|
| Modernisation of T-64B Battle Tanks The Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (KMDB) has developed design documentation, has manufactured and successfully tested a prototype of upgraded T-64B (BM Bulat) battle tank in order to enhance its combat and technical characteristics up to the level of modern tanks.
The modernisation covers three key areas:
- Mobility (modernisation of the power pack in order to enhance mobility)
- Protection (modernisation of the protection in order to reduce vulnerability to attacks of the up-to-date anti-tank weapons)
- Firepower (modernisation of the weapons-and-fire control system in order to increase the efficiency of fire)
Main Characteristics of the Upgraded BM Bulat Battle Tank
| Parameter description |
Parameter value |
| Combat weight (t) |
45 |
| Crew |
3 |
| Power-to-weight ratio (hp/t) |
18,9 |
| Ground pressure (kgf/cm2) |
0.98 |
| Operating temperature range (degrees) |
-40 to +55 |
| Centigrade Gradient (degrees) |
30 |
| Side slope (degrees) |
25 |
| Trench (m) |
2.85 |
| Vertical obstacle (m) |
0.8 |
| Deep fording without preparation (m) |
1.8 |
| Deep fording with preparation (m) |
5.0 |
| Gun |
| Model |
125 smoothbore (KBA3 or 2A46M-1) |
| Caliber (mm) |
125 |
| Coaxial machine gun |
| Model |
KT-7.62 or PKT |
| Caliber (mm) |
7.62 |
| Anti-aircraft machine gun system |
| Type |
self-contained, can be fired from within the safety of the turret under complete armour protection, stabilised in the vertical axis |
| Anti-aircraft machine gun system sight |
PZU-7 |
| Anti-aircraft machine gun |
| Model |
KT-12.7 or NSVT-12.7 |
| Caliber (mm) |
12.7 |
Mobility
In order to increase mobility, the vehicle is fitted with an enhanced power pack. The new power pack contains a 850 hp 5TDFM engine, which is a forced version of the 5TDF engine with power output being increased.
Installation of the 5TDFM engine requires replacement of the original air cleaner with a new one and re-designing of the exhaust system.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE T-64B BATTLE TANK BEFORE AND AFTER MODERNISATION OF ITS POWER PACK
| Parameter description |
Parameter value |
| T-64B |
BM BULAT |
| General vehicle characteristics |
| Weight (t) |
40.6 (42.5 - T-64BV) |
45 |
| Power-to-weight ratio (hp/t) |
17.2 (16.5 - Ò-64BV) |
18.9 |
| Power pack
|
| Engine
|
| Type |
Two-stroke, five-cylinder diesel with gas turbine supercharging, liquid-cooled, with horizontal placement of cylinders and boxing pistons |
| Model |
5TDF |
5TDFM |
| Maximum power output (hp) |
700 |
850 (1000 - 6TD-1) |
| Engine speed at maximum power output (rpm) |
2800 |
2800 |
| Specific fuel consumption at maximum power output (g/hp-h) |
178 |
|
| Engine length (mm) |
1413 |
1413 |
| Engine width (mm) |
955 |
955 |
| Engine height (mm) |
581 |
581 |
| Engine weight (dry) (kg) |
1040 |
1040 |
| Air supply system
|
| Type |
Two-stage system with ejection-type removal of dust: the first stage - bunker with inertial grid; the second stage - cyclone-type air cleaner (without cassettes) |
| Air cleaner maintenance rate (km) |
350 |
400 |
| Compressor
|
| Type |
Piston-type three-stage two-cylinder air-cooled compressor |
| Model |
AK-150SV |
| Operational pressure (kg/cm2) |
135 |
165 |
| Capacity (m3/h) |
2.4 |
| Transmission |
| Gearbox
|
| Type |
Planetary gearbox with frictional switching-on and hydraulic control |
| Quantity (pcs) |
2 |
| Number of gears |
7 forward gears + 1 reverse gear |
Operational characteristics
| Parameter description |
Parameter value |
| T-64B |
BM BULAT |
| Fuel consumption per hour while on the move (lt/h) |
104 |
113 |
| Fuel consumption per kilometre |
4.6 |
4.06 |
| Fuel capacity (lt) |
1270 |
1270 |
| Average speed (km/h) |
30 |
37 |
| Cruising range (km) |
306 |
385 |
The modernisation is carried out by means of replacement of the 5TDF engine with a 5TDFM engine, installation of a new air cleaner with increased engine-feeding air flow and re-designing of the exhaust system.
