The first 20 T-14 tanks based on the Armata heavy tracked platform will be handed over to the Armed Forces by the end of the year. Earlier, the army received T-90M "Breakthrough" combat vehicles.
Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko named the number of T-14 main battle tanks that the army will receive by the end of the year. This was reported by Izvestia.
"This year, 20 new T-14 Armata tanks will be delivered to the troops," the deputy head of the department quotes the media as saying. Krivoruchko noted that the army will receive 65 T-90M "Breakthrough" tanks (the first such vehicles were delivered to the Armed Forces last year), a brigade set of the Iskander-M operational and tactical complex, as well as UAVs of various types, including shock ones.
According to the June statement of the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, serial production of the T-14 "Armata" will begin in 2022. In February, sources in the defense ministry reported that the T-14 tank will be a "mobile headquarters" capable of coordinating the actions of other combat units online. A unique automated control system will allow you to implement this.
It is known that the tank has received electronic warfare equipment, thanks to which it can protect various equipment, in particular, from air strikes.
Earlier this year, it became known that the T-14 was able to independently, without the participation of crew members, find and recognize the target. Its search and capture is performed by a combined system operating in both the visible and infrared ranges. The decision on whether to hit the target or not is made by the commander of the OBT.
The T-14 is sometimes called a "new generation tank", which is very conditional (there is no clear distinction in this matter). Meanwhile, it is obvious that the new machine is the most "advanced" Russian tank, which has many innovations that distinguish it from both other domestic and Western MBT.
First of all, this concerns the uninhabited tower: all three crew members are in a special armored capsule in the front part. It is assumed that such a solution will ensure the survival of the crew. The new active protection complex "Afganit", capable of hitting a wide range of threats with special elements, including projectiles attacking armored vehicles, is also designed to increase the survivability of the tank on the battlefield.
T-14 Tower
Image source: Vitaly V. Kuzmin
The T-14 also features a variety of advanced sensors and sensors. The car was equipped with a Doppler radar with medium-range AFAR and ultra-violet HD surveillance cameras with a 360-degree circular coverage, giving the most complete picture of the situation on the battlefield. According to some reports, the T-14 can operate in unmanned mode.