IT-1

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IT-1
IT-1 in a Russian military exhibition (2015)

IT-1 in a Russian military exhibition (2015)
General properties
crew 3
length 6.63 m
width 3.30 m
height 2.20 m
Dimensions 34.5 t
Armor and armament
Armor Solid armor
Main armament 1 × starter for 3M7 missiles (15 missiles)
Secondary armament 1 × 7.62mm MG PKT (2000 rounds)
agility
drive V-12-cylinder diesel engine W-55
425 kW (580 PS)
suspension Torsion bar
Top speed 50 km / h
Power / weight 10.7 kW / t (16.8 PS / t)
Range 470 km (road)

The IT-1 , ( Russian ИТ-1: Истребитель танков-1 , transcription Istrebitel tankow-1 , German  Panzerjäger-1 ), was a Soviet tank destroyer based on the T-62 , which was built with anti-tank missiles of the 3M7 type from 1968 to 1970 "Drakon" was armed.

development

Under the designation Object 150 , the concept of a tank destroyer with rocket armament was presented to the leadership of the USSR on July 22, 1960; In September 1964, a pre-production model was presented as part of a weapons show. Three rockets were launched against targets at a distance of 3,000 meters and controlled by radio into the target. The developers did not use a wire connecting the vehicle and the rocket to remotely control the missile, but rather a radio remote control, because it was believed that wire steering would restrict the vehicle's mobility. The wire could have broken off and control of the missile could have been lost.

Development was completed in 1965, but series production was only approved in 1968 after further adjustments.

The hull with the mechanical components was taken over from the T-62 almost unchanged. The tank destroyer was given a new, flatter turret, on the roof of which there was a hatch in the middle for the rocket launcher. The turret machine gun of the T-62 was retained for close-range defense.

Up to the end of production in 1970, around 220 vehicles were produced in the Uralwagonsavod .

Layout and function

The crew consisted of the driver, the missile gunner and a commander. As with the T-62, the driver sat in the front left. The commander and gunner were in the tower, which also housed the weapon system. Twelve reserve missiles were located in a loading mechanism below the launch device installed on the tower roof. Three more missiles were placed outside the loading mechanism. At the start, a missile was automatically loaded onto the launch pad, while the crew remained in the tower under the armor protection. The turret was swiveled electrically by the gunner, or manually if the slewing mechanism failed, in the direction of the target and the rocket was launched with a slight cant. The weapon accelerated to 217 m / s on takeoff; 0.5 seconds after the start, the system in the tank destroyer had established a radio link to the missile and the gunner could now steer it remotely via his optics. For this purpose, a luminous point, which symbolized the position of the rocket, was projected onto his telescopic sight, at the location of which he could determine the necessary control commands to reach the target. The maximum range of the weapon was 3000 meters, the minimum distance at which the rocket could still be used was 300 meters, since the igniter of the weapon was only armed automatically after a flight time of 1 to 1.5 seconds. The penetration power of the shaped charge warhead of the 60 kg rocket was about 250 mm of armor steel at an angle of impact of 60 °. The tank was not suitable for night combat.

About 25 seconds after launch, the system was automatically reset and the next rocket could be launched.

commitment

Tower of an IT-1 (2015)

The IT-1 was only used in two battalions , never took part in combat operations and was never exported to other countries. The units should be used to support motorized rifle divisions in sections that are particularly at risk from armor.

It was found that the requirements for the skills of the crew who were to carry out a missile launch were so high that military service members could not be taught how to launch a missile successfully during their limited period of service. The tank destroyer proved to be too heavy for the missile's performance and its range of tasks was largely covered by the now widespread light anti-tank systems, such as the 9K111 Fagot .

The vehicles were finally withdrawn from their units and converted into BTS-4W armored personnel carriers ( Russian БТС-4В ).

literature

  • AW Karpenko: Soviet-Russian tanks . 1905-2003. Elbe-Dnjepr, Klitzschen 2004, ISBN 3-933395-44-5 , p. 454 (Russian: Обозрение отечественной бронетанковой техники (1905–1995 гг.) . Translated by R. Meier).
  • М. Барятинский. Советская бронетанковая техника 1945-1995. - М .: Бронеколлекция, выпуск № 3, 2000.

Web links

Commons : IT-1  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonzavod, T-72 , Verlag Media-Print, Nizhny Tagil 2004, Russian, ISBN 5-98485-003-6 , quote: ИТ-1 в силу технической сложности превысил востаж