Omsk designers have developed a new tank chassis design that should improve movement over difficult terrain. The documentation was published in the FIPS patent database; the name of the specific designer was classified in accordance with Russian law.
The new chassis is made according to a seven-roller scheme and received an adjustable guide wheel in the front of the hull.
When moving on hard surfaces, it is in the upper position, reducing resistance to movement. On soft ground, the mechanism allows the wheel to be lowered and the support area of the track to be increased.
The design uses double-flange support rollers, L-shaped balancers with torsion bars, and a special shape of track shoes.
Engineers compare the solution to the chassis of the promising T-14 "Armata" tank, which also uses seven road wheels per side and a rear-mounted drive wheel. For comparison, the T-90M has a conventional six-roller scheme.
Earlier it became known that the cost of one "Armata" tank can reach 500 million rubles. The combat vehicle has not yet gone into wide serial production. At the same time, the price for one T-90M "Proryv" was estimated at 350 million rubles.