KMDB - Fire power of modernized T72 main battle tanks


















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T-72
Main Battle Tank

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Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle

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BULAT Main Battle Tank

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and BTR-80Armoured Personnel Carriers

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Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle

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Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicle

 

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HISTORY

Foreword

Introduction

KMDB
of Today

Historical
Review...

Vehicles...

Conclusion

CONTACT









mobility

protection


T-72AG

T-72MP

T-72-120



Fire power of modernized T72 main battle tanks
T-72
Tank Upgrade


Armament
It is possible that the T-72AG retains the original
125mm 2A46 smoothbore gun when being upgraded. However, as the
original weapon system errors are considerable when the gun is
fired, this leading to a lower tank gun accuracy and to degradation
of the performance of the whole weapon system, it would be expedient
to replace the current gun with a Ukrainian-made updated 125mm
gun designated KBM1in order to achieve the highest hit
probability from the tank weapon system not only in static
engagements, but also in moving target or moving-own-vehicle
engagements. The KBA1 gun has two recoil brakes rather than one
available in the original main gun of the T-72. The KBA1
gun has enhanced characteristics and can be easily installed
instead of the original gun without any major changes to the tank
design. The gun has a quick-replacement barrel, which can be changed
under field conditions without the need to remove the gun from the
tank.




The T-72AG features a 12.7 mm remote-controlled
anti-aircraft machine gun which is installed on the commander's
cupola and can be laid and fired from within the safety of the
turret. The machine gun is remotely controlled and intended to
engage both air and ground targets from the commander's station
under full armour protection. The aiming angle in elevation is -5°
to +70°, in azimuth - in the range of +/- 75° to the right and left
of the vehicle longitudinal axis or 360° together with the tank
turret. In the vertical plane, the machine gun is stabilised within
the angle range of -3° to +20°.
The allowance of ammunition is placed in 3 magazines
(each containing 150 rounds) and includes armour-piercing/incendiary
and armour-piercing/incendiary/tracer cartridges.




Fire-control System
The armament and the fire control system of the original T-72 can
only make it possible to efficiently engage targets when firing
static versus static engagements. The fire efficiency decreases
dramatically in case of firing from a stationary position at a
moving target or firing on the move at static and moving targets. To
overcome this drawback, the upgraded T-72AG tank is fitted with an
up-to-date fire control system which allows stationary and moving
targets to be efficiently engaged while the vehicle is stationary or
moving. The original vertically stabilised TPD-K1 sight is replaced
with a 1G46 sight with a line of sight  which is stabilised in
both the elevation and traverse axes. The sight incorporates a laser
range-finder and a missile guidance capability. The fire control
system also includes a tank ballistic computer and input information
sensors.ò





The tank ballistic computer calculates ballistic
corrections for various types of ammunition. In order to calculate
ballistic corrections, the computer  automatically takes into
account all the inputs from the sensors including tank speed,
angular target speed, gun trunnion axis cant, crosswind speed,
target range, and course angle. Additionally, the following
parameters are manually input: ambient air temperature, charge
temperature, barrel wear ambient air pressure and so on. The
computer also computes the time when the high-explosive
fragmentation projectile with controlled detonation should be
detonated over the target. This computer also ensures possibility of
quick introduction of the ballistic characteristics of
newly-developed ammunition.




The original TPN-1 (TPN-3) night sight with dependant
line of sight and nigh visibility range in the active mode of
300-600 m is replaced with a gunner's TO1-KO1E night sighting system
which includes a TPN-4E night sight. This sight has a night
visibility range of 1,200 m in the passive mode of operation. The
line of sight is stabilised in the vertical plane and has an
electric connection to the main gun. When firing at night by using
the TPN-4E sight, the target range is measured with the help of the
laser range-finder of the 1G46 sight. In so doing, the tank
ballistic computer calculates and introduces angles of sight and
lead angles.




Although the image intensification night viewing
equipment offers a relatively simple and effective night vision
capability at a reasonable cost, in order to achieve the same level
of night vision capability as that of up-to-date tanks, the gunner's
station can be fitted with a thermal imaging sight instead of TPN-4E
image intensification sight. Unlike the image intensifier, which
requires some ambient visible radiation - however faint - and is of
limited value in smoke and mist, the thermal imager will function in
complete darkness, in smoke and mist, and the tank will be able to
fight equally effectively by day and night and in all weathers. The
thermal image and operation information are also displayed on the
commander's monitor.




The original commander's TKN-3 vision device (with the
night visibility range of 300-400 m in the active mode of operation)
is replaced with a PNK-4S observation and sighting system which
includes a TKN-4S combined day/night sight. The TKN-4S sight has a
vertically-stabilised  line of sight and three channels: a day
unity vision channel, a day channel with magnification of x8 and a
night channel with magnification of x5.4. A simple switch enables
the commander to change from the daylight channel to the night
(image intensification) channel and back again. This commander's
sight ensures a night visibility range of up to 700 m in the passive
mode of operation and enables the commander to fire the main gun and
the coaxial machine gun as well as anti-aircraft machine gun at
angles of sight of up to +20° from within the safety of the turret.
To fire the anti-aircraft machine gun at elevation of up to +70°,
the PZU-7 anti-aircraft sight is installed. The PZU-7 sight enables
the commander to engage air targets moving at a speed of 100 to 300
m/s, as well as ground targets at distances of up to 1,600 m.
At customers' request, the T-72 tank being upgraded
can be fitted with a commander's PNK-5 observation and sighting
system which includes a TKN-5 sight. The TKN-5 sight incorporates a
laser range-finder and a lateral lead angle input device.




In the original T-72 tank, the main armament cannot be
operated by the commander. In the T-72AG however, override
facilities for the commander are provided and, if required, the tank
commander can take over the fire control system and lay and fire the
main armament as well as the coaxial machine gun. The crew can also
carry out hunter/killer target engagements. Provided that the TKN-5
sight is installed, the commander can override the gunner and engage
stationary and moving targets from the stationary or moving tank
almost as efficiently as the gunner.




The new tank fire-control system can include a missile
guidance system, with the 125mm guided missile being able to achieve
effective penetration of the armour of all in-service tanks at all
reasonable battle ranges. The guided missile equipment is similar to
that installed in the T-84 MBT and enables the T-72AG to fire a
laser beam-riding missile out to a maximum range of 5,000 m.




THE PROPOSED
MODERNIZATION ENSURES THE FOLLOWING:






For the gunner:

increase of effective fire range up to 5,000 m in the day-time
and up to 1,200 m at night from a stationary position and on the
move;
increase of target detection and recognition range due to
installation of the Irtysh sight with magnification of up to x12;
range-finding to a distance of up to 5,000 m in the day-time
with probability of 0.9 by using a laser rangefinder with
amplitude-time selection;
launching a guided missile at a distance of up to 5,000 m;
automatic allowance for deviation of the current conditions of
firing from normal with the help of a high-precision ballistic
computer.



Gunner's station


For the commander:

overriding the gunner and firing the main gun on the move by
using the commander's TKN-4S sight at targets located at a
distance of up to 2,000 m as well as firing the machine-gun on the
move at targets located at a distance of up to 1,800 m;
firing the anti-aircraft machine gun on the move from within
the tank under complete armour protection at ground and
low-altitude air targets at a distance of up to 2,000 m;
increase of the target detection range:

in the day-time up to 4,000 m;
at night up to 700 m (by using the TKN-4S commander's
sight);
target designation to the gunner with high accuracy.




Commander's station


Characteristics
of the commander's sighting system
Characteristics
of the gunner's sighting system








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