Part one. A bit of history
It so happened that the history of engineering technology, in contrast to the history of aviation, tanks and even fortification, is always paid very little attention. It all comes down to the technical characteristics and the year of manufacture. It is understandable - information on the history (EXACTLY HISTORY!) Of engineering technology is very insignificant. In this article, the author tried, as far as possible, to reveal some points in the history of the development of the IMR-2 engineering clearing machine. This issue is still relevant, especially on the next anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, where the IMR demonstrated all their capabilities.
During the conduct of hostilities, it becomes necessary to ensure the advancement of troops along the routes (military roads) or their equipment and support. In 1933, the concept of a column route was introduced - an off-road direction chosen on the ground, prepared for a short-term movement of troops. The main work on the preparation of the column track was: marking the route, reducing the angles of descent and ascent, reinforcing wetlands with wooden shields, clearing the path from debris, snow, mines, etc. New machines developed on the basis of the ChTZ tractor are being adopted: a machine for cutting bushes, a tractor shovel, mechanized rollers, a snowplow. In the late 1930s. the troops receive bulldozers, ditchers and the like. After the war in the 1950s and 60s. more advanced machines BAT, BAT-M, more advanced attachments were developed. But the greatest development of machines for the preparation and maintenance of column tracks, ensuring the rapid advance of troops, clearing debris, including in urban buildings, were received during the period of the appearance of nuclear missiles (the second half of the 1960s). An increase in the volume of tasks, changes in their content, deadlines and conditions for their fulfillment led to the creation of an engineering machine for clearing an IMR.
Clearing engineering vehicles belong to the group of vehicles designed for making passages, clearing debris and destruction during engineering support of military operations of troops, including on radioactively contaminated terrain. To accomplish these tasks, the machines are equipped with bulldozer, crane and additional (bucket, scraper, drill) equipment.
IMR-2M makes a passage in the forest blockage
Bulldozer equipment in such machines is universal. It can be installed in one of three positions:
- two-dump, which is the main one and is intended for making passages in rubble and destruction, laying column tracks, removing the upper radioactively contaminated soil layer;
- bulldozer, which is used when arranging ramps, backfilling excavations, moving soil and self-digging;
- grading, used for the construction of column tracks on slopes and in other types of work that require the movement of soil (snow) in one direction.
The boom equipment in most cases is equipped with a grab-manipulator, which allows performing a large range of works on the arrangement of passages in forest and stone blockages.
As an additional equipment, the machine can be equipped with a demining unit and an anti-mine trawl.
This group of vehicles also includes sapper tanks and some engineering vehicles that can be used for engineering work under enemy fire and in conditions of massive destruction (American sapper tank M728, German Pionierpanzer-1, etc.).
IMR first
The first Soviet IMR was developed in Omsk on the basis of the T-55 tank. It was put into service in 1969. The main equipment of the machine included a universal bulldozer and crane equipment with a gripper-manipulator. It should be noted that a vehicle of this class appeared in the West (in the USA) four years earlier: in 1965, the M728 "engineering (sapper) tank" entered service. The American surpassed the Soviet machine in terms of the lifting capacity of the crane equipment (8 tons versus 2 tons for the IMR), but the Soviet machine was lighter, more maneuverable and more versatile due to a manipulator with a gripper.
With the adoption of a new generation of tanks (T-64, T-72, T-80) and changes in the organizational structure of tank and motorized rifle subunits (the “Division-86” program), it became necessary to create a new barrage vehicle on a more modern base. Such a vehicle was the IMR-2, based on the T-72A tank.
Robots over IMR-2 began in 1975. The machine (general idea and design) was developed in Omsk under the leadership of A. Morov, and working equipment and the development of design, design and technological documentation at the Chelyabinsk SKB-200 and Novokramatorsk Machine-Building Plant (chassis revision, hydraulics, head developer of experimental machines).
The main working equipment - a telescopic boom and a dozer blade - were worked out on the previous machine, and their modernization and adaptation to IMR-2 did not cause any difficulties. The new equipment on the machine is an anti-mine trawl and a demining unit. Let's dwell on them in more detail.
The new equipment was developed by a special design bureau of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant - SKB 200, under the leadership of V. A. Samsonov in cooperation with the Novokramatorsk Machine-Building Plant. B. Shamanov and V. Samsonov were engaged in the demining launcher (PU), and V. Gorbunov was engaged in mine trawling. The work was carried out under the general supervision of the head of the promising development bureau V. Mikhailov.
