T-55A Igman

_YugoSlav · July 19, 2023, 8:44pm

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T-55A Igman

History and Description

The first T-55s arrived in SFR Yugoslavia in 1964. Thanks to favorable economic and political conditions, the delivery of T-55 and T-54 tanks continued for several years, most likely until 1983, when the last examples were received by the JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army). There were about 1,600 of these tanks in several variants and from three different manufacturers (USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia). At the end of the eighties, this was still by far the most numerous tank in the JNA. It was the main striking power of the mechanized brigades, while in the armored brigades, it was gradually replaced by the domestic M-84 tank.

Project Igman originated as an order from the Yugoslav Army (JNA) for a fire control system for the T-55 tank. At the end of the seventies, Yugoslavia bought a license for the production of a Swedish Bofors FCS-FV/K fire control system for T-55/54 tanks. The first system, dubbed the SUV-55, was modified according to the JNA’s needs and tested in 1981 and 82 at the Manjača training grounds, near Banja Luka. The Yugoslav officials were pleased with the results and in the following months, Bofors delivered 20 additional systems along with all the technical documentation. By 1988, the FCS had been installed on a total of 10 Yugoslav T-55A tanks. While this modification was not widely used in the JNA, it was exported and mounted on tanks in Iran, Egypt, Syria, and Pakistan. Some foreign-modified tanks received further modifications like 105 mm guns or thermal sights. The components developed for this project were implemented in 1983 in Project Kapela, which led to the design of the M-84 tank’s fire control system, called the SUV-84.

Specifications

Essentials
- Length with gun forward; 9.0 m
- Length of the hull; 6.2 m
- Width; 3.64 m
- Height; 2.35 m
- Mass; 36 t
- Driver and gunner NVD
- Crew; 4
Protection
- Armor; 100 mm front, 80 mm side
- APS; N/A
- ERA; N/A
- Smoke; ESS
Mobility
- Engine; Model V-55 V-12 diesel, 580 hp
- Power/weight; 16.11 hp/t
- Transmission; 1 reverse gear, 5 forward gears
- Top speed; 51 kph
- Amphibious; No
Firepower
- Main;
  - 100 mm D-10T2S cannon
    - Ammunition; 43 rounds
    - Stabilizer; Yes
    - Vertical guidance; -5° / +16°
    - Turret rotation speed; 15°/s
    - Zoom; Day: 3x-7x, Night: 8x
    - Laser rangefinder; Yes
- Secondary;
  - 12.7 mm DShK machine gun
    - Ammunition; 350 rounds
    - Belt capacity; 50 rounds
    - Fire rate; 600 shots/min
    - Penetration at 10 m; 29 mm
  - 7.62 mm SGMT machine gun
    - Ammunition; 3,500 rounds
    - Belt capacity; 250 rounds
    - Fire rate; 600 shots/min
    - Penetration at 10 m; 10 mm

Gallery

One of the last surviving Yugoslav T-55A Igman tanks at Nikinci training grounds in Serbia. The meteorological sensor above the gun barrel is lowered.