Wird der Armata auch eine T-Nummer bekommen?

Wird der Armata auch eine T-Nummer bekommen?

Soll der Armata nicht um die $7 Mio kosten?

T-14 Armata Putin zeigt den "Wunderpanzer"

Stand: 09.05.2015 14:36 Uhr

Angeblich ist er ein Panzer der Superlative: der T-14 Armata. Zumindest feiern ihn die russische Führung und Armee als solchen - und präsentierten ihn bei der Militärparade in Moskau. Doch neu konstruierte Details könnten sich als Nachteil erweisen, sagen Experten.

Von Bernd Großheim, ARD-Hörfunkstudio Moskau

Als der neue "Wunderpanzer" wird er schon jetzt in Russland bezeichnet: Der T-14 Armata ist ein Kampfpanzer. Sein Bruder, der Schützenpanzer T-15, rollt auf der gleichen Plattform. Die russische Führung, mit ihr der stellvertretende Ministerpräsident Dimitri Rogozin, ist stolz auf das Konzept. "Armata ist eine komplett neue Erfindung russischer Konstrukteure. Ich selbst war in der Kapsel dieses Panzers, deshalb glauben Sie mir: Armata ist ein echter Durchbruch in dieser Branche. Niemand hat heute so einen Panzer - weder die Amerikaner noch die Europäer."
Keine Besatzung mehr im Turm

Die Konzeption des T-14 sei einzigartig auf der Welt, sagt auch der Vorstandsvorsitzende der russischen Rüstungskommission, Oleg Botschkarjow: "Im Turm selbst sitzt keine Besatzung. Alles ist automatisiert - Elektronik und Mechanik. Dazu kommt die zusätzliche Sicherheit für die Besatzung. Sie ist weiterhin zu dritt, sitzt aber nun in einer gepanzerten Kapsel."

Seit 2010 arbeiteten die russischen Konstrukteure an dem Plattformkonzept. Der deutsche Panzerexperte Rolf Hilmes, früher Fachgebietsleiter des Bildungszentrums der Bundeswehr, mag in den Begeisterungssturm der russischen Kollegen nicht einstimmen. Den optimalen Panzer gebe es nicht, sagt er, und auch der russische T-14 beinhalte eine Vielzahl von Kompromissen. "Die Optimierung der Überlebensfähigkeit der Besatzung geht ganz klar auf Kosten der Überlebensfähigkeit anderer Baugruppen, zum Beispiel der Waffe. Die sitzt jetzt in einer weniger gut geschützten Oberlafette. Und Treffer in diesem stark exponierten Bereich, das liegt ja alles relativ hoch, führen dann relativ schnell zu einem sogenannten 'Firepower-Kill' – und damit zwangsläufig auch zu einem Missionsabbruch."

Viele Kompromisse

Der Vorteil, dass der Panzerkommandant nicht mehr im Turm ist, kann sich zum Nachteil entwickeln, denn die Aufgaben Gefechtsfeldbeobachtung, Zielaufklärung und Zielen müssten mit Kameras oder Wärmebildgeräten erledigt werden, so Hilmes: "Die Bilder von diesen Geräten können der Besatzung nur als Video-Signal auf Monitoren angeboten werden - hierbei ist die Bildqualität deutlich schlechter als bei optischen Geräten mit einer Direkteinsicht. Und wenn die Kameras und die Monitore bei Störungen nicht mehr mit 24 Volt vom Bordnetz versorgt werden, gibt es keine Notbetriebsmöglichkeiten - das heißt auch hier wieder: Missionsabbruch."

Keine Schockstarre im Westen

Mit dem T-14-Armata hätten die russischen Panzerhersteller deutliche Fortschritte gemacht und einige Probleme der Vorgängermodelle behoben, so Hilmes. Von einem Wunderpanzer, der im Westen eine Schockstarre auslöst, könne aber keine Rede sein. Bei der Generalprobe für die Siegesparade auf dem Roten Platz in Moskau blieb dann auch ein Exemplar des T-14 liegen.

