The refusal of the Ministry of Defense in April this year from further funding of the program for the creation of the T-95, to put it mildly, looks strange.
Although a narrow circle of specialists watched the tank with their own eyes, a lot is known about it. However, the information contained in the print media and online publications, of course, should be treated critically. According to unconfirmed reports, the T-95's combat weight is 55 tons. The chassis has a hydroactive suspension. 1500 hp X-shaped diesel engine provides a speed of more than 75 km / h on the highway and 50 km / h on rough terrain. The power reserve is at least 500 km. The main highlight of the new combat vehicle is its layout. A small tower with a 152-mm cannon-launcher 2A83 and an automatic loader is uninhabited.
The crew, consisting of three people (thanks to the introduction of automation means, it can be two people) is placed in the body of the vehicle in an armored capsule, which not only contributes to the safety of tankers, but also to reduce the silhouette of the vehicle (height - about 2 m with a clearance of 500 mm), making it less visible on the battlefield. Ammunition of 42 guided, armor-piercing sub-caliber and high-explosive fragmentation shells is stored in a special protected compartment. Armoring of the hull and turret - multilayer with the use of built-in reactive armor of a new generation. Active defense system - "Drozd-M" or "Arena-E". There is also a complex of optical-electronic suppression "Shtora-2". To combat enemy manpower, machine guns of 14.5 mm and 7.62 mm are intended. The 30-mm automatic cannon is designed to repel attacks from the air. According to some reports, there is a variant of the tank with four 9M311 missiles. All this indicates that the combat stability of the tank should be very high.
The combat control system using optical, thermal, and infrared channels includes a laser rangefinder, and possibly a radar station. All information is supposed to be displayed on displays that will allow the crew to observe and assess the situation around the tank, including in the upper hemisphere. The "friend or foe" system will save you from "friendly fire" and will enable you to act confidently in the difficult conditions of modern combat.
Obviously, this is how the most "screwed up" version of the tank should look like. Probably not all options will be implemented, at least not immediately. Simpler and, therefore, cheaper versions of the T-95 have also been worked out. The head of the Ministry of Industry and Science of the Sverdlovsk Region, Alexander Petrov, said that Uralvagonzavod had produced several prototypes of the machine. And which of them was shown at the Nizhny Tagil exhibition is unknown.
The appearance of the T-95, as they say, "testicle for Christ's day." According to the forecast of the Center for the Analysis of World Arms Trade (TSAMTO), in the world market for new main battle tanks (MBT) in the next four years (2010-2013), a 20% increase in sales is expected compared to the previous four-year period. And now Russia with the T-90S tank is the undisputed leader in this area. In 2006-2009. our country exported 488 MBT worth $ 1.57 billion. In 2010-2013. the volume of supplies, taking into account the already concluded contracts, as well as the declared intentions for direct delivery and licensed programs, may amount to 853 new machines worth almost $ 2.75 billion.
After oversaturation in the 1990s.market with used tanks, which were sold at dumping prices, in the past few years there has been a steady growth in sales of new MBTs. This is due to the fact that the conflicts of the last decade have revealed an urgent need for modern tanks.
Meanwhile, discussions continue about the need for tanks in general. At first glance, the constant improvement of anti-tank weapons testifies to the "decline" of this type of weapon of the Ground Forces. The promising T-95, which very few people watched alive, also got it. Like, he will not be able to resist modern anti-tank systems.
It is worth recalling here that during Operation Iraqi Freedom, American troops suffered significant losses in Abrams tanks from old RPG-7s, which were used against the enemy by insurgents and fighters from scattered Iraqi units that resisted. But, as American generals admit, without the Abrams tanks, they would never have been able to take Baghdad and capture the territory of this entire Middle Eastern country.
It should also not be forgotten that there are no unsinkable planes, rockets and spacecraft, unsinkable ships and submarines. Any firing point, including ATGMs, can be suppressed and destroyed.
In connection with the development of countermeasures, a revision of tactics and, if you will, the strategy of using armored forces is required, but to abandon them would be the height of irresponsibility. They should not act alone, but accompanied by tank support combat vehicles (BMPT) and, possibly, other anti-tank suppression vehicles.
In the next decade, the T-72 and T-80 tanks of the Russian army will need to be replaced. The T-90 is a great car. She meets the requirements of today. But the possibilities of its modernization are already close to the limit.
Therefore, the refusal of the Ministry of Defense in April this year from further financing of the program for the creation of the T-95, to put it mildly, looks strange. Yes, today no one in Moscow is planning to dismember Western Europe with tank wedges. However, the threat to Russia's eastern borders is looming more and more clearly, where the gaps in the defense can only be closed with mobile tank units equipped with the most modern vehicles.
