Russia’s newest Armata tank to be on display at RAE-2015 expo in Nizhny Tagil

Russia’s newest tank on the Armata platform will be put on display on the second day of the Russia Arms Expo - 2015 (RAE-2015) exhibition, which will be held in Nizhny Tagil in Russia’s Urals region in September, director general of the Nizhny Tagil Institute of Metal Testing Nikolai Smirnov said on Monday.

"Complex demonstrations of military equipment within a company task group will be held on the first day of the exhibition. Armata will not take part in them. Such displays are for the equipment adopted by the Defense Ministry. New products, including the famous Armata tank, will be put on display on the second day of the exhibition. This is a traditional day for companies to present their new products, including in action," Smirnov said at a news conference in the TASS-Urals regional centre.
Armata is a heavy unified platform serving as a base for a tank and an infantry combat vehicle. The new tanks have received unmanned turrets, all digital control and isolated armoured crew capsules. The key armament of Armata is a 125-mm gun, but the use of a 152-mm gun is not ruled out in the future. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said previously that an Armata shell "burns a metre of steel." The Armata tanks were showcased during the Victory Parade in Moscow on May 9, 2015. These are experimental prototypes that returned to their manufacturer plant for improvement and later tests in troops, which are to be held in 2016. Serial production of these tanks is expected to begin in 2017-2018.

The Armata is a new Russian main battle tank (MBT) project. Sometimes it is referred to as T-14. Its development commenced in 2011. The Armata was developed as a replacement to the T-95 tank. The whole project was kept in high secrecy. First mock-up was revealed to Russian military officials in 2013. Trials commenced in 2014. Armata is a new-generation tank, which has little in common with the current T-90. Exact technical specifications of this MBT remain classified.

RAE-2015 will be held at the Staratel range of the Nizhny Tagil Institute of Metal Testing from September 9 to 12. The previous RAE exhibition, held in 2013, brought together early 470 exhibitors and delegations from 40 countries. The exhibition attracted more than 20,000 visitors.