In the 2014, the Russian army received 38 intercontinental ballistic missiles, over 250 aircraft, about 280 armored and more than five thousand motor vehicles. The army chief added that four air defense regiments were rearmed with latest-generation equipment and that two brigades received the Iskander-M ballistic missile. The rearmament program, one of the fundamental steps of the new military reform launched in the 2008 , is an ambitious project of 20 trillions of rubles that should end the 2020. The reform envisages a significant downsizing of the armed forces, the abolition of the lever and a progressive increase in professional soldiers.
One of the most important aspects of Putin's military reform is a latest-generation armored force. The development of the new Russian tanks will be completed by the 2015 with the start of mass production within the 2016.
The Russian leadership has already seen a secret prototype of the new chassis nicknamed "Armata", destined to become the main armored nucleus of the Russian army.
Three prototypes "Armata" have now entered the final phase of the tests, even if the production of the new tank could begin even before the development is completed.
"Armata" was conceived as a modular universal combat platform that could be used as a base for a series of combat vehicles. Although the new tank remains top-secret, from Uralvagonzavod they have always stated that the design incorporates elements seen in the projects "Object 195" and "Black Eagle".
The T-95 (Object 195) should have been the fourth-generation Russian tank. Announced since the 1995, it was considered obsolete compared to the time when it was supposed to go into production. The Russian General Staff canceled the project in May of the 2010, preferring to allocate the available resources to modernize the T-90. The capabilities acquired with the T-95 have been implemented in the T-99 or "Armata".
The Black Eagle or "Chyorny Oryol" in Russian, has probably remained a prototype even if all the information concerning it is classified. We know that his frame is based on the T-80U, even if the hull is slightly longer. Its frontal armor is of a newly developed explosive reactive type. Its code name is "Kaktus" and is considered even more effective (especially for kinetic energy projectiles) than the current third generation reactive armor "Kontakt-5". L'Aquila Nera also has an active protection system "Drozd-2", much more effective than the "Arena" system. Finally, the "Black Eagle" mounts a 125mm 2A46 smooth-bore cannon with "Atgm" capacity. No other information is known.
Within the 2020, Russian ground forces will receive 2300 "Army".
Franco Iacch
(in the photo General Valery Gerasimov and Vladimir Putin in 2012)
