The fact that Russia has long been in need of updating practically any type of weapons is an obvious fact. The country's defense spending has been increasing from year to year. And now, from the officials of the Ministry of Defense in the media, information appears that in the near future, modernization will also await domestic armored vehicles. If up to this point, each individual armored model was equipped with its own structural elements, now it is planned to "put" it on a universal basis. A single tracked platform called "Armata" will be used as such a basis.
According to the statements of representatives of the defense department, "Armata" will be included in the so-called modular complete set of Russian tanks, obstacle vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles. This will make it possible to unify the complex of armored vehicles of the Russian troops, as well as to increase the rate of assembly of equipment at one of the basic enterprises, Uralvagonzavod.
It is planned to start using the new equipment in two years. Tanks and other armored vehicles based on the Armata tracked chassis will be supplied to the troops on a permanent basis in 2015. At the same time, in terms of its parameters, it will be much more reliable than current machines. "Armata", or as this platform is also called T-99 "Priority", is an armored vehicle module of the fourth generation. By the way, on the basis of this module, self-propelled modernized artillery installations can also be designed. It is possible that the new platform will become the base for amphibious armored vehicles, but in this case, the "Armata" will have to undergo some changes in the direction of reducing the mass.
Experts predict great interest in the development from foreign colleagues as well.
It is worth noting that the Armata project is not the only know-how that is planned to be introduced by the developers of the new armored vehicles. So the commander of the ground forces in his recent interview noted that Russian armored vehicles should take the path of robotization. This means that the Ministry of Defense intends to gradually approach the procurement of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, which will conduct military operations in remote control mode. At the same time, the very scheme of robotization implies a complete rejection of mechanical control systems, but implies the saturation of armored vehicles with so-called "smart" systems. These may include a system for automatic recognition of enemy combat equipment, as well as a system for aimed fire without the participation of the crew.
The military official noted that the United States is already following the path of robotization, which plans to modernize the M1 Abrams tank. The task of our designers at the first stage, according to the commander-in-chief, is the systematic work of equipping new tanks and other armored vehicles with computer technology, which makes it possible to provide substantial assistance to the vehicle's crew in the active phase of hostilities.
Such prospects cannot but rejoice. Thanks to the financial support of the state and the talent of Russian designers, our country may well regain the title of the main supplier of military innovations to the troops.
