Many of the spectators of the November parades that took place in the 70s and 80s paid attention to tracked vehicles without weapons, but with mandatory red stars on the frontal armor and guards signs on the sides.
— Andrei_bt (@AndreiBtvt) December 17, 2021
They did not participate in the solemn marches themselves, but they were always there, often getting into the lenses of TV cameras broadcasting live from the main square of the country. We are talking about the so-called tractors providing parades - TOP. Only seven of these were manufactured, which for the Soviet Army with its tens of thousands of armored vehicles is just a drop in the ocean.
The basis for them were rare self-propelled artillery installations SU-122-54, created, as the name implies, on the basis of medium tanks T-54. In Omsk, during 55-56, only 77 pieces were produced.
According to their concept, they resembled self-propelled guns of the Great Patriotic War - a 122-mm rifled D-49 cannon with 35 rounds of ammunition was placed in the wheelhouse. High shooting accuracy was ensured by the presence of an optical rangefinder. The firing range is 13400 meters.
There were also paired and anti-aircraft 14.5 mm KPVT machine guns capable of hitting a ground enemy at distances up to 2000 meters, and aerial objects - up to 1500 meters.
The frontal protection of the hull and conning tower consisted of 100 mm armor, which had a slope of 51-55 degrees. The sides were thinner - 80 mm.
The engine is the same as on the tank: 520-horsepower B-54. The maximum speed on the highway was 48 km/h. The fuel reserve is 400 km. The combat weight is about 37,000 kg. The crew is five people.
On the basis of the "one hundred and twenty-second", an artillery mobile armored observation post Object 610 "Buffalo" was also developed, manufactured in the amount of two units. The most noticeable external difference was a short mock-up of a cannon barrel with a KPVT machine gun mounted inside.
There were also experienced BTS-600 and MTP-3 technical assistance vehicles. Armored BMR-1 mine clearance vehicles with minesweepers and towers from BTR-60PB were used in Afghanistan.
Alexey Moiseev
