T-62 Berezhok Heavy IFV

The Algerian Army is going to turn the T-62 into tank support combat vehicles. The new armored vehicle, like the Terminator BMPT, will cover the actions of infantry and tank units, destroying enemy manpower and armored vehicles. Algeria upgraded all their BMP-2 and BMP-1s to BMP-2M standard. Now, when they ran out of vehicles to upgrade, they turned to unusual methods, they turned to modifying T-62 tanks. To implement this project, the turret with the 115mm smoothbore 2A20 gun will be dismantled from the medium tank, and the Berezhok turret will be installed instead. With the turret removed and replaced with the BMP-2M turret the weight of the vehicle would be about 30 tons and with the improved V-46–5M diesel engine with 780hp it would be producing 27 hp/ton which is very good and means it will have excellent acceleration and faster cross country speed on par if not exceeding BMP-2M and BMP-3.

The BMP-2M infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is an upgraded version of the BMP-2 IFV. Designed and developed by Kurganmashzavod JSC, the IFV offers improved mobility and firepower for armed forces. The weapon system for the upgraded vehicle is provided by KBP Instrument Design Bureau. The BMP-2M IFV is equipped with a Berezhok (B05S011) combat module integrating four 9M133 Kornet series anti-tank guided missiles. The word berezhok means a little bit of beach or shoreline and could refer to the amphibious capabilities of the BMP-2M.

The uninhabited two-seat combat module B05Ya01 "Berezhok" is a classic BMP-2 turret, but with an updated armament system: instead of the main gunner's sight BPK-2-42, a combined sight with an independent line of sight stabilization system in two planes is installed. It combines sighting optical, thermal imaging and laser rangefinder channels, as well as a guided missile guidance channel. The missiles are launched from the twin launchers mounted on either side of the turret. The turret is also armed with a 30mm 2A42 automatic gun, a 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, and a 30mm AG-17 automatic grenade launcher (AGL). The 30mm cannon has the capability to fire 500 rounds of ammunition a minute, while the 7.62mm gun offers a rate of fire of 2,000 rounds a minute. The AGL can launch 250 grenades a minute for a maximum range of 1,730m.

KBP received an order from Algeria for the modernization of 360 BMP-2 vehicles to BMP-2M standard. Algeria became the first country where the "Berezhok"was used to modernize the BMP-1, and then the BMP-2. Its high firepower is provided by the Kornet anti-tank missile system with laser guidance, the 2A42 30-mm automatic cannon, the AGS-30 remote-controlled grenade launcher, the PKT machine gun, modern day and night sights.

Created on the basis of the T-55 tank, the T-62 was the world's first mass-produced tank with a 115 mm smoothbore gun and the mass of a medium tank with a high level of armor. T-62 tanks were delivered to Algeria in the period from 1975 to 1977, but their use was limited, since in 1979, more advanced T-72s began to arrive from the Soviet Union. Currently, the fleet of "sixty-second" in Algeria, according to various estimates, has from 200 to 300 vehicles. It was reported that they recently underwent major repairs at one of the local defense enterprises, during the work performed, engines were replaced, air conditioners were installed. Recall that the T-62 was adopted by the Soviet army on August 12, 1961. In total, more than 20 thousand units of such equipment were manufactured. They were exported to 17 countries, in many of them they are still in service. In Libya, Syria, and Ethiopia, they are actively participating in hostilities.

In both conventional combat and some of the more intense COIN battles, there is generally a preference for using heavy tracked forces because of their inherent armor protection advantage. In recent conflicts, heavier tracked vehicles, including IFVs, were employed when the threat was known to have powerful antiarmor weapons or heavy armor forces; there was a great degree of uncertainty in the location (and composition), including dismounted forces of the threat; and/or there was a desire to deter escalation of combat. In the most notable conflicts where heavy tracked forces were used — the combat phase of OIF and in combat in the Ukraine — heavy armor on the dominant side caused numerous adversary losses, with relatively few losses on the dominant side.

Russia appears to be exploring a version of the Armata platform that would be a heavy IFV based on the tank platform (T-15). Ukraine mounted an effort to purchase 50 BMP-64 heavy APCs based on the hull of the T-64 tank. China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) revealed a concept for a heavy infantry fighting vehicle (HIFV) based on the VT4 export main battle tank (MBT) at the International Defence and Exhibition Conference 2019 (IDEX 2019), held in Abu Dhabi from 17 to 21 February 2019. Namer, means "leopard" and also a syllabic abbreviation of "Nagmash" and "Merkava", is a heavy Israeli armored personnel carrier based on a Merkava Mark IV tank chassis.

The Russian Terminator tank support fighting vehicles seem to be becoming one of the most popular pieces of military equipment in Algeria. Photos and videos with them have been published in large quantities on the Web. In principle, it is clear why: the ground forces of this state were the first in Africa to receive BMPTs. If earlier images were published during the study and development of armored vehicles, now they are mainly from training grounds, where their high combat capabilities are demonstrated. Terminators are well suited for operations in the desert, both against mobile formations operating in vehicles with light weapons, and against regular units, with tanks, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, supported by aircraft.

Algeria had already updated their old BMPs with these turrets, so it is not entirely clear what kind of sense there is with using the same on tanks hulls. Maybe it wont be a good anti-MBT vehicle but the most likely threats a modern AFV faces, this set-up is pretty solid facing infantry, drones and light vehicles far more often then an MBT and an autocannon might actually be superior.

New ERA on this vehicle, will be used mostly againist infantry/light armor then a lot of times the only option the enemy will have to defeat a tank are shaped charges. The neighbors don't have APSs on their vehicles so the Kornets will wreck everything in their arsenal. On top of that they get nice new optics and a cannon that is still able to destroy fortified positions. But the design may be too much tank for too little turret/firepower. The armor on turret itself is paper thin. The good hull armor which can withstand a lot, but the turret on top can be damaged anything besides small arms fire. Not even being proof against heavy machine guns.

Some observers conclude that this turret needs weaponry upgraded, preferably equivalent to one on Terminator projects.Replacing an engine and a turret is already an expensive upgrade. Why just not go all the way and get something solid as Israel does it with its own modernization programs? This cheapness for a sake of cheapness is just biting them in the end.