To modernise the power pack of the BM Bulat tank by means of installation of a 5TDFM engine, the following is required:
- 5TDFM engine 1 set
- Air cleaner 1 set
- Spare parts and tools 1 set
|
|
BM BULAT (Modernisation of T-64B Battle Tanks)
|
Rubber Pads for the BM Bulat Tank
The SOE KMDB has developed a design of rubber pads, manufactured the rubber pads and tested them on the tracks of the BM Bulat tank and its versions. No re-designing of the track components is required.
The rubber pads with fasteners are to be supplied separately. |
|
|
Modernisation of the armament-and-fire
control system
When modernised, the armament-and-fire control system of
the BM BULAT MBT has better characteristics than the armament-and-fire
control system of the T-80UD MBT.
Scope of Modernisation
Enhancement of combat characteristics is achieved
by the installation of the following instruments and systems:
- Gunner's 1G46M sight
- Gunner's TO1-KO1ER night sighting system (Ukrainian-made). It is possible
to install the Buran-Catherine thermal imager instead of the TO1-KO1ER
system
- 1V528-1 tank ballistic computer
- Some instruments and units of the 2E42M main armament stabiliser
- PNK-5SR observation and sighting system
- PZU-7 anti-aircraft machine gun system sight
- 1ETs29M anti-aircraft machine gun system control system
- TAKO-621 guided weapon system
Modernisation of the armament-and-fire control system results in the
following combat characteristics
GUNNER
| Parameter description |
Parameter value |
| T-64B |
BM Bulat |
| Effective fiing range (m) |
|
1700 to 2000 |
2300 to 2500 |
|
400 to 600 |
1200 to 1500 |
| Hit probability of the guided missile
|
|
0.8 |
0.8 |
|
- |
0.8 |
| Probability of trustworthy target ranging (target of the TANK type) by means of laser range-finder at ranges of
|
|
0.9 |
0.9 |
|
0.7 |
0.9 |
|
0.5 |
0.9 |
- if screening objects are available
|
0.5 (manual selection) |
0.8 (automatic selection) |
| Systematic ranging error (m) |
25 |
25 |
COMMANDER
| Parameter description |
Parameter value |
| T-64B |
BM Bulat |
| Target detection range (m): |
|
2,000 |
4,000 |
|
400 |
800 |
| Error of target designation to the gunner |
< 40 |
< 4 |
| Effective firing range in the override mode: |
|
Firing the main gun or coaxial machine gun from the commander's station is not envisaged |
1,200-1,500 |
|
800-1,000 |
| Firing at ground and air targets from the anti-aircraft machine gun in the stabilised mode on the move
|
no |
In the 'AAMG-AUTO' mode by using the TKN-4SR sight |
| Automatic introduction of angles of sight (PNK-4, PNK-5) |
no |
yes |
The above-mentioned systems have the following main characteristics:
| Parameter description |
Parameter value |
| Gunner's 1G46M primary sight: |
target detection range (m) |
5000 |
field of view (degrees) |
20-4.5 |
magnification |
|
head mirror stabilisation error (mrad) |
0.2 |
stabilised line-of-sight drift speed, with allowing for the semi-automatic drift compensation system (mrad/min) |
2.0 (1G46M) |
laser range-finder wave length (mkm) |
1.06 |
measured ranges (m) |
400-5,000 |
probability of trustworthy measurement of distance to a target of the TANK type |
0.9 |
systematic ranging error (m) |
25 |
missile guidance capability |
available (laser beam-based) |
built-in test equipment |
available |
increase of stability of output parameters of the 1G46M due to availability of automatic thermal compensation of the output parameters |
|
increase of aiming accuracy and decrease of shot preparation time due to availability of automatic drift compensation |
|
improvement of maintainability and protection against destruction due to modular design and reduction of the outlet window size by twice |
|
| Gunner's TO1-KO1ER night sighting system (Ukrainian-made TPN-4ER sight): |
| visibility range in the passive mode at natural night illumination of 3-510-3 lx (m) |
1400 |
| line-of-sight stabilisation: |
|
|
automatic |
|
manual, depending on the value in the information eyepiece |
| introduction of:
|
|
digital-and-analogue |
|
automatic for all ranges with allowance for deviation of the firing conditions from the normal ones, individual jump angles and geometrical parallax between the main gun, machine gun and sight |
| 1V528-12 tank ballistic computer: |
| type |
digital-and-analogue |
| calculation of angles of sight and lead angles for firing the main
gun and coaxial machine gun |
automatic calculation for all ranges
with allowance for the deviations of the firing conditions from
the normal ones, jump and throw-off angles specific to the barrel
and geometrical parallax between the gun, machine gun and sight |
| 2E42M main armament stabiliser: |
| drives: |
|
electromechanical |
|
electrohydraulical |
| mean error of stabilisation (mrad) |
|
0.4 |
|
0.3 |
| change-over speed of turret traversing (degrees/s) |
40-5 |
| Commander's PNK-4SR observation and sighting system: |
| type |
combined day/night |
| target detection range (m) |
|
4,000 |
- at night at natural night illumination of 3-5·10-3 lx in the passive
|
800 |
- field-of-view stabilisation
|
in vertical plane |
- stabilisation accuracy (mrad)
|
0.3 |
| magnification |
|
1; 7.8 |
|
|
| PZU-7 anti-aircraft machine gun system sight |
| field of view (degrees) |
50 |
| magnification |
1.2 |
| 1ETs29 anti-aircraft machine gun system control system |
| modes of operation |
stabilised observation (together with TKN-4SR sight) |
| |
AAMG-AUTO - anti-aircraft machine gun system is stabilised in the vertical plane with the aid of the TKN-4SR sight |
| |
AAMG-SEMIAUTO - together with PZU-7 sight |
| TAKO-621 guided weapon system |
| |
Control system based on a laser beam with the missile automatically keeping to the centre of the beam |
| firing ranges (m) |
100 to 5,000 |
| hit probability: |
|
0.9 |
|
0.8 |
|
|
|
Protection
Increase of protection level of T-64B tank is ensured by means of installation of an additional protection package on the hull and turret of the tank.
