The Russian army is to be equipped
with a new generation tank by 2015, and according to the Russian press,
work on the new armoured tank code named “Armada” is well in progress.
The
new tank is to have new electronic equipment and the crew will be
protected by internal turret. The Armada will be different from the
present T-90 in use by the Russian army, says Victor Litovkin, of the
“Independent Military Review” paper. He gave an interview to VOR:
"There
is a need to fit the tank with a new engine to make it more powerful
and faster and easier to operate. It should be able to carry more arms
and will also be protected against all kinds of explosives and
ammunition. Second, it should be armed with more powerful guns and of
course, it should have the necessary electronic gadgets and onboard
information control complex."
The new “Armada” is
designed to separate the crew from the arms by a special capsule, since
protecting the crew is a high priority. The planned changes will enable
the “Armada” to compete favourably with the leading foreign analogues,
Litovkin said:
"The Western tanks - “Leclerk”,
“Leopard”,”Abrahams” and t he Israeli “Merkava” have their advantages
and shortcomings, the major one being that they are all heavier than
the T-90 by at least ten tons. It means that they are l ess
maneuverable and are more vulnerable. On the other hand, they have
thicker armoured plate and more powerful ammunition."
There
are no alternatives to tanks at the present time, experts say,
debunking the assertion by the skeptics about the imminent replacement
of tanks by more sophisticated and advanced weapons. The latest
conflicts, including the coalition operation in Iraq have confirmed the
indispensability of tanks in modern-day war. Tanks played a major role
during the conflict in the Caucasus, especially in South Ossetia.
Experts say that tanks have been and will remain the main striking
force in any large scale land warfare.
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