Russia briefly deployed its top-tier T-14 Armata tanks in combat in Ukraine — but
then withdrew them again, as per Russian state media.
Armored forces from Russia's southern military district (SMD) "actively used Armata in combat,"
an unnamed military source told the state-run outlet TASS.
The source added, "Several vehicles participated in combat to
see how the tank will perform.
After that, they were withdrawn from the frontline"
They did not elaborate on why the cutting-edge tanks were removed from battle.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why Russia has withdrawn the T-14 Armada tank
from Ukraine?
Let's get into the details.
The Armata T-14 is a state of art Russian main battle tank based on the Armata Universal
Combat Platform which has been developed from scratch.
It is intended to slowly replace T-72 and T-90 tanks.
The MBT is thought to possess several hi-tech features like a fully automated and unmanned
turret, a top speed of 90 km/h or 56 mph, which is more than 20 km/h or 12.5 mph faster
than the U.S. main battle tank Abrams M1A2 and Afganit Active Protection System that
uses Active electronically scanned array radar to detect incoming projectiles, and automatically
intercept them.
Now, let us go into the possible reasons for its withdrawal.
The tank was first unveiled at Russia's Victory Day Parade on May 9, 2015, but its roll-out
has been plagued with delays and technical problems.
The tank is built by the state-owned manufacturer and Russia’s largest producer of tanks Uralvagonzavod.
Initial reports suggested the Kremlin will order as many as 2,300 Armatas by 2020.
But as per the latest assumptions, Russia will only manufacture a limited number of
only about 100 of these tanks.
It seems that Russia doesn’t have the funds to allocate for the Armata T 14 serial production
at this time.
The decision doesn’t come as a surprise to military analysts.
In 2015, there were reports that Armata’s per-unit cost was more than double that of
manufacturer Uralvagonzavod's original estimates.
The limited numbers would restrict their effective tactical usage.
At the beginning of this year, the British Ministry of Defense said that if Russia does
deploy the T-14 "it will likely primarily be for propaganda purposes."
The ministry said in a statement, citing intelligence sources and satellite imagery,
"Production is probably only in the low tens, while commanders are unlikely to trust the
vehicle in combat,"
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told reporters on July 30, 2018, regarding
T-14, “Well, why flood the all Armed Forces with the Armata tanks, we have the T-72s in
great demand in the market, they take it all, compared to the Abrams, Leclercs, and Leopards,
for their price, efficiency, and quality.”
The response regarding the serial production of the Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jet bears
a resemblance to the situation at hand.
However, it was subsequently revealed that India rejected the fighter jet due to technical
problems, and as a result, it has not yet been deployed for operational use.
Similarly, the first batch of tanks may have encountered technical challenges that require
resolution.
Uralvagonzavod, the manufacturer, might need additional time and resources to address these
design and production issues.
T-72 is around $0.5 million and T-90 is around $2 million each.
By contrast, each of the T-14 is more than $3.7 million, and hence losses will hurt a
great deal.
Given the economic challenges Russia is facing, it can ill afford to lose this very costly
MBT.
We also need to take into account that each T-14 Armata costs as much as about 20 Javelin
Anti Tank Guided Missiles that are being provided to Ukraine by the U.S. to hit Russian tanks.
This further emphasizes the economic complexity of the T-14 Armata's deployment.
Russia accounts for nearly 19% of worldwide weapons shipments.
However, according to the latest Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
report titled, ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers’, Russian arms export fell
by 26% between 2012 and 2016 followed by a steep fall in its global share from 24% to
19% between 2017 and 2021.
The Ukrainians have achieved remarkable success using the Javelin and British-made NLAWs in
combat.
Even the destruction of just one or two tanks could lead to significant negative publicity
for the T-14 Armata.
Such incidents could potentially impact the tank's chances of being exported to prospective
buyers like China and India.
A Russian media outlet, Репортёр (Reporter), claimed that three T-14s were allegedly hit
by TOW-2B anti-tank systems and that one Armata was completely destroyed in the Syrian province
of Latakia.
This story was quickly seized upon by the Western press, causing embarrassment for Russia.
The Kremlin is likely taking measures to prevent a similar scenario from occurring again.
Poland is set to acquire up to 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 tanks, a move aimed at replacing its
aging fleet of T-72 and PT-91 tanks.
According to the Minister of National Defence of Poland, Mariusz Błaszczak, the procurement
decision was influenced by the presence of the T-14 Armata.
He emphasized the need for the most modern and combat-proven tanks to counter the capabilities
of the T-14 Armata.
The T-14 Armata's reputation has instilled fear and intrigue among rival nations, and
Russia seems keen on maintaining this sense of mystery surrounding the tank.
If its combat performance is ascertain in Ukraine or if an example is captured, it will
be massive blow