Domestic tank missiles and shells. Tanks that never existed

REASONS FOR THE APPEARANCE OF TANKS

The history of military art proves that only an offensive can lead to the defeat, encirclement and destruction of the enemy. During the First World War, rapid-fire weapons, artillery and engineering structures on the ground created an insurmountable barrier for the advancing troops. To break through such a defense, it was necessary the new kind weapons. Tanks were such a weapon. The emergence of tanks as a new type of weapon was certainly facilitated by the economic development of countries. In his work "Ati-Dühring" F. Engels said that nothing depends on economic conditions as much as the army and navy. Armed composition, organization, tactics and strategy depend primarily on the stage of production currently achieved and on the means of communication.

The creation of a tank, a complex modern combat vehicle, became possible only at the beginning of the 20th century, when science, technology and machine production reached a high level of development, when automatic weapons, reliable armor, internal combustion engines adapted for installation on vehicles, and tracked propulsion appeared. This is a huge merit of Russian scientists, engineers, and inventors.

Armament

The outstanding Russian scientist in the field of artillery N. V. Maievsky developed the theory of rifled weapons and created a number of new artillery systems, which contributed to the rearmament of Russian artillery with rifled weapons. In 1860 Russian metallurgist Obukhov cast a steel cannon. In 1877, the founder of rapid-fire artillery, V.S. Baranovsky, created a 2.5-inch rapid-firing cannon, and in 1902, a three-inch cannon with a high initial projectile velocity was created at the Putilov plant. A significant step in development firearms was the creation of automatic weapons. In 1889, master Dvoeglazov made a sample of an automatic rifle. In 1907, the Russian inventor Roshchepey presented to the artillery committee automatic rifle. In 1906-1907 Russian inventors Fedorov and Tokarev offer their self-loading rifles, which in 1910-1911. successfully pass the tests.

Armor protection

Outstanding Russian scientists P. P. Amosov, P. M. Obukhov, D. K. Chernov made greatest discoveries in the field of metallurgy, technology for the production of high-quality steels. The talented Russian metallurgist P.P. Amosov studied the influence of manganese, chromium, and titanium on the properties of steel, and developed the process of gas carburization.

Obukhov P.M. created the famous "Obukhovsky" steel-gun plant in St. Petersburg.

The works of Amosov P.P., Chernov D.K., Obukhov P.M. formed the basis for the production of steel armor. Obukhov invented bulletproof armor.

In 1865, the Ural master V.S. Pyatov was the first in the world to roll armor plates on a special machine, and in 1859 he also proposed a method for cementing armor plates.

In 1876, they began to produce armor from high-carbon steel, which had better projectile resistance. In 1877, production of two-layer carbon armor began. Since 1893, the Obukhov plant has organized the production of armor made of nickel steel, up to 10 inches (254 mm) thick. At the end of the 19th century, armor began to be used on armored trains and armored vehicles.

Internal combustion engine

The work of Russian engineers and inventors B. G. Lutsky, E. A. Yakovlev, G. V. Trinkler, V. I. Grinevetsky, I. Ya. Trashutin played a large role in the creation and improvement of internal combustion engines in Russia. gas internal combustion engines were built. In 1879-1884. The world's first gasoline engine with a power of 53 kW, multi-cylinder, carburetor, with ignition from an electric spark was built at the Okhten Shipyard. In 1885, the young designer Lutsky B.G. built a carburetor engine with a vertical cylinder arrangement. In 1888, the master of the Baltic plant, Yagodzinsky, built a light, compact aviation gasoline engine. In 1899, the first stationary non-compressor internal combustion engine with compression ignition was built at the Putilov (now Kirov) plant in St. Petersburg.

In the same year, the first compressor internal combustion engine with compression ignition was built at the Russian Diesel mechanical plant in St. Petersburg.

In 1899-1903. Russian inventor Mamin Y. V. built and installed a compressor-free engine with compression ignition on a tractor. In 1900, a talented Russian engineer, professor at the Gorky Industrial Institute, G.V. Trinkler, developed a compressor-free internal combustion engine with compression ignition, running on heavy fuel. In 1910 According to the project of Professor Maliev, a two-stroke engine with direct-flow blowing was built.

Crawler mover

For the first time, the main elements of a caterpillar track were developed in 1837 by staff captain D. Zagryazhsky in his project for a carriage with moving tracks.

In 1876, Staff Captain Mayevsky proposed a method of moving a locomotive on ordinary roads using a “Rail chain”. At the same time, he provided a mechanism that made it possible to change the traction force on the track (the prototype of a modern gearbox).

In 1888, the Russian inventor F. A. Blinov built the world's first tractor with metal tracks. It was powered by two steam engines. In 1907-1917 industrial production of tractors with internal combustion engines was mastered.

Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, the material and technical prerequisites for creating a tank were finally formed. All that remains is to combine the mobility inherent in cars with the maneuverability of tracked tractors in one vehicle, protecting it with armor and arming it with a cannon and machine guns. This was done during the First World War.

The history of the development of domestic tank building is usually divided into 5 periods:

• the first domestic tanks (1915-1917);
• the first Soviet tanks (1920-1931);
• period of creation of a complete set armored vehicles(1931-1939);
• armored vehicles on the eve and during the Great Patriotic War (1939-1945);
• period of post-war tank building:

The first domestic tanks (1915-1917)

In 1914, under the leadership of engineer A. A. Porokhovshchikov, an armored wheeled-tracked vehicle called the “All-terrain vehicle” was developed and in 1915 built in Riga. The weight of the vehicle was 3.5-4 tons, crew - 1 person, machine gun armament, bulletproof armor. A 15 kW engine, planetary transmission, and combined wheel-track propulsion unit (one track and two steered wheels) provided a maximum speed of 25 km/h. The first prototypes of British tanks appeared only in September 1915, and French ones in 1916. Both British and French tanks were inferior to the all-terrain vehicle.

In 1915-1916, the talented engineer-inventor V.D. Mendeleev (son of the famous scientist D.I. Mendeleev) developed in detail the design of a super-heavy tank weighing 170 tons, a crew of 8 people, a 120-mm cannon and a machine gun installed in a rotating turret , anti-ballistic armor 100-150 mm, maximum speed 24 km/h, air suspension, the ability to move on railway rails is provided.

