Modification MVT-2000
MVT-2000 is a joint Chinese-Pakistani development. Third generation tank. Purpose - the main battle tank for the armed forces. The main base is a type 96 tank. In the Pakistani Armed Forces it was called “Al Khalid”. MVT-2000 with the index VT-1A is an export model.

At the end of last year, China showed the latest modification of the export version of the MVT-2000 “VT-1A” tank. According to the developers, the MVT-2000 tank is one of the most modern tanks in the world. The modification of the tank gave it a significant increase in mobility characteristics. The MTO of the tank received a new Ukrainian diesel engine code “150”. The result is a cross-country speed of approximately 70 km/h. The designers also noted the engine’s efficiency, which has increased compared to the MVT-2000. The weight of the MVT-2000 “VT-1A” modification is almost 51 tons. The engine, as Chinese designers say, was not chosen in vain; it is one of the best in terms of power characteristics among engines up to 1.5 thousand hp.

As part of ongoing testing, prototype tanks had covered 5.7 thousand kilometers by November 2011. During testing, no emergency failures were detected in the tanks; one of the samples completed a 400-kilometer off-road march without any problems. The tank's gun also remained - the 2A46M 125 mm caliber. The designers considered that the weapon is quite modern today and has been tested by time. The modification affected the production of firing and the automatic loader. The tank's gun can now fire guided missiles. The decision to equip the tank with TURs, according to the developers, was made based on the requirements of foreign customers. The tank received a new aiming system for the gunner, which will be used, among other things, for firing TOURS. It has an external location, which increased the space in fighting compartment. The modification also affected information media. The tank received two displays for the driver-mechanic; the displays on the left display information about the chassis and a map of the area; the displays on the right display an image of the area obtained from a thermal imager. The gunner was also provided with a display on which the characteristics of the fire control system are displayed, which allows him to observe the results of the shooting. The vehicle commander is provided with two displays, which display information about the situation from the tank’s surveillance systems and information about the characteristics of all systems. A router was installed in the tank, which can process speech, visual and digital information. According to the developers, this raises the tank to the level of modern tanks, which are integrated with many information systems and equipment.

Armored protection as stated at the level German tank“Leopard 2”, however, the Chinese designers are silent about which modification, but “Leopard 2” has been produced since ’79. In addition, the tank was equipped with a smoke screen system and laser irradiation control sensors. The head of the designers, Mr. Feng, boldly declares the superiority of the modified MVT-2000 “VT-1A” tank over the Russian T-90S. He noted that the T-90S, which is equipped with a 900 hp engine. uses a mechanical gearbox, and therefore is already inferior to the tank in terms of mobile characteristics. And although modifying the tank will cost the customer more than the conventional MVT-2000, its market price still looks much more attractive than the price of competing armored vehicles. Some poor countries have already shown interest in this tank, and the chief inspector of Chinese armored units, having tested the vehicle, gave a very high rating to this modification. Other stated advantages of the modification:
- hydromechanical transmission;
- automatic transmission;
- steering wheel.
Chief designer believes that foreign customers will like the advantages of this modification, and the price will seem quite attractive. According to the description of Chinese journalists who visited inside the modified tank, the internal design, in their opinion, is quite comfortable for the crew; they were convinced of the presence of ventilation and air conditioning at each crew position. The commander's seat is comfortable and spacious, but the gunner's seat is a little cramped.

Main characteristics:
- length 6.9 meters;
- width 3.3 meters;
- height 2.3 meters;
- clearance 47 centimeters;
- range 400 kilometers;
- individual torsion bar suspension;

In addition to the cannon, the tank is armed with one 12.7 mm W-85 anti-aircraft machine gun and one 7.62 mm Type 86.

Additional Information
As you can see from the photographs, the modification of the tank, as usual from the Chinese, is clearly inexpensive. The exterior paint was applied “wrongly”, traces of rust are visible, they didn’t even bother to clean up the interior, everything is dirty. The tank is in no way suitable for export. The only thing that will help him get exported is the price. But the Chinese have never been particularly keen on price. It’s doubly offensive that such tanks “take away” their place in the sun good tanks, in particular, among domestic ones.

Modification ZTZ-99
ZTZ-99 is the main tank of China. The tank was created on the basis of the Type 98 tank. According to the concept, it is a development of the Soviet T-72. The main purpose is the main tank for the Chinese Armed Forces. Today China has 400 units of ZTZ-99.

According to China, the tank is the “king of Asia.” ZTZ-99 is assembled at plant No. 617, which has been owned by the Chinese company NORINCO since 2000. Estimated various specialists, the tank really turned out quite good. The designers tried to combine the best advantages of the T-80, T-72, Leopard, Abrams and Merkava. The attempt can safely be called successful. The Chinese made special efforts when creating one of the latest modifications of the tank - the T-99A2. The driver mechanic of the 60-ton tank received a steering wheel to control the vehicle. The armor has been strengthened well. Homogeneous up to 600 mm and 2-layer active armor gave a total of up to 1200 mm of armor protection. According to research by Chinese designers, the American Abrams will not be able to penetrate armor protection of more than 810 mm. And the tank’s 125 mm caliber gun, created in the likeness of Russian guns, not without the participation of Ukrainian specialists, is capable of “reaching” armor up to 850 mm. The American Abrams has armor protection of up to 700 mm equivalent to homogeneous armor. In addition, information has leaked that China has already created ammunition capable of penetrating almost 1000 mm of armor. A modification of this tank has already passed various tests.

