Present assessments counsel that the Russian military may maintain a battle in Ukraine for an extra 2-3 years, given the prevailing reserves of navy weaponry and equipment. This perception is supplied by the Polish media outlet, Defence24. The assertion stems from an evaluation of a latest satellite tv for pc picture displaying a stockpile of Russian T-80 tanks.
Particularly, the satellite tv for pc has captured the uncovered stock of the 61st Armored Restore Plant. Located close to St. Petersburg, this facility is likely one of the many tank vegetation below the Uralvagonzavod umbrella. Russian sources, decoding remarks from their Polish friends, stipulate, “Common satellite tv for pc knowledge on the gear housed in our base storage amenities enable the West to maintain a eager eye on the fabric assets of our armed forces. This provides them a ballpark image of our potential mobilization capabilities.”
The picture has turn out to be a scorching subject throughout varied social media platforms, eliciting tons of of feedback. Observers notice a discernible discount within the quantity of tanks, whereas additionally acknowledging the retained reserves. Whereas there’s an obvious drop of their quantity throughout the facility’s premises, there’s unanimous settlement that the Russian military nonetheless possesses a large fleet of tanks. BulgarianMilitary.com attracts consideration to quite a few analytical studies and firsthand accounts from the Ukrainian battleground, which highlights the T-72 and T-80 as the most important tank fashions in use.
Rust or camouflage
Sea inexperienced and grass inexperienced seem prominently on a number of of the captured Russian T-80 tanks. These camouflage colours, usually seen within the Russian navy, have additionally been noticed on Western gear. The precise kind of camouflage a car bears is often decided by the pure shade schemes of its fight space.
Most of the stowed T-80s sport a brown hue, not less than based on the satellite tv for pc imagery. This wealthy brown shade may be a sign of rusting tanks. Certainly, whereas brown tank camouflage isn’t exceptional, it’s often blended with different hues. The strong brown coloration of those tanks, distinctly completely different from the inexperienced ones that show various shades, does elevate questions on attainable rusting. Nevertheless, we should do not forget that these are merely satellite tv for pc photographs, and drawing conclusions too shortly can be ill-advised.
The deliveries don’t cease
As you could bear in mind from BulgarianMilitary.com, a month or two in the past, British intelligence made a compelling assertion. They claimed that Russia may offset month-to-month tank losses in Ukraine by supplying a comparable quantity. Let’s make clear, not all of those are contemporary off the meeting line. A major quantity of the tanks despatched to Ukraine had been pulled from reserves, upgraded, after which dispatched.
Quick ahead to February 14 when probably the most latest supply of T-80 occurred, facilitated by the logistics of the Omsktransmash transport engineering plant. The press division at Uralvagonzavod was immediate in confirming the supply. You would possibly discover it stunning that the T-80 didn’t obtain a lot recognition from the Russian facet early within the battle. The Protection Ministry relied extra on cost-efficient tanks reminiscent of T-72 and T-90, leading to a surplus of idle T-80s. Right here’s a little-known truth: the working expense of refurbishing a T-80 surpasses that of the T-72 and T-90.
Nevertheless, it seems the Russian Ministry of Protection is reevaluating the cost-benefit evaluation concerning T-80 tanks. In September, state media revealed that Omsktransmash had initiated the method of retrofitting the tank to be used alongside the brand-new T-90Ms being manufactured at Uralvagonzavod.
T-80 again in manufacturing
A revelation got here to gentle on the shut of 2023 – Russia plans to relaunch the manufacturing of T-80 tanks. It’s not only a mere facelift or refurbishing of the prevailing fashions, however a full-scale re-initiation of making these battleground gadgets from the bottom up. The credit score for bringing this important information to the forefront goes to Alexander Potapov, the esteemed director of the Uralvagonzavod concern.
In accordance with Potapov, this monumental endeavor has been bestowed upon the priority by the navy command. The current state of affairs hyperlinks again to negotiations with the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, because the renewal of tank manufacturing hinges on buying further capabilities.
The T-80BVM, being the latest incarnation of the tank, comes outfitted with a formidable gasoline turbine engine churning out a powerful 1,250 horsepower. This cutting-edge improve has been inducted into the armored divisions of the Russian Army since 2019, signifying a substantial leap ahead within the discipline of navy know-how.
Unusual resolution
Curiously, the Russian navy seems to be on an upward development, sparking some important questions. Stories point out that Russia is considering resuming operations on the Nizhny Tagil [Uralvagonzavod] plant.
You would possibly surprise why Russia, being a number one world producer of high-tech navy equipment, doesn’t ramp up the manufacturing of its T-90M Proriv tanks. This mannequin, with its superior design and efficiency, has confirmed its price and was topped because the world’s prime manufacturing tank.
The choice so as to add the brand new T-80 to the navy fleet is presumably as a result of its cost-effectiveness, contemplating the huge amount of tanks required. Alternatively, it’s fairly attainable that the T-80BVM, explicitly designed for excessive polar situations, was chosen for Arctic unit deployment.
The destiny of the St. Petersburg tanks
Reviewing the satellite tv for pc snapshot, it’s clear that if this battle had been to persist, Russia is prone to pull each the “inexperienced” and “brown” tanks from the depot close to St. Petersburg. The indication lies within the considerably thinning ranks on the appropriate half of the picture.
These tanks are set to be revamped to the BVM commonplace. Now, you may be questioning, “What’s BVM?” Properly, it’s a captivating time period that truly stands for “Bolshaya Modernizaciya” or “Large Modernization” in Russian. The T-80BVM comes with an upgraded engine and transmission system. Powering it’s the GTD-1250 gasoline turbine engine, a major step up from the T-80’s unique GTD-1000TF, offering enhanced energy and effectivity. The development is mirrored within the acceleration, agility, and total efficiency throughout diversified landscapes.
However what about armor safety, you ask? Properly, the T-80BVM has raised the bar on this side as effectively. Outfitted with “Relikt” explosive reactive armor, the T-80BVM is extra resilient to up to date anti-tank weaponry than its predecessor, the T-80, which utilized the “Kontakt-5” armor. The introduction of the “Relikt” armor, due to this fact, gives the T-80BVM with an edge by way of safety in opposition to assaults involving kinetic and chemical vitality.
Firepower can even enhance
In the case of sheer offensive prowess, the T-80BVM showcases a noteworthy improve with its new 125mm 2A46M-4 smoothbore gun. This new addition not solely boasts the next hearth price but additionally surpasses its predecessor, the T-80’s 2A46-2 gun, by way of precision. The capability to fireplace the 9M119M1 Invar-M anti-tank guided missile provides the T-80BVM a rare edge in distant warfare.
Highlighting the numerous variations, the superior hearth management system of the T-80BVM deserves a point out. The built-in multi-channel gunner’s sight, Sosna-U, together with the 1A40-4 hearth management system, assures enhanced purpose and monitoring even below unfavorable climate situations or throughout dusk. that is certainly a noteworthy enchancment from the T-80’s 1A33 hearth management system.
Lastly, the T-80BVM comes fitted with a classy navigation system together with state-of-the-art communication gear. This main improve amplifies its tactical efficacy and synergy with different property on the battlefield. Surely, this can be a important development over the T-80, which lacked these cutting-edge methods.
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