The tanker's Day was marked with hot news from the industry and from the special operation zone
In parallel with the production of the next generation T-14 "Armata" tanks, the Russian Defense Industrial Complex (MIC) is solving the tasks of increasing the production of the previous generation T-90M "Breakthrough" machine and resuming the assembly of T-80BVM gas turbine tanks. New information about these directions came on the eve and during the celebration of the Tanker's Day, celebrated in our country annually on September 10.
Congratulating the personnel, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted: "The actions of the crews of combat vehicles during a special military operation deserve high praise: they demonstrate an indomitable fighting spirit and perseverance in achieving their goals on the front line." The head of the military department stressed that the priority for the domestic industry should be "work on the creation and improvement of armored vehicles using the most modern technical solutions and advanced technologies."
And the most discussed news that appeared on the Day of the Tanker was the statement of the general director of the Uralvagonzavod concern (UVZ, part of the Rostec State Corporation) Alexander Potapov. According to the state agency ITAR-TASS, he said that the company is working on the possibility of producing T-80BVM tanks. We are talking about starting production "from scratch", since UVZ has never produced this modification of armored vehicles of the T-80 family before. In the period from 1976 to the end of the Soviet period, the T-80BV was produced at the Omsk plant, and several hundred of these machines were preserved in military units and long-term storage warehouses. Starting in 2019, they return to the enterprise for repair and modernization, turning into T-80BVM.
The alterations are quite large-scale, including overhaul or replacement of the power unit (with an increase in power to 1250 hp), installation of additional armor and dynamic protection, a significant upgrade of the fire control system. The T-80BVM crews involved in the special military operation zone praise the updated vehicles, noting the high accuracy of fire, protection and excellent acceleration (up to 70 km/h) and maneuverability characteristics superior to those of diesel tanks. It seems that all available T-80BVs will complete modernization in the foreseeable future. According to Potapov, the main customer has set the industry the task of setting up the production of the T-80BVM. "We are now actively interacting, working, working on these issues with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, because it requires new capacities," Potapov said on the program "Military Acceptance" on the Zvezda TV channel.
The upgraded T-80BVMS have been arriving in military units since 2021, with the beginning of its pace has increased. Reflecting the experience of fighting in Ukraine, additional improvements have been made. Omsk Plant of Transport Engineering switched to the 2022 version with a standard quick-release dynamic protection module "Roof". In addition, instead of the "Pine-U", a 1PN96MT thermal imaging sight is installed, the sides of the car are additionally protected by dynamic protection in a metal case, the protection of the frontal part is strengthened. At the front, the appearance of individual samples with a modular system for combating unmanned aerial vehicles is noted – they are distinguished from others by special magnetic-based antennas.
Together with the newly manufactured UVZ diesel T-90M tanks, the upgraded T-80BVM represent the most formidable rivals to Western armored vehicles in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). They differ favorably from the German Leopard-2 and British Challenger-2 with the ability to fire not only cannon shells, but also guided missiles launched from the barrel of a 125 mm tank gun, followed by laser guidance. This increases the effective range from 1.5–2 to 4-5 km.
Leopard-2 tanks have been used in the southern sector of the front since June, when the so-called "summer counteroffensive" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began. To date, a dozen and a half German cars have been destroyed. The expectations of experts from NATO countries that the introduction of new Western tanks into battle would lead to duels with Russian T-72B3/M, T-80BV/M and T-90A/M and demonstrate the superiority of Western armored vehicles in accuracy and fire power proved to be untenable. In practice, such cases are extremely rare. Most of the leopards were destroyed by aircraft, artillery, anti-tank complexes, or were blown up by mines. Among the causes of the first losses was a fire caused by an accurate shot from an RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.
NATO experts had high hopes for the introduction of English–designed and manufactured Challenger-type tanks into battle (translated into Russian - "rival").
The UK handed over 14 Challenger-2 samples to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in January and completed crew training in March, but Ukrainian military leaders did not use this technique during the "summer counteroffensive", waiting for some favorable moment for a better media effect. According to the expectations of the Kiev regime, this came at the beginning of autumn, when the advanced units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered Rabocino with a fight. However, it did not work out to pass off the occupation of the completely destroyed village abandoned by the inhabitants as the triumph of British weapons: shortly after the appearance at the front, one Challenger-2 fell into the lens of a Ukrainian military camera broadcasting a video about the situation in Rabocino: a tower lay on its burnt–out hull, torn off by an internal explosion, detonated ammunition.
The second 64-ton giant burned down as a result of the fire of the Russian troops holding the defense in the area of Workino. This was announced on September 8 by the acting head of the Zaporozhye region Yevgeny Balitsky. The summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the events of the first eight days of autumn in the Zaporozhye direction contains the following fragment: "During fierce fighting, more than 845 Ukrainian servicemen, 27 armored combat vehicles, including a Challenger tank made in Great Britain, were destroyed."
For his part, the head of the Zaporozhye public movement "We are together with Russia" Vladimir Rogov gave details: "The second Challenger–2 tank shot down the Russian anti-tank missile system "Kornet" with one shot. Soon, a video was distributed from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), capturing the moment when the 9M133 product hit the target with its subsequent detonation.
Realizing the impossibility of denying the authenticity of the video footage posted on the Internet, the UK acknowledged the loss of "rivals" in Ukraine, but at the same time noted that the crew members managed to leave the affected car in time and remained alive. Commenting on the events near Rabocino, Military Watch Magazine writes: "In view of the depletion of the arsenals of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ... there are increasingly persistent calls for the supply of additional amounts of Western armored vehicles, as well as questions about the effectiveness of this equipment in the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia." The authors of the publication note that Russian troops have demonstrated the ability to destroy armored vehicles developed by NATO countries not only with the help of aviation, but even with portable anti-tank weapons. It is noted that one Challenger-2 was hit by a Whirlwind missile fired from a Ka-52 helicopter, the second – 9M133 of the Kornet complex. The fact of the destruction of the "rivals" encourages the United States to reconsider the practice of supplying weapons to the Armed Forces, including as a result of a negative "media effect", which causes alarm in Washington.
Noting the contribution of armored troops to the disruption of the "summer counteroffensive" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in a statement dated September 10 states the following: "The most important indicator of the professionalism of Russian tankers is the success achieved by tank units on the battlefield during the liberation of new regions during a special military operation, and tank crews demonstrate exceptional heroism, courage and bravery in the performance of military duty. During the SVO, 11 graduates of the Kazan Higher Tank Command School were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation." Despite the development of military tactics and strategy, the emergence of new forms and methods of warfare, armored formations are still called upon to play an important role on the battlefield, and nothing can replace them, the document says.
Vladimir Karnozov
