Potentially, he and other would-be loaders can be reassigned to vehicle maintenance and resupply duty to assist the crews of other returning tanks, improving the quality of maintenace as the crew inside the tanks will likely be exhausted after several hours of operation. Cybermodeler Online. Because of greater diameter of projectile cradle ring of the Basket-type, T-64 and later T-80 have a higher limit to the maximum length of APFSDS projectiles, providing superior anti-armour performance relative to shorter projectiles used by T-72. Also, towards the end of August 2014, over 20 T-64 tanks were documented as being operated by Military forces of Novorossiya. This was a potentially risky decision to replace the human loader by an electro-hydraulic automatic system, since the technology was new to Russian designers. Because of smaller physical characteristics thanks to the 3-men +autoloader design, T-64 and T-72 have a lower theoretical logistical footprint than tanks of equal number using a human loader. It has Nizh (Knife) reactive armour, and Varta active protection system. The T-64 is a Soviet main battle tank, introduced in the early 1960s. remote-controlled air-defence machine gun 12.7 mm NSVT "Utyos" with 300 rounds. Mid 2014, slightly fewer than 2,000 of the former Soviet inventory of T-64 tanks are in service with the military of Ukraine and about 4,000 are out-of-service and awaiting destruction in Russia.[4]. According to David Isby, the T-64 entered service in 1967 with the 41st Guards Tank Division in the Kiev Military District, the suggestion being that this was prudent due to the proximity of the division to the factory, and significant teething problems during induction into service that required constant presence of factory support personnel with the division during acceptance and initial crew and service personnel training on the new type. Tank troopers would joke that the designers had finally caught up with their unofficial hymn, "Three Tankers"—the song had been written to commemorate the crewmen fighting in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, in 3-man BT-5 tanks in 1939.[2]. The larger size of the 125 mm ammunition meant that less could be carried inside the T-64, and with a fourth crewman loader taking up space as well, the tank would only have a 25-round capacity. If the engine stops underwater, it must be restarted within six seconds, or the T-72's engine compartment becomes flooded due to pressure loss. Two programmes ended in 1999:[citation needed], The two variants are also protected by Kontakt-5 modular reactive armour, able to resist to kinetic energy projectiles, as opposed to the first models which were efficient only against HEAT shaped-charge ammunition. The T-64 did not share many drawbacks with the T-72, even if it is often confused with it: Additionally, the adoption of the autoloader was highly controversial for several reasons: Tanks of comparable role, performance and era, конструкторское бюро Харьковского завода транспортного машиностроения №75 им. Radio control of the 9K112 "Kobra" missiles (NATO code "AT-8 Songster") launched from the gun. It could be used from within the tank so that the tank leader could avoid being exposed (as on previous tanks). Most of the time, these duties are also performed at the end of a long day of operations, when everyone in the tank is exhausted. London: Blandford Press. Although two-piece ammunition allows for fast reloading of the gun in combat, replenishing the autoloader is quite slow. The T-64 would only be used by the Soviet Army and never exported, unlike the T-54/55. The total production volume was over 25,000 units and its excellent construction is still being successfully modernised. They were modernised in 1981 by the replacement of the gun by a 2A46M1, the stabiliser by a 2E42, and the mounting of a 902A "Tucha-1" smoke grenade launcher in two groups of four, on each side of the gun. The automatic loader of T-64 is more reliable, and less sensitive to jolting when running off-road. Some of them seem to have been fitted after 1985 with reactive bricks (as the T-64BV), or even with laser TPD-K1 telemeters instead of the optical TPD-2-49 optical coincidence rangefinder(1981). Малышева) by engineers coming back from Nizhniy Tagil, with A.A. Morozov at its head. The first GSFG unit to receive the T-64A was the 14th Guards Motor Rifle Division at Jüterbog, which became the 32nd Guards Tank Division in 1982. As it did not present a clear superiority in terms of combat characteristics when compared to the T-55 which was entering active service, Morozov decided that production was not yet ready given the project's drawbacks. This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 03:49. According to David Isby the T-64 first entered service in 1967 with the 41st Guards Tank Division in the Kiev Military District,[10] the suggestion being that this was prudent due to the proximity of the division to the factory, and significant teething problems during induction into service that required