Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the question of why the best Russian Armata tanks are not seen on the battlefield has been constantly raised. There were even hints that they were not ready to take part in an operation or were reserved to take on more powerful NATO tanks on other fronts. This was written by the American specialized publication Military Watch Magazine, quoted by pik.bg.
The more combat-friendly variant of the T-90M, which entered service in April 2020, first appeared in Ukraine in April 2022 after other classes suffered significant losses. At least one T-90M was destroyed in combat, although its performance and survival were far superior to the older T-72, T-80 and T-90 variants of the Russian armored forces. The second T-90M was lost in September, albeit not due to enemy fire, but as a result of its capture by Ukrainian forces following the retreat of Russian units.
This dealt a severe blow to the program: its technology would be scrutinized by NATO and inevitably exposed. The T-90M is the second largest Russian tank class in terms of combat capability, so the absence of the T-14 Armata has caused most of the speculation. We can say that this tank is in a league of its own: no foreign rival can boast such capabilities, at least on paper. At the same time, the project suffered significant delays due to problems in the Russian defense sector.
On 8 October (Saturday), a single T-14 was reportedly spotted near the village of Midzhinskaya near Luhansk in the territory of the former self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic.
The deployment of the tank in the Donbas takes place against the background of a partial mobilization in Russia and the accelerated introduction of armaments of more T-90s. While older Russian tanks (such as the T-72B3) also offer significant advantages over Ukrainian armored units of the 1970s, the T-14 is predicted for its extremely high survivability, powerful sensors, and much higher mobility. make it a formidable force on the battlefield.
And this is true if the tank will be used as a command vehicle for other armored units, as previously speculated by some analysts. In this case, its high situational awareness and active defense systems can be used to support large units of T-90 or T-72. The psychological effect of tank participation on the battlefield can have a significant impact on the morale of both allies and the enemy, up to a tipping point in hostilities after several weeks of casualties.
Although the T-14’s Vacuum-1 APFSDS shells and the ability to withstand the hits of any known tank shell are key attributes for a potential confrontation with NATO, Ukraine’s lack of advanced tanks means these capabilities may not be the most precious qualities.
The Army’s main front armor protection of over 900mm, combined with Malachit’s explosive reactive armor and AFGHANIT active protection system, have the potential to provide high survivability against Javelin portable anti-tank missiles, which have been a major cause of Russian armor losses since the outbreak of war. Ukraine’s Javelin arsenal is considered the second largest, and possibly the largest, in the world after significant supplies from the United States, with missiles providing an asymmetrical means of compensating for its own tank’s weakness. The T-14’s use of a separate crew pod also made it much more survivable, improving its suitability for command functions.
Given that Ukraine relies on large infantry formations several times larger than the Russian contingent, it is expected that more important than the Vacuum-1 will be the T-14’s advanced anti-personnel capabilities using Telnik fragmentation beam shells. Unlike the T-72 and T-90, whose reverse speed is only on the order of 4 km / h, forcing crews to abandon their combat vehicles or expose their weak rear armor during retreat, The T-14 can move at speeds of 75-80km / h both forward and backward, which greatly reduces the chance of the tank being disabled or captured by the enemy.
While Russia’s ability to build significant numbers of T-14s for a critical role in Ukrainian theater remains questionable, obtaining a study copy in the event of an extended presence will be a priority for Ukrainian forces and their NATO allies, as is already the case. happened with the T-90M.
At the same time, the T-14 program should receive much more attention, both due to growing tensions with NATO and the fact that neighboring Poland has acquired South Korean K2 tanks, which are superior in characteristics and effectiveness to all fighting machines in operation from the western bloc.
