The tank was and, apparently, will remain a modern weapon for a long time due to the ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities necessary for combat work, such as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable protection of its crew. The tank is constantly being improved, and the accumulated experience and new technologies predetermine the appearance of combat properties and the achievement of a technical level, which seemed quite recently a myth or a pipe dream. Therefore, again and again we have to return to the topic of "promising tank".
In the foreseeable future, there is no alternative to the tank as a combat vehicle capable of becoming the main combat vehicle of the ground forces. A promising tank will be, in fact, a combat system with increased intellectual capabilities, a means of reconnaissance and analysis of the data obtained, the choice of priorities on the battlefield, as well as a powerful weapon capable of destroying enemy armored objects and successfully interacting with other weapon systems.
At the same time, given the economic feasibility, the main tank-building powers are now betting on the modernization of armored military equipment, which makes it possible to achieve updated combat characteristics. The trouble is that such a path is short, the stock for modernization is quickly running out. Therefore, a qualitative breakthrough is needed, fundamentally new solutions to meet the requirements of the 21st century.
It is known that the birthplace of tank building - Great Britain - does not yet shine with initiatives in the design of promising tanks. There is a lot of talk in Germany about the NGP armored platform, but so far no prototypes have been seen, and the modernization of the Leopards, presumably, suits the followers of Guderian quite well.
As always, the Pentagon is active: prototypes appear, information about the fantastic capabilities of the FCS combat system gets into the press. The stake is placed on the creation of a complex of devices for the detection and guidance of high-precision weapons, using data from radar and optical reconnaissance satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles with infrared cameras. It is argued that the promising tank will receive space navigation and a lot of "bells and whistles" of the XXI century - the latest optoelectronics, made using nanotechnology.
The mobility of such a tank will be provided by a complex power plant (with a gas turbine engine and an electric generator), and the drive wheel of the chassis will become an electric wheel. In this case, the speed of 100 km / h will become a reality. The high power-to-weight ratio will make it possible to use an electromagnetic gun with an initial speed of 7 km / s (this is almost the first space speed). The use of a conventional cannon of increased power for hitting targets at maximum distances is not excluded with a high probability.
The layout of the promising vehicle is designed so that the crew will be inside the armored corps, and it is planned to provide fire with the help of remote control equipment.
According to some reports, the mass of a new generation tank can be about 40 tons, total height - 1.6-2 m, width - 3.4 m. The crew consists of two people. The real picture of the battle will be displayed on the helmet visor, and all-round observation (day and night) will be carried out using television and thermal imaging cameras. Of course, the car will have a friend or foe identification system.
It will not be superfluous to recall the work of General Dynamics Land Systems to improve the design of the Abrams tank as part of the Block III program. In one of the variants of this already closed program, it was supposed to install an uninhabited tower equipped with a remotely controlled weapon - a smoothbore 140 mm caliber cannon with automatic loading (ATACS program). The muzzle energy of her projectile was supposed to be 2 times higher than that of the standard 120-mm M-256 cannon installed on the M1A1 and M1A2 tanks. Provides an integrated power plant system (ALPS), hydropneumatic suspension, light track. The crew (3 people) is housed in the hull; ammunition supply mechanism (Lockheed Martin) - in a niche. Shot - separate loading (similar to our scheme); rate of fire - up to 12 shots / min.
In fairness, it must be said that, according to many experts, a new generation tank is still a very distant prospect. A German universal model, somewhat reminiscent of a promising Russian tank - the so-called "T-95" (created by the Nizhny Tagil tank design bureau), the official presentation of which we have been waiting for a long time, may become a reality.
Unfortunately, the expectation of new models of domestic armored vehicles is really too long. But at the moment, only the T-95 turned out to be the only promising tank brought to the test stage (one cannot but express my sincere respect to my colleagues from the UKBTM).
Let's turn to the history of the issue. In the late 1950s. the outstanding designer of the Kharkov design bureau, Alexander Aleksandrovich Morozov, created the T-64, a new generation vehicle that became the prototype of all Soviet tanks developed later in Leningrad, Nizhny Tagil and Kharkov. But as time went on, the requirements for the samples of armored vehicles changed.
In the early 1980s. in Kharkov, work began on the "Hammer" theme, which determined the development of a promising tank. The technical task implied the creation of a tracked base, on the basis of which self-propelled gun mounts, anti-aircraft missile systems, engineering, ambulances and other vehicles could be built. Similar studies were carried out in other tank design bureaus of the country.
