The Russians Can't Afford Their T-14 Tank

More than three years after Russia’s T-14 Armata tank made its widely touted and much scrutinized public debut, the country has made it clear it has no plans at present to buy more than 100 of them. The design’s ballooning cost has forced the Kremlin to focus its efforts on upgrading its T-72, T-80, and T-90 tanks, instead.

In 2015, Oleg Sienko, then-Chief Executive Officer of Uralvagonzavod, or UVZ, the T-14’s state-owned manufacturer and Russia’s largest producer of tanks, had said that he expected the Kremlin to order as many as 2,300 Armatas by 2020. The first examples made their initial public appearance ahead of the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow that year and one suffered an embarrassing break down during a rehearsal. The Russian government's planned purchases of the type have steadily shrunk since then.

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The Russian MoD has Ordered two Battalions of T-14 Armata Tanks

Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov has confirmed an order for two battalions of T-14 main battle tanks (MBTs), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported on its website on 9 February.

The order for the T-14 MBTs and T-15 heavy infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) is understood to have been placed in December 2017. Touring the Uralvagonzavod factory in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, Borisov said, “It’s no secret that we already have a contract for trials and combat operations: two battalions of Armata tanks and one battalion of heavy infantry fighting vehicles.” Both vehicles are based on the Armata common platform.

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This is, iirc, only 60 tanks and 30 IFVs.

They are for evaluation and extended trials.

A Bad Sign for the Russian T-14 Armata

Russia's Ministry of Defense (MoD) is planning to bring back into service some of its mothballed T-80BV main battle tanks (MBTs) and to update them, according to a source in the country's defence industry.

"At present, the preparative works to start the modernisation of the first T-80BV MBTs are at a final stage," the source told IHS Jane's . "In accordance with the programme developed by Omsktransmash and the Special Design Bureau for Transport Machine-Building [SKBTM], the overhaul and modernisation of the MoD's T-80BV tanks will be launched next year. [We will be doing] the relevant works at the Omsktransmash facility," the source said adding that the numbers of the tanks to be updated and the terms of the programme will be defined by the military.

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Russia has Ordered the First 100 T-14 Armata Tanks.

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed an agreement with manufacturer Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) for the supply of a test consignment of more than 100 T-14 Armata main battle tanks (MBTs), the first units of which are already undergoing field trials, Deputy Minister of Defence Yuri Ivanovich Borisov told local media on 6 September.

"The first batch has already been purchased from Uralvagonzavod. We have a contract for the pilot batch of more than 100 units," Borisov said.

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Russia has Moved two Brigades to the Ukrainain Border Region

Russian media has reported the relocation of Russia's 23rd and 28th Independent Motor Rifle Brigades to western Russia and the building of military infrastructure to support the units.

The move of the 28th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade was greeted by a National Guard band, official speeches and ceremonials. The brigade is transferring to Klintsy near Bryansk, in the Western Military District (WMD), from Yekaterinburg, Western Siberia, in the Central Military District (CMD). Klintsy is 30 km from the Gomel region of Belarus, and more importantly the Chernigov region of Ukraine in the direction of Kiev.

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Russia Developing Tank Support Fighting Vehicle Based on the Armata Chassis

While the T-14 main battle tank is the most prominent member of the Armata family, the vehicle series incorporates a host of new fighting machines. Among those is a platform ominously named the Terminator-3, which is a tank support fighting vehicle.

“Russia also plans to develop its tank support fighting vehicle dubbed the Terminator-3 on the basis of the country’s latest Armata tanks,” Oleg Sienko, a senior manager with Uralvagonzavod Corporation told state-owned RIA Novosti earlier this year. “We will [produce them]. We have a concept for developing vehicles on the basis of the Armata platform.”

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BTR-82A Order a setback for the new Bumerang APC?

Russia has ordered an additional 20 BTR-82A 8x8 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) for its armed forces, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 10 April.

Made by the Arzamas Machinery Plant of Russia's Military-Industrial Company (MIC), the new vehicles are set to be delivered before the end of the year, under the State Defence Order for 2016 (GOZ-2016).

The BTR-82A first entered Russian service in 2011 according to the MoD. It is the latest version of the BTR-80 family, of which Russia operates over 2,000 across the Russian Ground Forces and the Naval Infantry. Visually almost identical externally to the BTR-80A, the BTR-82A features new composite armour, a spall liner, a new infrared lamp, and other internal changes.

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Russian Army Vision of Robotic Ground Combat Channels Steve Jackson and Keith Laumer

In a far-off future war, an infantry platoon awaits a Russian assault.

The defending soldiers are in a fortified position on elevated ground or a reverse slope. They’ve arranged machine guns and anti-tank weapons to kill anything that comes into view. They’ve dug into the ground to help them survive the initial artillery barrage. To bolster their defenses even more, they’ve covered the area in front of them with mines.

If the Russian assault force was human, then it’d probably be too dangerous to go ahead with the attack. But it’s not. Over the horizon comes a mix of mostly-robotic vehicles — and the NATO troops don’t have much of a chance.

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A Russian Documentary on the T-14 Armata Tank

I'm not thrilled with the style, but its pretty much the same sort as what's being done in the US these days for similar subjects.  Watch for the propaganda.

