State defense holding company UkrOboronProm on Feb. 11 unveiled its latest version of the venerable T-64 medium tank, an update of the half-century-old machine that should allow it to put up a decent fight for years to come.
The holding company revealed some technical specifics of the new T-64, which will be the main battle tank of Ukrainian armored forces in the Donbas war zone.
UkrOboronProm’s designers said that the army’s workhorse now features new night vision scopes, digital radio sets, satellite navigation, as well as advanced explosive-reactive armor.
The tank’s armor can effectively protect the 3-men crew from all modern anti-tank munitions, including shaped and armor-piercing projectiles, or explosively formed penetrating rounds.
The vehicle’s crew can see in the dark with thermal scopes featuring 3rd generation image converters, which are highly-resistant to light curtains, including those set in infrared band. Integrated thermal imagers allow the crew to engage the enemy with the tank’s standard 125-millimeter cannon at all times, in any weather.
All of the new T-64s are equipped with satellite navigation systems produced by the Orizon-Navigatsiya company in the city of Smila in Cherkasy Oblast.
“This navigation complex operates an automatized digital system that allows the sharing of highly-protected data online,” the designers noted.
“The data on the location of all vehicles can be transferred to commanders at all level starting from squads to an operation’s command.”
During engagements, all tanks cooperating within a certain formation are also interlinked with Lybid K-2RB digital radio sets, which are protected from interception and jamming at a distance of up to 70 kilometers, the concern added.
In general, according to UkrOboronProm, over 100 T-64s have already been modernized to the new version and fielded in army combat formations, and the Kharkiv Armored Plant, the tank’s original producer, is continuing work to modernize older T-64s.
It’s been a bit more than 50 years since the first batches of the legendary T-64 tank roared into service with the Soviet Army.
But this after all these decades and numerous wars all around the globe, this medium battle tank has, since 1967, been a tried-and-true warhorse for many of the world’s armies. The tank, which was initially designed and produced in Kharkiv, has in combat in Ukraine even outmatched its successor, the T-72, thanks to the T-64’s greater versatility in combat and easier technical maintenance.