Kharkiv residents did not create a miracle then. The "Object 477" they created turned out to be difficult and unsuccessful: the crew was again "locked" among the shells, and the automatic loader was distinguished by its large dimensions. Without dwelling on the details of the design of this machine, we can state that the failure has become obvious.
In the second half of the 1980s. developed their new tank Omsk: apparently, in the Western manner, they called it "Black Eagle", without explaining why the eagle and why black. Maybe to intimidate adversaries?
But, in fact, it was a classic Leningrad T-80, which was mass-produced in Omsk, with an oversized tower, which was hidden from idle journalists with a camouflage net. The turret was presented as a "know-how" due to a cannon, seemingly of increased caliber, carried out behind the turret of the aft niche, similar to the "western" one, where, as noted in the media, there is ammunition, separated from the crew, and a new automatic loading system. But things did not go beyond the strange screening of "Black Eagle". It seems that today this car has been completely forgotten.
Before talking about the Leningrad developments on the topic of a promising tank, I would like to draw your attention to the title of the article: it was not born by chance. Nikolai Fyodorovich Shashmurin, one of the elders of the KB of tanks of the Kirov plant (who worked here from 1932 to 1976), in 1969 finished work on a thesis (based on the totality of works) devoted to the development of domestic tank building. Soon he defended it at the Armored Academy, deservedly becoming a candidate of technical sciences. The leitmotif of this great work; to which he devoted his entire life, was the concept of the development of domestic tank building in the form of the development of a "tank of limiting parameters" (CCI). This was a response to the refusal of the political line of NS Khrushchev from the production and design of heavy tanks, which since pre-war times had been engaged in by the KB of the Kirov plant and by N. F. Shashmurin.
The quintessence of his idea is based on two fundamental theses:
Firstly, the simultaneous development and coexistence of two types of tanks is necessary - the main one (aka mass and low cost) and a tank of limiting parameters (CCI) (small-scale, with a qualitatively different level of tactical and technical characteristics).
secondly, the CCI should constantly introduce the latest achievements and developments of scientific organizations, which, as they are tested and evaluated, can be transferred to the main tank.
This concept has its supporters and opponents. There is even a controversial opinion that today - since there is no large serial production anywhere in the world - the vehicles of tank-producing countries, in principle, are the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Here is what N. F. Shashmurin in his work "On the development of domestic tank building (based on the works of the Kirov plant)":
“Existing ideas about the same type of tanks, it means that the modern main tank is supposedly the result of a merger of old medium and heavy tanks with the predominant influence of medium ones, diluted with the concept of the possibility of creating a tank in medium weight with the parameters of a heavy one, performed with unusual layout techniques (for example, objects 282, 286, 287, 288, 775, etc.) are at least a delusion. There are more than enough grounds for the assertion that the acceptable value of the weight characteristics of a heavy tank in combination with the existing scientific and technical capabilities based on objective operating conditions (roads, bridges, railroad transportation, delivery methods, etc.) the creation of individual systems and assemblies that allow obtaining the ultimate development of combat properties by new layout means makes it possible to find the desired solution for a tank of limiting parameters. We will agree to call the former heavy tank that way, and in the future, this particular type of tank will serve as the basis for solving the problem - the creation of a universal tank”.
Already in those years, Nikolai Fedorovich did not exclude small-scale production of only a "tank of maximum parameters" for the country's internal needs (given a favorable political situation). And that was the time when three plants of the USSR put the T-64, T-72 and T-80 tanks on stream.
Note that over the almost 100-year history of its existence, the tank has turned into a highly protected complex of effective weapons, which made it possible to make both long marches and rapid throws. How did its main indicators grow, say, on the example of domestic cars?
In the eternal confrontation "shell-armor", protection is being improved more and more, acquiring the qualities of "activity", multi-layer, "self-defense", etc. At the same time, the projectile becomes more and more "smart", accurate and powerful, gets an ever more "long arm". Over the years of development of domestic tank building, the caliber of a tank gun has increased by more than 3.5 times, although, of course, it is not only about the caliber. At the same time, “security” was also growing. Suffice it to say that the mass of the tank has increased by more than 6.5 times - although the entire mass of the tank cannot be attributed to the weight of its armor, it is still about 50% of the mass of modern tanks.
