@Yontzee
Since Ukrainian TT suggestion is rotting in the old forum, I’ll add these info here for the time being and will copy this over to Ukr TT topic once it gets suggested again in this new forum:
A little more info in the T-64B upgrade project ‘Lak’, which involved upgrading to K-5 ERA, better engine & FCS
These resulted in two different T-64 upgrade variants (BM and BM2), each having its early and later variants. Both BM and BM2 projects were started in 1999 but the BM2 project was put in limbo and BM project was pursued.
The T-64BM aka T-64U aka BM Bulat (initially the more expensive upgrade compared to BM2)
Basically envisioned as what T-80U is to T-80BV is what T-64U is to T-64BV
The early 1999 variant of the T-64BM Bulat had Kontakt-5 ERA (not Nizh)
It received the full suite of the 1A45 Irtysh integrated FCS from the T-80UD/T-84.
Irtysh features the 1G46M Promin gunner primary sight and TPN-4 Buran GEN 2+ image intensifier gunner night sight . But no thermal sight for gunner was implemented.
Commander gets the TKN-4S Agat-S, featuring independently stabilized sight with night vision and ability to operate the AAMG remotely on its stabilized mount.
And the ability to fire beam-riding Kombat GLATGM
Improved 2E42 turret stabilizer resulting in improved accuracy and faster turret traverse.
Engine was the boosted version of the 5TDF, the 850hp 5TDFM.
The later T-64BM Bulat version would see certain improvements.
ERA would be changed to Nizh ERA. (Visually The ERA containers are narrower than K-5.)
And in 2017, along with the T-64BV zr.2017 modernization, BM Bulat would receive modern radios, satnav and most importantly the Trimen TPN-4 Buran sight was upgraded with its thermal variant.
The T-64BM2 (initially the cheaper alternative upgrade to T-64BM)
Compared to the early 1999 T-64BM Bulat, the early 1999 T-64BM2 had only the gunner FCS components of the Irtysh. That is, 1G46M Promin gunner primary sight and TPN-4 Buran PA.
No TKN-4S Agat-S for the commander.
Despite this upgrade being cheaper, the T-64BM would eventually be the one chosen to enter service as the BM Bulat in 2004. And the initial batch of 10 T-64BM2 would be kept in storage for 20 years.
After the production T-64BM Bulat proved unsatisfactory, in 2020, the T-64BM2 project would revisited in order to produce a modernize version of it in order to achieve a better T-64 variant than the BM Bulat.
This resulted in being the later BM2 variant being more expensive than the BM variant.
The later 2020 variant of T-64BM2 would receive the 1000hp 6TD-1 engine, that was originally designed for T-80UD & Object 476( Obj.476 was the original Soviet T-64 upgrade from 45 years ago that was cancelled in favor of T-80 upgrade that resulted in T-80U and later the T-80UD).
This required raising the turret ring to accommodate the larger engine compartment transplanted from the T-80UD. This is biggest visual difference indicator between T-64BM and T-64BM2.
The commander would receive the new TKN-3VUM sight with improved night vision.
And like the T-64BV zr.2017, the T-64BM2 would also receive similar upgrades like modern radios, satnav and thermal sight in the form of Trimen’s TPN1 TPV for the gunner.
And the older ERA containers, similar to both the older 1999 T-64BM and older 1999 T-64BM2 was retained and hence can be filled with both Kontakt-5 4S22 elements or Nizh shaped charge arrays.
As opposed to later T-64BM variant which switched to narrower ERA containers and can only be filled with Kontakt-1 4S20 elements or Nizh shaped charge arrays.
Incidentally, the MOU (Ukrainian Ministry of Defense) failed to order Nizh elements for some of the T-64BM Bulat delivered before 2014. As many as 1/3 of the T-64BM Bulats used in 2014 had to make do with 4S20 (Kontakt-1 elements) instead of Nizh.