This modification is currently one of the priorities for China in the armored sector. But today the production of tanks lags behind the set pace. The modification turned out to be quite complex and, secondly, quite expensive. One new T-99A2 costs approximately 1.6 million euros, which is almost twice as expensive as the T-96. Therefore, these tanks are currently being used to equip elite units. The disadvantages of the T-99A2 include its weight; the tank turned out to be very heavy for ordinary Chinese bridges; it cannot always be transported even by rail.

The latest modification of the T-99KM is still in the development and modification stage. The tank has already received a diesel engine with 2.1 thousand hp, a new modular active protection and “JD-3” - a laser countermeasures system. A tank gun is being developed, possibly of 152 mm caliber, which will be able to fire TUR and new generation rounds - kinetic and penetrator ammunition. The total weight and overall characteristics of the tank have naturally increased, and the price of such a tank will definitely increase. This forces the Chinese military leadership to consider other options for modifications and upgrades. Designers are already working on a project for a 4th generation tank. The base of the T-99 tank, but it will be much lighter than the T-99A2 modification. The tank's crew consists of two people; the crew will receive all the information to ensure full operation of the tank from various sensors. Perhaps the new tank will be equipped with a 140 mm gun, which is also under active development. The defense system will be able to independently destroy missiles aimed at the tank. New tank, in concept, is very similar to the Russian T-95. Undoubtedly, Chinese designers have been drawing their inspiration from Russian armored vehicles for several years now.

Main characteristics:
- width 3.3 meters;
- height 2.2 meters;
- clearance 47 centimeters;
- gun ammunition 41 rounds;
- in addition to the cannon, the tank’s armament is one 12.7 mm W-85 anti-aircraft machine gun and one 7.62 mm Type 86;
- ATGM “Reflex”;
- highway/intersection speed terrain 80/60 km/h;
- range 450 km/h;

Modification of the tank type 85
Type 85 is the main tank of China. This tank ended a series of modernizations and modifications of Soviet tanks. The main difference is a welded-type turret with a niche of the aft design similar to Western tanks. This is the first Chinese tank with a 125 mm gun. The latest modernization is type 85IМ.

Recently, a Chinese tank, a modification of the Type 85 II, was spotted in Africa (Sudan). According to stories, the tank is very recognizable and resembles Soviet tanks. The control compartment and hull are almost identical to the Soviet T-55/62. And the 125 mm gun and automatic loader are a copy of the gun from the T-72. The weapons stabilizer is similar to the Soviet 2E26, the ballistics computer is “ripped off” from the T-64B. The chassis is some kind of modification of the chassis of the T-64B and T-72B tanks. The commander's observation device is a Chinese copy of the TKN-3. The result was a kind of machine for changing generations. The driver-mechanic does not need to be retrained to operate the tanks, since the controls remain at the level of the Chinese tank type 59. The MTO differs from the MTO type 59 or T-55 only in the modified air cleaner, oil pump on the gearbox, and supercharger. Controlling this modification turned out to be much easier than the same T-62. According to surveys of the Sudanese military, the tank does not cause any particular complaints in operation, except for the quality of the charges (analogous to 4Zh40) and the inadequacy of some fastenings. However, the Chinese have provided reliable service for the tanks and therefore the noticed shortcomings do not worry them much. According to the expert, the tank’s parameters are equal to Russian technology 90s.

Main characteristics:
- weight 41 tons;
- width 3.3 meters;
- height 2.3 meters;
- clearance 48 centimeters;
- in addition to the cannon, the tank is armed with one 12.7 mm Type 54 anti-aircraft machine gun and one 7.62 mm Type 59-T;
- smoke-generating grenade launcher;
- diesel with a power of 730 hp;
- range 480 kilometers;
- individual torsion bar suspension.

Bottom line
Chinese tanks, in general, as they say now, are copies of other tanks, a kind of attempt to improve Soviet-Russian tanks, give them Western solutions and stuff them with electronics, there is no point in talking about their usefulness. It’s just a pity that Russian tanks are losing their place in the arms market due to Chinese cheapness and poor quality assembly.

The Chinese Type 99 main battle tank is a third generation tank. This is the most modern combat vehicle of the People's Liberation Army of China.

The Type 99 was a development of another Chinese tank, the Type 98. The third generation main battle tank, the Type 98, was developed by the North China research institute Mechanical Engineering No. 201 (NEVORI) in Beijing in collaboration with the First Mechanical Engineering Company (FIRMACO) - the former tank building plant No. 617 in the city of Baotou.