The indicator of mobility, which is determined, first of all, by the engine, is somewhat knocked out of the "three pillars" of tank building. Its power increased 37 times (from 33.5 to 1250 hp for the T-80U). But let's not rush - the most important indicator of mobility is the specific power, i.e. power related to the weight of the machine. According to this indicator, there is an increase of only 6 times. We have to admit that all three components: fire, maneuver, defense went hand in hand.
If you follow the trends, for example, in engine power and maximum speed of tanks of foreign tank builders, it will become obvious that progress cannot be stopped and the priorities here are comparable to aviation, where the slogan "higher, further, faster" is still a common truth *.
So how does the CCI end up as a promising next-generation tank?
The answer, it would seem, lies on the surface. You can borrow examples from the same aviation - the defense industry that is most responsive to changes. Namely: take a more powerful gun and engine, "stronger" armor. Add to this: better communication, less cost and, as they say, forward. But everything turns out to be more complicated.
In this regard, I recall the informative and interesting conversations in April 2001 with a real expert in his field, a tanker colonel of the Security Council. Roshchin, who was then working in the editorial office of the Russian Ministry of Defense magazine "Army Collection". He came to our design bureau and got acquainted with promising developments. The most urgent problem before, and then for us, was the problem of protecting the crew. This also coincided with the specialization of the organization - the creator of heavy tanks. After all, it was not for nothing that the outstanding designer Zh. Ya. Kotin was the main developer of the KV and IS tanks, glorified in the battles of the Great Patriotic War, heavy artillery self-propelled guns, and in the second half of the 1950s. - the most powerful T-10 tank and its modifications. A distinctive feature of the Kotino tank school was the development of fundamentally new technical solutions, which was associated not only with a strong design team, but also with the location of the design bureau at the Kirov plant in Leningrad - the center of scientific and technical thought **. It is not surprising that such developments have always been in demand by other tank design teams in the country.
Then Sergei Borisovich, fully supporting our work, testified that without strengthening the reserved volume in the tank, it is impossible to achieve high security for the crew. The tendency to reduce the crew, new qualities of weapons and mobility control opened up prospects for staying in a compact, well-protected hull, with a vehicle weight of about 50 tons. armoring the hull - to increase the protection of people by an order of magnitude. This should have been facilitated by the additional protection provided by the location of the engine in front of the crew (layout with a front-mounted engine compartment, or MTO).
Modern technical vision equipment, automatic target tracking devices, an automatic loading mechanism, new fire control systems and information and control systems can reduce the number of crew members, for example, to two people - a driver and a commander. At the same time, it became possible to abandon the classic layout of the tank with a manned turret, and place the armament on a small-sized platform.
Already at the end of the 1990s. Similar elaborations of the layout of a tank with a crew of two and with a front-mounted MTO were considered by the chief designer, discussed at the NTS of the design bureau, and tested in prototypes and mock-ups.
The crew managed (almost "like an airplane") to be placed in a separately formed, sealed capsule with instruments and displays for displaying the external situation, searching for targets, automatically tracking them without direct visual contact. The high protection of the crew is achieved not only due to the small size of the capsule, its differentiated armor shell, but also due to sealing and special life support.
The figure shown (longitudinal section) shows such a highly protected vehicle with a crew of two. Its main elements are an armored corps with elements of dynamic protection, a motor-transmission unit, a tracked undercarriage, a control compartment, a gun compartment, an artillery gun, a set of ammunition, a fire control system, day and night vision equipment, a tank information and control system, devices counteraction to electronic means of reconnaissance, means of active protection, etc.
MTO (2) is located in the bow of the hull (1), which is equipped with an additional booking unit (3). A feature of this method of booking is the easy removability of the additional unit, ease of replacement in case of damage and, consequently, simplification of repair work.
Directly behind the MTO there is a separately formed, armored on all sides and sealed capsule (5) to accommodate the commander and driver with all the necessary display devices on the displays, and the sensor devices of these devices are located on the outer sections of the hull and the gun platform. It is very important that the capsule is located in the area of the tank's center of mass, which ensures the most comfortable working conditions for the crew.
The front wall (4) of the capsule, which is at the same time the rear wall of the MTO, is made with a smooth transition into the heavily armored roof of the capsule, in which the hatch for the crew is located. A volume is provided behind the crew seats, where the life support means (6) are designed for continuous combat operation of the crew, without leaving the vehicle for three days.
