TechRussia flexes military muscle with advanced tank deliveries amid national celebrations

Russia flexes military muscle with advanced tank deliveries amid national celebrations

Tank T-90M Breakthrough

Images source: © Mil.in.ua

3:49 PM EDT, May 13, 2024

Russia is unique among European nations. It maintains a robust capability for mass-producing tanks, a feat increasingly rare under modern conditions. This year, for the second time, the Uralvagonzavod factories announced another shipment of T-90M and T-72B3M tanks to the military.

This latest announcement from the Uralvagonzavod may significantly serve as propaganda. The timing of the news regarding new tank deliveries to the Russian army aligns with Russia's May 1st celebrations and Victory Day on May 9th.

While Uralvagonzavod shared news of these deliveries, it left out crucial details such as the number of tanks produced or the specifics of their equipment—like anti-drone defenses and jamming capabilities. What is known, however, are the types of tanks delivered—T-72B3M and T-90M.

The T-72B3M has become the Russian armored forces' backbone, while the T-90M represents the height of Russia's tank craftsmanship outside of the ceremonial T-14 Armata—President Putin even labels it the world's premier tank.

The T-90M Breakthrough – Putin's premier serial tank

The T-90M Breakthrough, an upgraded and most recent version of the T-90 tank series, represents the latest in Russian tank technology. Despite claims of delivering entirely new vehicles, many of these T-90Ms are updated versions of the T-90 and T-90A tanks previously utilized by Russia.

This version advances beyond its predecessors with a new welded turret instead of a cast one, the Kalina fire control system, and an improved 125-mm cannon 2A46M-5. As claimed, it also sports significantly better optoelectronics—although, due to Western sanctions, their quality has dipped compared to units distributed before the conflict in Ukraine.

The manufacturer did not disclose the specific equipment standard of these tanks, which is especially relevant considering the amplified dangers posed by drones to modern combat vehicles. A striking example of this threat was a recent video released by Ukrainians. It showed a Russian T-90M tank being destroyed by "Baba Yaga," a commercially available drone modified to drop grenades or an anti-tank missile, showcasing the vulnerability even the most armored vehicles face in today's warfare.