TR-85
Encyclopedia
The TR-85 is a main battle tank
designed for the armed forces of Romania
. Based on the TR-77-580 (Romanian-built version of the Soviet T-55
tank), the TR-85 tank was developed from 1978 to 1985 and produced from 1986 until 1990. A modernization program was initiated in March 1994 in order to upgrade the TR-85 tanks to NATO standards. The result was the TR-85M1 main battle tank, currently the most modern tank in service with the Romanian Land Forces
. Although a further development of the T-55, the TR-85M1 uses a T-block powerpack (similar to the one used in the Leopard 1) based on a V8 German
830 hp diesel engine
, an improved turret, a locally-designed "Ciclop" fire control system (with cross-wind sensor, laser rangefinder and night vision
), new 100 mm BM-412 Sg APFSDS-T projectiles and a completely redesigned suspension
with 6 road wheels on each side, protected by metal side skirts. Combat weight is 50 tons.
, Communist Romania
adopted a new national defense doctrine. However, this new doctrine required a self-sustainable local defense industry
. In April 1968 a preliminary report regarding the production of tanks in Romania was proposed to the National Defense Council of Romania. The report was ratified by the Defense Council on the 13th of October 1972. The development of a Romanian medium tank
effectively started on the 13th of May 1974. The Romanian Defense Council wrote the specifications for the medium tank. The new vehicle would have a weight of approximately 40 tons, a 100 mm main gun and a 500 horse power engine.
The next step taken was the production of 400 licensed built T-55
tanks, as the local arms industry
lacked the experience required to design and produce a medium tank from scratch. The Communist government
also obtained the permission to modify the design of the T-55 tank to adapt it to the requirements of the Romanian Army. The initial batch (the prototype and the first 10 tanks), officially known as the TR-77 tank (Tanc românesc model 1977 Romanian Tank model 1977), was intended to use the Leopard 1 engine and, as a result, the hull was extended, having 6 instead of the usual 5 road wheels of the T-55 tank.
However, because of the political need to reach the established production figures and the refusal of Krauss-Maffei
to deliver technology to a Warsaw Pact
member, the medium tank, known as the TR-77-580 (Tanc Românesc model 1977 cu motor de 580 cp Romanian Tank with 580hp engine), was built using the V-55 engine of the T-55 tank and the extended chassis. The TR-77 tank was developed between 1974 and 1980 and was produced between 1979 and 1985.
version of the 800-horsepower MTU
Leopard 1 engine and transmission. The work came to a halt, as the engineers lacked the experience to reverse engineer such complex designs. By 1976 however, Institutul Naţional de Motoare Termice (National institute for thermal motors) stated that it could design an engine based on the Leopard 1 diesel engine
model using available technology and solutions. Also, the hydromechanic transmission was designed by the ICSITEM research institute from Bucharest
based on an available model and produced by Hidromecanica Braşov
factory, thus completing the T-block powerpack. The engine and transmission were designed between 1974 and 1982, using foreign technology. Ion Mihai Pacepa
, a two-star Romanian Securitate general and the highest-ranking intelligence official ever to have defected from the former Eastern Bloc
, later aserted in his book Red Horizons: Chronicles of a Communist Spy Chief that the engine technology was obtained using spy rings
and confidential assistance from the Federal Republic of Germany.
The new tank was officially known as the TR-85-800 (Tanc Românesc model 1985 cu motor de 800cp - Romanian Tank model 1985 with 800 hp engine) and was designed between 1978 and 1986. The engine had a maximum output of 830 horse power. The suspension was redesigned and the turret, while bearing a strong resemblance to the T-55 series, was actually different.
The TR-85 tank was soon found to be mechanically unreliable. Teething problems included high fuel and oil consumption, engine and transmission problems and chronic oil leakage. Furthermore, the Ciclop fire control system was unreliable because of the poor quality of electronics. The laser rangefinder was not integrated with the daylight aiming system and only a limited number of corrections could be inserted in the ballistic fire-control computer. Problems were made worse when Nicolae Ceaușescu
decided to cancel in July 1982 all imports of special equipment for the arms industry. At one point, Ceaușescu threatened to stop tank production altogether because of the poor manufacturing quality. The initial teething problems were not corrected until after the fall of communism in Romania
when the Romanian engineers used foreign parts to improve TR-85's reliability.
and development of the new tank, officially designated TR-85M1 Bizonul (The Bison
), started in 1996 when two prototypes were built. The aim of the program was to upgrade the TR-85 to NATO standards by improving the firepower, protection, mobility, the communication systems and the reliability of the engine, transmission and the braking system.
