Matrix Games

Hello Armored Brigade fans. Today we have a trailer on Soviet ground vehicles and a short article to help you follow along.

This is just a small snapshot of eight key vehicles in the Soviet ground vehicle arsenal, there will be many more vehicles in the full game.

T-80U MBT

Screenshot of a T-80U

The T-80U is the premier Soviet MBT of the 1980's. Powered by a gas turbine engine and a modern suspension, the T-80U is a fast tank both on roads and driving cross-country. Armed with a 125mm smoothbore cannon and a modern fire control system, she can rapidly put accurate rounds downrange. Her gun is powerful enough to threaten even the most modern western MBT's. A combination of composites and explosive reactive armor make the T-80U exceptionally durable, capable of even defeating 120mm APFSDS. Her low profile also reduces her target silhouette.

The main downsides to the T-80U is it's production cost and crew ergonomics. The T-80U is meant for the best Soviet formations, and will usually be available in limited numbers. Like most Soviet vehicles she was not built with crew comfort as a high priority, reducing the effectiveness of the men actually fighting the tank. You will want to leverage the T-80U's firepower and maneuverability to outflank American anti-tank defenses, and attack rapidly from unexpected directions.

The T-80U entered service in 1985.

T-72B MBT

Screenshot of a T-72B

The T-72 is far more common than the T-80U, but doesn't have quite as many high end features. This lower production cost was a deliberate design choice with the T-80U slated for more elite formations, while the T-72B filled out the rest of the army in the event of war and mobilization. This is why the T-72 was referred to as a "mobilization" model. While still armed with a 125mm smoothbore gun, her engine is a simpler V12 diesel. This has the tradeoff of less power, but a far longer operational range. The T-72B's reverse speed is also a pitifully slow 3-4 KM/H.

The T-72B also can mount Kontak 5 reactive armor like the T-80, but lacks most of the composite armor featured on the T-80. The jump from a T-72B to a T-80U is not a radical leap in quality, but more of a iterative evolution. You won't find any major differences in capabilities, but the T-80U is "better" in most ways than a T-72B.

The T-72B entered service in 1985.

BMP-1P IFV

Screenshot of a BMP-1P

The BMP was a revolutionary vehicle when it debuted, the first Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). Armed with a 73mm smoothbore low velocity cannon, a co-axial machine gun, and an ATGM launcher. The BMP could fight alongside the infantry she carried and even prove a threat to enemy tanks with her ATGM launcher. The main drawback of the BMP is it's fragility. Meant for nuclear and chemical battlefields, it was assumed that a penetration to the vehicle would contaminate the interior and kill all the occupants. As such the vehicle is lightly armored, proofed against rifle fire and not much else (although the clever design of the front of the vehicle can occasionally "bounce" heavier incoming fire). The BMP-1P mounts an AT-4 Spigot or AT-5 Spandrel on the top of the turret to engage enemy vehicles at long range. These ATGM's are leagues better than the earlier AT-3 Sagger.

Soviet doctrine has IFV's cooperating closely with the infantry. The vehicle commander is also the squad commander, meaning the BMP-1P is integral to the firepower and maneuver of your infantry units. Best practice is to keep your infantry squads and their BMP in close cooperation with each other.

The BMP-1P entered service in 1979.

BMP-3 IFV

Screenshot of a BMP-3

The BMP-3 is ridiculously well-armed for an IFV. Her normal armament is a 100mm low velocity cannon capable of firing ATGM's or explosive rounds, a 30mm autocannon, and three 7.62x54 mm PKT machine guns. This give's her the ability to smash fortifications and buildings, destroy tanks and light vehicles, and suppress other targets. Her troop carrying capacity means her role is very similar to previous generations of BMP, cooperate closely with the squad she carries and effectively "act" as a part of the squad.

The main disadvantage, like earlier models, is a paper thin hide. With only 35mm's of aluminum armor at the front of the vehicle, she is proofed against .50 cal rounds and not much else, making her very vulnerable to catastrophic ammo detonations due to the prodigious amounts of ammo stored onboard. With good road speeds and cross country performance the BMP-3 can keep up with your tanks, allowing you to launch rapid attacks from unexpected directions.

The BMP-3 entered service in 1987.

BTR-80

Screenshot of a BTR-80

The BTR-80 is a traditional wheeled battle taxi. Armed with a 14.5mm machine gun and a lighter 7.62 PKT machine gun, the BTR-80 has no anti-tank capability beyond harsh language and whatever RPG's the infantry dismounts are carrying. The BTR-80 is functionally very similar to earlier models like the BTR-60 and 70. The main improvements were better engine and door placements, allowing the carried infantry to dismount safer and quicker. A simplified engine (the BTR-70 had a complicated dual engine drive train setup) also helped reduce cost and made the vehicle more survivable if hit by enemy fire.

BTR's are even less armored than BMP's, making them vulnerable to anything heavier than rifle fire. The 14.5mm machine gun does give the BTR the ability to destroy M113's and threaten other vehicles with flank and rear shots, making it a threat to most Western APC's and IFV's at close range. Still, you should think of your BTR's more as well armored trucks rather than proper combat vehicles.

The BTR-80 entered service in 1986.

ZSU-23-4

Screenshot of a ZSU-23-4 Shilka

The Shilka (ZSU-23-4) is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Armed with four 23mm autocannons and a radar system, the Shilka is a terror for enemy close-air support and helicopters. Western countries like the United States made air power an integral part of their planning for World War 3. Fixed wing aircraft would attempt to delay or destroy columns of Soviet vehicles, allowing them to set the tempo of battle and cause attrition before ground forces even made contact with one-another. For that reason Soviet air defenses were a major area of investment.

The Shilka is a key part of that arsenal, providing protection to your armored force and artillery. Any pilots attempting to attack targets under the Shilka's umbrella will face a wall of 23mm cannon fire, forcing them to either break off their attack or risk being shredded by high explosive shells. The Shilka's autocannons can be used against enemy infantry but these vehicles are rare, expensive, and not very well armored.

The Shilka entered service in 1965.

T-55MV and T-62MV

The T-62MV...

The T-55 and T-62 are older vehicles, but have been upgraded (hence the MV designation) to keep them dangerous. These upgrades include new engines, Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor, and a fire control system with a laser range finder. These upgrades still don't bring them up to the lethality and survivability of the T-72 or T-80, but they do make the T-55 and T-62 a threat to older Western tanks, APC's, IFV's, and infantry.

Just because a tank is older, doesn't make it useless. A tank is still an armored box with a cannon on it, and while these vehicles might be shredded by an Abrams, they remain a potent threat to just about everything else on the battlefield. The Soviet Union produced tens of thousands of T-55s and T-62s, and these upgraded vehicles will help fill out your roster with affordable and dangerous tanks.

The MV variants of the T-55 and T-62 entered service in 1985.

...and the T-55MV

Summary

Soviet vehicles are usually cruder than western ones, but they were deliberately built to fit a different way of war. The Soviets anticipated a war of massive mechanized thrusts conducted rapidly, supported by massive quantities of artillery and brief periods of local air superiority. This is reflected in your ground vehicles, your toolbox. You have a lot of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and air defenses that can conduct rapid maneuvers to find the enemies flank.

If you have to go through the front door, then you should leverage your mass to conduct a rapid, overwhelming attack. Remember, the more power you put into an attack, the less casualties you take.