TNI Staff
Technology, Europe
Dead Tanks: Russia New Armata Super Tank vs. America's draw Missile (Who Wins?)
Time to study matchmaking Russia’s favorite new Armata tank with America’s ex-favorite antitank missile, the TOW!
Much has been written when it comes to Russia's new supposed super tank, the Armata T-14. to exist clear, the T-14 is indeed divide of something called "The Armata commonplace fight Platform." This consists of the T-14 leading fight tank, the T-15 heavy infantry fighting vehicle and the T-16 armored recovery vehicle, between a host of other vehicles.
While early reports concerning the new tank appearance to imply some tough capabilities, how used to the new Russian vehicle discharge at the battlefield? used to it dominate against the competition or is it simply a essay tiger?
And then we eat the obvious question: how used to it discharge against America's best tank, the ordinary M1 Abrams? used to the Abrams exist capable to become a remove effort against the new Russian tank? Or used to Moscow contain the advantage?
(This first appeared at September 2016.)
Then there is the question of how Moscow's new weapon of war used to discharge against different anti-tank weapons, during example, the draw missile.
To answer some of these questions, below during your reading pleasure, we eat packaged together Dave Majumdar and Sebestian Roblin's latest trade at this song together, published little months ago, during your reading pleasure. allow the argue begin.
With the purpose of the cold war and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the spectre of a enormous armored Red army juggernaut smashing its way over the Fulda Gap is desire past, besides during Russia has continued to ripen new tanks and armored vehicles. Meanwhile, the United States has continued to confide at upgraded versions of the cold War–era M1 Abrams and Bradley fighting vehicle.
Russia’s Armata family of armored fight vehicles is a departure from the previous Soviet drill of developing relatively simple, inexpensive besides during specialized platforms. at fact, the Armata comes at many versions during was envisioned during the U.S. Army’s now-defunct Future fight System program. There is a tank, infantry-fighting vehicle, a self-propelled artillery portion and a host of other variants. The most notorious of these is the T-14 leading fight tank Armata variant.
The T-14 is a end departure from previous Soviet and Russian tanks, total of which acknowledge their compose cues from the lessons the Red army learned fighting the Wehrmacht during the Second dust War. Soviet tanks were relatively simple, extremely rugged and produced at mass quantities. Soviet tanks placed less emphasis at matching Western tanks one during one and more at overwhelming the adversary using abrupt numbers—crew survivability was a secondary concern. each Russian tank, including the T-90, followed this basic compose philosophy.
The T-14, from total appearances, seems to eat abandoned the traditional Russian way of designing armored vehicles. Instead of a relatively foolish design, the T-14 is fitted with a number of identical advanced features that eat never been implemented at an operational tank anywhere else at the world. Moreover, during the first time, the Russian military seems to eat placed a premium at crew survivability. That could exist a originate of Russia’s further to professionalize its military and maybe owing to the country’s declining demographics.
What immediately sets the Armata apart from any other operational tank is that it has an unmanned turret. The interest is that the crew compartment is physically separated from the ammunition. Further, the tank is equipped with passive laminated armor combined with reactive armor and an energetic refuge system. The Afghanit active refuge system allegedly includes millimeter-wave radars to detect, chase and intercept incoming rounds. Taken at aggregate, the Armata offers much-better crew survivability than any previous Russian or Soviet tank—assuming total of these features work.
While the unmanned turret offers much improve crew survivability, it during noise has some drawbacks. The crew has to entirely confide at their sensors during situational awareness and targeting. That’s no a giant drawback normally, besides during it could exist a question if the tank is defeat and its sensors or electronics are knocked out. That nation intend even a glancing blow to the turret results at a mission massacre where the tank is drivable, besides during unable to bough back.
Versus the M1A2 SEP v2 or the follow-on M1A3, it’s an empty question during to which is the improve tank. The Abrams is a proven, reliable compose that is however being upgraded. The forthcoming M1A3 will exist somewhat lighter and more mobile. The U.S. army during noise plans to replace the 120mm M256 smoothbore gun with a lighter version.
New guided projectiles nation during noise enable the Abrams to defeat targets during distant away during 12,000m. besides during Russian tanks are during noise equipped to remove anti-tank guided missiles via their leading gun—it’s indeed a question of who sees the other first. Much of how the Armata will discharge at the battlefield will depend at how much further Russia has made at developing the tank’s sensors and data-networks. The tank that sees the competitor first about frequently wins the fight.
The Armata is a new design, and it will inevitably eat teething problems during it matures. Further, there is the question of if the T-14 can exist produced at numbers—that’s identical much a factor, given the status of Russia’s economy. Ultimately, it could certify to exist a formidable weapon.
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Time to study matchmaking Russia’s favorite new Armata tank with America’s ex-favorite antitank missile, the TOW!
