T-72BU / T-90 (Obiekt 188) Tank
Adopted in 1992, the T-90 entered service under B. Yeltsin, for the period from 1999 to 2005, the Russian army received only 30 new tanks. The T-90 is considered a modern unit, with only the elite Kantemirovskaya and Tamanskaya tank divisions equipped by 2010. Derived from the T-72, the GPO Uralvagonzavod T-90 main battle tank is the most modern tank in the army arsenal. The successor to T-72BM, the T-90 uses the gun and 1G46 gunner sights from T-80U, a new engine, and thermal sights. Protective measures include Kontakt-5 ERA, laser warning receivers, and the SHTORA infrared ATGM jamming system.
The price of a T-90 main battle tank (MBT), manufactured by Russia's Uralvagonzavod plant is $4-7 million, while the price of a T-72 model is $1-2 million. A Russian tank battalion comprises 31 tanks. In 2008 Uralvagonzavod produced a total of 165 T-90 tanks. Over half of the vehicles were exported, and the remaining tanks replaced some of the T-72s in the Russian Armed Forces.
There was initially considerable confusion over this tank. In 1988, Nizhni Tagil upgraded the T-72B to the T-72BM by substituting the Kontakt-5 applique armor for the earlier Kontakt ERA. The T-72BM and T-90 are almost identical in external appearance since the Kontakt-5 applique armor covers most of the turret details.
The only obvious distinguishing feature between the two types is the use of the Shtora tank protection system on the T-90. This system, developed at VNII Transmash in St. Petersburg, is an integrated defensive suite, including an electro-optical jammer opposite the IR searchlight on the left side of the tank gun tube, and laser detector boxes on the turret roof.
Several subdesignations of the T-90 have been mentioned in the Russian press or in sales material, including the T-90S (probably indicating Svir missile features) and T-90E (probably indicating an export derivative).
Of conventional layout, the T-90 represents a major upgrade to every system in the T-72, including the main gun. The T-90 is an interim solution, pending the introduction of the new Nizhny Tagil MBT which has been delayed due to lack of funding. Produced primarily mainly due to its lower cost, the T-90 it will probably remain in low-rate production to keep production lines open until newer designs become available. Several hundred of these tanks have been produced, with various estimates suggesting that between 100 and 300 are in service, primarily in the Far East.
The T-90 retains the 125-mm 2A46-series main gun of the T-72 and T-80 which is capable of firing APDS, HEAT and HE-FRAG projectiles as well as time-fuzed shrapnel projectiles.
The Refleks 9M119 AT-11 SNIPER laser-guided missile with a hollow-charge warhead is effective against both armored targets and low-flying helicopters. The missile, which can penetrate 700-mm of RHAe out to 4000 meters, gives the T-90 the ability to engage other vehicles and helicopters before they can engage the T-90. The computerised fire control system and laser range-finder, coupled with the new Agave gunner's thermal sight, permit the T-90 to engage targets while on the move and at night. However, this first generation system is probably not as capable as current Western counterpart systems.
The tank is fitted with precision laying equipment and an automatic loader to guarantee a high rate of gun fire. Secondary armament includes a coaxial 7.62mm PKT machine gun and 12.7mm machine gun mount to for air and ground targets.
The T-90 features the low silhouette of the earlier Russian tanks, with a low rounded turret centered on the hull, and is fitted with combined passive and active defenses which make the T-90 one of the best protected main battle tanks in the world. The glacis is covered by second generation explosive reactive armor [ERA] bricks, as is the turret. This ERA gives the turret an angled appearance, with the ERA bricks forming a "clam shell" appearance. ERA bricks on the turret roof provide protection from top-attack weapons.
The T-90 is equiped with the TShU-1-7 Shtora-1 optronic counter measures system which is designed to disrupt the laser target designation and rangefinders of incoming ATGM. The T-90 is also equipped with a laser warning package that warns the tank crew when it is being lased. Shtora-1 is an electro-optical jammer that jams the enemy's semiautomatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) antitank guided missiles, laser rangefinders and target designators. Shtora-1 is actually a soft kill, or countermeasures system. It is most effective when used in tandem with a hard kill system such as the Arena.
During the International Defense Exposition (IDEX) held in Abu Dhabi in 1995, the system was shown fitted to a Russian MBT. The first known application of the system is the Russian T-90 MBT. Shtora-1 is currently installed on the T-80UK, T-80U, T-84 and T-90 MBTs.
