Armor-themed blog btvt.info reports that a tank with a crew ejection system has been patented in the russian federation. What is the specific type of tank that is supposed to receive such an upgrade is not detailed, only a general description is given. In particular, it is noted that inside such a tank, the crew will be seated in an ejection capsule equipped with a pyrocartridge.
Between the capsule itself and the crew compartment of the tank, a partition made of arc-shaped armored plates is placed, and the ammunition rack should be placed "to the side of the crew," the blogger notes. When the capsule with the crew is ejected, the tank must stop.
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At first glance, this patent on the part of russian engineers looks strange, especially in light of the russian army's inadvertently created system of forced ejection of turrets from tanks — namely, the design where the ammunition rack is situated right under the crew. This jack-in-the-box tank arrangement works so well that it's possible to list down the best examples based on how high a turret was tossed after catching a hit from an anti-tank weapon.
Nonetheless, the innovation itself is a logical direction in tanks development, considering the fact that as of the morning of June 5, 2024, the russian invasion forces had already lost 7,806 tanks of all types in Ukraine — twice as many as the army of the russian federation had overall at its disposal before the start of its offensive campaign in 2022.
When it comes to practical aspects of implementing this project, the first issue that comes to mind is the cost/effect efficiency. Introducing an ejection capsule for the crew on any MBT can dramatically increase vehicle production costs.
As for the precedent with the mass upgrading of tanks with slat armor (colloquially known as "cope cages"), which first affected the russian armed forces and then spread to other armies of the world, even the Israel Defense Forces, the situation is actually quite different here. A slat armor cage as an improvised method of tank protection can be manufactured both in the field and in factory conditions, and its installation does not require any special adjustments to the vehicle design.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that the TOS-3 Drakon, a new version of TOS-1A Solntsepyok, was shown for the first time in russia.
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