The author of the YouTube channel Binkov's Battlegrounds (Croatia) released a detailed video analysis in which he compared the latest Russian t-14 Armata tank with the best Western models - the American M1 Abrams, the German Leopard 2, the British Challenger 2 and the French AMX-56 Leclerc.
Comparison of combat vehicles was made by such indicators as armor protection, firepower, sensors and devices. If reliable information on any components for individual tanks could not be found in the public domain (for example, the thickness of the steel of the frontal armor of the "Armata"), the authors honestly report this and do not include these components in the comparative analysis at all.
As a result, the video concludes that in many respects the T-14 is not inferior or inferior to Western tanks quite a bit, and in some components it surpasses them. For example, the "Armata" gun is currently the most powerful in the world among the tanks in mass production. However, the automatic loader, according to the authors, is inferior in speed to the chargers in Abrams and Leopard.
The T-14 has one less crew member, which is both a plus and a minus. Three tankers need less space, the car can be made lighter and more compact, and training is also simplified. But to repair a tank on the battlefield, a fourth pair of hands is not superfluous.
Both the T-14 and NATO tanks can penetrate each other if they hit the least protected parts of the enemy, or if the distance is close enough. And Vice versa - when shooting from a distance of more than two kilometers, hitting the thickest sections of armor will not lead to the death of any of the opponents. But at the same time, the authors of the channel believe that the fight against other tanks is unlikely to occupy the main place in modern warfare, when there are many other threats and tasks.
One of the advantages of the T-14 in the video is called mobility and range. American Abrams in this regard is among the Laggards, their engines are the most voracious. Also, because of its size, it is easier to transport Armata by air, rail or sea, and it will pass over more bridges. As for armor protection, the T-14 has about the same as the best NATO tanks, but the survivability of the crew in the Russian car is higher.
The domestic tank may be slightly behind in terms of such an indicator as the striking effect, since not all of its detection devices are comparable to those of NATO in different visibility conditions. But as for the firepower on the battlefield as a whole, the T-14 is not inferior to anyone.
The full voice-over text of the video can be found in the material on the InoSMI portal.
Alexey Ivanov