Czech Republic modernizes armored vehicles and artillery

In 2003, the Czechs adopted a deeply modernized T-72M1 tank - T-72M4 CZ. Their successor will appear in the lineup after 2025.

During the Warsaw Pact, Czechoslovakia was an important arms manufacturer and exporter, and Československá lidová armáda was a significant force in the Warsaw Pact. After the division into two independent states, Bratislava and Prague largely squandered this potential, on the one hand, reducing the number of troops, state equipment and defense budgets, and on the other hand, not placing large orders in their own defense industry.

To this day, the main armament of Armada České republiky in most categories is equipment from the Warsaw Pact period, sometimes modernized. However, a few years ago, efforts were made to replace it with a new generation of weapons to a much greater extent than before. This is evidenced by the almost parallel programs for the purchase of new MBTs, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery mounts.

base tanks

The Czech Republic inherited a large fleet of T-54/55 and T-72 tanks (543 T-72 and 414 T-54/T-55 of various modifications) as part of the division of weapons and equipment between the two newly created states after the collapse of Czechoslovakia. Most were produced locally under the Soviet license. Most of them - first T-54/55, then T-72 - were sold to recipients from all over the world or ended up in metallurgical furnaces. Soon it was decided to leave only the latest T-72M1 vehicles in service and modernize them. Such a project was started back in the time of the Czech-Slovak Federal Republic, based on the requirements developed by the Vojenský technický ústav pozemního vojska (Scientific Research Institute of the Ground Forces) in Vyškov, which indicated the priority in increasing firepower, and then the need to increase armor and finally traction properties. By 1993, the assumptions were refined and the program was given the code name Moderna. At that time, research and development work within its framework was carried out jointly by Czech and Slovak enterprises: ZTS Martin, VOP 025 from Novy Jicin and VOP 027 from Trencin. However, a split occurred in this program, and the T-72M2 Moderna tank was finally built in Slovakia and remained a prototype. In the Czech Republic, work on the T-72M2 continued independently, and in 1994 presented two studio vehicles, one with dynamic protection Dyna-72 (T-72M1D), and the other with a fire control system Sagem SAVAN-15T (with a panoramic commander's device SFIM VS580). In the same year, a decision was made to modernize 353 tanks, i.e. all available T-72M1, and the project received the code name "Wind". After several years of its implementation and the construction of several concepts and two prototypes (P1 - T-72M3 with a W-46TC engine, modernized by Škoda, with two turbochargers and P2 - T-72M4 with a Perkins Condor CV 12 TCA engine) in 1997. In VOP 025, the final configuration of the T-72M4 TsZ was created, which included the installation of a new fire control system, additional armor and the use of a power plant with a new engine and gearbox. But then problems began - only part of the tanks planned for modernization had to be brought to full standard, and the rest only to worn out. Of course, the reason was the lack of sufficient funds. Already in December 2000, by decision of the National Security and Defense Council, the number of modernized vehicles was reduced to 140, and deliveries were to begin in 2002. Unofficially, the cost of the program was then estimated at 500 million US dollars, with a total of approx. 30% of this amount was to be allocated to orders from Czech companies! Ultimately, the subsequent decisions of politicians in 2002 reduced the number of tanks undergoing modernization to 35 tanks (then to 33), while it was planned to receive funds for these purposes mainly through the sale of decommissioned T-72s. Ultimately, in 2003-2006, VOP 025 transferred only 30 T-72M4 CZ vehicles to AČR, including three in the command variant with extensive T-72M4 CZ-V communications. The cost of upgrading one tank was significant and ended up being approx. 4,5 million euros (in 2005 prices), but the modernization was very large-scale. The tanks received a power plant from the Israeli company Nimda with a Perkins Condor CV12-1000 TCA engine with a power of 736 kW / 1000 hp. and automatic hydromechanical transmission Allison XTG-411-6. True, this provided (in combination with a reinforced suspension) very good driving performance (max. 61 km/h, reverse 14,5 km/h, acceleration 0-32 km/h in 8,5 seconds, specific power 20,8 km/t) and dramatically improved operating conditions in the field (change of implement within an hour ), but this forced a large-scale and expensive reconstruction of the rear of the tank hull. The armor was reinforced with Czech-made Dyna-72 dynamic protection modules. The interior protection has also been improved: PCO SA's SSC-1 Obra laser warning system, the REDA protection system against weapons of mass destruction, the Deugra fire protection system and several types of additional mine trawls. Firepower was increased thanks to the TURMS-T fire control system of the Italian company Gallileo Avionica (now Leonardo), operating in hunter-killer mode. Also presented was a new anti-tank ammunition APFSDS-T from the Slovak company KONŠTRUKTA-Defense as125 / EPpSV-97, capable of penetrating 540 mm RHA from a distance of 2000 m (an increase of 1,6 times compared to the BM-15). . Despite the refusal to replace the gun, the stabilization system and only a partial modernization of the turret drives, the chance of hitting the target with the first shell was increased to 65÷75%. A lot of additional equipment was also used: a rear-view camera, a diagnostic system, a ground navigation system, new communication equipment, etc.

In 2006–2007, three VT-72B maintenance vehicles were upgraded in VOP 4 to the VT-025M72 TsZ standard, unified with the tanks being upgraded.