The newest MBT Challenger 2 has a significant number of survivability improvements, including lattice armor aft
The traditional area of operation for main battle tanks (MBTs) is open terrain, and although this is still relevant, nevertheless, recent operations have shown that tanks are a powerful tool in the conduct of hostilities in the city. The article deals with international developments, the purpose of which is to create tanks more suitable for war in built-up areas
The main task of the main battle tanks has always been to fire and destroy other MBTs on the battlefield, and for many countries this is still the main task.
However, the Russian experience in Chechnya, operations in the Balkans, and recent Western operations in the Middle East and elsewhere have shown that MBT is a very flexible weapon system that plays an important role not only in urban combat, but also in counterinsurgency operations.
In order to remain operational in urban environments, tanks must be modified in three key areas: survivability, firepower, and situational awareness. There is a wide range of options for such modifications, and although some approaches are universal, there are a number of individual solutions identified with specific theaters of war (theater of operations).
Traditionally, the highest level of MBT protection has always been along the frontal arc from 60 to 90 degrees, but during combat operations in the city, they can attack from anywhere, including from above and below. In this regard, on many MBTs, additional armor was installed on the hull and in some cases also on the turret. As for the hull, here the onboard booking now protects not only the driver's compartment in front of the vehicle, but also expands more and more towards the stern to protect the fighting compartment. Currently, the feed of the tank often has protection against anti-tank weapons, for example, the widespread RPG-7 rocket launcher grenades.
Another direction is the installation of dynamic protection units (DZ), which have long been installed on most Russian MBTs in order to increase their survivability along the frontal arc. Currently, the DZ is also part of the TUSK (Urban Survival Kit) tank survivability kit installed on the American M1A1 / M1A2 MBTs. The main disadvantage of DZ is that it can be potentially dangerous and can injure dismounted infantry located near the vehicle. The Israeli army has equipped many of its old tanks with active armor, but the currently produced Merkava Mk 4 MBT have a passive booking system; its components are modular and this allows you to remove and replace blocks depending on combat conditions or the development of booking technology.
Some MBTs were also equipped with anti-tank mine protection, but this can be expensive due to the fact that it involves modifying the armor on vehicles with relatively low ground clearance and not intended for this. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has developed a mine protection kit for the Leopard 2A6, designated 2A6M, which mainly consists of additional armor plates mounted on the bottom. This initially met the requirements of Germany and the Netherlands, but the Canadian Army also leased 20 German Leopard 2A6M tanks, of which 19 were deployed in Afghanistan.
In general, virtually all tanks deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq were equipped with various electronic devices to neutralize improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
MBT protection can be further improved by installing an optical-electronic countermeasures complex or an active protection complex along with a fire extinguishing and explosion suppression system in order to increase the survivability of the crew in the event that the complex does not work properly and the vehicle is hit.
Various seats are available to improve crew protection. For many years, the seats of Russian tank drivers have been attached to the roof rather than the bottom in order to increase its survivability, and some countries are now replacing their usual seats for all crew members with Autoflug seats that are attached to the sides and roof and do not have contact with bottom.
Tank Leopard 2 PSO, equipped with a front dozer blade, camouflage for urban conditions and a remotely controlled weapon station with a 12, 7-mm machine gun
Increased firepower
In terms of firepower, urban operations offer a different set of targets than the traditional MBT set, and tank ammunition is not always suitable for the task. Most western MBTs usually fire two types of ammunition from their 120mm smoothbore cannons: the APFSDS and HEAT-MP. Russian MBTs also fire APFSDS, but their second projectile is a high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) and a recent Russian development is a high-explosive fragmentation projectile that can be programmed at different ranges by means of an FCS and which is considered as a means of attacking targets behind cover.
A number of other countries have now begun to receive such shells into service, some of which can be programmed to detonate over entrenched infantry for maximum impact. Card shells are highly effective against both infantry and barbed wire obstacles. Israel Military Industries has developed and launched the Anti-Personnel / Anti-Material (ARAM) fragmentation / anti-material projectile, which fires a number of lethal submunitions during level flight to create a highly effective area approximately 50 m long and 20 m wide. The first to enter the troops was a shot for a 105-mm rifled cannon, followed by a round for a 120-mm smooth-bore cannon.
