In the wake of the Tiger
Even in overseas ratings, Leopard-2 is often ahead of the American Abrams M1A2. Military experts, of course, have reason to bring the German car to the first place. But the title of "best tank of the world" must be treated with a share of healthy skepticism. Take a look at the Leopard 2 tower, does the anti-aircraft machine gun remind you of anything? That's right, this is MG3A1 - a direct descendant, more precisely adapted to the modern MG-42 cartridge from the Second World War. I understand, a very successful "machine", but not for the third millennium! Only recently, on the Bundeswehr tanks, the machine gun legend was replaced with the modern Heckler & Koch MG5 or a remotely controlled module with a 12.7 mm “barrel”.
Leopard modification 2A4. Tower with armored plates without a rational angle of inclination. Even a child will determine - the tank is made in Germany. Leopard modification 2A4. Tower with armored plates without a rational angle of inclination. Even a child will determine - the tank is made in Germany.
In the animal kingdom, the large leopard cat belongs to the genus panther, as does the tiger. Funny - in German armored vehicles these animal generic traits are easily traced. Leopard-2, like the tanks of the Wehrmacht from the Second World War, is characterized by a vertical installation of armored plates. Rational angles of inclination of the armor on the hull and on the turret are minimum, especially in the early versions. Moreover, the huge Leopard is oversized in width and quite heavy - typical "tiger" problems that make it difficult to transport by rail.
It turns out that the Germans are stepping on the same rake with enviable tenacity? Not in everything. During the war with the USSR, cats of the feline tribe had problems with the resource, engine power, and, most importantly, the Germans were unable to repair their complex tanks in the field. So, the mileage of Leopard-2 to overhaul is 10 thousand kilometers. The power plant is a 1500 hp turbodiesel, combined into a single unit with a hydromechanical transmission. In addition to the high power density, this technical solution also gives good maintainability - the complete power plant, even in the field, can be changed in 35 minutes. Great rate!
Bundeswehr Army Leopard 2A5 with a new model tower. An attempt to arrange the armor plates rationally. Bundeswehr Army Leopard 2A5 with a new model tower. An attempt to arrange the armor plates rationally. |
Take a look at the machine gun. This is a direct descendant of the MG-42 from the Second World War. Take a look at the machine gun. This is a direct descendant of the MG-42 from the Second World War. |
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The tank also has other advantages. Leopard-2 has acceptable mobility. The armament is powerful: a 120-mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun with modern ammunition and two machine guns. The gun is stabilized in two planes. But the automatic loader is not provided. Therefore, in the inhabited tower of the tank are 3 people: commander, gunner and loader. And this is not all - a part of the ammunition is located in the rear of the tower. The niche where the shells lie is equipped with kick panels. It is believed that when a shell hits a “powder cellar” of such a design, people are more likely to survive (by the way, the rest of the ammunition and fuel are well isolated from the crew). One minus - the incredible size of the tower and the accompanying weight.
And after the flat gun mask (starting from modification 2A5) gave way to the modernized version with rational angles of inclination of the armor, it was necessary to change the electro-hydraulic drive of the tower to electric. And still, the rotation speed of the tower does not appear among the main virtues of Leopard-2. But the tank is equipped with an excellent Zeiss sight, an effective fire control system, thermal imaging cameras that provide all-round visibility to all crew members, a fire extinguishing system, multi-layer armor, lined with shatterproof mats on the inside.
The place of the driver mechanic. Expanse, pedals and a control wheel. The place of the driver mechanic. Expanse, pedals and a control wheel.
Leopard-2 has been in service since 1979 and belongs to the tanks of the third generation. Over the years of operation, it has been improved, re-equipped and even subjected to “facelift” more than once. The most recent and relevant modifications are 2A5, 2A6, 2A7 +. The latter was announced in 2010 and, most likely, there will be no radical improvements in the future - the modernization potential of the tank has been exhausted.
Heir to the thirty-four
Our T-72 is smaller, lower and significantly lighter than Leopard-2. Adopted in 1973 and is an almost perfect example of a simple and, most importantly, a massive tank. Over the years, production has been repeatedly modernized. The latest version under the T-72B3 index was adopted in 2011 and today has managed to gain a number of additional improvements in 2014 and 2016. Why bother with an old-style tank? The saturation of the army with the fourth-generation T-14 Armata combat vehicles was a matter of more than one day or even a year. The best way to maintain the combat effectiveness of the armored forces during the transition period is to pull a machine with good modernization potential to modern requirements.
T-72B3 modifications of 2016. The tank mounted a complex of dynamic protection "Relic" with side screens and grilles. T-72B3 modifications of 2016. The tank mounted a complex of dynamic protection "Relic" with side screens and grilles.
Compared to the German, the domestic tank is the embodiment of a completely different concept: low silhouette, powerful weapons on a compact and maneuverable chassis. The Russian smooth-bore gun 2A46M-5 with a caliber of 125 millimeters will probably give a leopard head start. This is the latest upgrade of the 2A46M gun with a 20 percent better accuracy and 1.7 times less dispersion when shooting on the move. Automatic loader modified for new armor-piercing subcaliber shells Lead 1.2.