The Shtora-1 system comprises four key components, the electro-optical interface station, which includes a jammer, modulator, and control panel; a bank of forward-firing grenade dischargers mounted on either side of the turret that are capable of firing grenades dispensing an aerosol screen; a laser warning system with precision and coarse heads; and a control system comprising control panel, microprocessor, and manual screen-laying panel. This processes the information from the sensors and activates the aerosol screen-laying system. Two infrared lights, one on each side of the main gun, continuously emit coded pulsed infrared jamming when an incoming ATGM has been detected. Shtora-1 has a field of view of 360-degrees horizontally and -5 to +25-degrees in elevation. It contains 12 aerosol screen launchers and weighs 400kg. The screening aerosol takes less than 3 seconds to form and lasts about 20 seconds. The screen laying range is between 50-70 meters.
The T-90 is powered by the V-84MS 618 kW (840 hp) four-stroke V-12 piston multi-fuel diesel engine, which can also run on T-2, TS-1 kerosene and A-72 benzine. This engine results in a power to weight ratio of only 18.06 hp/ton, considerably less than that of the T-80. The tank crew can prepare fording equipment within 20 minutes to negotiate 5 meter deep water obstacles. The tank is also fitted with the NBC protection system and mounted mineclearing equipment.
The price of a T-90 main battle tank, manufactured by Russia's Uralvagonzavod plant is $5-7 million, while the price of a T-72 model is $1-2 million. Tank-modernization costs make up for just 25 percent of the new tank's price.
By 2020, the Ministry of Defence of the country was planning to form 35 tank regiments, which would have stood armed with the Russian T-90. The first 310 T-90 tanks India ordered Russia from in 2001. Some 186 tanks of this type were assembled at an engineering plant near Madras. In 2006, India was still acquiring the 330 tanks. The first doubts about the merits of the T-90 in Delhi were publicly expressed by 28 July 2005. On that day, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament that even a tank of the Indian production of Arjun outperforms the Russian machine. Moscow fiercely objected. As a result, a complex military-political struggle "Rosoboronexport" succeeded in 2007, to push another contract for the purchase of a large batch of regular Indians T-90. This time a thousand machines were to be produced in India under license.
According to the director of the Federal Service Rosoboronzakaz Sergei Maeva in 2011, by the year 2020 Russian armored forces will consist of half-T-90 tanks and half of the new model T-14 Armata tanks. T-90 was justifiably criticized, but this machine is well suited for the role of "workhorse" and is able to remain in service for many years. This tank is capable of withstanding an explosion of 30 kiloton nuclear bomb at a distance of 700 meters and can move under water. But its main advantage - it's maintainability, simplicity, ability to use in harsh climatic conditions and, of course, the low price (about 1.8 million dollars for the export options.).
Vladimir Voronov wrote in 2015 that "In March 2011, the then commander of land forces, Colonel General Alexander Postnikov, startled everyone by announcing that the specification of weaponry produced by the Russian defence industry, including armoured force armaments, artillery and small arms, was no match for analogous equipment of NATO or even China. The general called the infamous T-90 “the seventeenth modification of the Soviet T-72”, which entered service in 1973. Subsequently, the then defence minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, on the basis of analysis by his subordinates, complained that the T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks did not meet the requirements specified by his ministry, but unfortunately they would just have to fight with what they had received."