The British Challenger 2 tanks retain their 120mm L30 rifled cannons, which, in addition to the APFSDS, can also fire a high explosive collapsible warhead (HESH) projectile, well suited for urban operations as it is effective at breaking through walls. Another popular way to destroy fences is to install a dozer blade on an MBT. It also proved to be effective in clearing urban rubble; in Afghanistan, it was used to fill holes and clear paths so that vehicles following behind could move quickly forward. In some cases, these dozer blades can be replaced by plow-type or roller-type demining systems, which are used in conjunction with mine detonation devices in front of the machine.
Self-defense capabilities can be improved by installing a remote-controlled combat module on the roof with a 7, 62-mm, 12, 7-mm machine gun or 40-mm automatic grenade launcher, with which the loader usually works. This provides noticeable advantages in areas where the threat of fire from snipers is high, which forces the crew to work under the protection of armor while reducing the level of situational awareness.
Locating an opponent can be challenging in urban environments and good situational awareness is vital, especially when in a tank with hatches battened down. Apart from the tank commander, who often has a roof-mounted stabilized panoramic sight that rotates 360 degrees, optoelectronic devices for the driver, gunner and loader usually cover the frontal arc, although some of the most recent MBTs are also equipped with rear-view cameras in order to the driver can back up safely. However, there are several ways to improve the situational awareness of the crew; tanks can be equipped with a camera on the mast or a group of compact cameras that are installed in the front, from the sides and aft, while the picture is displayed on the display, as is done in the newest Merkava Mk 4.
However, some electro-optical devices are vulnerable to small arms bullets and projectile fragments, and some vehicles have been equipped with shutters that close the devices when they are not needed, although this is only a half measure.
Limited elevation and depression angles can make it difficult for tanks to fire at the enemy, both in close combat and located in high buildings, but, at least for close combat, MBTs usually have electric grenade launchers, usually firing smoke grenades or other means. disguise. Some countries are converting them to fire fragmentation grenades to protect against infantry in urban environments.
Instead of direct visual exchange, modern MBTs have a battle control system for the rapid exchange of information, as well as an integrated communication system. For close combat with dismounted infantry, many MBT deployed in urban or counterinsurgency operations are equipped with a telephone in the stern and "smart" intercom that provides wireless communication between the infantry and the tank's crew.
French developments
Some machines are quite interesting systems. The Nexter version of the Leclerc MBT, which France acquired 406 vehicles, is specially designed for urban operations and is named Leclerc Action en Zone Urbaine (AZUR). It premiered in mid-2006 and was rated by the French Army in late 2006 and early 2007.
The side screens of the standard Leclerc MBT protect only the front of the chassis, but a new screen of modular composite armor was installed on the AZUR, where it was extended from the front of the chassis to the end of the fighting compartment. The remainder of the sides and stern is protected by lattice armor, and the roof of the aft engine compartment has been modernized to provide increased protection against Molotov cocktails. A panoramic camera is installed on the roof in order to provide the tank commander with a quick all-round view, a remotely controlled 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted on the roof, guidance and shooting are conducted from inside the tank. The tank also carries seven GALIX grenade launchers on each side of the turret, which fire GALIX 4 smoke grenades. In addition to the standard APFSDS and HEAT ammunition, the 120mm smoothbore cannon can also fire the newly developed Nexter Munitions 120 HE F1 high-explosive ammunition. It was developed under a contract with an arms procurement agency, 10,000 of these rounds were ordered.
Image of the Leclerc MBT from the stern side; the tank is modernized for urban conditions, changes are shown in blue
The Leclerc MBT usually has two additional diesel tanks, but these were removed from the AZUR tank and replaced with two drop boxes, which can carry ammunition or provisions for dismounted infantry. The infantry has a channel of direct communication with the crew of the Leclerc tank through a short-range communication system.
