In the previous part of the article, the characteristics of the "Armata" and "Abrams" tanks in terms of firepower were considered, in this part the characteristics in terms of protection and mobility were compared.
Security
The scheme of building protection is determined mainly by the adopted layout of the tank. For the Abrams tank, this is a crew of 4 (with a loader), placed according to the classic scheme: the driver in the hull, the rest of the crew in the turret, and the placement of the main part of the ammunition in the reserved niche of the turret stern.
The layout adopted on this tank requires a large reserved internal volume of the tank, and therefore the dimensions of the tank are very impressive, it has a large hull length - 7, 92 m, width - 3, 7 m, height - 2, 44 m and a massive tower. The frontal and side projections of the tank significantly exceed the performance of Soviet (Russian) tanks, which increases the likelihood of the Abrams being hit by enemy fire.
Protection of the Abrams tank is passive and differentiated by zones: the frontal part of the hull and turret, the sides of the hull and turret, the rear of the hull, the roof of the hull and turret. Particular attention was paid to the protection of the frontal part of the hull and turret, as well as the front part of the sides of the hull. The rest of the zones have a relatively low level of protection.
In the most protected zones, a combined multilayer armor with the use of ceramics is used, in the weakened zones, monolithic armor is used. On the latest modifications of the tank, explosive reactive armor is fragmented, the stern is covered with an anti-cumulative grate and additional panels of combined armor are installed under the bottom.
Placing ammunition in the turret rear niche, the most vulnerable place in terms of the height of the tank, and weak protection of this zone, increase the likelihood of hitting the tank, especially the side projection and the "gun on board" position. Isolation of ammunition in the reserved space with knock-out panels gives the crew a chance to survive when this zone is hit without detonating the ammunition; when the ammunition detonates, nothing can save the tank and the crew. Serious attention has been paid to the protection of a part of the ammunition load located in the hull. The shots are in an armored stowage, and a direct hit is necessary to detonate them.
It should be noted that the "Abrams" with powerful protection of the frontal projection is poorly protected in the upper hemisphere and practically defenseless from above from small-caliber aircraft guns along the entire length of the tank from bow to stern. The tank is also in weakened zones, especially in the stern, sides, roof of the turret and hull, and is easily vulnerable to melee anti-tank weapons.
According to various estimates, the resistance of the frontal projection of the Abrams tank from the BPS is 850-900 mm and from the CS - 1100-1200 mm. The durability of the front part of the sides from the BPS is about 300 mm and from the COP - 500 mm.
The Abrams tank practically does not use optical-electronic countermeasures against ATGM fire. There are only IR illuminators for suppressing ATGM control commands operating in the infrared range, and launchers for setting up a smoke screen. There are no active protection systems on the tank.
The most serious attention is paid to the protection scheme of the Armata tank, and the layout of the tank is aimed at ensuring maximum protection for the crew members. All three crew members are housed in front of the tank hull in an armored capsule isolated from ammunition and fuel. The main ammunition load is located in the automatic loader in the cabin of an uninhabited tower in height at the level of the tank hull and is separated from the crew by an armored partition. Additional ammunition is located in the hull in a protected ammunition rack. The fuel is placed in an armored compartment between the fighting compartment and the MTO, some in tanks on the fenders, protected by armor. All compartments - accommodating the crew, fighting compartment, fuel and logistics - are separated by armored partitions.
The Armata tank has a multilevel protection system. The first level is aimed at reducing the "visibility" of the tank. The tower is equipped with an anti-splinter casing with a special GALS coating, which creates the effect of light reflection, which does not allow determining the type of object in the radar, infrared and optical ranges.
At the second level of protection, active protection is used, intercepting and destroying incoming ammunition, and a system of optical-electronic countermeasures for setting up multispectral interference and disrupting ATGM control.
At the third level, active and passive booking provides protection against ammunition that has overcome the previous levels of protection.
The tank is widely used dynamic protection "Malachite", including the detonation of protection modules to contact with the armor from the magnetic field of the incoming ammunition. ERA units are installed on the frontal part of the hull and turret, on the sides and roof of the turret, on the fenders to protect the hull sides to MTO, on the hull roof above the capsule and crew hatches. Part of the DZ blocks for hull protection are removable and are installed before performing a combat mission. The aft area of the tank is protected by lattice screens, which are installed at the stern of the turret and hull.
The armor protection of the tank is multilayer, with the use of new armor of the 44S-sv-Sh brand, which allows to reduce the thickness of the armor parts by 15% without reducing the armor resistance, and composite materials. The armor is differentiated around the perimeter of the tank.
