Cate's Research-Investigation Bureau

  Russia's Ministry of Defence tells about the creation of a new armoured vehicle line based on the "Armata" platform.    The vehicle will be able to be produced by the end of 2022 thanks to the restructuring of the research complex of the military department, said Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko. The creation of a line of new Russian armoured vehicles, including the T-14 tank and combat vehicles based on the Armata platform, armored personnel carriers and howitzers, will be completed in 2022.  This was told by the Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Alexei Krivoruchko. According to him, the new technology will be able to be created by this time due to the restructuring of the research complex of the military department. Qoute - " Ensuring the completion in 2022 of the creation of a promising T-14 tank, infantry fighting vehicles (T-15, B-11, K-17), armored personnel carriers (B-10, K-16), an armoured recovery vehicle (T-16 ) (experimental desig...

When covering Soviet sight technology there are always some interesting designs and approaches to solving an issue. It is a common fact that the Soviet Union in the 1980s-1990s was quite behind in thermal sight technology. Only in the 1990s, but to be specific in 1992, the Soviet Union now Russia started to field small batches of thermal sights on their tanks, primarily T-80Us and some of the early T-90 variants, which just recently entered service. Russia's journey through creating its own domestic thermal sight traces back to 1982.  The 1980s were quite an important time for the 'Krasnogorsk Factory named after S.A Zverev', which is still to date an Optical Engineering and Optoelectronics factory. The factory is primarily known for making domestic Soviet cameras back in the day. However, that's not the only thing that the factory has produced back then.  Close to the mid-1980s, the facility was contracted to develop new thermal sight technology for the Soviet Ministry...

  Work on the new Kharkiv tank has been officially carried out since the early 1980s under the leadership of N.A. Shomin, chief designer of the KMDB (Kharkiv Morozov Machine-Building Design Burau). Initiative work on the new medium tank of the 1980s, NST-80 (New Soviet Tank-80), began even earlier, on 08/17/1977 when a group of designers was formed, approved by N. A. Shomin. Object 490A "Бунтарь" - "Rebel" running mockup The layout of the promising tank was represented by two projects - the double Object 490, developed by E.A. Morozov since the end of the 70s, and the Object 490A with a crew of three people, a low-profile turret and outboard weapons, the development of which was supported by DB (Design Burau), weapons systems department, deputy chief designer of the KMDB Kovalyukh Vadim Romanovich . The layout of Object 490 by E. A. Morozova had a risky and requiring further elaboration solution associated with a crew of two, which increased the requirements for inf...

      The project of a promising tank developed in the 1980s by E.A. Morozov. Object 490 "Тополь" - "Poplar" mockup                          The design had some primary characteristics which are worth mentioning. A crew consisting of two people - the gunner commander and the driver.  Reducing the crew to two and placing them in a compact, well-protected capsule.  The use of a hydropneumatic suspension.  In addition to solving the main task - increasing average speeds by improving the smoothness characteristic, it makes it possible to control the tank's clearance, which increases the manoeuvrability and survivability in battle.  In addition, the controlled hydropneumatic suspension by changing the trim of the machine allows you to increase the gun pointing angles in the vertical plane. Reducing the crew to two people and placing them in a compact, well-protected capsule with the ...

Creation of a promising tank within the framework of the RTD "Improvement-88", in the early, the mid-2000s, was considered a priority direction in the development of armoured weapons and armoured Russia.  The main executors for the RTD "Improvement-88" program were: FGUP "UKBTM", FGUP "Uralvagonzavod".  The main co-executors are FSUE NIID, JSC VNITM, JSC VNITI, JSC Ural NITI, FSUE Plant No. 9, FSUE PO Barrikady, FSUE TsNIIM, JSC VPMZ Molot, NPO Elektromashina which includes SKB "Rotor". Thus, the main enterprises in this industry in Russia worked on the project.  At the end of the 1990s, the first sample of the tank was tested. Object 195 In 2002, having completed the production of prototypes, UKBTM began a test cycle. On  June 9th at the "Prospector" training ground, Nizhny Tagil, in the presence of representatives of the UBTM, the head of GABTU S.А.  Maev, Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region E.E.  Rossel and many others, the f...

The Sprut-SDM1 light amphibious tank for the airborne troops, in the creation of which specialists from the Volgograd machine-building company VgTZ and Kurganmashzavod, which are part of the High-Precision Complexes holding of the Rostec State Corporation, have successfully passed state tests.  During the check, the military equipment demonstrated high navigability in the Black Sea and proved its reliability afloat.  2S25 "Sprut-SDM1" “Given its purpose, the machine must meet very serious requirements.  During state tests, the light tank underwent extreme checks at sea, in central Russia and the subtropics, where the air temperature reached +40 degrees and passed them successfully.  Low-temperature tests are scheduled for early next year.  Sprut-SDM1 is primarily intended for Russian paratroopers.  It can be expected that the capabilities shown by the 'Octopus' will interest foreign customers as well.” said Bekkhan Ozdoev, industrial director of the armame...

The second Object 640 prototype with a 7x roadwheel chassis. Object 640 "Black Eagle" was created by 'Omsktransmash' in Russia during the 1990s. Over the years only 2 variants of the "Black Eagle" were created. Both of these variants have been shown during the Omsk Weapon Demonstrations in 1997 and 1999.  The first variant which was demonstrated in 1997 was a mockup, to show how the vehicle would look like and what it would potentially offer. 2 years later in 1999, 'Omsktransmash' demonstrated the second variant which was the official prototype for the Object 640 program.  When the tank was first showcased, mass media gave it the nickname "Black Eagle" due to its uncommon colour. For this program a new 1500HP was designed, a new 7x roadwheel chassis. One of the major differences compared to contemporary Soviet designs was the extended turret which housed the newly built revolver style autoloader, the new design reduced the height of the veh...

  The Signal All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of the High-Precision Complexes holding of the State Corporation Rostec, as part of the 2020 state defence order, handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense the automated fire control systems for artillery units 1В181 and 1В198.  “The shipment was made in full and on time.  The contract is long-term, we plan to continue working according to the delivery schedule, ”said Vladimir Pimenov, General Director of VNII Signal. The complexes provide automated fire control and manoeuvring of an artillery battalion consisting of up to four batteries in a battalion and up to eight guns in a battery during preparation and during hostilities; they are used for self-propelled artillery installations "Msta-S", "Msta-B", multiple launch rocket systems fire "Tornado-G" and "Grad".  “The use of the systems' automation equipment allows performing firing missions with an arbitrary arrangement of guns in a...