Improving the main characteristics of the tank can be solved in two ways: the development and production of new tanks with higher characteristics and the modernization of previously released ones, which provides a significant increase in the characteristics of the tank.
Which way is preferable is determined by the cost-effectiveness ratio, and the prospects for the production or modernization of tanks are assessed by it. The release of new machines is associated with high financial and production costs, therefore, if the same characteristics are achieved with cheaper means during modernization, it is more profitable to focus on the modernization of the tank fleet.
In this material, without touching on the issue of modernizing tanks in terms of security and mobility, the author considered the issue of increasing the firepower of previously released tanks during their modernization by introducing modern elements of tank fire control systems and integrating them into a single automated command and control system at the tactical level.
In the West, the production of new tanks has been minimized. The main efforts are focused on modernizing the existing generation of machines. An example of the successful implementation of such a concept is the modernization of the generation of M1A4 tanks under the SEP programs and the Leopard 2A2 tank to the Leopard 2A7 level. At the same time, serious attention is paid to the creation of a "network-centric tank" and the achievement of superiority and an increase in firepower by combining information, controls and weapons into a single information and communication network, which ensures the rapid delivery of objective information about the tactical situation on the battlefield and teams to the tank crew. management to defeat the most dangerous targets.
In Russia, serial production of modifications of the T-72 (T-90) tank continues without a significant breakthrough in firepower, and for several years the question of how many tanks of the new generation of Armata need to be produced has been discussed, despite the fact that it has not yet been adopted for service. Modernization of T-72 tanks is aimed at bringing them to the level of T-72B3, despite the fact that in terms of firepower this tank is significantly inferior to existing foreign tanks, such as M1A4, Leopard 2A7 and Leclerc. Only on the modification of the T-90SM did separate elements of the FCS appear that meet modern requirements and are not inferior to foreign models. But the harmonious concept of equipping tanks with these samples is not visible.
After the collapse of the Union, several tens of thousands of tanks of various modifications remained in the Russian army, some of which were disposed of, some are in storage bases and some are operated in the army. Of this generation of tanks, modifications of tanks, starting with the T-72B, may be of interest. T-64B, T-80B, T-80U, T-80UD, T-90. None of them in terms of firepower meets modern requirements.
All tanks are equipped with almost the same guns and use the same type of ammunition. Tanks differ mainly in sights and devices that provide search, detection and destruction of targets. Therefore, one of the ways to increase the firepower of tanks during their modernization can be equipping with modern devices and systems that provide an increase in performance above the level of the T-90SM and comparable to the level of modern Western tanks.
Briefly about what the fire control systems of previously released Russian tanks are.
The most advanced OMS is on the T-80U, T-80UD and T-90 tanks. They are equipped with the same sighting systems for the gunner and commander, the gunner has a 1A45 sighting system based on the Irtysh day sight with independent stabilization of the field of view, an optical channel, a laser rangefinder and a laser guidance channel for the Reflex (Invar) missile, which provides firing from place and immediately with artillery shells and a guided missile overhead range up to 5000m. In combination with the Irtysh sight, the Agava-2 or Essa (Plisa) thermal imaging sight is used.
The commander has a sighting system based on the Agat S day-night sight, on some batches of T-90 tanks, sighting systems based on the PK5 sight with independent stabilization of the field of view and a tele-thermal imaging channel are installed.
On the T-80U and T-80UD tanks, the towers were made according to the same documentation and were interchangeable.
On the T-80B and T-64B tanks, the gunner's sighting system is based on the Ob sight with independent stabilization of the field of view, an optical channel, a laser rangefinder and a channel for determining the coordinates of the Cobra guided missile and the TPN-3 night sight. Together with the guidance station, firing during the day from the spot and on the move with artillery shells and a guided missile with a radio command guidance system at a distance of up to 4000m is provided. The commander had an ancient day-night sight TKN-3. The turrets on these tanks are also interchangeable. The Ob sight has already been discontinued; production of the Cobra guided missile guidance station and the production of the missile itself have also been discontinued.
On modifications of tanks of the T-72B family, a 1A40 day sight with dependent stabilization of the field of view along the horizon and a TPN3 night sight were first installed, later the TPN3 sight was replaced with a 1K13 night sight with a laser guidance channel for the Svir guided missile, which ensures firing during the day from a guided position. missile at a distance of up to 4000m, and the 1A40 sight was left as a backup sight. On the last batches of the T-72B3, the Sosna U multichannel sight is installed instead of the 1K13 sight. The commander had an ancient day-night sight TKN-3.