HISTORY OF CREATION

Design of the tank began back in the 1970s. Individual design solutions new car tested on prototypes WZ1224 and WZ1226 in the 1980s, as well as on the Type 90-II/MBT-2000 export tank. In the mid-1980s, the appearance of the tank was finally formed - it was based on the design Soviet tank T-72M (several vehicles were purchased by China in the Middle East) with a repetition of its layout and individual constructive solutions. The first four prototypes were produced in 1992.

Serial production began in 1998, but no more than 60 units were produced. Further production was discontinued in favor of a more advanced version. The new tank was developed on the basis of the Type 98 MBT and essentially represents its improved modification. One of the first versions of this tank was demonstrated in 2000 under the designation Type 98G. In the same year, the first batch of 40 tanks, designated Type 99, was manufactured. Subsequently, the production of tanks was carried out and continues to be carried out at a very slow pace, mainly due to their complexity and high cost.

PRODUCTION AND OPERATION

18 Type 98 tanks took part in the parade on October 1, 1999 in Beijing. Apparently, a limited number of combat vehicles of this type (no more than 60 units) entered service with the PLA, which became transitional to the next main battle tank Type 99. As for the Type 99, they first took part in a military parade in Beijing on October 1, 2009, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. 18 combat vehicles (judging by the remote control blocks, early production) from the 334th regiment of the 112th passed through Tiananmen Square tank division 38th Army Group of the PLA. In 2007, the Type 99A modification appeared, its mass production began in 2011. It differed from the basic version by enhanced protection of the frontal projection. The Type 99A2 variant received a new generation of dynamic protection.

Type 99A tanks took part in the exercises of the Beijing and Shenyang military districts in 2014, and in the military parade in Beijing in 2015. In December 2009, the chief designer of the tank, Zhu Yusheng, said in an interview on Chinese television that according to three the most important indicators The Type 99 tank's combat potential - mobility, firepower and protection - ranks first in the world. According to the chief designer, there are 10 in the rating best tanks in the world, the real leaders are the Chinese Type 99, the American Abrams and the German Leopard 2, and the rest do not even deserve a mention. And among these three best tanks, the Type 99 could defeat the Abrams and Leopard, taking first place. The statement is more than controversial and aimed at a Chinese audience.

Design Features

The layout of the tank is classic, with aft-mounted MTO. Control compartment with driver's seat in the center. In the fighting compartment, the gunner is located to the left of the gun, and the commander is to the right.

The body is welded, made of homogeneous armor with combined armor in the frontal part. The frontal parts of the welded turret also form a combined armor barrier. The tower is made of armor plates of various thicknesses, located at rational angles of inclination, and is equipped with a developed aft niche.

WEAPONS

The main armament of the tank is a 125-mm ZPT-98 smoothbore gun. It is an unlicensed copy of the Soviet 2A46 gun, redesigned using Chinese technology. The gun barrel has a heat-insulating casing. The 22-round electromechanical A3 is also copied from the Soviet model (previously used on Type 85-IIM, Type 96 and Type 90-I tanks). When using the A3, the rate of fire reaches 8 rounds/min. The total ammunition load consists of 41 rounds of separate-case loading with armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles with a separating pan, cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, as well as TUR with laser guidance 9M119 "Reflex" Russian production. In addition, China, in collaboration with Israel, has created an armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile with a depleted uranium core. The tank is equipped with a modern French fire control system, similar to that installed on the Leclerc tank. Main elements of the control system: digital ballistic computer, control panel, gunner's periscopic sight with a thermal imaging camera, built-in laser range finder and with an aiming line independently stabilized in two planes, periscopic combined sight-commander's observation device (with a panoramic head), commander's display, two planes oh weapon stabilizer (a copy of the Soviet 2E28 “Siren”) and a set of various sensors. Weapon control is duplicated, carried out both by the gunner and by the commander.

As auxiliary weapons, the tank is equipped with two machine guns: a coaxial 7.62 mm Type 86 machine gun (to the right of the gun) and an anti-aircraft 12.7 mm W-85 mounted in front of the commander's hatch. The coaxial machine gun is fired using an electric trigger at a range of up to 1000 m. The manually controlled anti-aircraft machine gun mount (designated QJC-88) provides firing only in the front sector at a range of up to 1600 m against ground targets and up to 1500 m against air targets. Its pointing angles in the vertical plane range from -4° to +75°. On the sides of the turret there are two five-barrel blocks of Type 84 smoke grenade launchers.

A special feature of the Type 98 tank is the presence of the JD-3 laser active protection system. It consists of a laser warning system LRW (mushroom-shaped sensor behind the commander's hatch) and a quantum generator LSDW directly (box-shaped turret behind the gunner's hatch). When receiving a signal that a tank is being irradiated by an enemy laser beam, the warning system generates a signal to turn the turret towards the detected source, then a low-power laser beam is turned on, determining the exact location of the target, after which the beam power instantly increases to a critical level and disables optical means or organs view of the enemy operator.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

Liquid-cooled turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 1200 hp. With. copied from German WD396. It is interlocked with the transmission into a single power unit, which can be replaced in field conditions in 30-40 minutes. The planetary mechanical transmission (7 + 1) was almost completely borrowed from the T-72M tank.