Designer SKB-200 V. Mikhailov
If everything went more acceptable with a mine sweep, then the location of the launcher on the IMR hull, the proposal of Samsonov, did not suit the main developer of the machine. Four cassettes with demining charges (with a total weight of 1200 kg) were located at the rear of the vehicle and were bolted tightly to the hull. At the same time, they hung over the transmission hatches, which had to be opened during daily maintenance. In addition, although the cassettes with charges were shifted as far back as possible, the boom of the IMR manipulator from the stowed position was difficult to turn forward. Even in the raised position, the boom of the manipulator touched the top of the cassettes. All this did not suit the lead developer, and he raised the issue of excluding the launcher from the WRI. But the military insisted on their own. The head of the promising development bureau V. Mikhailov proposed to make a trailed mine clearance launcher, since several years ago such an option on the KB-200 wheelbase was already being developed. It was much easier and cheaper. But there was a task approved from above, and it had to be carried out.
(Approximately 10 years later, a similar MICLIC demining installation appeared in the United States. The charge was a chain of 140 C4 explosives strung on a cable. The charge was fed to the minefield using a powder rocket. The charge was stacked and transported in a single-axle trailed container.)
PU guide installed in the stern
The next proposal of V. Mikhailov was as follows: install the cassettes on the frame, and move the frame as far back as possible so that the cassettes do not interfere with the boom of the manipulator. Strengthen the part of the frame hanging from the stern with struts. The proposal was accepted. In addition, it was proposed to make the cartridges of charges made of wood and discharged after the demining charge was fired, which made it possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle by 600 kg (there was an overweight of 2 tons on the IMR, so they looked for any ways to reduce the weight of the vehicle).
IMR-2. Clearly visible PU demining charge at the rear of the hull and large boxes for demining charges
Wooden cassettes not only reduced weight, but also did not collapse during dropping from the car (metal ones were often deformed). Also, the presence of wooden cassettes with demining charges made it possible to simply change them instead of (as was foreseen earlier) reloading into metal cassettes. Dumping the cassettes also met the requirements of the lead developer as the boom operating conditions were improved. An original method was invented to reset the demining charge cassettes. The cassettes were placed on frames, which were moved outward on special half-blocks to access the transmission hatches. For the release, it was decided to use the tension of the brake rope, which held the demining charge in flight. The rope was attached to the half-blocks under the cassettes. When the rope was pulled, the half-blocks turned, unlocking the cassettes and dropping them.
There were minor problems with the installation of an anti-mine trawl. Its developers were not satisfied with the small volumes of space between the bulldozer raised to the stowed position and the car body. It was literally a slit for a knife trawl, which in the stowed position should also lie on the upper part of the IMR nose. At first, there was a proposal to abandon the knife track trawl, and place its knives across the entire width of the IMR bulldozer (this was done on the American T5E3 trawl) and make them removable. In this case, a minesweeper could turn out with a passage width of about 4m. But the officers of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Engineering Troops did not even want to listen (again, ten years later this idea was embodied in the American COV deflection machine, in Russia this idea has now been returned to in an engineering road vehicle - RF patent No. 2202095). After a long search for a solution, we came to the conclusion - to take the old knife sections from the KMT-4M trawl, since they were smaller in comparison with the new KMT-6 sections. The lifting of the trawl to the stowed position was carried out by hydraulic cylinders. For trawling mines with a pin fuse (type TMK-2), the knife sections were equipped with two horizontal spring-loaded rods.
Mine trawl KMT-4 in the stowed position
Trawl KMT-4 in working position. Metal rods are clearly visible, located horizontally and intended for trawling anti-bottom mines with a pin fuse
Gradually, all issues were resolved and the developers began to manufacture prototypes of the IMR. A locksmith, a welder and a designer went from Chelyabinsk to Kramatorsk to install an anti-mine trawl and a demining launcher on the clearing machine. Later, Colonel N. Omelyanenko, the head of the military acceptance, and V. Mikhailov, the designer, went there to receive the IMR.
And in April 1977, the prototypes of the IMR were sent to factory (preliminary) tests near Tyumen, to Lake Andreevskoye. V. Mikhailov wrote that he had bad memories of the tests: the officers who led the tests of the launcher and the trawl made many deviations from the test program, the operating instructions and safety instructions were often violated. Also, after the launch of the demining charge, it was necessary to measure its deviation: plus or minus 10% in range and 5% to the sides. All this had to be measured at a side wind speed of no more than 5 m / s. But this was neglected. So, after the next launch (lateral wind speed reached 8 m / s), the charge left at an angle of 450 from the direction of launch. The angle was recorded, but the wind speed was not. V. Mikhailov was only comforted by the fact that when the brake rope was jerked even at an angle of 450, the empty charge cassettes were thrown from the side to the ground.
