TASS tells how in 2023 the range of combat vehicles used by Russian troops in the zone of special military operation (SVO) expanded, what improvements they received (both at the factory and "in the fields") and for what characteristics domestic vehicles are especially praised by tankers
On June 6, at the height of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the crew of the Russian T-80 tank single-handedly destroyed eight units of enemy armored vehicles in battle in the Zaporozhye direction, stopping the advance of the enemy's armored group. This episode became known much later: in August, it turns out that the tank was named "Alyosha", and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation will present its crew for an award. At the end of the month, the heroes will be awarded by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a day later he will meet with them in the Kremlin and ask about the feat. This story once again reminded of the important role of tanks in the special operation in Ukraine.
T-55 and T-62: a new application in modern combat
In 2023, for the first time, including from the Russian military department, reports began to appear about the use of T-62M tanks during a special operation. The machine, which was adopted in 1961, became one of the oldest tanks fighting in the SVO zone. It was originally created protected from anti-tank 105-millimeter shells of Western-style cannons and hand-held anti-tank weapons, however, in the process of upgrading to the T-62M level, it received armor protection for the turret, hull and bottoms, on-board anti-accumulation screens, as well as smoke grenade launching systems "Cloud" and napalm protection "Soda".
Now, before being sent to the front, T-62M tanks are undergoing another stage of modernization in the workshops of the 103rd armored plant located in Transbaikalia, working in three shifts. According to the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, reserve Lieutenant General Andrey Gurulev, the machines coming from storage are completely disassembled, old nodes are removed, and new ones are installed instead. The emphasis in modernization is on improving protection, suggested Sergey Suvorov, an expert in the field of armored vehicles, candidate of military sciences, reserve colonel, in an interview with TASS. For example, the machines are equipped with containers with dynamic protection "Kontakt-1", additional protective screens, as well as elements of protection against kamikaze drones above the towers, which, due to the similarity of shape, have the nickname "braziers".
At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation demonstrates new modifications of the T-62, equipped with modern intelligence and surveillance equipment to combat drones. So, at the Army forum in 2022, the military department presented a car with a multispectral gyrostabilized optoelectronic system and a thermal imager developed at the Central Research Institute "Cyclone". "She visually detects, and she has thermal imaging channels, and a rangefinder. Now [work] on drones is relevant. A high-resolution camera is looking for them. He searches, finds, allocates and accompanies," a representative of the Main Armored Vehicle Department explained in a conversation with TASS.
However, the T-62 is not the oldest machine that has been used in the special operation zone. According to Suvorov, the T-55 tank, adopted by the USSR in 1958, is also successfully used on the battlefield. Like any other Soviet equipment, it is not sent to the front line immediately from backup storage bases, but is pre-modernized: the fire control system is improved and protection is improved.
As the reserve colonel explains, in the conditions of a special operation, one of the main advantages of both the T-55 and T-62 were their precise guns, allowing them to use machines for firing from closed firing positions and point—to-point destruction of enemy targets - for example, fortifications or equipment. "In this regard, the T-55 is even better than the T-90, since the firing range of its cannon is "hundreds" (100-millimeter cannon — approx. TASS) — better than a smoothbore 125-millimeter cannon. Therefore, it is quite relevant to use these tanks as self—propelled artillery guns," explains Suvorov. The correction of firing with the help of a drone allows you to achieve accuracy that is not inferior to artillery batteries. This technique also appeared during the special operation.
Moreover, according to the expert, such tanks are often even preferable to self-propelled guns, since they initially have more powerful protection. "When something flies in response, shells will explode somewhere nearby, they can penetrate self-propelled guns, and in this case there will be nothing for the tank," the agency interlocutor shared his opinion.
T-72: upgraded to the limit
The T-72 tank, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, remains one of the most effective and at the same time the most massive tanks used during a special operation. Uralvagonzavod Concern (UVZ, part of Rostec State Corporation) regularly reported on the supply of T-72B3 vehicles to the troops throughout 2023, and in July, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced an increase in supplies and major repairs of T-72 and T-90 by 3.6 times. At the same time, in August it became known about another possible direction of modernization of the decommissioned T-72 by giving them characteristics almost on a par with the Terminator tank support combat vehicles (BMPT).
To date, it is simply impossible to make the T-72B3 of the 2022 model more perfect, Suvorov believes. "Everything has been installed there for a long time. The only thing is that they improve in the direction of protection. The rest cannot be improved — well, only if I flew into space," the agency interlocutor jokes.
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| An upgraded T-72B3 tank "sample of 2016" with a Russian-made thermal imaging module TPK-K sight. |
| Source: Uralvagonzavod Scientific and Production Corporation JSC (via Viktor Murakhovsky) |
During 2023, the T-72B3 received improvements, and indeed, they all concerned increasing the level of protection of the machine. So, in the summer, it became known for the first time from the widespread UVZ frames that the "seventy-two" began to be equipped with dynamic protection units from the rear side of the towers in factory conditions. As Suvorov explained, this is necessary to protect against barrage ammunition, attacks of which can be expected from any side. Previously, the rear part of the towers was occupied by a set of spare parts, tools and accessories of the tank.