The chassis, also copied from the T-72M tank, includes six road wheels and four support rollers per side. The skating rinks are double-sloped, with rubber tires. Suspension - individual, torsion bar. Hydraulic shock absorbers are installed on the first, second and sixth suspension units. Caterpillar with RMS, rubberized running track and rubber asphalt shoes.

TYPE 99

The Type 99 MBT is a Type 98 tank with improved characteristics: increased mobility due to the installation of a more powerful 1500-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine, an improved fire control system, increased security due to the installation of built-in dynamic protection on the frontal projections of the turret and hull. The armor of the frontal projections of the turret and hull has been strengthened by installing built-in dynamic protection units. On the first production samples, the EZ blocks were installed on top of the main armor parts. On subsequent vehicles they were built into the main armor. The configuration of the blocks has also changed - they have become more beveled on the sides. The modular design of the reservation allows you to quickly replace damaged blocks with new ones.

The tank is equipped with an integrated laser complex active counteraction to JD-3.

The improved control system includes combined gunner and commander sights with independent stabilization, a laser rangefinder, a thermal imager, a digital ballistic computer, a two-plane weapon stabilizer, a set of sensors (atmospheric conditions, barrel wear, etc.), a multifunctional commander panel with a color indicator and a system automatic target tracking. The image from the thermal imager is displayed on the color displays of the commander and gunner (multiplicity 11.4x and 5x). In addition, the tank is equipped with a navigation system with inertial and satellite (GPS) channels, data from which is also displayed on the commander’s display and superimposed on a digital map of the area.

The tank is equipped with a modern radio station and TPU. The tank has a 1,500 hp diesel engine. With. created on the basis of the German MV871 Ka501. The tank accelerates from zero to 32 km/h in just 12 seconds. The mechanical planetary transmission provides seven speeds for forward movement and one in reverse. Torsion bar suspension with gyro shock absorbers.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TANK TYPE 99

Combat weight, t: 54
Crew, people: 3
Overall dimensions, mm:
length: 10920
width: 3372
tower roof height: 2200
ground clearance: 470
Ammunition: 41 rounds, 2000 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber, 300 rounds of 12.7 mm caliber
Automatic loader: electromechanical, with constant loading angle
Guided weapon system: 9K119 “Reflex” with TUR 9M119, controlled by a laser beam
Reservation, mm: projectile-proof combined with dynamic protection complex
Max speed, km/h: 60
Power reserve, km: 450
Obstacles to be overcome:
elevation angle, degrees: 30;
ditch width, m: 2.7;
wall height, m: 0.85;
ford depth, m: 1.4 (with OPVT -5 m)

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Modern battle tanks Russia and the world photos, videos, pictures watch online. This article gives an idea of ​​the modern tank fleet. It is based on the principle of classification used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, then others have already become museum pieces. And just for 10 years! Follow in the footsteps of Jane's Guide and skip this one combat vehicle(very incidentally curious in design and fiercely discussed at one time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet last quarter XX century, the authors considered it unfair.

Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of weapon for the ground forces. The tank was and will probably remain a modern weapon for a long time due to its ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable protection crew. These unique qualities of tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technology accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers in combat properties and achievements of the military-technical level. In the eternal confrontation between “projectile and armor”, as practice shows, protection against projectiles is increasingly being improved, acquiring new qualities: activity, multi-layeredness, self-defense. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.

Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to make quick maneuvers on off-road, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, cause panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and tracks . The war of 1939-1945 became the most ordeal for all humanity, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was a clash of the titans - the most unique period that theorists argued about in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large quantities virtually all warring parties. At this time, a “lice test” and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank forces took place. And it is the Soviet tank forces that are most affected by all this.

Tanks in battle have become a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and with difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, was able to release powerful tank formations onto the battlefields already in 1943? This book is intended to answer these questions, telling about the development of Soviet tanks “during the days of testing”, from 1937 to early 1943. When writing the book, materials from Russian archives and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that remained in my memory with some kind of depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and only stopped at the beginning of forty-three,” said former general designer of self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, “some kind of pre-storm state was felt.

Tanks of the Second World War It was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of “the wisest of the wise leaders of all nations”), who was able to create the tank that a few years later would shock the German tank generals. And not only that, he not only created it, the designer managed to prove to these military fools that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked "motor vehicle." The author is in slightly different positions, which formed in him after meeting the pre-war documents of the RGVA and RGEA. Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something “generally accepted.” This work describes the history Soviet tank building in the most difficult years - from the beginning of a radical restructuring of the entire activity of design bureaus and people's commissariats in general, during the frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.

