Crew positions are located in a computerized control module, which is located in the nose of the chassis. The crew, consisting of 2 people, exercises full control over the processes of loading, aiming and firing. The control module is equipped with onboard tactical target selection, positioning and navigation systems. According to the readings of instruments and sensors, the crew constantly monitors the general condition of the vehicle and the amount of ammunition by type of shot.
Each workplace of the crew members is equipped with a complex for remote control of automated fire and instrumental control of all operations on the displays by a single information command system. Information and control communication channels of the crew's workplaces in the control module with the weapons module are duplicated. Provided are the main crew hatches, an evacuation hatch, as well as a technological hatch for the transition to the weapons module.
The installation of the control module in the bow of the hull allows the crew to be placed in the least dangerous place of the combat vehicle.
The main armament is located in the turret, where a twin artillery mount and ammunition load with a mechanized loading system are installed. The engine is located at the rear of the machine.
The modular solution of weapons and command and control units as independent assembly units performing a specific function makes it possible to reduce the size and enhance the protection of the crew, including against weapons of mass destruction, as well as improve the conditions for interaction and the crew's performance.
Demonstrated at the end of 2006, the sample was made on the basis of a modified chassis using the T-80 and T-72 MBT units.
Serial products are planned to be manufactured using the chassis of a promising Russian tank (ob. 195). The new chassis (seven road wheels per side) has significantly better characteristics in terms of carrying capacity, mobility, suspension qualities, which reduce the vibrations of the artillery mount when firing.
ACS can be part of a self-propelled artillery complex, which also includes an armored ammunition carrier. Thus, the maintenance of a promising ACS will be provided with a sufficient number of personnel, despite its significantly reduced crew. Maintenance operations for a promising ACS can be automated to the maximum extent.
After the ACS reaches the firing position, the gun is fired after automatic aiming at the target by the fire control complex under the control of the crew members on the displays. Ammunition is fed from automated ammunition racks to the gun over the entire range of guidance angles. Mechanisms in the module provide automatic selection of the required types of projectiles and modular charges. The complex of life protection units cleans the incoming air from the harmful effects of powder gases and weapons of mass destruction, fully ensures comfortable working conditions for the crew.
As part of the complex (ACS / TZM), it is possible to implement a fully automated system for loading ammunition on board, loading and firing, providing a high rate of fire. The introduction of an armored transport-loading vehicle (TZM) into the complex, equipped with an automated subsystem for loading and moving ammunition, which allows the crew to reload all the necessary shots on board the ACS in a few minutes
The paired artillery mount has a cradle with two barrels located one above the other, fixed with the possibility of reciprocating movement along its axis. The upper and lower shafts are installed parallel to each other in a vertical plane.
The upper and lower barrels are kinematically connected with the corresponding upper and lower slug rammers, and with the corresponding upper and lower longitudinally sliding locks-piston-type charging rammers having an elastoplastic shutter of the "Banja" type. The upper and lower locks-charging rammers are made interacting in the locked position with their lugs directly with the pipes of the corresponding upper or lower barrel. The upper and lower barrels are connected to the corresponding left and right recoil devices.
On each barrel, in the front part of the tube, a muzzle brake of a honeycomb type is made with side windows directed in opposite directions in the horizontal plane. Other options for the implementation of the muzzle brake are also possible.
The mechanism for two-way supply of ammunition (shells and charges) of an artillery installation contains a storage device consisting of two mechanized ammunition racks. Each ammunition rack is made in the form of a closed conveyor with drives for their movement, and a window for issuing ammunition. Two ammunition reloaders from the storage and two pendulum reloaders ensure the delivery of ammunition to the swinging part of the artillery unit.
The storage device on the left side of the artillery mount is projectile, both mechanized projectile ammunition racks are located at the same level parallel to the dividing wall with two windows for issuing projectiles.
The ammunition racks are made in the form of closed conveyors with drives for their movement and consist of separate cells, each of which contains up to two shells.
