As you know, over the past few years, Russia has retained the title of one of the largest suppliers of weapons and military equipment in the world. One of the main groups of military products in great demand are tanks and other armored vehicles for the ground forces. Over the past decades, Russian manufacturers have sold a large number of such products, thereby securing a large lead over their main competitors. In addition, another result of such activities is the increased interest of specialists and the general public.
This interest is manifested in various ways, including leading to the emergence of analytical publications. For example, on March 27, the online edition Army Recognition published an article “Analysis about the Russian armored vehicles and tanks in the global military market”. From the title it is clear that the purpose of the article was to study the achievements of the Russian industry in the field of trade in armored vehicles of various classes and types.
At the beginning of their publication, foreign analysts recall the structure of Russian armored vehicles production. Currently, the construction of various armored vehicles of different classes is carried out by three organizations that fulfill orders from the Russian Ministry of Defense and foreign countries. These are large corporations, which include factories, research institutes and other organizations with different goals and objectives. The research and production corporation Uralvagonzavod is now responsible for the construction of tanks and vehicles based on them. This organization offers potential customers from foreign countries the main T-90S and T-90MS tanks, options for upgrading the existing T-72, BMPT and Terminator-2 tank support combat vehicles, BMR-3M demining vehicles and BREM-1M repair and evacuation vehicles.
The second manufacturer of armored vehicles in Russia is the Tractor Plants concern. Defense enterprises from this organization build BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, BREM-L repair and recovery vehicles, as well as equipment for the airborne troops - BMD-4M and BTR-MDM. Also, the production of armored vehicles of various types is carried out by factories that are part of the Military Industrial Company. The military-industrial complex builds and offers for ordering armored personnel carriers of the BTR-80 and BTR-82 families, repair and recovery vehicles BREM-K, as well as several variants of the Tiger armored vehicle.
The current trends in the international arms market, the authors of the analysis note, have been observed over the past one and a half decades. So, since 2001, there has been a constant increase in interest in the main Russian-made tanks. According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in 2001-2015, Russian industry sold 1,416 T-90S tanks, which were supplied both assembled and in the form of parts kits. In total, 2,316 tanks were sold in the world over a decade and a half.
In addition to the sale of finished armored vehicles, the Russian industry organized licensed assembly of equipment. The assembly of T-90S tanks from the supplied components was deployed in India and Algeria. It is noted that India is the largest foreign buyer and operator of T-90S tanks. For all the time, the Indian troops received 947 tanks of this type, including 761 vehicles built at local enterprises from Russian assembly kits. As of the beginning of this year, the Russian enterprise Uralvagonzavod is to supply customers with a significant number of new tanks. Indian tank forces should receive about 710 new vehicles.
Algeria received 315 tanks of the T-90SA modification ("Algerian"), which differ from the base modification with the letter "C" by the presence of an updated air conditioning system. Of this number, 190 tanks were assembled by the Algerian industry from the sets of components supplied to it.
Also in recent years, supplies were made to other countries, but they differed in significantly smaller volumes. By the beginning of 2016, the deliveries of 100 T-90S tanks ordered by Azerbaijan were almost completed. In 2009-12, ten tanks of this type were sold to Turkmenistan. In 2011, 44 armored vehicles went to Uganda.
The authors of the analysis argue that the main T-90S tank and its modifications, as before, are in great demand from various potential customers. For example, at the Russian Arms Expo 2015 last year, representatives of several Arab states showed their interest in the T-90S and T-90MS tanks. Army Recognition analysts believe the reason for this interest is the recent events in the Middle East, namely the war in Yemen.
A coalition led by Saudi Arabia, having launched an invasion of Yemen, soon revealed the problems of the available technology. As it turned out in practice, the existing armored vehicles, including tanks, cannot fully solve combat missions in desert and mountain-desert landscapes. So, according to some reports, the troops of the United Arab Emirates during the battles experimentally confirmed the high firepower of the French-made AMX-56 Leclerc tanks, but revealed a number of technical problems that hinder the full operation of this technology.
