By Franz-Stefan Gady
Russia volition non mass-produce its novel third-generation T-14 Armata master copy battle tank (MBT) every bit it is also costly, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told Russian media on July 30. Instead, the Russian armed services volition proceed to rely on older platforms such every bit the T-72B3s (fitted amongst explosive reactive armor), an upgraded variant of the original Soviet-era T-72 MBT, or the T-90A MBT, according to Borisov.
“Why overflowing our armed services amongst Armatas, the T-72s are inwards bang-up ask on the markets,” the deputy prime number government minister said noting that the upgraded variant of the T-72 “leaves far behind” German, French in addition to U.S. of A. of America MBTs currently inwards service “in terms of price, efficiency in addition to quality.” Furthermore, Borisov noted, when discussing the government’s conclusion to modernize older armor platforms: “Having a armed services budget 10 times smaller than that of NATO, nosotros are achieving our objectives due to such efficient solutions.”
It has been obvious for some fourth dimension immediately that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has abandoned plans to mass-produce 2,300 T-14s past times 2025, every bit was originally outlined inwards the 2018-2027 State Armaments Program. For example, already inwards Oct 2017 the MoD announced that it volition upgrade T-80 in addition to T-90 serial MBTs in addition to revise plans to melt downward 10,000 armored vehicles past times 2020 in addition to hold 6,000 inwards reserve.
Also inwards Jan 2017, the MoD announced that it volition upgrade its T-72 MBT force. “The Russian Ministry of Defense’s conclusion to upgrade older T-72 in addition to T-90 models could travel interpreted every bit a sign that despite before announcements, the T-14 volition non supervene upon the Soviet-era tanks every bit the mainstay of Russia’s tank forcefulness inwards the virtually hereafter in addition to that the Russian Ground Forces volition proceed to travel diverse MBT variants at to the lowest degree for the side past times side decade,” I speculated at the time.
The per-unit cost of a T-14 MBT is estimated to travel roughly $3.8 million.
The Russian Ground Forces are yet expected to have roughly 100 T-14 MBTs past times 2020. In February, the MoD placed an guild for 2 T-14 battalions amongst each unit of measurement expected to have roughly forty T-14 MBTs. The Russian Ground Forces are soon operating 16-20 T-14s prototypes for evaluation in addition to testing. The offset T-14 MBT volition purportedly travel deployed amongst the 1st Guards Tank Regiment of 2d Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division, garrisoned inwards Moscow in addition to business office of Russia’s Western Military District.
“The -14 (…) is i of the world’s offset battle tanks to characteristic an unmanned turret,” I explained in August 2017. “The MBT’s master copy weapon organisation is a 2A82 125-millimeter smoothbore cannon, capable of firing high-powered munitions (10 shots a infinitesimal at an effective attain of upward to vii kilometers). The 125-millimeter variant volition travel replaced amongst a to a greater extent than powerful 152 mm cannon inwards later on versions.” Final operational evaluation for the T-14 has been scheduled for 2019.
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