The modernization program involved both foreign companies (most of them from France
), such as Aerospatiale Matra, Sagem
, Kollmorgen-Artus
, Racal
, and local defense companies such as the ROMARM military consortium, METRA (Military Equipment and Technologies Research Agency), Electromagnetica, FAUR, Elprof, Aeroteh, IOR
, Prooptica, Artego, Arsenal Reşiţa, Metav, Forsev, Anticorozivul, IEMI, Rolast, Aerostar
and IOEL. The result of the modernization program, the TR-85M1 tank, is compliant with NATO standards.
launchers and two four-barreled flare
launchers. The system can create a thick smoke that blocks both vision and thermal imaging. The tank is also equipped with a smoke screen generator that is triggered by the driver. When activated, diesel fuel is injected into the hot exhaust, creating the thick smoke. The TR-85M1 is equipped with laser illumination warning sensors that can automatically trigger the GFM-76 smoke grenades and flares, thus disrupting the guidance systems of thermal and infrared guided missiles. The SAILR (Sistem de Avertizare la Iluminarea Laser și Radar, laser and radar illumination warning system) laser warning receiver
can locate and identify the threat, warning the crew and triggering the DLC (Dispozitivul de Lansare Contramăsuri, Countermeasures Launching Device).
is designed this way for easy replacement after combat damage. The tank also has side skirts as a protection against shaped charges. The metal side skirts have three holes each that form steps for the crew to reach the roof hatches. On the sides of the turret there are ammunition boxes for the heavy antiaircraft DShK
machine gun. The upper glacis plate has two track segments, while the lower glacis plate can be fitted with steel screens or a mine roller
. The TR-85M1 tank also has NBC protection and an improved, rapid fire suppression system
using non-toxic agents. The system, designed by L'Hotellier
, protects both the crew and the engine compartment using halon
. The modernized version adds an additional mine protection plate and a bar for the driver, which increases protection against mines and improvised explosive devices. Also, the older TR-85 tanks have a conventional driver's seat bolted on the floor of the tank, wherereas the M1 version has a parachute-harness like arrangement. In this way, the driver does not have any contact with the hull except on the pedals and is out of the shockwave area of exploding land mines or IEDs.
tank gun
(an adaptation of the M1977 towed anti-tank gun
made by Arsenal Reşiţa) that was also fitted to the TR-77 tanks. The TR-85M1 has a rate of fire of about 4-7 rounds per minute and can carry up to 41 projectiles inside the tank. The gun barrel is fitted with a bore evacuator
and has a thermal sleeve
. The TR-85 tanks use a manual loader. The modernized version has a number of improvements to increase the reliability of the gun. The hydraulic buffer was improved by replacing the rubber sealing and the electroerosion of the crome layer from the hydraulic buffer and recuperator has been removed by changing the design and manufacturing process.
The gun can fire APFSDS-T (BM-421 Sg), shaped charge
(BK-412R and BK-5M), high explosive (OF-412), armour piercing with tracer (ballistic-capped BR-412B and BR-412D) and target practice (PBR-412 and PBR-421B) rounds. The was also an APFSDS round that is no longer in production. In order to increase the firepower of the TR-85 tank, the BM-421 Sg round (known internationally as the M309 cartridge) was developed in cooperation with Israel
as part of the modernization program started in 1996. Made by Aeroteh SA from Bucharest and marketed by ROMARM SA, the BM-421 Sg projectile can penetrate 444 mm of RHAe at 90° at 500 meters, 425 mm at 1000 meters and 328 mm at 4000 meters.
The TR-85M1 tank has two machine guns:
-M, M stands for Modernized) ballistic fire-control computer
, a third generation FCS and an improvement of the previous, second generation, Ciclop FCS (used on the TR-85 version and equipped with a Intel 8080
microprocessor
, 1 ko
of RAM
and 12 ko of system memory). According to the manual of the Ciclop-M fire control system, the ballistic solution generated ensures a hit percentage greater than 95% for a target under 2000 meters and greater than 75% for a target between 2000 and 3000 meters. Also, the Ciclop-M can be used to aim a target located at up to 6 km away with the OF-421 high explosive round, up to 5 km away for the BM-421 Sg APFSDS-T round, 4 km for the AP-T
rounds and up to 3 km for the HEAT projectiles. The coaxial machine gun can be aimed at a maximum distance of 2 km using the FCS of the tank.