Drawing- Project of a super-heavy tank by engineer V.D. Mendeleev

Lengthwise cut: 1-120-mm Kane cannon, 2-movable armored mantlet, 3-shell feed winch, 4 - 7.62-mm Maxim machine gun, 5 - machine gun suspension bracket, 6 - machine gun turret, 7 - turret ring, 8 - “battery” ” air cylinders, 9 armored door, 10 batteries, 11 final drive, 12 gas tanks, 13 ammunition supply monorail, 14 projectile cart.

In the summer of 1917, not far from the city of Dmitrov, under the leadership of engineer N. N. Lebedenko, a wheeled tank weighing 40 tons was built. Famous Russian scientists N. E. Zhukovsky and B. S. Stechkin took part in its creation. They tried to provide the tank with the use of wheels with a diameter of 9 m. The rear wheel of a smaller diameter was for steering. Due to technical imperfections, the development of the tank was stopped; the built model was dismantled in 1923.

Drawing- Lebedenko heavy wheeled tank

Despite the presence of detailed projects and prototypes, presented much earlier than abroad, the tsarist army did not have tanks during the First World War. This is explained by the reactionary nature of rotten tsarism, the low level of industrial development of pre-revolutionary Russia, the dominance of foreign capital, the corruption and indifference of tsarist officials to the fate of the Motherland. It is not surprising that the mass production of tanks and their use on the battlefield during the First World War was carried out not in the Russian, but in the English, and then in the French armies.

For the first time tanks were used English army on the Western Front in September 1916 in the operation on the Somme River (49 tanks). The use of tanks was prepared in strict secrecy. They were transported to the mainland disguised as large tanks; containers, in English tank. This is where their name comes from.

This period covers the years of the civil war, as well as the years of restoration and reconstruction of the national economy of the young Soviet Republic. It is characterized by the creation of the first samples of Soviet tanks and the accumulation of design and production experience.

At the III Extraordinary All-Russian Congress of Soviets in March 1918, V.I. Lenin said that in modern warfare“...the one who has the greatest technology, organization, discipline and the best machines prevails...” (PSS, vol. 27, p. 167).

This Leninist position formed the basis for the activities of the party and government to create the armored forces of the young Republic of Soviets. At the beginning of 1918, the first central control body for armored units was organized - the Central Armor Directorate (Tsentrobron).

By October 1918, the Red Army had 23 armored trains and 38 armored detachments, which included 150 armored vehicles.

In 1919, V.I. Lenin set a task for machine builders - to the shortest possible time start building our own Soviet tanks. At the end of 1919, the Krasnoye Sormovo plant in Nizhny Novgorod, on instructions from the government, began design and production light tank. The tank was created jointly with the Izhora plant, which manufactured armor, and the Moscow automobile plant AMO who manufactured the engine.

Drawing- First soviet tank"Freedom fighter Comrade Lenin"

On August 31, 1920, the first Soviet tank, called “Freedom Fighter Comrade Lenin,” came out of the gates of the Krasnoe Sormovo plant. It passed official tests and entered service with the Red Army. The tank had a mass of 7 tons, was armed with a 37 mm cannon, one machine gun, armor 8-16 mm thick, and a maximum speed of 8.5 km/h. This tank was superior in armament to similar foreign tanks, which had only machine gun armament. A total of 17 such tanks were built and each of them had its own name: “Paris Commune”, “Red Fighter”, “Ilya Muromets”. They took part in battles on the fronts of the civil war.

By creating tanks, Soviet tank building was looking for new, original ways of development. In 1919, engineer Maksimov developed the world's first project for an ultra-light single-seat tank - the "shield carrier". This tank, armed with a machine gun and protected by bulletproof armor, was supposed to weigh 2-2.5 tons, with an engine power of 29 kW, the speed could reach 17 km/h.

In 1920, a competition was organized for best project tank. The first prize for the development of an amphibious tank was awarded to the Izhora plant project. However, the deployment of tank building for the destroyed industry was an unusually difficult task, since all forces were mobilized to restore the destroyed industry and raise agriculture.

In 1927, the MS-1 tank or a small infantry escort tank (T-18) entered service with the Red Army. It was armed with a semi-automatic 37 mm cannon and two machine guns located in a rotating turret. The thickness of the hull armor was 8-16 mm, the maximum speed of the tank was 16.5 km/h. The design of the engine-transmission group was original: the main clutch, gearbox, and turning mechanism (a simple differential with brakes on the axle shafts) were located in the same crankcase with the engine (monoblock) and operated in an oil bath. In view of this, the design was compact, which made it possible to reduce the size and weight of the tank. For its time, the MS-1 was a perfect combat vehicle.

Drawing- Light Soviet tank MS-1 (T-18)

During this period, the T-17, T-23 tankettes and the TG medium tank were created. In 1929, the T-24 tank was created and in 1931 adopted. It had a three-tier arrangement of weapons, including one 45-mm cannon and 4 machine guns, a crew of 5 people, a powerful engine, and a planetary transmission, which ensured a speed of 22 km/h. Thus, during this period, the most popular were light tanks with small-caliber cannon and machine gun armament, bulletproof armor and relatively low speeds. Such tanks were adapted to perform direct infantry support tasks. During this period, experience in the design and production of tanks was gained and accumulated.

In 1928, the Department of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army was created. At the same time, the party and government raised the question of personnel for the new type of troops.

In 1930, at the Military Technical Academy named after. F. E. Dzerzhinsky formed the Faculty of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army, on the basis of which in 1932 the Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army was developed, now the Order of Lenin and the Order of the October Revolution, the Red Banner Academy armored forces named after Marshal Soviet Union Malinovsky R. Ya. It became the main training and scientific center of the tank forces of the Soviet Army. In 1930, on the basis of the Moscow School of Automotive Technicians, a school of tank technicians was established, which was later transformed into a school. Now this is the Kiev Higher Tank Engineering School of the Order of the Red Star named after Marshal of the Soviet Union I. I. Yakubovsky.

The period of creation of a complete set of armored vehicles (1931-1939)

This period covers the years of the first five-year plans, when heavy industry, the basis of the power and defense capability of our country, was created. Soviet designers, technologists, and production workers used the achievements of Soviet science and created the best tanks in the world. After completing the first five-year plan, with an automobile and tank industry, the Soviet Union was able to begin building tanks. The need for this was caused by the threatening international situation. From 1931 to 1933, the Red Army received light tanks T-26 (1931), T-27 tankette (1931), BT-2 (1931), BT-5 (1933), amphibious tank T-37 (1932), medium tank T-28 (1932), heavy tank T-35 (1932).

