Russia upgraded T-62 to T-90M standard, armor protection increased to 3 tons

With the need to quickly replace tanks lost in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as improve the survivability of outdated tanks - the Russian army is reusing a large number of T-62s for special military operations.

One of the main points of the upgrade package being implemented by the Russian army on current tank lines focuses on the armor protection system, and the T-62 tank is no exception.

T-62MV tank with new explosive reactive armor in photo released on November 26. (Photo: Forbes)

According to Forbes, a recently published photo of a Russian T-62MV tank fighting in Ukraine shows an upgraded variant of this medium tank with an explosive reactive armor system on the turret, similar to the T-90M main battle tank.

The T-90, one of the most modern tanks in service with the Russian army today, uses Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor. The upgraded T-90M variant is equipped with Relikt armor, which can reduce the penetration ability of low-caliber armor-piercing shells (APFSDS) or dual-charge shaped-charge anti-tank (HEAT) warheads by 50%.

This T-62 can also be equipped with Sosna-U sight or domestic product PNM-T, smoke grenade launcher system disguised as T-90M and some other modern equipment.

Also from the above photo, Forbes military expert David Axe commented that with new explosive reactive armor and modern sights for the gunner operating the 115 mm main gun, this can be considered the most comprehensively upgraded T-62.

However, according to Forbes military experts, equipping the T-62 with explosive reactive armor will affect the mobility of this tank model. The new explosive reactive armor weighs about three tons, making the T-62MV weigh more than 45 tons and become heavier on the battlefield. It is not clear whether Russia will replace the engine for this tank model to increase mobility or not.

However, equipping explosive reactive armor essentially doubles the protection of the T-62MV tank against anti-tank bullets and missiles.

According to editor Axe, mobility is important in the blitzkrieg tank tactics that both Russia and Ukraine use.

"Western-made tanks like the M1A1 and Leopard 2 have an advantage because they have good transmissions and can reverse quickly, not taking tens of seconds to turn around and escape the fire zone," Axe said.

T62MV tank with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor of the Russian army.

In contrast, most Soviet tanks had extremely slow reverse gears, which could kill their crews in a charge where every second counted. A T-62 without three tons of armor could reverse at 8 km/h, while an M1 Abrams could reach a top speed of 40 km/h in reverse.

The T-62 tank was developed by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s to counter the British FV4201 Chieftain and the American M60 Patton, replacing the T-55 medium tank in service. Production took place from 1961 to 1975, with a total of nearly 23,000 units produced.

In the early 1980s, the Soviet Union began a modernization program for the T-62, with the T-62M version introduced in 1983 equipped with additional frontal armor, giving it a defensive capability roughly equivalent to the T-64A and T-72 main battle tanks. However, this armor could not withstand modern anti-tank weapons used on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Tra Khanh (Source: Forbes)

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