An inventor with extensive experience, Anatoly Ukhov, contacted the editorial board of Krasnaya Zvezda. He was twice offered to leave for the United States under the State Department's program, starting in 1987, and five years ago - to Israel. But he refused to leave Russia. Unfortunately, in his home country, he has to make a truly heroic effort to patent and promote inventions. He told us about one of his significant inventions - "semi-active armor".
There are no analogues to it, - says Ukhov, - and at the moment such a projectile or rocket has not been created that could hit a tank or armored vehicle with such armor.
I offered this development to many defense enterprises. He said: "Put the leading designers in front of me, and I will explain to them the principle of work, but I need guarantees." But no one began to work with me on such conditions, everyone refers to the fact that they are federal state unitary enterprises, etc., which means that you need to go through a number of complex bureaucratic procedures.
True, in Nizhniy Tagil, where tanks are made, having understood the essence of the problem, they immediately offered to work in the patent department from 9.00 to 18.00 and, apart from armor, do nothing else. This proposal did not suit me, because I work in several directions. And they can simply take away inventions without paying for them, as for my patent "Automatic weapons" No. 96111106.
For "semi-active armor" I ask not so much. Especially when you consider that at current prices in the defense industry M1A2 - "Abrams" costs 4.3 million dollars, T-90 - about 70 million rubles.
According to my calculations, with the use of the "semi-active armor" technology, the combat effectiveness of armored vehicles increases by at least 2-2.5 times.
Now our tanks or self-propelled guns are produced with 152 mm guns. It is almost impossible to hit from them with a second projectile or rocket to the same place on the target. Recall that the first projectile penetrates active and dynamic armor, and the second, theoretically the main one. But "the projectile does not hit the same funnel twice."
It is wiser to use a projectile or rocket caliber from 175 mm to 203 mm. Even if the projectile does not penetrate the armor, the crew will die from the force of the impact or detonate the ammunition.
It is also necessary to use "semi-active armor" - a new one, not a single projectile or missile will penetrate such frontal armor, except for those with a nuclear warhead. In terms of cost and weight, it is equal to active armor. It also provides side and stern armor, and it is necessary to retrofit the tank with two devices, they have been used for decades and have been worked out to perfection.
I guarantee that my armor for 15-20 years will allow the T-72 tank to withstand all foreign tanks, especially if you also replace the cannon with a larger caliber gun."
