The "Armata" Universal Combat Platform (russian: Армата) is a Russian advanced
next generation modular
heavy military tracked vehicle platform. The Armata platform is the basis of the
T-14
The T-14 Armata ( rus, Т-14 «Армата»; industrial designation russian: Объект 148, Ob'yekt 148, Object 148), is a next-generation Russian main battle tank based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform.
The Russian Army initially p ...
(a
main battle tank
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...
), the
T-15 (a heavy infantry fighting vehicle), a
combat engineering vehicle
A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineering, combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment (such as the Armored bulldozer, armou ...
, an
armoured recovery vehicle
An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured f ...
, a heavy
armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Acc ...
, a tank support combat vehicle, and several types of
self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
, including the
2S35 Koalitsiya-SV under the same codename based on the same
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
. It is also intended to serve as the basis for
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
,
air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
, and
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
defense systems. The new "Armata" tank platform is meant to replace the older Russian main battle tanks and APCs that are currently used by the Russian military.
Origin of designation
The combat platform is formally designated as "prospective family of heavy unified battlefield platforms". The name "Armata" derives from the plural of the Latin word which refers to weapons of war, and was an old Russian word for 14th century guns; it is also the plural of the ancient Greek word "Arma", meaning "chariot" or in modern Greek, "tank". This was wrongly transcribed as "Armada" by journalists on several occasions.
Development
The Armata combat platform has been under design and development since 2009 by
Uralvagonzavod
UralVagonZavod (russian: ОАО «Научно-производственная корпорация «УралВагонЗавод», , Open Joint Stock Company "Research and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod") is a Russian machine-buildin ...
headquartered in
Nizhny Tagil
Nizhny Tagil ( rus, Нижний Тагил, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj tɐˈgʲil) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located east of the boundary between Asia and Europe. Population:
History
The prehistor ...
.
Prototypes of heavy armored vehicles based on the Armata combat platform were presented at the defense exhibition Russian Arms Expo in Nizhny Tagil in September 2013.
In November 2014 trials of the
2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled gun
Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
variant were under way.
The first vehicles were shown to the public in the
2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade, with a batch of 32 to be delivered to the Russian Land Forces during the same year.
Russian media has previously stated that mass delivery will start in 2015
or 2016.
A total of 2,300 MBTs were expected to be supplied by 2020,
modernizing 70 percent of the Russian tank fleet.
The Uralvagonzavod plant was expected to roll out around 500
T-14 Armata
The T-14 Armata ( rus, Т-14 «Армата»; industrial designation russian: Объект 148, Ob'yekt 148, Object 148), is a next-generation Russian main battle tank based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform.
The Russian Army initially p ...
tanks per year. In 2017, the order was scaled back to a test batch of 100 tanks by 2020, with the program extended to 2025.
At a 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade practice drill run on the Alabino training grounds several types of armored vehicles described as various Armata models appeared with their turrets covered. Russian Defence Ministry signed a long-term contract for delivery of tanks and heavy IFVs on the Armata basis.
Serial production of the Armata Platform's ceramic armor components began in mid-2015.
In December 2019, Russian Deputy Minister of Defense
Alexei Krivoruchko reported delays with the development and production, with the first batch of five vehicles available for state-conducted testing expected "in the next month or two".
Design
Russian Lieutenant-General Yuri Kovalenko states that the "Armata" combat platform will utilize many features of the
T-95
T-95 is the common informal designation of the Russian fourth-generation main battle tank internally designated as the Object 195, that was under development at Uralvagonzavod from 1988 until its cancelation in 2010. Little about the tank is pub ...
tank, of which only a few prototypes have been built. In the main battle tank variant, the ammunition compartment will be separate from the crew, increasing operational safety while the engine will be more powerful and the armor, main gun and
autoloader
An autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ordnance into crew-served weapons without being an integrated part of the gun itself. The term is generally only applied to larger weapons, such as nava ...
will be improved.
According to preliminary reports, the new tank designated
T-14 Armata
The T-14 Armata ( rus, Т-14 «Армата»; industrial designation russian: Объект 148, Ob'yekt 148, Object 148), is a next-generation Russian main battle tank based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform.
The Russian Army initially p ...
will be less radical and ambitious than the canceled ‘Object 195’ or T-95. It will weigh less, therefore being more agile and more affordable when compared to its more ambitious predecessors. Additionally, the
T-15 Armata
The T-15 Armata ( rus, T-15 Армата), with industrial designation "Object 149", is a Russian heavy infantry fighting vehicle first seen in public (initially with its turret covered) in 2015 during rehearsals for the Moscow Victory Day Parade ...
,
Kurganets-25 IFV and
Bumerang IFV will be able to equip the same 30mm
Bumerang-BM
The Bumerang-BM ( rus, Бумеранг-БМ) or DUBM-30 Epoch is a remotely controlled turret for the T-15 Armata heavy IFV, Kurganets-25 and Bumerang platforms. It was first seen in public in 2015 during rehearsals for the Moscow Victory Day Pa ...
.
[
The tank will have an unmanned, remotely controlled turret. It will be digitally controlled by a crew-member located in a separate compartment. It is believed that this would eventually lead to the development of a fully robotic tank.
