In pictures: Inside Ukraine's tank graveyard
Outisde the Ukrainian city of Kharkov lies a Soviet-era tank graveyard, crammed with row upon row of dormant rusted relics.
Posted on 12/10/2022 4:32:28 PM PST by dennisw
The first video has appeared online depicting the Ukrainian army’s ex-Slovenian M-55S tanks.
The video depicts what appears to be a four-person M-55S crew training on its new-old vehicle. The thick mud—a sticky hallmark of Ukraine’s wet early winter—might confirm the video is recent.
The M-55S despite its age could represent a glimpse at the Ukrainian army’s tank future. It’s all about the gun.
The M-55S is a deeply modernized Soviet T-55, a tank type that first entered service in the late 1950s. In the 1990s, the Slovenian army paid Israeli firm Elbit and STO RAVNE in Slovenia to modify 30 of its 36-ton T-55s.
The companies delivered the last example in 1999. The Slovenian army in the early 2000s replaced the M-55Ss with newer M-84s—and put the M-55Ss in storage.
Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob in a telephone conversation with German chancellor Olaf Scholz in September hammered out a deal whereby Germany would give Slovenia 40 military trucks—and Slovenia in turn would supply 28 M-55Ss to Ukraine. That’s enough tanks for a single battalion.
Among other enhancements—including reactive armor, an uprated engine and a new fire-control system—the M-55S has a stabilized, British-made L7 105-millimeter main gun in place of the original Soviet 100-millimeter gun.
The gun is what makes the M-55S valuable to Ukraine. The British gun is compatible with a wide range of modern ammunition, including armor-piercing sabot rounds that can penetrate the armor of a modern T-72.
More importantly, several Western companies produce 105-millimeter shells, meaning Ukraine shouldn’t struggle to maintain a steady supply of ammunition for its single M-55S battalion.
The Ukrainians have enough ex-Russian T-62s for perhaps two battalions. The problem, for these units, is that the T-62 packs a 115-millimeter main gun that’s unique in Russian and Ukrainian service.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
“Scurrying”?
LMAO.
Hardly.
Comparing Russia that is using STOCKPILED tanks to Ukraine not having shat for tanks and receiving refurbished 1950-60s level tanks speaks volumes:
Russia has stockpiled tanks to upgrade and refurbish.
The Ukrainians do not since all their shat has been destroyed therefore, has to rely upon refurbished shat coming from other nations.
Yo, the 50’s and 60s are wanting their tank back.....it’s 2022. Hello!?
No problem, given Ukraine’s propensity to have their military hardware destroyed, won’t be long for these ‘super duper’ refurbished T-55S to meet their destruction, as well.
All the while, the Russians continue to build up and the Ukraine’s are left with their continued and incessant begging, pleading and grifting for replacement military hardware.
In pictures: Inside Ukraine's tank graveyard
Outisde the Ukrainian city of Kharkov lies a Soviet-era tank graveyard, crammed with row upon row of dormant rusted relics.
More than a few Russian tanks are vulnerable to being “shot at” from above. Meaning a drone dropping an explosive on top of the turret. KABOOM!
Tanks are old school. They’re impressive but there are enough weapons these days to make them rolling coffins.
Wait until you don’t have a tank.
Upgrade cost more than the tank is worth, old school battle gear in a new age of drones
T-55s, no matter how many upgrades, are Instant Death Traps.
It has very thin armor compared to a modern tank and are not survivable. 50 cal APR’s will pierce its hull.
LOL. Let me guess, you bought that line of bull.
I’m thinking the same thing. It’s downright pathetic the Russians are in the position they feel they must try and refurbish tanks built half a century ago, right? How the mighty have fallen!
Considering how the Ukrainians have pushed the Russians backwards since mid-March with old Soviet and NATO hand me downs can you imagine the ass-whipping the Russians would get against front line NATO gear?
Ping
We’d have kicked their asses.
“Supposed to” means I don’t consider it a fact. Just what I’ve heard from enough sources to consider it an accepted anecdote.
I guess we will soon know how these 70 year old tanks hold up in modern warfare.
In the late 1990s, the Slovenian army paid Israeli firm Elbit and STO RAVNE in Slovenia to modify 30 T-55s. The companies delivered the last example in 1999.The M-55S has a stabilized, British-made L7 105-millimeter main gun in place of the original Soviet 100-millimeter gun. The British gun is compatible with a wide range of modern ammunition, including armor-piercing sabot rounds that can penetrate the armor of a modern-ish T-72.
To point the gun, Elbit installed a new fire-control computer that allows the M-55S to shoot while moving. A T-55 normally stops before firing.
A T-55 has four crew—a commander, gunner, loader and driver. Only the gunner can aim the gun. The M-55S adds an independent sight for the commander so they can aim the gun, too.
For protection, the M-55S adds a laser-warning system that alerts the crew and deploys smoke grenades when an anti-tank missile is incoming. The Slovenian tank also has a new armor mix—explosive reactive blocks on top of passive armor.
Finally, a new engine with 600 horsepower, giving the 36-ton tank roughly the same mobility as a T-72. All that is to say, the M-55S isn’t really a T-55. It’s the bones of a T-55 with a new brain, new muscles and new skin.
And it should be a match for many of the Russian tanks in Ukraine—especially older T-72s as well as the T-62s the Kremlin pulled out of storage this summer to try to make good some of its losses.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/09/19/slovenia-is-giving-ukraine-some-very-old-tanks-but-age-can-be-deceiving/?sh=1c4b13d47b3f
It was Khadaffi's Libyan T-55s that lost to Chadian Toyota pickups with French-provided antitank missile launchers mounted in the bed in a war in the dessert.
I wonder if you still have use a hand-crank to traverse the turret?
Crew cab to carry more long bearded fanatic crazies to their rendezvous with Allah.
I’ve read that repair parts for the Toyota HiLux are available in nearly every country on earth.
Toyota HiLux is sold all over the world except for the First World of Europe, USA, Canada. This is what it looks like to me. HiLux and Toyota pickups sold here, must have some parts in common. But are different beasts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Hilux
It’s looking less like comedy and more of a documentary every day....
Yes. Whenever I read “1984” or “Atlas Shrugged” I have less the feel of a fictional novel than of a handbook to describe the actions of the Left.
But “Idiocracy”...OMG. Just the stupidity, the trash, the mindless bureaucracy...oh yeah. Looking that way, too!
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