CEO of the Russian state defence conglomerate Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, has elaborated on the potential benefits of Russian foremost battle tanks, claiming that the nation’s trade is continuous to set developments within the international tank growth. “If we speak, for instance, about our tanks manufactured by Uralvagonzavod, they’ve acquired further all spherical safety from drones and anti-tank missiles primarily based on the expertise of the particular army operation. They’re solely planning on doing it with the Abrams – they’ve copied it from us. Earlier, the Israelis adopted this from us. In different phrases, we are able to say that we’re main developments within the international tank trade,” he acknowledged. Though the Soviet Union was seen to steer the world by over a decade within the sophistication of its tank designs all through the Chilly Battle, the speed of progress in Russian trade slowed significantly after the USSR’s disintegration in 1992, leading to a major decline within the standing of its armour notably in comparison with competitors in China and the Koreas.
Elaborating on probably the most signifiant benefits Russian tanks have maintained over their Western counterparts, Chemezov noticed: “Our armoured automobiles can usually be repaired virtually within the area. There are instances when the T-90M Proryv repeatedly returned to service after critical hits, every time managing to return to fight situation. That’s, from the standpoint of maintainability, trendy home tanks proceed the traditions of the legendary T-34. That is not going to work with Abrams, as it can require manufacturing facility specialists. If in any respect it’s potential to retrieve the broken colossus from the battlefield with its mass.” A number of international operators have commented on the a lot better maintainability of Russian tanks, partly attributable to their a lot lighter weights at round 45-50 tons, in comparison with Western tanks which generally weigh 70-80 tons. This weight distinction ensures that Russian tanks have greater energy/weight ratios, making them extra cell, and permitting them to make use of civilian infrastructure resembling bridges in methods Western tanks can’t.
The Soviet Union was capable of operationalise tank designs with comparable or greater ranges of armour safety, greater calibre weapons and better mobility, whereas sustaining a lot greater weights, largely by main the world in pioneering new applied sciences together with composite armour and automated loaders. A rising consensus has emerged within the Western world relating to the inadequacy of typical Western tank designs for contemporary warfare, with america in consequence searching for to develop its most revolutionary new tank in near half a century underneath the M1E3 program, which adopts many widespread design options to China’s new Sort 100 unveiled in September 2025. Whereas the Soviet Union was beforehand anticipated to proceed to steer the world in pioneering new generations of tank capabilities with the T-95 program, which following important delays was developed into the T-14 in Russia, the shortage of great progress in growth has allowed China to take the lead with the Sort 100. Russia stays liable to falling far behind not solely China, however in future additionally South Korea and america, ought to its trade not considerably enhance its price of progress.