The turret armor consists of the main armor and a splinterproof casing that protects the tank's instruments from shrapnel, high-explosive and bullet damage.
The tank is equipped with a system for distorting the tank's magnetic field to protect against mines.
There is no data on the resistance of the "Armata" tank; according to experts, it is very high and surpasses the protection of the "Abrams" tank. According to them, the resistance of the frontal protection of the tank can be 1000 - 1100 mm from the BPS, 1200 - 1400 mm from the CS, and 250-300 mm in the upper hemisphere from the CS.
The tank uses the "Afghanite" active protection, built similarly to the "Trophy" active protection complex for the "Merkava" tank. At the heart of the KAZ is a pulse-Doppler radar based on an active phased antenna array (AFAR), which has four panels on the tank turret, providing a 360-degree view without rotating the radar antenna. Integrated with the radar are two high-speed short-range Doppler radars, manufactured using the same technology, and circular ultraviolet direction finders of ATGM torches.
Active protection works in conjunction with an optical-electronic countermeasure system. At the command of the radar, the turret of the tank turns into the most protected zone, multispectral curtains, opaque in the infrared and millimeter range, are installed to suppress the ATGM control signals. There is a system of jamming from an attack from above.
A damaging ammunition that has overcome the curtain is destroyed by a protective ammunition with a cumulative funnel with a large opening angle, operating on the principle of a "shock core" with a diameter of 300-400 mm. Protective ammunition is installed on a rotary base that works out the direction to the target in two planes on command from the radar.
The front hemisphere is covered with active protection, the KAZ does not provide protection from above. The system allows intercepting both ATGM missiles and high-speed BPS.
The complex of active protection is certainly very effective, but doubts arise that it has been fully implemented. The creation of a rotary platform in two planes, with a very high speed of the working radar command to aim a protective ammunition at an incoming BPS at a speed of 1800 m / s, requires the use of tracking drives based on new physical principles, the development of which is still unknown. The timely turn of the turret to the approaching BPS also raises great doubts, since the speeds of the projectile and turret traverse are simply not comparable.
In general, the security of the Armata tank is much higher than that of the Abrams tank and surpasses it in many respects.
Mobility
The mobility of the tank is determined by the power of the power plant and its mass. American tanks traditionally have a large mass, and the Abrams was no exception, with a mass of 63 tons it has a gas turbine engine with a capacity of 1500 hp. and the power density is 24 hp / t. Tank "Armata" with a mass of 55 tons has a 12-cylinder X-shaped diesel engine 2V-12-3A with a capacity of 1200 hp. and the power density is 22 hp / t. Traditionally, this tank is also inferior to Western tanks in terms of engine power, and this gap has not yet been eliminated. True, the developers claim that this engine has a power reserve of up to 1800hp, but this still needs to be achieved.
Tank weight (t): 63; 55
Engine power (hp): 1500; 1200
Specific power (hp / t): 24; 22
Specific pressure (kg / sq. Cm): 1, 02
Maximum speed on the highway, km / h: 67; 75
Fuel tank capacity (l): 1900; 1615
Cruising in store (km): 426; 500
Chassis on "Abrams" and "Armata" seven-tier. With a mass of the Abrams tank of 63 tons, it has a specific ground pressure of 1.02 kg / sq. cm, the specific pressure of the Armata tank with a mass of 55 tons will probably be less. With such a specific pressure and similar characteristics in terms of specific power, "Abrams" will be inferior to "Armata" in terms of mobility. In addition, the "Armata" uses an active suspension, which ensures the smooth running of the tank, which is especially important when firing on the move.
The use of a gas turbine engine on the Abrams, which has a higher fuel consumption compared to a diesel engine, leads to a decrease in the cruising range with more fuel on board the tank. The gas turbine engine also requires increased requirements for air purification, and the use of the tank in desert and dusty conditions imposes additional restrictions.
Network centric tank
Tanks "Armata" and "Abrams" are equipped with a fundamentally new digital control system based on the tank information and control system (TIUS), which integrates the movement, fire, protection and interaction control systems of the tank into a single tank control complex.
The system provides collection and processing of information from systems and units of the tank, power plant, OMS devices, protection systems, navigation aids and communications. Provides information exchange between systems, control and diagnostics of units and systems, synthesizes information for issuing and in the form of voice commands and on the displays of crew members information about the state of weapons systems, security, mobility, the threat of hitting a tank by enemy fire, cartographic information about the location of tactical level objects, information about targets detected and received from higher commanders, generates commands and information for transmission to other tanks and control objects.
