Whether the file is already closed or whether it is under discussion, there is no longer any doubt that against a possible large-scale Russian offensive in the spring, Ukraine will be able to count on Western tanks. But against them, Moscow could well field these state-of-the-art tanks, the T14 Armata, to be discovered in the LCI column visible at the top of this article. Presented every year since 2015 during Russian military parades, they have never been deployed in Ukraine to date. So, communication operation or massive deployment against the kyiv army?
A Formidable Adversary
After Germany, which plans to give the green light, and the United Kingdom, which has already announced the delivery of 14 Challenger 2 heavy tanks, the United States could also make deliveries of assault tanks. Abrams M1. A “new blatant provocation” for Moscow, which intends to respond. For several weeks, Russia has been talking about a deployment of its T14 Armata. True pride of the Russian army, it has a set of interesting innovations. With its lighter armor, its remote-controlled electronic turret and the use of artificial intelligence to correct targeting errors, the vehicle promises mobility and strike force performance that makes it a technological pearl for Moscow. And a formidable opponent for Western tanks.
However, an image published by British intelligence shows that the armored vehicle could well be sent to Ukraine. Taken by satellite, it shows the presence of two T14 Armata in a training camp in southern Russia, known to prepare military units before their deployment on the front. But how many tanks does the Russian army have? And are they ready for battle? British intelligence doubts it.
Because according to their information, Russia considers deploying only a “small number” of these armored vehicles, as their production is still limited. “After eleven years of development, the program has been marred by delays, a reduction in the size of the planned fleet and reports of manufacturing problems,” said the British Ministry of Defense on December 19. Moreover, in recent months, “deployed Russian forces have been reluctant to use” these devices, “because they were in very poor condition”, specifies the information on Wednesday.
Russian commanders should therefore not bet too much on this vehicle in combat. If rolled out, it will likely be more of a “propaganda” initiative. Moreover, it has already started. On December 25, Vladimir Solovyov shared a video promoting the vehicle with his 1.3 million Telegram subscribers, along with the caption “The Armata is heading west”. That same evening, the Kremlin’s chief propagandist gave full coverage to this vehicle in his Saturday evening program on Rossiya 1.
This article is originally published on tf1info.fr
