Russians Show T-62M and T-62MV Tanks Upgrades: Self-Entrenching Blades, Tank Sweeps and EW

11 February, 2024 "Assault" T-62M and T-62MV tanks. Source: t.me/btvt2019 The Russians showed T-62M and T-62MV mod.

2022 tanks, which are equipped with protective 'grilles,' self-entrenching blades, tank sweeps, and electronic warfare systems. The video with these tanks was published by Andrii Tarasenko, a researcher of armored vehicles, on his Telegram channel. Obviously, despite the statements of the Russians about the use of T-62 as ersatz-self-propelled guns, these combat vehicles are equipped for offensive operations.

An RP-377 electronic jamming system, which directly indicates that the tank does not act in the rear, is installed on one of the combat vehicles. Later, Tarasenko released photos of a destroyed Russian armor convoy, among which one of the previously demonstrated T-62 was noticed.

Destroyed Russian T-62 tank with RP-377 EW system.

Source: t.me/btvt2019

It is worth noting that obsolete Soviet tanks from the Cold War era are often observed during attempts by Russian troops to advance. Recently, Militarnyi reported that soldiers of the 3rd Brigade 'Spartan' of the National Guard destroyed the Russian T-55 tank, which was equipped with 'grills' on the turret and engine compartment. The Russians began to use T-62 virtually from the beginning of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, this was reported in May 2022.

Later, in June of the same year, Russian T-62 began to equip slat armor and "grills" against drones, which already signaled the use of tanks for their intended purpose, and not as ersatz-self-propelled guns.

A group of T-62M tanks of the Russian army with "grilles" on the turret in the Kherson region. June 2022. Photo credits: Russian media

Modernization of T-62

Currently, Russia plans to modernize approximately 800 outdated Soviet T-62M/MV tanks.

Modernization is carried out by installing a new radio, thermal sight, ERA and other protection The very idea of modernizing the T-62 is generally justified: firstly, other tanks simply do not exist in the right quantities, and the Ukrainian military destroyed about 2,000 Russian vehicles. Secondly, the level of training does not allow crews to quickly master more modern vehicles for the battlefield.

The factory demonstrated a T-62MV on which a thermal sight with a 1PN-96MT-02 built-in laser rangefinder is installed.

A modernized T-62 tank at the Russian 103rd Armored Tank Repair Plant. March 2023. Russia.

Frame from the video of the Russian mass media

Unlike Sosna-U, it does not have a daytime channel - exclusively thermal, but with a laser rangefinder. It is based on a non-cooling matrix that affects target detection ranges (about two to three kilometers). Also, 1PN96MT-02 does not have the ability to use guided tank missiles.

To protect the tank, 'grilles' are welded onto the rear of the turret, and the dynamic protection 'Kontakt-1' is installed.

However, there remains a vulnerability at the factory in the form of instruments on the turret that are not covered by the dynamic protection.