the world in terms of technical specifications, it is designed to protect tanks against anti-tank grenades and missiles fired by all types of infantry weaponsas well as from land and air ATGMs flying at speeds from 70 to 700 meters per second, regardless of the control system and types of warheads
The Arena complex mounted on the T-80-М1 Bars tank is switched on and off from the commander's control panel, after which all subsequent operations are performed automatically. In addition to working mainly in automatic mode, in emergency situations, the commander can control it manually, for example, to destroy obstacles or to create short-range protection against infantry.
The Arena protects the tank in any weather, in any combat conditions, including movement and aiming, regardless of the angle of approach of the weapons. The design of information processing radars and sights provides a high level of protection against interference, does not respond to false and accidental signals, acts only when a serious danger appears or if the threat vehicle flies directly to the tank.
The active defense system doubles the survivability of the Barça, and when using tanks for peacekeeping purposes and resolving local conflicts, when the enemy has mainly light anti-tank weapons at its disposal, 3-4 times. The use of the “Arena” active protection complex in combination with the “Blind-1” optical-electronic suppression complex allows the tank to be protected by a factor of 3-5.
Instead of the device for radiation and chemical reconnaissance GO-27, installed on almost all Russian models of armored vehicles on the T-80-M1 Bars tank, there is a complex with high speed and sensitivity. Its maintenance requires less work. The new device is compact and easier to operate. Built-in monitoring allows you to quickly check the status of devices and receive information about the malfunction of the main components.
The automatic fire extinguishing system provides fire extinguishing within 150 milliseconds.
For communication, the T-80U-M1 radio station is equipped with a P-163-50U radio station and a P-163UP radio receiver, operating in the UHF band in a noise-proof mode, in which an automatic search of a set of pre-selected frequencies occurs and the channel most free from interference is determined. There is a channel for the transmission of telecode information and radio communication by address.
MANEURABILITY AND SPEED
Tank T-80U-М1 "Bars" is equipped with a multi-fuel gas turbine engine with an output of 1250 l. with hydrostatic transmission (GOP) (power density - 27,2 hp / t), which significantly exceeds the parameters of both Russian and foreign tanks and causes high maneuverability and mobility. Significantly larger than diesel engines, the stock of torque eliminates the possibility of stopping the engine when overloaded and reduces the number of gear shifts when driving on rough terrain.
High dynamic and acceleration characteristics allow you to quickly leave the zone of fire. The tank accelerates from a place to the speed of 50 km / h in just 17-19 seconds, and the jump from the spot to 3 -5 meters produces in 1 - 2 seconds, which makes it possible to ricochet a flying projectile. The experience of using T-80U in combat shows that individual tanks withstood up to five hits of projectiles and guided missiles and continued to perform the task. Compared with the T-80U tank, the Bars is simpler and easier to operate and maintain. In the near future, it is planned to install on it a forced engine with a capacity of 1400 l / s.
GOP is designed to significantly improve the turning, speed, maneuverability and reliability of the onboard gearboxes (BKP). When passing a real route, the gain in average speed on 12% and single turns - up to 33 percent. At the same time, the turning radius is regulated steplessly, the number of switching gears in the turning mode is sharply reduced. Increased smoothness, and, accordingly, increased shooting accuracy.
Fuel consumption decreased by 5-10%, while the life of the units increased:
• transmissions - by 30%;
• Running gear - on 50%.
The number of controls is minimized - the steering wheel, the "gas" pedal, the brake pedal. This allows the driver to focus on the road, on the ground, on the battlefield, ensures its long-term performance. Efforts on the governing bodies have decreased four times. Fatigue of driver mechanics on long marches decreases.
The possibility of using various types of fuel (diesel - basic, kerosene - redundant, gasoline - back-up) greatly simplifies the logistics of parts.
The auxiliary gas turbine unit GTA-18 with 18 kW power ensures the functioning of all the complexes and systems of the tank in the parking lot with the main engine shut off.
When conducting combat in defense, the use of an auxiliary power unit significantly reduces the level of infrared radiation, which significantly reduces the probability of detecting a tank with the help of thermal sights.
Fuel consumption during a military operation is significantly lower than that on tanks equipped with a traditional diesel engine without an auxiliary power unit.
COMFORT AND ECONOMY
During the operation of military equipment in difficult climatic conditions, in particular in areas with a tropical climate at elevated temperatures and air humidity, when not only work, but also a person’s vital activity becomes difficult, the Russian military equipment without air conditioning sharply loses its fighting qualities. The creation of an air-conditioning system (SCR) for tanks worked for the employees of the Krios research and production enterprise, who participated in the design and manufacture of the air-conditioning system for the Mir space station.
Designed and installed on the Bars tank, the SLE has increased reliability with significant mechanical overloads and the possibility of carrying out repairs in the field.
The air conditioner, designed for the Barça, has individual cooling air connections for each crew member. As a result, only working areas are cooled, and not the entire internal volume of the tank. The advantage of such an air conditioning system as compared with systems of general exchange type are: cost-effectiveness and the possibility of using ventilated vests in combination with fire-resistant suits. In addition, the air conditioning system not only cools the air, but also makes it dry, which is especially important in countries with hot and humid climates. The presence of the auxiliary unit GTA-18 allows you to turn on the air conditioner in the parking lot without starting the main engine.
On the T-80U family of tanks, an asphalt caterpillar can be installed to keep the road surfaces on the march along concrete and asphalt roads.
For the production of tanks for export, a number of measures have been developed that increase their competitiveness in the global arms market. A distinctive feature of the T-80U family of tanks is the possibility of ordering them in various configurations, taking into account the conditions and capabilities of the buyer country.
1. Smoothbore Gun - Launcher Type 2А46М4
2. Illuminator optical-electronic counter "Curtain-1"
3. Closed installation with machine gun NSVT 12.7 mm
4. The optical heads of the Shtora-1 optical-electronic countermeasure system detect laser radiation and turn the turret towards its source.
5. Illuminator optical-electronic counter "Curtain-1"
6. KAZ DROZD-2
7. Transverse wind speed sensor.
8. The system for setting up aerosol curtains from anti-tank missiles with a semi-active 81-mm aerosol-assisting grenade 3D17 for 3c. forms an aerosol curtain covering the protected object.
9. Radar "KAZ" DROZD-2
Information