Yes, you heard that final divide right, the draw has been sold total at the world—but America’s starry eyes of antitank emotion eat wandered to greener pastures. Ever during the United States military began deploying the top-attack Javelin missile in the mid-1990s, it’s been handing them out like alcopops at a bachelorette dinner to its frontline troops—nearly each infantry squad has a little it can shriek its own.
On the other hand, new kids aren’t allowed to the Javelin party. Ukraine has been shown the door; Syrian rebels lack no apply.
That’s why it’s draw missiles that are making their way into the hands of Syrian FSA rebels from a not-very-mysterious benefactor. The draw however has another riddle going during it: it has about 50 percent greater hill than the basic Javelin—though a new translation of the Javelin will instantly modify that. during now, however, you can sit backward and understand the fresh air at a mount sumit with your draw missile, drinking at the panoramic progposal nevertheless you shoot those videos you possess putting up at YouTube.
So how does the aging draw charge against the T-14 Armata, the mysterious new Russian super-tank, rumored to secretly exist a Transformer robot with powers of flight? Let’s compare the TOW’s characteristics with the Armata’s defensive capabilities and shriek on what sparks they pitch together.
The BGM-71 draw (Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided) missile is America's venerable long-range antitank missile, first deployed at 1970 and now available at many flavors: wireless, tandem charge, top-attack, bunker buster. There’s something to cater to each taste. Let’s dispense with the first generation types (sorry ITOW!), and concentrate at two modern models: the TOW-2A and TOW-2B.
The TOW-2A however uses the weapon’s signature wire-guidance system. when a draw missile shoots out from the launch subway using a booster rocket, a line connecting the missile to the launcher unspools after it, allowing the launch unit to send commands up the line nevertheless the missile soars ahead. The draw uses a Semi-Automatic bid Line-Of-Sight (SACLOS) system—which is to say, the firer guides the missile by keeping an optical scope trained at the target, and the system automatically corrects the missile’s lesson inflight. The TOW-2A can defeat targets up to 3,750 meters away—though it will acknowledge its time getting there. Flying at an medium of 180 meters a second, that adds up to twenty-one seconds to defeat a purpose at maximum range, giving an alert tank crew a happen to acknowledge evasive action…if they mind it coming.
The wire-guidance system has the interest of being immune to most forms of jamming. However, it requires the firer to linger at place, aiming the missile during its complete flight time until it hits the target. Countermeasures that compose the purpose difficult to see—such during unfold old-fashioned smoke—can disturbance up the firer’s aim.
Once it hits the tank, the TOW-2A detonates a High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead, during noise known during a shaped blame or medication penetrator. usual projectiles confide at kinetic energy—a combination of haste and mass—to pierce armor. besides during kinetic penetrators ask heavy guns that pattern immense recoil, and lose energy at longer distances. A fever bullet instead blasts a flow of metal particles at tall rate upon impact; larger fever shells can pierce more armor, besides during the haste of the bullet or missile doesn’t influence penetration. A desire barrel and heavy frame to suck recoil is unnecessary, and that’s why most missiles utilize fever warheads. The TOW-2A’s six-inch shaped blame is supposedly able of piercing 900 millimeters of Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) equivalent.
Starting at the 1980s, however, designers started making tanks that were specially resistant to fever warheads. Western tanks employed Chobham combination armor. Soviet antitank missiles had during much consequence at new Abrams and Challenger tanks at the bay war during spitballs at a hippo. Russian designs, at the other hand, employed Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA)— bricks of explosives that detonate at a missile’s approach, tripping the fever warhead’s airplane ago it gets near enough to the tank. epoch is a portion more finicky than Chobham armor, besides during cheaper and lighter weight.
ERA had the latent to break the TOW’s total schtick. Thus, the TOW-2A has a “tandem charge”: two warheads, one at front to prematurely detonate the explosive reactive armor, and a second to chase over the hole and indeed pierce the tank armor. Most of the deadlier infantry antitank weapons today, alike the RPG-29, the AT-14 and the Javelin, apply a tandem charge.
Still, a tandem blame isn’t fool-proof—so study now the TOW-2B and TOW-2B Aero (the latter has a longer hill of 4.5 kilometers). These ditch the wired system during wireless-guidance using a stealth frequency—still potentially vulnerable to jamming, besides during at least the operator isn’t literally tethered to the missile. The TOW-2B can haul off a imagination move, rearing up into the heaven during it nears the purpose hence it can blast two explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) downwards into the target. This is highly effective during sumit armor at tanks is notoriously thin. A wireless translation of the TOW-2A is during noise available.
Where discharge you find draw missiles? at the U.S. military they’re used at antitank platoons, always mounted at modified flash vehicles (Humvees, Strykers, M113s, LAVs), during noise during at M2 and M3 Bradley fighting vehicles and Marine AH-1 Cobra invasion helicopters. almost thirty other countries sphere the system during well.
So what of the new T-14 Armata, legendary during surviving the conquest appointment demonstration Rehearsal of 2015 with maiden one tank immobilized! if maiden the notorious F-35 could boast a alike record.
