Object 186 - Path to greatness

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Hello !

Today, I’d like to suggest the addition of a tank that had a pivotal role in Soviet tank-building, for better and for worse. While featuring a lot of advanced components, most of them did not end up seeing the light of day on production lines. This tank is named 186 and you might be familiar with it.


The vehicle undergoing mobility trials at an unknown location during the second stage of trials, July 1984.

History

Spoiler

Following the acceptance into service of the T-72A on June 22, 1979, engineers of Uralvagonzavod’s design bureau, the UKBTM, immediately started working on improving the tank under OKR “Совершенствование-72А” (“Improvement-72A”).

One of the first major developments was made under OKR “Агат-У” (“Agat-U”) in July 1980, where Soviets engineers succesfully developed and installed a panoramic sight for the commander on a T-72 but it will never reach mass production and still hasn’t yet.

However, the most important milestone was set on July 5, 1981, with the the Soviet authorities authorizing work on a tank named 184. The 184 would be gradually improved over time (most famously receiving the 172.10.077sb turret from September 1982 onwards) and T-72As produced from then on would receive the factory code 184 before the tank was accepted into service as T-72B on the 27th of November 1984.


One of the most famous examples of a pre-acceptance 184

1982 would also see a lot of trials for the T-72A. From March to September, UVZ built and tested the 177, a T-72A using the Svir missile system that would later enter service as a mainstay component of the T-72B.

At some point during the year, likely in the summer, UKBTM engineers started working on a T-72A armed with the 125 mm D-91 gun, also known as 2A66. This very gun is often seen in publications related to the 187 and the 188. However, the fact is that the D-91 had already existed for a few years by that time !

The D-91-armed T-72A was dubbed 185 and one vehicle was built not long after.


The T-72B became the basis of the 185 following its entry into service. Blueprint from February 1985


A blueprint of the 184 armed with the D-91 gun in August 1983

Now, both the 184 and 185 were built under the second stage of OKR “Совершенствование-72А” (Many OKRs were done in multiple stages : for exemple, Rogatka-1 1st stage was all about the T-92 tank while the 2nd stage applied to the 184M).

The 186 was, however, a much more ambitious project. It would take some of the earlier improvements mentioned and add some more on top of them. The project was mostly managed by two men : Venediktov, head designer of the UKBTM and Shelgachev, the deputy head designer.


Deputy head designer Shelgachev at his desk, soon-to-be mastermind of the famous OKR “Совершенствование-88” (“Improvement-88”)

The order to produce the first prototype was given in September 1983.
The main change would come in the form of a brand new powerpack. The tank was powered by the 1000 hp 2V16-1 X engine. This engine needed however much more intense cooling and as such, bigger radiators were installed, leading to the tank having a bigger size. Before it even began its trials, the engine was swapped with the -2 version, producing 200 more hp nominally.

The other more striking feature is the new welded turret. Welded turrets programs had been ongoing in the USSR for quite a while but none came to be produced. The one on the 186 is one of the few extremely rare Soviet welded turrets using ceramics in its composition, the other being one of the 187’s turrets.

The first trials took place in December 1985 and lasted for a month.
On the 4th of June, 1986, the second stage of trials began. They lasted until February 20, 1987.
The last set of trials was scheduled on the 5th of March and ended on the 1st of June.

Those trials had shown one major failure : the X16 configuration of the engine was rather troublesome and making it a X12 showed much better results. The (in)famous 2V12 series (that has no relation with the Sla.16, just saying) was then picked as the more suitable candidate for later tanks. The welded turret also showed promising results, though the use of ceramics (SiC) ended up being contested.

The 186 was eventually killed with the launch of OKR “Совершенствование-88” (“Improvement-88”) in late 1987 under the leadership of Shelgachev, leading to the development of the 187 and 195. Venediktov left his job of head designer on November 30th and was replaced by Potkin. The latter went on to directly manage the OKR “Совершенствование-72Б” (“Improvement-72B”) that led to the creation of the T-90.

The vehicle received new BKPs but kept the same reverse speed as other T-72s, sorry.

Specifications

Crew : 3

  • Driver
  • Commander
  • Gunner

Armament

  • One 125 mm gun 2A66

Ammo

Spoiler

Anker-1 (DU) (rumored to be ~ 20 L/D, performance should be slightly better than 3BM42)
Anker-2 (WHA) (rumored to be ~ 20 L/D, performance should be slightly better than 3BM42)
3BK29
3OF26
Older shells from the D-81 series

Sights : TPD-K1 (x9)
Elevation : +14°/-5° (estimated)

Dimensions

  • Weight : ~ 42,5 t
  • Length : ~ 7 m
  • Width : 3,6 m
  • Height : 2,19 m

Mobility

  • Engine : 2V16-2 (1200 hp)
  • Top speed : 60 km/h / -4 km/h
  • Transmission : 7 forward / 1 reverse

Armor

Spoiler

Array number 3

Sources

  • Тагильская школа. 80 лет в авангарде мирового танкостроения (ISBN 978-5-6046769-3-6)
  • Т-72/Т-90. Опыт создания отечественных основных боевых танков (ISBN 978-5-91356-210-4)
  • УКБТМ 75 лет тагильской школе танкостроения (ISBN 978-5-9909772-7-3)
  • https://dzen.ru/a/XBlDsO41kACu_GH4 - Alexey Khlopotov’s article
  • Боеприпасник - 125 - 2A66
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