According to Nexter Systems, the AZUR kit is modular and users can select the parts that suit their requirements. Therefore, the entire kit can be installed on the machine in less than half a day using standard tools and equipment.
Further survivability improvements could include the installation of an active protection complex, possibly using experience with the KBCM (Kit Basique de Contre-Mesures) kit from Nexter Systems, which was tested on the AMX-10RC 6x6 reconnaissance vehicle in the early 2000s.
A total of 254 Leclerc vehicles of the French army will undergo medium modernization (installation of the AZUR kit), the first vehicles will re-enter service in 2015. According to Nexter, the modernization can be forced and the tanks deployed ahead of schedule, if operational requirements require it.
Leclerc AZUR tanks are not equipped with reactive armor, but the French army installed DZ on some of their AMX-30B2 MBTs, which are currently withdrawn from service. DZ is currently installed on the EBG engineering vehicle and remotely controlled demining vehicles based on the AMX-30 chassis.
The French army also tested two wheeled armored vehicles, upgraded for urban conditions: the VAB armored personnel carrier from Renault Trucks Defense and the VBL light reconnaissance vehicle from Panhard General Defense.
Leopard PSO
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), the main manufacturer of the widespread Leopard 2 MBT, has developed a version of the Leopard 2 PSO (Peace Support Operation), which was shown to the public for the first time in mid-2006. During the development, carried out at its own expense by KMW and many other subcontractors, the wishes of a number of Leopard 2 MBT buyers were taken into account. According to KMW, the Leopard 2 PSO modular design allows it to be adapted to the special requirements of the customer, some components of the kit can be quickly installed on the machine before shipment to the troops.
Canadian Leopard 2A6 CAN on trials in Germany with lattice armor on the hull and turret
Upgraded Büffel ARV for Canada with a new armor kit including lattice armor around the stern
The 120mm L / 44 smoothbore gun from Rheinmetall has been retained, but the standard APFS-DS and HEAT-MP rounds are not optimized for urban operations. To address this shortcoming, Rheinmetall Munitions has developed a new "smart" 120-mm high-explosive projectile, which will be programmed to detonate over the target for maximum impact on dismounted or entrenched infantry.
7, 62-mm coaxial machine gun is left, but a remote-controlled weapon station is also installed for direct cover. It can be fitted with a 7, 62 mm or 12, 7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, from which the loader can fire.
All Leopard 2 MBTs have two groups of four 76-mm grenade launchers installed on each side of the turret, smoke or trap grenades are standardly installed in them, but they can also be fired with fragmentation grenades to combat infantry.
The Leopard 2 PSO tank is equipped with additional armor on the roof, as well as armor plates extended to the stern and downward on each side of the turret.
It is possible that Leopard 2 PSO tanks will also be equipped with a mine protection kit of the 2A6M standard, which is already installed on some Canadian, German and Swedish MBTs of the Leopard 2 series. A hydraulic dozer blade is installed in front, controlled by the driver from his seat, it can be used to clear obstacles such as roadblocks and barricades.
The optics of the Leopard 2 PSO tank are protected so that they cannot be damaged by stones. Cameras can also be installed to increase the situational awareness of the crew at 360 degrees. The AZEZ situational awareness system from Rheinmetall Defense Electronics has already been tested on the Leopard 2A4 tank.
While the Leopard 2 PSO can be manufactured to this specification, it appears that most buyers would prefer to redesign existing machines instead. It can be fitted with new electric drives instead of the electro-hydraulic system of the standard MBT Leopard 2. An auxiliary power unit can also be installed, which will allow the subsystems to operate with the main 1500 hp MTU diesel engine shut off.
KMW has completed several prototypes of the Leopard 2 PSO, but the German army has not yet confirmed its procurement plans. At one time, it was planned to modernize a batch of 70 Leopard 2 towers, which could be quickly installed on the existing Leopard 2 chassis.
The Canadian Army has leased 20 Leopard 2A6M tanks from the German Army for operation in Afghanistan in order to meet Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR). Before deployment, they were upgraded to a Leopard 2A6M CAN configuration, which includes the installation of Canadian communications equipment, Saab heat signature reduction shields, crew cooling jackets, hull and turret mesh armor, and IED countermeasures.