Ich kenne Hobbybastler die sich Entwicklerkits für FPGAs und CPLDs bestellen. Was die damit zustande bringen, ist beeindruckend. Die weltweit schnellsten FPGAs takten mittlerweile mit 1,5 Ghz, das sind potente Chips. FPGAs werden mit VHDL Hardwarebeschreibungssprachen "konfiguriert" und die Transistoren zu beliebigen logischen Schaltungen verschaltet. Damit kann man sich "DSPs" bauen. Heute sind diese FPGAs für sehr viele Anwendungen schnell genug, da lohnen sich teure DSPs nur noch für Spezialfälle die in wirklich großen Mengen gebraucht werden. Generische DSPs gibt es vor allem für Dinge wie Kryptographie, Videocodecs, und andere Massenanwendungen die CPUs noch stark belasten. Die Technologiesprünge und Geschwindigkeitsverdopplung alle 18 Monate hat auch vor FPGAs und DSPs nicht halt gemacht, und irgendwann ist halt auch mal "schnell genug" für Radartechnik.
Ich bin kein Experte für Radartechnik, würde aber vermuten das Russland selbst mit der frei verfügbaren Hardware heute genug Wege offen stehen, um ausreichend potente Chips für seine Avionik zu bekommen.
Ich schätze das Problem liegt da viel eher im Know How und wie so oft in Russland an der Finanzierung.

Gilt der Leopard 2 nicht immer noch als so ziemlich der beste Panzer? Wo hat er denn Schwächen? Wo siehst du den Armata im Vorteil?

Und dann ist da noch die Frage der EMP-Härtung...

Ich hatte bisher den Eindruck, die Russen hatten nicht unbedingt immer zuverlässige, leistungsstarke Triebwerke für ihre Panzer. Weiß man Details über den Armata Motor?

Hai,

ein sehr interessantes Motorkonzept.

Sehe ich da Königswellen? "Normale" Reiheneinspritzpumpe, kein CommonRail. Turbolader mit axial durchströmter Turbine?
Hat das Ding noch einen Kompressor auf der Kurbelwelle sitzen nach Turbolader?

Gruß
Martin

Die Gasturbine des T-80 war sowohl zuverlässig als auch leistungsstark, kostete jedoch auch ein Vielfaches mehr als die Dieselmotoren.

sieht aus wie eine königswelle. aber die steuerseite ist bei der anderen Seite vertauscht? mechanische einspritzpumpe dürfte klar sein.
wenn der ladeluftverteiler auf der kurbelwelle noch eine funktion haben sollte, könnte das nur ein schleuderlader oder zentrifugalkompressor sein...
edit:
bei den anschlüssen der rohre kann das wohl doch kein kompressor sein...

bei den anschlüssen der rohre kann das wohl doch kein kompressor sein...

New Russian Armor – First analysis: Armata

May 9, 2015

Preliminary analysis of the new Russian Armata family of vehicles - based on images collected prior to the May 9, 2015. This analysis will be updated throughout the week, to reflect new insight gained following the public debut of the new Russian armor.



The Russian Ministry of Defense today publicly presented the first members of the Armata family of heavy armored vehicles – the T-14 main battle tank and T-15 armored infantry fighting vehicle. The two vehicles are designated to become the spearhead of the armored formations of the Russian Army – replacing the T-72, BMP-2 and MT-LB-based platforms. In Armata-centered formations, these two combat vehicles will be augmented by additional variants that have not yet been unveiled, which could include a combat engineer and counter-mine vehicle (BREM), support platforms mounting automatic cannons, missiles (Terminator) and thermobaric rockets (TOS), self-propelled guns (Coalitzia), bridge layers (MTU), and armored recovery vehicles (ARV).

The 24 Armata platforms shown on the May 9th parade in Moscow are likely to be part of the early production series, some were especially prepared for the parade, according to a Russian MOD tender published in November 2014. Nevertheless, these models represent an innovative ‘clean sheet’ design of an armored vehicle. Although the two vehicles presented have different configurations they also have much in common, as their designers have used common subsystems to simplify training, improve field support and reduce life-cycle cost. These common elements include the suspension system, tracks, drivetrain, and some of the armor and active protection systems. Both vehicles use seven torsion bars with shock absorbers for the rubber-protected road wheels.

