Vietnam cuts T-90 to move straight to T-14 Armata?
Russia has recently officially confirmed Vietnam's order for 64 T-90S and T-90SK main battle tanks.
Thus, compared to the initial information that appeared more than a year ago that Vietnam could order up to 200 T-90MS, the actual number is much less, and the type is not as modern as expected.
According to experts, the explanation for Vietnam's above actions may be due to the habit of choosing weapons, military equipment, and facilities that have fully proven their capabilities through actual battlefields. This is something the T-90S has done very well, but the T-90MS version has not.
In addition, the T-90MS has a fatal weakness in the number of bullets ready for combat, with only 22 bullets in the automatic loader, the rest are arranged in the spare ammunition box behind the turret, completely separate from the vehicle compartment, forcing the crew to go outside to load bullets inside, making it easy for the enemy to become "delicious prey".
Things could be even worse if the T-90MS follows the configuration being offered in the Middle East, which is to install the air conditioner's hot block in place of the ammunition box, which makes the T-90MS' ammunition too low compared to the requirements, seriously affecting combat operations.
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| The T-90S tank seems to be the logical choice for the Vietnamese Army. |
There is also another explanation that is worth noting, which is that the T-90 is, after all, just a deep upgrade from the T-72 - a tank that is over 40 years old. It can only be modernized to a certain extent but cannot "escape" in all aspects.
Meanwhile, Russia's T-14 Armata has almost completed all testing and is preparing to enter mass production. Compared to the T-90, it is clear that the Armata's design is revolutionary, completely superior in all indicators.
Therefore, it is very possible that with the orientation of modernizing the Army, Vietnam may choose the "shortcut" option to have Armata as soon as Russia is ready to export. According to the assessment, purchasing a small batch of T-90S/SK in advance may only be to quickly fill the immediate gap.
If the T-14 Armata is in service, the Vietnamese Army will gain a certain advantage and can continue to focus its budget on investing in the Navy and Air Defense - Air Force to meet mission requirements in the new situation.
Russian newspaper reports potential Armata customers Information about customers interested in Armata tanks was reported by RIA news agency in early August 2016, citing Russian military sources. With the very competitive price of the Armata super tank revealed by Russia, in the future this Russian tank line will be a priority purchase for many customers, especially for countries that have shown interest in this tank line. Among them are India, Egypt, Vietnam and China. |
According to Baodatviet
