Nearly three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an end to the war is still not in sight. Since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022, both sides have suffered from hefty personnel, weapons, and equipment losses. The Kremlin, heavily sanctioned by the international community for its invasion of a sovereign nation, has particularly suffered from a depleting arsenal. In fact, since the war commenced, experts estimate that Moscow has lost roughly 10,000 main battle tanks (MBTs) and armored vehicles alone. As these fighting vehicles play a central role in both Russia’s initial and subsequent advances, these numbers are staggering. Russia has deployed a wide array of MBT series to the frontlines of the war, including Cold War-era relics and more modern variants. Interestingly, Moscow has limited the role of its newest MBT in its invasion- the T-14 Armata.

An overview of the Armata

If Russia’s latest tank series is as lethal and dominant as the Kremlin claims, why hasn’t the Armata made more of an appearance in the ongoing Ukraine invasion? While some experts speculate that showcasing the MBT (including its flaws and shortcomings) may deter potential future foreign buyers of the platform, others indicate that the T-14 Armata’s brief stint in Ukraine was meant to help military officials better gauge their battlefield performance. Regardless of the actual rationale, the T-14 has been largely absent in the war.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, Russia’s new armored corps was forced to rely on existing fleets of aging main battle tanks. Manufacturer Uralvagonzavod first ignited the project of creating a modern MBT series in 2010, following the cancellation of a previous tank program. The Armata was officially unveiled at the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade, where one of the tanks notoriously broke down. Although the exact specs and details surrounding the Russian tank remain classified, the T-14 does appear to provide greater survivability to its crew than its Cold War-era predecessors. Specifically, the tank features Malachit explosive reactive armor and the AFGHANIT active protection system as well as sophisticated sensors and armaments. As detailed by Military Watch Magazine, the Armata’s Vacuum-1 APFSDS projectiles have an “extreme penetrative capability” that is able to penetrate nearly all of the MBTs deployed by Ukraine.

The Armata is MIA in Ukraine

Based on the T-14’s reported capabilities, it is surprising that the tank series has hardly made an appearance on the frontlines in the war. Earlier this year, the CEO of Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec claimed that the Armata has been held back in the invasion because it is simply “too valuable” to lose. The Russian state-run news outlet TASS news later reported that the T-14 was only deployed briefly to combat zones in Ukraine for experimentation and that the vehicle was being “finalized” as a result of these limited operations. Clearly, something appears to be off with the T-14. Whether the issue lies with the tank’s production, price tag, capabilities or performance remains the question.

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: Oleg Elkov / Shutterstock.com