Russia now has advanced fourth-generation tank T-14, and third-generation T-90M. There is also an improved upgraded tank represented by T-72B, which is equipped with an infrared thermal imaging sight for aiming and monitoring the battlefield during the day and at night. There is also a completely modern fire control, which includes a digital ballistic computer and a set of sensors to measure all important parameters, from wind speed and direction to the temperature of the gunpowder charge. The most important thing is - infrared thermal imaging sights, even under difficult conditions such as nighttime, smoke on the battlefield, the detection and recognition range of the target has increased to several kilometers.
Everything seems to be fine, but something seems to be missing. After battlefield inspection, everyone found that the upgraded T-72B had fatal design flaws. A strange situation: T-72B provides the tank gunner with thermal imager , but deprives the commander of the right. The gunner and the commander have different sighting equipment. The gunner has an infrared thermal imager and can see the target at night. But the commander's viewing scope was only equipped with an ordinary optical mirror. Once there was smoke, nothing could be seen and no order could be issued. The commander did not give the order, and the gunner dared not fire.
To perform these tasks, the commander's workplace is equipped with a TKN periscope aiming and observation device, which can be rotated cyclically to obtain a panoramic field of view.
However, when active lighting with infrared searchlights is used, the visibility is no more than one kilometer. Unlike the image intensifier tube, the thermal imager "sees" infrared radiation from the target, which forms a very strong contrast to the background on the ground. Installed on the T-72B3 and T-80BVM, it reaches 5 km.
But this difference is not only reflected in the night, but also in the daytime. Under these conditions, all the commander has is an optical channel. What if the battlefield is covered with fog or smoke? The gunner with a thermal camera can see the target even in these interferences, while the commander can only see smoke. This is a very interesting situation.
First, in addition to the ability to shoot from cannons and machine guns, the commander can also get the maximum full range of view from the tank, which does not depend on weather conditions and time of day.
Secondly, when the commander discovers and recognizes the enemy, he issues accurate target designation to the gunner, including due to automatic target tracking. All of this greatly improves the combat effectiveness of the machine.
upgraded T-72B3. In the middle, above the hatch used to eject the scrap pallet, there is a panoramic viewing device.
Commander's observation device TKN-3MK in T-72B3. Behind the right, you can see the display of the "Dual" system that displays images from the gunner thermal imaging sight. Behind the tank commander hatch is a panoramic sight/observation device and a machine gun frame. Such a system is expensive. Very expensive and requires intervention in the design of the turret. But this is not a novel toy, but a working tool required by a tank, because a simple principle has long been effective on the battlefield: whoever discovers the enemy first, who fires first.
Senior Russian military officials are very aware of this, so they hope that the multi-channel panoramic sight will not become an exclusive privilege for the T-90M, and will also be included in the modern upgrade kit of the T-72B3 and other tanks.
Commander's observation device TKN-3TP
Russian netizens said that the T72 B3 is the most hasty Russian tank. The commander does not have a panoramic multispectral gyro stabilization observation device, which allows the gunner's sight to be replaced in case of damage. There is no instrument that provides a comprehensive view of the driver. During the march and search for enemies in unfamiliar terrain, the crew was completely blind.
T-72B1 Behind the gunner hatch, you can see a panoramic observation device
insufficient protection of the side of the tank body, including the automatic launcher and the entire ammunition loading area. The reverse speed is slow, which is very necessary in urban combat.