By 1933, the Red Army already had 5 types of modern tanks weighing from 2.5 to 50 tons. The maximum speed increased from 17 to 53 km/h. The speed of the wheeled-tracked BT tank increased especially, which reached 72 when moving on wheels. km/h Tanks of this period were characterized by high mobility and increased firepower. The T-28 and T-35 tanks are equipped with 76 mm guns. The reliability of mechanisms and vehicles in general has increased significantly compared to tanks of the second period. On tanks of this period, protection was improved (the thickness of the armor plates increased to 22 mm), the shape of the hull was improved, and welding of the armor plates was used.

Drawing- Light Soviet tank T-26 (model 1931)

Thanks to increased mobility and reliability, tanks could perform not only direct support tasks for infantry, but also independently break through enemy defenses and operate in operational depth.

During these years, a classification of tanks was developed. The classification is based on the weight indicator:

• light tanks - weighing up to 20 tons;
• medium tanks - weighing from 20 to 40 tons;
• heavy tanks - weighing over 40 tons.

Drawing- Light tank BT-7

The definition of a tank is given.

Tank is a tracked combat vehicle with firepower, armor protection and mobility. This emphasized the organic combination of the three most important combat qualities of a tank: firepower, protection, and mobility.

Firepower- the ability to hit targets on the battlefield. It is characterized by: the caliber of weapons, the armor penetration of the projectile, the direct shot range, the perfection of guidance mechanisms, sights, the rate of fire, the loading speed, the amount of ammunition and the type of shells, the number and caliber of machine guns and their ammunition.

Protection of a modern tank includes armor and special protection.

Armor protection- a set of parts of the tank hull and turret made from special materials, providing protection for the crew and internal equipment of the tank from enemy machine-gun and artillery fire, and its missile weapons, shock wave, penetrating radiation, thermal and light radiation nuclear explosions. It is provided by the thickness and angles of the armor, its quality and design, the shape of the hull and turret, and the strength of the connection of the armor plates.

Special protection- designed to protect the crew from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, is achieved by sealing armored corps and towers, using filter and ventilation units that provide air purification and the creation of excess pressure in an inhabited object.

Tank mobility- the ability to move in a given direction. It is characterized by maximum and average speeds, range, and high cross-country ability.

Patency characterized by average specific ground pressure, ground clearance, and the size of obstacles to be overcome.

The combat properties and technical qualities of tanks are reflected in its combat and technical characteristics. Combat and technical specifications defines a systematic list of the main parameters that characterize the tank.

Combat and technical characteristics have the following sections:

• Total information;
• weapons;
• protection;
• mobility;
• special equipment;
• general characteristics of the units.

After 1933, the main types of tanks were improved, especially the T-26 and BT.

Tanks of this period were distinguished by weak armor, which was revealed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), due to rapid development anti-tank weapons. The multi-turret layout did not justify itself. It prevents an increase in the caliber of weapons.

Table- Basic data of tanks of the second period

Main parameters of tanks	M a r k i t a n k o v
	T-27	T-37	T-26	BT	T-28	T-35
Combat weight, t	2,7	3,3	8-10	10-14	28	50
Crew, people	2	2	3	3	6	11
Weapons: - gun, caliber, mm; - number of machine guns	- 1	- 1	45 1-2	37-45 3-2	76 3-4	2-76 2-45 5
Armor protection, mm	6-10	7-9	13-15	13-20	20-30	20-30
Maximum speed, km/h	40	40	30	52-72	37	29

Armored vehicles on the eve and during the Great Patriotic War (1939-1945)

The period is characterized by the creation of single-turret tanks with projectile-proof armor and powerful weapons.

In 1939, the A-32 medium tank weighing 19 tons, with a 76 mm cannon and two machine guns was developed. Crew 4 people, maximum speed 65 km/h. In the same year, a project was developed for a multi-turret heavy tank SMK with a 76- and 46-mm gun. However, the tank did not go beyond the prototype.

Beginning in 1932, at the direction of the Soviet government, intensive work was carried out to create a powerful, economical tank engine. In 1936, such an engine was created. It was the world's first tank diesel engine of the Soviet brand V-2. In 1939, the engine was successfully tested on BT and A-32 tanks. In terms of its efficiency, the V-2 engine was significantly superior to gasoline engines.

Drawing- Medium Soviet tank T-34

On December 19, 1939, the T-34 medium tank, developed under the leadership of M.I. Koshkin, was put into service. For the first time in the world, a powerful, long-barreled (for that time) 76-mm cannon with an initial velocity was installed on it armor-piercing projectile 662 m/s. The gun's armor penetration capability was superior to all foreign tank guns of that time. The tank's powerful armor reliably protected it from small-caliber anti-tank artillery shells and tank guns from all distances. The tank was distinguished by its original hull shape with large angles of inclination of the armor plates, the installation of a new high-speed V-2 diesel engine, a four-speed gearbox and turning mechanisms - side clutches. The tank had an individual spring suspension and wide tracks, ensuring good maneuverability. The mechanisms and assemblies of the tank were well developed and were easy to manufacture. This circumstance made it possible to quickly establish large-scale production of tanks during the war years.

Drawing- Heavy Soviet tank KV-1

Simultaneously with the T-34 tank, the KB heavy tank, created under the leadership of J. Ya. Kotin, entered service in 1939. The first model of the tank was equipped with a 76-mm cannon, and the second model of the KV-2, at the beginning of 1940, was equipped with a 152-mm howitzer. The KV tank was significantly superior in armor protection to the T-34 tank and had fairly high mobility parameters for its mass (47.5 tons) (maximum speed 35 km/h). There was a lot of new and interesting things in the design of the units and mechanisms of the KV tank. A torsion spring was used for the first time as a suspension. On the T-34 and KB, the engine and transmission were located in the rear of the vehicle. This made it easier to repair in the field.

In 1940, production of the T-40 light amphibious tanks began; in April 1941, the T-50 light tank was put into service, then the T-60 and T-70. These light tanks were developed under the leadership of N. A. Astrov. The T-40 tank had machine gun armament, and the T-50 had a 45-mm cannon. The T-60 and T-70 tanks were developed with extensive use of solutions tested on the T-40. Unlike the floating T-40, they were non-floating. The T-60 was armed with a 20 mm automatic cannon, and the T-70 with a 45 mm cannon.