constant presence of factory support personnel with the division during acceptance and initial crew and service personnel training on the new type. The tank reflects the experience gained during the development of the T34, T54/T55 and T64 Soviet tanks and the requirements and needs for their operation. Currently, slightly fewer than 2,000 of the old Soviet inventory of T-64 tanks are in service with the military of Ukraine and about 4,000 remain in service with the Russian Ground Forces. While the T-64 was the superior tank, it was more expensive and physically complex, and was produced in smaller numbers. The T-64A should primarily be played defensively, utilising terrain for cover and pushing carefully. The obyekt 432 was ready in September 1962 and the production started in October 1963 in Kharkiv plant. (, The turret was poorly configured to allow the human crew to manually load the gun should the autoloader break. The USSR deployed it with its high-readiness units, independent tank regiments, and divisions based in the GDR and Hungary, and also in many lower-readiness units. The tank … Those two variants could also be re-motorised with the 6TDF 1,000 hp (735 kW) engine. The TPN-3-49 or TPN-4 and TVN-4 night vision for the driver. Object 430 prototype on display at the Kubinka Tank Museum in September 2008. The transmission system comprised two lateral gears on each side of the engine. The Omsk OKB-29 group tested three experimental T-55 tanks (designated Ob'yekt 612) between 1962 and 1965 that were fitted with an automatic gearbox controlled by electro-hydraulic systems. The T-64B had the ability to fire the new 9M112 "Kobra" radio-guided missile (NATO code "AT-8 Songster"). Counter to the benefit of leaving the fourth crew man in favour of using an automatic loader, this also creates difficulties in immediately replacing an injured crewman while in combat. The vehicle then carries 8 missiles and 28 shells. It comprised a R-130M radio with a 10 m telescopic antenna which could be used only in a static position as it required shrouds, an artillery aiming circle PAB-2AM and TNA-3 navigation station, all of those could be supplied by an auxiliary gasoline-fired generator. Meanwhile, T-62/72/90 use high quality engine, but low power. These actions were the first combat use of the tank.[28]. Problems were worst with the suspension system, which was of an entirely new and advanced design on the tank. able to ford in 1.8 m of water without preparation and 5 m with. power-to-weight ratio: 16.2 hp/t (11.9 kW/t). The KB-60M team was formed at the Kharkiv design bureau of the Kharkiv transport machine-building factory No. It has a 12.7 mm AA machinegun, and a 7.62 mm coaxial machinegun.[5][6]. It comprised a R-130M radio with a 10 m telescopic antenna, which could be used only in a static position as it required shrouds, an artillery aiming circle PAB-2AM and TNA-3 navigation station; all of these could be powered by an auxiliary gasoline-fired generator. The General Electric T64 is a free-turbine turboshaft engine that was originally developed for use on helicopters, but which was later used on fixed-wing aircraft as well. It introduced a new autoloader, which is still used on all T-64s currently in service, as well as all variants of the T-80 except the Ukrainian T-84-120. The tank would keep a D-10TS 100 mm gun and frontal armour of 120 mm. A KMT-6 mine clearing plough can be fitted at the front. http://www.morozov.com.ua/eng/body/traktors/mt-tbas.php, http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_281.shtml, Ukraine to supply a total of 50 T-64BV1 main battle tanks to Democratic Republic of Congo, "T-64 MBT; Russian Arms, Military Technology, Analysis of Russia's Military Forces", http://warfare.be/db/catid/244/linkid/1774/title/t-64-mbt/, Ukroboronprom Enters Foreign Markets with T-64, Ukroboronprom signs foreign economic contract for T-64 tanks, Ukroboronprom to supply 50 T-64 tanks abroad, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/T-64?oldid=4419081, Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls, Soviet Union, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, D-81T (aka 2A46 derived from the 2A45 towed antitank gun )125 mm smoothbore gun, 500 km (310 mi), 700 km (430 mi) with external tanks, 45–60 km/h (28–37 mph) (depending on the version), fire control, by replacing the sights with the TPD-2-49 day sight with an optical. Like T-90 has lower maximum power than T-80 but heavier weight. The shielding was improved, with fibreglass replacing the aluminium alloy in the armour, and small spring-mounted plates fitted along the mudguards (known as the Gill skirt), to cover the top of the suspension and the side tanks. In 2010 the Kharkiv Malyshev Factory upgraded 10 T-64B tanks to T-64BM "Bulat" standard, and a further 19 will be delivered in 2011. T-80 gas turbin has very low efficiency at the low speed, while very quality of tank engine is located at the efficiency and the capability of maneuverability at low speed. But, as the engine was now a 700 hp (515 kW) 5TDF (also locally designed), its mobility remained excellent, far superior to that the T-62. In Update 1.79 "Project X", the vehicle gained the modification to equip "Kontakt-1" ERA blocks, transforming the variant into a T-64BV. They were seen in mid-2017 patrolling in Kasaï during the Kamwina Nsapu rebellion.