As impressive as the T-90 is, wait til you see the T-14 Armata ... it has a 3 man crew inside a titanium armored compartment - entry hatch is inches thick - unmanned turret, fully serviceable in war zone by crew. Only delays in production will be fancy electronics going awry during testing. And will be very quiet. Due 2018. And is part of a family of 3 vehicles using the same tracked chassis.
One T-90 driver reported taking 7 rpg hits and one tow hit with no damage ... main gun effective up to 2,700 meters, autoloader - 8 rounds/pm even moving; 40 round mag; autoloader uses 22, rest loaded manually.
Some links
Mustafa is dead two seconds after he fires his Metis M missile ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aTVRYCeNwg
Footage from the Russian tank operations (T90 & T-72s upgraded) in Aleppo, Syria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbTCtURggb8
I’ve always thought that the Russians did tanks and helicopters well. It’s nice to see them used for a purpose other than the one I always feared, back in the days when America used to be free and Russia used to be communist.
The crewless turret has long been a dream of many in the US military.
I hope they never do it.
Admittedly, our forces train ‘open hatch’ too much...but there are legitimate reasons to have the tank commander sticking his head out the top, especially for times when not in actual combat...but approaching the battle, etc.
- Navigation. Yes there is gps, but there’s no guaranty it will always be working, and no amount of cameras and video screens can match what you can see very quickly (360) just by sticking your head out the hatch.
- Formations. Again there is gps for this...but if it goes down, you’ll be chattering on the radio constantly trying to make sure you aren’t too far ahead of your wingman, etc. You can’t just look back and find him.
- Maneuver over terrain. There are some things the driver just can’t see, with his limited field of view, and often the commander directs him around holes and other terrain that would rattle the crew. The best place to see these obstacles is from the top of the turret.
Id the enemy. Yes there are sensors all over this thing, and the gunner has optics...but sometimes a wide field of view is important. Its the whole reason the tank commander has the ability to move the turret and get the gunner on a target. It would take forever for the gunner to find a target with the narrow view of optics.
- Tank protection. I had a gunner who had been a loader in the first Gulf War. During the 100 hour push, his unit went through a lot of infantry...and in combat, he had his hatch open, manning the loader’s 240, to protect the tank from infantry.
I’m actually glad the Russians have developed this first, so the US can observe the strengths and weaknesses. This tank has some amazing capabilities (the effective range makes my jaw drop), but I think the crewless turret is a fundamental flaw.