T-90M3 Breakthrough Russia's main battle tank, the T-90M Proryv The Proryv (T-90M) is Russia's newest heavy battle tank. The Proryv boasts superior combat performance, achieved through improved armor, weapons, maneuverability, and electronics, and is capable of handling a variety of battlefield missions. This article examines the tank's development history, characteristics, innovations, and modifications. History of the T-90M The T-90M is a tank resulting from the "Breakthrough-3" research and development project, which began in the early 2010s with the goal of comprehensively modernizing the T-90. This project utilized successful engineering solutions employed in the T-90AM and T-90SM tanks. The project resulted in the tank, dubbed the T-90M, which was first unveiled at the Army-2018 international forum. From 2017 to 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defense signed three contracts for the delivery of over 160 of these tanks. The tank's price is $2.5 million. Main characteristics of the T 90m Main characteristics of the T90 M: Crew: 3 persons; Length: 9.5 meters; Width: 3.8 meters; Height: 2.2 meters; The weight of T 90 M is 48 tons; Engine: V-92S2F; Power: 1130 horsepower; Maximum speed: 70 kilometers per hour; Fuel consumption: 240-450 l. per 100 km. Power reserve: 550 kilometers. Powerful but fast The T 90M tank is a powerful and fast combat vehicle, capable of overcoming various obstacles and maneuvering on the battlefield. It boasts high mobility thanks to an improved powertrain and transmission. Its new cannon and modern ammunition provide superior firepower. Protection Enhanced armor is a complex protection system that includes specialized armor filled with flat plates and high-strength steel inserts. This armor is capable of withstanding impacts from modern anti-armor and shaped-charge projectiles, as well as artillery fire up to 152 mm in caliber. The "Relikt" dynamic protection system is a set of explosive blocks mounted on the front and sides. "Relikt" reduces the likelihood of armor penetration by 50-80%. The "Arena-M" active protection system is a device that detects and destroys anti-tank missiles and grenades. The "Arena-M" uses an interception principle where it launches a charge toward a threat and detonates it near it, creating fragments that destroy the threat. Power unit The V-92S2F diesel engine and a hydraulically controlled manual transmission form the powertrain. The V-92S2F is highly reliable and fuel-efficient. The engine is equipped with an automatic coolant and oil temperature monitoring system, as well as an automatic fire suppression system. The tank can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour on asphalt and up to 50 kilometers per hour on uneven surfaces. It can traverse slopes of up to 30 degrees, water obstacles up to 1.8 meters, chasms up to 2.8 meters, and walls up to 0.85 meters. T-90M armament The tank's armament consists of a 125mm 2A82-1M cannon, a 12.7mm Kord machine gun, a 7.62mm PKTM machine gun, and Reflex-M and Invar anti-tank missiles. It can engage tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry, helicopters, and bunkers. Through the sight The 2A82-1M cannon offers increased accuracy, range, and firepower. It fires armor-piercing, high-explosive, and other projectiles. It also fires Reflex-M and Invar anti-tank missiles with a range of up to 5 kilometers. A stabilizer allows for highly accurate firing on the move, and a thermal shell protects against overheating and icing. Of all the guns The T 90M is equipped with two machine guns: a 12.7mm Kord and a 7.62mm PKTM. The Kord is mounted on the turret roof and is operated remotely. It can engage air and ground targets within a two-kilometer radius. The PKTM can engage infantry and lightly armored targets within a range of up to 1.5 kilometers. Additional innovations Among the innovations of the T 90 tank are: A turret with improved ergonomics and protection. The turret has a more rounded shape, which reduces the likelihood of projectile hits and ricochets. A multi-layer engine cover improves heat dissipation and fire protection. It also features special hot air vents that reduce the tank's heat signature and make it more difficult for thermal imagers to detect. A remote weapon control system that allows the Kord machine gun to be fired without leaving the turret. The system consists of a sight, a control panel, and a machine gun traverse and aiming mechanism. The design of the T-90M tank The Proryv has a classic design, consisting of three main compartments: the fighting compartment, the engine/transmission compartment, and the chassis. The fighting compartment is located in the turret and includes crew stations, weapons, ammunition, the fire control system, and electronic equipment. The engine/transmission compartment is located in the rear and houses the powertrain, transmission, fuel tanks, and fire suppression system. The chassis includes the suspension, tracks, rollers, road wheels, idler rollers, and brakes. The T 90M weighs 48 tons. Electronic equipment Electronic equipment includes: "Shtora-1" is a system for protection against optical-electronic devices, including IR emitters, smoke grenades and laser radiation sensors. R-168-25U-2 is a communication system that allows for the transmission of voice and digital data between tanks and command. NPO-168 is a navigation system based on a GLONASS/NAVSTAR satellite receiver, an inertial navigation system, a digital terrain map and a screen. 