T-64A (1971)

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This page is about the Soviet medium tank T-64A (1971). For other versions, see T-64 (Family).
T-64A (1971)
ussr_t_64a_1971.png
GarageImage T-64A (1971).jpg
ArtImage T-64A (1971).png
T-64A (1971)
AB RB SB
9.3 9.3 9.3
Class:
Research:190 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:520 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

The T-64A is the second variant of the T-64 main battle tank family. Even as the first variant of the T-64 was being produced, the design team was hard at work on a new variant, codenamed Object 434 (designated T-64A), to improve the firepower. The new variant was to be outfitted with a brand new and extremely powerful 125 mm D-81T tank gun from the Perm weapons factory. Given the increased calibre of the main armament, it is estimated that only a maximum of 25 rounds can be carried. This was unacceptable to the Soviet designers, but strict dimensional constraints prevented them from enlarging the design to increase interior space. The solution was to replace the human loader with a mechanical autoloader, reducing the crew to three and introducing autoloaders to Soviet main battle tanks for the first time.

Introduced in Update 1.71 "New E.R.A.", the T-64A should be played primarily defensively, using terrain for cover and pushing objectives with caution. It has good firepower but mediocre armour, average mobility, and a very slow reverse speed. Since many of the vehicles it will face will easily penetrate its hull armour, the T-64A should be played as a sniper, and close-range engagement should be avoided. Since the majority of the vehicles it will encounter have greater mobility, it is critical to be aware of enemies flanking around the battlefield.

General info

Survivability and armour

Composite armour
Balanced protection against all types of ammunition
ESS
Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull80 / 85 / 45
Turret180 / 150 / 65
Crew3 people
Visibility74 %

Armour type:

  • Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
  • Cast homogeneous armour
  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Turret)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 80* mm (68°) Front glacis
80 mm (61°) Lower glacis
85 mm Front
70 mm Rear <br. 20 mm (33°) Bottom
20 mm (8-55°) Top
45 mm Center
20 mm (18-58°) Bottom
30 mm Front
20 mm Engine deck
Turret 50-330 mm (0-80°) 65-180* mm (2-49°) 65 mm (2-72°) 40-140 mm
Cupola 100 mm 40 mm
Composite armour* Front Sides
Hull 320 mm Kinetic
450 mm Chemical
N/A
Turret 400 mm Kinetic
450 mm Chemical
400 mm Kinetic
450 mm Chemical

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, torsion bars are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 30 mm thick.
  • The side flaps on the hull side gives spaced protection against HEAT rounds, allowing one to angle the hull slightly while protecting the vulnerable side hull.
  • Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
  • A 5 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
  • A log providing 100 mm thickness in wood.
  • The snorkel tube on the turret rear provide 4 mm of structural steel.
  • Hull roof armour at front and turret base is rated to be 30 mm effective against HE
  • Hull spaced armour configuration is 80 mm RHA + 105 mm Textolite + 20 mm RHA.
  • Turret spaced armour configuration is 150-180 mm CHA + 150 mm HHRA + 32 mm RHA.

The T-64A has composite armour over most of its upper front glacis and turret, although it has some obvious weak points - it has no LFP composite armour, the driver's port is not reinforced and there are some small sections of the turret that are easily penetrable. Unfortunately, though, many vehicles the T-64A will encounter have ammunition that can easily overmatch the UFP composite and often will simply punch straight through - it's best to avoid exposing the hull at all. HEAT ammunition is finicky as T-64A was built around protection specifications against shaped charges, the composite armour is 450 mm effective when against HEAT warheads and there are side flaps on the side hull to prevent even the chance of hitting the T-64A weaker side armour on the first try, although these side flaps are one-time use only so prolonged combat may have sheared these off already. Try to avoid aiming for the turret as it is the most protected area of the tank with a good portion covered by composite, leading to the need of massive amount of penetration to consider the turret a viable target, like the HOT missiles.

In a situation where the T-64A decides to hull-down and present as little of the front plate as possible, the best option is to attempt to disable the vehicle's gun - the mantlet is destroyed easily and combined with the sub-par reverse speed, this may provide enough time to push forward or around the vehicle and get a clear shot on the hull. Where possible, try to land the shot centre-mass below the turret which often causes an ammunition detonation.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB68 / 5 km/h
RB and SB61 / 5 km/h
Number of gears7 forward
1 back
Weight38.0 t
Engine power
AB1 336 hp
RB and SB700 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB35.2 hp/t
RB and SB18.4 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 68 5 38 1,085 1,336 28.55 35.16
Realistic 61 5 619 700 16.29 18.42

