The “Cook Off” and Why Most Russian Tanks Suffer from “Jack in the Box” Syndrome
Understanding the “Cook Off”
Now, what is a “Cook Off”? Well, for those of you who don’t know, a Cook Off is what happens when the ammunition of a tank or other similar armored vehicle detonates after taking a direct hit. I have to mention that no tank is perfect and all are susceptible to this phenomenon. You have probably seen many videos of this happening.
But one thing you may not have noticed is that when Russian-made tanks suffer a Cook Off, the turret would sometimes blow completely off. This is called the “Jack in the Box” phenomenon. But why does this seem to happen to Russian tanks more? Well, it is because of how the ammunition is stored.
Modern Tank Design vs. Russian Tank Design
In most modern tanks like the M1, the ammunition is stored in a special compartment in the turret. It is designed in such a way that if the tank does take a direct hit, the resulting detonation blows outwards from the tank. The tank itself may be lost, but the crew has a better chance of survival, and there is a possibility (though slight) that the tank could be recovered and repaired.
Older Russian/Soviet-era tanks don’t have this feature. Instead, tanks like the T-72 store their ammunition in a carousel-style automatic loader directly beneath the main turret and members of the crew. So when it takes a hit, it’s almost certain the crew would not survive and “Pop goes the turret.”
The Prevalence of “Jack in the Box” in Russian Tanks
This is why you see so many images coming out of places like Syria and Ukraine of Russian-made tanks missing their turrets or turrets missing their tanks. Like I said in the beginning, no tank is impervious to anti-tank weapons. But ask yourself this, when was the last time you saw an Abrams missing its turret after a cook-off?
~NC