Tanks Wikipedia, the author would like to express his special gratitude to M. Kolomiets for his assistance in selecting and processing materials, and also thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication “Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941” , since this book helped to understand the fate of some projects that was previously unclear. I would also like to remember with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former chief designer of UZTM, which helped to take a fresh look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War Soviet Union. For some reason today it is common for us to talk about 1937-1938. only from the point of view of repression, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime...” From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinky.

Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time was heard from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer and closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events, the Soviet tank began to transform from “mechanized cavalry” (in which one of its combat qualities was emphasized at the expense of others) into a balanced combat vehicle, simultaneously possessing powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good maneuverability and mobility with armor protection capable of maintaining its combat effectiveness when fired upon by the most massive anti-tank weapons of a potential enemy.

It was recommended that large tanks be supplemented with only special tanks - amphibious tanks, chemical tanks. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was strengthened by moving from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form three additional mechanized corps in addition to the four existing mechanized corps in 1938, believing that these formations were immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they required a different rear organization. Tactical and technical requirements to promising tanks, as expected, were adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov new boss demanded that the armor of new tanks be strengthened so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).

The newest tanks in the world, when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one stage...” This problem could be solved in two ways: Firstly, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly, by “using increased armor resistance." It is not difficult to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use of specially strengthened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its durability by 1.2-1.5 It was this path (the use of especially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.

Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most widely used, the properties of which were identical in all areas. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of armor making, craftsmen sought to create just such armor, because homogeneity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of an armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. This is how heterogeneous (non-uniform) armor came into use.

For military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a consequence) to an increase in fragility. Thus, the most durable armor, all other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often chipped even from explosions high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production, when producing homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the maximum possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened armor with carbon and silicon saturation was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, treating a hot plate with a jet of illuminating gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required large expenses and improved production standards.

Wartime tanks, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But it was still expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in level of protection to the same one, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in weight.
Also, by the mid-1930s, tank building had learned to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known from late XIX century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.

How tanks fire video up to half the thickness of the slab, which was, of course, worse than cementation, since while the hardness of the surface layer was higher than with cementation, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the “Krupp method” in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even slightly more than cementation. But the hardening technology that was used for thick naval armor was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost not used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.

Combat use of tanks The most proven tank gun was the 45-mm tank gun model 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain it was believed that its power was quite sufficient to carry out most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that a 45-mm gun can only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even shelling of manpower in the mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was only possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point in the event of a direct hit . Firing at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the small high explosive a projectile weighing only about two kg.

Types of tanks photos so that even one shell hit can reliably disable anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun against the armor of a potential enemy, since in the example French tanks(already having an armor thickness of about 40-42 mm) it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly strengthened. There was a sure way for this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since long gun larger caliber fires heavier projectiles with a higher initial velocity over a greater distance without aiming correction.

The best tanks in the world had a large-caliber cannon, and also had big sizes breech, significantly greater weight and increased recoil response. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, placing large-sized rounds in a closed tank volume led to a decrease in transportable ammunition.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give the order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik design bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained in the wild, who, since the beginning of 1935, had been trying to develop his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the staff of plant No. 8 was slowly finishing the “forty-five”.

Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one has been accepted..." In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, work on which was carried out in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to series. Moreover, despite the decisions At the very top levels of the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines, this process was restrained by a number of factors. Of course, diesel had significant efficiency. It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour. Diesel fuel less susceptible to fire, since the flash point of its vapor was very high.

New tanks video, even the most advanced of them, the MT-5 tank engine required for serial production reorganization of engine production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, supplies of advanced foreign equipment (they did not yet have their own machines with the required accuracy), financial investments and strengthening of personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel would produce 180 hp. will go to serial tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to determine the causes of tank engine failures, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not implemented. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp was also started.

Brands of tanks had specific indicators that suited tank builders quite well. The tanks were tested using a new method, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the ABTU, D. Pavlov, in relation to combat service in wartime. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop movement) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a “platform” with obstacles, “swimming” in water with an additional load that simulated an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for inspection.

Super tanks online, after improvement work, seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the overall progress of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during testing, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. Chief designer N. Astrov was removed from work and was under arrest and investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new turret with improved protection. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank more ammunition for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (previously there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).

US tanks as part of modernization work, on one production model of the tank in 1938-1939. The torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the design bureau of plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar did not show enough in tests good results, and therefore the torsion bar suspension during further work did not immediately pave the way for itself. Obstacles to be overcome: climbs of at least 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, covered ditch 2-2.5 m."

YouTube about tanks, work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks are not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes." Justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that a wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 or 10-1), as well as a variant of an amphibious tank (factory designation 102 or 10-1 2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully satisfy the requirements of the ABTU. Option 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull-like hull, but with vertical side sheets of cemented armor 10-13 mm thick, since : “The inclined sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) widening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.

Video reviews of tanks in which the tank’s power unit was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was being developed by industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. 1st grade gasoline was placed in the tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully corresponded to the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK 12.7 mm caliber and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS is listed) 7.62 mm caliber. The combat weight of the tank with torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with spring suspension - 5.26 tons. Tests took place from July 9 to August 21 according to the methodology approved in 1938, with special attention being paid to tanks.