The Saudi Arabian army, which operates American-designed and assembled M1A2 Abrams main tanks, also has serious problems. During the conflict, the Arabian troops lost a number of such vehicles, and some of these losses accounted for anti-tank missile systems of relatively old types. The enemy, not without success, uses the Soviet 9M111 "Fagot" and 9M113 "Konkurs" complexes, which, as it turned out, with proper use, are quite capable of hitting modern tanks.
In such conditions, the Arab states are forced to look for alternatives to the existing equipment and therefore are showing interest in the Russian T-90MS tank, which is the newest version of the T-90S. During the modernization, the machine retains high performance and ease of use. At the same time, the new T-90MS has great advantages over its predecessor in terms of protection and firepower. An increased level of protection is provided by the new "Relikt" dynamic protection system (developed at the Research Institute of Steel), which covers the frontal projection, the tower and part of the sides.
The authors of Army Recognition indirectly confirm the high efficiency of such protection as follows. Not so long ago, the events in Syria clearly showed that the Kontakt-5 reactive armor, which is equipped with the T-90A and T-90S tanks, is capable of withstanding the anti-tank missiles of the TOW-2 complex. According to the published data, the Relikt system has a 50% higher efficiency in comparison with the Contact-5. This may indicate a significant increase in the level of protection of the updated tank.
The main armament of the T-90MS tank is the 125 mm 2A46M-5 launcher. Such weapons allow the tank to use a full range of anti-tank and anti-personnel ammunition, as well as 9M119M Invar and 9M119M1 Invar-M1 guided missiles.
Not only tanks, but also Russian-made infantry fighting vehicles are in great demand on the international market. Last year's RAE-2015 exhibition clearly showed the interest of the Middle Eastern states in such armored vehicles. First of all, a new modification of the BMP-3 called "Derivation" attracted great attention of potential customers.
From 2001 to 2015, Russia supplied several hundred BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles in various modifications to various customers. Azerbaijan received a hundred such vehicles in the BMP-3M version, Indonesia purchased 54 BMP-3FS for the marines, 37 vehicles in the basic configuration were sent to South Korea. At the end of last year, deliveries of BMP-3MS vehicles to Kuwait (70 units) and Venezuela (123 vehicles, including several repair and recovery BREM-L vehicles) were completed. The smallest foreign customer was Turkmenistan, which bought only six cars.
The main advantage of the BMP-3 and its modifications over other vehicles of a similar class is considered to be high firepower. In its basic configuration, this technique receives a 100-mm cannon-launcher 2A70 with the ability to fire shells and guided missiles 9M117 "Bastion", a 30-mm automatic cannon 2A72 and several machine guns. Such armament allows solving various tasks on the battlefield and makes the BMP-3 one of the best vehicles in its class.
Army Recognition analysts note that the BMP-3 in its original configuration is inferior to some foreign counterparts in terms of side projection protection. Nevertheless, the attachment of additional armor and dynamic protection "Cactus" is able to solve this problem. In this case, the car is protected from small-caliber guns and some missiles. In addition, the BMP-3 can carry the "Arena" active protection complex, which also reduces the likelihood of damage.
Currently, a number of NATO countries are developing projects of promising guns of up to 40 mm caliber with high performance, which, with the help of kinetic projectiles, will be able to penetrate up to 100 mm of homogeneous armor. For example, in 2014, CTA International introduced the 40-mm 40 CTAS gun, which uses sub-caliber feathered projectiles with a detachable pan. According to official data, from a distance of 1500 m, such a gun will be able to penetrate up to 140 mm of armor, which will allow it to effectively hit various modern armored vehicles. There are already projects for installing the 40 CTAS gun on various equipment. For example, back in 2014, the French company Nexter Group showed the T40 combat module for a new 40-mm gun, designed to be installed on the VBCI BMP. It is also possible to mount similar weapons to other foreign-made equipment.
The Russian response to promising small-caliber guns was a new development of the Tractor Plants concern. Last year, a modification of the BMP-3 called "Derivation" was shown, featuring a new combat module. The main weapon of this vehicle is a new 57 mm automatic cannon for 57x348 mm ammunition. An armor-piercing feathered projectile fired from such a gun can penetrate up to 140 mm of armor at distances of up to 1800-2000 m. With the help of high-explosive fragmentation shells, the 57-mm cannon will be able to hit air targets. Thus, the 40 CTAS gun is no longer the only small-bore high-power cannon on the market.
