Putin Praises the T-90 Tank – Not the T-14 Armata - Russian President Vladimir Putin poured on significant praise for the T-90 Proryv main battle tank (MBT) during a trip to Uralvagonzavod producer, while he also called for more advanced fighting vehicles.

"We need modern hardware, including T-90 Proryv tanks which you produce," he told workers at the enterprise, according to a report from state media outlet Tass on Thursday.

"T-90 is the best tank in the world without any exaggeration. Our tankmen and the adversary recognize it as the best in the world," Putin added while acknowledging that any military hardware can get outdated with time.

"We have to think about new generations of hardware. The designers know what to make and are working already," the Russian leader continued.

Though Putin showed that he is a fan of the T-90, he made no mention of the Russian T-14 Armata, which has been years in development and which he previously described as the most advanced MBT in the world, stating it was "noticeably superior to its foreign peers" back in July 2018.

Kremlin officials have also suggested the T-14 was Russia's answer to the U.S.-made M1A3 Abrams, British Challenger 2, and Germany's Leopard 2 tank.

So why the sudden "retcon" about the T-14? One factor could be its cost. First demonstrated during the May 2015 Victory Parade, it was truly a modern design that wasn't simply the next evolution of tanks that dated back to the T-34. Yet, it could also be argued that no weapon has been as massively overhyped as the T-14 – only for it to fail to live up to the expectations. That should have been clear when it made that aforementioned debut in 2015, as the tank was unable to cross Red Square after breaking down during parade rehearsals and had to be towed away for repairs.

Just five years later, there were reports that three T-14s were hit by anti-tank weapons in Syria, with one being completely destroyed. It is also likely that the Kremlin knows that despite all the hype, the T-14 could be easily destroyed by American FGM-148 Javelins, British NLAWs, and Swedish AT-4s. The Kremlin may be concerned that T-14 likely suffers from the same design flaw of the Cold War-era T-72, which has seen the tank's turrets literally blown off from the so-called "jack-in-the-box-effect" when an anti-tank missile strikes the ammunition storage.

The T-90 Is Still a Very Capable Tank

Putin's praise was likely just another example of political showboating, but it should be remembered that the T-90 is still among the most advanced tanks deployed to Ukraine.

The T-90M Proryv is the latest modernization variant of the Russian MBT that first entered into service in 1994. The upgraded T-90 tank has been vastly improved in terms of protection, mobility, and firepower. According to multiple sources, the MBT has been upgraded with a fundamentally new turret differing from the serial-produced combat module and a more powerful 1,130 hp engine. However, the configuration of the Proryv is similar to the previous T-90 models, with a driver compartment at the front, a turret at the center of the hull, and a power plant located at the rear. It is propelled by a 1000mm 12-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach speeds of 60 kilometers per hour on roads and 50 off-road.

The Proryv variant is armed with a 125mm 2A46M-4 smoothbore gun that is capable of firing standard ammunition as well as anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) Refleks NATO Code AT-11 Sniper-B rounds. Secondary armament includes a remotely operated weapon station armed with an NSVT 12.7mm heavy machine gun and a 7.62mm PTKM coaxial machine gun.

Russian media claimed the tank's new multichannel sight enables the crew to employ its armaments at any time of the day or night. In addition, the option of exchanging data with other combat vehicles in real-time has been one of the upgraded tank's major advantages.

The upgraded MBT is believed to have been equipped with the new Relikt ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) armor fitted at the front and on each side of the turret. The T-90M was first tested during the Zapad-2017 military exercise in September 2017.

It is clear Putin loves the T-90 – and perhaps we'll soon see a video of Tucker Carlson saying how great it is after his recent praise about Moscow's subway and Russian grocery stores.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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