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 101 → 6 102 Sl icon.png
RB4 189 → 6 233 Sl icon.png
SB5 353 → 7 965 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications160 100 Rp icon.png
267 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 600 Ge icon.png
Crew training150 000 Sl icon.png
Experts520 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 100 Ge icon.png
Research Aces950 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
150 / 200 / 230 % Sl icon.png
220 / 220 / 220 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
6 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
400 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
400 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ussr.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
ESS
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
400 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
6 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
125mm_ussr_3OF26_HE_ammo_pack
Research:
6 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
125mm_ussr_APDS_FS_ammo_pack
Research:
6 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
125mm_ussr_3BM12_APDS_FS_ammo_pack
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods night vision device.png
NVD
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
400 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
125mm_ussr_3BM15_APDS_FS_ammo_pack
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
400 Ge icon.png
Mods tank rangefinder.png
Rangefinder
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
400 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Autoloader
Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader
Ammunition37 rounds
First-order28 rounds
Reload7.1 s
Vertical guidance-6° / 14°
Main article: 2A26 (125 mm)
125 mm 2A26 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 37 -6°/+14° ±180° Two-plane 19.0 26.4 32.0 35.4 37.7 7.10 7.10 7.10 7.10
Realistic 11.9 14.0 17.0 18.8 20.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
3BK12M HEATFS 440 440 440 440 440 440
3OF19 HE 35 35 35 35 35 35
3OF26 HE 42 42 42 42 42 42
3BM9 APFSDS 321 317 303 285 268 249
3BM15 APFSDS 440 430 420 410 405 400
3BM22 APFSDS 425 420 415 405 393 380
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
3BK12M HEATFS 905 19 0.05 0.1 2.06 65° 72° 77°
3OF19 HE 850 23.2 0.3 0.1 3.15 79° 80° 81°
3OF26 HE 850 23 0.3 0.1 5.24 79° 80° 81°
3BM9 APFSDS 1,800 3.6 - - - 72° 76° 78°
3BM15 APFSDS 1,780 3.88 - - - 76° 77° 80°
3BM22 APFSDS 1,760 4.83 - - - 76° 77° 80°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the T-64A (1971)
Full
ammo
Ammo
part
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
37 Projectiles
Propellants
37 (+0)
37 (+0)
36 (+1)
36 (+1)
33 (+4)
29 (+8)
29 (+8)
(+36)
(+36)
N/A
No

Notes:

  • The T-64A (1971) main ammo rack consists of a mechanized carousel at the bottom of the turret. It carries 28 propellants and projectiles.
  • The 5th projectile rack is the carousel at the bottom of the turret; it serves as first-stage ammo stowage.
  • The 4th propellant rack is the carousel at the bottom of the turret; it serves as first-stage ammo stowage.

Machine guns

Ammunition2 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reload8.0 s
Fire rate700 shots/min
Main article: PKT (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm PKT
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 2,000 (250) 700 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

It's key to keep the weaknesses of the T-64A in mind for the best performance of the vehicle. The 125 mm gun is extremely powerful and will comfortably perform even against newer and better protected opponents, but in almost every other aspect the vehicle is lacking. Where possible, avoid exposing the hull at all - the easiest way to do so is to use a small defilade or terrain deformity. Sit back, be patient and allow the enemy to expose their weak spots. Most vehicles are faster than the T-64A, so expect hostile tanks to find their way to objectives significantly faster than you will.

The T-64A has a very powerful APFSDS round that will be able to penetrate all of its foes. This should be used to its advantage by going in a hull down position using its great turret armour to block shots.

Finally, remember that your reverse speed is abysmal - whenever possible avoid situations that will force you to reverse - and if you do have to move back, where possible try to traverse the entire hull and move back with the full speed of your forwards gears.

When facing common enemy tanks:

  • MBT-70/KPz-70 - When facing the MBT-70/Kpz-70, the best place to shoot is the left turret cheek as this will knock out commander and gunner.
  • Chieftain Mk 10 - If hull down, shoot for cannon breech or gun barrel.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Acceptable speed going forward
  • Turret cheeks are often surprisingly well protected
  • Vehicle is fitted with a surgically precise and devastatingly effective 125 mm gun
  • ESS covers friendly tanks behind the vehicle
  • Side flaps protect the tank from side attacks with chemical energy rounds (once a flap gets hit it will fall off)
  • Decent reload no matter what because of the auto-loader system
  • Good HE shell, can be a little finnicky
  • Very low profile compared to its contemporaries, much harder to spot and hit
  • One of the fastest rounds in game (1800 m/s), easy to aim
  • Tier 2 and 4 APFSDS shells will go through almost anything in-game
  • Can be very hard to destroy in hull-down positions

Cons:

  • Slow horizontal turret traverse
  • Ability to fight from range is diminished due to absence of a laser rangefinder
  • No smoke grenades
  • No thermal optics
  • Any penetrating side shot is very likely to detonate ammunition
  • Abysmally slow reverse speed (-4 km/h)
  • Weak lower glacis, can be penetrated by almost any round at its BR
  • Frontal penetration can easily disable 2 of the 3-man crew, leading to a crew knockout
  • Sub-par gun depression
  • No anti-air capability
  • Angling the tank causes the weak side armour to be exposed
  • Hull armour flaps are easily penetrated by kinetic munitions when angled

History

The T-64A is the second version of the T-64 tank, introduced in 1967 it featured many improvements over the basic T-64. The most notable of these was the 115 mm cannon being replaced with a 125 mm cannon, the T-64A also featured improved armour. The 1971 version of the tank featured new optics, and other minor improvements. The T-64 was one of the only Soviet tanks to never be exported as the Kremlin considered its technology too revolutionary and advanced to allow foreign countries access to it. The T-64A was meant to replace the Soviet heavy tanks such as the T-10M. It was originally supposed to mount a 122 mm gun, but was changed to a 115 mm on the T-64, then to a 125 mm on the T-64A. The T-64 featured composite armour, being lighter and stronger than regular steel armour, being able to resist the shells of NATO 105 mm cannons. It was an incredibly advanced design, featuring an autoloader and a two-plane stabilizer for the cannon. The autoloader allowed the tank to reduce the crew to three, reducing the size of the tank and allowing the tank to be very light while still being heavily protected.