Chinese main battle tank - Type 99(factory code ZTZ-99) was first shown to the public during a military parade in Beijing on October 1, 1999. The appearance of the 3rd generation tank, presented by China, caused considerable excitement. This tank was a breakthrough for Chinese tank building . In terms of its combat capabilities, this tank approaches the MBT of leading tank-producing countries.

A total of 18 vehicles were shown at the parade. Over the following years, about 200 more tanks were produced. However, mass production was not launched due to the relative high cost of the tank and design difficulties. Undoubtedly, this tank has become a unique technical breakthroughs for the Celestial Empire.

China was finally able to create its own promising tank. At the same time, Chinese engineers followed a previously trodden path by borrowing and improving other people's developments. Greatest influence The Soviet/Russian school of tank building still appears in China. Experts note a number of similarities between the Chinese tank and the T-72M. His bow and the chassis actually repeats Soviet development. There were suspicions that the tank's 125-mm gun was also developed not without the influence of the Soviet 125-mm 2A46 gun. Among other things, the Chinese tank received a carousel-type automatic loader (AZ), close to its Soviet and Russian counterparts. The use of AZ made it possible to reduce the tank crew to 3 people.

Layout and reservation

The tank is made according to a classic layout with a rear-mounted MTS - engine and transmission compartment. In front of the tank there is a control compartment - the driver's seat. The fighting compartment is located in the middle part of the vehicle. The hull of the tank is approximately 1 meter longer compared to the hull of the T-72 tank. The lengthening of the rear body is due to freeing up space to accommodate a larger German diesel engine. The enlargement of the hull at the front is due to the placement of a more massive turret with more armor.

The design of the Type 99 tank turret resembles its Western counterparts. It should be noted that the upper frontal part of the tank hull is almost identical to the Soviet one installed on T-72 tanks and inherited all the weakened zones from it.

The armor of the Type 99 tank is reminiscent in its structure of the armor of the Soviet T-80 and T-90 tanks. The armor is a layer of composite material, which is corundum, fiberglass or another, placed between two layers of steel. The tank's turret has a welded structure and is made of armor plates of various thicknesses.

The armor protection of the frontal projection of the Type 99 MBT of later models was strengthened through the use of dynamic protection units placed on top of the main armor of the tank. At the same time, the dynamic protection units on the tower are located in a “corner”; the rear niche of the tower was additionally reinforced, where the dynamic protection units were mounted on top of the lattice basket.

According to the Chinese side, the dynamic protection used is multi-layered and provides the tank with protection from both armor-piercing sub-caliber and cumulative ammunition.

Tank armament

The main firepower of the Chinese tank is the 125 mm smoothbore tank gun. According to Chinese experts, this gun is superior in its characteristics not only to its Soviet counterpart 2A46 by 45%, but also German gun RH-120, installed on tanks and, by 30%.

The main means of combating enemy tanks are armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles - BPS, with a core made of depleted uranium. Apparently, China received the technology for their production from Israel, which at one time supplied such shells to the country.

The M711 projectiles supplied by Israel had a length-to-diameter ratio of 20 to 1 and a muzzle velocity of 1,700 m/s. Their armor penetration reached 600 mm. Currently, Chinese engineers are announcing the development of a new BPS, which is significantly superior to existing analogues.

The new projectile has a length to diameter ratio of 30 to 1 and an initial speed of 1780 m/s. Its armor penetration reaches 850 mm. Such a Chinese BPS could pose a significant threat to all existing tanks, including the Abrams M1A2 and T-90. According to a number of experts, the tank’s armament may also include a guided weapon system (CAW), based on Russian complex 9M119 "Reflex".

The tank's gun works in conjunction with a carousel-type automatic loader for 22 rounds. It is assumed that the AZ was developed on the basis of the Soviet model with a number of changes and elimination of shortcomings. The tank's total ammunition capacity is 42 rounds. It is worth noting that, unlike its Western counterparts, the tank’s ammunition is not separated from the crew.

As auxiliary weapons, the tank uses a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, located to the right of the gun (2000 rounds of ammunition) and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the turret in front of the commander's hatch (300 rounds of ammunition). The coaxial machine gun is fired using an electric trigger, turret anti-aircraft gun It has only manual control and provides shooting only in the front sector. Anti-aircraft machine gun pointing angles range from -4 to +75 degrees. One 5-barreled smoke grenade launcher is mounted on each side of the turret.

An exclusive feature of the Chinese MBT is the presence of a laser active protection system for the JD-3 tank, which consists of a laser warning system LRW (a hybrid sensor mounted on the turret behind the commander's hatch) and a combat quantum generator - LSDW (in a box-shaped housing on the turret behind the gunner's hatch).

JD3 can be classified as blinding laser weapons , the development, production and testing of which, just like its use, is prohibited by the UN. The ban is contained in the 4th Protocol of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (10/13/1995).

