The project of the unified heavy tracked platform "Armata" is one of the most interesting topics of recent years. Until recently, experts and the interested public could only discuss fragmentary data published in various sources. However, the situation changed a few months ago. A few weeks before the Victory Parade on May 9, the first photographs and videos appeared, which showed a promising technique. Then the parade itself took place, and after that the defense industry continued to leisurely publish information about the new project.
Last week, the Zvezda TV channel made a huge gift to all fans of military equipment. The first full-fledged TV program dedicated to the promising line of military equipment went on the air. In the new issue of the "Military Acceptance" program, titled "Armata -" Terra Incognita ", representatives of the defense industry and journalists talked about the new project and revealed some new information that was previously not available to the general public.
Unfortunately, most of the information about the Armata platform project and armored vehicles based on it still remains classified. Nevertheless, already declassified information, admitted for publication, is of great interest and can seriously add to the existing picture compiled from previously published data. Thus, even in conditions of secrecy, the Zvezda channel managed to make an extremely interesting program, which should be familiar to all specialists and technology lovers.
Tank T-14 "Armata". Photo Wikimedia Commons
Before studying the new information, let's remember what information about the "Armata" project has already become public knowledge. The first mentions of the new project being created by the Uralvagonzavod corporation appeared several years ago. Soon after that, it became known that within the framework of the new project it was planned to create a unified heavy tracked platform, on the basis of which military equipment of various types would be developed. So, it was supposed to create and launch a main tank, a heavy infantry fighting vehicle, an armored recovery vehicle and equipment of other classes.
The greatest public interest was aroused by the project of the main battle tank based on the Armata platform, which received the designation T-14. According to the developers of the project, this vehicle was supposed to have a number of promising features that have not yet found application in tanks. Using these new ideas, it was planned to significantly increase the level of crew protection, firepower of weapons, mobility and, as a result, the overall combat effectiveness of the tank.
The general layout of the tank based on the Armata platform has become well-known for a long time. In order to improve the protection of the crew, it was decided to transfer the jobs of all tankers to a common armor capsule placed inside the hull. Behind the crew capsule, therefore, there should have been an uninhabited fighting compartment. The engine compartment, as in previous domestic tanks, remained in the stern. Rumors circulated about a possible transfer of the engine and transmission to the front of the hull, but they were eventually denied by official data.
Almost all the characteristics of the new T-14 tank are still a secret. Nevertheless, by now the approximate values of some parameters have become known. So, in various sources it was argued that the armored vehicle will receive an engine with a capacity of more than 1500 hp. In addition, information was announced about the superiority of the new tank gun over the existing weapons. However, other characteristics, even the most general ones, have not yet been announced.
Power unit of the Armata platform. Shot from t / p "Military acceptance"
In their program, the journalists of the Zvezda TV channel, with the permission of the military and defense industry, revealed some curious features of the T-14 project. Without going into classified details, the authors of the "Military Acceptance" program told and showed many interesting things that complement or correct the already existing picture.
For example, the process of installing a power unit was shown. For the first time in domestic practice, a tracked armored vehicle received an engine and transmission, made in the form of a single unit. This feature of the power plant facilitates the assembly of equipment or repairs in the conditions of army workshops. Thanks to this know-how, the replacement of the power unit takes no more than a few hours, which should accordingly affect the pace of maintenance of the equipment.
The main characteristics of the power plant have not yet been announced. Nevertheless, it was announced that the Armata platform is equipped with a multi-fuel X-shaped engine, which is superior in power to all existing domestic tank engines. This means that its power is at least 1500 hp. The available power makes it possible to compensate for the increase in the mass of equipment in comparison with previous machines and, as a result, to ensure the possibility of overcoming all the obstacles introduced in the customer's technical assignment.
To improve the characteristics of mobility, the T-14 tank and other vehicles based on the Armata platform receive an automatic reversible gearbox. This unit has 8 forward speeds and 8 reverse. Thus, thanks to the new gearbox, the armored vehicle can move forward or in reverse with the same speed indicators. In a number of situations, such an opportunity can significantly increase the efficiency of the vehicle, as well as ensure its survival in battle.
