Alexander Sychev
For the 28 M-55S main battle tanks, which it was decided to send to the Ukrainian armed forces, Slovenia will receive 35 German trucks and five tank trucks. And for the Czech Republic, for seven T-72M4 tanks and four BVP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, Berlin agreed to sell 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks. By the way, Prague decided to disguise the sending of cars to Ukraine by their participation in the Puma-2022 maneuvers in Poland.
The equipment transferred to Ukraine is not new, but is in working condition and even modernized. It is already significantly different from the Soviet originals. The latest modernization of the Soviet T-72 tank, which has now received the M4 marking, was attended, in particular, by the Italian company Finmeccanica. The first upgraded tanks were delivered to the Czech Army between 2003 and 2005. Today, according to the military balance of 2021, 30 more T-72M4 tanks remain in service with it.
The upgraded tank retained a 125 mm smoothbore gun, as well as two machine guns of 7.62 and 12.7 mm calibers. But now the weapon can fire new shells, in particular, feathered armor-piercing shells with a tungsten core. The tank can conduct effective fire at a distance of up to two thousand meters, find targets at a distance of five kilometers during the day and four at night.
The armor was reinforced with overlays made of composite materials and the Polish mounted reactive armor DYNA, which provides protection against high-power anti-tank projectiles, armor-piercing and armor-piercing high-explosive shells with a collapsible warhead.
The tank is also equipped with the new Italian TURMS-T fire control system, a new ballistics computer and a host of sensors.
The engine has also been changed. Now on the Czech tank, instead of the Soviet 780-horsepower engine, there is a British Perkins Condor CV12-1000 TCA turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 1200 horsepower. On the road, it accelerates the tank to 61 kilometers per hour and allows you to drive 700 kilometers at one gas station.
And about the Czech BVP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, in fact the Soviet BMP-2, produced under license in the Czech Republic, there is nothing to say. No special changes were made to the car.
As for the Slovenian tanks, their modernization was completed in 1997. The first T-55S (Slovenian designation M-55S) was delivered to the army in 1999. The tank features improved armor and increased firepower. The 100mm gun of the original T-55 tank was replaced with a 105mm British rifled tank gun of the M68 series.
The British began to develop it in the late 50s after, during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the Hungarians drove one T-54A tank to the territory of the British Embassy in Budapest. British experts immediately examined the trophy and came to the conclusion that the guns available at that time in their army would not be able to destroy the tank. This is how a 105-mm cannon appeared, which in size approached the turret of a Soviet tank. She took root not only on British tanks, but also American, Japanese and Indian.
The aiming range reaches 1800 meters, and the rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute. From it you can fire high-explosive fragmentation, anti-tank tracer, cumulative and armor-piercing high-explosive shells with a collapsible warhead.
The hull and turret of the M-55S are equipped with ERA blast-proof reactive armor mounted on the turret frontal arc, the upper hull frontal shield and on the top of the sides. The upper part of the suspension is protected by a five-piece rubber skirt that provides protection against high-explosive anti-tank projectiles.
The Slovenian tank also has a new computerized fire control system, which allows hitting stationary and moving targets. In this case, the tank itself can also be in motion. The gunner works with a two-axis stabilized Fontana SGS-55 day sight with a laser rangefinder, created in Slovenia. Information from the sight is fed to the fire control computer.
At the disposal of the tank commander is the Slovenian control kit COMTOS-55, which allows him to lead the gunner, track targets, determine the range to them, and independently fire from a cannon and a coaxial machine gun.
A new 600-horsepower diesel engine was installed on the tank. It is only 20 horsepower more powerful than the original T-55 engine. The tank can move at a maximum road speed of 50 kilometers per hour and cover 500 kilometers.
These are not the first deliveries of the two states to participate in equipping the Ukrainian army with weapons. Slovenia is sending heavy equipment for the first time, but the Czech Republic ranks fifth among the largest suppliers of weapons to Kyiv and, it seems, does not intend to give this place to anyone. Prague has supplied small arms, man-portable air defense systems, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, multiple launch rocket systems and even Mi-24V attack helicopters. The total value of the shipped Soviet-style weapons is already about a billion dollars.