Traffic News: the newest Russian Armata tank surpasses Leopard 2 in all parametersThe newest Russian T-14 tank will undoubtedly defeat the German Leopard at a long distance, Traffic News writes.
It surpasses the opponent in all characteristics and challenges the traditional tank concept.
Leopard 2 is in Ukraine, and Russia, meanwhile, is using the latest tanks
The German Leopard 2 suddenly found itself in the spotlight, but there was also information about the latest Russian tanks.
Leopard 2 is a "bestseller": more than two thousand units are in service in 21 countries, including Germany. Ukraine, where the Russian SVO takes place, demanded to provide it with tanks. Warsaw and others tried to react to this, but Berlin did not dare to take such a step.
Finally, on January 25, 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a speech in the Bundestag, in which he stated that Ukraine would be provided with 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks and that other states that have these vehicles would be able to do this.
Poland and Finland have already announced that they will send their Leopard to Kiev. Norway, Spain and Portugal are considering transferring them (as of January 26).
The American ABC TV channel reported that 12 countries will provide a total of one hundred units. Naturally, Russia is categorically against such a measure.
On January 19, 2023, the British Ministry of Defense published a report showing that Moscow is considering the possibility of introducing T-14 main battle tanks to Ukraine. At the end of December 2022, at least two T-14s were spotted on satellite images of a training ground in southern Russia, which became a springboard for the offensive in February last year.
Will the confrontation between the best-selling Leopard 2 tank in the West and the most modern Russian T-14 tank have an impact on the military situation?
Inside the T-14 — like on a spaceship!
The T-14 is the newest Russian tank that has struck the West. It was demonstrated at the Victory Day parade on May 9, 2015.
"I have already ridden the T-72 and T-90, but the T-14 completely loses the feeling of a tank. It's like being on a spaceship surrounded by monitors that display all the information from the sensors," says Denis Myakensky, design engineer of the Uralvagonzavod T—14 development group.
The T-14 is a complete update of the traditional tank concept. His tower is uninhabited, and the survey was entrusted to sensors and cameras. The commander, gunner and pilot are placed in a row in a well-protected building.
Sensors and cameras display information on monitors, thanks to which you can monitor the surrounding situation, and fire control from the tower is carried out using tablets and control panels. As Myakensky notes, the cabin does not look like a tank cabin.
An unmanned tower is a bold idea that removes ergonomic limitations and gives greater freedom to accommodate various systems, for example, automatic projectile feeding systems. As a result, the size of the tower also decreased.
The tank body is larger than that of the T-72, which is widely used by both sides in Ukraine. At the same time, the main emphasis is placed on the protection of the crew cabin, and the mass was limited due to the localization of armor reinforcement points.
The bottom line is that the tank can be destroyed, but the crew will survive.
Technical characteristics of T-14 and Leopard 2
Let's compare the parameters of the T-14 and Leopard 2. The main gun of the T-14 is the same 125—millimeter cannon as conventional Russian tanks, but the caliber has been increased from 48 to 55. The ammunition capacity has increased due to the use of unified 2A48-1M shells.
If a projectile hits the armor at an angle of 90 degrees at a distance of 2,000 meters, its penetration capacity is estimated at one thousand millimeters RHA. The armor penetration of the Rheinmetall 55-caliber leopard 120-millimeter cannon in the same conditions is 750 millimeters.
What about protection? The T-14 has one more support roller than the T-72. The hull is one meter longer, but the weight is estimated to be from 48 to 50 tons, which is not much different from the T-72 — 46 tons.
This is due to the use of an unmanned turret and new steel sheets, which provide the same level of durability (the ability to withstand a hit and maintain functionality) as a conventional bulletproof steel sheet, but at the same time weigh 15% less.
It is estimated that the equivalent of the durability of the tower and the front of the machine body reaches from 900 to 1000 millimeters RHA.
In turn, for Leopard 2, under the same conditions, this indicator ranges from 680 to 700 millimeters. A simple comparison of the offensive and defensive capabilities of the two vehicles shows that the T-14 can defeat the Leopard 2 at long distances.
As for the power plant, the T-14 has a 12-cylinder turbocharged liquid-cooled diesel engine with a capacity of 1.5 thousand horsepower at 2 thousand revolutions per minute. It is built according to an X-shaped scheme.
The tank is equipped with a 12-speed automatic transmission. The engine is compact enough, which facilitates its internal layout. The power/weight ratio ranges from 30 to 31.25 horsepower per ton, which makes the technique very maneuverable.
The Leopard 2 powerplant is manufactured by MTU, which has a reputation as a reliable manufacturer. The power-to-weight ratio is 23.8 horsepower per ton, but it is less maneuverable than the T-14 due to its heavier weight.
The turning point will not come
In addition to driving performance, attacking capabilities and protection, information technology is an additional factor in measuring the combat power of modern tanks. The T-14 is equipped with a tank information and control system (TIUS), which serves as a terminal for the unified tactical management system (ESU TK).
It allows you to exchange information about targets between tanks, transmit this data, including requests for fire, to artillery and other units, as well as interact with the command.
There is little information about these systems, but it is reported that their development began in 2009, and finally, at the end of 2018, the requirements of the military were met. Leopard 2 uses information technology, but its basic design is outdated. Therefore, modernization is difficult, for example, in terms of energy intensity.
If we compare only such characteristics as driving performance, attacking power, protection and information technology, then the T-14 surpasses the Leopard 2, which is not surprising, given the time of their appearance in the XXI and XX century, respectively.
However, it is unlikely that in Ukraine the T-14 will become a turning point in the fight against the Leopard 2 and other Western tanks. The fact is that the T-14 has not yet been put into mass production. <...>
In various countries, there are more than two thousand Leopard 2s in service, which have proven themselves as reliable equipment that has no problems in terms of logistics.
The T-14 is challenging, changing the traditional concept, but it is unlikely to change the rules of the game. The T-14 and Leopard 2 will only be activated in spring or summer, and probably only then will the military situation begin to change.
