On September 10, 2017, tank troops and tank builders celebrate their professional holiday. Tanker's Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday in September. The holiday itself arose by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 1, 1946. Celebration in Russia at the official level began with the publication of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 549 of May 31, 2006 "On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation."
In our country, the history of tank forces has deep - almost centuries-old roots. It is officially believed that the first domestic tank was created in Nizhny Novgorod in 1920. By the beginning of World War II, the Red Army's tank fleet consisted of T-26 and BT light tanks, T-34 medium tanks and KV-1 heavy tanks.
Despite the most difficult conditions, tank technology continued to improve during the war.
In the summer of 1942, four tank armies were created, equipped with new vehicles: KV-85, IS-2, IS-3.
Tank troops during the Second World War were always at the forefront. Combat vehicles broke through the defenses and held back the enemy's offensive, and the battle at Prokhorovka in 1943 went down in history as the largest battle of armored forces in the history of mankind.
In memory of the heroism of Soviet tankers in the liberated cities, there are monuments to the tank, which is one of the victorious symbols of the Great Patriotic War. It was the legendary "34" that broke through in Berlin first during an offensive operation.
For the courage and heroism shown in the struggle against the German fascist invaders, 1,142 tank soldiers received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 16 of them have been awarded this title twice. More than 9 thousand tank builders who forged the Great Victory in the rear were also awarded high state awards. The work of tank builders is also immortalized in the exposition of the museum of armored vehicles UralVagonZavod - one of the world leaders in the tank industry.
Today, the tank troops of the Armed Forces of Russia, as a branch of the Ground Forces of the RF Armed Forces, are their main striking force and a powerful defense asset.
Modern tanks are capable of overcoming water obstacles, conducting active combat operations in the daytime and at night, and making rapid forward marches at impressive speeds.
Tanks were and remain one of the main operating forces in conflicts with direct contact of opponents. Take, for example, the 2008 conflict - an operation to force Georgia to peace. Without powerful tank support, the operation could well have dragged on for a longer period. And the number of victims of the conflict from the Russian and South Ossetian sides would have been different.
To date, there are approximately 22 thousand tanks in the active forces and in storage in the arsenals of the Russian army.
This is according to the official website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The domestic tank forces are armed with three models of tanks: T-72, T-80 and T-90 in various modifications.
One of the priority tasks of the development of tank forces is the modernization of the tank fleet.
So after the modernization of the T-90 tank, an actually new machine turned out, in which they show keen interest in the armed forces of foreign countries. Recall that after the tank biathlon, the Indian media wrote that without the modernization of the T-90 fleet of the Indian Armed Forces, the development of the entire defense sector of India would not be possible. On the one hand, we can say that Indian journalists blamed the T-90s purchased from the Russian Federation for the failure in the Tank Biathlon. But on the other hand, such a publication is also an impetus for the Indian Ministry of Defense in the direction of modernizing tanks according to the Russian scheme. So far, the question is, who will lead this scheme in India to implementation?
Tank building in Russia is in constant development. The new types of combat vehicles are based on the latest achievements of science and technology. In terms of their tactical and technical characteristics, they are significantly superior to the tanks of previous generations. Moreover, the use of new materials, which Russian scientists are working on, also plays a role here.
Within the framework of the state program for the rearmament of the army, the military department signed a contract with representatives of the Uralvagonzavod company for the manufacture of 2,300 T-14 Armata tanks until 2020-2025. It was originally … Recently, the figures have been adjusted towards a decrease in the volume of the order with a statement about the advisability of modernizing the existing tank units.
In 2015, a pilot batch of 20 tanks was manufactured, in 2016 serial (pilot) production of tanks began.
The T-14 Armata tank is a fundamentally new and completely Russian development. The use of a special coating makes the vehicle almost invisible in the thermal and radar spectra of observation. The Armata's armor is capable of withstanding any existing anti-tank weapon, at least the manufacturer insists on this assessment.
This is the first Russian tank on which a digital information and control system is being created - the "digital board". It launches, controls, diagnoses and adjusts the parameters of mechanisms. Makes the tank itself a unit of a network-centric operation with the ability to correct the actions of the crew from the command post, even in combat conditions.
T-14 "Armata" can use high-explosive, armor-piercing and cumulative shells, guided missiles with electronic, satellite and infrared guidance.
The T-14 is more than just a tank in the usual sense of the word. This is a universal shock vehicle that combines a missile system, an anti-aircraft anti-aircraft system, a reconnaissance system and, in fact, the tank itself as such.
We hope that after all the necessary tests, a sufficient number of such vehicles will enter the troops - with the elimination of previously identified shortcomings. The entire set of tests of the newest Russian tank should be completed by 2020.
Video of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation:
Voennoye Obozreniye congratulates tankers, service veterans and representatives of the tank-building industry on the holiday!
