T-90 - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The T-90 is a main battle tank in service with the Russian army. Some other countries have T-90S tanks.

The tank started as a type of the T-72B with some features of the T-80U and was accordingly called the T-72BU before being named the T-90.The main weapon of the tank is the 2A46M smoothbore main gun. Other weapons are the Kord heavy machine gun on the top of the tank and the PK machine gun next to the barrel. ^[1][2]

The main firepower of the t-90 is the 125mm 2A46M smoothbore main gun mounted in the turret.

It can launch HE,APDS,APFSDS and HEAT. It can not launch HESH.

It can launch slower than sound 9M119 Svir/Relfeks^[source?] anti tank missiles.Its gun is aimed by a computer called the 1A45T fire control system and is stabilized by the 2E42-4 Zhasmin System.The tank has 44 rounds of ammunition with an autoloader^[3] that takes about 8 seconds to reload.^[4]The ammunition is stored close to the crew in a downward spiral below the turret and has an effective firing range of 4000 meters.

The T-90 is well armoured with the armour consisting of a mix of many different materials that are covered by "bricks" of explosive reactive armour creating a clam shell appearance.It is shorter and smaller compared to other modern tanks at only 2.2 meters tall.Without ERA the tank has the equivalent of 550 mm of armour against APFSDS and 650-850 mm vs HEAT.With kontakt-5 the tank's turret has the equivalent of 800-830 mm of armour against APFSDS and 1,150-1,550 mm against HEAT.However there are some weak spots in the armour like the rear hull (40 mm armour without ERA) and the rear turret armour(20 mm armour without ERA).The gunners hatch,commanders tower and sighting devices have relatively thin armour as well.The middle of the tracks are also a weak spot in an area called the redan where the armour is only 30 mm thick.Along with passive protection(armour) the T-90 also has an active protective system called Shtora-1.Shtora-1 counters SALCOS missiles by a using electro-optical jammer which stops the missiles from guiding and can also counter infra red missiles by using a infra-red jammer and launching smoke grenades from the smoke grenade launchers.^[5][6]

On roads the T-90 has a maximum speed of 60 km/h(37 mph) and runs on a diesel engine using either gasoline or kerosene.

The tanks crew have infra red vision equipment and sensors to help them remain aware of their surroundings.The gunner and tank commander have different sights with a narrow field of view.This narrow field of view helps with long range combat at the cost of situational awareness.The tanks sensors can detect missiles,radiation,and other tanks.The tank can also detect any fires in the tank and put the fire out.

T-90A - Russian army version of the T-90 with a welded turret.Sometimes called T-90 vladimir because of its chief designer vladimir potkin.

T-90K - Commanders version of the T-90.Equipped with additional communication and navigation equipment.

T-90AK -Command version of T-90

T-90AM -The latest version of the T-90A.features a modernized turret and gun along with a anti aircraft gun.

T-90M- Modernized T-90A.It differs from the T-90AM because it is made from T-90A tanks rather than being a new version.

T-90S-Export version of T-90.Lacks infra red "dazzlers" in its shtora-1 system

T-90SK-Commanders version of T-90S.Contains additional communication and navigational equipment

T-90MS-Updated version of the T-90S.Includes a stronger engine and a steering wheel along with 4 cameras around the tank giving it a 360 degree view.Has the new relikt ERA that covers more of the tank

BREM-1M -Armoured recovery vehicle

IMR-3M - Combat engineer vehicle

MTU-90-Bridge layer tank with MLC50 bridge.

BMR-3M-Mine clearing vehicle.

MTU-2020-Bridge laying tank.Has a extended chassis and a additional road wheel

^[1][2][3]

1. ↑ "ODIN - OE Data Integration Network". odin.tradoc.army.mil. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
2. ↑ "What Weak Points of russian T-90 Were Exploited by Ukrainian M2 Bradley to Win a Duel | Defense Express". en.defence-ua.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
3. ↑ "Main Battle Tank - T-90/T90S/T90C". id3486.securedata.net. Retrieved 2024-03-21.