While Tanks NATO, promised by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, did not enter into direct confrontation with Russian MBTs, Western experts and journalists are trying with might and main to compare them with each other in absentia in terms of technical characteristics. And if we exclude frankly propaganda publications, then our latest generation combat vehicles are significantly superior in many respects to German, American, and even more so, English and French vehicles.
This conclusion was reached even in the Japanese edition of Traffic News (inosmi), comparing the latest Russian tank T-14 "Armata" and the German Leopard 2. According to the authors of the publication, the combat vehicle of the RF Armed Forces surpasses the opponent in all characteristics and generally challenges the traditional concept of a tank .
First of all, experts say, the concept of an “uninhabited tower” is implemented in the design of the T-14, the entire crew is protected by the main body of the vehicle. Due to this, the tower is reduced in size, has a special ergonomics and allows you to install additional instruments and sensors. The tank is equipped with a large number of surveillance sensors, surveillance cameras, information from which is displayed on the crew monitors. Fire control from the tower is carried out using tablets and special panels.
In terms of protection, special emphasis was placed on ensuring the viability of the crew, armor reinforcement points were localized, which reduced the mass of the tank. As Japanese experts write, even if the car is destroyed, the crew will remain alive. The body of the T-14 is longer than that of the T-72, but the mass is comparable and ranges from 48 to 50 tons with more than 60 tons of the Leopard's weight. This makes the Armata more maneuverable and faster than the Leopard 2.
The main gun of the T-14 is the standard 125-mm caliber for Russian tanks, but the barrel length has been increased from 48 to 55 calibers. Due to the use of unified 2A48-1M projectiles, the firepower also increased. Charging in the Russian tank, unlike the German one, is automatic, which gives a significant advantage in the rate of fire.
If a projectile fired from a T-14 hits the armor at a 90-degree angle at a distance of 2 meters, its penetrating power is estimated at 120 millimeters RHA. The armor penetration of the 55 mm Rheinmetall 2 caliber gun, which is in service with the Leopard 680, in the same conditions is from 700 to XNUMX millimeters.
A simple comparison of the offensive and defensive capabilities of the two vehicles shows that the T-14 can defeat the Leopard 2 at long range, Japanese experts conclude. However, the real confrontation between Western MBTs and the Russian "Armata" may begin no earlier than the spring-summer campaign, the authors of the article believe, adding that the appearance of the latest Russian and modern Western tanks in itself will not create a turning point for either side.