T-14 Armata. (Photo : Russian Army)
The Russian Army's much touted T-14 Armata is being bandied about by Russian media as the best there is because it's the only main battle tank (MBT) in the world that meets all the criteria set out in what's called the "principle of six zones."
Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, claims the United States, England, France, Greece, Turkey, Australia and South Korea are showing great interest in the Armata and asks why.
Its answer is the Armata is the only tank in the world that fulfills the principle of six zones. Because the T-14 is the first tank that meets all six principles, all other tanks have become outdated, said Pravda.
The T-14 Armata is Russia's first series-produced third generation tank and is based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform. First seen in public during rehearsals for the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade, the Armata is apparently so formidable the Russian Army, or more accurately the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation, plans to order 2,300 T-14s from 2015 to 2020.
The army has 2,700 operational MBTs, consisting mostly of T-72s (1,900 in active service with 7,000 in reserve). Of the remaining operational tanks, 450 are T-80s and 350 T-90s.
Media reports say 16 T-14s have been delivered to the army so far. The T-14 will replace all the T-72, T-80 and T-90 currently in service. These three older models will all go into the reserve.
The six zones consist of: (1) avoid a collision (2) avoid detection (3) avoid target acquisition (4) avoid hit (5) avoid penetration and (6) avoid destruction.
The T-14 Armata avoids a collision because it's equipped with radar that can spot targets 100 kilometers distant. The radar also enables the tank's active protection system (APS) to destroy incoming tank rounds or anti-tank missiles.
It avoids detection by because its smaller than western tanks and uses stealthy design to reduce the chances of being detected by enemy radar. Its turret it also smaller than those in western tanks such as the U.S.M1 Abrams and the German Leopard. More important, there are no crewmen in the turret of the Armata.
The Armata avoids target acquisition because it's equipped with systems producing active interference, that is, it can conduct electronic warfare.
The tank avoids being hit by using its APS to create an "umbrella" that protects the tank by destroying tank rounds and anti-tank missiles fired from all directions.
Avoiding penetration is accomplished by the Armata's top secret armor that prevents anti-armor shells and missiles from piercing it. In the event an enemy anti-armor weapon does smash through the Armata's armor, the three-man crew will survive because they're all inside a special armored capsule.
