New turrets for T-90M2 and "T-80" (Rivok-1 & Rivok-2).

 

  

 

 

Due to welding issues with the turret, UKBTM developed a new one with less  tighter tolerances.
UKBTM developed a new turret and a method for its manufacture for the future upgrade of the T-90M2 and the so-called "T-80" (Rivok-1 and Rivok-2).

 

The illustration shows a top-view comparison of the old "humped" T-90M turret and the new one.
They removed the hump from the roof and added it to the sides... added here, removed there, removed here, added there... such is the essence of the design thought here. But the real essence of this turret is visible in the comparison (top view of the standard T-90M turret and the new one).
The internal volume in the rear of the turret has been increased, although this was done in an extremely strange way, by widening that creates weakened zones – traps.

The slope angles of the frontal components have been reduced, the size of the armor packages has also been reduced, leading to a decrease in the safe maneuvering angles (against APFSDS).

In the side section, it is visible that the turret still retains a complex shape that hinders good coverage of the upper projection with protective devices. Not to mention the huge spent cartridge case ejection ports, which are a specific gateway for FPV drone hits.

While the central part of the turret is made without a "hump", the roof of the filler cavities is made with a significant slope.

Overall, the new turret gravitates towards solutions from the Western (and Chinese) school in terms of greater balance (frontal armor and rear weight balance), increased internal volume, and reduction of protected frontal arcs.

However, they plan to install the same unsuccessful Tagil autoloader (AZ) into it (including for the new "T-80")! Many express outrage about this, but nothing can be done here anymore – UKBTM doesn't know how to do anything else.

Technological reasons

During traditional turret assembly and welding, significant metal deformation occurs due to the shrinkage of weld seams.

This leads to:

The geometry of the finished product not meeting drawing requirements.

The need for labor-intensive manual fitting of sheet elements (cladding, roof).

Mandatory machining (milling) of already welded critical components (flanges, hatch bases) to ensure the required alignment of their mounting surfaces.

 

 

T-90M turret after being hit – cracked along the weldings

The essence of the innovations: To prevent deformations and ensure precision, it is proposed to apply the method of intentional technological allowances (pre-compensation) during the assembly stage. Structural elements are positioned and welded not according to final ("design") dimensions, but according to increased ("technological") dimensions, accounting for the subsequent metal shrinkage during welding.

This development highlights the lack of a systematic, calculated method for compensating welding deformations, which forces production into labor-intensive, skill-dependent, and material-intensive manual work to correct defects that were essentially built into the assembly process itself.
The proposal is not to solve the problem post-factum, but to initially manufacture parts with an "allowance" that will "disappear precisely in the required direction and by the required amount" during the welding process, bringing the product to the desired shape.
The practice of manufacturing a batch of new turrets has shown its significant advantages over the known method in terms of ensuring the accuracy of geometric parameters, reducing labor intensity, and saving metal.

However, the very essence of this turret itself – you be the judge, it's already yesterday's news.

 

Production of the exixting design T-90M turret at UVZ

And I just don't understand—what did they achieve with this broken (faceted/angled) shape of the turret sides? Complicating production, stamping and additional welding—for what purpose? Maybe someone can explain it to me, but making the turret sides broken instead of straight seems like some kind of design madness.

Sometimes it feels like they're developing some nonsense there. Just to develop a normal straight side in 5-10 years, like a dynasty. And this isn't some abstract development—a batch of such welded turrets has been manufactured.