Modern Russian Army in the photos.

[GoldComet6]

MiG-31s are always interesting too....I saw these a few weeks ago, In the close up shots on the ground - notice the mirror that is sticking up over the back canopy. It's used for the RIO in the back seat to see ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRhgxCaPakQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM36hgQWKYo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp7ki4QrWgI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBSVse2NPdE

 

[GoldComet6]

Flybys of several Russian types

Su-24 MiG-31 Su-34 Yak-130
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLCbSaeDTEQ



Su-34 100 years of Russian Air Force
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOU5D5GRvF8

 

[Another Ahab]

Here are two videos I have watched on the new Armata T-14 tanks.

Has a different look from their past designs. Has an unmanned turret with auto loader, but still with a 125 mm smooth-bore main gun.

I'm not familiar with smoothbore guns, is this something common to armor:

- How does the gun handle its shells without any rifling, does it fire a fletchette round or something?

 

[bikeman]

Ahab, the Abrams is a 120mm Smoothbore as well. the rounds (SABOT, HEAT) do their thing just fine

 

[Another Ahab]

Flybys of several Russian types

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOU5D5GRvF8

What's the history behind the teal blue color that seems to be a part of almost all the Russian service branches?

I've noticed it in the aircraft, the subs, and I think recall seeing it used on some miscellaneous vehicles also.

I like that Russian blue. Does anybody know what that is all about? USSR, do you know the story?

 

[GoldComet6]

I'm not familiar with smoothbore guns, is this something common to armor:

- How does the gun handle its shells without any rifling, does it fire a fletchette round or something?

No expert on this, but yes it is very common in these large cannons. Most modern MBTs use a smooth-bore main gun.

Tanks like the Abrams, Leopard 1 & 2, T-72/90, Leclerc...use a smooth-bore, while the British Challenger 1 & 2 use rifled cannons.

Smooth-bore cannons can fire many types of ammo that do not rely on rifling. For example the armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds have a "sabot" that centers the projectile in the bore. Once fired, it falls away leaving the very dense projectile with fins, heading to the target.

If memory serves me right, the rifled gun in the Challenger versions 1 & 2 can fire one type of high explosive round that the Abrams cannot based on the rifled cannon. That is why the Brits continue to use it - I think they are the only modern tank with rifling.

 

[GoldComet6]

What's the history behind the teal blue color that seems to be a part of almost all the Russian service branches?

I've noticed it in the aircraft, the subs, and I think recall seeing it used on some miscellaneous vehicles also.

I like that Russian blue. Does anybody know what that is all about? USSR, do you know the story?

No expert here either, but I'll try:

It seems to be the progression of their previous camo designs and what other nations have been doing. The older paints were just a light gray or a light blue, while newer Russian air defense aircraft have blended light and darker grays and added white.

Other nations, Indonesia was first I remember, have used the gray, white and blue. I think the Russians have decided this is more effective than their previous all light/medium gray or pale blue. Plus they can evaluate how effective the gray/blue/white camo by seeing the Indonesian F-16s or Ukrainian Su-27s. Chad's ground attack Su-25s have tan and blue paint.

You'll see a lot of variation in the camo patterns of modern air superiority fighters, perhaps the Russians could just following the latest trend!

 

[TehTDK]

I see someone apparently beat me to it, but I am going to post this anyway

The differences between smoothbore and rifled cannons aren’t as predominant as it once was as modern technology has made strides to reduce the gap between the 2. Initially certain munitions were restricted to either kind of gun, but as time has passed various munitions have been made/adapted to work on either kind.

But at the very beginning APFSDS(Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot) rounds as well as HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank) were the main types of rounds that could only be fired by a smooth bore cannon and not by a rifled one. The reasoning behind this was that the rotation put on the round would cause the tungsten/Depleted Uranium penetrator in an APFSDS round to become unstable and wobble as well as lose energy and thus limiting penetration on the target. And in the case of a HEAT round the rotation would destroy the hot molten jet and put a spin on that as well and ultimately also limit that rounds penetration and effectiveness.

But at the same time there were rounds that depended on the rifling to put a spin on the round, for the round to perform effectively and detonate at the right time (based on rotation timer triggers). Rounds such as HESH (High Explosive Squash Head), APERS (Anti PERSonal) and several other rounds.

At the beginning there weren't any other rounds apart from anti tank grade rounds for the smoothbore cannon, but these days several other rounds has emerged and are seeing use by a lot of countries, much like technology has made it possible for rifled guns to fire some types of ammunition previously restricted only to smoothbore cannons. Furthermore rifled cannons tend to wear out a lot faster than smoothbore cannons for obvious reasons. Even the British are planning on putting the rheinmetall smoothbore cannon from the Leopards and the Abrams on their Challenger 2's as a part of their modernisation process as early trials apparently revealed that the German tungsten DM53 round was more effective than the depleted-uranium CHARM 3 round.

 

[USSR]

Т -15 at sunset.

