As reported by the Russian TASS news agency, followed by other global news services, the Russian T-14 Armata tanks were seen in Syria. This information was confirmed by the Minister of Trade and Industry of the Russian Federation, Denis Manturov. During an interview on Russian TV channel Rossiya-1, the minister admitted: "Yes, that is correct. They [Armata tanks] were used in Syria. They were used in the field, which allowed us to observe various nuances."
The design of the T-14 Main Battle Tank is based on the Armata tracked chassis on which other vehicles, including the T-15, a heavy armored infantry vehicle, the TOS-2, short-range self-propelled thermobaric rocket launcher or the 2S35 Coalition-SV, self-propelled 152 mm gun, were built. The T-14 is characterized by a remotely controlled, unmanned turret equipped with a 125mm 2A82-1M cannon with a supply of 45 rounds, which if necessary can be equipped with a 152 mm gun. Additional armament consists of the 12.7 mm Kord (6P49) machine gun with 300 rounds and the 7.62 mm PKTM (6P7К) machine gun with 1000 rounds of ammunition.
The three man crew of the T-14 is protected by an internal armored shell. Both the chassis and the turret are equipped with the Malachite Reactive Double Armor (ERA) system at the front, the sides and on the top. The tank is also equipped with the Afghanit active protection system (APS).
The T-14 is powered by a 1500 HP ChTZ 12Н360 (A-85-3A) diesel engine and is equipped with a 12-speed automatic transmission. The tank's top speed is 80-90 kilometers per hour (50-56 miles per hour) and it has a range of 500 kilometers (310 miles).
The T-14 tank was shown to the public for the first time during the Victory Day parade on Red Square on May 9, 2015.
Serial deliveries of the new T-14 Armata tanks for Russian army are expected to begin in 2021.
Russia plans to start cooperation with potential foreign buyers of Armata tanks and, according to Minister Manturov, has already received a number of orders from many countries.
"Next year, when serial deliveries of the tanks (T-14) will be launched for the Ministry of Defense and we will obtain an export certificate, we will start cooperating with foreign customers," said Denis Manturov.
Sources: defpost.com, tass.com, wikipedia.org, wyborcza.pl
