The Main Automotive-Armoured Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (, abbr. GABTU; another translation: Main Directorate of Armoured Forces) is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defence which is subordinated to the Chief of Armaments and Munitions of the Armed Forces, vice-minister of defense ().
In January 1943, the Main Automobile Directorate (GAU) of the Red Army was formed.
In January 1946, the Main Automobile Directorate of the Red Army was transformed into the Automobile Directorate of the Armed Forces of the USSR.
In 1949, on the basis of the Automotive Directorate of the Armed Forces and the Tractor Directorate of the GAU of the Armed Forces, the Main Automotive and Tractor Directorate (GAVTU) was formed.
In 1953, the Main Automotive Directorate was transformed into the Autotractor Directorate (AVTU) of the Ministry of Defence.
In 1961, the Autotractor Directorate was transformed into the Central Autotractor Directorate (TSAVTU) of the Ministry of Defence.
In December 1982, the Central Automobile and Tractor Directorate of the Ministry of Defence was renamed the Main Automobile Directorate (GLAVTU) of the Ministry of Defence.
Main Armored Directorate In December 1994, the GBTU of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the GLAVTU of the Russian Ministry of Defense were reorganized into the Main Armored Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (GABTU of the Russian Ministry of Defense). Today it is the main developer of military-technical policy in the field of military vehicles and armored weapons and equipment. It is also the main customer and supplier of armored and automotive equipment to the troops.
The T-80 performed so poorly that after the First Chechen War that General-Lieutenant A. Galkin, the head of the Main Armour Directorate, convinced the Minister of Defence to never again procure tanks with gas-turbine engines.Mikhail Zakharchuk, 'Uroki Chechenskogo krizisa' (Lessons of the Chechen crisis), Armeyskiy sbornik, April 1995
On November 22, 2019, the Main Armored Directorate was awarded the Diploma of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Heads of the Main Armored Directorate 1992–1996 — Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Galkin – colonel general (:ru:Галкин, Александр Александрович (генерал)) 1996–2004 — Sergey Aleksandrovich Mayev – colonel general 2004–2007 — Vladislav Aleksandrovich Polonsky – colonel general, General Major Vladislav Polonskiy was identified by Krasnaya Zvezda on September 14, 2004.Translation and English-language title is as provided by Harriet Fast Scott and William F. Scott, Russian Military Directory 2004, p.108 2007–2009 — Nikolay Fyodorovich Yershov – lieutenant general 2009–2019 — Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Shevchenko – Major General.Head of the Main Armored Division of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Russian) 2019–2021 — Sergey Vladimirovich Bibik – Major General 2022–present — Aleksandr Anatolyevich Shestakov – Lieutenant General
Storage sites 22nd Central Tank Reserve Base, Military Unit Number 42713, 157001, Buy, Kostroma Oblast, (also "Bui") 91st Central Base for Reserve of Automotive Vehicles: Located in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Oblast 103rd Central Tank Reserve Base (Military Unit 42689): Located in Shilovo, Novosibirsk Oblast 104th Central Tank Reserve Base (Military Unit 42841): Located in Aleysk, Altai Krai 111th Central Tank Reserve Base (Military Unit 42857): Located in Bui, Kostroma Oblast 187th Central Tank Reserve Base: Located in Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk Oblast 245th Central Tank Reserve Base: Location in Central/Western Russia 349th Central Tank Reserve Base: Located in Topchikha (or Krasnoyarsk), Altai Krai 1047th Central Tank Reserve Base: Located in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia 1295th Central Tank Reserve Base: Located in Arsenyev, Primorsky Krai 1311th Central Base for Storage and Repair: Located in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk Oblast (V/Ch 42716) 2544th Central Tank Reserve Base: Located in Kozulka, Krasnoyarsk Krai 3018th Central Tank Reserve Base (Military Unit Number 75485) (624852, Kamyshlov, Sverdlovsk Oblast)Za Uralom 7024th Central Tank Reserve Base: Located near the Ukrainian border / Southern Russia
Object numbers
GABTU is responsible for assignment of object () numbers to almost all the tanks and other combat vehicles entering service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Объект is often transliterated as , etc. These names are sometimes referred to incorrectly as "industry designation" or "factory names".