[36]. After the dissolution of the USSR, Ukraine carried on the development of T-64 modernization, as the original and main factory was in this country. Four tanks of this type were built and tested in 1969, which showed the same mobility as the production version, but mass production was not started. night vision with a TBN-4PA for the driver and a TNP-165A for the tank leader. Many T-64s ended up in Russian and Ukrainian service after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Driving seems much less exhausting for the crew, thanks to assisted controls and a more flexible suspension. As the names imply, 5TD was a five cylinder engine while 6TD is a six cylinder engine. The majority of T-64As were further modernised after 1981, by mounting a six smoke grenade-launcher 81 mm 902A on each side of the gun, and by replacing the gill plates by a rubber skirt for a longer life. The turret of the T-64B would be used in the improved T-80U and T-80UD, and an advanced version of its diesel engine would power T-80UD and T-84 tanks built in Ukraine. In 1976, the weapons system was improved by mounting a D-81TM (2A46-1), stabilised by a 2E28M2, supplied by an automatic 6ETs10M. The subsidiary of the State Company Ukrspecexport, the State Company Ukroboronservice, concluded the foreign economic contract for major overhaul and supply of 50 main battle tanks T64BV-1. Obyekt 476 – Five prototypes with the 6TDF engine, prototypes for T-80UD development. In comparison with 4-man tanks, there exists a possibility of an injured crewman being dragged from his seat and into the loader's space for immediate treatment of injury while the tank retreats. [citation needed] In August 2019, UkrOboronProm announced the Lviv Armored Plant (LBTZ) had also started modernizing T-64s to the 2017 standard [12]. Engine: 5DTF multifuel (diesel, kerosene and petrol) with 5 opposed cylinders, 10 piston, 13.6 L. Developing 700 hp (515 kW) at 2,800 rpm, consumption of 170 to 200 litres per 100 km. When that happened, the oil pressure would drop to 2-3 atmospheres and under heavy loads, the engine would start smoking, spewing out black smog out of the side of the tank. anti-personnel (APERS) version of the 3UOF-36, 3OVF-22, with several perforating abilities. This was especially true of the power pack, which was time-consuming to build and cost twice as much as more conventional designs. [4] Those vehicles showed characteristics which were going to radically change the design of battle tanks on this side of the Iron Curtain. Several proposals were made to improve the T-64 with new engines, but chief designer Alexander Morozov's political power in Moscow kept the design in production in spite of any concerns about price. The T-64, introduced in the late 1960s, was the first of a sophisticated new family of Soviet main battle tanks developed as successors to the T-54/55/62 family. While Russian T-80 tanks participated in the First Chechen War, any use of T-64 in Chechnya is not clearly documented, but it is possible in limited numbers. In light of Soviet doctrine, the superior T-64s were kept ready and reserved for the most important mission: a potential outbreak of a war in Europe. Approaching the gun, the projectile cradle is moved forwards, unfolding both cradles and ammunition pieces to a straight line, ready for insertion. The design team was carrying on its work on new versions. Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, http://www.meshwar.vistcom.ru/tech/t-64.htm, Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau. The T-64B had the ability to fire the new 9M112 "Kobra" radio-guided missile (NATO code "AT-8 Songster"). However it is normally agreed that the T-64 formally entered service with the army in 1967 and was publicly revealed in 1970. However, the arrival of the British 105 mm L7 gun and the US M68 variant of it, fitted to the Centurion and M60 tanks, forced the team to undertake another audacious première, with the adoption of composite armour. The turret was poorly configured to allow the crew to manually load the gun should the autoloader break. Two different upgrade packages were developed in 1999[7], The two variants are also protected by Kontakt-5 modular reactive armour, able to resist to kinetic energy projectiles, as opposed to the first models which were efficient only against HEAT shaped-charge ammunition. 