At the next start, another emergency occurred: the force of the flame from the jet engine, the demining charge was blown into the cracks above the transmission of the machine by the wind, and the fire detectors worked. Inert gas filled the space in the car. The operator and the driver (young soldiers) were terribly frightened. When leaving the car, the mechanic hit his head on the hatch and received a light concussion (a helmet was put on). After that, it was written in the operating instructions that the charge starts only with the shutters of the transmission compartment closed.
After testing the PU, they began testing an anti-mine trawl. Since there was still snow, the trawling of inert mines was carried out with a winter trawling device (ACE): special lattices made of plates were put on the trawl's cutting knives. Of the 180 mines set in the snow, only two were missed, i.e. the trawling quality was 99%. The quality of trawling mines planted in the ground was 100%. In general, tests of PU demining and trawl were successful.
The same tests showed that another 150 kg of weight can be saved on the machine - this is the protection of the detonation transfer device (CTD). The shelling of a demining charge and UPD from small arms showed that they did not explode from this. Therefore, the position of the UPD was slightly changed (it was put into the cartridge with a charge) and another test was carried out in January 1978. They passed near Kharkov in the presence of the chief of the engineering troops of the 6th army, Colonel Alekseenko. In honor of Alekseenko, a demining charge was launched in combat (800 kg) and then detonated. The tests were successful.
The next were state tests, which took place in the summer near Kiev. They ended successfully, although they were overshadowed by tragedy - the designer of SKB-200 V. Gorbunov was seriously injured. The cause of the tragedy is trivial - a violation of safety regulations. On one of the launches, the guide with the charge did not rise to the desired angle (by 100 instead of 600). Something happened to the power grid. According to the instructions, it was necessary to turn off the electrical equipment of the machine. This was not done. The head of the work called the designers from Kramatorsk (the head developer), they ordered the electrician to see what happened. V. Gorbunov immediately approached. Instead of driving the electrician away and performing all the operations according to the instructions, he stood behind the launcher. The electrician at this time closed the circuit for starting the jet engine (which, again, contrary to the instructions, was on the guide). The force of the flame hit the electrician in the shoulder, and Gorbunov right in the face. V. Gorbunov was treated for a long time, but it was not possible to restore vision and hearing to the end.
After all the tests, the batch production documentation was prepared and protected. In 1980, by the decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 348-102 of 28.04.80 and order of the Minister of Defense of 03.06.80 No. 0089, the engineering barrage machine was adopted by the Soviet Army under the designation "IMR-2".
In May 1981, a group of IMR-2 creators from Kramatorsk and Chelyabinsk were awarded orders and medals. Thus, V. Gorbunov, who suffered during the trials, was awarded the medal "For Valiant Labor".
IMR-2 (Novograd-Volynsky)
At first, the IMR-2 was supposed to be produced in Omsk at the local transport engineering plant, but since 1976 it was reoriented to the production of T-80 tanks. Therefore, by the decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers of July 27, 1977, this responsibility was assigned to Uralvagonzavod (Nizhniy Tagil), where the construction of a special building was planned. But its construction was delayed, and the first 10 IMR-2 chassis were assembled in tank shops. Only in 1985, the serial production of the IMR-2 chassis began, which were then completed at the Novokramatorsk Mechanical Plant.
IMR-2 is intended for equipping passages, clearing debris and destructions during engineering support of military operations, including on radioactively contaminated terrain. In addition, it can be used for towing damaged equipment from the paths of movement of troops, for carrying out emergency rescue operations in areas of mass destruction, and the like
The first IMR-2 began to enter the troops at the beginning of 1986. Lt. Col. Evgeny Starostin recalls, who in 1985-1991. served in the 306th separate engineer battalion of the 24th MD (Yavorov, Ukraine) as a platoon commander and later a company:
- In February-March 1986 we received new equipment. These were engineering vehicles IMR-2. Rearmament to new machines took place in accordance with the directive of the General Staff on the reorganization of the Armed Forces, and more specifically within the framework of the "Division-86" program. At this time, a new offensive doctrine appears, the staffs of divisions change, everyone receives new equipment that could provide offensive actions, in this case, of our mechanized division. In the engineering subsections, the IMR-2 became such a machine. When we received new cars, there were certain difficulties. Firstly, tankers drove them from the railway platforms, because mechanics for the IMR-2 were trained in the Baltic States, and at the time the new equipment was received in the division, they simply were not there. The tankers generally helped a lot. But basically I had to do everything myself: read the technical "Manuals", press the buttons myself, press the levers. I studied on older tanks, and the T-72 tank as the base of the vehicle was new for me. In general, IMR-2 was similar to the previous IMR, but the internal equipment was smaller in size. The novelty was the appearance of a knife trawl and a demining installation. Regarding control, in IMR-2 it was simpler and easier in contrast to IMR due to the fact that there was a hydraulic transmission, not a mechanical one. The PAZ system is also a novelty. What is its essence? When the GO-27 radiation and chemical reconnaissance device detects a threat, the system stops, turns off the engine, all shutters are closed and the machine is sealed, the power supply is turned off, only the radio and emergency light work. After 4, 5 sec. the filtering unit is switched on. Then (about 15-20 seconds later) you can already start the engine. When I first tried the PAZ on myself, I was shocked - the engine stalled, the car stopped, everything knocks, closes, the light goes out. Feels like a sprat in a jar. It's funny now, but then …
The working body - the manipulator - and the peculiarity of working with it turned out to be very successful. She was lightweight and very versatile. So, my old-time soldiers managed to close the open box of matches by means of a manipulator.
