What is the T-14 Armata, Russia's Newest Main Battle Tank?

Equipped with a powerful cannon and fitted with a wide assortment of active and passive defensive measures, the T-14 Armata may well be one of the deadliest tools at Russia's disposal.

For several decades, the collective West fostered a simple narrative: NATO military hardware is top notch and high tech while Russia (both during and after the Soviet period) employs shoddy and obsolete weaponry.

Thus, the realization that Moscow fields warplanes, armored vehicles and missile systems that could give their Western analogs a run for their money, or outright surpass them, may come as a surprise for some in the United States and its allied countries.

Enter the T-14 Armata, one such advanced piece of military tech that may soon become the mainstay of Russia’s Armed Forces, and which has recently seen action in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

What is Russia’s T-14 Armata?

The T-14 Armata is a next-generation main battle tank that was designed to replace the aging T-72 and the T-90 main battle tanks that currently form the core of the Russian tank arsenal.

Armata is based on the eponymous modular heavy-tracked platform that also serves as a basis for several other types of advanced military hardware, such as the T-15 infantry fighting vehicle and the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled gun.

The 48-ton tank is armed with a 125mm smoothbore 2А82-1М cannon that can fire both high-explosive and anti-tank shell types.

Other armaments also include a co-axial 7.62mm machine gun for dealing with enemy infantry and a 12.7mm remote-control anti-aircraft machine gun that is capable of engaging airborne targets at a distance of up to 1.5km.

The tank also boasts formidable defenses that include composite multilayered armor capable of withstanding hits from 152mm guided anti-tank missiles and 125mm armor-piercing sabot shells.

The Afganit active protection system offers an additional level of defense against incoming anti-tank munitions, and the V-shaped bottom of the tank’s hull was designed to be mine-resistant.

The tank’s crew of three resides in a protected capsule located in the forward part of the tank, with the engine, the fuel tank and ammunition storage located in separate isolated compartments. The tank’s turret is unmanned.

Who Designed T-14 Armata Tank

The T-14 Armata was designed by the UralVagonZavod, one of the largest tank manufacturers in the entire world. The development process started around 2010, with the first Armata units being shown to the public during the Victory Day Parade in 2015.

Has the T-14 Armata Been Used in Ukraine?

On April 25, a source with knowledge of the matter told Sputnik that some T-14 Armata main battle tanks have been deployed in Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

According to the source, these tanks have been used to fire upon Ukrainian troop positions, although T-14s have not yet been used in "direct assault operations."