The Russian tank made to beat NATO... almost - T-14 Amarta

Summary

The T-14 Armata, a cutting-edge Russian tank, was designed to revolutionize warfare but remains stuck in development. Based on concepts from the Cold War era, it boasts advanced features like an unmanned turret and crew compartment but struggles with engine issues and outdated elements. Despite its potential, the tank and its family of vehicles face challenges, including outdated technology and modern warfare demands, leaving its future uncertain.

Highlights

• The T-14 Armata was supposed to revolutionize tank warfare but still hasn't entered mass production due to several setbacks. 🚧
• Engine troubles and outdated features keep the T-14 from being fully realized, despite its innovative design. 🛠️
• Originally conceived with a bigger gun, the tank had to compromise on firepower due to design limitations. 🔫
• Russia's T-14 project underscores the challenges of modernizing military tech amidst budget constraints and technical hurdles. 💸
• The potential of the T-14 Armata signifies a step towards future warfare, though its implementation remains uncertain. 🤔

Key Takeaways

• The T-14 Armata tank is based on advanced ideas from the Cold War era but is plagued by development issues. 🔧
• Engine reliability and outdated design aspects hinder this tank's entry into mass production. 🚫
• The tank features an unmanned turret and unique crew safety measures, showcasing its futuristic design ambitions. 🤖
• Despite its potential, the T-14 hasn't entered service due to unresolved technical and logistical challenges. ⌛
• The Armata family of vehicles remains a promising yet unrealized concept in modern Russian military technology. 🔮

Overview

The T-14 Armata, hailed as a revolutionary tank, was poised to redefine modern warfare with its innovative features. Conceived from Cold War-era technologies intertwined with fresh advancements, this tank boasts a futuristic design with an unmanned turret and a protected crew compartment. However, these innovations are overshadowed by persistent developmental challenges.

Despite ambitious plans, the T-14 Armata remains in a quagmire of production issues, particularly plagued by engine reliability problems and outdated design aspects. These setbacks prevent it from fulfilling its role on the modern battlefield, as Russia grapples with the technical complexities needed to evolve its military hardware.

The broader Armata family, intended to include a range of vehicles like infantry support and artillery models, shares this uncertain future. Budget constraints, technical hurdles, and evolving warfare tactics demand significant updates to make this vision a reality. Until these challenges are overcome, the T-14 and its kin remain conceptual showpieces rather than operational assets.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Overview The chapter introduces the role of Squarespace in video production, emphasizing their design intelligence. It delves into the T14 Amata tank, which has been a controversial subject on the internet. Initially developed to revolutionize warfare, the tank remains in development limbo, with the creators joking that GTA 6 might be released sooner. Despite this, the chapter highlights the tank's advanced features, noting its design is based on a concept from 40 years ago.
• 00:30 - 02:00: Soviet Tank Development History The chapter titled 'Soviet Tank Development History' explores the background and historical progression of Soviet tank development. It delves into the various discussions and misinformation circulating about Soviet tanks, likening the depth of this subject to an iceberg. Fundamental questions regarding the purpose and construction of these tanks are addressed. Moreover, it challenges assumptions and criticisms, such as the notion that modern Russian tanks are mere copies of the American Abrams TTB and ill-designed. The chapter promises to further evaluate the prospects for future advancements in Russian heavy armor.
• 02:00 - 03:30: Development of Next-Generation Tanks The chapter discusses the development of next-generation tanks following the Yom Kippur War, a conflict that highlighted shifts in modern tank warfare. The Western powers focused on creating a heavily armored tank using new composite materials, even if it meant increasing the weight substantially. Meanwhile, the Soviets did not seem to adapt or learn significantly from the conflict.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Engine Innovations and Challenges The chapter titled 'Engine Innovations and Challenges' discusses the development of a new tank concept by the Morzovv Design Bureau in Ukraine in the early '70s. Led by Alexander Morzovv, the design featured a separate crew compartment aimed at preventing ammo detonation upon impact. However, the technology of the time was not mature enough to support such innovation. A decade later, the Soviet government approved a different tank development program, led by two design bureaus, highlighting the ongoing evolution and challenges in engine technology.
• 05:00 - 06:30: Impact of the USSR Dissolution on Tank Programs The chapter discusses the impact of the USSR's dissolution on tank programs, focusing on the developments by a bureau in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Key projects include Object 490A, which evolved into Object 477, known as the Molot or Hammer, and Object 490B. These tanks were noted for their advanced, futuristic designs, featuring crewless turrets, armored crew compartments, and planned integration of thermal optics, aligning with a new information-centric warfare strategy that emphasized real-time information sharing with artillery and support units.
• 06:30 - 08:30: Reintroduction of Object 148 and Modern Challenges The chapter discusses the development of Object 148 and its challenges, highlighting the air force's involvement and underscoring the significance of upgrading the artillery from 125 mm to 152 mm guns. The narrative also references Object 299's development in Leningrad as a futuristic concept following similar principles. Despite the focus on these projects, the chapter reassures the reader of its relevance to the main topic, the Armata.
• 08:30 - 10:30: T-14 Armata's Design and Technical Features The chapter discusses the design and technical features of the T-14 Armata tank. It highlights the simultaneous development of new engine technologies necessary for the next generation tank. The Malia Chev Bureau in Ukraine developed the 6TD diesel engine with an output of 1,000 horsepower, upgradeable to 1,200 horsepower. Additionally, the CHTZ from Chileinsk developed the 2V12 engine, also rated at 1,200 horsepower, demonstrating the advancements in engine technology accompanying the tank's development.
• 10:30 - 12:30: Armament and Armor Analysis The chapter titled 'Armament and Armor Analysis' discusses the powerful engines of tanks, specifically highlighting an engine that can expand up to 2,000 horsepower. This is noted to be the same engine used in the T14 Amata tank. The narrative skips to the 1990s, explaining the struggles in finalizing the tank's design, which has led to its prolonged development, a challenge shared by many attempting to create their own tanks.
• 12:30 - 15:30: Operational Challenges and Future Prospects This chapter discusses the innovative capabilities of Squarespace design intelligence, which leverages cutting-edge AI technology to help users create personalized and visually appealing websites. The tool recommends designs that align with user goals, enabling a bespoke digital identity that stands apart from traditional templates.