The gun is electrically stabilized on two axes by the EADS
computer aided stabilization system. The new stabilization system improves the accuracy of the main gun and reduces the target engagement time, turret temperature, noise, fire hazard and maintenance. The turret has RKS
roller bearings
to ensure a better stabilisation of the A308 gun. The gunner's day sight telescopic periscope features an integrated laser rangefinder (200 m to 5.000 m measurement distance) and an electronic reticle. Above the gun barrel there is a SAGEM
MATIS passive thermal viewer designed to operate at wavelengths between 3 and 5 μm in the spectral band. Initially, the TR-85 M1 tanks had an inferior SAGEM ALIS passive thermal viewer (8-12 μm in the spectral band) for the gunner, now present in export configurations. The driver has a AONP-I passive night sight, which is also the standard night vision device for the gunner on the older TR-85 tanks. The commander has a SFIM (Société Française des Instruments de Mesure) EC2−55R panoramic sight with a second generation SAGEM image intensification
system that can be independently directed to the target.
The TR-85 tanks have a torsion bar suspension. The modernized version also has eight telescopic hydro-gas shock-absorbers to increase the overall speed. The running gear consists of six dual rubber-tyred road wheels and four return rollers per side, with the idler wheel at the front and drive sprocket at the rear. The first two road wheels have characteristic, prominent gaps between them and the rest of the road wheels. The tank has two bolt tracks with metal-rubber articulations. The M1 version has aluminum alloy road wheels. The braking system has been improved by replacing the old wet multi-disc brakes with dry multi-disc brakes and the old hydraulic system with a new servomechanism.
The TR-85 tank has been referred to in Western sources as the TM-800, M1978 or Model 1978 and TR-800. The Romanian Army currently uses only the TR-85 and TR-85M1 designations. However, the early prototypes of the TR-85M1 were known as the TR-85M or TR-85M1A. The add-on armour of these tanks had a different shape and was welded. Additionally, the turret bustle had a different shape and the bore evacuator had a different position. A TR-85M1A variant is currently on display at the National Military Museum
in Bucharest.
In 2002, a TR-85M1 tank was tested with a V12 Iveco 1200 hp engine, but did not enter production. The prototype was referred to as the TR-85M2 tank in some sources, however there is no proof that the Romanian Army ever used this designation.
In 2007, when the DMT-85M1 was developed, there were also plans for other derivative vehicles based on the TR-85M1 chassis, including an armored recovery vehicle version and an armoured vehicle-launched bridge
. These variants are currently in development.
have 249 TR-85 and 54 TR-85M1 tanks. The modernization program was still in progress in 2010.
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
designed for the armed forces of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. Based on the TR-77-580 (Romanian-built version of the Soviet T-55
T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...
tank), the TR-85 tank was developed from 1978 to 1985 and produced from 1986 until 1990. A modernization program was initiated in March 1994 in order to upgrade the TR-85 tanks to NATO standards. The result was the TR-85M1 main battle tank, currently the most modern tank in service with the Romanian Land Forces
Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.The Romanian Land Forces were founded on...
. Although a further development of the T-55, the TR-85M1 uses a T-block powerpack (similar to the one used in the Leopard 1) based on a V8 German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
830 hp diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
, an improved turret, a locally-designed "Ciclop" fire control system (with cross-wind sensor, laser rangefinder and night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
), new 100 mm BM-412 Sg APFSDS-T projectiles and a completely redesigned suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
with 6 road wheels on each side, protected by metal side skirts. Combat weight is 50 tons.
Predecessors: T-55 and TR-580
After the Warsaw Pact invasion of CzechoslovakiaWarsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
, Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
adopted a new national defense doctrine. However, this new doctrine required a self-sustainable local defense industry
Defense industry
The defense industry, also called the military industry, comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military materiel, equipment and facilities...