When receiving a signal that a tank is being irradiated with an enemy laser beam, this complex ensures that the tank turret rotates towards the irradiation source, after which a weakened laser beam is turned on, which determines the exact location of the enemy target. Once the target is identified, the power of the beam increases to a critical level and disables the optical means or organs of vision of the enemy operator.

According to experts, this complex is capable of damaging human vision and optical devices at a distance of 2-3 km, when using a 7x zoom device up to 5 km, and at a distance of up to 10 km it can cause short-term blinding with a flash. In addition to its combat function, this complex can serve as laser communication between tanks.

Fire control system

The tank's control system consists of combined commander and gunner sights with independent stabilization. The gunner's sight is equipped with a laser rangefinder and a thermal imaging channel. The image from the thermal imager is displayed on 2 color displays of the gunner and commander (multiplicity x5 and x11.4). The commander can fire from a gun without the participation of a gunner. The tank commander's sight is panoramic.

The tank gun is stabilized in 2 planes. The tank is equipped with a digital ballistic computer, a set of sensors (indicators of atmospheric conditions, barrel wear, etc.), and a multifunctional color commander panel. The tank is equipped with a navigation system with satellite (GPS) and inertial channels, the data from which is sent to the commander’s display and superimposed on a digital map of the area.

Firing accuracy is achieved through the use of a ballistic computer, a laser rangefinder, a sensor system, as well as a thermal casing of the tank barrel. Stabilization of the gun in two planes guarantees high efficiency shooting in motion. The rate of fire of the gun when using the AZ reaches 8 rounds per minute, without it - 2 rounds per minute.

Engine and transmission

The tank is equipped with a water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine producing 1,500 hp. This diesel engine was developed based on German engine MB871ka501. With a tank weighing 54 tons, this engine allows it to reach a speed of 80 km/h when driving on the highway and up to 60 km/h when driving over rough terrain. Specific engine power is 27.78 l/s per ton. The tank can accelerate to 32 km/h from a standstill in just 12 seconds.

The tank is equipped with a mechanical planetary transmission with 7 speeds for forward movement and 1 for reverse movement, this transmission is almost completely borrowed from the Soviet T-72M tank. In field conditions, engine replacement can be completed in 30-40 minutes.

The chassis of the tank consists of 6 road wheels and 4 support rollers on each side. Gable rollers are equipped with rubber tires, the tank has a torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers on the first two and last suspension units. The drive wheel is located at the rear (pinion engagement). The tank track is equipped with a rubber-metal hinge.

/Based on materials pro-tank.ru, btvt.narod.ru And otvaga2004.narod.ru /

Especially for Defend Russia readers, independent military expert Alexei Khlopotov explains that the best examples of Chinese industry - the ZTZ-99 and VT-4 tanks - are built on Soviet technology from the 1970s.

It is believed that ground troops China is one of the most powerful in the world. However, the vast majority of tanks in service with the People's Liberation Army of China have long been outdated, both morally and physically. The basis of the Chinese army's armored vehicle fleet is the WZ-120 and WZ-121 tanks - better known as the "type 59" and "type 69". These vehicles are repeatedly modernized clones of the Soviet one.

At the end of the 50s of the last century, China acquired a license from the USSR to produce this tank, which was already considered obsolete.

Soviet specialists built the plant, transferred technology and documentation, and taught the Chinese how to work. With the only difference: in the USSR, tanks were built on an assembly line, and they were afraid to give this technology to their neighbors. Production in China was launched along a different, less productive path. Over time, this served as a powerful deterrent, since due to the cooling of interstate relations, military-technical cooperation between the two largest countries of the socialist camp was curtailed. An attempt to obtain technological assistance from the West also led nowhere. The USA, France, Germany, Israel - all these countries have noted their cooperation with China in the production of armored vehicles. However, in the transfer latest technologies they weren't interested.

Tank T-54. Photo: Sergey Fazulyanov

As a result, the Chinese were able to make a small technological breakthrough only after the collapse of the USSR. In countries of Eastern Europe and in the Middle East they purchased examples of the Soviet tank, which had been in production since 1974.

Unemployed Ukrainian tank builders helped figure out its design and technology.

This led to the emergence in China of relatively modern tanks ZTZ-98 and ZTZ-96. If the first was a copy of the T-72 in the form in which the Chinese were able to reproduce it, then the second was a hybrid of the T-72 and WZ-121, more suitable for production in large quantities at Chinese enterprises. With these designs, China entered a new century. The ZTZ-96 became the main tank of the PLA, and also served as a prototype for export versions - the Pakistani Al-Khalid and its development - VT-1 (MBT-2000). Based on the ZTZ-98, a more complex and heavy tank ZTZ-99, which is still produced in small quantities exclusively for the PLA. Export VT-1 was ordered by Morocco (150 units), Bangladesh (44 units) and Myanmar (several dozen units). An attempt to sell it to Peru failed due to Ukraine’s refusal to supply its 6TD engines to China.

The PRC does not have its own good tank diesel engine. After Ukraine’s refusal, in order to ensure export, the state engineering corporation NORINCO had to urgently rework the VT-1 design.

