Robotic T-72
Since the 1970s, the term "robot tank" or "robotic tank" has been used in the Soviet Union.
This became possible when the engine transmission and combat compartments of the tanks were made as automated as possible. All this is thanks to an autoloader system, automated FCS (weapon stabilizer, ballistic computer, lead indication), planetary gearbox transmission (where friction elements work in oil), different servo-mechanical parts of the vehicle's main control units, pneumatic and hydraulic systems and computing systems.
In 1972, the Kubinka test site (previously known as 22nd Scientific and Testing Armoured Vehicle Test Site) was converted into the 38th Research and Testing Institute of Armoured Vehicles (38-й научно-исследовательский испытательный институт бронетанковой техники (38 НИИИ БТТ МО)). After the conversion, the institute's share of scientific research topics increased in volume and became one of the largest testing facilities for Soviet and Russian military vehicles. One of the more important events took place in the early 1980s, where research was shifted towards the development and creation of a remote-controlled tank for which a total of 24 development programs were assigned.
Some of these were:
- Creation of a remote-controlled scout vehicle equipped with an array of observation and communication devices
- Introduction of radiotelemetric methods for recording the parameters of the movement of vehicles
- Creation of remote-controlled tank targets based on the SU-100 self-propelled gun, which was used in the "West-81", "West-83", "West-84" and "Autumn-88" exercises.
- Equipping BREM-1 repair and evacuation vehicles with remote control systems (that took part in the Chernobyl disaster clean-up)
During the development of remote-controlled tanks, 38th NIII's transmission and chassis testing department partook in the creation of remote-control modules.
A similar system was used on an
SU-100 that was upgraded by the Borisov Tank Repair Plant 121 (now known
as 140th Repair plant). At the exercises of the Belarusian Military District
"West", held in 1981-1984 in conditions close to real combat, these
self-propelled installations were used as targets for assessing the combat
capabilities of a company strongpoint reinforced by the regiment's artillery.
By the end of the 1980s, several new areas of work had emerged in the 38th NIII. Among them are the following:
- A study of the management systems of tactical units, while taking into account dedicated supporting and interacting units
- Development and justification of development programs and technical solutions for a family of new combat robotic vehicles, evaluation of the effectiveness of combat potential and the use of robotic complexes and systems with elements of artificial intelligence
- Research of the ergonomic system named "Man-Machine"
Based on this, the department of "Robotics, Control Systems, communications and ergonomic support" was formed at the institute in 1988, which was later reoriented (the laboratory dealing with ergonomics was transferred to another department in 1993 and since 1999 has been called the department of "Robotics and information management Systems").
The department performed numerous works, including:
- Carrying out experimental and theoretical research on robotic technology integrated into armoured vehicles
- Conducting R&D on creating tactical and technical tasks for the creation of remote-controlled modules
- The methodology and methodological apparatus for evaluating the effectiveness of the use of robotics technologies and remote control of armoured vehicles
- Developing proposals on technologies and the main directions of armoured vehicle robotization, including the use of combat robots as part of combined-arms formations
Employees of the department carried out military-scientific support of work on the robotization of armoured vehicles and automatic control systems (ACS).
The results of these studies were used in the development of tactical and technical requirements for a prototype tank.
One of these programs was the robotization of a T-72 tank in 1990, carried out by the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy and assisted by the 38th Research and Testing Institute of Armoured Vehicles.
Academy training centre "Senezh", January 1988
At the end of the 1980s, at the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy on the instructions of the General Director, the headquarters of the USSR's Armed Forces carried out research work to determine the possibility of using robotic and remotely controlled tanks, for which a control tank and a robotic tank were developed based on a training T-72.
By the decision of the head of the Academy, Colonel-General V. M. Gordienko, these works were headed by the Department of "Weapons and Shooting" (department No. 9). The senior lecturer of the department, Candidate of Technical Sciences, associate professor Colonel Byndas Leonid Antonovich was appointed as the responsible executor of this program. Officers took an active part in these works: senior researcher of NIL-3 (Research Laboratory 3), Candidate of Technical Sciences V. I. Sergeev, senior researcher of NIL-4 (Research Laboratory 4), Candidate of Technical Sciences S. S. Babushkin, and senior lecturer of the Department No. 9, Candidate of Military Sciences V. V. Lykov. The scientific supervisors of this topic were the heads of department No. 9: in the period 1980-1985 - Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Generalmayor V. M. Shishkovsky, and since 1985 — Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Colonel Yu. P. Pavlov.
Given the importance of this task, the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy had been conducting research on the automation of tank control processes since the 1970s. In 1982, the Academy published the final report on research and development "Automation of fire control processes of tanks". Together with the Department of Armament and Tank Shooting, specialized enterprises of the Ministry of Defense Industry, as well as the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (National Research University of Electronic Technology, (MIET)) and the Moscow Institute of Radio Electronics and Automation (Russian Technological University (MIREA)) participated in the development of this program.
