Russia's most recent and most expensive main battle tanks, the T-14 Armata, is a high-tech armored vehicle claimed by Russia's defense sector to be "the deadliest in the world". This tank has an active protection system to shoot down anti-tank missiles, sophisticated sensors and data networking, onboard drones, and a high degree of automation.
T-14 Armata is composed of a hull, three crew members, a remote-controlled, unmanned turret weapon station and a power supply at the back. The turret is armed with a 125mm 2A82-1M smoothbore gun that can fire laser-guided missiles and a total of 45 rounds, including 32 that are ready for use.
Russian main battle tanks have dominated the battlefield of Ukraine since February 24, when Russia took control of Kherson. However, these vehicles can be easily damaged by modern anti-tank guns. MBTs are expensive to maintain and they are getting older.
This has led to a demand for a more effective and efficient tank design that can effectively combat a wide variety of enemies in a single engagement. The T-14 Armata was created as a replacement for the T-72/T-90 MBTs that Russia has used extensively in the conflict in Ukraine.
The modular platform of the T-14 Armata allows for the creation of many armored variants such as heavy infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier. The turret features three hatches and can also have an armored compartment for crew members.
The hull has three sections. The gunner and driver are each seated in an armored capsule, which can be removed from the motor compartment. An armored bulkhead separates the hull from the automatic loading device and turret.
A 125mm smoothbore rifle is mounted in an unmanned tower that can be accessed by the tank's outside. This gun can fire from distances of up to seven miles and can deliver a payload of up 300 pounds to a target. The turret is also equipped with a radar and can carry a number of other weapon systems.
These include a guided missile missile, an aerial-to-ground guided gunnery tube and a missile guide system. According to Army Technology, they can all destroy targets in an area of approximately 10 km with a single attack.
The T-14 Armata's other important feature is its ability to be used in harsh terrain or snowy mountains. This makes it adaptable to various battlefield scenarios.
T-14 Armata has attracted interest from several countries, including India. India intends to replace its current fleet main battle tanks by new ones by 2025. At the Aero India 2023 Expo in India, Vladimir Drozhzhov (deputy director of Russia’s Federal Service of Military and Technical Cooperation) stated that Moscow was ready to share its Armata modular technologies and India for the joint development of an Indian MBT.