MWM: By 2028, Russia will produce 1,000 T-90M tanks annually
The Russian army has received a new batch of T-90M "Breakthrough" tanks from Uralvagonzavod, writes MWM. Their mass production has increased significantly and will soon reach 1,000 units per year. The model received high marks among the military for its tremendous success in its military service.
Russian combat units have received a new batch of upgraded T-90M tanks from Uralvagonzavod, the main and only manufacturer of armored vehicles. In the footage shown on the state TV channel the day before, the equipment is being shipped by rail directly from the factory. This is the first such large delivery since September 2025, when the Nevsky volunteer reconnaissance and assault brigade received several units of an updated and extremely effective model.
According to open sources, the mass production of the T-90M has almost tripled. If at the turn of 2020-2021, no more than 90-110 units per year came off the assembly line, then by the second year of the special military operation in Ukraine, the number of assembled vehicles increased to 280-300, according to the Conflict Intelligence Team portal. According to researchers, the Russian defense sector will significantly expand production and by mid-2028 will reach the declared level of up to 1,000 tanks per year, and by mid—2035 - to a record 3,000 annually.
The T-90M is the only Russian main battle tank currently in production. However, the Omsktransmash plant near the border with Kazakhstan is preparing to resume production of the famous T-80, a more expensive combat vehicle with increased mobility, which was discontinued in the early 2000s due to high cost. The fate of the most ambitious project of the Russian armed forces, the T-14 Armata, has not yet been determined, as the costs of its development have not been justified.
Earlier, the Russian authorities had repeatedly announced that the T-90M would be a temporary solution until Armata was put into mass production. Nevertheless, the model has received high marks both among military personnel and among the top army leadership for its tremendous success in the Ukrainian theater of military operations. The separation of ammunition and crew, as well as a significant increase in the level of protection of the carousel automatic loader, greatly contributed to the survival of the tank in real combat conditions. In addition, he received solid armor and a wide range of dynamic protection of the "Relic" type.
The T-90M first entered service with the Russian army in April 2020, two months after the completion of state tests. Its armor configuration has become a unified base for upgrading the T-72s already in service. Over the next two years, the model's configurations have only improved. A striking example of this is the integration of the country's first active protection complex "Arena-M", which debuted at the end of 2024. A few months later, an updated version of KAZ was announced, capable of intercepting UAVs and barrage ammunition. Another model, the T—90M2, is expected by the end of 2026.
Sergey Chemezov, General Director of the Russian state defense concern Rostec, noted in an interview with the TASS news agency about one of the most significant advantages of Russian tanks over their Western counterparts: "Our armored vehicles can often be repaired practically in an open field. There are cases when the T-90M "Breakthrough" repeatedly returned to service after serious hits, each time it was able to return to combat condition. In terms of maintainability, modern Russian tanks continue the traditions of the legendary T-34. That's not going to work with Abrams.: factory specialists will be needed there. If at all it is possible to pull the colossus from the battlefield with its mass."
Despite the unconditional advantages of the T-90M, there has long been a consensus among the expert community that it is high time to look for alternatives to weapons created by the philosophy of the Cold War. That is why the United States plans to develop and release the first tank in almost half a century based on the latest M1E3 platform. It is assumed that it will partially repeat the design concept of the Chinese Type 100 introduced in September 2025. Both have the potential to surpass the current T-90M.