Russia Ordering Over 200 new BMP-3s: a bad Sign for the Kurganets and Other Armored Fighting Vehicle Programs

The Russian Defense Ministry will receive by the end of 2017 more than 200 BMP-3 infantry combat vehicles, Executive Director of the vehicle’s manufacturer Kurganmashzavod (subsidiary of Tractor Plants corporate group) Alexander Klyuzhev told TASS on Wednesday.

“In 2015, a long-term contract was concluded with the Russian Defense Ministry on supply of more than 200 BMP-3 infantry combat vehicles to the Russian army units in 2015-2017,” he said.

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Jane's Profiles "Russia's Armour Revolution" Inclusive of the T-14, T-15, Kurganets, Boomerang & Koalitsaya

Paraded uncovered for the first time on 9 May in Moscow, Russia's new range of armoured vehicles represent not only the biggest change in the country's armoured vehicle families since the 1970s but also a new design ethos.

While the vehicles' designs partly involve radical rather than revolutionary innovation, the scale and ambition of the change they embody is nothing short of a revolution. Together, the Armata, Kurganets, Boomerang, and Koalitsiya and other vehicles on show will replace nearly all Russia's existing vehicle families as, remarkably, Russia is attempting to replace all its main armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) families at the same time.

Additionally, the new vehicles display radical changes in design ethos and incorporate multiple previously unseen active protection systems (APSs). The reported weight and the apparent size of all the vehicles indicates a shift in armoured vehicle design philosophy away from the Soviet emphasis on manoeuvrability and low vehicle profile towards the Western focus on armour protection and crew survivability.

While many details of the vehicles had already been known, and were covered in depth by JDW in April, the full unveiling of the vehicles has revealed many fascinating new details and added greatly to our understanding of the vehicle family designs.

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Extraordinary Claim: Russia Will Have Military Thought Controlled Exoskeleton Prototype in 5 Years

The world’s most capable armies, the US, China, and Russia, are constantly trying to improve their strategic and warfare capabilities on the battlefield. This so-called “struggle” often involves improving the equipment of the infantry and other troops that are directly exposed to enemy fire.

We know that there is a project that has a goal to develop, an exoskeleton that will be commercially used. The Russian army is willing and is planning to find a way to upgrade some of its infantry units with such (exoskeleton) devices. The exoskeletons would allow soldiers improve their warfare abilities: huge jump, power tilting and throwing items, physical protection from bullets and smaller missiles, chemical and biological protection and built-in weapons.

With this kind of exoskeletons, Russian troops would be able to carry up to 300 kilograms of military equipment. For a comparison at the moment, a vehicle would be needed for that equipment. Additionally, exoskeletons will be controlled by brain impulses, which is significant progress in the field.

Alexander Cooley is the head of the department for the development and manufacturing of medical equipment in the Russian United Corporation for the production of instruments (Rostec). He has noted that the Russian army could have the prototypes no later than 5 years.

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To say I am skeptical is an understatement.  Especially since the Russians recently released their own line of computer processors (import substitution anyone?) which are at least 5 years behind their equivalent American/Western designs.

Massed T-14 Tanks During Russian Victory Parade

Looks like they didn't break down this time.

Russia's new T-14 Main Battle Tank Broke Down During WW2 Victory Day Parade Rehearsal

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That's an impressive practice run for the parade!

However, to be fair, this is a prototype rather than the final production vehicle.  Prototypes have problems.

Update:

More Video.

Bonus Video of the T-15 Heavy Armored Personnel Carrier trying to get on a tank transporter.  Not the fail others are portraying the video unless it canbe determined the problem is the engine is undersized for the weight of the AFV.  Backing a 50ish ton AFV onto a truck is something which is done extra carefully and I would not blame the driver for coming down rather than risking coming off.  OTOH, if the engine really is too little for getting the T-15 onto the transporter, that counts as an epic fail.

More Russian T-14 Main Battle Tank Pictures

Russian T-14 Tank Pix With Some Video

Immediately and at 2:15 for the T-14.

The T-15 seems to be in there and the Kurganets.

I've seen specs thrown around, but none seem definitive: the weight seems to between 48 to 57 tons.

I have to admit I involuntarily snarled at the SAMs.

Update: More info here.

T-14 Armata Tank in Parade Practice for Russian WW2 Victory Parade

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Not at all like the low turrets done in fan art with the twin AA guns.  Not a big surprise that though.  Fan art often comes out of nowhere with weird ideas.  (yes, guilty, too)

First Full Image of the T-14: Russia's new Main Battle Tank

New Russian Armored Fighting Vehicles Semi Unveiled

The Russian Ground Forces' new suite of armoured vehicles have been officially revealed for the first time by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD), ahead of their formal debut at the 9 May Moscow Victory Day Parade.

The new vehicles are principally clean-slate designs and represent the biggest change in Russia's armoured fighting vehicle families since the 1960s and 1970s.

The official MoD website published pictures of the vehicles - albeit with their weapon systems covered - following the unofficial leaking of images and footage of them rehearsing for the parade in recent days.

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Russians Practice for Victory Day Parade, Reveal new Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Jump to 4:00 for the new Infantry Fighting Vehicle, 7:10 for the new Howitzer, and some sort of new wheeled apc at 13:15:

Also a purported set of pix of the T-14 Armata Tank and more:

More info.