The U.S. Army’s M1 Abrams Might Destroy the Russian T-14 Armata.?
The Russian T-14 Armata tank receives a lot of attention from around the world, with some advocates of the platform and reports claiming it may be the best tank in the world. Is it really?
The answer may remain unknown or at least full of
mystery unless there is a direct warfare engagement involving a T-14 Armata and
upgraded M1 Abrams tank, a serious development likely not wished for by anyone.
However, there are some interesting points of comparison, and several of the
reports on the T-14 claiming that it is superior seem to completely overlook
defining elements of an upgraded Abrams.
T-14 Armata vs. M1
Abrams: Distance,
A report from Hotcars.com last year, for example,
tries to claim that the T-14 can operate at ranges of 310 miles, compared to a
265 mile range for an Abrams tank. It is not clear if a range difference of
this kind, if accurate, would have a massive tactical impact given the advent
of unmanned systems capable of sustaining long-endurance forward armored
reconnaissance missions.
T-14 Armata vs. M1 Abrams: Firepower,
The Hotcars.com report also says the T-14 is more
powerful than rival tanks, writing “the T-14 sports the all-new 2A82-1M 125 mm
(4.92) smoothbore cannon, replacing the older 2A46 125 mm gun of previous
Russian and Soviet tanks. This cannon is more powerful than its Western
counterparts like the German Leopard 2's Rheinmetall 120 mm gun”
T-14 Armata vs. M1 Abrams: Lethality,
This claim, however, offers little to no specifics
about Abrams lethality and likely does not account for several key lethality
enhancements made to the Abrams such as its ammunition data link, programmable
fuse and new multi-purpose ammunition round which combines several different
rounds into one, such as High-Explosive Anti-Tank rounds and anti-personnel
canister rounds.
Newer variants of the Abrams tank, for example will
include new laser rangefinder technology, color cameras, integrated onboard
networks, new slip-rings, advanced meteorological sensors, ammunition data
links, laser warning receivers.
T-14 vs. M1 Abrams: Technology,
Other elements of the Abrams left out of the
hotcars.com report include the incorporation of advanced computing electronics,
targeting technologies and auxiliary power units able to redefine combat
operations moving into the future.
Ultimately, targeting range and accuracy of
high-fidelity sensors and computing will most likely determine which tank might
be superior. Small differences in lethality will likely matter less if one tank
is able to see the other while the other cannot detect at similar ranges. The
tank that can find, target and hit the other from the longer range is likely to
prevail in any kind of war engagement.
The Abrams is being engineered with AI-capable
computer processing and a fast-emerging ability to operate nearby drones and
function in a manned-unmanned teaming capacity and claiming it may be the best
tank in the world.
Comments
Post a Comment