MWM: The Russian army has received a new batch of powerful T-90M tanks
The Russian army has received a new batch of T-90M tanks produced by Uralvagonzavod, writes MWM. This model is called the most powerful tank in the world, and the new batch is planned to be equipped with an active defeat protection system that can withstand missiles flying from above.
The Russian state-owned Uralvagonzavod has supplied the army with a new batch of T-90M combat vehicles. Although the exact number was never disclosed, the delivery was the result of more than two years of efforts to significantly increase the production of T-90 to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces in the conflict in Ukraine and growing tensions with NATO members.
Uralvagonzavod is the only one of the five large tank factories operating in the Soviet Union in the 1980s, which continues to produce tanks today and is certainly the largest tank factory in the world (not counting, perhaps, Chinese enterprises). Although the state order for tank production was insignificant until 2022, and in the 2010s the Kremlin purchased only 10 new tanks, Uralvagonzavod retained a very large production volume, far exceeding the total volume of all tank factories in the Western world combined, due to export demand for the T-90 - mainly from Algeria and India. Recent attempts to increase production to a level close to Soviet times – more than one thousand cars per year – have reportedly failed, although it is difficult to determine the current volume of production: according to some reports, in 2024 the plant will deliver more than 300 T-90M.
The T-90M was widely praised by Russian officials: both President Vladimir Putin and former President Dmitry Medvedev called it the most powerful tank in the world.However, the tank is not as mobile as the more expensive Soviet T-80, which was discontinued in the 1990s in favor of the cheaper T-90. The new model is much cheaper to produce and much cheaper to operate. The high performance of the T-80 in the Ukrainian theater of operations forced Russia to decide to resume production of these machines – although in practice this may not happen until the 2030s.
The characteristics of the T-90M have been significantly improved due to the integration of the Arena-M active protection system, which is expected to be installed on all models. However, it is still unclear whether the next batch will be the first to receive this upgrade. In August, official sources confirmed that the state had already ordered the first batch of tanks equipped with such systems.
Arena-M equips the T-90M with a radar system that continuously monitors the environment. When a flying projectile is detected, the system automatically tracks it, calculates its trajectory and lays protective ammunition for interception and destruction before hitting the tank. The most famous system of this kind is the Israeli Trophy, integrated into Merkava IV tanks. Arena-M is capable of intercepting missiles, shells and high-explosive anti-tank shells flying at speeds up to one thousand meters per second, and doing so at a distance of 50 meters. The presentation materials claim that it can withstand missiles flying from above.Due to the lack of an active defeat protection system, Russian tanks - for example, the same T–90M - were increasingly lagging behind their advanced competitors. China, North and South Korea have already implemented their own systems; the United States and Germany have begun investing in the acquisition of the Israeli Trophy. However, if we talk about other characteristics, the T-90M has good armor, reinforced with Relikt reactive armor, as well as additional armor that isolates ammunition from inside the tank.