Undercarriage assembly, some suspension features are visible. Shot from t / p "Military acceptance"
The unified Armata platform receives a tracked undercarriage with individual suspension of seven road wheels on each side. The type of suspension has not yet been specified, but the shown features of the car clearly hint at the use of torsion bars. In addition, the two front and rear pairs of road wheels are equipped with additional shock absorbers, apparently designed to compensate for some of the increased loads.
Also, the undercarriage of the T-14 tank has an uneven distribution of road wheels. It is easy to see that the distance between the first three pairs of rollers is greater than between the rest. The rest of the chassis of the new tank hardly differs from the "classic" units of domestic tanks: front guides and rear drive wheels with pin engagement, as well as several supporting rollers.
The main characteristics of mobility are not yet subject to publication. Nevertheless, the authors of the program mentioned one curious fact that can help determine the approximate range of maximum speeds of the new technology. During the Victory Parade, the technician, passing through Red Square, leaves for Vasilyevsky Spusk. In order to maintain the formation, vehicles entering a bend with a large radius have to increase their speed, often up to 100 km / h. The authors of "Military acceptance" remind that the drivers of the T-14 tanks during the parade did an excellent job and kept the formation on the turn.
In order to increase the level of protection of the crew and the entire vehicle as a whole, the main T-14 tank receives a set of special equipment that protects it from various threats. At the same time, protection is provided in different ways and at different stages: both when preparing the enemy for a shot, and at the moment the projectile hits.
Computer simulation of the movement of a tank over rough terrain. Some of the features of the chassis are visible. Shot from t / p "Military acceptance"
The first "frontier" of protection for a promising tank is special materials and paint. It is argued that due to their use, it was possible to sharply reduce the visibility of a combat vehicle for radar detection equipment. Thus, the first way to increase the survivability of a tank on the battlefield is to reduce the likelihood of its detection by the enemy.
If it was not possible to avoid detection and the enemy tries to aim weapons, an optical-electronic suppression system comes into play. When the radiation of an enemy laser rangefinder is detected, special grenades are fired, forming a cloud of smoke with metal particles. A tank or other combat vehicle of the enemy will not be able to measure the distance to the target and, as a result, correctly aim its weapons. In addition, grenade launchers can be used when the enemy uses weapons with guidance at a target illuminated by a laser.
The third means of protection is the electronic warfare complex. A set of special electronic equipment should create a zone around the tank, protected from various enemy weapons. Such systems should protect the T-14 from guided missiles and anti-tank mines with magnetic fuses. The principle of action when disrupting attacks using missiles has not yet been specified.
Only after overcoming the first three degrees of protection, the enemy's ammunition will be able to hit the armor of a new domestic tank. Nevertheless, in this case, the defeat of the machine is not at all guaranteed. The T-14 tank and other vehicles based on the Armata platform are equipped with a set of protective equipment in the form of their own armor and additional modules mounted on it. The composition and characteristics of the hull armor are still a mystery, but it can be assumed that, at least, the frontal part of the hull is equipped with a combined multilayer barrier. The side protection is obviously less complex and durable.
Tank T-14 during test shooting. Shot from t / p "Military acceptance"
To improve the characteristics, the tank is proposed to be equipped with dynamic protection units. These blocks cover the entire upper frontal part and side skirts. Thus, the tank is protected from shelling from the entire front hemisphere not only by armor, but also by dynamic protection. The stern part of the sides, in turn, is covered with lattice cutting screens. Such equipment allows you to protect the vehicle from various anti-tank ammunition, and also does not impair the cooling of the rear of the hull and the power plant.
A curious feature of the so-called. active means of protection of the new tank is their complete autonomy. Automation must independently monitor the environment and take the necessary measures. For example, her responsibilities include working with laser sensors and smoke grenade launchers. When radiation from a laser rangefinder is detected, the electronics must independently determine the location of its source and form an impenetrable cloud in the path of the beam. In fact, the only task of the crew when using active protective equipment is to turn them on when entering the battlefield. They do the rest on their own, allowing the tankers to concentrate on completing the combat mission.