The artillery gun (9) is mounted on a full-revolving platform (8). To reduce the volume of space where the loading mechanism (10) is located, a gun with a swivel loading chamber was used. In this case, the ammunition store (11) is located on the turntable of the loading mechanism and is made in the form of two circular symmetrical rows of vertical cassettes of the inner and outer rows (13). The ammunition is lifted and turned to be placed in the barrel chamber by a lever mechanism (12).
The rear wall (7) of the capsule forms the front wall of the space under the gun platform and has a hatch for the crew to access the loading mechanism and the ammunition store. The rear wall of the capsule is made especially strong in compliance with the requirement of its non-destruction in case of an emergency explosion of ammunition. At the same time, the rear wall (24) of the space, where the ammunition store is located, is made with the expectation of its destruction in such situations. There is also another hatch for the maintenance of the ammunition mechanism with the control panel of the executive bodies (15).
The casemate part of the barrel is equipped with a sealed casing with an ammunition loading hatch (23). Chassis (22) - with torsion bar suspension (with subsequent modernization - with adjustable suspension).
The design and technical solutions of the main systems and units of this tank have no analogues in the world, as evidenced by a number of copyright certificates and patents for inventions (for example, patent for invention No. 2138004 with priority dated 10/14/98). In addition, brief information about him was published in the press (for example, Ptichkin S. Secret armor // Rossiyskaya Gazeta. - 2008, No. 32 (4589); Kozishkurt V. I., Filippov V. P. A single base chassis for armored tracked vehicles. -OJSC "VNIITransmash", 2005).
The decisive influence of new and modernized systems, long-term and large-scale efforts to improve the combat and operational properties allows us to consider the "tank of limiting parameters" both as a qualitatively new model and as a variant of the next generation tank. It is able to effectively deal with modernized and newly designed foreign tanks, surpassing them in all basic properties - firepower, protection and mobility.
In terms of firepower, this is achieved:
- the installation of a cannon of increased power - with a caliber of 140-152 mm (with subsequent modernization for various promising ammunition);
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an increase in the amount of ammunition transported - up to 40 pcs.;
- higher firing accuracy (with a probability of 0.9) when firing direct-fire artillery shells at a distance of up to 4 km;
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increasing the range of search and target detection at night (up to 3.5 km);
- the ability to fight ground and air targets not only day and night, but also in bad weather conditions and the use of various interference;
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reducing the time and simplifying the loading of ammunition;
- the introduction of tank information and control systems (TIUS), with all the inherent new properties of increasing accuracy, convenience and
- reduction of time for all operations during combat work.
A high degree of security and survivability is ensured by:
- the use of a complex of new technical developments and the implementation of promising technologies aimed at improving the armor and
- dynamic protection, means of optoelectronic suppression, active and electromagnetic protection;
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increasing mine protection, as well as special means of protecting crew members from shrapnel;
- explosion safety from own ammunition and fire safety, which is 50 times faster than the speed of existing samples;
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measures to reduce visibility in the optical, radar and thermal ranges;
- crew accommodation in well-armored from all sides (including - and especially - in the upper part), pressurized, providing 72
- an hour-long comfortable stay of the crew isolated from the environment.
Superiority in terms of mobility is ensured by the use of a gas turbine engine with a capacity of 1400-1500 hp, and later - 1800-2000 hp:
- maximum speed 85-90 km / h and more on the highway. Cruising in store more than 500 km;
- reducing the time and labor intensity of maintenance and repair due to the use of CIUS (basic information management system).
With a machine weight of 50 tons, the power density can be further increased to 40 l / s per ton.
The new technical solutions applied here (in any case, most of them) were the result of earlier studies, studies and analyzes carried out at OJSC "Spetsmash" under the leadership of General Designer NS Popov, and later - General Director V. I. Kozishkurt.
In the second half of the 1980s. was developed, manufactured, passed a large amount of tests to substantiate and select the design of the undercarriage model of a semi-support chassis with a front MTO - "Object 299".
In 1988, a robotic complex based on the T-80 tank was created from two vehicles: remotely controlled and controlled (unmanned). The complex provides for the transmission of video images of television cameras from the driven machine to the leading one and the transmission of control commands of the motion system.
Particularly noteworthy are the samples of an effective system for displaying video information, introduced for the television search system of the view-protected vehicle "Ladoga". It possesses a complex of protective qualities that allow it to work successfully in the most extreme conditions, reliably protect personnel from all known factors of weapons of mass destruction, and is capable of operating autonomously for a long time. When designing it in the late 1970s. the task was set to provide fast and comfortable movement in off-road conditions with overcoming blockages, difficult terrain, high snow cover at any time of the year and day.