The optronics, however, are tailored specifically for each weapon system, and therefore differ considerably in each application. Seating arrangements are also similar, with two crew members seated side-by-side and a third in tandem with the driver in the T-14, and with the commander, in the T-15. According to some sources there are ‘dozens of cameras’ on the tank, providing full situational awareness around the tank and beyond, in day, night and under adverse weather conditions.

Due to the wide interest in the new Russian armored vehicles we are opening our analysis to all readers. This kind of analysis is regularly provided to subscribers on regular basis. You are invited to join our Gold membership today.

The armor suite used on the T-14 also seems to share some common elements with the T-15. Many of the passive armor modules are similar, if not identical, in some locations. Same concepts are also employed – steel, hybrid and reactive armor, mine countermeasures in front, bar armor protecting the engine compartment and dual active protection system. Both vehicles employ remotely-operated weapon turrets, separating the crew from the armament and ammunition. Both vehicles are operated by a crew of three. The T-15 can also accommodate an infantry squad in the passenger compartment. However, unlike the BMP-2, these soldiers do not have periscopes, firing ports or individual access hatches. Therefore, the infantry squad would come into effect only after dismounting.


The crew seating arrangement in the T-14. The commander is in the right side position, the driver in the left. In a ‘buttoned up’ driving position, the driver uses a reclining seat, looking out through the separate vision blocks positioned behind his hatch. The location of the gunner is unclear. The muzzle reference measurement unit is clearly seen on the barrel base. Photo: Andrey Kryuchenko


The Armata platform is configured with an active mine countermeasure system, designed to detect or trigger mines ahead of the tank. The system is mounted on the lower front edge of the vehicle. Photo: Vitaly Kuzmin

The current turret mounts a 125mm smooth bore cannon, without a coaxial weapon (previous reports indicated it had a 30mm coaxial gun and 7.62mm machine gun). While the turret has a distinctive shape dictated by the panels covering its various systems, its basic structure is likely to be thinner, providing a framework for a modular weapon system that could also support cannons of various calibers, automatic mortars or other support weapons.

The shrouded 125mm 2A82-1M cannon is different from previous models used on the T-90 and T-72. The main difference is the absence of a bore evacuator (since the gun compartment is separate from the crew compartment, extracting the combustion gasses from the gun is not necessary for crew safety.) A small box likely to be a gun reference system is located above the gun, providing exact measurement of barrel deformations for ballistic calculation (13). A meteorological mast is also located on the turret of the T-14, or the rear section on T-15 (10), feeding data to the ballistic computer. The cannon fires standard ammunition as well as gun-launched missiles, with a range of eight kilometers.


An elevated view of the new T-15 BMP, based on the Armata chassis. The mine countermeasures at the lower front area is clearly seen. Photo: Vitaly Kuzmin

The T-15 uses an ‘off the shelf’ KBP EPOCH turret, also used on the Kurganets-25 BMP. This turret integrates a single 30mm cannon with 500 rounds (AP/HE), a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, four Kornet-EM missiles (two on each side), and two fire control systems, integrating electro-optical sights, a laser rangefinder and laser guidance system (for the Kornets). The two systems are contained in ballistic protected modules, adding resilience to this combat vehicle. (6, 9)

A 7.62mm machine gun is mounted on the remotely-operated weapon station, integrated with what seems to be the independent, panoramic sight of the commander. (2) The gunner’s main sight (4) is located in a protected cell to the right of the main gun, enabling the gunner and commander to engage different targets.

Additional weapons could be introduced in an alternative turret design; the current one lacks the installation for such weapons. A compartment located above the gun could provide space for an additional weapon assembly mounted above the gun.

(1, 7) The T-14 turret also houses two active protection systems, comprising the Afghanit hard-kill APS (five launch tubes recessed at the turret base), and four soft-kill countermeasure launchers – two are positioned on rotating pedestals and two are pointing upwards (3, 10). These are likely to launch salvos of projectiles instantly creating a thick, multi-spectral smoke screens designed to defeat guided missiles, laser and targeting systems by blocking infrared, visible light and millimeter-wave radar radiation. These soft-kill countermeasures are designed to protect the vehicle from 3rd and 4th generation missiles such as direct attack Hellfire, TOW and BILL, or Brimstone, JAGM, Javelin or Spike missiles, approaching at high trajectory, as well as from nearly vertical top-attack by sensor-fused weapons (SFW).

