- Yes, such a premium tank would be beautiful and successful
- No, I would not like to see this tank in the game (explain why)
Introduction:
I… I love premium and event tanks. They tend to be more unique and rare (I love that).
I really like to see tanks\planes with history, unique looks and features that would set them apart from regular vehicles.
Lately, there have been a lot of cases where premium tanks and planes are just a copy of regular ones with repaints. Leopard, Abrams are vivid examples.
Even the Su-39 essentially got a toy “Kopye-25”, for which they did not introduce weapons that would be guided with it. Although the Su-39 (which is another name for the Su-25TM) could have gotten a Thermal Imager and MMW radar see my topic.
I think we will soon be getting rank 8 tanks similar to airplanes. It turns out that soon the game will need premium rank 7 tanks. And I have a candidate for the USSR. This tank is perfect and great in all parameters of a premium tank:
- It is low production and has its own history
- It has its own unique camouflage that was on it whenever it appeared in front of the public.
- It is competitive
- It has features that distinguish it from its conventional counterpart.
Meet: T-80UM-1 “Snow Leopard” (“Bars” on russian).
Technicial name - Object 219АС-М1
This is a modification of the T-80U tank, which is in the game, but has several features:
-
Redesigned transmission, which improved its maneuverability and preservation of dynamics on turns.
The speed gain during active maneuvering was about 10% on average -
Installed IRCM Shtora-1, which is already in the game on the T-90 and T-80UK (quite useless at high levels so far)
-
Arena" active protection system is installed (stops projectiles up to 700m/s like Drozd, but has an extended protection zone of 270 degrees in azimuth).
A characteristic feature of the Arena is the radar unit in the form of a small barrel on the roof of the tank, which detects a flying shell.
More photo Arena system:
Spoiler
4 )The cannon has been replaced by 2A46M-4, which allows the use of 9M119M1 guided missiles (such as those on the T-90 in the game).
In WT guided missiles on tanks are not very effective, so this change is insignificant
The rest of the parameters:
Otherwise this tank is a copy of the T-80:
- same 3BM46 shell
- same ERA Kontakt-5 protection
- same 1250 horsepower engine
- same 1st generation thermal imager.
From him he inherits all faults:
- slow (24 degrees per second) turret rotation speed
- slow lowering/raising of the gun
- low reverse speed
- vulnerable areas in the armor
- 3 crew member
- Ammo in hull
At all exhibitions and trials, the tank wore Yellow-Brown camouflage, which made it stand out from all other T-80s of the time.
A bit of history:
Spoiler
The main idea behind the T-80UM-1 project was to improve crew and ammunition protection based on the experience of the Chechen war, in which the T-80 series tanks proved to be very vulnerable in urban combat. Therefore, the most notable modernization of the Bars was the addition of Active protection “Arena”. In addition, the tank received the “Shtora-1” IRCM, as well as an improved fire extinguisher system and nuclear, biological and chemical kits. At the time, it was assumed that the level of protection taking into account all these changes would be three times higher than that of the earlier T-80U.
The prototype was presented to the public at the VTTV-97 exhibition, also held in Omsk in 1997. It is worth noting that a prototype of the Object 640 “Black Eagle” was presented at this exhibition.
“Black Eagle” overshadowed the T-80UM-1 “Bars”, but the latter was a much more practical and cheaper to produce machine. According to some reports, the T-80UM-1 was not only being tested by that time, but was almost ready for serial production.
Summary:
I think the T-80UM-1 would be an awesome premium tank that would become legendary and successfully marketed in the game for years to come.
At the same time, those who bought it would get a set of interesting game differences, as well as a unique camouflage.
Some beautiful photos of T-80UM-1