Strict requirements were imposed on the means of communication - both inside the car and with the outside world. All this was supposed to be done, ensuring maximum unification with other previously produced machines.
The well-developed tracked chassis of the T-80 tank was chosen as a base for the Ladoga. An armored body was mounted on it, in which a salon with comfortable chairs and individual lighting, air conditioning and life support systems, radio communications, observation devices and measurements of various parameters of the external environment were placed. An analogue of such an autonomous support system was used in astronautics, making it possible to create normal working conditions in a completely sealed cabin.
The gas turbine engine GTD-1250 was used as a power plant, which has a unique property of "shaking off" the accumulated dust and throwing it out, which is very important when working in conditions of radioactive contamination.
In the early 1980s. "Ladoga" has successfully passed the entire range of bench and sea trials. But the main test awaited her in the spring of 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. From May 3 to September 28, 1986, "Ladoga" covered more than 4,720 km, overcoming areas with a background of up to 1,600 x-ray / h, entering the ChNPP engine room, conducting reconnaissance in the vicinity of the station, reconnaissance in a vast adjacent area, making video recordings of the most dangerous places and performing other work in the area of the city of Pripyat and at the nuclear power plant.
Now, many years later, objectively assessing all five months of hard work of Ladoga in those tragic days for the country, we can say that we were staging an experiment that was unique in its scale, which proved the timeliness of creating such a windproof machine. I think that we will not be mistaken in asserting that there is no such practice in the world, when the properties and capabilities of technology were tested in completely real conditions. The specialists-developers of this unique machine have also gained vast experience.
It is necessary to say about one more experimental work of the tank builders of the Leningrad Design Bureau and VNIITransMash scientists fifteen years ago, which is directly related to the topic of a promising tank. In the course of research and development work on the T-80 chassis, which was then serially produced at the plant, in the late 1980s. a new tower was designed for the installation of a high-power cannon (152 mm caliber). The car received the code "Object 292".
Shooting tests at the range showed high stability and reliability of all gun components. Despite the previous length of the gun recoil, the required acceleration and load standards at the crew's workplaces were preserved and did not exceed, and, therefore, the idea of installing a cannon of increased power in the T-80 tank turned out to be vital. However, the lack of funding slowed down further work in this direction. But invaluable experience was not lost, intellectual developments and findings remained. There is no doubt that this design groundwork will be in demand.
And finally, the engine. We have to return to this topic again - what engine does a modern tank need? It should be noted that this year marks 35 years since the gas turbine engine has been used by the troops, having established itself as a reliable, highly efficient engine. During this time, its power increased from 1000 to 1250 hp. (we will remind once again - in the same dimensions), and in forced, short-term mode - up to 1400 hp. Moreover, back in the 1990s. FSUE “Plant named after V. Ya. Klimov”produced 15 engines with a capacity of 1500 hp, thus creating a good start, and the successful passing of the tests provided a reliable future. Then there was a real opportunity to increase the engine power to 1800 hp. and more.
Is it a myth or reality to develop a "tank of limiting parameters"? We can confidently say, given the existing groundwork, intellectual potential, technological and production base of the Uralvagonzavod corporation (where OJSC Spetsmash joined), that this is possible.
Speaking about the future of domestic tank building, its potential and capabilities, I cannot but recall the recent statement of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Alexander Postnikov, who offers to buy tanks abroad. I fully agree with the opinion expressed in this regard by Vadim Kazyulin, Director of the Conventional Arms Program of the Center for Political Studies of Russia, in the newspaper Vzglyad (2011-15-03 # 475780):
“The task of the military is to protect the country not only in wartime, but also in peacetime. And with such statements, he actually kills the Russian defense industry. … A strong army must have a strong rear. And how is he going to fight if the rear is in France!"
And how can you not remember how the General Designer Nikolai Sergeevich Popov spoke correctly and accurately on this topic, giving an interview to the newspaper "S.-Petersburgskie vedomosti" on April 1, 1993:
“The primary task is to preserve … scientific and technical design potential … Under any circumstances, Russia will remain a great power. This is predetermined by her historically. A state cannot exist without an army, which is the guarantor of statehood. And there is no army without modern tanks. Win with this sim”.