Previously, they made do with modernizing and boosting the Soviet B-54 diesel engine, but its potential is not endless. Attempts to buy tank diesel in the West were unsuccessful. The only thing we managed to achieve was to purchase an old “diesel” engine from the German company MTU. Apparently, it is precisely this version that is installed on the latest Chinese tanks. This is evidenced by the significant dimensions of their engine and transmission compartments. Naturally, such an engine makes the tank heavier, and, despite increased power, does not provide the required mobility. All this was noted by experts at last year’s tank biathlon competitions in Russia. The ZTZ-96 entered from China in obstacle racing was usually a full lap behind the old Russian ones.

The mobility of Chinese tanks also greatly limits and chassis, copied entirely from the Soviet T-72 early episodes releases. It was originally designed for a weight of just over 40 tons and optimized for average speeds of up to 45 km/h.

As speeds and loads increase, the chassis of Chinese tanks will simply crumble.

The Chinese are touting the weapons and electronic systems of their newest export tank, the VT-4. There is absolute deceit in this. Fact: the Chinese 125-mm smoothbore gun is an unlicensed copy of the Russian 2A46 tank gun, which was adopted by the Soviet Army back in 1970 - 45 years ago! In the same way, the outdated automatic loader and stabilization system were copied. China is at least 5 years behind in microprocessor development. The reliability of the Chinese electronic components also raises questions.

Things are even worse in China with sighting optics and thermal imaging cameras for night vision devices. All more or less modern Chinese tanks have the appropriate instrumentation from the French SAGEM.

No, and the appearance of active tank protection systems similar to the Israeli “Trofy” is not yet expected in China. This is especially sad for Chinese tanks given the lack of high-quality modern armor steels in the PRC, which is due to outdated production technologies. As for Chinese dynamic protection, due to the extreme confidentiality of the topic, it is impossible to make an adequate assessment of it, however, the installation of dynamic protection on the tanks themselves raises many questions. In some cases, significant areas of uncovered zones are formed in the frontal armor of the tower (Al-Khalid, VT-1), and almost always the remote protection does not protect the roof of the tower (including ZTZ-96, ZTZ-98, ZTZ-99), which very strange, due to the increasing prevalence of weapons attacking from the upper hemisphere.

The most significant drawback of Chinese tanks is their lack of reliability.

In 2006 Saudi Arabia conducted an international tender, during which the Chinese-Pakistani tank Al-Khalid was evaluated. It was the only vehicle that was tested not in the Arabian desert, but at its native Pakistani testing grounds. The reason for the refusal to demonstrate the tank on foreign territory was revealed almost immediately after the start of the test program. The tank broke down regularly. And with such frequency that complete full cycle testing was simply not possible. Let us remind you that Al-Khalid is a prototype of the export Chinese tank VT-1. The second VT-1 prototype, the ZTZ-96 tank, showed its “reliability” during tank biathlon competitions. Not a day went by at these competitions without something breaking on the Chinese tanks, sometimes more than once. As a result, crews were regularly forced to ask for a replacement tank. Reliability problems probably explain the extremely small number of VT-1s sold. This also prompted the Chinese to improve the vehicle, which led to the creation of the recently heavily advertised VT-4 tank, also known as MBT-3000.

Tank VT-4

People first started talking about VT-4 in June 2012. Then the Chinese newspaper Shijie Bao published an article according to which the MBT-3000 is “doomed to become the star of the world tank market, displacing the Russian T-90S.”

This tank remains in the singular to this day. In the video footage, experts found traces of rust in its fighting compartment. This was a consequence of the great rush in production prototype, for the role of which they took one of the old cars. One more circumstance is puzzling: at both IDE X-2012 and IDE X-2014, NORINCO never demonstrated this tank in real life. Only the model was shown. The VT-4 was demonstrated “live” once - in August 2014 at a Chinese exhibition. It was then stated that mass production of the new tanks would be launched before the end of 2014. Later it turned out that the first production cars would leave the assembly shop only in two years. This delay is quite understandable. Probably, Chinese engineers are still unable to solve a number of problems, due to which they had to significantly adjust the timing of the program.

The cost of Chinese tanks is by no means small. It is quite consistent with the price of a modern, reliable and proven Russian T-90S tank, which was sold in quantities exceeding 1.5 thousand copies. Even in the most budget version, one Chinese tank costs the same as two or three used but overhauled T-72Bs from the 1984 model. Although the latter do not have a modern fire control system, which affects combat operations at night, in all other respects they are significantly superior to the new Chinese vehicles.

We can confidently conclude that Chinese tank builders are still very far from reaching the level of their neighbors in the region: South Korea with their K2 Black Panther tank and Japan with their Type 10 tank. Of course, Korea and Japan cannot compare with China in terms of the number of cars produced, but the difference in technological and design levels is simply gigantic. It is generally useless to compare Chinese tanks with European or, especially Russian, ones - there is a progressive technological lag of at least a quarter of a century.