Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1497523
Photo: https://flickr.com/photos/65001151@N03/3841581857 MAIN BATTLE TANKS T-64 family vehicles constitute the backbone of the Ukrainian MBT invento- ry - specifically the above refers to T-64B, T-64B1, T-64BV Model 1985/1987, T-64BV Model 2017, and T-64BM Bulat, T-64BM2, T-64BM2 Bulat, and, finally, the T-64B1M. The dominating variant is the T-64BV Model 1985/1987 - 426 vehicles as such remained in service in early 2022. At the very same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also operated ca. 235 T-64BV Model 2017 MBTs and around 100 T-64BM Bulats. In total, at the beginning of 2022, 761 base- line T-64 vehicles remained in service. A small number of T-64BM2, T-64BM2 Bulat, and T-64BM1 also remained in the inventory. Around 600 T-64A, T-64B, T-64B1, and T-64BV remained in the reserve stockpile, translating into a fleet of 1,350 T-64 main battle tanks. One should take into account the possibility of more vehicles as such being kept in storage. It is worth describing two main variants of the T-64 operated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in detail - the above refers to T-64BV, and T-64BM Bulat. The manufacturing of the T-64BV was launched in 1985. And that applies to brand-new vehicles, and to the modernization of the existing T-64Bs that were being manufactured since 1976 at the time. The vehicles in question have been fitted with the fairly advanced 1A33-1 Ob fire control system, con- sisting of the 1V517 ballistic computer, and the 1B11 weather sensor. The gunner has the 1G42 daytime sight/laser rangefinder unit at his disposal, along with the TPN-3-49 night sight coupled with L2G or L4A Luna IR unit. T-64B1 The main battle tank has also been given the ability to fire ATGMs, thanks to the integration of the 9K112-1 Kobra system that makes use of the 9M112 Kobra radio-controlled ATGMs, or 9M124 and 9M128 Agona missiles (the signal that controls the missiles is generated by the GTN-12 antenna). The main gun is stabilized with the use of the 2E28M stabilizer system. The commander has an electrically driven 1EC40 observation cupola at his disposal, with ZU-40 remote-controlled weapons station, TKN-3 observation/ targeting unit, PZU-3 machine gun sights, and a single TPPO-160 periscope looking right, two TNPA-65 periscopes in the hatch. . THE TANK IS ARMED with a 125 mm 2A46M-1 smo- othbore gun and carried 36 rounds (divided, with the projectile and the char- ge loaded separately). 28 are stored in the 6EC40 mechanized gun-loading magazine. The gun is also coupled with the 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun. The ZU-64 station of the cupola features the 12.7 mm NSWT machine gun. In total, 1,250 7.62x54R, and 300 12.7x108 rounds are available. Furthermore, the vehicle features 8 902B smoke grenade launchers. When it comes to the primary armor of the T-64BV and its derivatives, it con- sists of welded rolled steel plates, of varying thickness. The turret is a cast element. The front part of the hull features western-style special armor, with 60 mm of steel plus 35 mm of glass textolite, plus 30 mm of steel, plus 35 mm of textolite, plus 45 mm of steel. Everything is inclined at 68 degrees which translates into an effective thickness of 547 mm. When it comes to the turret, its design is fairly interesting. The thickness of the front armor www.fragoutmag.com