Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. Army Seeks To Buy Russian T-90 Tanks
Defense News | August 27 - September 2, 2001 | Frank Tiboni

Posted on 09/07/2001 6:13:32 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen

U.S. Army Intelligence is negotiating with Ukraine to buy Russia’s latest tank, the T-90, for the service’s testing and training programs, Defense News has learned.

"We are negotiating how many we need," Lt. Gen. Robert Noonan, the U.S. Army’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, told Defense News Aug. 3. Obtaining Russia’s latest main-battle tank would be a coup for the U.S. Army, industry officials and analysts say.

That is because the T-90 tank has never been used beyond the armored units of the former Soviet Union’s Army, a retired U.S. Army colonel who is an expert on Russian tanks told Defense News Aug. 16.

"Only the T-90S, an export variant, has been seen before," the retired U.S. Army colonel said.

Noonan said U.S. Army Intelligence wants to buy less than a half-dozen

of the 46.5-ton, three-man crew tanks. He did not say when Ukraine and the service would complete the T-90 purchase. Ukraine Army Col. Olexander Sadoskyi, the country’s military attaché to the United States, was unavailable for comment, said a military officer in the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington Aug. 14.

The T-90 is manufactured by the Nizhnyi Tagil company in Russia. The T-90 tank has five key systems that U.S. Army Intelligence would be interested in investigating, the retired U.S. Army colonel said.

They include:

*What armor, if any, is used in the front-wall cavities of the turret, which sits atop the tank. The turret is traditionally the best-protected part of the tank containing the best composite armor.

*How the T-90’s 125-mm gun can also fire a laser-guided missile.

*Any Russian rounds that come with the T-90.

*Any reactive armor on the tank.

*Whether the main sight has either a first- or second-generation forward-looking infrared or thermal night capability.

Strapped for cash after the fall of the Soviet Union, former East Bloc countries have turned to selling their Russian-supplied arms, Noonan said. Monitoring the proliferation of Russian weapons and technology has become a top priority of U.S. Army Intelligence, he said. Another priority for U.S. Army Intelligence is protecting military research that takes place in the United States, Noonan said.

Because 85 percent of military research occurs in the United States, U.S. Army Intelligence must also guard against the illegal transfer of weapon technologies, he said.

"We’re always looking at how we’re protecting our technology," said Noonan. "We don’t want a situation to occur where a new technology catches us by surprise on the battlefield."

According to Noonan, Ukraine approached former U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen two years ago about selling some of its T-90 tanks to the United States when Cohen visited Ukraine. Noonan said the U.S. Army already knows a great deal about the T-90’s performance and armor protection.

The T-90 purchases will prove a boon to the U.S. Army’s countermeasures’ programs, according to a Washington land warfare analyst.

"Not only can U.S. Army Intelligence compare its own gear, but it can also research countermeasures to the T-90 tank," John Gordon, senior military analyst, RAND, Washington, told Defense News Aug. 14.

Gordon said they can also be used for training purposes at the U.S. Army’s National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.

"Any time a world military can get a hold of modern equipment from around the globe it has to take advantage of it," Gordon said.

Gordon said the former Soviet Union made a habit of equipping the Red Army with its best arms, while exporting less-capable, but still potent, arms to its clients. For example, the 310 T-90 tanks India bought from Russia Feb. 15 for $650 million were the export T-90S variants, the retired Army colonel said.

Gordon could not put a price tag on the T-90, but said it is worth several million dollars. By comparison, the U.S. Army’s Abrams tank costs $7.84 million, according to the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation 2000 report released by the Pentagon.

Acquiring foreign arms is a top priority of U.S intelligence agencies, says a Washington intelligence analyst. The U.S. military spends "hundreds of millions of dollars" each year on foreign arms, Steven Aftergood, a senior intelligence research analyst at the American Federation of Scientists, Washington, told Defense News Aug. 14.

The actual number is classified, Aftergood said. He said the Pentagon leaves the arms buying to each service’s intelligence agency. The retired Army colonel said he does not know how Ukraine has acquired T-90 tanks. He said the most likely explanation is that some Russian crews left the tanks behind. Noonan said the U.S. Army no longer needs to conduct extensive clandestine activities to acquire Russia’s latest arms as it did during the Cold War because they are readily available for sale on the Internet. He also tried to downplay the deal’s significance.

"This [the T-90 tank] is not a big deal. We have ways of getting them. We have them already," Noonan said.

A day before his interview with Defense News, the U.S. Army Intelligence chief said he found two more Web sites that sell Russian arms. "Missiles, tanks, Russian technology is for sale on the Internet," Noonan said.

