Russia’s Defense Ministry will receive the first batch of 70 Armata main battle tanks in 2019, that was reported by TASS. Earlier it was reported that the Russian Defense Ministry has signed an order for a pilot batch of more than 100 state of the art T-14 “Armata” tanks.
The first production batch should go on the 1st Guards Tank Army, which is stationed in western Russia.
“State tests will be completed next year, they will be put into service afterward,” Alexander Shevchenko, head of the ministry’s main vehicles and armor department, told RIA Novosti.
The program to supply the Russian army with T-14s was initially planned to last until 2020, but, according to Uralvagonzavod chief Oleg Sienko, it is now due to be extended until 2025.
The Russian military estimates that it will need 2,300 of the state of the art tanks.
The T-14 was revealed for the first time on April 29th of 2015 at a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow, but its turret was masked then. The official presentation was made on May 9th during the actual V-Day parade.