Production of the T-90 began in 1992. In various modifications of these vehicles, more than 600 units and more than 2,000 export vehicles were produced for the needs of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. “Today, the T-90 tank is the most commercially successful tank on the world market,” said a press release following the 2021 results released by the state company Rostec, which includes the UVZ.
Serial samples of the T-90M first entered the Russian army in August 2021. Proryv was created on the basis of the Russian main battle tank (MBT) T-90A. The turret was completely changed, which made it possible to improve the protection several times, increase the internal armored volume, place additional equipment and make the working conditions of the crew more comfortable.
In addition to installing a new turret, UVZ specialists carried out a deep modernization of the power and transmission units, chassis, and also significantly improved the armor resistance of the vehicle. To increase the accuracy of fire and reduce the preparation time for firing, the tank is equipped with a modern panoramic sight for the commander and the Kalina automatic fire control system, which provides all-round visibility, search, recognition and capture of targets. .
The 1130 hp diesel engine developed by ChTZ-Uraltrak provides the T-90M with a large power reserve, including at extremely low and high temperatures.
“Among the advantages of these tanks, the ability to work in a single tactical level control system in cooperation with other types and branches of troops, achieved by the provision of Atılım with modern communication systems and high-quality electronics, “stuffing” the combat vehicle,
– told the military expert of “socialbites.ca”, retired Major General Kirill Delomudrov.
The exact number of the final delivery of the T-90M to the Russian army is not sought. According to official data, the Ministry of Defense signed three contracts with UVZ for the supply of 80 vehicles. At the same time, only some of them will be new, and the other part will upgrade T-90A tanks.
General Delomudrov believes that the supply of the T-90M to the Russian army will increase, but not to the detriment of other models of tank technology.
“The increase in T-90 production does not mean that the army has abandoned other tanks. Production and modernization of combat vehicles such as the T-72B3 and T-80BVM, which are among the main medium tanks and considered the best in their class, will continue. The production of T-14 “Armata” tanks is also underway, their number is also determined by the needs of the Ministry of Defense – so far they are small. In a kind of “tank race” with the “Armata”, the T-90M “Breakthrough”, which combines both traditional reliability and modern developments, is still leading,” Delomudrov said.
Military political scientist Valery Volkov noted that the T-90M attracted foreign buyers and was initially mainly intended for export. The expert believes that Russia’s conduct of a special military operation in Ukraine, followed by Western sanctions, complicates the situation.
“In 2020, a contract was signed with Egypt for the supply of 300 T-90M tanks. Details of the contract were not disclosed, but if implemented, Cairo would become the largest T-90M operator in the region. Other countries have also expressed interest in this car, including India, China, Algeria and Venezuela.
In terms of price-quality ratio, the T-90M is objectively the best export tank in the world. Its price is about 3-3.5 million dollars, and the price of the third modification of SEPv3, Abrams M1A2, for example, can reach 7-8 million dollars. It is important that Egypt bought Abrams before. Buyers will be cautious after the imposition of US and EU sanctions. Sales may stall for fear that sanctions will not only apply to Russia but also to buyers.
But there is a good point in that. “I am pleased that the world’s best export tank will remain in Russia,” said Volkov.
Source: Gazeta