As for the most basic vehicle, the T-72 tank, I will say that the vehicle is protected, comfortable, reliable, and easy to operate.
It should be recalled that a demining unit has been added to the main equipment (bulldozer, crane, mine trawl), which is located at the rear of the machine and includes right and left guides with demining charges. Its presence was determined by the fact that the IMR-2 would make passes in minefields and mine-explosive obstacles of the enemy to ensure the advance of troops.
IMR-2. Bulldozer oval and boom with a grab-manipulator in the stowed position, and the launcher of the demining charge is raised to the firing position
Evgeny Starostin:
- Regarding the installation of mine clearance UR-83. It is not known why she was in this car at all. There were many problems with her. Suffice it to say that the charges for the installation were located in wooden boxes on both sides of the vehicle. And this is 1380 kg of explosives. And this is on a vehicle that should operate in the first echelon, along with tanks. An RPG grenade hit, or a burst of bullets - and the car did not seem to exist (the distance of launching charges is only 500 m). Preparation for the launch of demining charges was carried out manually, by the exit of the crew from the car! And this during the battle … Another problem was the very launch of the charges, which were located near the engine compartment. And if the driver forgot to close the blinds of the agile compartment, then the starting motors of the demining charges could damage the engine and cause a fire in the car. During the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl station, it was generally useless, only brought a bunch of problems to the special officers (the installation is secret).
Description of the design and the main tactical and technical characteristics
Structurally, IMR-2 consists of a base machine and working equipment.
- Base machine (product 637) is an armored tracked vehicle made on the basis of components and assemblies of the T-72A tank, and is designed for mounting various equipment on it. For this, some changes were made to the body of "product 637": the bottom was reinforced, the design of the turret plate was changed, observation devices were replaced with sight glasses, attachment elements for working equipment were welded to the bow of the body, etc. The body of the machine is divided into two compartments: control and transmission. The control compartment is located in the bow (mechanic drive place) and middle parts of the hull (operator's seat). The transmission compartment occupies the rear of the hull, it contains the engine of the machine, located transversely and offset to the left side.
For driving along a given course in conditions of limited visibility and lack of landmarks, the base machine has a gyrocompass. Mechvod observation devices include day and night observation devices, which ensures driving and operation of the IMR-2 at any time of the day. Also, the machine is equipped with a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, a smoke exhaust system and fire equipment. For defense, the vehicle is armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun, which is installed above the operator's tower.
Basic chassis IMR-2
- Working equipment of the machine consists of a universal bulldozer, a telescopic boom with a gripper, a track mine trawl, a mine clearance installation.
The universal bulldozer is designed for the development and movement of soil, clearing snow and bushes, felling trees, removing stumps, making passages in forest debris and destruction.
Universal bulldozer IMR. Front view
Consists of a frame, lifting, lowering and tilting mechanisms, a small central blade and two side movable wings. The central blade is a welded structure that is attached to the frame and can be rotated to the right and left by 100. The blade wings (right and left) are similar in design, their front plates have a curved surface. Knives are bolted to the bottom of the front plate. Due to the mobility of the side wings, the bulldozer can take one of three positions: bulldozer, double-moldboard (track-laying) and grader. The universal bulldozer is controlled by the driver without leaving the car.