Drawing- Light Soviet tank T-60

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, we had developed the designs of medium and heavy tanks with the most rational combination of weapons, armor and mobility. The Soviet Union had developed tank production and qualified tank builders. From the first days of the war, the superiority of the then small T-34 and KB tanks over tanks was revealed fascist army. This is what Lieutenant General of the German Army E. Schneider wrote after the war: “Russian T-34 tanks showed our tankers, accustomed to victories, their superiority in weapons, armor and maneuverability. The T-34 tank created a sensation... Having created an exceptionally successful and new type tank, the Russians made a great leap forward in the field of tank construction."

During the war, as a result of the modernization of anti-tank artillery and tanks carried out by Germany, the need arose to strengthen the firepower and armor protection of Soviet tanks.

At the end of 1942, production of the SU-122 self-propelled artillery mounts with a 122 mm howitzer was launched, and in the summer of 1943, the SU-85 with an 85 mm cannon. In December 1943, the T-34-85 tank with an 85 mm caliber gun and an initial projectile speed of about 800 m/s was put into service. The tank had increased armor thickness (45-90 mm), a crew of 5 people.

In 1944, based on the T-34, they began to produce the SU-100 self-propelled gun with a 100 mm cannon.

At the end of 1943, the IS-1 heavy tank with an 85-mm cannon was developed and began to be produced, as well as the IS-2 tank and the ISU-122 self-propelled artillery mount with a 122-mm cannon on a common base with it.

Since 1943, based on the KV-1 and IS-2 tanks, self-propelled artillery mounts were produced to accompany the SU-152 and ISU-152 tanks with a 152-mm howitzer gun. This gun had enormous muzzle energy and, along with 100 mm and 122 mm guns, was a formidable means of combating new heavy weapons. German tanks. On the basis of light tanks, self-propelled artillery units SU-76 with a 76-mm cannon were produced.

Drawing- Medium Soviet tank T-34-85

Drawing- Heavy Soviet tank IS-2

In 1944, a new medium tank T-44 with an 85 mm gun and a transverse engine was developed. This made it possible to increase the reservation and made it possible to further increase the caliber of weapons and have a large ammunition load.

At the end of the war, the IS-3 heavy tank with a 122 mm cannon and two machine guns (one anti-aircraft) was adopted. The ship's hull nose shape and increased armor thickness provided it with high protection. The designers managed to reduce the height of the tank, improve smoothness, increase maneuverability and cross-country ability. The IS-3 tank along with the T-34 tank on long years became a role model.

In the development of Soviet tanks of this period, the following features should be noted:

1. Transition to single-turret high-speed tanks with anti-ballistic armor and long-barreled guns,
2. Increasing the power of weapons and improving armor protection with an almost constant tank weight (for example, KB, IS-2);
3. Adaptability of tank designs to large-scale production and field repair;
4. The use of powerful diesel engines, individual torsion bar suspensions, wide tracks, improvement of the transmission;
5. Creation of self-propelled artillery installations. The medium tank became a popular type of this period. The importance of the heavy tank has increased significantly.

Currently, tank formations remain the main striking force of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. They are designed to conduct combat operations both independently and in cooperation with motorized rifle units and artillery.

Various modifications of the T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks are in service, which are constantly being improved. At the last Army-2017 forum, the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Uralvagonzavod Corporation (UVZ) signed contracts for the supply of new T-90M tanks and the overhaul of T-72B, T-80BV and T-90 tanks.

In 2016, the 90th Guards Vitebsk-Novgorod Twice Red Banner was recreated in the Ground Forces tank division(Central Military District, Chelyabinsk Region), the arrival of new and modernized tanks made it possible to re-equip 12 motorized rifle and tank battalions. Six tank companies were formed in the Airborne Forces. In 2017, it is planned to supply the troops with 905 modern tanks and armored combat vehicles.

Starting in 2019, it is planned to begin large-scale production of the new T-14 tank on the Armata unified heavy tracked platform. According to the state armaments program, by 2020 the share of modern armored vehicles in tank forces should be at least 70%.

In 2011, to modernize the T-72B tanks in Russian service, the T-72B3 modification was developed. It was created as an inexpensive alternative to the T-90A until the Russian army receives a new generation of tanks.

The vehicle has been in service since 2012. Thanks to its annual successes at the Tank Biathlon, the T-72B3 earned honorary title the main sports combat car Russian army.

In February 2017, the first batch of T-72B3 tanks of the latest modernization entered service with formations and military units of the Moscow region. Distinctive Features new cars compared to previous versions are a more powerful engine, superior to the old one by 1130 hp, an improved weapon system, aiming and control. The 2A46-5 gun received an updated automatic loader, modified to use new ammunition. The 125 mm smoothbore gun remained the same.

For the driver, there is an automatic gearshift, a digital display and a rearview television camera. The modernization also affected the hull protection: the combined multi-layer armor was reinforced with side screens with Relikt dynamic protection modules, hinged lattice screens and additional dynamic protection modules in a “soft” case.

According to the developers, the T-72B3 has significant advantages over modern foreign tanks. First of all, this concerns its smallest weight and dimensions, high power reserve, as well as the presence of a guided weapons complex that allows the tank to fire a missile at ranges of up to 5000 m from a place day and night. The machine can be used in conditions of high dustiness and ambient temperatures of +50 °C and above due to the use of a two-stage air cleaning system and a highly efficient cooling system of the power plant.

The vehicle entered service in 1976 and became the world's first production tank with a main power plant based on a gas turbine engine. Manufacturer: Omsk Transport Engineering Plant (part of UVZ).

In an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel former minister Defense of Syria Mustafa Tlas, who led the fighting of the Syrian army in Lebanon in 1981–82, called the T-80 tank the best in the world.

The tank has a classic general layout (crew - three people). The driver's workplace is heated. The layout of the fighting compartment is similar to that of the T-64B tank. The total fuel supply is 1140 liters. The tank is equipped with equipment for self-digging and for hanging a mine trawl.

The main armament of the tank is a 125 mm smoothbore tank gun with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, a 12.7 mm Utes anti-aircraft machine gun system, as well as a guided weapons defense system and a Tucha smoke grenade launch system. The gun can be used to fire both conventional ammunition and guided missiles for a range of up to 5 km. The weapon system also includes a rangefinder sight, a night sight and a loading mechanism.