Also in 2023, cars began to come off the assembly line already equipped with metal visors-"mangalas" that protect against kamikaze drones and ammunition dropped from drones. Such designs appeared with the beginning of the special operation as a result of the widespread use of attack drones on the battlefield. Previously, fighters set up protection on their own in an artisanal way already on the front line.
T-80: one of the best in the world
The T-80 tank in the BVM modification regularly appears on the personnel of the military department from the SVO zone. Fighters especially praise its noiselessness, which allows you to get as close to the enemy as possible, to remain unnoticed. The tank owes this quality to the power plant: while the vast majority of other domestic combat vehicles are equipped with diesel power plants, it has a quiet gas turbine engine. "Even during the Chechen war, they showed themselves well. There were cases that they sneaked up at night and made a lot of trouble for the enemy," says Suvorov. The expert also points out the trouble-free operation of machines with such an engine. "She is very good, especially in winter. This is probably by far the warmest tank in winter. Comfortable, unpretentious, works great," says the colonel of the reserve.
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| Upgraded T-80BVM tanks from the 200th separate motorized Rifle Brigade of the Northern Fleet. Murmansk district, November 2019. |
| Source: Russian Ministry of Defense |
In the fall of 2023, it became known that this T-80 also receives relevant protective equipment based on its experience in special operations. So, these combat vehicles began to be routinely equipped with anti—drone complexes and those very "mangalas" - to protect against the cumulative effects of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). According to a representative of Omsktransmash, an enterprise that upgrades Soviet T-80 tanks to the T-80BVM level, this design showed one hundred percent protection from hits from Western Javelin and NLAW complexes during tests. Moreover, machines with modifications are already being used at the front. In addition, in December, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that the T-80BVM had received another revision based on its experience: standard protection systems against guidance of precision weapons.
In September, Alexander Potapov, General Director of the UVZ concern, announced that the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation had set the company the task of resuming production of the T-80 from scratch. According to him, the issue is currently being worked out, including with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as it will require new production facilities. In an interview with TASS, expert Suvorov expressed confidence in the need to resume such production. "Of course, restoring the production of these tanks will require tremendous efforts, many technologies have been lost. But you need to start producing. Because the T-80 was and continues to be one of the best tanks in the world," the expert shared his opinion.
T-90: Real firepower
The T-90M tank is by far the most modern combat vehicle, which has shown itself "very well" in the special operation, Suvorov notes. According to him, in 2023, it was the T-90M on the battlefield that took over most of the tasks of fighting Western tanks assigned to Kiev. "There are few cases, but nevertheless [they are]. [The tank] successfully held out against FPV drones and other anti-tank weapons that they tried to use," the expert said.
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| The T-90M "Breakthrough" tank is moving forward on a combat mission. |
| Source: Photo: TASS/Alexander River |
In recent years, the tank has improved protection, upgraded the fire control system, and equipment that allows it to be included in the automated tactical control system. In April, it also became known that the T-90 will be equipped with the latest complex of active protection against anti-tank grenades and anti-tank guided missiles "Arena-M". It includes a radar station that detects projectiles, for the targeted destruction of which protective ammunition of narrowly directed action is used along the perimeter of the tank turret.
However, the main improvements of the T-90 relate to its combat power. "There are indeed many improvements implemented today to increase firepower, to use many armor-piercing ammunition that could not be used in previous modifications due to their length," says the agency interlocutor. According to the commander-in-chief of the Ground Forces, Army General Oleg Salyukov, the T-90 in the special operation zone has already begun to use new high-explosive shells "Telnik" with striking elements and air detonation at a given point.
Generator and savvy: how tanks are being upgraded "in the fields"
Modernization of the tank is possible not only in factory conditions: as Russian tankers tell us, often for "tuning" at the front, only access to electricity or a generator, as well as the ingenuity of military personnel, is enough. As the deputy commander of one of the battalions told TASS, this is how combat vehicles acquire, for example, anti-drone visors if they are not installed at the factory. "Each commander looks directly at how he feels better. Well, in principle, what tools are at hand — the same grids are also different," said the deputy commander.
He added that tanks also protect against visual detection — for this purpose, camouflage nets are used, which are selected for certain weather conditions. But protection from thermal imagers of the tanks themselves is not implemented — there are no necessary funds for this "in the fields". To reduce thermal visibility, the fighters make special caponiers, where the tank can enter after it has shot off the ammunition. They are built, among other things, using thermal insulation materials and solve several problems at once — the tank is not visible either from the air or with the help of a thermal imager.
As the serviceman said, "behind the ribbon" tanks are also equipped with additional protection kits, if it is structurally possible. "So, in terms of booking, all our tanks are not inferior, and at some points even significantly surpass everything that the enemy currently has," the deputy commander added.
Georgy Sultanov, Valery Sturit
