We’re taking a look at the main reward of the Call of the Dragon event, which is the Object 292, an experimental Soviet MBT based on the T-80 series tank that features a 152 mm smoothbore gun!
Object 292: An Event Vehicle MBT for the USSR at Rank VII
Features:
- Long-barreled 152 mm gun!
- Autoloader.
- Laser rangefinder.
- Good mobility.
- Average armor protection.
One of the ways considered for increasing the combat effectiveness of Soviet tanks was to use a more powerful 152 mm caliber gun. In the late 1980s, engineers from the Kirov Plant and VNIITransmash in Leningrad were developing a prototype vehicle based on the T-80U tank with a 152.4 mm LP-83 smoothbore gun. To accommodate this massive gun, a new reinforced turret bustle and a mechanized carousel-type autoloader were designed. In September 1990, a prototype was built on the chassis of the T-80BV tank, which went on to receive the factory designation of Object 292. This tank was successfully tested in 1991, but was not put into production due to the collapse of the USSR and the economic crisis. The only prototype of the Object 292 is on display at the tank museum in the Patriot Park near Moscow.
Meet the Object 292!
Let’s take a moment to think about what Soviet MBTs, armed with a 152 mm gun, would be like? They’d be like the Object 292, which is an experimental tank based on the T-80BV chassis that has a 152 mm smoothbore cannon. This tank is the main reward vehicle for the Call of Dragon event — let’s take a look!
The stand-out and most noticeable feature of the Object 292 is without a doubt its gun. This is a huge 152 mm LP-83 smoothbore cannon that’s stabilized, produces a lot of recoil and also has an autoloader! Thanks to its length, the general characteristics of shells have improved in terms of muzzle velocity and penetration, where the available two are an APFSDS and HE shell. In terms of ammo load and rate of fire, this tank can store 30 rounds of ammunition in total, including 16 already in the autoloader, which can be fired at a rate of 6 rounds per minute. Not bad for a gun of this size!
Interesting: In addition to the Kirov plant in Leningrad, development of 152 mm guns was carried out at the Ural Design Bureau of Transport Engineering (“Object 195”) and the Kharkov Malyshev Plant (“Boxer” project).
Moving onto the Object 292’s chassis and speed, which is essentially the same as T-80 tanks that we’ve all come to know: a good maximum speed and a good power-to-weight ratio. On solid ground, the Object 292 can reach speeds of 70 km/h, where it’s also able to drive well in off-road conditions and maneuver without much of an issue. As you may expect, the weakest part about the Object 292’s mobility is the slow reverse speed, however this is still higher than on the T-72 series.
In War Thunder, the Object 292 is modeled exactly how the real prototype itself was tested. All types of ERA have been removed, and steel blocks have been placed on the turret acting as weight imitators. Therefore in terms of armor, the Object 292’s is generally a “naked” T-80, meaning it has vulnerable sides on the hull and turret. The frontal armor will struggle against APFSDS rounds above 105 mm caliber, and ATGMs, especially tandem charge, will not have any problem going through. You may have also noticed that the turret shape is slightly different, and you’d be right! This is because the back of the turret area has extended to accommodate the new massive breech and its recoil, and to store shells.
The Object 292 is the main reward of the Call of the Dragon event which is going to be starting very soon. Keep an eye out on the news to find out about the event how and exactly it will work so that you can get this awesome tank!