It seems that the "cooling" of the Ministry of Defense to tanks is simply explained by the lack of funds from the military department for the implementation of all urgently needed rearmament programs for the Air Force, Strategic Missile Forces, Navy, Space and Ground Forces. When we asked Oleg Sienko, General Director of Scientific and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod, Oleg Sienko about the fate of the T-95 in the light of anti-tank sentiments in the Russian Ministry of Defense, he declined to answer about the newest tank, but said: “Sometimes the assessments about domestic tanks seem to me biased. The market testifies in favor of our armored vehicles. The demand for UVZ tanks confirms the high combat qualities of our vehicles”(for an interview with Oleg Sienko“Uralvagonzavod responds to market challenges”see this issue of the magazine).
According to the Minister of Industry and Science of the Sverdlovsk Region, Alexander Petrov, UVZ is developing the T-95 independently, that is, on an initiative basis, without the participation of the Ministry of Defense. In his opinion, the decision of the Ministry of Defense to close the "Object 195" project is clearly premature, since the new tank will undoubtedly be in demand by customers. There is no doubt about that. The secret defile of the T-95 at the Defense and Defense-2010 exhibition is not an accidental phenomenon, organized according to someone's whim. Rosoboronexport and the FSMTC are definitely showing interest in the new car in order to start preparing for its promotion to the foreign market right now. So, by the way, it was with the T-90. They were first interested in foreign customers, and then the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Yes, and the number of T-90s in foreign armies is much larger than in the Russian army.
This tank, as in all the years of the arms exhibitions in Nizhny Tagil, was the main object of attention of the participants and guests of "Defense and Protection-2010". Demonstration of his capabilities at the tank training ground, as well as other armored vehicles of the Ural enterprises, invariably attracted a huge number of spectators. This is no coincidence. Whereas tanks show how they can dance at MVSV within the framework of the exhibition "Technologies in Mechanical Engineering" in Zhukovsky near Moscow, at the training ground of the Nizhny Tagil Institute of Metal Testing they dive, jump and shoot, that is, they work in their main specialty, and not just entertain.
But the exhibition did not live on like tanks. Moreover, its main specialization is civil defense and anti-terrorist operations. Expositions representing the conversion products of the Ural enterprises are being deployed more and more widely. It is appropriate to recall here that the same UVZ produces much more wagons and road-building vehicles than armored vehicles. Uralvagonzavod presented at the exhibition new models of mobile drilling rigs MBR-125 and MBR-160 developed by OJSC Spetsmash. The use of such installations makes it possible to significantly facilitate the work on geological exploration, drilling and workover of wells. The cabins of the operators are equipped with a climate control system, which makes it possible to work comfortably in any weather conditions. The MBR-125 and MBR-160 rigs are equipped with a complete hydrofication system for the drilling process, that is, they do not require additional hydraulic pumping stations. Bench tests of the experienced MBR-125 and MBR-160 are scheduled for September, after which they are planned to be put into operation. Serial production will begin in 2011. By 2014, UVZ plans to produce up to 30 units of both models annually. This is the strategic proposal of Uralvagonzavod to the oil and gas complex of Russia. What will be the answer? “I hope that the reaction will be positive,” said the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Viktor Khristenko, who examined the MBR-125 and MBR-160 at the Defense and Defense exhibition. He highly praised UVZ mobile drilling rigs, stressing that he is looking forward to the oil and gas industry to react to these new developments.
A number of enterprises demonstrated an integrated approach to the main topics of the exhibition. Thus, the Moscow-based Tethys Pro OJSC presented suits for firefighters and special diving equipment for the security forces of the water area, as well as remote-controlled unmanned underwater vehicles.
In total, 252 enterprises from 30 regions of Russia and foreign countries took part in the exhibition "Defense and Protection-2010". More than 2, 2 thousand samples of equipment and other exhibits were demonstrated. The exhibition was attended by almost 35 thousand people, including from 37 foreign countries.
The business part of the forum was also saturated. On July 14, when Bastille Day is celebrated, a national holiday of the French Republic, an agreement was signed between the French company Thales and the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant on cooperation in the field of creating military and civilian equipment at UOMZ. Interaction is envisaged in the field of laser technologies, thermal imaging and optoelectronic equipment, and sights for small arms. KAMAZ signed contracts with law enforcement agencies for the supply of vehicles, special equipment and spare parts for them.
Now Nizhny Tagil has begun preparations for the international exhibition of arms and military equipment Russian Expo Arms 2011, which will be held next summer. According to Oleg Sienko and General Director of the Nizhniy Tagil Institute of Metal Testing Valery Rudenko, the state demonstration exhibition center will be reorganized, which will include measures to improve the infrastructure of the Ural test site. On it, viewers will be able to see a whole military operation involving all types of troops. Let's hope that at the Russian Expo Arms 2011 the public premiere of the T-95 tank will finally take place, which will undoubtedly become not only its decoration, but also the "nail" of the entire exhibition season next year.
