T-14 (Armata) (Object 148)

History

The T-14 "Armata" was unveiled during the 2015 Moscow Victory Day military parade as the main battle tank (MBT) for the proposed T-99 "Armata" family of armored vehicles (see elsewhere on this page) - marking Russian origins new generation system. The design of the tank was carried out jointly by the Ural Transport Machinery Manufacturing Design Bureau and Uralvagonzavod, and the mass production was managed by the latter.

Production began in 2015, when about 20 vehicles were completed for evaluation and training (10 in the parade above). The T-14 bears the industrial designation "Object 148".

The 48-ton vehicle carries on some of the traditions of Russian and Soviet tanks, including the use of a three-crew, main gun autoloader and smoothbore 125mm main gun. The T-14 was developed with a wide range of modern and advanced systems, making it an outstanding product for any future Russian armored vanguard. One of the main interior features is that the tank's crew is all located in the front hull - none in the turret - meaning the driver sits in the front left, the commander in the front right and the gunner in the middle.

The main gun is a remote-controlled 125mm 2A82-1M smoothbore gun that can carry 45 rounds of ammunition. In the tradition of Soviet Cold War tanks, the main gun also has the useful ability to fire anti-tank missiles (ATGMs) - a feature sorely lacking in its Western counterparts. Secondary armament seems a little confusing - sources say 7.62mm medium machine gun and 12.7mm Cod Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) for local anti-air defense (Remote Weapon Station (RWS) shown on top of turret) or 30mm automatic cannon 12.7 mm HMG, used against low-flying targets.

The finished weapon set will no doubt be revealed over time.

Externally, the T-14's design made extensive use of sloping surfaces - especially on the turret. The hull has a very flat, almost horizontal armor plate, while the upper track section is covered with thick side skirt armor. Since the crew was confined to an armored compartment at the front of the hull (separated from the ammunition in the event of an explosion), the center section was reserved for the turret, while the rear of the hull housed the diesel engine. The undercarriage consists of seven twin-tire wheels on one side of the hull, the drive sprocket at the rear and the track idler at the front.

Propulsion comes from a ChTZ 12H360 (A-85-3A) diesel system with between 1,200 and 1,500 hp, which can increase road speeds into the 50 to 55 mph range. This engine is paired to an electronic 8-speed automatic transmission.

The hull is also fully suspended for off-road cruising, while the main gun is fully stabilized to fire "on the go".

The T-14 is equipped with an active phased array antenna, as well as a variety of other sensing devices that are believed to have excellent situational awareness and crew survivability to warn crew members of potential hazards approaching the vehicle. Smoke grenade launchers conceal the movement of vehicles during offensive and defensive maneuvers.

The NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) suite and night vision support are also part of the T-14 survival plan.

The Russian Army is expected to acquire around 2,300 T-14 tanks to replace its aging fleet. The T-15 is intended to be a companion form to the Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle (HICV), also based on the Armata family of chassis and vehicle components, including the engine.

The T-14 is expected to enter service in 2016. A fully unmanned version of the tank is also planned, with the front crew compartment removed - although this will take several years to develop. The T-14 could also be exported to Russian allies, possibly less equipped.

Planned variants of the Armata family of vehicles also include minelayers, bridge layers, armoured transporters, rocket launchers and flame vehicles.

If the capabilities demonstrated by the T-14 become a reality, it would mark the pinnacle of modern MBT design, allowing the West to drive the development of competing systems to deal with this new Russian battlefield solution. The last notable introduction to European MBT came in the late 1990s with the British Challenger 2. The vaunted American M1 Abrams is itself a product of 1970s work, though it has undergone extensive modernization after its experience in Iraq.

Likewise, the German Leopard 2 is a product from the late 1970s.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

45 x 125mm projectile.

2,000x7.62mm ammo.

750x12.7mm ammo.

10 x Smoke Grenade

Changes