"We are also developing automatic loading machines." Qin Zhenhua said: "These should be announced at the end of the year. Our 85 tank will launch a further firepower modification by the end of the year to comprehensively improve the firepower performance."
Qin Zhenhua still circled his own 85 tank and persuaded the other party to purchase his own 85 tank, which is of course the most ideal.
What you want will be implemented on our 85 tank. Although it is only a 105mm gun barrel now, when it matures, you can replace it with a 125mm tank gun. When designing, you have already considered it.
"By the way, what level of armor-piercing capabilities are the Soviet-exported T-72 tanks?" General Berg asked.
Soviet T-72?
It is hard to say if you use it for your own use, after all, no one knows it, but the kind of exporter is definitely useless.
"The Soviet T-72 tank exported to the export model is the core of the 3BM17 armor-piercing projectile." Qin Zhenhua introduced it based on the knowledge he has mastered: "This type of armor-piercing projectile uses steel penetrating rods, so the armor-piercing ability is very poor. According to the test, it would be good to have a penetration depth of 220 mm at a distance of 2,000 meters."
Even the special armor-piercing bullets on his own 100 slides can be compared! Qin Zhenhua is very confident in this regard.
In order to increase penetration depth, countries are constantly using new materials. Tungsten alloys are the most commonly used, especially the elastic cores of tungsten alloys made by special powder metallurgy processes. The aspect ratio can be further increased. Americans even used depleted uranium cores.
Where are the Soviets? The export type is actually steel core bullets! This is simply shrinking to the limit, and such a thick gun barrel is blinded in vain! This kind of penetration can even stop the 69 tank on its own side.
"So, what about the armor-piercing bombs they used for themselves?" Berg continued to ask.
"It's for your own use? No one knows this. However, when the Soviets exported their T-72 tanks, the penetration depth given was 2,000 meters to penetrate 310 mm of homogeneous steel armor, but in fact it was not enough. However, they must have tested it when purchasing, so I guess this penetration depth is the armor-piercing depth data of the Soviet army's own tungsten core bullets. After all, the Soviets' tungsten alloy armor-piercing bombs are also strange two-part bullets."
Although the specific information is still confidential, many are still clear. This tall tungsten alloy armor-piercing bomb is not a thin and long rod, but is divided into two halves!
This should be a consequence of metallurgical technology failure. Making a thin and long pole can easily break, and it can only be made into two halves. How these two halves are fixed together is just a matter of knowledge. The Soviets' solution was to use a steel sleeve and wrap it up.
Even if it is used for this kind of self-use, the performance is not very good. The 125mm thick gun barrel was vainly broken, and the penetration depth was only about 300 mm.
The Soviets naturally knew that their armor-piercing bullets were not very good, so the Soviets were constantly developing new armor-piercing bullets. By 1986, there was a new 3BM42 armor-piercing bullet, which still used a steel-covered tungsten bullet core. They claimed that they could penetrate 450 mm homogeneous steel sets at a distance of 2,000 meters.
Now, the data that Qin Zhenhua could roughly say, 300 mm, should be the limit.
Although the armor-piercing bombs of T-72 that are now exported are not very capable, the Soviet Union may also export its own use at any time, so it is still necessary to beware of this move.
In fact, speaking of these data, it may sound bad now, but in the 1980s, it was enough to deal with most of the conflicts.
Because in this era, most tanks are still of ordinary armored steel, and the thickest part is only more than 200 millimeters!
The explosion reaction armor has just emerged, and the composite armor is still the most powerful thing. The large number of equipment in each team is still the most ordinary tanks, so this kind of penetration is enough. The Soviets have never pursued the top data, as long as it is enough.
"That is to say, the T-72 tank's penetration depth is the order of 300 mm. Considering their potential to continue upgrading, our joint-developed tank has the frontal protection capability to reach 450 mm." Berg continued.
As soon as this data was released, several people were shocked.
Frontal protection, 450mm?
In terms of design, the tanks in the east mainly rely on their low profile to enhance protection. The 85 tank on its own is only 2,200 mm in height, which is quite low. In comparison, the German Leopard 2 is 2,480 mm, and the American M1 tank is 2,885 mm. The lower the appearance, the smaller the front projection area is.
As for protection, the current tank of our side is actually made of the latest armored steel welded. Although the protection has been greatly enhanced, it is still far behind 450mm!
Even if the first generation of fiberglass composite armor developed by our side is stuffed into it, the protection is about 400 mm, and then, the remaining fifty mm will be relied on armored steel?
In this way, the tank's self-weight will soar!
Even the third generation of our tanks has the current protection data of only 600 mm, and this is based on the fifty-ton level.
Our 85 tank is only 40 tons, and it is very difficult to achieve a protection capacity of 450 mm, unless it is a major modification to the 85 tank!
Looking at Qin Zhenhua's thoughtful look, the other party said: "We know that this indicator requires a bit high, but our joint research and development tank is to gain performance advantages in the future battlefield. As a third-generation tank under pre-research, we must have such high standards."
"If this is the case, the tank's self-weight will probably exceed 45 tons." Qin Zhenhua said: "The tanks you operate now are not more than 40 tons. Are you not worried about the restrictions on bridges, etc."
Qin Zhenhua tried to convince the other party through other aspects.
Berg shook his head: "We are not worried."
"Okay, then we can develop according to this standard. In this way, the engine's power will also be increased to about one thousand horsepower. Only our latest Black Panther diesel engine can meet your needs."
Now, this joint research and development project has come to fruition, with a weight of at least 45 tons, a 125mm tank gun and automatic loader, and a diesel engine of 1,000 horsepower.
Will he complete it one step earlier than Zhu Lao and the others? Thinking of this, Qin Zhenhua smiled bitterly.
"So, let's continue to talk about production issues. When the tank is developed, we hope to be produced in our own factory."