The new Russian military T-14 Armata Main Battle Tank Concept could make a very good rival to the US military M1 Abrams Tank. The "Armata" Universal Combat Platform is a Russian advanced next generation heavy military tracked vehicle platform. The "Armata" platform is intended to be the basis for a main battle tank, a heavy infantry fighting vehicle, a combat engineering vehicle, an armoured recovery vehicle, a heavy armoured personnel carrier, a tank support combat vehicle and several types of self-propelled artillery under the same codename based on the same chassis. It will also serve as the basis for artillery, air defense, and NBC defense systems.[1]Type Tracked Heavy Armored VehiclePlace of origin RussiaService historyUsed by Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Future)Production historyDesigner Ural Design Bureau of Transport Machine-Building, UralvagonzavodUnit cost unknownProduced 2015SpecificationsWeight 55 tonsCrew 3Armor classifiedMainarmamentDepends on versions (125mm smoothbore 2A82 tank cannon on the tank version)SecondaryarmamentDepends on versions (remote controlled Kord-12.7 mm heavy machine gun and PK machine gun on the tank version)Engine A-85-3A diesel engine1,500–2,000 h.p.Transmission 8-speed automatic gearboxSpeed 75 kilometres per hour (47 mph)Origin of designation[edit]The name designation of this tank (or more correctly "prospective family of heavy unified battlefield platforms" – "перспективный ряд тяжёлых унифицированных платформ поля боя") "Armata" is the plural of the Hellenic (Greek) word "arma"(άρμα), which means weapon and was an old Russian word for early guns. This was wrongly transcribed as "Armada" by journalists on several occasions.[2][3][4]Development[edit]Prototypes of heavy armored vehicles based on the Armata combat platform are planned to be presented at the defense exhibition Russian Arms Expo in Nizhny Tagil in September 2013.[5] Testing of the Armata will begin in November 2013.[6]The new tank is under development at Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil. The first deliveries of the tank to the Russian Armed Forces are scheduled for 2015 and mass production is due to begin in 2016.[7] A total of 2,300 MBTs are expected to be supplied by 2020,[8] modernizing 70 percent of the Russian tank fleet.[9]According to the General Director of Uralvagonzavod the first vehicles will be shown in the 2015 Victory parade.[10]Design[edit]Russian Lieutenant-General Yuri Kovalenko states that the "Armata" combat platform will utilize many features of the T-95 tank, of which only a few prototypes have been built. In the main battle tank variant, the ammunition compartment will be separate from the crew, increasing operational safety while the engine will be more powerful and the armor, main gun and autoloader will be improved.According to preliminary reports, the new tank designated T-14 will be less radical and ambitious than the canceled ‘Object 195’ or T-95, it will weigh less, therefore, become more agile and will be more affordable, compared to its more ambitious predecessors. Additionally, the Kurganets-25 tracked armored vehicle provides high degree of commonality with the new Armata tank. The Kurganets-25 will evolve into various models, gradually replacing BMP and BMD and MT-LB and other types of tracked armored platforms.[8] The Kurganets-25 will have modular armor that can be upgraded for specific threats, be armed with a 2A42 30 mm autocannon, and have four Kornet-EM anti-tank guided missile launchers.[9]The tank will have an unmanned, remotely controlled turret. It will be digitally controlled by a crewmember located in a separate compartment. It is believed that this would eventually lead to the development of a fully robotic tank.[11]Vehicles of the Armata platform will be equipped with the radar and other technologies found on the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation jet fighter. They include a Ka band radar (26.5-40 GHz) based on AESA radar. The devices should be ready by 2015.[12]According to the Steel Scientific Research Institute enterprise, the company that is developing the material, the new armor does not lose its qualities and can be used in Arctic temperatures.[13]The Armata tank will have a remote weapon station turret and an automated control system, with the crew protected by an armored capsule. It will have an externally mounted 125 mm gun with 32 rounds of ammunition; in addition to tank rounds, a new laser-guided missile able to be fired from the main gun with a tandem anti-tank warhead and a range of 5,000 m (16,000 ft) is planned to be created. Secondary armament will consist of a 30 mm cannon and a 12.7 mm machine gun.[14]The 30mm gun may be effective against lots of civilian vehicles, terrorist bomb cars, light military vehicle and military equipment such as radar and equipment of tank and APC.Several proposed versions[15][edit]