/ world today news/ Very important news from the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant: thanks to modernization and an increase in the number of personnel by a third, the enterprise today produces 12 percent more tank engines than even at the height of the Cold War in 1985. Only in the first quarter of 2023, the plant produced 400 such units. And most likely, this is not the limit of his current capabilities.
Despite the fierce fighting that has been going on every day for the fifth day along the entire line of contact, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not been able to break through the tactical zone of the first echelon of the Russian defense. According to Stanislav Krapyvnik, a former US soldier, the fighting will continue for another week, after which the enemy army will halt to await replenishment and regrouping.
What models of engines are in question and which specific tanks – it is not reported. From the publication of the automotive magazine “Quto” it is understood that most likely it is about power units for the T-90M “Breakthrough” tanks and the modernized T-72B3 tanks.
The first ones were equipped with a V12 turbodiesel with a working volume of 38.9 liters and a power of 1000 horsepower. On the second – its improved version with a power of 1130 horsepower.
What is this talking about? First of all, because the total production of very modern tanks in Russia today with titanic efforts has been brought to about 1500 per year.
Which is enough on average for the formation of about 50 new tank battalions. Or 15 additional tank regiments. In other words, today we get more from industry than one extra tank regiment every month.
And that’s all – in addition to the ongoing modernization at three tank repair plants of old T-62s, taken out of storage and modernized to the level of T-62M. This is still, according to experts, at least 300-350 thousand tanks per year.
What do we get in common? For completeness of impressions, you can rate this way. As you know, in 2014, the 1st Guards Tank Red Banner Army, the only so far in our army, was recreated in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. And in the world, a striking “fist” of such scale and power has no analogues.
So, according to some estimates, as part of our 1st Guards. TA, by 2022 there were approximately 1,000 different armored fighting vehicles. But among them there are 446 tanks.
From which it follows that now our industry annually “issues” armies with the corresponding weapons so much that it is correct to form at least three additional tank armies from them by 2024 according to the same staffing schedule.
Another thing is that in the course of hostilities in Ukraine and our only 1st Guards Army, we have not yet figured out how to rationally use it in its entirety.
For some senseless reason, it was divided at the first stage of the special operation into separate battalion tactical groups. Most of which immediately burned one by one in the fire of ill-organized and ill-conceived battles.
However, I suggest that we make a notch in our brains: we annually rivet so many tanks that it would be enough for three new tank armies (if, of course, we can finally figure out what to adapt them for).
Compare that to the roughly 350 M1A2 Abrams, Leopard 2 and Challenger 2 tanks the West has promised to deliver to Ukraine within a year and a half. And you will find out in whose favor, with all the costs of planning, intelligence, communications, combat command and control, the situation in this zone of confrontation in the area of the special military operation.
It is clear that most likely almost all of our new armored fighting vehicles are sent straight from the assembly line in Nizhny Tagil straight to the Russian-Ukrainian front. Where, oddly enough, for the time being, they don’t show much. Why?
Because since the fall of last year, Russian offensive actions in the SVO area have been local in nature. And they are carried out without the slightest attempt at serious tank breakthroughs.
Advances in some areas such as Bakhmut (aka Artyomovsk), if they do occur, are exclusively with infantry assault group forces, small in number.
Tanks follow these groups mainly for fire support from a safe position. And even from firing positions closed to the enemy.
Then why are we amassing such a powerful armored armada near the borders with Ukraine?
The first answer is on the surface: in the operational rear of our troops, tank regiments and battalions with “Breakthroughs” are concentrated in case the armed forces of Ukraine, having switched to active actions, still manage to break through the Russian defense in one or several sectors.
In this case, rapid counterattacks will be launched against the enemy to restore the situation at the front. For which, probably, the T-90M is more suitable than any other machine of ours.
Especially considering that in the areas of Ukrainian breakthrough, our counter-attacking tank units and units will almost certainly encounter M1A2 Abrams, Leopard 2 and Challenger 2. Because it is with the help of such equipment that the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will most likely tried to develop tactical success at least somewhere in the operational area.
On this matter, in my opinion, reasonable thoughts were expressed by the American magazine Military Watch. The publication says:
“Notable features of the T-90M include the use of the Afghanit active protection system and the Relict dynamic protection system, the addition of additional armor that isolates the ammunition from the crew, and the integration of the new 2A46M-5 gun with the Kalina fire control system , which provides compatibility with the tank of a number of new types of ammunition”.
“Some of the latest Russian anti-tank missiles were first spotted in Ukraine in early 2023. They are likely intended to equip T-90M units against Ukrainian tanks supplied to Ukraine by its Western backers,” the publication wrote.
Let’s complement the Americans: if we have to fight Leopard 2 and company in upcoming battles, a significant numerical superiority will be on our side. It’s just a given.
There is another reason why we may need not even hundreds, but thousands of powerful “Breakthroughs” in the Western strategic direction. This will happen if the West, in the face of the inevitable military defeat of Ukraine, still decides to play the so-called “Polish card” against Russia.
It doesn’t have to immediately go into open combat with us as part of NATO. It will be enough only for the Poles to break through the territory of Belarus, say. The further course of events in Russia will be dictated by our allied duty.
In Warsaw, the readiness for such a turn of events has been manifested for a long time. Thus, already in October 2021, the Warsaw publication “Defence24”, close to the leadership of the Polish army, stated:
“Belarus should be considered not only as an important region from a geopolitical point of view, but also as a key area for offensive and defensive operations in the triangle “Poland-Lithuania-Belarus”.
Tell me, is this true? But just the other day, former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in an interview with The Guardian, said much the same thing:
“If NATO cannot agree on a clear way forward for Ukraine, there is a clear possibility that some countries will individually adopt measures. We know that Poland is very interested in providing concrete assistance to Ukraine.”
“And I would not rule out Poland participating even more strongly in this context on a national basis. And the Baltic countries will follow it. Perhaps, including the possibility of the presence of troops on the ground (Ukraine – “SP”)”, he also said.
Rasmussen noted that Kiev could turn directly to Warsaw for military aid, and it could be provided outside of NATO.
Yes, this will mean a war that will instantly spread from the territory of Ukraine to the entire European continent. This option is apparently being discussed in Brussels and Washington.
Therefore – more tanks for the Russian Air Force from Nizhny Tagil and Chelyabinsk! By the way, as noted by the already mentioned Military Watch magazine, it is very likely that Omsk will soon fully join them.
Because the Omsktransmash plant, which for a long time was considered “at risk” due to the lack of a state defense order, at the end of 2021 sent the first batch of modernized T-80BVM tanks with GTD-1000T gas turbine engines, created on the basis of aviation developments at the plant of the name of “V.Ya. Klimov”.
The new 2A46M-4 gun mounted on this tank with a modernized loading mechanism is capable of firing modern armor-piercing and sub-caliber “Olovo-1” and “Olovo-2” shells with a large core extension.
Any such ammunition is capable of penetrating up to 700 mm of armor and hitting any Western tank in the forehead. What can be considered a good help for the T-90M “Breakthrough”. Behind which, in such a battle, the role of the first armor-piercing “violin” will still stand.
Translation: SM
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