1L220U is a friend-or-foe identification system consisting of a transmitter, receiver and antennas. Tactical and technical characteristics of the T-90 armament The technical characteristics of the T 90 M are as follows: Main armament: 125 mm cannon 2A82-1M; Additional armament: 12.7 mm Kord machine gun, 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun, Reflex-M and Invar anti-tank missiles; Ammunition: 40 rounds for the gun, 300 rounds for the Kord machine gun, 2000 rounds for the PKTM machine gun, 6 Reflex-M missiles and 6 Invar missiles; Armor: combined with dynamic protection "Relikt" and active protection "Arena-M"; Fire control system: "Kalina"; Optical-electronic countermeasure complex: "Shtora-1"; Communication system: R-168-25U-2; Navigation system: TNPO-1684 Identification system "friend or foe": 1L220U. Design T 90 The hull of the T-90, Russia's main battle tank, is a welded construction made of steel plates of varying thickness and hardness. The reinforced frontal armor is sloped at 68 degrees and up to 600 mm thick. The hull also has reinforced side skirts that protect the chassis and fuel tanks from shaped-charge projectiles and mines. The increased turret capacity allows for more ammunition and equipment. It features enhanced protection against shrapnel and fire, an air conditioning system, a fire control system, observation devices, and guidance drives. Armor and protection of the T-90 The armor of a 90 t tank consists of several elements: Combined projectile-proof steel armor with ceramic, composite, and uranium inserts. It provides protection against armor-piercing ammunition and artillery shells up to 152 mm thick. The armor is resistant to thermobaric and nuclear explosions. The Relikt dynamic protection system consists of explosive-filled blocks located on the front and sides of the hull and turret. Relikt operates on the principle of counter-explosion, which creates backpressure and destroys the projectile or its shaped-charge jet. The Arena-M active defense system consists of a radar, charge units, and a control unit. The Arena-M detects and destroys incoming threats. The system operates on the interception principle. The Shtora-1 optical-electronic countermeasure system consists of infrared emitters, smoke grenade launchers, and laser radiation sensors. The Shtora-1 detects and suppresses laser guidance systems and creates a smoke screen to hinder detection and targeting. Firepower of the T-90 tank The T 90 M's firepower consists of several elements, such as: The main weapon of the T 90 The T 90M "Proryv" tank's primary armament is the 125mm 2A82-1M cannon. This is an improved version of the 2A46M-5 cannon, which was installed on the T-90A and T-90S tanks. It offers increased accuracy, range, and firing power. Additional weapons of the T-90 tank The T 90M tank's secondary armament consists of two machine guns: a 12.7mm Kord machine gun and a 7.62mm PKTM machine gun. The Kord is mounted on the turret roof and is controlled by the tank commander. The Kord carries 300 rounds of ammunition. The PKTM is located to the right of the main gun and is synchronized with it. The PKTM carries 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Both machine guns have an automatic fire suppression system. Automatic loading system The tank's automatic loading system is a key component of its firepower. It consists of an automatic loader, a shell feed mechanism, and an ammunition magazine. It can load the gun with various types of ammunition, including anti-tank missiles, and provides a rate of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute. Guided weapons system of the T-90 tank The T-90M has a high-tech weapons system, one of the best in the world. It includes a fire control system, terrain observation devices, and gun aiming mechanisms. This system enables the tank to find, identify, and destroy targets at long ranges and in various weather and lighting conditions. T-90 fire control system The fire control system consists of a commander's sight, a gunner's sight, a laser rangefinder, and a ballistic computer. It allows the commander and gunner to detect and identify targets at ranges of up to 5 kilometers and engage them with high accuracy. The system also allows switching between different firing modes, such as single, burst, and automatic. Tank observation devices and guidance drives The observation devices and aiming drives consist of thermal imaging and television channels, allowing the commander and gunner to see targets during the day and at night, as well as in smoke and fog. The devices allow for turret rotation and gun aiming in azimuth and elevation. T 90 engine The T 90M engine is one of the most powerful and reliable tank engines in the world. It consists of a V-92S2F diesel engine (1,130 horsepower) and a hydraulically controlled mechanical transmission. The engine is a modernized version of the V-92S2, which was installed on the T-90A and T-90S tanks. The V-92S2F provides the tank with high maneuverability and speed. Transmission of the T-90 battle tank The hydraulically controlled mechanical transmission has seven forward gears and one reverse gear. It allows the driver to shift gears without taking their eyes off the steering wheel, as well as control the tank's speed and direction using two levers. The transmission features a differential lock system, allowing the tank to turn on the spot and overcome difficult obstacles. The Proryv, like the Armata, is one of the most modern and powerful tanks in the world, boasting remarkable combat capabilities thanks to improved armor, armament, mobility, and electronics. This allows the tank to remain on the battlefield for as long as necessary to complete its mission. The tank is designed to perform a variety of missions on the modern battlefield, such as breaching enemy defenses, providing fire support to allies, participating in urban combat, and more. The T90M is available in several types and modifications, differing in purpose, armament, equipment, and