 

[USSR]

 

[USSR]

 

[Another Ahab]

Т -15 at sunset.

Looks amphibious:

- Is it a swimmer?

 

[GoldComet6]

Looks amphibious:

- Is it a swimmer?

Here is what I found on it. It does not state specifically whether it is amphibious or not.

http://www.military-today.com/apc/armata_heavy_ifv.htm

The Armata is a new Russian heavy infantry fighting vehicle. Some sources refer it as T-15. Its development commenced in 2011. It was developed as a part of armored vehicle family. This heavy IFV is based on the same platform as the Armatamain battle tank. First mock-up or prototype was completed in 2013 and was revealed to Russian military officials. Trials commenced in 2014. It was first publicly revealed in 2015. It was planned that a first batch of 12 vehicles will be delivered in 2015. It seems that these heavy IFVs were built mainly for parades. However full-scale production could begin soon.

It seems that this heavy IFV is intended only for specialist combat teams. Recently another Kurganets-25 new-generation infantry fighting vehicle was developed for the Russian Army and will be used as a standard infantry carrier.

This new heavy IFV is way better protected than the BMP-1,BMP-2 and BMP-3 IFVs, used by the Russian Army. Recent conflict revealed that older IFVs, such as BMP-1 and BMP-2 are very vulnerable to pretty much all anti-tank weapons. Today these vehicles are not that efficient on the battlefield. It seems that Armata heavy IFV has similar level of protection as Armata main battle tank. Exact technical specifications of this heavy IFV remain classified.

The new Russian heavy IFV has an unusual layout with a front-mounted engine. The Armata tank has a rear powerpack arrangement. It became an issue for designers in order to make a troop compartment in the rear part of the vehicle. So the heavy IFV has a swapped front end with the rear. It is driving backwards comparing with the original Armata MBT. Such solution has already been used on some main battle tank conversions to heavy armored personnel carrier.

It has been reported that this armored vehicle is operated by a crew of only 2 men, including commander and driver. Troop compartment is located at the rear. It is unknown how many passengers this vehicle can carry. It is likely that this heavy IFV accommodates 6 to 8 dismounts. Troops egress and dismount via rear doors.

The Armata is one of the most protected, if not the most protected IFV in the world. It seems that in terms of protection it is superior to most heavy armored personnel carrier and heavily-armored vehicles such as German Puma IFV.

It has been reported that it has newly-developed armor, made of steel, ceramics and composite materials. Also it has been reported that Armata has a Malakhit add-on explosive reactive armor of new generation. A front-mounted engine provides additional protection. As usual this armored vehicle is fitted with NBC protection and automatic fire suppression systems. It has been reported that it will be fitted with new Afganit active protection system. It seems that it also has a new countermeasures system that reduces the chance of being hit by enemy ATGW with semi-automatic guidance.

Due to its superior armor protection the Armata heavy IFV can carry infantry into battle and provide direct fire support on modern battlefield. It can be deployed on the battlefield alongside Armata tanks, not behind them. Recent conflicts revealed that in combat IFVs are usually kept in a safe distance from enemy firing line due to their vulnerability to anti-tank weapons.

This new Russian vehicle outguns most current troop carriers, based on tank chassis. It has a remotely controlled weapon station, armed with 30-mm cannon, coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun and 4 Kornet-EM anti-tank missile launchers. The same turret is also used on the Kurganets-25. The cannon has an effective range of up to 4 km. There are 500 rounds for the main gun, including 160 armor-piercing and 340 high-explosive fragmentation rounds. Missiles have a maximum range of 8 - 10 km and can also target helicopters.
It has been reported that this armored vehicle is powered by an A-82-2 turbocharged diesel engine, developing 1 200 hp. It is a new-generation engine that is much more compact than previous Russian tank engines. Engine is located at the front and provides additional protection. Vehicle has 7 roadwheels of new type.

 

[Another Ahab]

Looks amphibious:

- Is it a swimmer?

View attachment 557171 View attachment 557172

Here is what I found on it. It does not state specifically whether it is amphibious or not.

If I remember right, USSR posted a similar vehicle a while back that he did identify as amphibious. But I believe this is another vehicle altogether.

The engine-forward concept sounds innovative.

 

[USSR]

Looks amphibious:

- Is it a swimmer?

View attachment 557171 View attachment 557172

this - not

 

[Another Ahab]

this - not

I'll tell you what, that is a real nice looking machine:

But I guess, for the record, the official classification would be "sinker' then, and not "swimmer"!

 

[bikeman]

Everything can be a Submarine, once!

USSR, how are things on the homefront, I remember them being sketchy for a while...

 

[USSR]

 

[Another Ahab]

Maybe I'm only imagining this, USSR, but it seems like the ordnance on the T-15 is literally being "kept under wraps":

- wondering if this is deliberate

- or just Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to store the weapons, when not active, under cover.

Is there something proprietary there on a need-to-know basis?

 

[USSR]