History of Soviet tanks

[alejandro_]

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Object 478DU, it seems it's now kept in Malyshev Factory in Kharkiv, perhaps being refurbished for some purpose?

This configuration was offered to Pakistan back in the 1990s and was rejected. I do not see what further use it could have as Oplot-M is now available. Maybe it could serve as a testing platform.

Edited: The T-64BM2 Bulat is a Krab. Exhaust seems to corresponds to a 6TD engine and not a 5TD type.

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by alejandro_

[Damian]

Perhaps. We will see.

[Gavin-Phillips]

21 hours ago, Damian said:

Object 478DU, it seems it's now kept in Malyshev Factory in Kharkiv, perhaps being refurbished for some purpose?
 

T-64BV upgraded perhaps under "Krab" programme?

T-64BM2 "Bulat"?
 

Wikipedia has a decent page on the Objekt 478 project although I'll leave it to those who are knowledgeable to pick holes in its facts if indeed there are any.  It does not, however, mention a variant of the 478 as 478DU.  I understand that the "U" designation means "improved"?  Although no-where near as common as "M", the T-80U springs to mind here.

Ob.478 article

I'll have to see if I can find something on this Krab programme but those pictures are pretty amazing for someone like me who appreciates the T-64, despite its engine reportedly sounding like a lawnmower apparently. 🤣   

[Damian]

13 hours ago, Gavin-Phillips said:

Wikipedia has a decent page on the Objekt 478 project although I'll leave it to those who are knowledgeable to pick holes in its facts if indeed there are any.  It does not, however, mention a variant of the 478 as 478DU.  I understand that the "U" designation means "improved"?  Although no-where near as common as "M", the T-80U springs to mind here.

Ob.478 article

I'll have to see if I can find something on this Krab programme but those pictures are pretty amazing for someone like me who appreciates the T-64, despite its engine reportedly sounding like a lawnmower apparently. 🤣   

Object 478DU was experimental tank based on T-80UD to see if T-64 suspension could be used. Tests were successfull but in the end decision was made to stick with T-80 series suspension.

Then you have entire 478DU series. 478DU1, 478DU2, 478DU3, 478DU4, 478DU5, 478DU6, 478DU7, 478DU8, 478DU9 and 478DU9-1 (export variant 478DU9-T and 478DU9-P).

Object 478DU9 is T-84U Oplot, while 478DU9-1 is BM Oplot (478DU9-T is BM Oplot-T for Tailand, and 478DU9-P is variant offered for Pakistan).

Then there is also Object 478N or BM Yatagan (T-84-120).

Truth to be told Wikipedia covers the subject very poorly.

Edited July 6, 2021 by Damian

[bojan]

3 hours ago, Damian said:

...Truth to be told Wikipedia covers the subject very poorly.

What a surprise...

[alejandro_]

Quote

I'll have to see if I can find something on this Krab programme but those pictures are pretty amazing for someone like me who appreciates the T-64, despite its engine reportedly sounding like a lawnmower apparently.

Morozov presented the "prototype" to some jounalists. It turned out to be a T-64 hull with the turret of a T-55AGM, an upgrade proposed to Peru.

https://defence-ua.com/media/contentimages/0485fe0b2c3bf5eb.jpg

I assume (and hope) that the company had nothing to show and decided to put that together hoping journalists would not catch anything.

https://defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/t_64_krab_detalni_foto_rozrobki_do_t_64b_prijednali_bashtu_vid_t_55agm-2385.html

Edited July 6, 2021 by alejandro_

[Gavin-Phillips]

Thanks to both Damian and alejandro_ for the informative replies.  Yes indeed, Wikipedia's article pretty much pales into comparison with that (you could write more than just a series of books basked on the shared knowledge of this site alone I'm sure).  It sure goes to show that if there is 1 production model vehicle which is well known; there must be dozens of concept/demonstrator/prototype vehicles which aren't known about at all.  

A T-64 hull with a T-55AGM turret.  Well that's not a hybrid of types you hear about everyday for sure. 🤨 Learn something new everyday.

[Stefan Kotsch]

But surely you know this one? The T-55-64. With the original turret of the T-55.  They wanted to offer the thing in Africa.  The tower is extremely easy to use, but better mobility.

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Stefan Kotsch

[Gavin-Phillips]

10 minutes ago, Stefan Kotsch said:

But surely you know this one? The T-55-64. With the original turret of the T-55.  They wanted to offer the thing in Africa.  The tower is extremely easy to use, but better mobility.

 

 

Can't say I've heard of that concept at all in all fairness.  Did someone have a surplus amount of T-64 hulls?  I get the idea behind the turret controls being familiar to tank crews who are already used to T-54/T-55 and better mobility with the T-64 chassis but still seems a strange hybrid vehicle.  I take it no serial production for this "T-55-64" vehicle was undertaken?