The Canadian Army also leased two Rheinmetall Landsysteme Biiffel ARVs to support their Leopard 2A6M CAN tanks deployed in Afghanistan. They were upgraded by Rheinmetall Landsysteme prior to shipment, with additional lattice armor in the rear of the vehicle, Canadian communications, crew cooling, a modified dozer blade and additional crew water. This upgrade also includes a new mine protection kit for Biiffel, of which Canada was the first customer.
Strengthening the protection of the Merkava tank
The Israeli MBT Merkava was originally created for conventional combat and is currently in serial production of the Merkava Mk 4. It has, perhaps, the highest level of protection among modern tanks, it has an unusual layout, the power unit is located in front, and the remaining space is given to the manned compartment.
Merkava has a high level of protection not only in the frontal arch, but also in the sides and stern. In addition to a crew of 4, it can carry foot soldiers who are quickly parachuted from the stern.
Not one MBT can provide one hundred percent protection to the crew and the landing force; a number of Merkava MBTs have been lost in recent years from being blown up by mines and anti-tank weapons. The combat experience gained in southern Lebanon accelerated work to further improve the survivability of the Merkava MBT.
After intensive testing, the Israeli army has now begun to equip its Merkava Mk 4 MBTs with the Trophy active protection complex from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. During recent tests, it successfully intercepted 100 percent of some types of anti-tank weapons, which increased the Merkava Mk 4's all-round protection against anti-tank weapons such as the RPG-7.
To work together with its MBTs, Israel has developed a wide range of support vehicles on a tank chassis, including the Achzarit armored fighting vehicle based on the T-54 and T-55 tank chassis, the Puma engineering vehicle on the Centurion chassis. They have a high level of protection with installed systems manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Military Industries. Both companies also offer protection kits for foreign MBTs, they have been sold to a number of countries, including Slovenia (T-55) and Turkey (M60A3).
Currently, the heavy infantry fighting vehicle Namer (Tiger) is in service, it is a completely new vehicle based on the components of the Merkava Mk 4. It is equipped with the Iron Fist active protection complex from Israel Military Industries.
Russian experience
During the war in Chechnya, about 10 percent of the infantry fighting vehicles deployed in Chechnya by the Russian army were lost, most of them in close urban combat. Since then, Russia has placed increased emphasis on increasing the survivability of its BMPs, but the large number of different types of vehicles currently deployed have a negative impact, which the Russian army is currently seeking to get rid of.
The currently produced Russian MBT T-90 have advanced armoring solutions, including a frontal arc DZ.
Russia has developed and tested a number of defense systems, for example Arena from KBP and Drozd-2 from KBM, but they apparently did not enter service with the Russian army.
During the hostilities in Georgia in 2008, most of the BMP of the Russian army was obsolete, including the T-62 and T-72 MBT and the BMP-1 and BMP-2. None of these vehicles have been optimized, although some T-62s have been fitted with lattice armor on the sides of the turret to protect against RPGs.
Lattice armor was also installed on a number of other Russian armored combat vehicles, mostly based on combat expediency.
Russia has been developing DZ for many years and has the latest systems that provide protection against kinetic, high-explosive and cumulative ammunition. In addition to the MBT installation, these DZ units were also installed on the BMP-3 and offered for export.
BMPTs based on the T-90 MBT (Terminator) chassis are currently being produced in small quantities for the Russian army, the vehicle will usually be used to support other armored combat vehicles in urban operations.
Modernized Russian T-72M1 tank with DZ and KAZ Arena
Bold expectations
The British army at one time kept a company of Challenger 2 MBT from BAE Systems in the city of Basra in southern Iraq, but now, after the withdrawal of troops from there, they have all been returned to Britain.
Under the leadership of BAE Systems, these Challenger 2s underwent a number of upgrades to adapt the tanks to urban operations. The upgrades include the installation of the Selex Galileo Enforcer remotely operated combat module at the loader site; it was originally purchased for the Panther communications and command vehicle. A new set of passive armor was installed in the front of the chassis, hull and turret sides, and lattice armor around the stern. Additional armor was also installed on the tower.