The main working body - a telescopic boom - is hingedly attached to the tower bracket, located on the turntable. The arrow has an original manipulator that copies the actions of a human hand and has six independent positions. The boom and manipulator are controlled by the operator of the machine from the console from the tower using an electro-hydraulic system. In the process of work, the following operations can be performed: swing of the boom, raising and lowering the boom, extending and retracting the boom, raising and lowering the gripper, turning the gripper, opening and closing the gripper. The design of the boom equipment allows you to combine separate operations, but no more than two. For example, turning the boom and opening (closing) the gripper, etc.
Gripper-manipulator in working position
The KMT-4 track mine sweep is an integral part of the IMR-2 and is designed for the vehicle to independently overcome anti-tank minefields made of ATMs of all types, incl. anti-bottom with a pin fuse. The trawl consists of three main parts: the right and left knife sections (of a similar design) and the transfer mechanism. The knife section consists of a working body (three cutting knives, a box-shaped dump, a folding wing), a balancer, a counterbalancing device, a pin device for trawling anti-bottom mines, copying the relief of a ski and a trawling winter device. In the working position, the trawl knives are buried in the ground. If a mine comes across on their way, it is removed from the ground with knives, falls on the dump and is retracted to the side behind the track of the tank tracks.
The demining installation (UR) is additional equipment to the anti-mine trawl and is designed to make passages in minefields and mine-explosive obstacles of the enemy in order to ensure the advancement of troops. It is located at the rear of the vehicle body and consists of two (right and left) guides for launching demining charges. A jet engine is placed on the rail, which, when launched, pulls the demining charge behind it and sends it to the minefield. The demining charges themselves are in wooden cassettes (two per side) in the rear of the hull on the fenders. Preparation of charges for launch is carried out by the crew manually after leaving the vehicle.
Rear view of the PU clearance
Main performance characteristics of the car
Basic vehicle: tracked base of the T-72A tank (product 637).
Weight with removable elements (knife trawl KMT, UR), t: 45, 7.
Crew, pers.: 2.
Performance:
- when preparing column tracks on medium-rugged terrain - 6-10 km / h;
- when equipping passages in forest heaps - 340-450 m3 / h;
- when equipping passages in stone rubble - 300-350 m / year;
- when developing the soil with bulldozer equipment (filling ditches, funnels, etc.) - 230-300 m3 / year.
Overcoming obstacles, hail:
- maximum ascent angle - 30;
- the maximum angle of roll is 25.
Dozer blade width, m:
- in a two-moldboard position - 3, 56;
- in the bulldozer position - 4, 15;
- in the grader position - 3, 4.
Boom lifting capacity, t: 2.
Speed, km / h:
- on the highway - 50;
- on dirt roads - 35-45.
Launcher:
- number of guides, pcs: 2.
- max. lifting angle of guides, city.: 60.
- range of demining charge supply, m: 250-500.
Cruising in store, km: 500.
Performing basic engineering tasks
Passages in forest heaps are made by pushing apart the bulk of the blockage with a bulldozer blade, as well as by pulling out and cleaning with an arrow with a manipulator of individual trees that impede the operation of the bulldozer (as a rule, sticking out above the level of the blade or posing a threat of damage to the elements and components of the machine). At the same time, the dozer blade is set to the double-moldboard position, and the boom with the manipulator is turned and set by the grip in front of the blade.
Passages in stone curtains, depending on their height and length, are made either by clearing to a solid foundation with a blockage height of up to 50 cm, or, at a higher height, by means of a passage overhead, for which an entry and exit from the blockage is arranged. At a high height of the blockage, its crest collapses with the help of a manipulator, large debris is removed to the side or stacked into the ramp.
In the rubble in the settlements, the IMR makes passages as well as in the stone walls. But at the same time, on the sides of the blockage, it is necessary to bring down dangerous elements of buildings (walls), pillars, masts, etc.
It arranges exits to the crossings IMR-2 by cutting off the coastal steepness (cliff) or cutting off the slope. When cutting the slope, the driveway is arranged in the form of a half-cut - half-fill by successive cutting of the slope. The blade is then placed in the grader position, and the cutting itself is performed with the blade turned forward.
The machine performs felling of individual trees with a diameter of 20-40 cm by cutting them with a blade at the root. Trees with a diameter of more than 40 cm are felled with a manipulator with simultaneous or preliminary pruning of the root system. Grubbing of stumps with a diameter of up to 40 cm is carried out by cutting the root system by deepening the dump by 15-20 cm 2 m before the stump.
The machine is digging a pit with a blade set in the bulldozer position, with a sequential reciprocating motion. The earth from the pit is periodically moved to the parapet.
On radioactive and chemically contaminated terrain, IMR performs all types of the above works, but with complete sealing of the machine.
