Back in April, the T-14 Armata made its first appearance in Ukraine. The Kremlin had widely boasted that this “formidable” armored vehicle would wipe out foreign competitors in Ukraine. Among the tank’s capabilities is an unmanned turret and a 125mm main cannon. Its hull is fitted with a modular armor system comprised of ceramics, steel and composite materials. As detailed by Army Technology,“ The tank is anticipated to offer up to STANAG 4569 Level 5 protection. Its forward portion is covered with reactive armor, whereas the rear is fitted with bar armor to provide added protection against anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). The tank can also be hinged with additional active and passive armor.”

The quick withdrawal of the Armata from Ukraine suggests that Russian forces were not pleased with the tank’s performance. Ukraine will soon deploy American-made M1A1 Abrams in addition to British Challengers and German Leopard 2s as part of its counter-offensive, which should worry Russia.

[Hmmm. It doesn’t seem to be a game-changer in either direction, as both sides remain largely bogged down this summer. The new Western armor may have more impact, but it’s taking a long time to materialize, and soon the weather will make armored movements more complicated. — Ed]