Vasilii Hitrik: "In the battle at the russian-ukrainian war our active reactive armor "Nozh" ("Knife") save Ukrainian tanks"
Developers armored protection of Ukrainian state enterprise "Microtec" prize awarded by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
- Here, he wrote on his page on "Facebook" one of tankman, fighting in a war zone Russian-Ukrainian war: "First Tank Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine requests that all combat vehicles systems, active and reactive armor "Nozh" ("Knife") of Ukrainian origin.
Several tanks brigades with the systems of "Nozh" ("Knife") received a direct hit from an RPG-7 (rocket-propelled grenade -. Ed.) Guided missile "Storm" and "Fagot" ("Viola") remained intact ", - says the candidate of technical sciences, professor Vasiliy Hitrik. He is the chief designer and director of the Ukrainian State Enterprise "Basic Center Critical Technologies "Microtec", in which several tanks protection systems created. We met with Vasiliy Onufrievich Hitrik the next day after the presentation of his team of the Cabinet of Ministers Award in the "science and technology" for the design of tanks protection systems "Nozh" ("Knife").
I'll show you pictures of how the Ukrainian system of "Nozh" ("Knife") active and reactive armor. The photos were taken at a military training ground. The target body using a decommissioned tank. Fired from a distance of 100 meters.
Initially, the target was not protected by anything, and, you see, (Vasilii Onufrievich Hitrik shows the following picture) projectile flashed armor.
Then she put the "Nozh" ("knife") system modules and re-shot. That's what kind of had a target after a direct hit by a second shell - the photograph shows that the only mark left on the surface. Armor munition is not struck.
To the tank was protected, it is placed between 150 and 200 modules (they have the form of small boxes - Ed.). "The knife" system. Each such module is charged in a copper shell. Explosion, he destroys flies ammunition. That's what happens to them (Vasilii Onufrievich Hitrik puts on the table pieces of twisted metal). This "piece of iron" was part of the armor-piercing shells, and this - the cumulative grenade ... It is important that the protection is triggered by ingestion of anti-tank ammunition - bullets on strikes (they can not penetrate the armor), the system does not respond.
- How much is the "Nozh" ("knife")?
- A few percent of the price of a tank. This is perfectly acceptable.
The impetus for the creation of this system was a contract for the supply of ukrainian tanks T-80UD to Pakistan, which Ukraine has concluded in the late 1990s. It was supposed to equip the Soviet fighting vehicle protection system "Kontakt-5". But it did not work: its developer - NII Steel from Russia - has patented this product, as the owner of the copyright exposed through Ukraine - 52 million US dollars. Then it was decided to develop a more advanced domestic system. I (Hitrik Vasily Onufrievich) led the work on its creation, in fact had the appropriate qualifications and experience: before the collapse of the Soviet Union was in the armored Institute in Kubinka near Moscow. When in 1992 he returned home, I was assigned to organize the Science Center of Ukraine Army troops. After five years on the basis of the center under the guidance of my arms was created by the Institute. Just then Ukraine and signed a contract with Pakistan.
We used the physical principles, which differed from the "Kontact" used in the Russian system. As a result of Ukrainian "Nozh" ("knife") has turned out much better than its predecessor: it protects almost all types of anti-tank weapons, and Russian "Kontact-1" and "Kontakt-5" only on the cumulative (burns through armor). Our system is put into service of the Ukrainian army, only equipping its army is not as fast as we would like. While it is only on the machines of the First Guards Tank Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- What is the amount of the premium of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which you have handed over the development of a system of active-reactive armor "Nozh" ("Knife")?
- One hundred and eighty thousand hryvnia (about 13 thousand US dollars). By the way, the award of the National Academy of Sciences is much less - a hundred thousand hryvnia (about 7000 US dollars). The award was shared equally between the six developers: Get thirty thousand (about 3.33 thousand US dollars).