Cate's Research-Investigation Bureau

 Earlier this year I covered the implementation of a variety of new things on batches of newly made T-80BVM tanks. A new Combat Approved - "Военная Приёмка" episode dedicated towards the T-80BVM has provided further footage, which expands on some previously covered topics centred around the tank. This episode featured closeups of several improvements made to the T-80BVM. One of the more interesting showcases was the anti-drone/top-attack cage. As stated in an earlier blog post  ( Combat experience application to the newest batch of T-80BVM tanks ), the cage uses gabled protective plates, which are hollow. Also, the new cage uses 2 hinge mounted panels, which use a steel mesh material as a solution to stop threats from above.  Close-up view of the gabled plates  The gabled plate design is presumably made using steel sheets which are separated by a layer of air, which is intended to act as spaced armour to combat shaped charge munitions. In the aforementioned blog post, it wa

 In the early to mid-1980s, the Soviet Union attempted to develop a 76mm automatic cannon fitted to fire telescoped ammunition to reduce toxic fume accumulation inside AFV crew compartments. The system was made to follow the existing AFV design philosophy, which was the limited application of extra mass and limited internal volume displacement.  In comparison with conventional Soviet-designed artillery systems, this system possessed certain advantages. Higher RoF at 60 rounds/minute, improved vertical elevation angles of -5 to +50, automatic ammunition feeding mechanism with a 104-round ready rack, exclusion of adverse inertial effects of the automatic loading mechanism on firing accuracy, use of telescoped rounds reduced toxic fume accumulation compared to standard shell casing ejection, ability to quickly change ammunition types, compact mass and ease of use.  Along with the experimental cannon, an experimental automatic loading mechanism was created. This mechanism operated on pne