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Fire power of modernized T-72 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
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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.
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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 |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Oplot MBT and enables the T-72AG to fire a laser beam-riding missile out to a maximum range of 5,000 m.
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THE
PROPOSED MODERNIZATION ENSURES THE FOLLOWING: |
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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.
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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.
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Commander's station |
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