John Kettler Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 (edited) Marwek77 aka Red Reporter, One of these days something will come out as I planned to type it or it won't, but I'll catch it before it's too late. On the plus side, I found this great historical survey of Czech armor, which, among other things, says Kladivo increased gunnery performance by a factor of 6.4! Here's a look at what optical and other related devices are on Czech tanks. What appears to be an exhaustive list (unfortunately, with most of text in hard to read light gray) of all T-54 and T-55 models, who had what and how they were equipped is below. http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/T-54/T-55_Operators_and_variants T-54/T-55 Operators and variants Article Id: WHEBN0019527322 Reproduction Date: Title:T-54/T-55 Operators and variants Author:World Heritage Encyclopedia It describes Kladivo tersely as follows: (Fair Use) "T-55AM1 - Czechoslovakian version of the T-55AM with Czechoslovak-produced "Kladivo" fire control system with a ballistic computer, a laser range finder (different from the Russian KTD-1) on top of the gun and a cross-wind sensor mast mounted on rear of turret roof." Regards, John Kettler Edited January 14, 2017 by John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marwek77 aka Red Reporter Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 I agree with you Mr. Kettler, but all these were Czechoslovakian tanks. Since 1993 we have Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. And since then we have 2 states with 2 armies. So when pointing to this period of history Czechoslovakia should be used from 1945 until 1992. All unique weapons in this period like: attack rifle Sa vz.58 and Scorpion vz.61, machine gun vz.59, 122mm rocket launcher vz.70/85, aircraft Aero L-29 Dolphine and Aero L-39 Albatros, IFV OT-90 and OT-64 SKOT, 152mm SPH vz.77 DANA, T55 AM2 Dyna-1 upgrade, transport vehicles TATRA, etc., all these were unique designs developed and used in Czechoslovakian Army. Today both armies still use some of them. And also are developing and building some new weapons. For example Czech attack rifle CZ 805 Bren 1 and BREN 2. When i served in Slovak army i have seen T55 with Kladivo, but we trained with T-72 tanks. I was BMP-1 commander so we trained some cooperation with tanks. But as conscript that time it was nothing really big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Marwek77 aka Red Reporter, The world was so much simpler before everything split up as it has. Along with my attention span, it seems. Left out the Czech and Slovak armor survey link, but in running it down again I found some excellent footage of a T-55AM2 fully kitted out. Would note this is enormously better than the imagery I saw during my time as a Soviet Threat Analyst. The video pales, though, compared to this walk around photo series shot of a former GDR T-55AM2B Kladivo/Bastion exercise complex for crew training. The good stuff begins on page 3.http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/thomas_voigt/t-55am2b/index.php?Page=1 Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bydax Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 T-90M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akd Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Interesting. I note switch to 12.7mm Kord RWS (same was seen on latest version of T-90SM last year), additional slat armor hung by chains to protect lower turret, what might be ERA plates added to mudguards over tracks and most intriguingly what looks like an additional "soft-kill APS" discharger on the turret roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinophile Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 What soft kill APS do you see? On top of the turret, L->R, I see: SG dispenser, RWS, Wind Sensor, (I think) APS SG dispenser ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antaress73 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 (edited) Its official. The T-90As Will be upgraded to T-90M (AM) standards . All 400 of them. So the T-90AM is no longer a fantasy. This Along with some BMP-2Ms as confirmed by Vladimir Tarasov. http://defence-blog.com/army/russia-unveils-new-t-90m-proryv-3-main-battle-tank.html Edited January 15, 2017 by antaress73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antaress73 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 On 06/01/2017 at 7:05 PM, VladimirTarasov said: http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12107642@egNews BMP-2Ms confirmed on some upgraded Russian BMPs in service. So finally I can use BMP-2Ms! How Many ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 (edited) antaress73, The turret looks so stripped down it's practically unrecognizable. Shtora is gone, and it looks to me as though Armata type APS and cameras have been installed. Wonder what the combat performance improvement over the prior model is assessed now to be? If the tank really has what it look like it has, then BFC's got a significant amount of work to do to properly depict it visually and in terms of all its new systems and their performance. Here's the photo at a size where things really stand out. Image Credit: Russian MoD? Regards, John Kettler P.S. Noticed lots of other juicy articles on Defence Blog pertinent to CMBS, such as Gray Eagle UAS first use in Poland, Anakonda 16, the now apparently fully arrived Armored Brigade from the States and more. Edited January 15, 2017 by John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Has anyone got other pics of the T-90M? I've looked for, but not found, an sort of coax MG. That said, it may simply be in shadow in the shot we do have. The wind sensor is far more intricate than what I recall T-90s having, so expect it does other things as well, and am pretty certain the cupola has radar antennae for the DAS. Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L0ckAndL0ad Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 8 hours ago, John Kettler said: antaress73, The turret looks so stripped down it's practically unrecognizable. OMG John, it's just the T-90AM just like there is one in CMBS, with some minor differences (extra cage). 11 hours ago, antaress73 said: Its official No, it is not. ps: yeah, I was bored, hi fellas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 LOckAndLOad, I was referring to the appearance of the T-90s in the 2016 Victory Parade. Contrast the stark, clean lines of the T-90M turret with what's shown at 0:16 below on a turret I feel safe in describing as "very busy." Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikalugin Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 With the growth of combat strength of the Ground Troops we need all the tanks we can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 This material appeared on the blog Russian Defense Policy for January 8, 2017 but ultimately traces to the previously provided MoD Sergei Shoygu's end-of-year speech. https://russiandefpolicy.blog/2017/01/08/what-they-got/ (Fair Use) The armed forces procured 105 systems with 260 UAVs. These included more than ten new Orlan-10 and Eleron-3 UAVs. They formed 36 units and subunits. The Russian military now operates 600 systems with 2,000 UAVs, compared with only 180 old systems in 2011. Photo below is of Eleron-3SV system. Russian drone unit sets have more than trebled since 2011. Believe BFC needs to add in the new drone types to the existing list. Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikalugin Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 (edited) We are filling out the UAV recon subunits in various units, sure. Shoigu visits the newly formed 150th MRD in Rostov region. Ukrainian MoD already complains on their social media accounts. Edited January 20, 2017 by ikalugin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikalugin Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12108813@egNews engeniers on ice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUSKER2142 Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 3 hours ago, ikalugin said: http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12108813@egNews engeniers on ice Time 2m29sec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 HUSKER2142, Cool vid! Never saw any kind of Russian bridging exercise done in winter before. Thanks. Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikalugin Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Did you see the bridging exercise by the railroad troops last summer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Canadian Cat Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Interesting. Looks like they used the presence of the ice to aid construction of the bridge but then they blasted the ice next to the bridge. Was that just to keep the ice from pushing the bridge around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool breeze Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 I think the bridge segments float, and they exploded the ice so the bridge would lower to its most stable level rather than having the ice break when something heavy crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Canadian Cat Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 4 minutes ago, cool breeze said: I think the bridge segments float, and they exploded the ice so the bridge would lower to its most stable level rather than having the ice break when something heavy crossed. Oh yeah that's a good point if one part of a pontoon is on the ice that could effect the bridge stability for sure. I had not thought of that angle (pun intended). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikalugin Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) http://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/588879d09a7947708950103d?from=newsfeed http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12109321@egNews More divisions for the god of divisions! Edited January 25, 2017 by ikalugin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Since I was already on the ARES website, I took a gander at some of the free reports there. As a result, I discovered the Russians have an infantry weapon in service, have had it for years, which isn't in CMBS. Checked the manual to confirm this is true. It's called the GM-94 grenade launcher, and it's seen combat in Chechnya and was spotted in Crimea in the hands of Putin's green men. Report has photos to prove both. The primary munition, the VGM93.100, is remarkable, a plastic cased (near zero primary frags) thermobaric munition capable of smashing through a wall or breaching armor 8 mm thick. Those of you who paid attention to Suvovov/Rezun's specific statements about Russian reasons for strange calibers will appreciate this is a 43 mm projectile, not a 30 mm or a 40 mm. Something else to consider is that while US 40 mm HE and HEDP have MSDs of over 100 meters, it's 10 for the grenade from the GM-94, with a lethal radius of 3 meters. What I find excessively exciting is that number is also the arming distance for the grenade! Perhaps our Russian and/or Ukrainian contingent have more info on where the GM-94 fits into the Red Army. Earliest Russian Army procurement was for what was undoubtedly a Spetsnaz Regiment. The Russian GM-94 Grenade Launcher http://armamentresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/The-Russian-GM-94-Grenade-Launcher.pdf Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Must say I'm surprised there's been no response to my GM-94 Grenade Launcher post, for a weapon already deployed and used in combat! Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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