The T-80U is a further development of the T-80BV tank. The improvements affected all basic combat and operational properties. First of all, the survivability of the tank has been significantly increased due to changes in the design of armor barriers, the inclusion of built-in dynamic protection, and a slight increase in the mass of material allocated for the armor.

The capabilities of conducting both long-range and close-in fire combat have been improved, thanks to the use of the new Reflex ATGM guided weapon system with missiles guided by a laser beam, which allows them to be launched at any speed of the tank. The T-80U is also equipped with the Irtysh weapon control system.

The combat weight of the T-80U main battle tank is 46.5 tons. It is equipped with a three-shaft gas turbine engine with a power of 1250 hp. and is capable of reaching a speed of 70 km/h on the highway (the average on the ground is 40–45 km/h). Fuel range on the highway is 500 km.

The tank is protected by multi-layer combined armor, equipped with built-in dynamic protection, and a system of collective protection against weapons of mass destruction.

This year it became known that the Russian Ministry of Defense is preparing a modernized T-80BVM tank for testing. According to the head of the Main Armored Directorate of the military department, Alexander Shevchenko, the experience of combat operations in Syria showed the shortcomings of serial models of armored vehicles, so the department accelerated the development of new ones and the modernization of existing models.

Also this year, the general noted, a tank support combat vehicle will be put into service, in which many countries have already shown interest, primarily Israel and Syria, and a modernized T-72B3 tank with improved combat characteristics.

Produced at the turn of the 80s and 90s, it represents a serious modernization of the T-72B. Initially it was called "T-72B improved". Was renamed in 1992. When the chief designer of the vehicle, Vladimir Ivanovich Potkin, died, the tank was given his name "Vladimir".

The main difference between the T-90 and the T-72B is the introduction of the TShU-1 "Shtora" optical-electronic suppression complex, the 1A45 "Irtysh" fire control complex, equipment for remote detonation of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile with a special fuse at a given point in the flight path, anti-aircraft machine gun installations from remote control, side screens with built-in dynamic protection.

"Shtora" provides additional protection for the tank by interfering in the optical range with the control lines of ATGMs with optical feedback or laser guidance. The turret of the T-90 tank has 12 grenade launchers for setting up aerosol curtains. The ammunition load of the 125-mm T-90 smoothbore gun includes a high-explosive fragmentation projectile with an electronic remote fuse.

The built-in dynamic protection of the Vladimir includes eight sections on the upper frontal plate of the hull, seven blocks and one container on the frontal part of the turret, as well as 20 containers on the roof of the turret. Three removable screens with built-in dynamic protection are installed along the sides of the hull. The tank is equipped with a 1000 hp diesel engine.

Based on the Soviet T-72 tank, the T-90 became the most commercially successful tank of the 21st century. Foreign analogues are inferior to domestic cars in terms of price/quality ratio. According to open sources, more than 2,000 modifications of the T-90 were produced, of which about 1,500 were exported. At the same time, contracts for this tank continue to be fulfilled.

It is also known that during the analysis combat use of the T-90A tank in Syria against terrorists, no combat damage or operational failures of the tank were detected, the vehicle showed a high degree of protection.

Russian main battle tank T-14 on the Armata heavy tracked platform. Designed as the main tank of the Russian Ground Forces. Manufacturer - UVZ. The tank, which should become the basis of the future weapons of the Russian army, is called a new generation vehicle.

According to the developers, this vehicle is significantly superior to its predecessors and competitors in such important indicators as firepower and security.

The T-14 uses a revolutionary layout - the tank's turret is uninhabited, the crew is located in a special protected capsule in a hull with reinforced frontal armor, which significantly increases safety. The automated turret will be able to continue firing even if the crew is incapacitated. Additional fuel tanks are recessed behind the armor, further enhancing safety. The modular system allows you to replace the tank's weapons and equipment depending on the tasks.

According to open sources, the tank is equipped with a 1,500 hp diesel engine. The chassis uses a seven-support design for the first time (previously six rollers were used).

The T-14 is equipped with a tank information and control system that controls all components and assemblies of the vehicle. The chassis and propulsion system are controlled robotically, thanks to which the vehicle automatically adapts to the nature of the terrain when moving. Estimated characteristics: highway speed - up to 75 km/h, weight - up to 55 tons, power reserve - up to 500 km.

The T-14 became the first modern tank equipped with an active phased array radar, which can be used as an artillery reconnaissance radar, that is, to determine the positions of enemy tanks and artillery from the trajectories of projectiles. The system can operate in conditions of blinding aerosol multispectral curtains, when ordinary optical sights useless.

The T-14 is not just a tank, but a universal attack vehicle, which also includes a tactical missile system, anti-aircraft system Air defense, an army reconnaissance and target designation complex - and the battle tank itself.

According to the specialist, thanks to the new complex, the actions of the tank commander and gunner during battle are reduced to a minimum: the commander simply points the cursor at the target and presses a button to capture it.

First general public The T-14 was demonstrated in 2015 at the Victory Parade in Moscow. A year later, at the International Military-Technical Forum "Army-2016" in the Moscow region, its combat and mobility capabilities were demonstrated for the first time.

Roman Azanov

The material uses data from the TASS-Dossier

The editors of the TASS website thanks the operators of the RIA "Army of Russia" of the Russian Defense Ministry for providing video footage of the T-14 "Armata" tank and underwater driving of the T-90 tank

Tank design- a set of technical (design) solutions and engineering components that determine the tactical, technical and operational characteristics of the tank. The design of the tank is designed in such a way as to ensure an optimal balance of the three main components of the tank for performing its tasks - security, firepower And mobility, while ensuring compliance with the requirements for the cost of its production, operation and reliability.

General principles of tank design

History of tank design

Tank layout

Security

Security characterizes the protection of the crew and tank systems from enemy weapons. The tank's protection is ensured by its armored hull and turret and active protection and camouflage systems, as well as its mobility, which makes it difficult for the enemy to hit the tank.

Booking

The armor consists of an armored hull and a turret, on those tanks that have it. Initially, tank hulls and turrets consisted of a frame to which armor plates and plates were attached with rivets and bolts. Riveted joints were used on tanks until the early 1940s, but were replaced by welded ones, as they were characterized by increased complexity in manufacturing, additional weight and volume occupied by the frame inside the hull, and the tendency of rivets and bolts to “shoot” inside the tank when hit by a projectile or large-caliber bullet. Welded tank hulls and turrets appeared in the early 1930s and, unlike riveted ones, were made load-bearing, without a frame. Soon after riveted towers, cast towers appeared, and later hulls, consisting of one or more parts. Cast hulls had limited use from the 1930s to the 1960s, but also gave way to welded hulls, which became standard on modern tanks. Cast turrets were used until the 1980s - 1990s, but due to the difficulty of producing cast turrets with combined armor, they eventually gave way to welded ones.

