Russia will begin mass production of T-14 Armata tanks starting next year, according to Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov.
The T-14 is the latest version of the Armata series and is currently undergoing field trials, the minister added.
‘Robotized’ Tank
Though the vehicle is crew operated, most of its functions are “robotized,” the chief of Russian state-owned holding conglomerate Rostec toldTass last year.
“The Armata crew does not need to aim accurately. It only has to aim the gun roughly. Electronics will do all the rest: it will accurately determine the distance to the target and aim the gun at it,” Rostec chief Sergei Chemezov explained.
“That is, the vehicle uses artificial intelligence elements that help the crew deliver fire.”
Extra Safety Feature for Crew
The tank’s loading, targeting, and firing is handled from start to finish by artificial intelligence, leaving the crew with the only decision to shoot, Chemezov said in April.
One highlight of the 48-ton vehicle is its unmanned turret, which comes with a 125-millimeter 2A82-1M smoothbore gun and autoloader compatibility.
An unmanned turret allows the crew to sit in an armored capsule inside the tank rather than next to the gun, as with traditional tanks. This position provides the crew with much greater safety from enemy fire.
Additional Protection
The tank is equipped with “nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection, (an) automatic fire suppression system and smoke grenade dischargers,” according to Army Technology.
Moreover, the tank’s new Afghanit hard-kill active protection system protects the vehicle from incoming anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), rockets, and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG).
Unmanned Version
Developer, Uralvagonzavod (a subsidiary of Rostec), is also developing an unmanned version of the tank in limited numbers, which will be used to test “unmanned technologies for other land-based robots,” Chemezov added.
The T-14 is based on the modular Armata platform, which also serves as the basis for armored carriers such as infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers.