The authors of the Defense Blog portal were surprised by the new modification of the outdated Russian T-62 tank. The publication emphasizes that the medium tank, adopted in 1961, is still in service.
At the beginning of September, pictures of the modernized T-62, modified by specialists of the 103rd armored repair plant, appeared. The protection of the car was strengthened with dynamic protection units "Kontakt-1" and lattice screens, and the multispectral gyrostabilized optoelectronic station (MGOES) is designed to increase the awareness of the crew.
MSPP received television and thermal imaging channels in several spectra, which allows detecting small-sized objects in any weather conditions. Also, the upgraded T-62 received a new 1PN-96MT-02 gunner's sight, which increased the target detection range at night to 2000 meters.
Defense Blog emphasizes that the new modification was created several years after reports of plans to dispose of the T-62 tank fleet. So, at the end of 2013, the Main Armored Vehicle Department of the Ministry of Defense reported on the decision to dispose of the T-62 fleet. Nevertheless, in 2018, Soviet vehicles took part in exercises of the logistics support troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Production of the T-62 tank began in 1961. The Soviet machine became the world's first tank with a smoothbore gun. The tank, which became the development of the T-55 model, received a U-5TS gun of 115 mm caliber. In the DPRK, the licensed production of the T-62 continued until 1989, and in some countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Cuba and Syria, the machine is still in service.
In April, the publication 19FortyFive named the American M1 Abrams tank one of the best in the world. According to the authors of the material, the M1 modifications were superior to Soviet tanks of several generations, including the T-62 and T-72.
Daniil Irinin