The Russian tank made to beat NATO... almost - T-14 Amarta Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 This video couldn't have been made without Squarespace and their new design intelligence. T14 Amata, a name attracting polite internet discussions like a moth to a flame. Made to revolutionize warfare a decade ago, it still sits in a development hell and will probably get GTA 6 earlier than see this tank enter serial production. Regardless, this tank is quite, and I mean quite advanced, even though it's pretty much based on a design some 40 years old. Let's dig through a mountain
• 00:30 - 01:00 of misinformation and internet discussions and explore the iceberg worthy history of Soviet tank development, understanding where exactly am, what it's made for, and answer the burning question. Is there any future for the next generation of Russian heavy armor? Hamata is just a copy of an Abrams TTB and it's bad and it has an 80year-old
• 01:00 - 01:30 engine and and well uh let me stop you right there. After the Yong Kapoor war where both sides were in conflict and indirectly West and East learned the truth about how modern tank warfare is about to change, both sides started developing next generation tanks for the future of warfare. The western approach was to build an extremely powerful and frontally wellarmored tank with a new composite armor, increasing the weight significantly in the process. While the Soviets, well, didn't learn much. Or so
• 01:30 - 02:00 you thought. In fact, back in the early '7s, Morzovv Design Bureau in today's Ukraine started development led by Alexander Morzovv himself of a new tank concept that would feature a separate crew compartment separate from the ammo storage to prevent ammo detonation upon impact. At the time, technology wasn't quite mature for such a project. So, fast forward a decade and the Soviet government greenlighted a different new tank development program led by two design bureaus. The Morizovv design
• 02:00 - 02:30 bureau in Kharkiv, Ukraine, developed several proposals and prototypes. There was object 490A which led to the development of Object 477, also called the Molot or Hammer in translation, and Object 490B. Both tanks were really futuristic with crewless turrets, armored crew compartments, thermal optics planned for them, and part of a new information ccentric warfare where the tank would transmit informations in real time to artillery, support units,
• 02:30 - 03:00 and even to the air force. And you want to hear the crazy part? Object 490B would feature a 152 mm gun instead of the usual 125 mm gun. So, that is a substantial upgrade. At the same time in Lennengrad, Object 299 was being developed. Another quite futuristic concept for the era with the same principles applied. And you might be thinking, Nick, why are you babbling so much about these projects? Isn't this video about the Armata? That's what I clicked on. Well, hold on just a bit
• 03:00 - 03:30 more and I promise you'll see the connection. So, all while these tank concepts were being developed, two new engines were being developed in parallel because a next generation tank would need a next generation engine. as well. The Malia Chev bureau in Ukraine built the 6TD diesel engine with 1,000 horsepower and an option of future expansion to 1,200. And then there was the CHTZ from Chileinsk who developed the 2V12 engine with 1,200 horsepower
• 03:30 - 04:00 and a possible expansion to get it all the way up to 2,000 horsepower. These are some serious engines, folks. Oh, this is also the exact engine that the T14 Amata uses. Do you see the connection? So, let's flash forward to the '90s. Part of the reason why this tank has been objectively in development hell is because they can't decide on a final design. Something that plagues many people who try to build their own
• 04:00 - 04:30 business. And that's why I recommend the new Squarespace design intelligence that will help you build the perfect website using cuttingedge AI technology to unlock your strongest creative potential yet. Squarespace will actually recommend a fantastic design to reach your goals. A more beautiful, more personalized website that will allow you to craft a bespoke digital identity and will actually never look like a template again. The game has changed when it comes to building websites thanks to
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• 05:00 - 05:30 The USSR has fallen apart and all these fancy tank development programs have also fallen apart and both the T72 and T80 seriously underperformed in real combat namely in Chetchna. Obviously, this was pardoned due to the outdated doctrine, bad decision-making in the field and still left Russia needing a
• 05:30 - 06:00 new tank for the future. One program led to the development of the T90, which in reality was a T72 on steroids, but the other project under the name Object 195 was far more interesting. This tank would be based on a longer upgraded chassis and a 1,500 horsepower A85 engine, the 2V12 successor and that 152 mm gun from the other project with a separate crew compartment and active protection, modern optics, and the best