Jason Sherman contributed to this report from Washington.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 09/07/2001 6:13:32 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Stand Watch Listen
The Indians have been looking at this tank as well.
2 posted on 09/07/2001 6:18:28 AM PDT by AppyPappy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stand Watch Listen
Buy them on e-Bay.
3 posted on 09/07/2001 6:37:14 AM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy
The Indians already ordered 350 with partial assembly to be conducted in India. We could always buy a few from them.
4 posted on 09/07/2001 6:52:36 AM PDT by balrog666
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Stand Watch Listen
Picture and more info

Looks Impressive, but how would it standup to the M-1?
5 posted on 09/07/2001 7:27:43 AM PDT by SolitaryMan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stand Watch Listen
In the old days the US bought Soviet equipment from the Israels. The Israelis captured/shot down/swiped the gear in question.
6 posted on 09/07/2001 8:07:42 AM PDT by JAWs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: SolitaryMan
"Looks Impressive, but how would it standup to the M-1?"

Perhaps, quite well. I imagine that is what they want to know.

8 posted on 09/07/2001 8:48:57 AM PDT by Don Myers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Stand Watch Listen
That way the Russians and China will be able to easily destroy them!

What a bunch of sell-outs!

9 posted on 09/07/2001 8:52:49 AM PDT by t-shirt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Serge, balrog666, t-shirt
Serge: the story says that maybe the Russians left some T-90s in Ukraine. If true, that would be how they got them.

Balrog666: there was a post on other thread on this story that says that the export version is not as capable as the Russian version.

t-shirt: Huh? We're buying a few to look at, not use.

10 posted on 09/07/2001 8:59:30 AM PDT by michaelt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: balrog666
Does this mean that India's giving up on their home-grown MBT (called the Arjun, IIRC)?
11 posted on 09/07/2001 9:02:57 AM PDT by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: t-shirt
it is for evaluation purposes, unlike the proposed deal on the S-300, which will of course, have at least a few units sent to be taken apart and evaluated ... we also own MiG-29's and SU-27 Flankers which we fly and test to evaluate capability ... same old Cold War tactics, now traded openly ... the T-90S variant of India does not have the specifics we are looking for ...
12 posted on 09/07/2001 9:06:30 AM PDT by Bobby777
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: VW-Cat-Man
Cat-Man, you are right. Russian tank and weapons technology in general is superior to their American counterparts. Also, it is hard to believe the Russians would allow their top of the line equipment to fall into American hands. If they allow the Americans to have the T90 then they have something which is superior to the T90. They never export their best equipment. What they do export is good enough to defeat an enemy supplied with American or western equipment.

The fact that this exported Russian equipment performed poorly in the hands of the various Arab militaries is not an indictment of the equipment but rather an indictment of the personnel who used it. However, many naive and gullible Americans will not accept that explanation.

15 posted on 09/08/2001 7:48:22 PM PDT by lukpok
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: VW-Cat-Man,SLB,Matthew James
In the "Gulf War" our rounds would some times bounce off the Russian tanks. I learned that from some people that were there.

"Some people" must have been sniffing solvents back in the motor pool!

17 posted on 09/08/2001 10:28:33 PM PDT by Travis McGee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
The Abrams series of tanks rules. In my estimate; however, the A2 variant offers too much complexity for the average tank commander and crew. I know several folks who are members of the order of St. George, who consider the French Leclerc, to be the best Main Battle tank in the world for now. Those in the U.S. armored community will know what I'm talking about.

Throughout the '80's the M1 series acquitted itself very well in the Canadian Army Trophy (CAT) competitions held in a divided europe, and proved its worth in Desrt Storm. At this point in history, it is my humble opinion that the best tank in the world can only be decided by the aggresiveness of the commanders who employ them and the soldiers that man them.

GOD help our Army...

18 posted on 09/08/2001 10:53:42 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Joe 6-pack, Travis McGee
Joe 6-pack: You are correct, the best made tank in the world is just a hunk of metal without a crew that is trained and then willing to fight. The aggressiveness of the crews means much to the success of the battle.

As far as the Ukranians selling off the tanks. With the entire ex-soviet bloc hurting for cash they would probably sell their own mothers on the street if there was cash involved. I know some folks in certain jobs that have been contacted by countries other than the Ukraine (Northern Eurpoean) wanting to sell Russian arms.

19 posted on 09/09/2001 3:41:13 AM PDT by SLB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

Comment #20 Removed by Moderator


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson