T-14 Armata - Design
The T-14 Armata main battle tank is a prime example of the rapid modernization of Russia’s armed forces, German newsmagazine Stern reported on 31 March 2015. “An absolutely new main battle tank is certainly not something most of the world’s exiting armies can boast about. The German Leopard-2 tank was developed 35 years ago, just like the American M1 Abrams.The existing versions of the western tanks feature many improvements, but the basic characteristics do not differ much from the original,” the magazine said.
But the the close-up photos Victory Day 2015 left little doubt that the models on parade were incomplete prototypes. The exterior of the turret, and much of the sensors on it, appeared to be at best representative mock-ups, and therwe were clearly spaces on the front of the turret where some capability of some sort was planned for the future. Seen close up, the outer layer of the turret appeared little more than a very thin metal sheet, which had been assembled without great care. Given how thin the metal plates are, the sensor aerial installation also isn't looking very concrete. The assembly work doesn't look too high quality. It is fair to assume that at least the outer shell of the turret was initially only a mock-up.
The new Armata armored tracked platform combines and assimilates all the last decade’s major developments and innovations in battle vehicle design and construction. The T-14’s main forte is its unmanned remotely controlled turret armed with a brand new 125 mm 2A82-1M smoothbore cannon. Its muzzle energy is greater than that of the world’s now 2nd most powerful cannon: the German Leopard-2 Rheinmetall 120 mm gun.
The tank crew is securely enclosed in a multi-layer armored capsule separated from the ammunition container. The vehicle is fully computerized and remote-controlled via high-resolution video cameras. “Being on the cutting edge of the Russian tank building industry, the Armata tank is a highly maneuverable and fast machine,” the Stern concluded.
Russia's next-generation Armata tank, showcased at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, could be fitted with a bigger, 152mm cannon, the Izvestia daily reported 14 May 2015, citing Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. The Armata tank's main armament initially included a 7.62mm remote-control machine gun and a 125mm smoothbore cannon. “We’ve got a new projectile for this tank than can burn through a meter of steel, we would arm Armata with that one,” Rogozin said. The tank’s turret may also carry a 30 mm sub-caliber ranging gun to deal with various targets, including low-flying aerial targets, such as attack planes and helicopters.
A columnist for the German magazine «Die Welt» Torsten Yungholt in one of his articles wrote that all existing weapons of the German tank "Leopard 2" (one of the best in the world) are not capable of hitting Russian tank "Armata" "in service with the Bundeswehr ammunition with a tungsten core with the shot did not acquire sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate the armor of the newest Russian tanks. Looking for shells with uranium core, but it is difficult to implement for political reasons." Recently, in the course of the reforms in the German army, it had to write off a certain number of tanks "Leopard 2", but in order to bring the NATO forces on high alert, it was decided to bring them back into service.
Experts also pointed out that such a measure would be ineffective without sufficiently powerful ammunition, a modern update of ammunition with a tungsten tip can be used only the last modification of the "Leopard" the A7. There were only 20 such tanks in the Bundeswehr. The rest belong to previous generations and have to be content with the old ammunition. "
Some reviews about the "Armata" Japanese edition of «Diplomat»: note that «The new machines are designed with a clean sheet and represent the biggest change in a series of Russian armored vehicles 1960-1970 period. Their main difference is the crew accommodation in an isolated armored capsule, and weapons - in a remote-controlled turret."
The main problem of Russian tanks since their introduction was the proximity of crews with ammunition. Shells hitting in the fighting compartment did not leave a chance to survive the tanks. For example, the American "Abrams", ammunition is placed in a special compartment behind the turret. As for the "Almaty was" there is no such problem.
In general, its characteristics are strictly classified, but the data from open sources suggest that this is a new generation tank, an order of magnitude superior to both his predecessors and their foreign counterparts. Conventional tank shells do not have sufficient energy to penetrate the armor.
The T-14 tank, based upon Russia’s new “Armata” universal chassis system, weighs approximately 50 tons, but has a chassis that supports approximately 65 tons, likely to allow for future modifications. The road wheels are reportedly based upon the T-80 tank and were used because they were significantly lighter than the T-72 wheels (120kg vs. 194 kg, resulting in an approximately one-ton savings in weight).
The T-14 tank will be equipped with an adjustable suspension capable of adapting to varying relief, terrain type, and vehicle speed, resulting in increased speed while moving in columns, as well as over rugged terrain. The suspension system will also alleviate crew fatigue, while assisting the fire control system to deliver accurate fire while on the move.
The composite multilayered passive armor protection of the T-14 tank is built with steel made by electroslag remelting and is combined with new composites to protect the T-14 against the most advanced modern weaponry. The tank has the Afganit Active Protection System that is capable of misdirecting missiles via its soft kill capabilities or shooting down missiles if the former does not work. Against a wire-guided system, the T-14's soft kill system will work if the Armata's radars are effective and the crew is quick enough to move the tank to a new position while the missile is in flight. The active-kill system, however, might have a good chance of taking out the missile if it's as good as it's cracked up to be. If the Afganit system fails to protect the Armata, the T-14 has the Relikt Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) which will complicate matters for the TOW-2A even further.
The vehicle is equipped with the "Armata" X-shaped diesel engine Chelyabinsk A-85-3A (aka 12N360, aka 2V12-3), the same as on the T-95. The diesel is selective (adjustable) maximum power - from 1200 to 1500 horsepower. At minimum power the engine has an almost "eternal" life - much more than 10 thousand hours, and the maximum - more than the current engine of the T-90A - the 1000-strong B-92S2. This option will save the life of the engine, because the maximum power is not needed most of the time of operation of the tank. The engine has been tested and perfected. Moreover, due to the smaller weight "Armata" would be more mobile and will have a greater power density than the "object 195". There are suspicions that the new suspension, new control system and a huge power density make the T-14 favorite crews' tank for an enjoyable driving "as it is a T-80. Among those tankers that have led the T-80, no one spoke ill of it.
Henry Boyd of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said “Where this puts it in comparison with contemporary Western tank design is something I think we’ll have to wait some time to get a better sense of. It’s inevitably not going to end up with everything that is currently being advertised as possible to put on this platform, the ambition is just going to be too great. Cost will come in at some point”.
According to the available data, the Armata optics provide target detection at distances of up to 5 km during the day and up to 3.5 km at night. A new 125mm remote detonation round is developed for the T-14 cannon. The promising Russian 3UBK21 Sprinter missile, designed for the T-14 gun, can show a range of up to 7 miles (11.25 km) - versus 2.48 miles (4 km) for the current Abrams anti-tank shells. The modern 9M119 Reflex missile flies 3.1 miles (5 km) and penetrates 900 mm of armor.
The wheels and tracks of the latest armored vehicles constructed on Russia’s Armata Universal Combat Platform, which includes a new tank, will be equipped with additional protective armor. By mid-2016 the Russian Research Institute (NII) was developing the new hardware for the platform. According to the developers, "plate shields," which are similar in appearance to the bars on metal bunk beds, will be installed along the perimeter of the machines. These shields will protect armored vehicles from cumulative grenades and anti-tank guided missiles — the most common threat to them in urban settings. The new shields are intended to deform the head of a grenade when it makes contact with the vehicle and divert part of the energy from the explosion. Designers are skeptical of the plan, however, pointing out that the shields, or screens, are inferior to dynamic armor in combat performance. "They are cheaper and technically simpler and increase engine protection and transmission by several times in the conditions of urban warfare,” said Dmitry Safonov, military correspondent for Izvestia, speaking about the shields. “A key drawback is their low versatility. The lattice screen will save the technology only from certain types of hand-held anti-tank grenades.”
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