Embarrassing debuts aside, the T-14 looks alike it has distant superior defensive features compared to its predecessors. alike a Victorian lady, the Armata comes with layers of defensive petticoats designed to ward off unwelcome attention.
First of all, there is the Afganit energetic refuge System, which boasts both difficult and gentle massacre capabilities, place at touch by four or five advanced millimeter-wavelength AESA radar panels covering each observe of the tank, providing warning of approaching projectiles.
‘Soft kill’ defenses chase to coyly misdirect missiles. Four multispectral smoke grenade dischargers can launch counter-measures that no maiden visually shroud the tank, besides during for noise disguise the vehicle’s infrared signature and obstruct targeting lasers and radars. The optically-guided draw doesn’t brood approximately the latter, besides during if the operator can’t shriek on the tank then there’s a improve happen of missing, specially if the tank moves. The countermeasures during noise trade at theory against top-attack missiles, specially if they aren’t manually guided alike the TOW.
Next up, we eat the ‘hard kill’ element that swats down impertinent missiles that don’t acknowledge no during an answer. The Afganit’s radar system automatically turns the turret turns towards incoming projectiles hence that the active-kill system can engage. Five liberate tubes at each aspect of the turret can bough rockets aimed at the incoming projectile. The Afganit system is untested at action, besides during other hard-kill systems such during Trophy eat proven effective against missiles at combat.
As during top-attack missiles alike TOW-2B, well…the Afganit doesn’t exhibition alike it’s designed to bough upwards.
If the gentle and difficult massacre systems don’t discharge the trick, then the Armata explodes…that is, it explodes its Relikt explosive reactive armor. The Armata’s radar epoch the detonation of an reactive-armor brick impartial ago the competitor missile or bullet hits, supposedly noise enough at further to neutralize tandem blame warheads. Is that how things used to indeed work? maiden one way find out! Rebels at Syria captured footage of a Syrian T-90 tank appearing to survive the shock of a draw missile owing to its older Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor.
What if our stalwart draw missile manages to evade total of these defenses? Will it discharge to pierce its way into the Armata’s armored heart?
In condition of usual armor, the Armata is however believed to exist a slightly less noise protected than an M1A2 Abrams or Leopard 2 judging by its weight of almost fifty to sixty tons. (For comparison, an M1 weighs seventy tons). A maximum thickness of 1200mm to 1400mm RHA match versus fever warheads has been claimed at Russian sources during the ceramic armor plates. That seems effective against the TOW-2A’s 900 millimeters of RHA penetration, besides during there’s no telling how even the armor refuge is along the turret and hull—(there’s some speculation the turret will exist notably more vulnerable) and if those figures are accurate. at any case, the TOW-2B will however apt find the sumit armor vulnerable.
Finally, we cause to study Armata’s unmanned turret. nevertheless an unmanned turret poses some difficulties—including the chance of blinding the crew if the sensors are knocked out—it does intend that there’s a good happen that the crew can survive a defeat to the turret. even if the turret is lay out of action and the tank needs to retreat during repairs, keeping flesh-and-blood crew inhabit is the appoint of the athletics during modern, professional militaries. A tank can maximize the happen it will acknowledge any hits at the turret by deploying at a hull-down position—that is, with maiden the turret peeking at the crest of a hill.
So, how good are the TOW-2A’s chances? Against a wire-guided system, the T-14’s gentle massacre system will trade if the Armata’s radars are effective and the crew is fast enough to satisfy the tank to a new place nevertheless the missile is at flight. The active-kill system, however, nation eat a good chances of taking out the missile if it’s during good during it’s cracked up to be. Relikt epoch will apt farther complicate the missile’s chances of penetrating. even without that, if the TOW-2A’s shaped blame can pierce the frontal armor is looking dicey. The bottom queue is multiple missiles nation exist required during one to acquire through.
What approximately the wireless top-attack TOW-2B? The Afganit energetic refuge system, mounted at the turret side, doesn’t appearance useable against it. The Relikt epoch will during noise exist less effective, and the sumit armor will apt exist simple to penetrate.
In any event, there is a good happen that turret penetrations of the T-14 will knock out the vehicle’s aggression capabilities besides during permit the hull with the crew to flee intact.
It rest to exist seen how many T-14s will exist brought into service—right now maiden 100 are slated during production. nevertheless the number will doubtlessly increase, it’s doubtful to what extent Russia will attempt to substitute its older T-72BV3 and T-90 tanks.
In the end, the T-14 appears to boast some decent defenses against the TOW, specially the TOW-2A, besides during how noise they will trade at fight is a question even the American and Russian manufacturers can maiden presume at. during is frequently the example at matchmaking, you can theorize total you want, besides during maiden a genuine near encounter will uncover the truth. allow us hope, then, that never the twain shall meet.
Image: Wikimedia
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