“Object 640”, nicknamed the “Black Eagle”, is a project of a promising Russian tank. It was developed in the 90s of the last century by the design bureau of Omsk transport engineering. The prototype was demonstrated in 1997, it was a modified chassis from the T-80U with a tower of a new design.
Online game World of Tanks and its impact on society
Thanks to the computer game World of Tanks ("World of Tanks"), modern youth became interested in armored vehicles, both during the Second World War, and modern systems. Only ten years ago, few young people could name which tanks took part in a particular military campaign, which models were produced by the countries participating in that war, not to mention their technical characteristics. However, today even elementary school students are easily guided in these matters, they discuss what types of ammunition should be used in a given situation, and develop a combat strategy for various types of military equipment in various geographical conditions, taking into account the terrain and other things. Of course, the game World of Tanks is limited to models of armored vehicles of World War II and the post-war period. There you will not find combat systems in service in the modern armies of the world, but the process, as they say, cannot be stopped: if young people are interested in something, then this is serious and for a long time. And more and more often, inquisitive minds turn to the World Wide Web with the aim of getting acquainted with the latest in tank building, finding out their characteristics, etc. We will talk about one of these models, which is still in service, in this article.
general information
The Russian Black Eagle tank belongs to the fourth-generation systems, it implements a lot of innovative solutions. In addition, the layout was applied, which differs significantly from both domestic and foreign armored vehicles. Engineers have proposed a new form of execution of the tower with significantly reduced overall dimensions and body, characterized by a sectioned bow. In order to increase the protection of the crew, he was placed below the level of the tower’s shoulder strap. The cabin was completely isolated from the reserved fuel and shells, as well as the exhaust of the powder gases generated during the firing. Ammunition of the first stage is located in the automatic loader in a special protected removable module, which is installed in the rear of the tower. The Black Eagle tank (the photo above clearly demonstrates this model) has three-level protection, which includes active means against shells moving in the direction of the machine, as well as passive differentially placed armor with elements of hydrodynamic and dynamic protection.
Concept
As many experts note, nowadays there is no place for tank battles, which distinguished the Second World War. Modern military operations exclude confrontations of large armed forces; they bear the local point principle, which requires, accordingly, a small amount of equipment and manpower. For such tactics of warfare, the tank "Black Eagle" is the best vehicle, characterized by increased power and mobility. It is suitable for rapid deployment and transportation, including air travel.
Design description
The Black Eagle tank consists of a chassis with tracks, a hull with an inhabited compartment and a motor-transmission compartment, a tower, an armament complex (high-performance ammunition, a gun with an automatic loader) and protection. The tower has the shape of a low flat dome, armored with a rounded front and straight aft sheet on the sides. The Black Eagle tank is equipped with a set of devices that can detect the radiation of optical and electronic means of the enemy and suppress them, as well as identify and destroy weapons that attack from a distance, which eliminates damage to the machine itself. The bow of the armored hull is divided into sealed insulated compartments installed along the longitudinal axis. Fuel tanks are located in the side compartments, and on average the control compartment. In the case there is a hatch for the driver, and in the tower for the commander and gunner. The inhabited compartment is equipped with adjustable crew seats. The entire ammunition is located outside the hull at the maximum distance from the living compartments. The first stage shells are located behind the tower, above the roof of the engine compartment.
Caterpillar tracks are equipped with special removable expanders with the possibility of mounting them on both sides of the track. The dimensions of the tank with the removed external expanders comply with the railway standard.
Innovation
For Omsk designers, the Black Eagle tank has become a testing ground for the introduction of new technical solutions that have no analogues in the world. Thus, the innovation in the location of residential modules and the dispersed fuel supply, as well as the placement of the ammunition in a separate removable unit, significantly increased crew survival in combat conditions, even in the event of a direct hit by an enemy’s shell, and a three-level defense system significantly reduced this probability.
Prospects
According to statements by representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the production of this tank is not planned. However, the solutions that were worked out on the considered model will serve as a significant reserve for the modernization of existing systems, for example, the innovative elements of this project are being introduced as modifications to the T-55 and T-80U tanks.
However, this is far from all; now a new project is being developed for the tracked platform, code-named "Armata". The basis for this machine was the T-95, Black Eagle and T-80U. They plan to put the new model into the troops already in 2015. Thus, the T-95, Black Eagle and T-80U tank, thanks to their unique combat systems, contributed to the creation of a new generation of armored vehicles in our country. The Armata project will be a unified heavy platform for battle tanks, infantry and support vehicles, armored repair and recovery vehicles, and also for self-propelled artillery installations.