During the Cold War, Western analysts were perplexed by how many different types of tanks there were in the Soviet Union, the author writes. Today, Russia resumed production of the T-80 series and continued development of the T-72 and T-90. But are there any differences between them?
During the Cold War, Western analysts were perplexed by the number of different types of tanks in the Soviet Union. At the same time, eight different tank families were in service and undergoing modernization in this country: PT-76, T-10, T-54, T-55, T-62, T-64, T-72 and T-80. When the Soviet Union collapsed, it seemed that the concept of diversity in tank forces had also come to an end.
After the unsuccessful use of the T-80 tanks in Grozny, it seemed that the military was focusing only on such vehicles as the T-90 and T-72. The T-80U and T-80UE tanks were retrofitted and upgraded only in small batches. Perhaps it was a cost-saving measure, since both tanks were made and repaired at Uralvagonzavod.
However, when Russia resumed production of the T-80 series, starting construction of the T-80BVM tank, and continued development of the T-72 and T-90, it was a sign that the military command had returned to the concept of diversity in tank forces.
But how do these tanks differ, and do some have significant advantages over others?
Recently, the focus has been on the T-72 series of tanks in service with the Russian army. The actions of the T-72B3 tank in Ukraine led to its becoming the new main tank in the Russian armed forces. In fact, the T-72B3 will be the main battle tank until significant numbers of Armata vehicles appear in the Russian army.
In general, the T-72B3 is an upgraded version of the T-72B and T-72BA, which it will replace with more advanced combat capabilities. The new engine has increased its mobility on the battlefield, and the Relict dynamic protection system better protects this tank from any threats. Thanks to the appearance of the Sosna-U thermal imaging gunner's sight, which is used together with the conventional 1A40-4 tank sighting system, the T-72B3 is much more effective at detecting targets and fighting in adverse environmental conditions. The main gun of the 2A46 tank has been upgraded and is now firing new ammunition.
The T-72B3M tank, which is a further upgrade of the T-72B3, is equipped with a panoramic sight of the PK-PAN commander, which allows him to independently search for targets and then rotate the turret to destroy them. This is the so-called search-and-destroy function.
In Western tanks, this function is almost ubiquitous. The American M1A2 tank has a CITV commander's autonomous thermal imaging surveillance device, and the Leopard 2A5 tank has a panoramic commander's observation device PERI-R17A. Thus, the T-72B3M's surveillance and situation assessment capabilities roughly correspond to those of Western vehicles.
The T-80 family of tanks is also undergoing modernization. The T-80BVM is the most modern version of the T-80. This tank also has a Sosna-U sight, but there is no traditional 1G42 optical sight. The Sosna-U performs the functions of the gunner's main aiming device. The tank has a spare PDT sight (thermal imaging doubler sight), which has weaker characteristics, since it does not have a modern target pre-emption function, and it cannot aim an anti-tank guided projectile at the target. This task is performed by the Sosna and the 1A40-4 sight.
Thus, the T-80BVM tank has fewer opportunities for duplication compared to the T-72B3. However, this tank is more ergonomic. Since the Sosna-U is the main sight for the gunner, it is placed in the tank directly in front of him. On the T-72B3, this sight is shifted to the side, which makes it more difficult to use, and its prolonged use causes great inconvenience.
T-80BVM - "deep modernization" of T-80B / BV. A standard upgrade typical of the Russian army, which is carried out in accordance with the state order for 2017.[/i]
The T-80 is being upgraded in a similar way and in other ways, which makes the modernization process similar to the improvement of the T-72B3. However, the T-80 retains its traditional advantage, such as the gas turbine engine, which provides it with more horsepower than the T-72B3 and gives the T-80BVM more power per unit weight. This engine also performs better in Arctic conditions, starting at temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius.
As for the protection of the tank, the T-80BVM uses dynamic protection "Relict", thanks to which this tank is not inferior to the T-72B3 in its security. The configuration of the T-80BVM's Relict dynamic protection system is approximately the same as that of the T-72B3. In general, the T-80BVM is comparable in its characteristics to the T-72B3 tank, but has greater mobility on the battlefield. However, he does not have the advanced commander's thermal imager that the T-72B3M is equipped with.
The T-90M Breakthrough-3 tank is the third main battle tank under development. In January 2017, there were reports that all T-90 tanks in the Russian army would be upgraded to its level. This is a deeper upgrade than the T-72B3, as it is planned to install a new 2A82 cannon on the T-90. Currently, the T-90M, T-72B3 and T-80BVM tanks use upgraded versions of the 2A46 cannon.
The new cannon allows you to use longer projectiles, which increases the penetration ability of each shot. The caliber remained unchanged at 125 mm, and this ensures compatibility of the gun with older ammunition of other types. The T-90M is equipped with an autonomous commander's thermal imager, which provides the function of searching and destroying targets. The tank also has a thermal imaging gunner's sight, although it is not fully clear what type. Some analysts say that this will be the Irbis-K thermal imaging gunner's sight, all components of which are of domestic production.
Other experts note that the T-90M tank presented to the public has only a Sosna-U gunner's sight and a PK-PAN commander's sight, which use French-made parts. The Russian military-industrial complex has received permission to mass-produce Irbis scopes, and it looks like it will be installed on new T-90M tanks.
If we talk about protection, then the T-90M tanks, which the experts managed to see, use the Relict dynamic protection system, as well as the T-72B3 and T-80BVM. However, the T-90M has more anti-fog screens with grilles that protect the base of the turret and the rear of the vehicle. The T-90M tank also retains the electronic-optical active protection system "Curtain", which was used on previous versions of the T-90. The "eyes" characteristic of the "Curtain", which provide interference, are absent in the new version, but the tank retained the ability to detect missile launches and automatically activate the smoke screen. The T-72B3 and T-80BVM tanks do not have this capability.
It is planned to equip the T-90M with an improved Malachite dynamic protection system, which will ensure an increase in production compared to the Relict complex installed on the T-72B3 and T-80BVM. It is also planned to equip the T-90M with the Afghanit active protection system. But there are no photos of the T-90M with Afghanite and Malachite.