The place of the driver in the T-72B3 is closer than that of a German tank. Controls - pedals and levers. The place of the driver in the T-72B3 is closer than that of a German tank. Controls - pedals and levers. Related Materials
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This is where a retreat is required. Thanks to the automatic loader in the tower, only two people - the commander and gunner. This means that the tower is smaller and lighter than in a German combat vehicle. Add here a round shape that is optimal for bouncing off enemy shells, good armor, dynamic protection (on earlier versions of Contact-5, on later versions - Relic) and an anti-aircraft machine gun of 12.7 mm caliber. Thus, in terms of the “tops” of the T-72BZ, at least no worse than the Leopard. And this despite the fact that to achieve decent firepower on our tank did not have to fence a huge "attic" with an electric drive.
It is, of course, difficult to compete with Zeiss sights and foreign electronics. But modernization has greatly improved the equipment of our tank. He received a new gunner’s sight Sosna-U with a thermal imaging channel, an automatic target tracking device, a modern digital ballistic computer, a display complex for the driver with a rear-view camera. On the latest versions, a panoramic stabilized sight of the commander appeared.
Unfortunately, the implantation of new equipment was not without annoying mistakes, associated with ergonomics and ease of use. But in general, the accuracy of shooting both from a place and in motion has become better, guidance devices work reliably in any weather and at any time of the day. And the firing range is at the level of the best world models. We will assume that in terms of optics and electronics with the Leopard, the T-72B3 of fresh modifications showed parity.
T-72B3 early specimen with dynamic protection “Contact 5”. T-72B3 early specimen with dynamic protection “Contact 5”. |
The upgraded gun and a new sight allow you to shoot accurately both from the spot and on the move. The upgraded gun and a new sight allow you to shoot accurately both from the spot and on the move. |
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The protection of our car is in many ways even better than that of the German one. The lower weight of the T-72B3 does not mean “thinner” the armor, but a generally smaller amount of protected space (the tank itself is not so elephant-like). There is also a fire extinguishing system on our tank. However, until recently, things were worse with dynamic protection - the Contact-5 complex was frankly outdated. The situation was corrected by the Relic protection, which is installed on fresh modifications of the T-72B3. Particularly good are the side panels with integrated dynamic protection modules and trellised screens covering the engine-transmission compartment. Moreover, in the standard accessories of the tank there are additional modules and screens for installation on the tower instead of spare parts boxes.
And finally, the engine. Let's do some fun math. The specific power of the Leopard-2 with a 1500-horsepower engine is 23.8 hp. per ton. T-72B3 of early samples with the good old diesel V-84-1 with a capacity of 840 horses had an indicator of 18.3. Noticeable lag! The latest modifications of the machine are equipped with a new V-92S2F engine with an output of 1130 hp, which gives a specific power of 24.5 hp / t. In such cases, it is customary to say - caught up and overtaken.
Machina weighing 46 tons is capable of not only driving fast, but also jumping! Machina weighing 46 tons is capable of not only driving fast, but also jumping!
And now the whole picture. In general, Leopard-2 and T-72B3 are equal rivals, despite different concepts and non-infantile construction age. It is difficult to predict who will be stronger in a full-time meeting - each has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, as usual, with the equality of forces, the success of combat employment depends more on the ability of large commanders and specific crews to intelligently dispose of existing equipment.
As for the success of the commercial, both tanks are in service with many countries. But the price-quality ratio is clearly behind our car. For the entire period of production of Leopard-2 of various modifications, a little less than 3.5 thousand copies were made. The circulation of the T-72 is about 30 thousand!
Characteristics of tanks in Russia and Germany
T-72B3 |
Leopard 2A6 |
TOTAL INFORMATION |
|
Length / Width / Height 6860/3460/2226 mm Ground clearance 490 mm Crew 3 people Weight 46, 000 kg Top speed 65 km / h Cruising range on the highway 500-700 km |
Length / Width / Height 7700/3700/2790 mm Ground clearance 490mm Crew 4 people Weight 63, 000 kg The maximum speed is 72 km / h Cruising range on the highway 550 km |
ENGINE |
|
Type diesel (multi-fuel) turbocharged Model V-92S2F Configuration V 12 Displacement 38.8 L Power 831 kW / 1130 HP Maximum torque 4521 Nm |
Type diesel (multi-fuel) turbocharged Model MB 873 Ka -501 Configuration V 12 Displacement 47.6 L Power 1100 kW / 1496 HP Maximum torque 4700 Nm |
SUSPENSION |
|
individual torsion bar | individual torsion bar |
RESERVATION |
|
anti-shell differentiated (homogeneous steel and combined) armor + dynamic protection | anti-shell combined armor + dynamic defense + active defense |
WEAPONS |
|
Type / caliber, mm: 2A46M-5/125 gun + PKTM / 7.62 machine gun + NSVT / 12.7 machine gun | Type / caliber, mm: Rheinmetall gun / 120 + 2 machine guns M G 3 A 1 / 7.62 |
ammunition, pcs 42 rounds 125 mm (22 in the automatic loader) 2000 rounds 7.62 mm 750 rounds 12.7 mm |
ammunition, pcs 42 shots 120 mm 4750 rounds 7.62 mm |