The initial digit corresponds to the design bureau. 1–99 Gorky Automobile Factory (GAZ) 100–199 Ural Railway Car Building Factory (Uralvagonzavod plant №183)201–299 Leningrad Kirov Plant (LKZ)300–349 Ural Plant of Transport Engineering (UZTM)400–499 Malyshev Factory (HZTM)500 Omsktransmash (plant №174)501–549 Rubtsovsk Engineering Works 550–599 Mytishchi Machine Building Factory (MMZ)600–699 Kurgan Engineering Factory (KMZ)700–799 Chelyabinsk Kirov (Tractor) Plant (ChKZ, ChTZ)800–849 Various850–899 Moscow Automobile Factory (ZIS, ZIL)900–999 Stalingrad (Volgograd) Tractor Factory (STZ, VgTZ)1000–1050 Kutaisi Automotive Factory (KAZ)
List Object Vehicle Type Year Notes 010 MT-LBu Armoured transporter 019 Infantry fighting vehicle Experimental wheeled IFV 101 SU-101 Self propelled gun 1944 Experimental (Uralmash-1), 100 mm D10S casemate based on T-44 hull 102 SU-102 Self propelled gun 1945 Experimental (Uralmash-1), 100 mm D10S up-armored casemate based on T-44 hull 105 SU-100P Self propelled gun 1949 Experimental, rear mounted 100 mm D-10S 105M SU-100PM Self propelled gun 1958 Experimental, modernization of SU-100P with 100 mm D-50 108 SU-152G Self propelled gun 1949 Experimental, with 152 mm D-1 110 PT-76 Light tank 1961 740 modified by UZTM with PAZ NBC protection system 111 T-111 Light tank 1939 Known as T-46-5, designed and built by OKMO prior to GABTU standardization. 112 BTR-112 Armoured personnel carrier 1949 Armoured personnel carrier variant of 105 115 T-115 Medium tank 1938 Prospective breakthrough tank design based on T-28, never built 116 T-116 Light tank 1932 8 ton experimental, never built. Designed by OKMO prior to GABTU standardization. 116 SU-152P Self propelled gun Experimental, with 152 mm M-53 117 SPU-117 Self propelled searchlight 118 GMZ-1 Minelayer based on the SU-100P chassis. 118-2 GMZ-2 Minelayer based on the SU-100P chassis. 119 ZSU-37-2 Yenisei Self propelled anti aircraft gun 1960 Experimental, 2A1 SPAAG with 2A12 (AZP-37) consisting of two 2A11 (500P) 37 mm cannons. 120 SU-152 "Taran" Tank destroyer 1965 Experimental, enclosed tank destroyer with 152 mm M-53 121 2K9 "Shmel'" Self propelled launch platform 1959 Experimental, based on the 740 with 2P8 launcher for 3M1 "Onega" missile 122 2K9 "Shmel'" Self propelled launch platform 1959 Experimental, based on the 740 with 2P9 loading mechanism for 3M1 "Onega" missile 123 2K11 Krug Self propelled TEL 1959 Transporter-Erector-Launcher 2P24, based on GM-123 tracked chassis 124 1S32 Self propelled TADS 1959 Target Acquisition and Designation System for 2K11 Krug anti-aircraft missile system 125 Light tank 126 T-50 Light tank 1941 135 T-34-85 Medium tank 1943 136 T-44 Medium tank 1944 137-1 T-54-1 Main battle tank 1946 M1946 137G T-54A Main battle tank 137G2 T-54B Main battle tank 137G2K T-54BK Main battle tank 137GK T-54AK Main battle tank Command version 137GM T-54AM Main battle tank 137G modernization 137GMK T-54AMK Main battle tank 137GM command version 137K T-54K Main battle tank 137-3 command version 137M T-54M Main battle tank 137-1, 137-2, 137-3 modernization 137MK T-54MK Main battle tank 137M command version 137R T-54-2 Main battle tank 1949 M1949 137Sh T-54-3 Main battle tank 1951 M1951 138 SU-100 Tank destroyer 1944 139 T-54M Main battle tank Accepted for service, but not produced 140 Main battle tank 1954 Accepted for service, but not produced 141 Main battle tank 1953 Modernization of the Object 137 142 Main battle tank 1954 Variant of the 140 but with a chassis similar to that of Object 155, accepted for service, but not produced 148 T-14 Main battle tank 2015 149 T-15 Infantry fighting vehicle 2015 150 IT-1 Missile tank 1968 Missile armed 155 T-55 Main battle tank 155A T-55A Main battle tank 155AD-1 T-55AD-1 Main battle tank 1983 155A with Drozd and V-46-5M engine 155AD T-55AD Main battle tank 1983 155A with Drozd 155AK T-55AK Main battle tank 155A command version 155K T-55K Main battle tank 155 command version 155M T-55M Main battle tank 1984 165 T-62A Main battle tank 1959 165K Main battle tank Command version of the 165 165P Main battle tank Variant of the 165 with increased radiation protection 166 T-62 Main battle tank 1959 Based on the 165 but unlike the 165 it was armed with the smooth-bore U-5TS 166D T-62D Main battle tank 1983 T-62 with add-on armor and improved mine protection developed in the early 1980s. 166K T-62K Main battle tank 1964 Command version of 166 166P T-62P Main battle tank Variant of the 166 with increased radiation protection 166KN T-62K Main battle tank 1964 166 with TNA-2 Navigational Aid 166M-1 T-62M-1 Main battle tank 166M with different engine 166M T-62M Main battle tank 1983 166 modernization 166M1-1 T-62M1-1 Main battle tank 166M-1 without missile 166M1-2-1 T-62M1-2-1 Main battle tank 166M-1 without missile or armor upgrade 166M1-2 T-62M1-2 Main battle tank 166M without missile or armor upgrade 166M1 T-62M1 Main battle tank 166M without missile 166M1V-1 T-62M1V-1 Main battle tank 166M1-1 with K-1 ERA 166M1V T-62M1V Main battle tank 166M1 with K-1 ERA 166MD-1 T-62MD-1 Main battle tank 1983 166M-1 with Drozd 166MD T-62MD Main battle tank 1983 166M with Drozd 166MK-1 T-62MK-1 Main battle tank 166M-1 command version 166MK T-62MK Main battle tank 166M command version 166MV-1 T-62MV-1 Main battle tank 1985 166M-1 with K-1 ERA 166MV T-62MV Main battle tank 1985 166M with K-1 ERA 167 Main battle tank 1963 Modernization of the 166 167TU Main battle tank 167 variant with a new turbine engine 184-1 T-72B1 Main battle tank 1985 (service) T-72B without the Svir GLATGM system. 187 Main battle tank Prototypes developed under the « Improvement-88 » program. 188 T-90 Main battle tank 1992 (service) Tank developed under the « Improvement T-72B » program. 188M T-90M Main battle tank 2020 (service) 195 T-95 Main battle tank 1991-2010 (development) Tank developed under the « Improvement-88 » program. 199 BMPT Tank support fighting vehicle 1995 211 Light tank 126 (T-50) with changed hull 212 Self propelled gun 1941 217 PPG tankette Tankette 1941 Single prototype 219 T-80 Main battle tank 1976 219A Improved T-80 (during development) T-80U-1 (service designation) || Main battle tank || 1976 (development)