A total of 10 Afghanit canisters are used, five on each side of the turret. When the turret points forward, they protect the forward arc (about 60 degrees on each side). When a threat coming from the sides or rear is detected, the turret will automatically slew toward the threat, enabling the APS to launch. Lacking this turntable function, T-15 uses the same five tubes in fixed positions, on both sides of the vehicle, covering only the forward arc. The tube objects are seemingly a smaller, more efficient evolution of the Drozd ‘explosive screen’. Afghanit is likely employing these countermeasures at close range, neutralizing incoming threats before they hit the tank armor. A previous version of APS from Russia, the Arena, employed an explosive ‘cassette’ launched above the incoming threat, firing a screen of blast and fragments downward.

Each of the APSs has its own sensors as well, mounted on each side of the turret, covering the rear and front quadrants left and right. The sensor (5) coupled with the pedestalled and upward pointing fixed countermeasures seems to be covered by a flat panel. Several sources indicated the Armata (T14 and T15) have the capability to detect, and simultaneously track and locate 40 land targets and 25 air targets. If this is indeed that sensor, it is likely to be AESA radar panels. There is no indication of such radar on the vehicle except those flat objects mounted on both sides of the turret. There are four such sensors on each vehicle (T-14, T-15), providing hemispheric coverage, thus detecting potential top attack threats before they enter a lethal zone (SFW).

Although the two designs share the same suspension and drive train, the layout of those systems is different. Both have seven road wheels, four suspension idlers and steel tracks. The T-14 has the turbo-charged diesel engine is mounted in the rear section, with a rear sprocket and front tension wheel. This design places the main weapon system in the center and the crew in the front for best visibility. The T-15 has its engine in the front, with the sprocket pulling its tracks also placed in the front and a tension wheel at the rear. This design clears space for the infantry squad at the rear and also adds some protection up front.

The engine develops 1,500 hp (moderated to 1,200 hp for optimal range). Serving the engine air intakes, cooling and exhaust require special armor adaptations. The T-14 uses a slat armor (11) to protect these elements and the engine compartment from RPGs, leaving the necessary space for air intake and exhaust. The T-15 uses a skirt (8) of oblique armor panels covering the exhaust from above, but these leave enough space to direct the exhaust gases away from the vehicle. The external fuel tanks (12) positioned on the engine’s sides also add protection. Unlike the jettisonable barrels used on the previous Russian tanks, these external tanks are fixed, and, therefore, are likely to be consumed first to reduce vulnerability in combat.


A front view of the T-15 showing the outer skirts protecting the engine exhaust and intakes.


A rear view of the T-15 showing part of the bar armor protecting the rear ramp door. Photo: Bastion Karpenko


The commander and weapon operator both have vision blocks surrounding their cupola, providing relatively good peripheral vision under armor. The T-15 driver has three vision blocks integrated in the cupola. For complete coverage, panoramic cameras are positioned around the vehicle. One pair of these cameras can be seen left of the flat sensor under the Kornet missile launcher tubes. The sensor is coupled with the ‘Soft Kill’ pedestal seen at the center, just behind the Afghanit APS Hard Kill tubes. system Photo: Bastion Karpenko


The T-14 tank mounts two active protection assemblies on both sides of the turret. Covered by passive armor for ballistic protection, these modules integrate the Afghanit sensor (trapezoidal unit), five hard-kill launch tubes mounted at the turret’s base, two peripheral cameras and flat (possibly covered) sensor, likely radar coupled with the soft-kill system. Some sources indicate these sensors are derived from AESA radar technology developed and implemented on the Sukhoi T-50 stealth fighter jet. The rotatable soft-kill launcher containing 12 cartridges can be seen above, mounted on a rotating pedestal.


A front view of the T-14. Note the driver has no vision blocks or other notable viewing devices on his position, although, when buttoned up, the driver may be using the vision system seen at the center of the tank. but a full set of fixed periscopes is placed behind his position. The two headlights use lensed LEDs providing different intensity of visible or infrared lighting on demand. Photo: Andrey Kryuchenko


A forward left side view of the T-14 tank based on Armata platform preparing for the May 9th parade in Moscow.


T-15 top view, Photo: Andrey Kryuchenko