The new passive armor in front of the hull has been replaced by the DZ, which was originally developed for the Challenger 1 and installed for Operation Desert Storm. Subsequently, it was installed on Challenger 2 tanks for Operation Iraqi Freedom and was supplemented with lattice armor.
More recently, a mine protection kit has been developed and installed on the Challenger 2, as well as the Challenger ARV.
New night vision devices for the driver and electronic suppression devices were installed to neutralize IEDs. Other improvements include a wire cutter to protect people on car roofs, an upgraded air conditioning system, and measures to reduce heat signatures.
The main weapon is the 120mm L30 rifled cannon, it fires an APFSDS projectile with a depleted uranium tip, but for urban operations, the HESH-type shot is preferred and is well suited to neutralizing bunkers, buildings and walls.
Initially deployed, the Challenger 2 weighed approximately 62.5 tonnes, and with a full UOR upgrade, the weight is now approaching 73 tonnes with a corresponding increase in ground pressure and a decrease in power density.
During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, units of the US 1st Reconnaissance Division were sent to Baghdad with Abrams tanks. In the city, tanks performed a variety of tasks, ranging from psychological containment to covering the coalition infantry.
The standard armor of the Abrams tank is thicker in the front and is designed to protect against other combat vehicles and does not protect against circular fire in the conditions of asymmetric warfare, which took place in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This forced the army to install the TUSK upgrade kit on its M1 series Abrams tanks.
The Army Combat Systems Directorate teamed up with General Dynamics Land Systems to develop these upgrade kits. The first TUSK-equipped Abrams M1A1 / M1A2 tanks were deployed in the second half of 2007, with a total of 505 kits by mid-2009. Subsequently, the TUSK I was replaced by the TUSK II kit.
Other improvements include new equipment designed to improve situational awareness and increased underbody protection from roadside bombs to improve crew survivability.
To adapt tanks for urban combat, the original TUSK package included IR remote sights, external cannon shields, armored tiles, aft mesh armor, a telephone for communication of the crew and dismounted infantry mounted in a box in the rear of the vehicle.
The TUSK is designed modular (individual systems can be included or excluded) to meet operational requirements. According to General Dynamics, part of the whole package is the loader's thermal imaging sight (LTWS), which provides it with the ability to aim at night with the video signal output to the monocular.
Other situational awareness upgrades include a rear-mounted camera that has a 180-degree view of the MBT aft, as well as a video amplifier to improve visibility at night and in all weather conditions. In order for all new systems to work, a distribution board was installed to protect the electrical circuits of the TUSK components.
As for the increased protection, there is a loader shield (LAGS) made of armored glass, which protects it when working with an M240 machine gun, when it is necessary to stick out of the hatch. In the TUSK II set, the protection is extended up to 360 degrees. In both versions, the flap rotates with the machine gun on a pivot axis.
TUSK may also offer an anti-sniper / anti-vehicle mount (CS / AMM) that provides stabilized anti-sniper fire without the need for crew members to lean out fire. This is a 12.7mm M2 machine gun paired with the main Remote Thermal Sight (RTS) on top of the 120mm MBT cannon.
Also another popular TUSK component is the CROWS remote control unit. It allows crew members to operate a stabilized 12.7 mm M2 machine gun from inside the vehicle using a joystick that can rotate the machine gun 360 degrees horizontally and vertically from -20 to +60 degrees. The M2 is aimed with a day / night scope, the picture is displayed on the display.
In order to increase the protection of the sides of the tank, DZ XM32 blocks are installed. They are designed to counter hand-held weapons that can fire HEAT anti-tank ammunition.
However, as you know, roadside bombs were the cause of most of the losses in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this regard, additional upgrades were carried out in order to increase protection against IEDs. These include increased underbody protection, a driver's seat attached to the roof rather than the underbody, and electronic countermeasures to neutralize remotely controlled improvised explosive devices.
