In the Kaliningrad region, in the near future, the first classes in the summer period of training in underwater driving of T-72B3M tanks will be held, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry reports.

The training will take place at a specialized hydrodrome near the town of Gusev.

The servicemen of the army corps of the Baltic Fleet will take part in it.

“To do this, the crews will have to equip combat vehicles with special air ducts, after which the driver-mechanics will overcome a water barrier up to five meters deep, guided by instruments and avoiding stops and sharp turns,” the Russian Defense Ministry's website says.

It clarifies that the main difficulty of underwater driving is driving without shifting gears.

During the dive, the crews of the Baltic Fleet tanks will be equipped with individual rescue equipment and insulating gas masks necessary to evacuate the crew in the event of a vehicle stop.

“Also, the tankers will practice actions when a combat vehicle is flooded, using self-contained breathing apparatus, which allow them to spend up to 60 minutes under water.

Before being allowed to drive, the crew members underwent diving training without fail, "the military department's website says.

"Act in case of force majeure"

Experts say that practicing underwater driving is one of the most difficult elements of the combat training of Russian tankers.

Before diving, military personnel must perfectly learn safety precautions and practice evacuation in the event of a breakdown or flooding of the vehicle.

“The most important skill that tankers have to master is the ability to act in case of force majeure.

Russian tanks have excellent cross-country ability, nevertheless, while driving through the silt, the tracks can get bogged down, the engine can stall.

Also, flooding situations can never be ruled out, "Dmitry Kornev, founder of the Military Russia portal, explained in an interview with RT.

According to him, a stuck tank can be pulled out from the bottom with the help of equipment in service with the engineering troops.

In this case, the evacuation of the crew is optional.

However, if the tracked vehicle, for one reason or another, cannot be dragged to the shore, the crew must know how to safely leave it.

According to the Ministry of Defense, before diving into the water, each serviceman receives an insulating gas mask (breathing apparatus), which directs the air exhaled by a person into a regenerative (chemical) cartridge, where it is purified of carbon dioxide and saturated with oxygen.

In the Russian army, products under the IP-5 index are widespread, allowing them to hold out without air for about 60 minutes, and in the absence of intense physical activity - even longer.

The set of the insulating gas mask includes a helmet-mask SHIP-2M, a breathing bag with an overpressure valve, a regenerative cartridge RP-5, a bib pocket, a briquette for additional oxygen supply DP-T in a case, anti-fog films, a bag and belts.

IP-5 gives a soldier the ability to float freely to the surface at a speed of 1 m / s and allows performing simple work under water.

The permissible submersion depth under water with such a device is 7 m, the weight of the entire set is 5.2 kg.

  • Tank of the RF Armed Forces at the Vododrome

  • RIA News

  • © Maxim Bogodvid

To learn how to operate in a gas mask, servicemen train in specially equipped pools, in which a hydro simulator (a model of a flooded tank) is installed, equipped with an emergency drainage system.

One of the most modern facilities of this kind is located in the Volgograd Region at the Prudboy training ground.

After the upgrade, it takes three seconds to drain the hydro simulator body instead of the previous 15.

In such pools, light diving training is carried out, the features of controlling a caterpillar vehicle under water are studied and evacuation skills are practiced.

According to Kornev, the tankers are not required to perform complex manipulations in the event of an accident.

“It is necessary to activate the breathing apparatus, open the hatch and leave the car without fuss, then the elementary swimming skills are activated.

Probably the hardest thing to do is to define an action plan, not to get lost in an emergency, ”said Kornev.

In a RT commentary, Sergei Suvorov, candidate of military sciences, noted the importance of the psychological attitude of tank crews who are preparing for the "underwater march."

The hardest thing, according to the expert, is for beginners.

“I repeatedly went under water in a tank.

The most difficult thing is the psychological component, especially for the fighters who have never performed this exercise.

The fear of diving is natural and understandable - go under the water, silt rises, nothing is visible, there is a risk of getting stuck or getting lost, "Suvorov explained.

Required skill

Before diving, servicemen treat the seams and joints of the tank with a special waterproof grease and seal the car from the inside, Sergei Suvorov said.

Rubber gaskets are installed on the hatches, the exhaust system valves are tightly battened down, a cover-cap is put on the muzzle of the gun.

In order for the power unit to receive oxygen during the movement of the tank along the bottom, an air supply pipe with a length of three to four meters is mounted on it.

The engine radiators are closed with protective caps, the exhaust pipe is equipped with a valve box.

“In pre-dive training, the bottom is often studied, but in real combat conditions, for obvious reasons, this is not always possible.

However, tankers can get an idea of ​​the bottom topography along the slopes - the flatter it is, the better.

It is also important to assess the steepness of the opposite bank in order to climb it without any problems, ”said Kornev.

  • The crew of the tank of the RF Armed Forces in the exercises

  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The driver is guided under water by means of gyro-compasses.

The devices allow you to determine the correct direction of movement in the absence of visibility and visual reference points.

According to Kornev, in addition to gyro-compasses, tankers can use a periscope.

This optical device is built into a pipe installed on the top hatch of the tank, which simultaneously provides the vehicle with air flow.

“The main thing is not to twitch, stay calm, go in a low gear and not shift it.

Another important element is the ability to keep a safe distance when a unit passes along the bottom.

With the proper assimilation of all security measures, the psychological mood, no incidents will happen, "Kornev emphasized.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the maximum immersion depth for Russian tanks is five to six meters.

The length of the distance may vary, but in training it is usually around 100 m.

“It is clear that a tank cannot overcome a lake and a large river.

For this, bridges and crossings are needed in the theater of operations, which are part of the arsenal of engineering troops, but in general, such a skill as underwater driving is useful and necessary, "Suvorov noted.

According to the expert, the need for tracked vehicles to overcome water obstacles, including underwater driving, was realized back in the Great Patriotic War, when the Red Army experienced a lot of difficulties when crossing rivers.

“The European theater of war is teeming with rivers.

Literally every 10 km there are rivers about 10 m wide, and after 100 km - 100 m wide. During the Cold War era, all the problems associated with overcoming small rivers without involving engineering equipment were successfully resolved, ”Suvorov said.

According to Dmitry Kornev, at present, "underwater marches" are necessary to increase the maneuverability of tank units.

Now in the army, such exercises are not carried out as intensively as in the Soviet period, but the overwhelming majority of tank crews of the RF Armed Forces have experience of passing along the bottom of rivers, the expert noted.

“Tanks are strong in maneuver and fire.

Therefore, ideally, they should not be strongly constrained by the specifics of geography.

Otherwise, their offensive will drown.

Underwater driving makes it easier to move to different points in the theater of operations and allows you to strike the enemy in a timely manner, "Kornev summed up.