Russia's Massive T-14 Tank Is Still Stuck In Development Hell

If there's one thing that's become clear from the War in Ukraine, it's that Russia has a tank problem. Its highly-touted T-90 Battle Tank was an utter failure in Ukraine, and the Russian Federation had to take old armor out of mothballs to keep in the fight. Russia brought tank warfare to Ukraine, but it didn't do so with modern gear. Most of the tanks the Ukrainians destroyed were Soviet-era T-80 battle tanks, as more than 1,000 were lost. An additional 2,000 other tanks were destroyed, representing older vehicles like the T-72.

These aren't modern tanks, and they don't have much of a chance against Ukraine's newly deployed M1 Abrams or Challenger 2 tanks provided by the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively. All the while, the Russian Federation has been hard at work bringing the T-14 Armata into service as its next-generation battle tank. Unfortunately for Russia, the development of the T-14 has been mired in problems, and it won't be entering the fight anytime soon.

The T-14 started to take shape around 2014, and it was a mainstay in Russian parades. Initially, Russia planned to purchase 2,300 by 2020. That amount has since been dropped to only 100 tanks; even that number was cut down to 20 for experimentation. Russia claimed the T-14 was in service with the Russian Armed Forces, and several were used in Ukraine for testing purposes before being withdrawn in September 2023. The T-14 is still nowhere near where it needs to be, and it doesn't look like Russia will fully field it in the near future.

On paper, the T-14 Armata is a beast of a tank and could become one of the most fearsome military tanks ever built. Presently, that's a pipe dream, but should the T-14 come to fruition, it would be a major player on the world's battlefields. The T-14 poses some concerns, as it ideally incorporates technology that would make it a better survivor on the modern battlefield. A significant improvement over legacy tanks is the inclusion of an Afghanit active protection system (APS). This features 360-degree radar coverage that could take out incoming kinetic rounds.

Other nations' tanks feature APS to protect them, but Russia's planned system is a step up from Western designs. Additional improvements include upgraded shielding and armor to protect against rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank-guided missiles. The T-14 will also include enhanced electronic systems to protect it from electromagnetic pulses. The tank's design is a full rethinking of Russian armor systems and includes all manner of means of direct attack and defense.

The T-14 features an uncrewed turret, which would protect the three operators inside. Previous Russian tank designs paid little attention to operator safety, so this is a big step-up in Russia's aim to keep its tankers alive. Tank losses in Ukraine have demonstrated Russia's apathy toward this line of thinking, so an uncrewed turret is a big change. The tank has raised hairs in the West, prompting U.K. military intelligence to issue a warning over the threat it poses.

Russia put a lot of emphasis on the production of the T-14, and it appears not all of the information released has been accurate. While Russia initially claimed to send T-14s into Ukraine, it appears that they didn't, preferring to send the T-90 in its place. This could have been to avoid embarrassment if they lost one, or it could have been a money issue. It could also be due to the fact that the T-14 is nowhere near ready to be deployed into an active war zone and is instead relegated to parade duty for the foreseeable future.

The War in Ukraine is one of the biggest hindrances in the T-14's production. After Russia invaded, sanctions impacted the production of electronics, which also reduced production efforts for the T-90. Still, even before the invasion, the tank ran into design and production issues. This isn't surprising, seeing as the T-14 is a technological leap forward from older Soviet designs. Upgrading production to accommodate the needs of more modern technology is expensive and time-consuming.

The National Interest called the T-14 "a failed project," and they have a point. Delays in production, skyrocketing costs, and promises the Kremlin can't deliver on are making the T-14 something of a joke. On paper, it's an amazing piece of military hardware, but in reality, it's an ambitious project the Kremlin has repeatedly failed to deliver on, and that's unlikely to change anytime soon. Russia may one day deploy the T-14, but it probably won't happen until long after the War in Ukraine has ended.