British military expert Nicholas Drummond gave an interview to the German edition of Stern, in which the focus was on the current state of the armored vehicle fleet of western countries and Russia, as well as further ways of developing tank design. The conversation turned out really interesting.
On the Russian tank T-14 "Armata"
Drummond highly appreciated the Russian school of tank construction, on account of which the creation of the T-34, T-62, T-64 and T-72 combat vehicles that were breakthrough for its time. The expert did not stint on the laudatory epithets for the newest domestic MBT “Armata”, noting that in its basic characteristics it considerably surpasses the existing western analogues. He especially noted that the Russian tank had an uninhabited turret and armored capsules, which allows not only increasing the crew’s chances of rescue, but also lightening the overall weight of the combat vehicle. According to Nicholas, if the T-14 is equipped with a 152-mm cannon, it will be able to destroy the main tanks of the NATO countries, even without entering the zone of their effective fire.
Drummond said that if Russia can really organize the mass production of "Armata", then "NATO will have to worry."
On the development trends of tank building
The British expert believes that in the future, the weight and size of tanks will decrease, and the crew size will be reduced to 2-3 people. The most important condition for increasing their safety is the isolation of ammunition, as well as the use of automatic loaders and a remotely controlled uninhabited tower. Another trend in the development of land combat vehicles is their gradual transition from tracks to wheels.
In addition, people will increasingly replace robots. Currently, several projects are being implemented in the West on the use of a classic tank with an unmanned combat vehicle in a pair. It is likely that in the coming years, such a "partner" will receive the German "Leopard 2".
In conclusion, Drummond noted that Russia's achievements in the field of creating tanks, of course, are impressive, but if the Germans conceive the creation of the Leopard 3, then all the successes of the Armat will remain in the past. "... no country has as much experience and competence as Germany has," he added.