Armored personnel carriers of the BTR-80 and BTR-82 families have been built and exported in large quantities in recent years. Despite the relatively weak armor and low protection against explosive devices, this technique is of great interest to customers. One of the main reasons for this interest is the installation of 30-mm automatic cannons on armored personnel carriers.
In 2001-2015, the Russian industry sent 1,036 armored personnel carriers out of 1,068 ordered to buyers. 70 BTR-80A vehicles went to Azerbaijan, 318 BTR-80s replenished the fleet of Bangladesh equipment, 114 BTR-80A went to Venezuela, 100 BTR-80A were delivered to Yemen, 32 BTR-82A were ordered by the Republic of Belarus, 8 BTR-80 in the "Caribbean" version were sent to Colombia, the same amount of equipment was ordered by the Djibouti army. Also, deliveries were made to Indonesia, Mongolia, Sudan, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Uganda and other countries. Of particular note is the order from Kazakhstan, which purchased 93 BTR-80A, 44 BTR-82A and 18 BTR-80.
The authors of the analysis believe that in the coming years, foreign customers will retain their interest in the BTR-80/82 armored personnel carriers. This technique is a fairly cheap, inexpensive and effective means of delivering soldiers and their subsequent fire support. In fact, the BTR-80A and BTR-82A, being armored personnel carriers, have the firepower of infantry fighting vehicles. The new projects include some measures to improve the level of protection. BTR-82A vehicles are equipped with a new anti-splinter lining and some means of protection against mines. As a result, the equipment receives sufficient protection from small arms, shrapnel and explosive devices.
At the same time, it is noted that the supply of the BTR-80 in the original version has significantly decreased in recent years. The main armament of this vehicle is the 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun, and most of the modern foreign armored vehicles have level 4 protection according to the STANAG 4569 standard and are protected from such weapons. As a result, armored personnel carriers of old models cannot fight modern foreign technology and for this reason are no longer of interest to potential customers.
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As you can see, in the last decade and a half, the Russian industry has taken a leading position in the construction and sales of armored vehicles of various classes and now retains its place in the market. The conquest of the "place in the sun" was facilitated by the high quality of the products and the beneficial combination of various characteristics, overall efficiency, etc. The industry is now continuing to develop existing technology to help maintain its place in the market and attract new customers.
In an article by Army Recognition about the place of Russian armored vehicles in the market, not only the numbers of sales are given, but also the methods of maintaining their place in the market. So, to maintain a leading position in the tank market, the T-90MS project was created, which differs from its predecessors in a number of features and increased characteristics. Due to the use of new systems, as well as due to the failures of competitive technology in recent local conflicts, the T-90MS has a good chance of becoming the subject of orders.
The BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle in its basic configuration differs from its main competitors in a number of characteristics, including uniquely high firepower due to the use of 100-mm and 30-mm cannons. In addition, in response to the latest trends in the development of foreign weapons, a modification of the Derivation combat vehicle was proposed with a 57 mm cannon of high power. Such equipment, like the basic BMP-3, can be of great interest to potential customers.
As noted, due to the relatively weak armament, the BTR-80 armored personnel carriers are no longer of particular interest to foreign customers. Modifications of such equipment armed with automatic cannons, in turn, retain their place in the market and continue to become the subject of new contracts. So, in the BTR-82A project, the problem of low firepower was solved and the level of protection was significantly increased, which makes such equipment interesting for potential customers. The relatively low cost also affects the volume of orders.
Currently, the overwhelming majority of Russian armored vehicles are produced by only three large organizations, which include many factories and enterprises. This equipment is being built for the Russian armed forces and for export supplies. The industrial capacities allow keeping the required rate of renewal of the domestic equipment park, as well as fulfilling foreign orders. Taking this and other factors into account, it can be argued that in the foreseeable future Russia will retain its place on the international market for armored vehicles of various classes, and in addition, it will be able to increase its share in global supplies.