[Stefan Kotsch]

No, it wasn't produced.  Nobody wanted to buy that. But that's from the early 2000s.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Stefan Kotsch

[Damian]

1 hour ago, Gavin-Phillips said:

Thanks to both Damian and alejandro_ for the informative replies.  Yes indeed, Wikipedia's article pretty much pales into comparison with that (you could write more than just a series of books basked on the shared knowledge of this site alone I'm sure).  It sure goes to show that if there is 1 production model vehicle which is well known; there must be dozens of concept/demonstrator/prototype vehicles which aren't known about at all.  

A T-64 hull with a T-55AGM turret.  Well that's not a hybrid of types you hear about everyday for sure. 🤨 Learn something new everyday.

I wrote rather large article about T-80UD and T-84 series for Nowa Technika Wojskowa magazine, but it's only avaiable in Polish, and I have no time to translate it. Also it is dated by few months right now, and some new information appeared in the meantime.

 

https://www.magnum-x.pl/artykul/t-80ud-i-t-84-oraz-mniej-znane-bestie-z-charkowa
 

Here is short online preview.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Damian

[Wiedzmin]

 

Krab is this modification, because of installing of 6TD engine which has higher roof... they installed turret on a barbette to rise turret above engine deck

 

 

typycal 64BV for comparsion

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by Wiedzmin

[Stuart Galbraith]

Wouldnt that cause some issues with the autoloader?

[Damian]

1 hour ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Wouldnt that cause some issues with the autoloader?

Nah, it should not.

[KV7]

1 hour ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Wouldnt that cause some issues with the autoloader?

The carousel will be raised along with the turret so there is no issue.

[Gavin-Phillips]

On 7/7/2021 at 8:08 PM, Stefan Kotsch said:

No, it wasn't produced.  Nobody wanted to buy that. But that's from the early 2000s.

Okay, thank you for the confirmation.  

[Wiedzmin]

 

more shots on updated Arena and some other   stuff 

 

[alejandro_]

Quote

Krab is this modification, because of installing of 6TD engine which has higher roof... they installed turret on a barbette to rise turret above engine deck

Many thanks, it is definittely the best way of spotting it. There were other T-64 variants with 6TD engine designed during Soviet era, but these were never produced in series right?

[Wiedzmin]

18 minutes ago, alejandro_ said:

There were other T-64 variants with 6TD engine designed during Soviet era, but these were never produced in series right?

there is rumors about it, but haven't seen any photos or blueprints of it, and don't know does it also have barbette or not 

[Harkonnen]

On 7/4/2021 at 10:17 PM, Damian said:

T-64BV upgraded perhaps under "Krab" programme?

T-64BM2 "Bulat"?
 

Different project by Kiev MOD owned design center, not KMDB but army initiative. Hull anti mine upgrade, turret rised ~5 cm. Krab will be different if it will be built.

[Damian]

14 minutes ago, Harkonnen said:

Different project by Kiev MOD owned design center, not KMDB but army initiative. Hull anti mine upgrade, turret rised ~5 cm. Krab will be different if it will be built.

Ok. How Krab will look like then, if it will be built?

[Stefan Kotsch]

WiKi (ukr) writes:

" ...

However, work on the modernization of the T-64 HKBM was still not undertaken. Because the Ministry of Defense did not allocate an advance, because at that time KhKBM got into a significant accounts payable for undelivered BTR-4 [1].

In December 2020, Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Myronyuk announced that the main battle tank of the Armed Forces is and will be the T-64 in the coming years. Currently, the research and development work 'Krab' is underway, which provides for the modernization of the tank so that it was possible to operate it for another 25 years. The first stage has already been completed - the development of design documentation. By the end of 2021 or early 2022, the first prototype of the upgraded T-64 will be obtained [2].

In December 2020, detailed images of the modernization of the T-64 tank, codenamed 'Krab', appeared for the first time when journalists from the Donbass program. Reality visited Kharkiv Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering "MOROZOV". The company started assembling the first sample in early December, and it has to go to the landfill in a year"

https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Т-64_«Краб»

Edited July 12, 2021 by Stefan Kotsch

[Wiedzmin]

Tanks already painted in pixel camo and has same equipment as green tank showed here, no any anti mine placed inside or outside the tank in current configuration

[Harkonnen]

4 hours ago, Damian said:

Ok. How Krab will look like then, if it will be built?

Different sides ERA same as on BM Oplot variant, new ERA on hull with separate bloks, air conditioner on the hull right, differnt design of slat armor, nothing speciall.

[Wiedzmin]

 

meanwhile 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Wiedzmin