For the organization of interaction, information from the global navigation systems GPS and GLONASS is used, among other things. On the Armata tank, the transmission of digital information is expected both by means of radio communication in the VHF range, and in the I-range and within the visibility range in the microwave range.
The use of digital technologies and information support contributes to the optimization of combat operations and allows observing the situation in real time while performing the assigned task.
Tanks "Armata" and "Abrams" are "network-centric tanks" and are designed not only for single combat, but also to work in a group of different combat vehicles, united in one tactical link, performing the functions of reconnaissance, target designation and remote control. This allows all tactical-level vehicles to receive the operational situation in real time and jointly organize fire control against the enemy.
In the concept of "network-centric warfare", the Armata tank becomes one of the defining elements in target detection and transmission to other combat vehicles, since it has a pulse-Doppler radar on board, operating at a depth of up to 100 km, and it receives signals from navigation systems GPS / GLONASS. Based on this data, it can detect ground and air targets, determine their coordinates with high accuracy, transmit to other combat vehicles and correct their fire.
The tactical link may include Armata tanks and other combat vehicles equipped with appropriate equipment (tanks of the previous generation, self-propelled guns, infantry fighting vehicles, air defense systems, fire support helicopters).
To expand the capabilities for searching and detecting targets, the Armata tank is capable of launching the Pterodactyl UAV for reconnaissance and target designation. The UAV is launched on a cable, which limits its height and flight radius to 50-100 m. With its instruments, it can fix targets at a distance of up to 10 km.
The Armata tank has everything on board for organizing a remotely controlled robotic tank. It is only necessary to install equipment for transmitting video images from the optoelectronic devices of the crew members.
The second generation of such systems has already been introduced on the Abrams tank and the tanks are being used by the troops. Tank "Armata" is still at the stage of testing, and when this system will be in the army, it is not known. Incidentally, the TIUS was first developed in the world in the Soviet Union in the early 80s for the promising Boxer tank, and such a system was also developed for serial T-64 and T-80 tanks. In the mid-80s, TIUS began to be created for the French tank "Leclerc", and only in the 90s did it appear on the "Abrams" and "Leopard-" 2. With the collapse of the Union, our work was curtailed, and TIUS did not appear. There is no TIUS on serial Russian tanks, the groundwork was partially used on the Armata tank, but the tank is not yet in serial production.
conclusions
Tank "Armata" with an uninhabited turret and the location of the crew in an armored capsule in the hull of the tank is a new generation tank, which conceptually changed the approach to tank design. This solution is ambiguous: the problem of protecting the crew has been solved, but the reliability of the tank as a whole has been sharply reduced. If the power supply system of the tower fails or any mechanisms of the combat module malfunction, which in a real situation is very likely, the tank becomes completely unusable. He has no backup channels for firing. Such an arrangement without addressing the issue of reliable weapon control can call into question the entire concept of the tank.
Comparison of the Armata and Abrams tanks in terms of firepower, protection and mobility shows that on the Armata tank, the main attention was paid to ensuring the protection of the crew and the tank, and this task was successfully solved, especially in terms of protection against melee anti-tank weapons. By the level of protection "Armata" significantly surpasses all existing tanks. The protection of the Abrams tank is much lower, has many weakened zones and does not provide protection against modern armor-piercing sub-caliber shells and guided missiles.
In terms of firepower, the Armata tank also surpasses the Abrams due to the use of a more powerful cannon, more advanced ammunition, guided weapons, a pulse-Doppler radar and an automatic loader. The weak side is the presence of only optical-electronic and radar means of searching and detecting targets, the absence of optical channels and a backup sight-backup.
The reliability of the FCS also desires the best, the elements of the FCS on the roof of the tower are not sufficiently protected from small-caliber and small-caliber artillery fire and can be relatively easily disabled.
Due to its lower mass, the Armata tank will slightly surpass the Abrams in mobility, but it is traditionally inferior in power plant power and cannot provide a significant separation from the Abrams.
As far as the possibility of using these tanks in the concept of "network-centric war" is concerned, "Armata" and "Abrams" are approximately on an equal footing. It should be noted that the second generation of TIUS has already been installed on the Abrams, and it is being operated by the troops, while the Armata is at the testing stage, and the "declared" characteristics have yet to be confirmed.
The conclusions of the columnist for the American publishing house The National Interest in the article "Have the rules of the game changed with the advent of the Russian Armata tank?" justified. For NATO countries, the appearance of the Russian Armata tank presents a certain headache, and they need to think about how to respond to this challenge.