Based on theoretical research, the justification of ways to reduce the time and improve the accuracy of target designation in tank units was carried out. The tactical and technical requirements for the centralized remote target designation system (CRTDS) were justified, and its functional scheme was also developed. Calculations of the main components and blocks of the system were checked by using full-scale modelling in laboratory and field conditions.
The test results showed the real possibility of creating the proposed target designation system. At the same time, the time of re-targeting vehicles was reduced to 1-5 seconds, whereas with the existing method of giving a command through the commander of a subordinate tank, the total target designation time was 90-100 seconds. With a two-stage transfer of the command signal from the company commander to the platoon commander and then to the tank commanders, the target designation time increased to 120-140 seconds, making it quite unreliable and tedious to use.
To drastically reduce the target designation time, it was necessary to exclude operations involving tank crew members. This task was solved by the automation of transmitting information about the coordinates of the detected target and searching for it on subordinate (linear) machines, and therefore faster engagement on the designated target was achieved. During testing, it was found that the chosen system had more extensive capabilities.
The obtained characteristics of the CRTDS (time, accuracy, weight and size) showed the prospects of its use in solving fire control problems of artillery units of the battalion level (self-propelled artillery guns "Nona-SV"), etc. In addition, the capabilities inherent in the system served as a real basis for the development of automated systems for detecting enemy positions by the trajectories of their projectiles. In the future, from 1982 to 1990, the research work was aimed at substantiating and creating an experimental vehicle that would feature an automated fire and movement control system for tanks (AFTMCS).
A training T-72 tank was used for this program. In addition to the equipment used in the CRTDS described above, the tank was equipped with television cameras for monitoring the field of view of the sight and the driver's viewing device, as well as executive drives to the weapon guidance system (in two coordinates), and the automatic loader and the tank controls (levers, gearbox, fuel supply and the main clutch). The implementation of all control algorithms was carried out using an onboard computing unit for the information and control systems (TICS). The tank commander was in a remote area with a TV screen, that would display all incoming signals from the gunsight camera and driver’s camera. The commander had full control of the movement and actions of the vehicle, allowing him to search for targets, designate targets, select and load appropriate ammunition, fire the main gun and perform tank manoeuvres.
All control commands were carried out using a transceiver channel at frequencies in the range of 30-42 MHz. For data transfer an R-123M radio station was linked with a telecode module, the probability of receiving target designation information in interference conditions reached the level of 90%. During the tests, the T-72 tank (without a crew) successfully overcame a distance of up to 2 km at the test site. Additionally, live-fire tests were conducted at ranges up to 3km. A total of 20 rounds were fired at targets, while only 15 of them registered as direct hits.
It is worth noting, that the usage of an AFTMCS can significantly increase the reliability of the vehicle in combat. Experimental life fire trials during "West-81" showed that a vehicle equipped with all aforementioned modules would function appropriately after being hit several times, while a standard 3 man crew would indefinitely fail after the first hit.
In 1990 the prototype T-72 was shown to the committee of Soviet Ground Forces, headed by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ground Forces, Army General M.M. Zaitsev and Colonel Yu. P. Pavlov at the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy.
Demonstration of a mock-up sample of the T-72 robotic tank at the training center of the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy in 1990:
- Initial driving sequence
- Controlling vehicle from a control panel mounted on the tank
- Controlling vehicle from a control panel mounted on the tank
- Control panel
- Stationary control station
- Lieutenant Colonel Sergeev gives explanations about the tank
Control signals to the main vehicle were transmitted through a standard R-123M radio station that was either installed on a command tank or in the form of a stationary control unit. Additionally, a duplicate control station was installed in the tank itself.
The received information was transmitted to the decoder and entered into a memory bank of the onboard digital computer through an interface. The onboard digital computer analyzed the received information and, through the interface device, issued the appropriate commands to certain automated modules.
A special gyroscopic sensor was installed on the turret, which was used to orient the vehicle's movement and controls on a polar coordinate system, for which information was received from the memory bank.
The vehicle's movement was controlled using automatic levers and pedals that were controlled by an actuator block placed behind the driver's seat. As previously mentioned 2 cameras were installed on the tank. The first camera was used to target the gun and the second camera was installed around the driver's position. This gave the commander all the necessary observation parameters to control the vehicle.
All the block actuators were assembled using standard tank electric drives used in the ejection hatch mechanism, for spent casings.
The control panel contained two rows of indicators:
- Upper row informed about received commands
- Lower row informed about the real-time commands being executed
The tank movement controls could be carried out in a simplified control mode. The simplified control mode featured direct control from the commander operator. Due to the prototype featuring a memory bank module, the vehicle possessed a second control feature which would feature pre-coded command programs that would be embedded into the tanks TICS module.
Bauman Moscow State Technical University (a whole new department was formed and was named Special Design and Technological Bureau of Applied Robotics) and the Research Institute of Transport Engineering (former Research Institute-100 of the Ministry of Defense Industry) took part in the creation of this robotic tank. Sadly as with most late 1980s Soviet prototypes, there was simply not enough money to be allocated towards programs and this robotic tank program was one of them.
Taken from: SVIR, RF MoD, 'Equipment and weapons 04 2009"
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