Modernisation of T-64B Battle Tanks The Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (KMDB) has developed design documentation, has manufactured and successfully tested a prototype of upgraded T-64B (BM Bulat) battle tank in order to enhance its combat and technical characteristics up to the level of modern tanks.

The modernisation covers three key areas:

• Mobility (modernisation of the power pack in order to enhance mobility)

• Protection (modernisation of the protection in order to reduce vulnerability to attacks of the up-to-date anti-tank weapons)

• Firepower (modernisation of the weapons-and-fire control system in order to increase the efficiency of fire)

Mobility

In order to increase mobility, the vehicle is fitted with an enhanced power pack. The new power pack contains a 850 hp 5TDFM engine, which is a forced version of the 5TDF engine with power output being increased.

Installation of the 5TDFM engine requires replacement of the original air cleaner with a new one and re-designing of the exhaust system.

For the BM Bulat battle tank, the numerator specifies the values received during the state trials of the tank.

The modernisation is carried out by means of replacement of the 5TDF engine with a 5TDFM engine, installation of a new air cleaner with increased engine-feeding air flow and re-designing of the exhaust system.

To modernise the power pack of the BM Bulat tank by means of installation of a 5TDFM engine, the following is required:

• 5TDFM engine 1 set

• Air cleaner 1 set

• Spare parts and tools 1 set

The SOE KMDB has developed a design of rubber pads, manufactured the rubber pads and tested them on the tracks of the BM Bulat tank and its versions. No re-designing of the track components is required.

The rubber pads with fasteners are to be supplied separately.

Modernisation of the armament-and-fire control system

When modernised, the armament-and-fire control system of the BM BULAT MBT has better characteristics than the armament-and-fire control system of the T-80UD MBT.

Scope of Modernisation

Enhancement of combat characteristics is achieved by the installation of the following instruments and systems:

• Gunner's 1G46M sight

• Gunner's TO1-KO1ER night sighting system (Ukrainian-made). It is possible to install the Buran-Catherine thermal imager instead of the TO1-KO1ER system

* 1V528-1 tank ballistic computer

* Some instruments and units of the 2E42M main armament stabiliser

* PNK-5SR observation and sighting system

* PZU-7 anti-aircraft machine gun system sight

* 1ETs29M anti-aircraft machine gun system control system

* TAKO-621 guided weapon system

Protection

Increase of protection level of T-64B tank is ensured by means of installation of an additional protection package on the hull and turret of the tank.

Additional Protection Package of the Tank

The additional protection package is intended to considerably increase the tank's protection level against chemical energy attack weapons and kinetic energy attack weapons (armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot ammunition) at minimum possible increase of the tank weight.

Components of the package

The additional protection package comprises passive (add-on) armour protection and built-in explosive reactive armour (ERA). The explosive reactive armour consists of nose module and side skirts installed on the tank hull, as well as modular sections placed along the outer perimeter of the front and side parts of the turret, and containers installed on the turret roof.

Each section of the explosive reactive armour and the containers installed on the turret roof contain explosive reactive armour panels.

Efficiency

Installation of the additional protection package results in increase of protection level of the BM Bulat tank:

• against chemical attack weapons - by a factor of 2.2

• against kinetic attack weapons - by a factor of 1.9

The additional protection package enables the tank to be protected against the following destruction weapons:

• antitank hand grenades and projectiles fired from hand-held and heavy grenade launchers and recoilless guns

• against anti-tank guided missiles such as TOW-2, Milan, and Shturm-S

• against shaped charge projectiles fired from 125-mm smoothbore tank guns (ZBK-14(14M), ZBK-18)

• against armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot projectiles fired from 125 mm smoothbore tank guns (ZBM-22, ZBM-26, ZBM-42

Technical characteristics

The weight of the additional protection package together with mounting and fastening parts and with explosive reactive armour panels is 3,500 kilogrammes.

The time required for installation of the set of explosive reactive armour panesls on one tank by efforts of its crew is 5.5 to 6 hours.

The explosive reactive armour panels installed on the tank do not require any special maintenance while the tank is in service.

The work on fitting the tank with the additional protection package does not require any non-standard technological equipment or contrivances of highly skilled specialists.

The following is required for modernisation of the armoured protection of the BM Bulat tank:

• Front protection module of the hull nose

• Parts and sub-assemblies of additional armoured protection of the turret

• Parts and sub-assemblies required for modernisation of the fenders

• Side skirts and shields of the hull

• Explosive reactive armour panels of the Nozh type

Fire Suppression System

In order to increase protection of the BM Bulat tanks and their crews in case of a fire in the tank's fighting compartment or power pack compartment, the tank is fitted with a quick-action fire suppression system, which reduces the response time in the crew compartment down to 150 ms, this resulting in a 20% decrease of no-restoration losses.

Components of the fire suppression system:

• optical sensors and heat sensors

• bottles with fire extinguishing mixture

• control equipment