"This angle would still give side-numbers for
the particular regiment, updating records from their last sighting
and would also allow [analysts] to scrutinise each vehicle for any
slight modifications not seen before. To my knowledge this particular
set of tanks had not been seen out of barracks for a good few months,
plenty of time to fit some new gadget somewhere. We knew they were
likely inhabitants of 16 Guards Tank Division, but which ones only
the side-numbers would tell us. Given that there were so many of them,
it would also usefully [...] identify which were the actual command
and control vehicles in the column. The T-80Ks (K being the universal
identification nomenclature for Command) were easily identifiable
from the rest by an extra aerial. This second aerial indicated communication
up the command chain as well as down."
TLM, p. 159
"Seeing a tank meant it had to be compared with
known varieties of the same series. Was there something different?
[...] Bolts coming out of the hull with no obvious attachments, what
were they for and were they uniformly distributed? [...] The state
of their equipment, the perceived state of morale, their drills, competence
and efficiency."
TLM, p. 161
[This] was a signature vehicle for Surface to Air
Missile (SAM) or Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) systems and as such
was high priority. [...] On its own it was pretty harmless but its
association with missile systems made it a key vehicle."
TLM, p. 165