. In April 1968 a preliminary report regarding the production of tanks in Romania was proposed to the National Defense Council of Romania. The report was ratified by the Defense Council on the 13th of October 1972. The development of a Romanian medium tank
Medium tank
Medium tank was a classification of tanks; the medium being intermediate in size and weight and armament between heavy tanks and light tanks.The medium tank concept has been eclipsed by the main battle tank.-History:...
effectively started on the 13th of May 1974. The Romanian Defense Council wrote the specifications for the medium tank. The new vehicle would have a weight of approximately 40 tons, a 100 mm main gun and a 500 horse power engine.
The next step taken was the production of 400 licensed built T-55
T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...
tanks, as the local arms industry
Arms industry in Romania
Before 1989, Romania was among the top ten arms exporters in the world, however its arms industry declined considerably during the 1990s. Exports fell from roughly $1 billion before 1989 to about $43 million in 2006, and the number of employees also fell from 220,000 in 1990 to 20,000 in 2009...
lacked the experience required to design and produce a medium tank from scratch. The Communist government
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
also obtained the permission to modify the design of the T-55 tank to adapt it to the requirements of the Romanian Army. The initial batch (the prototype and the first 10 tanks), officially known as the TR-77 tank (Tanc românesc model 1977 Romanian Tank model 1977), was intended to use the Leopard 1 engine and, as a result, the hull was extended, having 6 instead of the usual 5 road wheels of the T-55 tank.
However, because of the political need to reach the established production figures and the refusal of Krauss-Maffei
Krauss-Maffei
The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany...
to deliver technology to a Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
member, the medium tank, known as the TR-77-580 (Tanc Românesc model 1977 cu motor de 580 cp Romanian Tank with 580hp engine), was built using the V-55 engine of the T-55 tank and the extended chassis. The TR-77 tank was developed between 1974 and 1980 and was produced between 1979 and 1985.
Development
While the TR-77 was developed, from 1974 the Romanian engineers continued work on a reversed engineeredReverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
version of the 800-horsepower MTU
MTU Friedrichshafen
MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is a manufacturer of commercial internal combustion engines founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach in 1909...
Leopard 1 engine and transmission. The work came to a halt, as the engineers lacked the experience to reverse engineer such complex designs. By 1976 however, Institutul Naţional de Motoare Termice (National institute for thermal motors) stated that it could design an engine based on the Leopard 1 diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
model using available technology and solutions. Also, the hydromechanic transmission was designed by the ICSITEM research institute from Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
based on an available model and produced by Hidromecanica Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
factory, thus completing the T-block powerpack. The engine and transmission were designed between 1974 and 1982, using foreign technology. Ion Mihai Pacepa
Ion Mihai Pacepa
Ion Mihai Pacepa is the highest-ranking intelligence official ever to have defected from the former Eastern Bloc. He is now a United States citizen, a writer, and a columnist....
, a two-star Romanian Securitate general and the highest-ranking intelligence official ever to have defected from the former Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, later aserted in his book Red Horizons: Chronicles of a Communist Spy Chief that the engine technology was obtained using spy rings
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and confidential assistance from the Federal Republic of Germany.
The new tank was officially known as the TR-85-800 (Tanc Românesc model 1985 cu motor de 800cp - Romanian Tank model 1985 with 800 hp engine) and was designed between 1978 and 1986. The engine had a maximum output of 830 horse power. The suspension was redesigned and the turret, while bearing a strong resemblance to the T-55 series, was actually different.
Production
The main tank factory was established by decree nr.514 in December 1978 at FMGS division (Fabrica De Maşini Grele Speciale - Special Heavy Machinery Factory) of the 23rd August plant (now known as FAUR) in Bucharest. The construction of this tank factory was finalized in 1980. The factory was a militarized zone and was top secret, requiring a special permit to enter. By 1983, the FMGS tank factory could produce 210 tanks per year. The TR-85 tank was produced between 1986 and 1990 at rate of approximately 100 tanks per year.The TR-85 tank was soon found to be mechanically unreliable. Teething problems included high fuel and oil consumption, engine and transmission problems and chronic oil leakage. Furthermore, the Ciclop fire control system was unreliable because of the poor quality of electronics. The laser rangefinder was not integrated with the daylight aiming system and only a limited number of corrections could be inserted in the ballistic fire-control computer. Problems were made worse when Nicolae Ceaușescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
decided to cancel in July 1982 all imports of special equipment for the arms industry. At one point, Ceaușescu threatened to stop tank production altogether because of the poor manufacturing quality. The initial teething problems were not corrected until after the fall of communism in Romania
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
when the Romanian engineers used foreign parts to improve TR-85's reliability.