Active protection

WMD protection system

Many post-war tanks were equipped with a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The main method of protection was the tightness of the tank - viewing slits were replaced by periscopes and other means of observation. The tanks were equipped with degassing devices and packages. Components could be added to the tank's armor to increase protection against radiation.

Firepower

The concept of firepower characterizes the tank's ability to destroy the enemy. Direct firepower in a tank's design is provided by its armament, and indirectly by surveillance equipment and sighting devices that allow timely detection of the enemy.

Armament

As a rule, the tank is armed with one or more machine guns, which are auxiliary, or, on some tanks produced before World War II, the main armament (there were also several models of tanks with purely cannon armament).

Sometimes flamethrowers are installed on some tank models to fight enemy personnel at close ranges.

Sights

Surveillance equipment

Communication devices

Mobility

The tank's mobility is ensured by a tracked propulsion unit, its driving power plant and suspension. The tracked propulsion system is one of the defining features of the tank, providing it with high maneuverability, therefore the vast majority of tanks are tracked, although in the 1930s - 1940s wheeled-tracked tanks also became widespread. The term “wheeled tanks,” sometimes used in relation to some modern armored vehicles, is not recognized by experts and is used mainly by journalists.

Power point

Crawler mover

If a tank has a successful layout and a reliable chassis, then it has a long period of operation and development - its subsequent modifications have more and more powerful armor, the power of weapons is increasing, and various self-propelled guns, engineering and auxiliary vehicles are being created on its basis. So the T-34 turned into the T-34-85 and on its basis various self-propelled guns, engineering and auxiliary vehicles, the German medium Pz. IV short-barreled 75-mm cannon was changed to a long-barreled one and various combat and auxiliary vehicles were created on its basis, the T-64 with a 115-mm cannon turned into a T-64A with a 125-mm cannon... There are many such examples, although there are exceptions - for example, The chassis of German light and medium tanks of the Second World War changed significantly, especially from one to another of the first modifications.

General concepts and definitions

The chassis is a combination of propulsion and a suspension system. Sometimes they say chassis instead of chassis.

The propulsion unit is a set of units and mechanisms of the chassis that interact with the underlying surface to create traction force that moves the machine. Main tanks have only land propulsion. Light tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other combat vehicles can also have water propulsion. The land propulsion device, in addition to ensuring the movement of the machine, is used to transfer the weight of the machine to the ground.

As land vehicles, tracked, wheeled, wheel-tracked, ski-tracked, aerosled propulsors and their combinations are used. For example, modern tanks and infantry fighting vehicles have a tracked propulsion system; armored personnel carriers - mainly wheeled (BTR-70, BTR-80) or tracked (BTR-50, M113); armored vehicles - wheeled; Wheel-tracked propulsion was previously found on some armored personnel carriers (German Sd. Kfz. 250, Sd. Kfz. 251, American M3). An example of a combination of two propulsion systems, tracked and wheeled, is mainly tanks of the 20-30s - wheeled-tracked Christie tanks, their successors BT and others.

There is some ambiguity in the use of terminology. By wheeled-tracked, as a rule, we mean tanks that had two propulsion systems - wheeled and tracked, used independently of each other (for example, a BT tank could move either on wheeled or caterpillar tracks). Vehicles with wheel-tracked propulsion (usually steered wheels in front, tracks in back) are called half-tracks. That is, half-track vehicles have a wheeled-tracked propulsion system, while wheeled-tracked vehicles have an alternating wheeled and tracked propulsion system (there are options, for example: wheeled and wheeled-tracked).

Modern tanks use tracked propulsion systems; compared to others, they provide high maneuverability and speed over rough terrain, are reliable in operation and less vulnerable on the battlefield.

Crawler propulsion unit is a propulsion unit in which traction force is created by rewinding caterpillar belts (caterpillars) consisting of individual links - tracks. The caterpillar propulsion device generally consists of a drive wheel, support rollers, a idler wheel (sloth), support rollers and a caterpillar track. In some outdated sources, tracks are called track chains.

The suspension system or suspension of a tank is a set of parts, assemblies and mechanisms connecting the vehicle body with the axes of the road wheels. The suspension system consists of suspension units. A suspension unit is a set of parts and assemblies connecting the axis of one roller to the body or several interconnected rollers connected to the body through a single elastic element. Each suspension unit generally includes an elastic element (spring), a shock absorber (damper) and a balancer. In older sources, the balancer of an individual suspension is sometimes referred to as a crank.

The static motion of the roller is the vertical movement of the support roller from the position of a completely unloaded elastic element (for example, when lifting a machine with a crane) to the position of its loading under the weight of the machine (after lowering it to the ground) on a flat horizontal platform.

The dynamic stroke of the roller is the vertical movement of the support roller from the static position until it stops at the roller travel limiter.

Full roller stroke - vertical movement of the support roller from the position of a completely unloaded support element to the stop at the roller travel limiter, is defined as the sum of the static and dynamic roller strokes.

Since in this article the main task is to talk about the chassis of mainly tanks, then in the future, under chassis We will mean a chassis with a caterpillar propulsion system, unless otherwise specifically stated.

Suspension

Suspension serves to soften shocks and impacts on the tank, and to dampen vibrations of the tank. The quality of the suspension determines the average speed of vehicles on the ground, the accuracy of fire on the move, combat readiness crew and tank durability.

Types of suspension

Suspensions of tracked vehicles can be rigid, semi-rigid (sometimes called tractor) and soft.

In a rigid suspension, the rollers are attached to the vehicle body without springs. For the safety of the mechanisms and the normal condition of the driver, speed with a rigid suspension is not advisable more than 3-4 km/h. Rigid suspension was used on the first British tanks Mark I - Mark VIII and Mark A, Mark B, Mark C.

Semi-rigid suspension - an intermediate type suspension - is used mainly on tractors. Semi-rigid suspension - two bogies (one per side) in which the chassis parts are attached. One (front or rear) part of the bogies is connected to the body by a hinge, the opposite part is connected through a spring. The French Renault FT-17 tank and the first Soviet Renault Russian tanks (KS type) had such a suspension. But the FT-17 and Renault Russian road wheels were not attached rigidly to the bogies, but through intermediate springs.

