Abu Dhabi, Feb 22 : (Sputnik) Serial supplies of Russian next-generation tank T-14 Armata to the Russian army will begin next year following the approbation of a test batch, chief engineer Andrei Terlikov of UKBTM, the tank’s developer under the Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) umbrella company, said.
T-14 Armata is currently on its inaugural foreign exhibit at the IDEX-2021 international arms fair in Abu Dhabi.
“The Russian Ministry of Defense and UVZ signed serial contracts for Armata supplies. State-run trials are underway, and we expect them to end in one to two years. Under one of the contracts, a probation batch of vehicles will be supplied by the end of 2021,” Terlikov told journalists, adding “Beginning from 2022, we will launch sustainable serial supplies of these vehicles.”
The ministry and UVZ are also discussing the preparedness of the Russian army’s infrastructure and personnel to start using T-14 Armata tanks, according to the engineer.
T-14 Armata is the world’s only third post-war generation tank, with no analogues whatsoever. Its game-changing difference is that the combat module on top is unmanned and completely remote-controlled, while the crew is securely accommodated in an armored capsule isolated from both the fuel section and munitions. This means that the crew can survive even if the tank is hit.(UNI)