On this generation of tanks, from the point of view of firepower, the problem of creating a gunner's sighting complex was solved, which ensures effective firing during the day from a place and on the move with artillery shells and guided missiles, which surpassed Western models in terms of its characteristics. Effective firing at night was not ensured, there was a tendency for a serious lag in the creation of night vision devices.
The commander's sighting complex with a panoramic sight was never implemented, the characteristics of the commander's sights for detecting targets were much lower than the characteristics of the gunner's sights. Duplicate control of fire from the cannon from the commander's seat on some types of tanks was provided, but due to the lack of a laser rangefinder in the commander's sights and the possibility of using a ballistic computer when firing from the cannon, the effectiveness of fire from the commander's seat was low.
The tanks could not in any way be adapted to be included in a single automated command and control system of the tactical echelon, there was no digital control network for tank systems, only individual elements of the TIUS were developed and implemented.
Recently, the industry has developed and introduced into production a number of scopes with high performance for all-day and all-weather target detection. A panoramic sight "Falcon Eye" with independent stabilization of the field of view, tele-thermal imaging channel, laser rangefinder and automatic target tracking has been developed for the commander. For the gunner, the Sosna U multichannel sight with independent stabilization of the field of view, optical and tele-thermal imaging channels, a laser rangefinder, a missile control channel along the laser beam and an automatic target tracking. To replace the thermal imagers of the first and second generations, the Irbis thermal imaging sight has been developed. All sights provide an all-weather and all-day target detection range up to 3500m and can be integrated into a digital tank information and control system.
To increase the firepower of the existing generation of tanks during their modernization, it is necessary to provide effective all-day and all-weather firing from the gunner, to provide the tank commander with an all-day and all-weather panoramic sight with a laser rangefinder and characteristics no worse than in the gunner's sighting system. It will also be necessary to introduce on tanks a digital TIUS with an integrated navigation system and an anti-jamming communication channel that ensures the inclusion of tanks in a single tactical echelon command and control system.
Considering that there are already developments for the main elements of the FCS and TIUS, some of which have been introduced into production, it becomes possible to successfully modernize previously released tanks with a significant increase in firepower. Modernization of tanks can be carried out using various configurations of the FCS, built on a modular basis.
It is advisable to build the sighting complex of the commander of all modernized tanks on the basis of the panoramic sight "Falcon Eye", ensuring unification in the production of sights and during the operation of tanks.
When upgrading T-80U, T-80UD, T-90 tanks, the gunner's sighting system can be in two modifications: a budget version with an Irtysh sight and an Irbis thermal imaging sight instead of previous generations of thermal imaging sights. A more perfect modification of the gunner's sighting system can be built on the basis of the Sosna U multichannel sight instead of the day and thermal imaging sights.
When upgrading T80B and T-64B tanks, the gunner's sighting system can be based on the Sosna U multichannel sight instead of the Ob day sight and the TPN-3 night sight.
When upgrading T-72B tanks, the gunner's sighting system can also be based on the Sosna U multichannel sight instead of the 1A40 and 1K13 sights.
Consequently, to modernize the existing generation of tanks, a unified LMS can be used, built on the basis of the same sights on a modular basis with modifications for each type of tank.
Sighting systems should be combined into a single digital network using TIUS, also built on a modular basis. All sights and control equipment of the tank must have unified digital outputs for the exchange of information and control commands according to an agreed protocol.
To include tanks in a unified automated command and control system of tactical level troops during modernization, they must be equipped with a unified integrated navigation system, noise-immune and crypto-resistant communication channels and monitors for providing information to crew members.
The modernization of the FCS of the T-72B, T-80B, T-64B, T-80U, T-80UD, T-90 tanks carried out in this way will raise their firepower to the level of the latest modifications of Western tanks, will create a line of "network-centric tanks" capable of interact with the Armata tank as part of a unified automated command and control system for tactical echelons.
For the modernization of tanks, a clear program is needed, which tanks, in what quantity and when to upgrade, as well as with what production facilities this program will be implemented. It is impossible to carry out it at once, this is a long process that requires preparation of production not only at tank factories, but also at enterprises producing devices and electronics for mass equipping tanks.
For operation in the army, it may not be necessary to modernize all the above tanks, but for a "special period" such tanks in large quantities may be required. For this, documentation for their modernization should be developed, prototypes of tanks should be manufactured and tested, and the production of sights should be organized for their accumulation at repair bases. With the onset of the "special period" the required number of tanks can be quickly re-equipped and sent to the troops.
Modernization of tanks in order to increase their firepower is much more effective than the serial production of new tanks with the same characteristics and requires much lower costs while achieving the same result.
It should be noted that modernized tanks may be in demand on the international arms market. Raised to the level of a "network-centric tank", they can seriously compete with Western tanks and squeeze them out on the arms market.