Modernization program
In March 1994, the Romanian General Staff initiated the modernization program of the TR-85 tanks by order no. 1429. On the 14th of April 1994, the upgrade program was approved by the Supreme Council of National DefenseSupreme Council of National Defense (Romania)
The Supreme Council of National Defense is the autonomous administrative authority in Romania, invested by the Constitution with the task of organizing coordinating, in a unitary fashion, the activities related to the defense of the country and national security.-Control:The activity of the...
and development of the new tank, officially designated TR-85M1 Bizonul (The Bison
Wisent
The wisent , Bison bonasus, also known as the European bison or European wood bison, is a species of Eurasian bison. It is the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe; a typical wisent is about long, not counting a tail of long, and tall. Weight typically can range from , with an occasional big...
), started in 1996 when two prototypes were built. The aim of the program was to upgrade the TR-85 to NATO standards by improving the firepower, protection, mobility, the communication systems and the reliability of the engine, transmission and the braking system.
The modernization program involved both foreign companies (most of them from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), such as Aerospatiale Matra, Sagem
SAGEM
SAGEM was a major French company involved in defence electronics, consumer electronics and communication systems.In 2005, Sagem merged with SNECMA to form SAFRAN...
, Kollmorgen-Artus
Danaher Corporation
The Danaher Corporation , is a large global company headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. Its products are concentrated in the fields of design, manufacture, and marketing of industrial and consumer products....
, Racal
Racal
Racal Electronics plc was once the third-largest British electronics firm. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, Racal was a diversified company, offering products including: as voice and data recorders; point of sale terminals; laboratory instruments;...
, and local defense companies such as the ROMARM military consortium, METRA (Military Equipment and Technologies Research Agency), Electromagnetica, FAUR, Elprof, Aeroteh, IOR
I.O.R.
IOR is the acronym for the name of Întreprinderea Optică Română . It is a major optics company established in 1936 in Bucharest, Romania. I.O.R. produces military and civilian grade optics for export and domestic production. Famous for its own version of the Russian PSO-1 type scopes , binoculars...
, Prooptica, Artego, Arsenal Reşiţa, Metav, Forsev, Anticorozivul, IEMI, Rolast, Aerostar
Aerostar
Aerostar S.A., is an aeronautical manufacturing company based in Bacău, Romania.-History:Since its establishment in 1953, the company's name has changed in turn from U.R.A. to I.R.Av, I.Av. and finally Aerostar...
and IOEL. The result of the modernization program, the TR-85M1 tank, is compliant with NATO standards.
Design
Concealment
The turret is fitted with two six-barreled 81mm smoke grenadeSmoke grenade
Smoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or as screening devices for unit movements. Smoke grenades are normally considered non-lethal, although incorrect use may cause death...
launchers and two four-barreled flare
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
launchers. The system can create a thick smoke that blocks both vision and thermal imaging. The tank is also equipped with a smoke screen generator that is triggered by the driver. When activated, diesel fuel is injected into the hot exhaust, creating the thick smoke. The TR-85M1 is equipped with laser illumination warning sensors that can automatically trigger the GFM-76 smoke grenades and flares, thus disrupting the guidance systems of thermal and infrared guided missiles. The SAILR (Sistem de Avertizare la Iluminarea Laser și Radar, laser and radar illumination warning system) laser warning receiver
Laser warning receiver
A laser warning receiver is a type of warning system used as a passive military defence. It detects laser emission from laser guidance systems and laser rangefinders. Then it alerts the crew and can start various countermeasures, like smoke wall, aerosol screen A laser warning receiver is a type of...
can locate and identify the threat, warning the crew and triggering the DLC (Dispozitivul de Lansare Contramăsuri, Countermeasures Launching Device).
