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Significance Of T-55 Tanks For PAKISTAN ARMY:

PAKISTAN ARMY has cut a deal with the Serbia to purchase 282 Numbers of T-55 Soviet made tanks. PAKISTAN has received the shipment of the first batch of 100 Tanks from Serbia, while the deliveries of the remaining 182 Tanks are expected to be completed in a couple of months.

The question comes in the Mind of Strategist and Defense Analyst that why PAKISTAN ARMY has inducted for the WWII era Soviet made Tank in its Arsenal? Well, the answer of this question so simple, but we will try to analyze the possible aspects behind the purchase of T-55 Tanks Deal.

It is worth mentioning that while PAKISTAN ARMY is also developing its state of the art AL-Khalid-I and Al-Khalid-II Tank, which is a state of the art Third Generation Main Battle Tank.

PAKISTAN ARMY has inducted a reasonable Al-Khalid 1 and Al-Khalid-2 Tanks in its arsenal for offensive and defensive purposes, so it is obvious that PAKISTAN ARMY has not purchased the T-55 Tanks from Serbia to use these Tanks on its Eastern Border and that’s for sure.

Now, the question arises, if PAKISTAN ARMY had not purchased to use the Tank in the Eastern Border, so why do PAKISTAN has cut the million dollar deal with Serbia? Well, the WWII T-55 Tank, although a Main Battle Tank, but it can also be used for different purposes apart from as a Main Battle Tank or MBT.

Purposes of T-55 Tanks Apart From Using As Main Battle Tank (MBT):

The T-55 Tanks, apart from using as Main Battle Tank (MBT), can also be used to fulfiLl several purposes, which are as follows:

1. The T-55 Tanks can be used for cleaning the land from Mine and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
2. It can also be used as an Armored Personnel Carrier to Support the Combatant Group and Convoy
3. It can also be used as a dedicated Bulldozer to sweep hard terrain areas

1) T-55 As A Dedicated Crane and Bulldozer:

The T-55 Tanks can easily be used as a dedicated crane and bulldozer.

It is worth mentioning that the T-55 Tanks can easily be used as the dedicated Bulldozer by mounting the BTU Dozer Blade kit, which can easily be mounted in less than 1 hour in total.

The T-55 can also be fitted with the ALT-55 permanent Bulldozer kit that features the angular concave dozer blade with hydraulic rams. By using the ALT-55, the T-55 can easily be used as a Bulldozer to sweep the roughest terrains with ease.

The T-55 Tanks can also be equipped with the Turretless, which is a rotatable armored cab with boom and bucket. The T-55 Tanks can also be fitted with the engineered version of ubiquitous IMR (Inzhenernaya Mashina Razgrazhdeniya) Turretless, which turns the T-55 Tank in o a dedicated Crane with a maximum lifting capacity up to 2 Tons in total.

Furthermore, the IMR (Inzhenernaya Mashina Razgrazhdeniya) Turretless can also be converted to an excavator with dozer blade that can be used for searchlight in night operations.

2) T-55 Tanks as the BMR-2 Mine Clearing Vehicle / Mine Sweeping Vehicle:

The T-55 Tank can also be used as a dedicated Mine Clearing or Mine Sweeping Vehicle by using the BMR-2 Kit. The term BMR stands for Boyevaya Mashina Razminirovaniya. It is basically a Mine Cleaning And Mine Sweeping System initially installed in the Tank during the 1980’s during the modernization of the Tank.

The T-55 Tank can also be fitted with the KMT-7 Mine Clearing Kit that can also be used to sweep the land from mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The T-55 Tank is 100% compatible with the superstructure Armed with NSV Iron Sight Light Machine Gun (LMG).

3) T-55 Tank As A BRETT Armored Personnel Carrier (APC):

The T-55 Tank can also be used as a dedicated Armored Personnel Carrier to escort the Convoy or Combatant Group in an Operation Area. Russia has used the T-55 Tank as BRETT Armored Personnel Carrie (APC) for fighting in the Caucasus Region.

Significance of T-55 Tank:

By keeping in view of all these possible upgradations and modernizations, PAKISTAN ARMY will likely to use the T-55 Tanks at Western Border to stop the flux of indian sponsored terrorists in the Country.

Moreover, the Mine Sweeping and Land Clearing feature of the T-55 Tank will also be helpful for PAKISTAN ARMY and Frontier Corps to clear the areas from the IEDs and Land mines planted by the indian sponsored terrorist in the area.

Last, but not the least, the T-55 Tanks can also be used for construction purposes in the rough terrain of the Tribal Belt of PAKISTAN.

Upgradation and Modernization Package For the T-55 Tank:

Several Modernization and Upgradation could easily be integrated with the T-55 Tank. Some of them are as follows:

1. Installation of V-5SU Engine
2. The 9K116-1 “Bastion” ATGM system & 1K13 BOM guidance system
3. The Volna Fire Control System
4. Improved Suspension and RMSh Tracks
5. The “Tsiklon-M1” gun stabilization system & TShSM-32PV sights
6. A Laser Target Range Finder (LTRF) fitted over the main turret
7. R-173/173P Radio Sets
8. Increased Anti-Mine Feature
9. Increased Armor
10. Increased Anti-Napalm feature
11. Improved Anti-Nuclear Radiation protection
12. Improved Ant-Chemical Radiation protection
13. 81 mm (3.19 in) “Tucha” smoke grenade launchers
14. BDD turret brow armor and glacis appliqué armor
15. The T-55M1 was a sub-variant fitted with a new 691 hp (515 kW) V-46-5M engine derived from the T-72 and rendered compact enough.
16. Rear RPG Screen
17. Soft Side Skirts

Technical Specifications of the T-55 Tank:

1. Total Weight of T-55 Tank: 36 Tons (72,000 lbs)
2. Top Speed: 55 Kilometer per hour (34 miles pe Hour)
3. Total Number of Crew: 4
4. Propulsion: V-55 12 Cylinder Diesel, 581 (433 kW)
5. Total Range: 311 – 370 Miles (501 – 600 Kilometers)
6. Suspension: Torsion Bars with Hydraulic Arms
7. Main Armament: 1 x 100 mm D-10T2G or D-10T2 rifled (3.94 in)
8. Armor: Front Glass 120 mm. Turret Front 7.87 Inches (200 mm), Rear 1.77 Inches (45 mm), Bottom 0.79 Inches (20 mm), roof 1.18 Inches (30 mm), Sides 3.15 inches (80 mm)
9. Dimensions of T-55 Tank: 6.27 (9 m oa) x 3.15 x 2.40 m (20.6 x 10.4 x 7.1 ft)