other parameters. M2 Rubber casing on the bottom plate (30mm thick steel chainmail armor can be attached instead) The lower and upper plates are reinforced with armor Added ERA on the sides of the skirt and turret. The turret is in the style of the Challenger 2, as the original turret has poor protection against chemical and kinetic rounds if you aim at the bottom of the turret The thick frontal drive sprocket of the HHA, if the base T-90M is slightly angled? Enemy APFSDS shells could fire into the frontal drive sprocket, causing the autoloader to detonate. Arena active defense system Side plate: 60 mm rolled armor + spall liner + 20 mm HHA (has 10 mm Kevlar and some special materials in the area of ??the automatic loader) Critical Analysis of the T-90 Main Battle Tank The T-90, Russia's frontline main battle tank since the 1990s, represents an evolution of Soviet tank design philosophy but carries significant limitations that have become increasingly apparent in modern warfare. The T-90 continues the Soviet tradition of compact, low-profile tanks optimized for mass production and ease of operation. While this approach offers certain advantages in concealment and manufacturing efficiency, it creates fundamental compromises that impact crew survivability and operational effectiveness. The autoloader system, while reducing crew requirements to three, positions ammunition in a carousel beneath the turret. This design has proven catastrophically vulnerable when penetrated, as the resulting cookoff often causes the turret to separate from the hull—a phenomenon so common it has earned the nickname "turret toss" among military analysts. Despite claims of advanced Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor and later Relikt ERA, the T-90's protection scheme shows concerning vulnerabilities. The thin roof armor makes it particularly susceptible to top-attack munitions, including modern anti-tank guided missiles and loitering munitions. Recent conflicts have demonstrated that even older-generation tandem-charge warheads can defeat its frontal protection under certain conditions. The reliance on ERA creates additional problems. Once these reactive tiles are expended, the underlying base armor provides considerably less protection than NATO contemporary tanks with their composite armor arrays. Furthermore, ERA is less effective against kinetic penetrators fired by modern tank guns. While the V-92S2 diesel engine provides reasonable power, the T-90's ground pressure and suspension design limit its cross-country mobility compared to Western counterparts. The narrow tracks and relatively high ground pressure reduce performance in soft terrain, and the torsion bar suspension offers less travel than more modern systems. The operational range, while adequate, requires frequent refueling in sustained operations. The fuel and engine compartment separation is less robust than Western designs, increasing vulnerability to mobility kills from side attacks. The Shtora-1 soft-kill active protection system, initially touted as a major advancement, has proven largely ineffective against modern missiles using multiple guidance methods. Many T-90M variants have removed this system entirely, suggesting the Russians themselves acknowledge its limitations. Crew situational awareness remains problematic. The commander's independent thermal viewer was absent or limited in early variants, forcing reliance on the gunner's sight. Even in upgraded T-90M versions, the panoramic sight offers inferior fields of view compared to Western systems. The lack of comprehensive crew displays means commanders must physically look through optics rather than viewing integrated digital displays. Recent combat operations have exposed several critical weaknesses. The lack of hard-kill active protection systems on most variants leaves them vulnerable to the proliferation of anti-tank guided missiles. When penetrated, the internal layout and ammunition storage almost invariably result in catastrophic kills rather than mission kills. The optical systems, while incorporating thermal imaging in later variants, generally lag a generation behind Western equivalents in resolution and range. This creates a significant disadvantage in engagement range during poor visibility conditions. The T-90's reputation for mechanical simplicity is partially deserved but often overstated. While simpler than some Western tanks in certain respects, the engine requires frequent maintenance, and the autoloader mechanism is complex and prone to malfunction without proper service. The thermal sights and electronic systems require specialized support that has proven difficult to maintain in field conditions. The T-90 represents an incremental improvement over its T-72 predecessor but fundamentally retains the core compromises of Soviet tank design. Its emphasis on low cost and mass production over crew survivability, situational awareness, and comprehensive protection has resulted in a tank that struggles against modern anti-armor threats and peer competitors. While adequate for certain operational contexts, it falls short of the capabilities demonstrated by contemporary Western main battle tanks in crew protection, fire control effectiveness, and overall survivability on the modern battlefield. After 2022, a turning point of sorts occurred in Russian tank production. The expensive, innovative Armata platform project was rather quietly dropped from the forefront. Emphasis shifted to well-established main battle tanks (MBTs): the new production of the T-90M and the extensive modernization of the T-72 and T-80 , plus the reactivation of a number of earlier tank types from storage bases.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