Armour
The armour of the TR-85M1 tank has a maximum thickness of 200 mm (multilayered) for the hull and 320 + 20 mm add-on armour on the turret. The 20 mm add-on armour on the front of the turret has a modular appearance with a triangular profile. Although it might look like bricks of explosive reactive armour, the add-on composite armourComposite armour
Composite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different material such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. Most composite armour are lighter than their all-metal equivalent, but instead occupy a larger volume for the same resistance to penetration...
is designed this way for easy replacement after combat damage. The tank also has side skirts as a protection against shaped charges. The metal side skirts have three holes each that form steps for the crew to reach the roof hatches. On the sides of the turret there are ammunition boxes for the heavy antiaircraft DShK
DShK
The DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge. The weapon was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield...
machine gun. The upper glacis plate has two track segments, while the lower glacis plate can be fitted with steel screens or a mine roller
Mine roller
A mine roller or mine trawl is a demining device mounted on a tank or armoured personnel carrier, designed to detonate anti-tank mines. It allows engineers to clear a lane through a minefield which is protected by enemy fire....
. The TR-85M1 tank also has NBC protection and an improved, rapid fire suppression system
Fire suppression system
Fire suppression systems are used in conjunction with smoke detectors and fire alarm systems to improve and increase public safety. Suppression systems are governed by the codes under the NFPA 13 handbook.-Types:...
using non-toxic agents. The system, designed by L'Hotellier
Kidde
Kidde, a brand and division of United Technologies Corporation, is a business, or group of businesses, that manufactures and distributes fire detection and extinguishing equipment.-History:The company was founded by Walter Kidde in 1917 in the United States...
, protects both the crew and the engine compartment using halon
Dibromotetrafluoroethane
1,2-Dibromotetrafluoroethane is a haloalkane. It is also known under codenames R-114B2 and Halon 2402. It is a colorless liquid with a boiling point of 47.2 °C. R-114B2 is occasionally used in fire suppression systems. It is also used as a tracer chemical in Praxair's Seep Sense leak detection...
. The modernized version adds an additional mine protection plate and a bar for the driver, which increases protection against mines and improvised explosive devices. Also, the older TR-85 tanks have a conventional driver's seat bolted on the floor of the tank, wherereas the M1 version has a parachute-harness like arrangement. In this way, the driver does not have any contact with the hull except on the pedals and is out of the shockwave area of exploding land mines or IEDs.
Primary armament
The main armament of the TR-85M1 is the 100 mm A308 rifledRifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
tank gun
Tank gun
A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are large-caliber high-velocity guns, capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high explosive anti-tank rounds, and in some cases guided missiles. Anti-aircraft guns can also be mounted to tanks.-Overview:Tank guns are a specific...
(an adaptation of the M1977 towed anti-tank gun
100 mm anti-tank gun M1977
The A407 100mm anti-tank gun M1977 is a Romanian rifled 100-mm anti-tank gun which serves as the main towed anti-tank gun of the Romanian Land Forces from 1975 until present. Versions of the M1977 gun were installed on main battle tanks and ship turrets.-History:The A407 100mm anti-tank gun was...
made by Arsenal Reşiţa) that was also fitted to the TR-77 tanks. The TR-85M1 has a rate of fire of about 4-7 rounds per minute and can carry up to 41 projectiles inside the tank. The gun barrel is fitted with a bore evacuator
Bore evacuator
A bore evacuator is a device on the gun barrel of an armoured fighting vehicle which helps prevent poisonous propellant gases from venting back into the vehicle's fighting compartment when the gun breech is opened to load another round. Bore evacuators are most often used on large-calibre tank...
and has a thermal sleeve
Thermal sleeve
A thermal sleeve is a device around the length of a gun barrel of a large caliber gun, typically found on modern tanks. Its primary purpose is to prevent the gun barrel from being thermally distorted due to environmental conditions, especially when the barrel is already hot due to frequent...
. The TR-85 tanks use a manual loader. The modernized version has a number of improvements to increase the reliability of the gun. The hydraulic buffer was improved by replacing the rubber sealing and the electroerosion of the crome layer from the hydraulic buffer and recuperator has been removed by changing the design and manufacturing process.
The gun can fire APFSDS-T (BM-421 Sg), shaped charge
Shaped charge
A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, to initiate nuclear weapons, to penetrate armor, and in the oil and gas industry...
(BK-412R and BK-5M), high explosive (OF-412), armour piercing with tracer (ballistic-capped BR-412B and BR-412D) and target practice (PBR-412 and PBR-421B) rounds. The was also an APFSDS round that is no longer in production. In order to increase the firepower of the TR-85 tank, the BM-421 Sg round (known internationally as the M309 cartridge) was developed in cooperation with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as part of the modernization program started in 1996. Made by Aeroteh SA from Bucharest and marketed by ROMARM SA, the BM-421 Sg projectile can penetrate 444 mm of RHAe at 90° at 500 meters, 425 mm at 1000 meters and 328 mm at 4000 meters.