These two types of suspension are not common on combat vehicles; soft suspensions are installed on them, and rigid and semi-rigid suspensions are not described further.

Depending on the connection between the road wheels and the vehicle body, suspensions are divided into individual, blocked and mixed.

In individual - independent suspensions, each road wheel is connected to the vehicle body through its own spring. Such suspension systems are found on most modern tanks; they best meet the requirements for suspension systems for high-speed tracked vehicles.

In blocked suspensions, several road wheels in a bogie are connected to the body by a common spring. Due to the small angles of longitudinal vibration, cars with locked suspensions have a smooth ride at low speeds; they were widespread in the 1930s. Their disadvantage is their low energy consumption and survivability due to the disruption of the operation of all the rollers of the cart if one of them is damaged. Locked suspensions are used on the British Centurions and Chieftains in a concept where the tank favors protection and firepower over mobility.

Blocked suspensions, based on the number of rollers in one bogie, suspensions are divided into suspensions with two (T-37, Pz. Kpfw. IV, Sherman, Centurion), three (Valentine), four (T-26, LT vz.35) and even six interlocking rollers (for the T-28 - on half the side).

In manuals, manuals and literature of the 1920s - 50s, a blocked suspension was sometimes called a balancer, after the name of the lever (balancer), which in some blocked suspensions connected the rollers in the cart. But in many blocked suspensions, each roller has its own balancer, and the connection between the rollers is only through a spring (Sherman, Pz.Kpfw. IV), so the modern term “blocked suspension” is more appropriate.

In mixed suspension systems, some of the rollers are interlocked, and some are with individual suspension (tanks Pz. Kpfw. I modification A, Renault R-35, Stuart). Typically, in such suspension systems, the outer support rollers are suspended independently, since they are the most loaded. Interesting suspension on the Swedish Strv-103. In its suspension, in order to reduce longitudinal vibrations in the short base of the tank, the second and third rollers have an independent suspension, and the outer support rollers are connected diagonally by a system of compensation units.

Based on the material of the elastic element, suspensions are divided into metal, non-metal and combined.

Works in pendants with a metal elastic element elastic deformation become. Metal springs are torsion (single-, double-torsion, beam); with screw, disc and buffer springs and with leaf springs. Torsion bars were used on the German Pz. Kpfw. III, Italian L6/40, Soviet LT vz.38.

Non-metallic springs are rubber (French R-35), pneumatic (airborne combat vehicles, Swedish Strv-103, Japanese Type 74, Arjun), hydraulic and hydropneumatic. On modern tanks, non-metallic springs are used only by pneumatic ones.

Combined suspension was used in the Ferdinand self-propelled guns with parallel torsion shafts and rubber cushions in the suspension unit. In the Abrams prototype tank XM1 (a version of the General Motors company), air springs were used in the suspensions of the 1st, 2nd and 6th rollers, and torsion bars were used in the suspensions of the remaining rollers.

Suspension requirements

Suspension must meet the following requirements:

ensure a smooth ride in different road and soil conditions;

be durable and reliable in different operating conditions;

be no more than 4-7% of the vehicle’s mass and occupy no more than 6-8% of its internal volume;

be convenient for maintenance and repair, easy and quick to install and remove.

Highly smooth running

While moving, the tank is exposed to external influences that tend to throw it out of balance and it makes vertical and angular oscillatory movements. Longitudinal angular vibrations are the most harmful, since vertical accelerations and the amplitude of vibrations in the nose of the tank (in the place of the driver) are the largest compared to other vibrations and breakdowns of the outer suspension units are most likely (hard impacts of the balancers on the roller travel limiters).

A person is able to painlessly endure short-term overloads with accelerations of up to 3-3.5 at a frequency of up to 2 Hz (with an oscillation period of more than 0.5 seconds). During suspension breakdowns, vertical accelerations can be higher than this - up to 10 g or more, at which a person experiences pain and can be injured. The harmful effects of harsh vehicle vibrations are evidenced by the fact that truck drivers in average road conditions have lumbar-sciatic pain (mainly sciatica) three times more often, and those in poor road conditions five times more often than car drivers. cars. Radiculitis is an occupational disease of tank crews who are in more severe conditions compared to car drivers, and this is mainly associated not with carrying and lifting heavy objects, as is commonly believed, but with the vibrations of the tank.

So, one of the main requirements for suspension is that at high speeds when moving over long uneven surfaces equal to or more than two lengths of the track's supporting surface and a height of 0.15 m, there must be movement without breakdown of the suspension and with vertical accelerations of up to 3.5 g.

When driving on frozen plowland across furrows, on frozen plowland across furrows, on frozen hummocks, mounds, etc., high-frequency continuous accelerations (shaking) are transmitted to the machine body. The length of these irregularities is approximately equal to or slightly different from the distance between the nearest road wheels, and the height is 5 cm or more. At frequencies of 2-25 Hz, a person is capable of withstanding vertical accelerations of about 0.5 g at the threshold of the onset of unpleasant sensations. Therefore, the suspension must be designed so that the shaking acceleration does not exceed 0.5 g.

Acceleration is directly dependent on the amplitude of oscillations and in inverse relationship from the square of the period. From this it is clear that the smoothest ride is provided by suspensions with oscillations of smaller amplitude and longer period.

On the other hand, when the oscillations are significant, tankers experience unpleasant sensations - “sea sickness”, which is explained by unusual oscillation frequencies; the human body is most adapted to oscillations with a frequency close to the walking frequency (approximately 1-2 Hz or a frequency of 0.5-1 seconds, according to Western experts - 0.7-0.8 Hz). To reduce the influence of this, according to some sources, the oscillation period is better not more than 1.55 seconds, according to others - 1.25 seconds (frequency 0.8 Hz).

In addition to affecting the ergonomics of the tank, vibrations of its hull also worsen the shooting conditions. In the absence of a weapon stabilizer, observation and aiming are significantly deteriorated, especially through devices with multiple magnification. At the same time, even if the gunner was able to catch the target in the crosshairs of the sight, then due to the delay of the shot, the gun barrel will still leave the aiming line and the projectile will deviate even more from the target due to the addition of the projectile flight speeds and the movement of the gun away from the aiming line during shot time. In these cases, the lower the angular velocity and amplitude of oscillations, the better.

