If the Armata were a good tank, it seems unlikely that Moscow would not deploy it in Ukraine.
Nearly three-and-a-half years into its Ukraine invasion, Russia has yet to deploy its latest and “greatest” tank platform to the frontlines on more than a temporary basis. The T-14 Armata main battle tank’s (MBT) brief stint in the ongoing war indicates its performance potential is lackluster at best. It appears Russian officials are trying to shield the Armata from the public eye, suggesting that the Kremlin could be concerned about discouraging foreign buyers of the platform if the tank’s true capabilities (or lack thereof) are observed. Last year, the CEO of Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec went on record saying that the limited role of the Armata in Ukraine is due to its “high value.” Sergey Chemezov added that the newest Russian MBT is the most “revolutionary tank in a decade,” noting that “The Armata, in general, is a little expensive. In terms of functionality, it is, of course, much superior to existing tanks, but it is too valuable, so the army is unlikely to use it now. It’s easier for them to buy the same T-90s.” If Chemezov’s remarks were true, it seems unlikely that Moscow would not deploy its Armata fleets to support its offensive efforts in the war.
Since Moscow first invaded Kyiv back in February 2022, scores of main battle tanks on both sides of the conflict have been disabled, destroyed, or captured. According to the open-source intelligence tracker Oryx, Russia alone has likely lost more than 4,000 tanks. Although obtaining accurate figures and estimates surrounding military equipment losses in the war is challenging, footage and other images captured in the conflict suggest this estimate is probably close to reality. In 2024, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that more than half of Russia’s modern tanks had been lost in the war and roughly two-thirds of its T-80 inventory had been depleted.
What We Know About the Armata
Russia’s Armata platform was officially unveiled in 2015. Despite the tank being stuck in its production phase for over a decade, several delays have impeded the T-14’s introduction to service. The new MBT series was conceptualized in the early 2000s following the cancelation of the T-94 project. The resulting Object 148 fielded by Russian engineers culminated in the Armata. In 2019, Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade announced that the T-14 was already undergoing combat tests. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the commencement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years later, progress on the Armata front has stagnated.
On paper, the T-14 appears to be far superior to its Soviet-era MBT predecessors. The tank series features thick armor protection, explosive reactive armor, and the AFGHANIT active protection system, which all boost its survivability. The T-14 is equipped with a 125mm smoothbore gun and a turret that can launch up to 45 rounds of ammunition. While these armament capabilities and protective measures make the T-14 more formidable on paper, the platform’s real value can only be tested once the Armata is actually fielded in combat.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Dmytro Larin / Shutterstock.com