1985 installation of ERA "Kontakt-1" during overhaul. [citation needed], As of October 2011, Ukrainian Army has 76 T-64BM "Bulat" [Т-64БМ "Булат"] in service. A rather unconventional design, the T-64 had several features which set it apart not only from previous tanks, but from the visually similar T-72, many related to its higher mechanical complexity: конструкторское бюро Харьковского завода транспортного машиностроения №75 им. London: Blandford Press. "KMDB - Vehicles Based on the MT-T Prime Mover Chassis", Armoured Ukraine: results, potential prospects … Results for the 15 years of "independence", "Lostarmour: Database of Documented Losses of Armored Vehicles in Civil War in Ukraine", "Ukroboronprom Enters Foreign Markets with T-64", "Ukroboronprom to supply 50 T-64 tanks abroad", "Procurement: The T-64 Tragicomedy In Congo", "NATO Releases Imagery: Raises Questions on Russia's Role in Providing Tanks to Ukraine", "Russian expert says about Ukrainian T-64 tank superiority over T-72B3", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T-64&oldid=998597467, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking in-text citations from October 2018, Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 500 km (310 mi), 700 km (430 mi) with external tanks, 45–60 km/h (28–37 mph) depending on version, fire control, by replacing the sights with the TPD-2-49 day sight with an optical. [31] Ukrainian and NATO officials claimed that these T-64s were supplied to the separatists by Russia. Those two variants could also be remotorised with the 6TDF 1000 hp (735 kW) engine. The KB-60M team was formed at the Kharkiv design bureau of the Kharkiv transport machine-building factory No. The T-64 was never exported, and has seen only limited combat experience—in the campaigns against Chechen separatists. 1,386 of these were T-64As, 220 T-64AKs, 1,192 T-64Bs, 159 T-64BVs, 420 T-64B1s, 27 T-64B1K/BV1K, and 578 T-64Rs. In Soviet times, T-64 was mostly in service with units stationed in East Germany opposing the Chieftain-equipped units of the BAOR. The recently created process was called "K combination" by Western armies: this protection consisted of an aluminium alloy layer between two high strength steel layers. The exhaust port was on the rear left hand side of the hull. The missile control system is mounted in front of the tank leader small turret and has many changes. Perrett, Bryan (1987). Designed for elite troops, the T-64A was constantly updated as available equipment was improved. By 1981 the improved T-64B began to be deployed in East Germany and later in Hungary. (, While having smaller tank crews (three vs. the usual four) is advantageous since more tanks can theoretically be fielded using the same number of soldiers, there are also serious downsides. The snorkeling procedure is considered dangerous, but is important for maintaining operational mobility. Meanwhile, the T-72 was intended to supersede the T-55 and T-62 in equipping the bulk of Soviet tank and mechanized forces, and for export partners and east-bloc satellite states. The production, first carried on the B variant, stopped in 1980. [5] Those vehicles showed characteristics that were going to radically change the design of battle tanks on this side of the Iron Curtain. Snorkels were mounted on the rear of the turret. Soviet Armour Since 1945. Being hydraulic, the Basket-type created a risk of hydraulic fluid fire if damaged in combat. (Serial production begin in 1963. This decreases the chance of the logistics chain being detected and attacked, and decreases potential losses. It is an uprated and more reliable version of the previous 5TDF. At the beginning of the 1970s, the design team was trying to improve the tank further. Night driving was also adapted with the new TPN-1-43A periscope, which would benefit from the illumination of a powerful infrared L2G projector, fitted on the left side of the gun. They served however as a basis for the design of the T-72 engine compartment. Having one less crewman for these tasks increases the strain on the remaining three men and increases the frequency of botched or skipped maintenance. An improved cooling system and a new lightweight suspension was fitted, featuring hollow metallic wheels of a small diameter and caterpillar tracks with rubber joints. The vehicle then carries 8 missiles and 28 shells. A NBC protection system was fitted and the hatches were widened. The original engine design included technical innovations such as corrosion resistant and high-temperature coatings. Two command versions are realised, very similar to the T-64AK: the T-64BK and the T-64B1K. The T-54 was evolved into the NBC-capable T-55 to which the T-62 was then created as a more advanced option. The recently created process was called "K combination" by Western armies: this protection consisted of an aluminium alloy[citation needed] layer between two high strength steel layers. The tank would be armed with the D-54TS and would have frontal armour of 120 mm. Most of the time, these duties are also performed at the end of a long day of operations, when everyone in the tank is exhausted. The 2E28M hydraulic stabiliser (vertical range −5°20' to +15°15'). At present the T-64 is in use in very few nations or regions, but is currently undergoing significant factory overhauls and modernization in Ukraine. 1981 redesign, two sets of six 902A smoke grenade launchers.