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.
