Meet Object 187: The Other T-90
Known details of the classified tank.
Introduction
Object 187 (T-72BI obr. 1992g) is a Soviet experimental main battle tank (MBT) developed between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. Object 187 is also referred to as T-72BU and T-72BM, but this is somewhat incorrect since T-72BU obr. 1992g was the original designation for the T-90 (Object 188). The other designation, T-72BM, according to the US Army Armor Center was the Soviet designation for T-72B obr. 1989g and later for the Russian T-72B2 obr. 2006g Rogatka.
Work on the tank was conducted by the Ural Design Bureau of Transport Machine-Building under a T-72B improvement program — hence the designation T-72BI — with an order dated June 19, 1986. Conceived as a next-generation development, it designed to fulfill operational requirements not then met by the rest of the main battle tanks built by Uralvagonzavod. The designers, led by Vladimir Potkin, wanted to reject the old, troublesome design of T-64 that applied to the T-72 as a form of improvement. The project ran in parallel with Object 188 (T-72BU/T-90) and considered as a temporary solution for Object 188.
There are six variations of the prototypes of Object 187. These prototypes came in pairs in three batches with each prototype different from the others. The first prototypes still have the resemblance of the T-72B but the later prototypes have a totally different design. The features and the designs of each prototype will be elaborated down below. Since most of the data about Object 187 are still classified until this day, there are only a few things that we know about this tank.
Armament
Almost all of the prototypes are equipped with a new 125 mm 2A66 (D-91T) smoothbore gun. Externally, the new 2A66 can be differentiated from the 2A46M gun — that became a standard gun for Soviet-made tanks — from its muzzle brake at the end of the barrel. The muzzle brake installed primarily to keep a clear line-of-sight for the missile guidance system, while also decreasing effective recoil from the more powerful new gun.
The new 2A66 can fire two depleted uranium (DU) APFSDS (armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot) shells, such as 3BM39 Anker-1 (Anchor-1) and 3BM40 Anker-2 (Anchor-2), as well as new HEATFS (high explosive anti-tank fin-stabilized) shells and GLATGM (gun-launched AT guided missiles). The penetration value of its DU shells is better than 2A46M’s 3BM42 Mango APFSDS shells already in service.
Other than new ammunition, the new gun also came with a new and modified 1A45T Irtysh fire control system (FCS) found on T-80UK. The FCS was supplemented by Agava-2 independent gunner thermal sight and crosswind sensor.
Later prototypes are also equipped with the improved 2A46M-2 smoothbore gun for evaluation purposes.
Prototype Number 1 & 2
Prototype number 1 and number 2 has the closest resemblance to the Object 188 (T-72BU Obr. 1992g or T-90 Obr. 1992g) than any other prototypes. This is because the majority of both T-72BI and T-72BU prototype’s components are still taken from T-72B Obr. 1989g which also serves as the basis for Object 188. Both prototypes are still using T-72B Obr. 1992g’s hull and cast turret with its Kontakt-5 ERA, but other than that are totally different. Also different from the latest T-72B, TSh-U-1 Shtora electro-optical countermeasure system is present on all of the prototype’s turret with its famous “red-eye” dazzler on both sides of the turret. In the first models of the machine, the first and the sixth roadwheels are equipped with paddle hydraulic shock absorbers. Later they began to install also on the second roadwheel.
Prototype number 1 used a V-84MS diesel engine that generates 830 hp as its power plant. This power plant is later used on early production model T-90 tanks. The exhaust on this prototype is on the left side of the hull. After a few runs to test the hull integrity with the new engine, the prototype was then later disassembled and the hull served as a basis for the development of the third prototype.
Different from the first prototype, the second prototype is equipped with a V-85 diesel engine that can generate up to 1,000 hp. The vehicle was sent to Turkmenistan to test its durability in a dusty environment and high temperature. The vehicle was then used as a target vehicle for testing new weaponry and later disposed of in a scrapyard near Uralvagonzavod factory with the other prototypes.
Prototype Number 3 & 4
The third prototype came in the second batch with the fourth prototype. Both the third and the fourth prototype came with a whole different hull than the prototype of the first batch and also the whole T-72 family. Its hull is a lengthened version of the T-72’s original hull, allowing the driver to have a more leaned position. The lengthening of the hull positively affected the ergonomics of the tank’s interior and protection of the lower glacis part. Due to the lengthening of the hull’s nose section, the driver’s position was lower, with his optics attached to the roof of the hull, unlike in the T-64 and its derivatives (including T-72, T-80, and T-90). This remedied a notorious weak spot of the T-64 design — the section between the turret and the hull. The same solution made it possible to rearrange the armor at a more rational angle of inclination as a countermeasure to modern sub-caliber armor-piercing rounds.
