Even though the T-90 is supposed to represent the most lethal MBT, it has not fared well in Ukraine.
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rages on, the presence of main battle tanks (MBTs) along the front lines has remained constant. Both Kyiv and Moscow deploy armored vehicles as they add protection for their crews and make the weapons mounted in them more lethal by their mobility. A range of MBTs, including World War II relics and Cold War-era platforms have seen use in the ongoing war. However, many of these aging tanks have suffered at the hands of lethal unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other modern anti-tank weaponry. While Moscow has lost thousands of its armored vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles over the last three-plus years of warfare, its troops continue to rely on the T-72, T-80, and T-90 series of MBTs.
The T-72
The T-72, like many of the military systems used by Russian forces today, is a product of the Cold War. Today, the Soviet-era tank remains in service with the armies of more than thirty nations, making it one of the most widely used MBT platforms across the world. Over the years, the T-72 has undergone several modernization overhauls. The latest T-72B3 variant is equipped with an upgraded fire control system, a 2A46M5 1255mm smoothbore gun, and an enhanced thermal sight. While this MBT enjoys new protection features, the T-72 has struggled to thrive against the Western-delivered anti-tank weaponry deployed by Ukraine.
The T-80
Derived in part from earlier Soviet-era designs, the T-80 tank looks similar to its T-72 predecessor. While the MBT initially suffered from fuel-related issues, modernization efforts ultimately culminated in a variant equipped with a new engine and superior protection measures. Specifically, the T-80’s Kontakt-1 Explosive Reactive Armor was incorporated into the platform and is designed to detonate anti-tank missiles before they can pose a serious threat. The T-80 was envisioned to go up against the West, but the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR delayed the MBT’s first combat deployment to the 1994 Chechen Wars.
The T-90
As a third-generation Russian tank series, the T-90 features superior capabilities to its Soviet-era predecessors. The newest T-90M variant, nicknamed the Proryv-3, hosts the most modern capabilities in the tank series. Featuring a newer gun with a superior range that can fire HE, HE-FRAG, or APFSDS rounds using 125mm ammunition, this model is more lethal than its Soviet-era counterparts. Additionally, the T-90M’s countermeasures are improved, including its Shtora-1 suite that provides a laser warning system, automatic smoke dispensers, and infrared dazzlers. Even though the T-90 is supposed to represent the most lethal MBT series (other than the T-14 Armata), the tank has not fared well in Ukraine. According to the open-source intelligence tracker Oryx, Moscow has lost at least 175-plus T-90 tanks throughout the war so far.
Considering Moscow’s hefty tank losses, it appears odd that the nation’s newest T-14 Armata series has only been briefly deployed to the war effort. Some analysts speculate the T-14 is not as capable as the Kremlin would like to purport, rationalizing why this “top-notch” system is no longer playing a role in the war.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Alex Fedini / Shutterstock.com
