Any modern army needs not only combat vehicles, but also various auxiliary equipment. For the successful fulfillment of combat missions, the armed forces must have auxiliary vehicles for various purposes, which will solve transport, construction and other tasks not related to direct participation in battles. For example, armored units need armored recovery vehicles (ARVs). This technique should be used to evacuate damaged armored vehicles from the battlefield and carry out subsequent repairs in the field. In the foreseeable future, the Russian armed forces should receive new equipment of this class.
A few years ago, the first information appeared about a promising unified heavy tracked platform "Armata", on the basis of which it was proposed to build main tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other equipment, including auxiliary ones. In particular, the Uralvagonzavod corporation was supposed to create a new ARV, which was proposed to be used for the maintenance of promising tanks.
General view of the BREM T-16
Until recently, there was no exact information about the ARV project based on the Armata platform. Just a few days ago, the situation changed dramatically. The Zvezda TV channel showed a new issue of the Military Acceptance program, dedicated to the Armata platform and armored vehicles based on it. The program "Armata -" Terra Incognita "showed the main tank T-14, the heavy infantry fighting vehicle T-15 and the armored recovery vehicle T-16. It is noteworthy that before the program of the Zvezda channel, the general public had never seen a new ARV.
It is no secret that combat vehicles are of the greatest interest to specialists and technology enthusiasts, while auxiliary systems rarely receive much attention. This is probably one of the reasons why the T-16 BREM until recently did not appear in the news and was mentioned only in the context of the general capabilities and prospects of the Armata project. Thus, the promising tank and infantry fighting vehicles received all the public attention, and the recovery vehicle remained in the shadows.
BREM T-16 on the track of the landfill
Because of all this, until recently, the available information about the T-16 project was fragmentary. Moreover, the very name of the T-16 became known only recently. Not enough attention was paid to the promising ARRV, and the basic information about it, to one degree or another, was the result of the analysis of news about the entire program as a whole. As a result, almost all information about the T-16 was the result of reflection on the published data.
After the announcement of information on the possibility of building an ARV on the basis of the unified Armata platform, the first assessments of the appearance of such equipment appeared. It was assumed that the new vehicle will be built on the same chassis as the promising tank, and will also receive a number of special equipment: a crane, a winch for towing damaged equipment, etc. At the same time, the details of the project were not officially disclosed.
T-16, front-left view. The dynamic protection of the cockpit is clearly visible
Unfortunately, the authors of the "Military Acceptance" program did not focus on the promising T-16 BREM, limiting themselves to only a short story about its capabilities and moving on to another family technique. Nevertheless, very interesting facts about the available characteristics were announced, and the car itself was also shown. Despite the short story of the presenter and experts, the video sequence of the TV program allows you to carefully examine the new ARV and draw some conclusions.
The T-16 armored repair and recovery vehicle is another representative of the family of vehicles based on the unified tracked platform "Armata", which affects its main features. The new ARV is based on a unified chassis, also used as the basis for a tank and a heavy infantry fighting vehicle. At the same time, the vehicle receives a modified hull and a set of special equipment, which allows the crew to perform various maintenance operations on damaged equipment.
"Heroes" of the TV program "Military Acceptance": BMP T-15 (left), T-14 tank (rear right) and T-16 armored vehicle (front right)
As a base for the T-16, a variant of the Armata platform with a rear engine compartment is used. This is primarily due to the applied layout and placement of special equipment. The front part of the vehicle's hull is given over to the habitable compartment with crew workstations and seats for transporting the crew of the evacuated tank. According to some reports, there are three crew places and three seats for tankers in the hull.
The armored cabin of the crew is located in the front of the hull and has an asymmetric design, made with a shift to the left side. This location of the cabin is associated with the need to install special equipment. Behind the habitable compartment is the aft engine-transmission compartment with a power unit.
Joint maneuvering of the tank (left) and ARV (right). The rear of the T-16 machine is clearly visible
A characteristic feature of the Armata platform, which distinguishes it from the previous domestic armored vehicles, is the use of an integral power unit. Previously, tanks and other equipment used the engine and transmission, made in the form of separate units. The design of the new unified platform implies the connection of the engine and gearbox into a single unit. This design of the power plant provides greater convenience in assembling equipment at the factory and serving in the army. In particular, the time required to replace damaged units is significantly reduced.
Like other vehicles of the family, the T-16 BREM is equipped with an X-shaped multi-fuel engine with a capacity of more than 1500 hp. The exact value of the maximum power of this engine is still classified, but it is noted that it is more powerful than all other power plants used on domestic tanks. A reversible automatic transmission with eight forward and reverse gears is interlocked with the engine. The latter feature is expected to increase the mobility of promising armored vehicles.
Power unit of the platform "Armata"
The new BREM has a chassis unified with other equipment. It includes seven road wheels with individual torsion bar suspension on each side. Apparently, some of the rollers are also equipped with additional shock absorbers, which improve the performance of the machine. As in the case of the T-14 tank, the chassis design is designed for uneven load on the rollers. For this reason, the clearances between the first three pairs of road wheels are slightly larger than the others.
According to reports, the crew of the T-16 BREM consists of three people: the driver, the commander and the operator of special systems. They are located at the front of the hull and must fall into place through the roof hatches. Observation devices are provided next to the hatches for operation in a combat situation. The composition of the equipment of the crew's workplaces is still unknown. It can be assumed that the driver's control post is unified with devices of other equipment of the family. In this case, the machine is controlled using the steering wheel, gear lever and two pedals. There is also reason to believe that some special systems can be controlled using built-in and remote consoles.