Secondary armament
- A 12.7x108mm DShKM heavy machine gunHeavy machine gunThe heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
in a pintle mount on the loader's hatch ring. The DShK machine gun is made by UM Cugir and can be used as a light antiaircraft weapon. To fire and reload the weapon manually, the gunner has to partially expose himself to suppressive fire. - A 7.62x54mmR PKMPK machine gunThe PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...
machine gunMachine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
(also made by UM Cugir as the armoured vehicle machine gun version of the md. 66 machine gunCugir machine gunThe Cugir machine gun is a gas-operated rotating bolt-locking medium machine gun used by Romanian Land Forces. It can be carried and operated by one person, but an assistant gunner is usually employed. It is available with either a 250 round belt or a 100 round box magazine.There is also a light...
) in a coaxial mount to the right of the main gun. The coaxial MG is aimed and fired with the same computer fire control system (Ciclop) used for the main gun.
Aiming
The TR-85M1 is equipped with the local-made Ciclop-M (CyclopsCyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
-M, M stands for Modernized) ballistic fire-control computer
Fire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
, a third generation FCS and an improvement of the previous, second generation, Ciclop FCS (used on the TR-85 version and equipped with a Intel 8080
Intel 8080
The Intel 8080 was the second 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel and was released in April 1974. It was an extended and enhanced variant of the earlier 8008 design, although without binary compatibility...
microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
, 1 ko
Octet (computing)
An octet is a unit of digital information in computing and telecommunications that consists of eight bits. The term is often used when the term byte might be ambiguous, as there is no standard for the size of the byte.-Overview:...
of RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
and 12 ko of system memory). According to the manual of the Ciclop-M fire control system, the ballistic solution generated ensures a hit percentage greater than 95% for a target under 2000 meters and greater than 75% for a target between 2000 and 3000 meters. Also, the Ciclop-M can be used to aim a target located at up to 6 km away with the OF-421 high explosive round, up to 5 km away for the BM-421 Sg APFSDS-T round, 4 km for the AP-T
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
rounds and up to 3 km for the HEAT projectiles. The coaxial machine gun can be aimed at a maximum distance of 2 km using the FCS of the tank.
The gun is electrically stabilized on two axes by the EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
computer aided stabilization system. The new stabilization system improves the accuracy of the main gun and reduces the target engagement time, turret temperature, noise, fire hazard and maintenance. The turret has RKS
SKF
SKF, Svenska Kullagerfabriken AB , later AB SKF, is a Swedish bearing company founded in 1907, supplying bearings, seals, lubrication and lubrication systems, maintenance products, mechatronics products, power transmission products and related services globally.-History:The company was founded on...
roller bearings
Rolling-element bearing
A rolling-element bearing, also known as a rolling bearing, is a bearing which carries a load by placing round elements between the two pieces...
to ensure a better stabilisation of the A308 gun. The gunner's day sight telescopic periscope features an integrated laser rangefinder (200 m to 5.000 m measurement distance) and an electronic reticle. Above the gun barrel there is a SAGEM
SAGEM
SAGEM was a major French company involved in defence electronics, consumer electronics and communication systems.In 2005, Sagem merged with SNECMA to form SAFRAN...
MATIS passive thermal viewer designed to operate at wavelengths between 3 and 5 μm in the spectral band. Initially, the TR-85 M1 tanks had an inferior SAGEM ALIS passive thermal viewer (8-12 μm in the spectral band) for the gunner, now present in export configurations. The driver has a AONP-I passive night sight, which is also the standard night vision device for the gunner on the older TR-85 tanks. The commander has a SFIM (Société Française des Instruments de Mesure) EC2−55R panoramic sight with a second generation SAGEM image intensification
Image intensifier
An image intensifier tube is a vacuum tube device for increasing the intensity of available light in an optical system to allow use under low light conditions such as at night, to facilitate visual imaging of low-light processes such as fluorescence of materials to X-rays or gamma rays, or for...
system that can be independently directed to the target.