One of the main tasks of the project was to ensure the maximum possible protection of the crew. That is why it was decided to abandon the traditional placement of the crew in the control compartment and the turret, moving to a new layout. The entire crew of the T-14 tank, consisting of three people, is located in the total volume, made in the form of the so-called. armored capsules, due to which additional protection is provided.
The crew capsule is located behind the upper frontal part and in front of the fighting compartment. Three tank crews sit shoulder to shoulder and have all the necessary equipment to control the vehicle. On the left seat is the driver's mechanic, in the middle is the gunner-operator of weapons, on the right is the commander. Access to the capsule is provided by two roof hatches located above the driver's and commander's seats. The gunner must enter the tank through one of the "alien" hatches. At the same time, all crew members have their own periscopic devices to monitor the situation. Alexei Yegorov, host of the Military Acceptance program, noted the heavy weight of the hatches. I wonder if this was an accidental comment or a kind of reference to the recent controversy over the thickness and level of protection of hatches?
Crew capsule interior. The workplaces of the driver (in the background) and the gunner (in front) are visible. Shot from t / p "Military acceptance"
To reduce the size of the cockpit and provide additional convenience for combat operation, the seats of the tankers are installed with a backward tilt. In this case, the driver's seat can be raised, allowing him to look over the frontal part.
The driver's workplace is equipped with a steering wheel, adjustable in two planes for more convenience. There is also a gearbox control lever, a set of screens and other devices for displaying information about the operation of various systems. Thanks to the automatic transmission, the driver works with only two pedals.
In front of the gunner and commander, there are control panels with two LCD monitors on each. With the help of this equipment, the crew receives a video signal from the surveillance equipment and can detect targets with their subsequent attack. Weapon control is carried out using two consoles, similar to those used on modern domestic tanks. Aiming weapons is performed by turning the remote control or tilting its side levers. If necessary, these consoles, apparently, can be rotated and fit under the dashboard.
The fire control system and associated equipment allows the crew to observe and search for targets at any time of the day and determine targets at ranges of up to several kilometers. Optical-electronic sighting equipment has the ability to enlarge the image over a wide range, making it easier to fire at distant targets. Also, as part of the OMS, an automatic target tracking is provided, capable of solving the assigned tasks both during the day and at night.
Gunner (foreground) and commander (behind) workplaces. Shot from t / p "Military acceptance"
The armament of the promising domestic T-14 tank is installed in the turret. Due to the transfer of the crew into a single volume, an uninhabited fighting compartment was developed with a set of automation that fully serves the main weapon. All operations to prepare for firing are carried out without the participation of a person, only on his orders.
Like previous domestically developed tanks, the T-14 is equipped with a 125 mm smoothbore gun. Nevertheless, this gun (according to available data, designated as 2A82) is made according to modern technologies using new materials. This made it possible to increase the maximum pressure in the bore, which led to an increase in some other characteristics. However, the exact data on the latest tank weapons have not yet been published.
Andrey Terlikov, chief designer of the Ural design bureau of transport engineering, notes that the modular design of the tank allows the use of new weapons of a larger caliber in the future, as well as other modernizations of the fighting compartment. Thus, talk about the possible installation of a new weapon of increased caliber has certain grounds.
As an additional weapon, the new tank based on the Armata platform uses a combat module with a machine gun. This system is installed on the roof of the tower and allows you to protect the tank from attack from any angle. The module has a remote control system and is fully controlled by the crew.
Preparing to fire from the main gun. Shot from t / p "Military acceptance"
Already, the corporation "Uralvagonzavod" and the organizations that make up it, have some thoughts about the further modernization of the new tank. In particular, the issue of creating an unmanned modification controlled from a remote console is being considered. For this, a number of research and development work should be carried out, which will take some time.
Most of the information about the project of the unified tracked platform "Armata" and the T-14 tank has not yet been disclosed. The developers are still in no hurry to disclose the details of new projects, which contributes to the emergence of various versions and conjectures, and also fuels public interest. The recent program of the Zvezda TV channel was able to answer some long-standing questions. In addition, thanks to her, new questions about the project have appeared, the answers to which will not appear soon. Therefore, we should wait for news about the progress of the project and new messages about certain features of promising technology.