Mounting the power unit in the housing
The main task of an armored recovery vehicle is to enter the battlefield and evacuate damaged armored vehicles, which makes special demands on the level of protection. In order to ensure the maximum possible survivability, the new T-16 received a set of powerful armor and additional systems, from reactive armor to special electronics.
The Military Acceptance program mentions that the T-16 BREM is equipped with a special electronic system that can repel attacks using guided weapons. In addition, this system is capable of neutralizing anti-tank mines with electromagnetic fuses. Probably, we are talking about an electronic warfare system, unified with the equipment of the T-14 tank and the T-15 BMP.
Dedicated gearbox test bench
Protection of the crew and internal units in the event of an enemy shell or missile hit is provided by the vehicle's own armor and a set of additional equipment. So, the frontal part of the hull is covered with dynamic protection units and lattice screens. Due to some features of the layout of special equipment, only the cockpit is equipped with dynamic protection. The right side of the forehead, in turn, is covered with a grill. The left side of the crew compartment is fully covered with ERA. On the right side screen, there are several more such blocks, over which a lattice screen is installed.
The middle and aft part of the sides is equipped with a set of anti-cumulative grilles. Such equipment allows you to protect the vehicle from anti-tank weapons, but it does not interfere with the cooling of the engine compartment. The stern projection is protected only by its own body armor and reinforced parts of special equipment.
Installation of the road roller. The mechanisms of the additional shock absorber are visible from the back.
If necessary, the T-16 BREM can respond to the enemy with machine-gun fire. To do this, a remote-controlled module with a large-caliber machine gun is installed on the roof of the cockpit. With the help of this weapon, the crew of the vehicle can defend against infantry or light vehicles of the enemy.
To perform the main tasks, such as evacuating damaged armored vehicles from the battlefield and performing some repair work, the T-16 BREM received a set of special equipment. A dozer blade with a hydraulic drive is installed on the lower frontal plate of the body. It can be used for some excavation work and also serves as an outrigger for the main crane. In addition, the blade provides additional protection for the frontal projection.
ARRV with the main crane lifts a 2-ton load. Dozer blade and crane winch are clearly visible
The most visible piece of special equipment is the main crane. In the front part of the hull, to the right of the cockpit, there is a small rotating platform of the crane, on which the boom is hinged. For use on the leading edge, the boom is made of armored steel. The boom is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder for lifting. In addition, a winch with a cable used for lifting loads is provided in its middle part. To gain in power, the crane is equipped with a chain hoist, on the movable block of which a hook is fixed. In the stowed position, the boom is laid along the machine body, the crane hook is fixed to the stern sheet. At the same time, on the right, the arrow is covered with lattice screens and, in fact, is an additional protection of the wheelhouse from shelling from the side.
For lifting and moving loads, the boom rises to the working position and turns forward with the help of the movable base. In this case, the upper element of the frontal lattice screen leans forward and downward, without interfering with the movements of the boom. The maximum lifting capacity of the main crane has not yet been specified. During the filming of the TV program, the BREM lifted a load weighing about 2 tons. According to Ilya Onegov, a representative of the Ural Design Bureau of Transport Engineering, the T-16 can also lift heavier loads, including the power unit or the turret of a tank.
Lifting the load from a different angle. Behind the combat module is an operator with a remote control panel
The main crane is designed to perform various works on lifting and moving heavy loads, for example, to replace the power unit of equipment or repair combat modules.
It is not advisable in all situations to use the main crane, as its characteristics may be redundant. To solve such problems, the T-16 machine carries an additional manipulator installed in the aft part of the hull, on the left side. This device with a lower carrying capacity can be used for repair work or for moving relatively light loads.
Crane control process using a remote control
A well-known specialist in the field of armored vehicles Aleksey Khlopotov recently told in his blog a curious story related to an additional crane. This device was absent in the initial terms of reference of the military department, but the authors of the project decided to add it on their own initiative. The military did not approve of such an initiative and demanded that the second tap be removed. Engineers, in turn, ignored this requirement and as a result, the current T-16 machines carry two cranes with different characteristics.
The most important innovation of the project in terms of efficiency in real conditions is the special towing device. The Ural Design Bureau of Transport Engineering has developed and patented a mechanized coupling device designed for towing damaged tanks. Such a coupling performs all the necessary operations using its own drives on commands from the remote control and does not need direct human assistance. Thanks to this, the crew of the ARRV, in preparation for towing, must not leave the armored hull and risk their lives. Such a towing device is used for the first time in domestic practice.
The left side of the T-16 vehicle. Side protection, additional crane and main hook are visible.
The crew of the recovery vehicle can perform some repair work. For this, the T-16 equipment includes welding equipment, tools, etc. equipment. Thus, the new ARRV can not only take out damaged equipment from the battlefield, but also, with minor damage, repair it independently and without the participation of full-fledged army workshops.
The promising ARRV T-16 in the near future must pass the entire set of tests and go into mass production. For the effective operation of all equipment based on the unified Armata platform, the troops need auxiliary vehicles, including repair and evacuation vehicles. In accordance with existing plans, by 2020 the army should receive 2,300 armored vehicles based on the Armata platform. The exact number of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles or armored vehicles included in this number has not yet been announced. Nevertheless, even now we can say with sufficient confidence that the army repairmen in the foreseeable future will have to master new equipment built on the basis of a promising unified platform.
