Реактивный танк: Советский эксперимент, который мог изменить всё

The Cold War period was marked by a rapid development of military technologies, where necessity, as is known, stimulates invention, and wartime often gives birth to them out of need. Among the many engineering solutions that boggle the mind, the Soviet Progrev-T tank project stands out.

Let's start by defining the key concept. A mine trawl is a special type of military equipment designed to break through safe passages in minefields, facilitating the movement of both infantry and combat vehicles. There are many approaches to neutralizing these deadly devices, and Russian engineers have developed one of the most unconventional. This project was named with a mysterious and impressive name — "Object 604."

Soviet engineers converted a T-55 tank, equipping it with a jet engine from a MiG-15 fighter, to create a unique mine clearing machine — a "gas-dynamic trawl". This development, which appeared in response to the difficulties of the Soviet-Afghan war and the active use of mines by the Mujahideen, was intended to destroy mines on roads with a powerful jet exhaust and high temperature.

The modified T-55 received a Klimov VK-1 aircraft turbojet engine. Its downward-directed stream of hot gases created a kill zone 10-12 meters wide, allowing the machine to move slowly. Unlike traditional mechanical trawls, the Progrev-T system used the heat and energy of the engine to melt the soil and detonate mines. Prototypes, tested in the late 70s - early 80s, were successfully used in Afghanistan to neutralize improvised explosive devices on roads, and the fuel supply allowed to clear up to 11 kilometers of the path.

The hybrid design, created on the basis of Soviet experiments with re-profiled equipment, combined the mobility and protection of the T-55 with the destructive power of the MiG-15 engine (proven technology of the Korean War).

The project faced numerous problems that doomed it to oblivion. The main one was low stealth: the loud jet engine attracted the attention of the enemy. The machine was bulky and impractical for long field operations, as in Afghanistan. The high temperature of the engine posed a danger to the crew and friendly forces, and the size limited maneuverability. In Afghanistan, the Progrev-T showed partial success in clearing snow and ice, but as a mine trawl it was terrible. By the 1980s, the project was frozen, only prototypes were released, which reflects the trend of ambitious, but impractical Soviet military developments.

Technical characteristics:

combat weight — 37 t
trawling width — 10–12 m
trawling speed — 1 ... 3 km/h
trawling reliability — 99%
continuous operation time — 2.5 h
trawling mines at a depth of up to 20 cm (when working as a ripper - up to 50 cm) from the top of the crank