Image source: Photo: Bulletin of Mordovia
In the 80s, T-62 medium tanks became the main combat vehicles of the formations of the Limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. The first experience of their combat use has demonstrated that tanks need to improve their security characteristics.
At the insistence of the military, the designers created blocks with steel plates inside and cavities between them filled with polyurethane foam. It turned out to be a real multi-layered armor that was supposed to withstand shots from rocket-propelled infantry grenade launchers and anti-tank guided missiles.
They were placed in front of the turret, on both sides of the 115-mm cannon. There were also samples of the "sixty-second", on which the same blocks covered the stern. However, this version of the installation has not been widely distributed.
Image source: Photo: Bulletin of Mordovia
For their characteristic shape, these structures were given the half-joking nickname "Ilyich's Eyebrows" by the soldiers of the 40th Combined Arms Army, referring to Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, who was known to have thick eyebrows.
The upper frontal part also received an additional reservation. According to the tankers, this development saved the crews behind the armor more than once.
It can be added that the T-62, which received the letter "M" for designation, was also equipped with a mine protection bottom. This was also very useful, considering how densely the Dushmans mined the area in some areas.
Image source: Photo: Bulletin of Mordovia
The vehicles involved in the special military operation also have such "eyebrows". Judging by the video footage coming from the line of contact, some tanks are also equipped with dynamic protection on top of the containers, which adds to the chances of survival on the battlefield. All this indicates that domestic equipment has an endless modernization reserve.
Alexey Brusilov