The introduction of a weapon stabilizer simplified aiming and increased the accuracy of shooting on the move many times over. But the actuators of weapon stabilizers are inertial and, at high oscillation frequencies, cannot accurately hold the weapon in the position specified by the gunner. With modern tanks, satisfactory shooting accuracy in the European theater of operations can be ensured when moving across fields at speeds of up to 20-30 km/h.

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 difficult test 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 their European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, was able to release powerful tank formations onto the battlefields already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks “during the testing days,” from 1937 to the beginning of 1943, is intended to answer these questions 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 of 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, transfer 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 of the 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 individual battalions 54 tanks each and was strengthened by the transition 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. The tactical and technical requirements for 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 the explosions of 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 since the end of the 19th 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 on the armor of a potential enemy, since using the example of French tanks (which already had 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 reason for this Right way– an increase in the caliber of tank guns and a simultaneous increase in 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 gun, also had a larger breech, significantly greater weight and increased recoil reaction. 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 the highest levels about the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines, this process was constrained by a number of factors. Of course, diesel had significant efficiency. It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour. Diesel fuel was 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 a reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (they did not yet have their own machines of 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 did not immediately pave the way for itself in the course of further work. 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 the D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks is not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes." Justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that the wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 or 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank variant (factory designation 102 or 10-2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully satisfy the ABTU requirements. Option 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull according to the type of 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.

A tank is a combination of a cannon and one or more machine guns. In the first half of the 20th century, there were also tanks with purely machine gun or, very rarely, with purely cannon armament.

Tank gun

The main armament of a tank is usually a cannon, located in the turret, in order to provide it with a circular firing sector, which is one of the defining features of the tank.

However, there are exceptions: for example, the first tanks, such as the Mk.I or Saint-Chamond, the 1930s Char B1 tank, or even the 1940 M3 Lee tank were armed with guns located in the hull and had limited firing angles; the unique Swedish tank of the 1960s, Strv-103, had a cannon rigidly mounted in the hull, which was aimed by turning the tank and tilting its hull using a special suspension.

Occasionally, tanks are armed with several guns, either in order to ensure more effective destruction of targets different types or simply increase firepower (as in German experienced tank Nb.Fz. or the Soviet T-35), or (as on the first tanks) - to compensate for the limited firing angles of one gun. On the T-35, this was combined with a multi-turret design, when out of its five turrets, one was armed with a short-barreled 76 mm cannon, and two more with long-barreled 45 mm cannons.

A tank gun is in most cases used for direct fire along a flat trajectory (as opposed to self-propelled artillery units). Modern tank guns have a large caliber (from 105 to 125 mm, on promising models up to 152 mm), and can be either rifled or smooth-bore.

IN Lately Priority is given to smoothbore tank guns, since rotation negatively affects the effectiveness of cumulative ammunition (premature destruction of the cumulative jet occurs), rifling also makes it difficult to launch missiles from the barrel. However, rifled guns have significantly greater firing accuracy at long (over 2 km) distances (for example, in the second Gulf War, an unprecedented case was recorded - the defeat of an Iraqi tank by the Challenger 2 tank (the only modern one with a rifled gun) at a distance of 5100 m) .

A qualitative breakthrough in the development of tank guns was the appearance in the 1960s of smooth-bore guns, which made it possible to significantly increase the initial velocity of the projectile with less weight of the gun itself, although they were characterized by a significant decrease in accuracy when firing over long distances.

Another innovation was the guns low pressure, characterized by low speed, but characterized by relatively low weight and a large caliber, which made it possible to use effective cumulative projectiles. Due to their low weight, such guns have become widespread on light tanks.

Cannon armament of some modern tanks

Manufacturer country	Model of tank	Gun model	Gun type	Gun caliber, mm	Availability of automatic loader
Russia	T-80 U-M1	2A46M-1 (gun - launcher)	smoothbore	125	+
Ukraine	BM "Oplot"	KBA3 (unlicensed copy of the Russian 2A46M)	smoothbore	125	+
Russia	T-90 A	2A46M-5 (gun - launcher)	smoothbore	125	+
USA	M1A2 Abrams	M256 (German Rh-120, manufactured under license, 44 caliber barrel length)	smoothbore	120	−
Germany	Leopard-2 A5	Rh-120 (44 caliber barrel length) or Rh-M-120 (55 caliber barrel length)	smoothbore	120	−
France	Leclerc	CN-120-26 (barrel length 52 caliber)	smoothbore	120	+
Israel	Merkava Mk.4	MG-253 (derived from the German Rh-120)	smoothbore	120	− (with automatic projectile feeder)
Great Britain	Challenger 2	L30E4	rifled	120	−

Typical tank ammunition 120 mm caliber contain 4-7 kg of smokeless powder, providing an initial speed of 800-1000 m/s for caliber projectiles and 1400-1800 m/s for sub-caliber ones.

Machine gun

As a rule, the tank is armed with one or more machine guns, which are auxiliary, or, on some tanks produced before World War II, the main armament (there were also several models of tanks with purely cannon armament).

There are three main machine gun placement points:

• Course machine gun is located in the frontal part of the hull in an installation that has limited guidance angles or is completely fixed, and is designed to destroy unarmored targets.
  After World War II, their use on tanks was abandoned, since the ball mounts of machine guns weakened the frontal armor of the tank and additional armored volume was required for the crew member servicing the machine gun. PKT-type machine guns were widely used for lightly armored vehicles of the USSR Airborne Forces, samples of which are still in use in 4 states of the former USSR (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan). A pair of directional machine guns with a fixed mount are installed in the front of the BMD-1 and BTR-D. The BMD-2 has one front-mounted machine gun. According to the GRAU classification, the PKT machine gun is called tank machine gun.

• Coaxial machine gun available on the vast majority of tanks and is located in the frontal part of the turret in a common installation with the gun and has common guidance devices and, accordingly, firing angles. The main purpose of such a machine gun is to defeat enemy personnel and unarmored vehicles. On tanks that did not have a rangefinder, a coaxial machine gun was also used to zero the gun.

The first tanks had several machine guns in installations with limited angles in the frontal and side parts of the hull to compensate for the lack of a turret with all-round fire.

However, when the enemy was in close proximity to tanks or armored vehicles, outside the zone of flat fire (the so-called dead zones) of small arms, conventional machine guns were useless and the enemy could destroy the tank using bottles with “