13 May 2015, Karlsborg Sweden

13 May 2015, Karlsborg Sweden
Soviet tanks during WW2
More than 102.000 tanks were produced…
T-26
T-60
T-70
T-34
KV-1
JS2
T-54
T-55
T-62
T-64
T-72
T-80
3/3/3 at 30°
2 x 2/7/2 at 22-30°
 Tests against laminated armour
were done during the 80s’
Upper glacis in 5 layers
 Glass fiber suspended within a
plastic resin

 Continued tests 1992 against
turret composite armour

a center layer of sand or kvartz
(quartz)
 A new variant of the Soviet T-80 tank was shown publically for the first
time at the Moscow Victory Day Parade in May 1989
 The T-80U was fitted with a new type of add-on-armour, believed to be
efficient also against KE
 The tank did also have a roof protection integrated on the turret
 The new design of the protection initiated extensive studies and tests
Track skirt with ERA
Turret add-on with ERA
Upper glacis with ERA
Module representing T-80U turret
Module representing T-80U upper glacis
 It was found that the T-80U add-on armour with ERA also was effective
aginst KE – a special arrangement was needed to initiate explosive layer
 It was also concluded that the ballistic protection using ERA could be
seen as a ”50% protection” due to peripheral effects
 It was also found out that the integrated turret module easily could be
exchanged and preferably upgraded with ceramic rods
 The Armata family of heavy armored vehicles – now officially published
 24 Armata platforms were shown on the May 9th parade in Moscow
 The T-14 main battle tank and T-15 armored infantry fighting vehicle
 Replacing the T-72, BMP-2 and MT-LB-based platforms
 Additional variants foreseen:
 Combat engineer and counter-mine vehicle (BREM)
 Support platforms mounting automatic cannons, missiles (Terminator) and
thermobaric rockets (TOS) and self-propelled guns (Coalitzia)
 Bridge layers (MTU) and armored recovery vehicles (ARV)
 The MBT & IFV represent an innovative ‘clean sheet’ design of an AFV
 Although the two vehicles presented have different configurations they also
have much in common, as their designers have used common sub-systems to
simplify training, improve field support and reduce LCC
 These common elements include the suspension system, tracks, drivetrain,
and some of the armor and active protection systems
 Both vehicles use seven torsion bars with shock absorbers for the rubberprotected road wheels
 A system that uses Doppler radar to detect incoming projectiles such as
rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles.
 Once detected, the active defense launches an interceptor rocket that
destroys the incoming projectile
 The Afghanit system would most likely be capable of defending the
tank only from "shaped-charged grenades, antitank missiles, and
subcaliber projectiles."
 The crew of three seated in the chassis in a compartment separated from the
ammunition – the hit area of this “capsule” is small and therefore easier to
protect well (crew survivability is given high priority)
 The turret is unmanned and remotely controlled
 It mounts a 125mm 2A82-1M cannon (different from previous models T-72/80/90)
 Obvious difference is the absence of a bore evacuator, but a new
automatic loading permits us of “full length” APFSDS
 The T-15 uses an ‘off the shelf’ KBP EPOCH turret, also used on the Kurganets-25
 This turret integrates a single 30mm cannon with 500 rounds (AP/HE), a 7.62mm
coaxial machine gun, four Kornet-EM missiles (two on each side), and two fire
control systems, integrating electro-optical sights, a laser rangefinder and laser
guidance system (for the Kornets)
 Kurganets-25 family of armored combat vehicles to replace the BMP-2 & MT-LB
 Two variants has been displayed – an IFV and an APC – the main difference
between the two variants is the turret and active protection systems used
 Both variants share the same hull, suspension & drive train powered by a 800 hp
diesel engine, enabling mobility (80 km/h) and amphibious capability (10 km/h)
 Kurganets-25 IFV (crews of three + six infantrymen):
equipped with the KBP EPOCH unmanned turret – introduced as standard in all
recent AFVs (Armata T-15, Boomerang and Kurganets-25) – with 2A42 30mm cannon,
a PKT 7.62 mm coax MG, 4 Kornet-EM ATGM, two electro-optical target acquisition
and missile guidance systems, a meteorological mast and an array of sensors and
counter-measures, part of the vehicle’s active protection system ‘soft kill’ elements
 The hull also mounts 16 large tubes and four sensors associated with the Afghanit
‘hard kill’ active protection system (a LED spotlight located at the turret’s front end
could also be part of the APS, acting as a decoy against 2nd-generation ATGM

 Kurganets-25 APC (crew of three + eight infantrymen):
 Has a smaller remotely-operated turret with a 12.7 mm MG
 The APC retains the same active protection system ‘ring’ used on the BMP, but does
not include the heavier Afghanit
 Instead, it’s infra-red spotlight is mounted at a higher level, and can serve both as a
forward looking counter-measure and a signalling element
 The first pre-production vehicles now delivered for operational testing
 The manufacturer VPK expects orders for 2,000 vehicles in various configurations
 Its design introduces significant changes from that of the BTR-60, 70 and 80
 The Boomerang is operated by a crew of three and a carrying capacity of 9 troops
 Its fighting compartment is more spacious than previous BTRs
 The engine (on the right) and the remote turret do not obstruct its internal space
 This layout enables the troops to exit from the rear ramp (not in earlier BTRs’)
 Gone are the personal periscopes and firing ports
 Instead a panoramic view is generated by video cameras covering full 360 degrees
 Armour is compound and modular armor (active protection system is optional)
and the hull is V-shaped to deflect blast in case of a mine or IED explosion
 The Boomerang comes in two basic models:
 An IFV with an RWS (2A42 30 mm cannon, 7.62 mm coax MG and 4 Kornet
ATGMs)
 The APC is armed with a smaller RWS, mounting a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
 Driven by a 500 hp turbo-charged diesel engine, plus two waterjets for amph op
 It is an 8×8 vehicle, with steering on the two front axles - all wheels use
MacPherson-type suspension