Armata T-14 Tank Tested in Syria, Delivery to Russian Forces Pushed Back to 2021

Delivery of Russia’s most advanced battle Tank, the Armata T-14 to its armed forces has been pushed back to 2021 owing to the need for more testing even as the tank was tried out in the Syrian battleground.

“Deliveries of T-14 Armata tank will begin in 2021. Additional testing and modernization requested by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) is underway,” Denis Manturov, head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, was quoted as saying by defense ministry-owned Zvezda on Sunday.

As per information published by the MoD website, Russian troops at were expected to receive the tanks in mid-March. Also, in February, Alexander Potapov, CEO of Uravagonzavod company that manufactures the T-14, had said that the tanks would be supplied to the Russian Army in 2020 for field trials.

Manturov noted that the Armata was tested in Syria. “Yes, that’s right. The T-14 Armata was used in Syria. We observed the tank’s performance in field conditions,” the minister said during an interview on Rossiya-1 channel.

“We are planning to obtain an export certificate for the T-14 next year. We already have advance orders for the tank,” he added, without divulging any more details.

The T-14 Armata is a Russian 5th generation main battle tank based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform. The tank is operated by a three-member crew from an armored capsule at the front. According to the Russian state-media, it is the first tank in the world to incorporate “network centric warfare” technologies. The T-14 can be used as a reconnaissance, target designation and fire adjustment vehicle for self-propelled guns, surface-to-air missile systems and T-90 tanks.The tank’s armament includes a 7.62mm remote-control machine gun and 125mm smoothbore cannon. An unmanned version of the Armata is planned and is currently in development.

The T-14 has been painted with anti-slip coating, and features a lavatory to provide comforts to the crew during long combat missions.