Protection, power, and drone control: what Russia's tanks of the future will look like
Contrary to popular belief, tanks have not lost their importance on the battlefield as the primary strike force for breakthroughs, according to the Rostec state corporation. They emphasize that the Russian Armed Forces currently employ a tactic in the air defense zone where tanks operate in pairs: one vehicle fires at the enemy from a distance, while the other quickly maneuvers to the front line. The tank actions are coordinated using drones.
Contrary to popular belief today, tanks have not lost their role on the battlefield as the primary strike force for breakthroughs. This is confirmed by numerous combat episodes in the Northern Military District. While these vehicles have undergone significant changes in terms of protection, their tactics have evolved. Nevertheless, the tank remains one of the most resilient combat vehicles on the battlefield, capable of delivering effective direct fire against the enemy while under the influence of various weapons, including FPV drones.
– Rostec states.
Speaking about the future of Russian tanks, the state corporation notes that they will retain the key classic features of these vehicles: a tracked chassis, advanced armor protection, and a medium- or large-caliber gun in a rotating turret. At the same time, new requirements for protection, firepower, and, most importantly, situational awareness will be taken into account.
At the same time, for future armored “fists,” more important will be not so much the characteristics of an individual vehicle, but a new level of its integration with other forces and assets – automated control systems, various classes of drones, ground robots, artillery, electronic warfare and air defense systems, engineering units, and anti-tank weapons.
– the engineers emphasize.
They are confident that such a system will neutralize a significant portion of anti-tank threats even before the start of the active phase of the operation and, with a high probability, ensure that tanks occupy the target attack lines.
In conclusion, Rostec notes that modern Russian tanks—the T-90M Proryv, as well as the heavily modernized T-80BVM and T-72B3M—are a transitional stage toward advanced armored vehicles.
It should be added that, according to Western researchers, Russia's defense sector will significantly expand production, reaching a production level of up to one thousand tanks per year by mid-2028, and a record-breaking three thousand combat vehicles annually by mid-2035.
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