"Armata" will turn into a real command tank

A small sensation took place at the ongoing Army-2021 forum. The representative of the state corporation "Rostec" announced the delivery of the first experimental batch of T-14 tanks to the troops. Careful acquaintance with the presented tacticaltechnical The characteristics of the modified armored vehicle makes it clear that the RF Ministry of Defense does not give up on the Armata project, but on the contrary, sees a good future behind this platform and has already decided on a strategy for its promotion.

As soon as it appeared, the promising Russian T-14 tank on the Armata tracked platform aroused a lot of strong emotions, from sincere enthusiasm to hatred hardly disguised as a mockery on the part of numerous ill-wishers. It added fuel to the fire that our military themselves, for whom the armored vehicle was being developed, were in no hurry to adopt it, but preferred to do with more budgetary and field-proven options. It seemed that everything: the tank ahead of its time will remain small-scale and "ceremonial" until Western competitors create something similar for themselves. But, as you know, a drop wears away the stone, and "Armata" gradually begins to make its way.

"Childhood diseases"

One of the main problems of the promising Russian tank was the obvious overload of its advanced technical solutions. The T-14 is essentially a "killer" armored "gadget" on a tracked chassis. Unfortunately, "childhood illnesses" are inherent in any new technique, and the more complicated this technique, the more there are. For example, the American edition of The Diplomat commented on the "maturation" of the Russian armored vehicle as follows:


Good news lies in the fact that the specialists of the domestic military-industrial complex have done serious work on the mistakes. After the usual factory tests, "Armata" was sent to the test site in Kubinka near Moscow, where the most intensive tests were carried out at the 38th Research Testing Institute of the Ministry of Defense. The approval of the Research Institute and the admission of an armored vehicle to the start of industrial production of the first batch is a real sign of quality. At the Army-2021 forum, it turned out that the tank became heavier, and its weight is now not 48, but 55 tons. It uses reinforced road wheels, which means it is technically possible to mount a more powerful gun than the base 125mm cannon. This is very interesting, since there is information about the development of a high-yield ammunition with the help of Rosatom specialists. What kind of a projectile will it be that atomic lobbyists are involved in its creation? Also next to the gun there is a plug for the possibility of installing an additional coaxial machine gun.

Lead - follower

It became clear what role the T-14 will play in the future in the Russian troops. Probably, its main "trick", in addition to the mass of technical "bells and whistles", can be considered the function of the mobile headquarters for waging the so-called network-centric war. Yes, one-on-one tank duels are out of the question at all. "Armata" is capable of connecting an entire tactical link into a single information space, which can include other tanks, self-propelled artillery units (ACS), infantry fighting vehicles and attack helicopters, as well as UAVs. Filled with electronics, the T-14 should reduce intelligence from drones and its own AFAR and give target designation to other tanks, armored vehicles and aircraft.

The Russian Defense Ministry obviously intends to use the more massive T-90M Proryv tank as a slave for the "Armata". This is a very good decision. T-90s are produced in thousands and have been in operation for many decades. A "flying tank" (and it is really capable of soaring into the air from a hill, shooting at a target with a gun and landing safely for itself, continuing the battle) can hit armored targets and even helicopters from a 125-mm cannon at a distance of up to 5 kilometers. The T-90M itself poses a real threat to American, German and French tanks, and in conjunction with the T-14 as part of a single tactical link, the effectiveness of their actions will increase dramatically.

Thus, a trial batch of "Armat" will practice interaction at the tactical level in the Russian Ground Forces, gaining experience in modern network-centric warfare. At this stage, they will obviously perform the functions of command tanks, so a large number of them are not required.

Export

Probably the last fair stone in the T-14's garden was a claim for its high cost compared to the tanks of the previous generation. Fortunately, this is a fixable problem. An increase in the batch can reduce the cost of production, which can be done through export. Work on a passport for the export appearance of the "Armata" began last year, and last February "Rosoborotexport" reported that the documentation was ready, and the tank was prepared for a foreign debut.

It was also reported that the T-14 was allegedly tested in a real battle in Syria. We do not know whether this is so or not, there are no confirming photos and videos, but the modified Russian tank will still have the opportunity to show itself in action. Obviously, "Armata" will first be tested in the troops, and then it will go to a real hot spot, where it will demonstrate its skills to potential customers.