Moscow uses the new supertank T-14 in combat for the first time, but there is a catch

It is one of the prestigious objects of Russian rearmament under Vladimir Putin: the new T-14 “Armata” main battle tank. For months there has been speculation about his first combat mission in Ukraine. Now it seems that time has come.

Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday that Russian troops had “started using the latest Armata tanks to fire on Ukrainian positions”. RIA Novosti referred to an anonymous source from military circles. However, the T-14s deployed “have not yet participated in direct attack operations”.

According to the Russian agency, the Armata tanks received additional side protection. Since the end of last year, the crews have been preparing for combat use “on training grounds in one of the people’s republics in the Donbass”.

There was no independent confirmation of this premiere or current footage on Tuesday. However, a first use of the T-14 with its 125mm indirect fire support gun is at least slightly more likely than in front-line combat against Ukrainian tanks.

Production was accompanied by numerous problems

Although the concept of the T-14 is recognized as progressive and innovative even by Western tank experts, the finished machine is still considered more of a propaganda weapon than a full-fledged combat vehicle. So far, series production seems to be mainly characterized by technical problems, as British military intelligence confirmed in January. Russian tank crews reacted critically to negatively to the new vehicle.

Of the main battle tank, which was first presented to the public during the May Parade in 2015, only 20 to 30 examples are believed to have existed until now. The original plan was to build about 2300 T-14s by 2024 and make it the new standard tank for the Russian army.

However, numerous reports of breakdowns and malfunctions have been circulating since then, including in the run-up to the Victory Parade itself in 2015. In addition, the manufacturer Uralvagonzavod was hit by financial problems, which also negatively affected the production of the 48-tonne vehicle.

From a Russian perspective, the T-14 is still “one of the most advanced tanks in the world,” writes RIA Novosti. It has been compared to the US M1 and German Leopard 2 as being at least equal if not superior in certain areas.

This should also be the background to the current report on the Ukraine premiere: Last Friday, the US Department of Defense announced that 31 US M1 main battle tanks would arrive in Germany at the Bavarian military training ground Grafenwoehr to train Ukrainian crews. (aargauerzeitung.ch)