The vehicles of the Armata platform will be equipped with the radar and other technologies found on the ]Sukhoi Su-57
The Sukhoi Su-57 (russian: Сухой Су-57; NATO reporting name: Felon) is a Twinjet, twin-engine stealth Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi. It is the product of the PAK FA (russian: ПАК ФА, russ ...
fifth-generation jet fighter
A fifth-generation fighter is a jet fighter aircraft classification which includes major technologies developed during the first part of the 21st century. , these are the most advanced fighters in operation. The characteristics of a fifth-gene ...
. They include a Ka band
The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum defined as frequencies in the range 26.5–40 gigahertz (GHz), i.e. wavelengths from slightly over one centim ...
radar (26.5–40 GHz) based on AESA radar
An active electronically scanned array (AESA) is a type of phased array antenna, which is a computer-controlled array antenna in which the beam of radio waves can be electronically steered to point in different directions without moving the an ...
. The devices should be ready by 2015.
The Armata will use a new type of lightweight armor designated 44S-SV-SH, developed by Steel Scientific Research Institute enterprise. This armor does not lose its qualities when used in extremely low temperatures, which may indicate an interest in using the tank in Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
conditions.
The Armata tank will have a remote weapon station turret and an automated control system, with the crew protected by an armored capsule. It will have an externally mounted 125 mm gun with 32 rounds of ammunition; in addition to tank rounds, a new laser-guided missile able to be fired from the main gun with a tandem Kornet-D (or better) anti-tank or anti low flying helicopters warhead with a range of . The secondary armament will consist of a 12.7mm 6P49 machine gun and a 7.62mm PKT machine gun.
Variants
* T-14
The T-14 Armata ( rus, Т-14 «Армата»; industrial designation russian: Объект 148, Ob'yekt 148, Object 148), is a next-generation Russian main battle tank based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform.
The Russian Army initially p ...
: Main battle tank
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...
. Industrial designation "Object 148".
* T-15: Heavy IFV
An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed For ...
. Industrial designation "Object 149".
* BREM-T T-16: Armoured recovery vehicle
An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured f ...
.[ Industrial designation "Object 152".
* BMOP " Terminator-3": ]Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
.
* 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV: Self-propelled gun
Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
[ However, the 2S35's on display during the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade and its rehearsals are not actually built on the Armata platform but rather a six-wheeled platform that appears to be a ]T-90
The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank. It uses a 125mm 2A46 smoothbore main gun, the 1A45T fire-control system, an upgraded engine, and gunner's thermal sight. Standard protective measures include a blend of steel and compos ...
derived chassis.[
;Projects
* USM-A1: ]Combat engineering vehicle
A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineering, combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment (such as the Armored bulldozer, armou ...
.
* BMO-2: Heavy armored personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Acc ...
for flamethrower-squads.
* BM-2: Large box-type multi-barrel rocket launcher for the TOS-2 Heavy Flamethrower System, similar to TOS-1
TOS-1 (russian: тяжёлая огнемётная система ОС-1}, Heavy Flamethrower System) is a Soviet 220 mm 30-barrel (original system, Object 634 or TOS-1M) or 24-barrel (Object 634B or TOS-1A) multiple rocket launcher capab ...
Buratino.[
* TZM-2: Reloading vehicle for the TOS-2 Heavy Flamethrower System.
* MIM-A: ]Combat engineering vehicle
A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineering, combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment (such as the Armored bulldozer, armou ...
.
* MT-A: Armoured bridge layer.
* UMZ-A: Combat engineering vehicle
A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineering, combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment (such as the Armored bulldozer, armou ...
.
* PTS-A: Tracked amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle that is a means of transport viable on land as well as on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious bicycles, ATVs, cars, buses, trucks, railway vehicles, combat vehicles an ...
.
* A mortar carrier
A mortar carrier, or self-propelled mortar, is a self-propelled artillery piece in which a mortar is the primary weapon. Simpler vehicles carry a standard infantry mortar while in more complex vehicles the mortar is fully integrated into the ...
which uses the 2S12A Sani or the 2B11 Sani.
Operators
* : 16 to 20 T-14 tank prototypes were built and used for evaluation and testing before 2018. The first 12 production tanks and 4 armoured recovery vehicles were to be delivered by the end of 2019 and then enter operational evaluation. This date has passed. In 2021, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the first pilot batch of T-14, T-15 and T-16 vehicles would instead be delivered in 2022.
See also
* T-72
The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. The T-72 was a development of the T-64, which was troubled by high costs and its reliance on immature developmental technology. About 25,000 T-72 tanks ha ...
* T-80
The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72. The chief designer of the T-80 was So ...
* T-90
The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank. It uses a 125mm 2A46 smoothbore main gun, the 1A45T fire-control system, an upgraded engine, and gunner's thermal sight. Standard protective measures include a blend of steel and compos ...
* Typhoon (AFV family)
Typhoon is a Russian family of MRAP, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Armoured fighting vehicle, armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) in service since 2014.
Around 120 Russian companies including KamAZ, Gaz-Group, and Bauman Moscow State Tec ...
References
External links
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{{Post-Cold War tanks
Main battle tanks of Russia
Tanks with autoloaders
Post–Cold War main battle tanks
Armoured personnel carriers of Russia
Armoured personnel carriers of the post–Cold War period
Armoured recovery vehicles
Tracked infantry fighting vehicles
Infantry fighting vehicles of the post–Cold War period
Proposed weapons
Post–Cold War weapons of Russia