Additional Protection Package of the Tank
Purpose
The additional protection package is intended to considerably increase the tank's protection level against chemical energy attack weapons and kinetic energy attack weapons (armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot ammunition) at minimum possible increase of the tank weight.
Components of the package
The additional protection package comprises passive (add-on) armour protection and built-in explosive reactive armour (ERA). The explosive reactive armour consists of nose module and side skirts installed on the tank hull, as well as modular sections placed along the outer perimeter of the front and side parts of the turret, and containers installed on the turret roof.
Each section of the explosive reactive armour and the containers installed on the turret roof contain explosive reactive armour panels.
Efficiency
Installation of the additional protection package results in increase of protection level of the BM Bulat tank:
- against chemical attack weapons - by a factor of 2.2
- against kinetic attack weapons - by a factor of 1.9
The additional protection package enables the tank to be protected against the following destruction weapons:
- antitank hand grenades and projectiles fired from hand-held and heavy grenade launchers and recoilless guns
- against anti-tank guided missiles such as TOW-2, Milan, and Shturm-S
- against shaped charge projectiles fired from 125-mm smoothbore tank guns (ZBK-14(14M), ZBK-18)
- against armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot projectiles fired from 125 mm smoothbore tank guns (ZBM-22, ZBM-26, ZBM-42
Technical characteristics
The weight of the additional protection package together with mounting and fastening parts and with explosive reactive armour panels is 3,500 kilogrammes.
The time required for installation of the set of explosive reactive armour panesls on one tank by efforts of its crew is 5.5 to 6 hours.
The explosive reactive armour panels installed on the tank do not require any special maintenance while the tank is in service.
The work on fitting the tank with the additional protection package does not require any non-standard technological equipment or contrivances of highly skilled specialists.
The following is required for modernisation of the armoured protection of the BM Bulat tank:
- Front protection module of the hull nose
- Parts and sub-assemblies of additional armoured protection of the turret
- Parts and sub-assemblies required for modernisation of the fenders
- Side skirts and shields of the hull
- Explosive reactive armour panels of the Nozh type
 
Diagram of enhancement of protection of the hull of upgraded BM Bulat tank
| Measures |
Increase of resistance |
| to APFSDS |
to HEAT |
Installation of add-on armour and ERA |
190% H1 |
220% H1 |
Installation of side skirts with ERA |
280% H2 |
220% H2 |
Note: APFSDS - armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot projectile; HEAT- high-explosive anti-tank projectile.
Diagram of enhancement of of protection of the turret of upgraded BM Bulat tank
Add-on armour is installed on the front and side parts of the turret.
ERA is installed on the front and side parts of the turret as well as on the turret roof.
| Measures |
Increase of resistance |
| to APFSDS |
to HEAT |
Installation of add-on armour and ERA |
190% H1 |
220% H1 |
|
|
 |
Fire Suppression System
In order to increase protection of the BM Bulat tanks and their crews in case of a fire in the tank's fighting compartment or power pack compartment, the tank is fitted with a quick-action fire suppression system, which reduces the response time in the crew compartment down to 150 ms, this resulting in a 20% decrease of no-restoration losses.
Components of the fire suppression system:
- optical sensors and heat sensors
- bottles with fire extinguishing mixture
- control equipment
|
|
|
Additional historical data:
The T-64 Main Battle Tank Upgrade
|