The purpose of the third and the fourth prototypes is to evaluate their durability so they never equip these prototypes with full, complete features of other prototypes. They are also equipped with the new and upgraded version 2A46M gun (2A46M-2).
The third and fourth prototype also has a different turret mounted on them. They used a box-shaped welded turret that would be seen a decade later in the upgraded T-90 models. The turret indeed served as the basis for the turrets of the later T-90 models. The welded turret’s spent shell casing ejector is also oval-shaped rather than round-shaped found on the T-72B series.
Additionally, hydraulic shock absorbers were installed on all of the roadwheels rather than only on the first and sixth roadwheels on the previous prototypes. The third prototype was first equipped with the V-85 diesel engine but later equipped with GTD-1250 turbine engine found in the T-80U but kept the original engine deck. The prototype then was sent to the BTVT proving ground in the Moscow region for endurance testing. Trials found that the V-85 diesel engine is superior to the GTD-1250 turbine engine. Later, this prototype underwent comprehensive nuclear radiated environment tests at the Arzamas-16 Nuclear Center.
The fourth prototype also first equipped with the GTD-1250 turbine engine and used the engine deck design of the T-80U with one large exhaust on the center. This prototype was later equipped with the new and more powerful А-85–2 diesel engine that generates 1200 hp but kept the engine deck design of the T-80U. Both prototypes also ended in the scrapyard near the UVZ factory.
Prototype Number 5 & 6
The fifth and sixth examples received the most significant design change from the basic T-72B obr. 1989g. Both of the prototype’s hulls are based on the second batch’s hull. The frontal plate part has received even more impressive dimensions and a new form. The frontal part of the hull is raised and higher than the second batch prototypes. The driver’s hatch and periscope also moved further back and positioned nearer the turret. The new hull more resembles the German-built Leopard 2’s hull. The bare hull (without ERA plates) has a length of 7.2 m and a width of 2.17 m. Both of these prototypes are equipped with Malakhit ERA — the prototype of the future Relikt ERA, not to be confused with the Malakhit ERA mounted on the new T-14 Armata tank — that offers more protection than the Kontak-5 ERA mounted on the previous prototypes. Other than the new ERA, the engine deck is protected by cage armor to defeat shaped-charge munitions. These third batch prototypes also re-equipped with the 2A66 gun.
Prototype number 5 and 6 received the same engine as prototype number 4 (A-85–2 diesel engine), but a different transmission. The fifth prototype is equipped with a traditional mechanical transmission, and the sixth — with a more innovative transmission. For effective cooling of large volumes of air, a large area of radiators was required.
Due to the fact that the fifth and sixth prototype had different transmissions, they get slightly different cage armor. In particular, the left side of the fifth prototype’s cage armor received an opening for the filler plug. Perhaps this is the only difference between the appearance of these prototypes. On the other side, these prototypes also received an APU unit located on the rear of the right fender shelf.
Both of the prototypes of the third batch didn’t end up in a scrapyard but in an enclosed space in the Uralvagonzavod factory in Nizhny Tagil. To this date, the prototypes can’t be seen by the public due to their secrecy.
Conclusion
Uralvagonzavod undertook enormous efforts for this tank to be adopted. The tank also shows a superior combat performance than all of the tank then-in service or still in the prototype form, such as Object 188. a Russian source said that part of the reason why Object 187 didn’t get accepted into service is because of its new and revolutionary 2A66 main gun. The 2A66 gun can’t fire old ammunitions of the 2A46 series gun. Other than that, the final hull design that different from the T-72B will disturb the production line of the Uralvagonzavod factory. So the factory will need to make a new mass-production kit to be able to produce Object 187. Both of these reasons made the initial cost of introducing the tank prohibitively high.
Instead, the preferred project was Object 188 (T-90), which is a combination between the T-72B’s hull and some of the Object 187’s systems. According to its chief designer Vladimir Ivanovich Potkin, Object 187 should have become the foundation for the design and production of an entire future family of Soviet tanks, and to serve as a foundation for more advanced and powerful tanks.
References:
- “Will Russia’s New Armata Tank come Loaded with a ‘Super’ Gun?”. The National Interest.
- “Object 187”. Mentorbizlist.
- “Экспериментальный основной боевой танк ‘Объект 187’”. Wayback Machine.
- “Танк ‘Объект 187’”. Wayback Machine.