• 06:00 - 06:30 reactive armor available. Basically, this would be a successor to the 80s development from both Kharkiv and Lennengrad combined together. Developed during the late 90s and tested in the early 2000s, it proved quite prospective. But the issues, namely with the engine and the gun, kept piling up. And when General Mayv, who led the project, asked for more money in 2005 to complete the development, he got a polite flip off and the project was shut down. So Russia still found itself
• 06:30 - 07:00 without a nextg tank and the quite mature concept of a crew oriented vehicle was once again slammed in a drawer and the light was turned off. for a decade at least. The elusive object 148 later reappeared as yet another next generation tank. But in 2015, the world was shocked with not just a tank, but a series of new Russian vehicles at the 9th of May victory parade in Moscow. And then this happened. This new tank
• 07:00 - 07:30 seemingly broke down in the middle of Red Square. We'll get back to that a bit later, but this was certainly a bad omen for this new vehicle. However, now 10 years later, the tank still hasn't entered mass production, and only several dozen vehicles have been built in a prototype manner for evaluation and testing. So, what the hell happened? And what's the catch with the T14 at all? Well, the T14 Amada is quite a clever tank, to be honest, and the result of, as we've already explained, almost 40 years of development. Between 2015 and
• 07:30 - 08:00 today, many details have surfaced, and we can talk a lot more about those details behind this tank that have made it so revolutionary. It features a completely new chassis and a new approach to tank design in general. The crew is made of three, a driver, a gunner, and a commander. But unlike usual tank design, they're located in the front of the vehicle in sort of a capsule, which should be able to protect them in case of a catastrophic ammo explosion, which is something that the Soviet tanks are quite famous for. Behind them is the unmanned turret with
• 08:00 - 08:30 an auto loader and a 2882 125mm gun. Remember how just a few minutes ago I was talking all about that famous 152 mm gun? Well, as it turns out, part of the compromise of this design is that they had to downscale to 125 mm cannon. But we'll get more onto that later when we talk about its flaws. The auto loader is similar to the one on the T80. And unlike the T72 where the rounds are placed horizontally, here we
• 08:30 - 09:00 have them placed vertically. This is good because it allows for more room and it's bad because the profile of the auto loader is slightly larger, making it more susceptible if there's a penetration shot. Behind the armament section is the engine in another separate compartment. And this is probably the most controversial part of the Armata design and the reason why it never entered service. The engine used by the T14 is the A853, a successor to the 2V12 design from the 1980s. It's a 1,500 horsepower engine with a possible future power expansion, which is one of
• 09:00 - 09:30 the main requirements for this nextg tank due to everinccreasing weight and the fact that this has been the norm for Western tanks since the 1980s. The engine developed by Chileinsk CHTZ was never used in a serial production vehicle before and had issues with overheating and oil consumption. At some point after 2015, the Bureau was awarded with a contract to develop a completely new engine with cylinders in a V-shape opposed to the Xshape 85 that it was
• 09:30 - 10:00 based upon. This is probably an attempt to solve the engine issues with a design already familiar to engineers and push the serial production forward. But in 2020, we got the information about the so-called new cha engine was a failure and it wouldn't be used by the Amata tank. So now we're back to square one using the original bad engine. Then in 2023, they had a technical congress to examine the design where several issues were brought up such as the problems
• 10:00 - 10:30 with serial production, the 40-year-old design which is now outdated completely, the lack of other vehicles that use this engine, and the cost to develop this program. There was even a proposal to develop a completely third new engine from scratch, which would put the amatter on development hold indefinitely. So yeah, that's the story behind the engine and why the T14 has an engine with under 1,500 horsepower that has subpar performance and it's the key issue that prevents serial production.
• 10:30 - 11:00 But let's move on to the turret. The turret itself seemed quite armored with both composite and reactive armor at first sight, but this wasn't the case. In time, detailed pictures and even a 3D model surfaced on the internet showing that the Amata turret uses very basic steel plates that aren't covered with composite armor at all. The only section covered with additional reactive armor is on top of the turret. The rest are just thin plates which wouldn't even be able to stop a 20 or 30 mm round from an
• 11:00 - 11:30 APC or god forbid something like an ATGM or a Javelin rocket. The idea was to completely rely on the active protection system called the Afghan NIT which was implemented in the vehicle. This consists of two forwardlooking and side to side looking radars combined with launchers covering a frontal 120 to 180°. This is a pretty standard active protection setup, but since 2015, modern warfare has changed significantly, and FPV drones are the biggest threat to
