Thread by @SenftPatrick

🇷🇺⚡️🇺🇦

Recently, @CITeam_en documented #Russia pulling ancient T54/55 tanks from storage and potentially moving them to the frontline in the #UkraineRussiaWar.

Some, like @RyanMcbeth, have suggested the T54/55s could substitute artillery.

My thoughts plus a twist at the end🧵

What does using a tank in an indirect-fire role rather than a direct-fire role mean?

The idea: tanks don't fire at targets they can see in a relatively flat arc (as they were designed).

Instead, they fire at targets they don't see, at a steep angle (like howitzers).

And Tanks do that!

For example, Russia has been experimenting with using T-90s for indirect fire in 2018 (via: @pmakela1): function.mil.ru/news_page/coun…

And Ukraine has been doing the same in Donbas (via @RUSI_org): rusi.org/explore-our-re…

Here is even an image of a T55 in Afghanistan firing in an indirect role and a view through its scope.

(Credit: Mike Bennett)
quora.com/Could-a-main-b…

However, it's not ideal for a tank to fire in an indirect role.

Primarily, to shoot furthest, the gun must be elevated to 45° - that's just physics.

In contrast, most tanks can only elevate their barrels to about 18° - resulting in ~10km being the max. range (numbers for T55)

So, often times when tanks are firing beyond the line of sight (LOS), they are driven onto a ramp to increase the angle of the gun.

Here's a video of M26 Pershing tanks in the indirect fire role in Korea 1950: reddit.com/r/TankPorn/com…

However, shooting far is not all; you must also hit a target.

Since tanks are not set up for indirect fire, they need an observer that sees the target and where the rounds impact - telling the tanks how to adjust their fire.

An observer's sketch to coordinate indirect fire👇

Another challenge for tanks firing beyond LOS is that they need to correct elevation and azimuth (gun rotation).

I.e. The tanks have to turn their turrets towards the target - as seen below, at just 5km, that's just a few degrees. So the azimuth correction must be quite precise

Thus, using a tank as an artillery piece is possible, but having it fire far and accurately is not trivial.

It requires a forward observer that tells the gunner how to adjust its aim precisely - something the stock tank is not set up for.

Now it gets interesting: #China!

China has apparently been equipping some of its tanks with a fire-control computer to facilitate their indirect-fire capabilities.

As early as 2016, #China has begun equipping some Type 96A MBTs with a rudimentary targeting calculator for indirect fire.

thepaper.cn/newsDetail_for…

By 2021, the indirect-fire targeting calculator was apparently integrated into the Type 15 light tank's fire control system.

However, the Type 15 still needs a forward observer to provide a target's coordinates.

acfun.cn/a/ac18010763?f…

By 2022, this had changed too.

The VT4A1 MBT with an integrated #UAV was presented at the Zhuhai Air Show.

The UAV is allegedly connected to the tank's fire-control system and can be used for recon and to acquire targets for indirect fire.

k.sina.com.cn/article_140391…

Based on the reporting, the Chinese development may ave been accelerated by the experiences from the #UkraineRussiaWar.

One author specifically shows a Russian BMD-4M and a Ukrainian tank being supported by a UAV while firing indirectly.

All Chinese sources have been archived.

Further sources:
thedrive.com/the-war-zone/s…. (@thedrive )
armamentresearch.com/ares-special-r… (@Arms_Research )
FM 17-12 (@USArmy )
spslandforces.com/story/?id=354

CC: @Chieftain_armor, @stoa1984, @RyanMcbeth , @AbraxasSpa, @RathsRalf, @UAWeapons , @WeaponsWarfare, @RUSI_org , @TankMuseum, @SofiGaming, @DocBunker.