Mobility
The original TR-85 was powered by the 830 horsepower 8VS-A2T2, 4 stroke, 8-cylinder, liquid-cooled, turbo charged direct injection diesel engine, and a six speed (four forward, two reverse) THM-5800 hydromechanic transmission (engaging under load, one power flow in straight run and two power flows in turs with planetary final transmission), giving it a governed top speed of 50 km/h on paved roads. The TR-85M1 has an improved version of the original engine. The new 8VS-A2T2M provides 860 horsepower and has a top road speed of 60 km/h. However, because the weight of the tank increased from 42 tons to 50 tons, the power-to-weight ratio has been reduced from 19.7 to 17.2 hp/tonne. The tank has a maximum road range of about 400 km and can be fitted with two optional 200-liter drum-type fuel tanks at the rear of the vehicle for an increased operational range. Like the T-54/55 series, the TR-85 has an unditching beam and a snorkel (to allow river crossings) mounted at the rear of the hull. To meet the power demands of the new equipment, a Kollmorgen generating set has been installed. The new power generation system provides 20 kW of stable voltage.The TR-85 tanks have a torsion bar suspension. The modernized version also has eight telescopic hydro-gas shock-absorbers to increase the overall speed. The running gear consists of six dual rubber-tyred road wheels and four return rollers per side, with the idler wheel at the front and drive sprocket at the rear. The first two road wheels have characteristic, prominent gaps between them and the rest of the road wheels. The tank has two bolt tracks with metal-rubber articulations. The M1 version has aluminum alloy road wheels. The braking system has been improved by replacing the old wet multi-disc brakes with dry multi-disc brakes and the old hydraulic system with a new servomechanism.
Interior
The TR-85 has a typical tank layout: driver's compartment at the front, fighting compartment in the center and engine compartment in the rear. The four-man crew consists of the commander, driver, gunner and loader. The driver's hatch is on the front left of the hull roof. The commander is seated on the left side of the turret, with the gunner to his front and the loader on the right. The TR-85 has a cramped crew compartment, a characteristic of the T-54/55 series. Although it has an extended chassis, the extra space is used by the larger engine. The TR-85M1 also has a turret bustle, but this does not alleviate the crew comfort because of the additional equipment of the modernized version. Although there are no height limits for tank recruits in the Romanian Army, the recommended maximum height is 1.68m as in practice anyone taller will have to sit in an uncomfortable position with limited physical movement. The communication system consists of US and UUS stations with intelligent frequency jump and encryption. The crew has an intercom with 4+1 stations.Variants
- TR-85 - basic model, produced from 1986 until 1990.
- TER-85 - armoured recovery vehicle based on the TR-85 chassis.
- TR-85M1 "Bizonul" - modernized version, produced from 1999 until present.
- DMT-85M1 - Armoured engineer vehicle based on the TR-85M1 chassis with a new, fixed superstructure, a 6.5t crane and a Pearson's TWMP mine clearing plough. The commander has a cupola with RWS. Five were built between 2007 and 2009.
The TR-85 tank has been referred to in Western sources as the TM-800, M1978 or Model 1978 and TR-800. The Romanian Army currently uses only the TR-85 and TR-85M1 designations. However, the early prototypes of the TR-85M1 were known as the TR-85M or TR-85M1A. The add-on armour of these tanks had a different shape and was welded. Additionally, the turret bustle had a different shape and the bore evacuator had a different position. A TR-85M1A variant is currently on display at the National Military Museum
National Military Museum (Romania)
The National Military Museum , located at 125-127 Mircea Vulcănescu St., Bucharest, Romania, was established in 1923 by King Ferdinand. It has been at its present site since 1988, in a building finished in 1898.- External links :...
in Bucharest.
In 2002, a TR-85M1 tank was tested with a V12 Iveco 1200 hp engine, but did not enter production. The prototype was referred to as the TR-85M2 tank in some sources, however there is no proof that the Romanian Army ever used this designation.
In 2007, when the DMT-85M1 was developed, there were also plans for other derivative vehicles based on the TR-85M1 chassis, including an armored recovery vehicle version and an armoured vehicle-launched bridge
Armoured vehicle-launched bridge
An armoured vehicle-launched bridge is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of combat engineering vehicle, designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles across rivers. The AVLB is usually a tracked vehicle converted from a tank...
. These variants are currently in development.
Operators
- The Romanian Land ForcesRomanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.The Romanian Land Forces were founded on...
have 249 TR-85 and 54 TR-85M1 tanks. The modernization program was still in progress in 2010.