• 11:30 - 12:00 tanks nowadays. So, this all needs to change. The Israelis have already started their trophy APS against drones and adding launchers, which can shoot targets directly above the tank. The Amata tank has upward-looking launchers. But these are not part of the APS, rather aerosol containers which are meant to confuse the heat-seeking missile head such as the Javelin, but these wouldn't work against an operator guided weapon such as a drone or Israeli spike ATGM. To top it all off, the turret features a
• 12:00 - 12:30 separate commander site, which is the norm today, as well as remote controlled weapon station and 360° laser and UV detection with automatic smoke launchers as well as a countermeasure. The tank is also equipped with a forward and backward looking cameras to enable the driver better visibility and 360° camera coverage for commander to have better situational awareness. And now, if you think that the turret has flaws, we got to talk about the rest of the chassis. And we'll start with its armor. The front of the tank is very well armored, even though it doesn't really look like
• 12:30 - 13:00 that at first sight. The front plate of the chassis actually starts here, and everything from the front of it is a large composite armor block, covered with the latest Malach hit reactive armor. The front upper plate is well covered with Malik hit as well. And the side skirts, large blocks of reactive armor are covering both the crew compartment and the midsection where the ammunition is. But the only downside is that the engine isn't covered at all with any additional armored from the sides. So, it' be quite easy to demobilize a tank with a shot in this area right here. If the APS works as
• 13:00 - 13:30 intended, the turret truly doesn't need heavy and elaborate armor, but a Bradley with a 20 mm autoc cannon could be able to obliterate the optics and the turret of this tank if it caught it off guard. And that's something to think about. As we already mentioned, drones don't care about the armor, and they will hit you wherever the armor is weakest. So, active protection needs to work against them as well. In terms of offensive capability, the main APF SDS rounds of the T-14 are quite good, namely the
• 13:30 - 14:00 vacuum 1 and two, and they can penetrate any modern Western vehicle. But all of this is nice on paper. The issue is this tank still hasn't entered serial production 10 years after its initial reveal, and that's a big problem. The Amata is more than just a tank. It was supposed to be a whole family of vehicles which would significantly impact the production costs and offer a truly next generation of armor for the Russian army. The first
• 14:00 - 14:30 was the T-15, an infantry support vehicle of the same chassis with some serious firepower, either a 30 mm or a 57 mm autoc cannon, ATGMs, and heavy machine guns. It can carry eight soldiers in full gear and has a ramp on the back for disembarking and is equipped with all the protection systems of the T14. And then there was supposed to be the T-16, a recovery vehicle on the same chassis. The engineers also came up with the 2S35, also called the Kitz, which is a self-propelled
• 14:30 - 15:00 artillery vehicle. And then there's also the proposed heavy tank support vehicle, namely for urban combat under the name BMPT3. There were also several specialized variants proposed, such as a mortar carrier. But the thing is, none of this has entered service. Why, you may ask? Well, because of several reasons. The Armata was to be the platform that doesn't use westernade components at all. But the Russians are still so far behind the West in optics, and the tanks have been using the
• 15:00 - 15:30 French-made thermals for a long time. The engine is still a lingering issue that still hasn't been solved and remains to be solved for the time being. And last, but not least, warfare has changed completely and the T14 needs several upgrades to compete on a modern battlefield. And that's just in addition to the entirety of the Russian military that needs their doctrine changed and a different approach to modern warfare. And until many of these technical, engineering, and even bureaucratic problems are solved, we can't expect to
• 15:30 - 16:00 see any new vehicles enter service. To conclude this video, the T14 and the Amata family of vehicles are certainly a promising concept for the Russian military. Hell, even the future Abram successor has most of the requirements as the T14. But after the war in Ukraine and the budgetary constraints along with sanctions and having to develop all the technology by themselves, the future of this tank is a seriously big if. It is a step in the right direction, one figured out 40 years ago when the USSR was
• 16:00 - 16:30 mighty and powerful, but it never materialized. And it yet may still be just a fever dream. Thanks for watching and please don't blow up a nuke in the comments all about this tank and have a great rest of the week.