The second drive, located on the other side of the artillery installation, is a charging one and consists of two mechanized charging ammunition stowage located at the same level parallel to the dividing wall. The charging storage also has two windows for issuing variable propellant charge modules. Each of the mechanized charging ammunition racks contains two closed conveyors located parallel to each other, each closed conveyor consists of separate cells, each of which contains one variable charge module.
The first pendulum reloader (slug) with a drive for its movement is installed on the first trunnion, coaxial with the trunnions of the artillery mount, on the same side of the artillery mount as the projectile storage, it has two rotary projectile trays installed parallel to each other and equipped with locking mechanisms for holding the projectiles in the process of their transportation. The slug trays are fixed with the possibility of rotation on the axes on the basis of the slug pendulum transfer loader. The slug pendulum reloader is kinematically connected in the loading position of the gun with the first and second hydraulic cylinders (for moving the slug trays to the corresponding ramming lines) installed on the cradle of the artillery mount, and are equipped with springs for returning the slug trays to their original position.
The second pendulum reloader (charging) with a drive for its movement is installed on the second trunnion, coaxial with the trunnions of the artillery mount, on the other side of the artillery mount. The charging storage has two rotary charging trays installed in parallel to each other and equipped with locking mechanisms for holding the variable charge modules during their transportation. The charging trays are fixed with the possibility of turning on the axles on the base of the charging pendulum loader in the position of loading the weapon. The reloader is kinematically connected to the third and fourth hydraulic cylinders (for moving the charging trays to the corresponding ramming lines), installed on the cradle of the artillery installation, and is equipped with springs for returning the charging trays to their original position.
The shell and charging pendulum cranes in the loading position correspond to the windows for issuing shells and variable charge modules from the corresponding storage devices - shell and charger.
Firing from a twin artillery mount is made alternately from each barrel.
For self-defense, a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun is installed on the roof, and 81 mm electrically controlled smoke grenade launchers are installed on the sides of the turret.
ACS with a paired artillery mount provides an increase in the rate of fire due to the possibility of simultaneous loading of two barrels, which brings such an artillery mount closer in firing performance to multiple launch rocket systems while maintaining accuracy by cutting the barrel system. At the same time, the dimensions and weight are preserved, close to the corresponding dimensions and weight of the traditional single-barrel system.
ACS with a paired artillery mount has increased reliability of the artillery system and combat survivability due to the use of two largely independent subsystems formed by autonomous units (two independent, both projectile and charging ammunition, etc.).
Improved firing efficiency by reducing the reaction time of the artillery complex when firing at a newly appeared target, by reducing the cycle time for loading the 1st shot by reducing the operating time of projectile and charging ammunition packs, which, in turn, is ensured by their division into two parts, and hence, cutting the length of each of them in half.
EFFECT: increased efficiency of firing, especially in the "fire raid" or "flurry of fire" mode (foreign term multiple rounds simultaneous impact MRSI) by ensuring the maximum rate of fire at one target by firing shots at different charge numbers (which is achieved by using a variable modular propellant charge) at different elevation angles of gun mount trunks. At the same time, all the shells of the burst can approach the target almost simultaneously, which provides an extremely high probability of its destruction.
Stability of ballistic characteristics on all numbers of a variable charge is ensured by providing the possibility of uniform fixation in the charging chamber of a caseless variable modular propellant charge on the piston of the sliding bolt-rammer (i.e. at the bottom of the chamber), regardless of the number of modules in a particular charge.
The mass of the paired artillery mount is commensurate with the mass of the classic single-barreled systems. This was achieved by using high-strength steels for the manufacture of barrels, unified with steels used for promising tank guns. The outer contour of the wellbore pipes is minimized in terms of pressure retention. The need to use breeches is eliminated, their function is performed by charging rammers. For the manufacture of the cradle, materials with high specific rigidity are used, for example, composite.