Devblog

Initially, in the early days of the Cold War, it seemed like the USSR had both the technological and numerical advantage over the western allies, when it came to their ground forces, specifically their tanks. Vehicles like the T-54/55 and IS-3 proved to be in many ways superior over some of the top performing vehicles fielded by the West. This remained so until the introduction of the British Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm cannon and its variants. The new cannon featured high accuracy and penetrating capabilities, even at long range, making the superior armour protection on the Soviet tanks neigh irrelevant.

The new weapon sent a wake up call to the Soviet tank designers, prompting them to switch from the tried and tested methods and experiences learned in WW2, to new and more advanced techniques and technologies. The first attempt at creating a state-of-the-art main battle tank came in the shape of the T-62, which sported a revolutionary new 115 mm smoothbore cannon that featured unrivaled ballistic properties. However, apart from the new gun, the tank didn't receive any particular changes to its core design to make it stand out from earlier projects, thus the tank was soon relegated to infantry support. The needed breakthrough in Soviet tank development came in the early 1960s with the T-64, designed by Alexander Morozov, the same man that created some of the most famous Soviet tanks, like the T-34-85, T-44 and T-54.

The T-64 brought with it a whole host of firsts and innovations to the table, like laminar armour, an autoloading mechanism and more. However, the standout feature of the vehicle is most definitely its use of laminar armour, making it the first vehicle in the world to make use of such an advanced protection system. Thanks to this, the T-64 had extremely effective frontal armour, even outmatching the armour of contemporary heavy tanks, whilst the chassis itself was significantly smaller and lighter. The autoloading mechanism replaced the human loader, in turn reducing the crew count to three men. The new system allowed for a high rate of fire whilst also allowing the fighting compartment to be reduced in size, thus lowering weight and size of the tank. However, with all the new equipment being used for the first time, it comes to no surprise that the tank was also much more expensive to manufacture compared to older Soviet vehicles.

Nevertheless, the T-64 began rolling off the assembly line in the early '60s and continued to be manufactured for roughly a good two decades. Though its involvement in numerous conflicts around the globe isn't something to be overlooked, the mark this vehicle left in the history of tank development is far more significant than that though. It not only set a new standard and basis for future generations of Soviet and Russian tanks to come, but it also marks a turning point in history itself, making the T-64 a truly legendary tank.

As opposed to the standard T-64, the T-64A features a number of improvements that further increases its combat performance. Most notably, the gun was replaced by a 125 mm smoothbore D-81T cannon, which in its core, was an upscaled version of the 115 mm smoothbore cannon equipped on the previous model. Additionally, the laminar armour of the T-64 was replaced by an improved composite solution, consisting of steel and fiberglass in the hull front and hardened steel filling in turret. This upgrade increased the T-64A's survivability against shaped charge rounds in particular, creating an armoured barrier of over 450 mm of effective thickness on the upper glacis. Despite all of the equipment and armour on the T-64A, the tank still retained a rather low weight, with only around 38 tonnes. Thanks to its compact 700 horsepower engine, the T-64A had excellent mobility, being able to reach speeds of up to 60 km/h on roads and an average speed of 40 km/h off-road.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

External links


Kharkov Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering named after A. A. Morozov
Light Tanks 
BT-5  BT-5 · RBT-5
BT-7  BT-7 · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32)
Medium Tanks 
T-34-76  T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E
T-34-57  T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943)
T-34-85  T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E
T-34-100  T-34-100
T-44  T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122
Main Battle Tanks 
T-54  T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951)
T-64  T-64A (1971) · T-64B
Export/Captured 
T-34  ▀T 34 747 (r) · ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53)
See Also  Uralmashzavod · Uralvagonzavod

USSR medium tanks
T-28  T-28 (1938) · T-28 · T-28E
T-34-76  T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E
T-34-57  T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943)
T-34-85  T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E
T-34-100  T-34-100
T-44  T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122
T-54  T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951)
T-55  TO-55 · T-55A · T-55AM-1 · T-55AMD-1
T-62  T-62 · T-62M-1
T-64  Object 435 · T-64A (1971) · T-64B
T-72  T-72A · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-72B · T-72B (1989) · T-72B3 · T-72M2 Moderna
T-80  T-80B · T-80U · T-80UD · T-80UK · T-80UM2 · T-80BVM · Object 292
T-90  Т-90А · T-90M
Trophies/Lend-Lease 
Germany  ▂T-III · ▂T-V
Great Britain  ▂МК-IX "Valentine"
USA  ▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2