The T-90 tank has become Russia’s most modern main battle tank. The development and modernization of the T-90 has been a significant element of this since the collapse of the Soviet Union, up through the current day.
With a crew of three, the basic version of the T-90 is propelled by a 1000mm 12-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach speeds of 60 kilometers per hour on roads and 50 offroad.
The T-90 is capable of firing the advanced 9M119 Refleks anti-tank guided-missile system, which is designed to strike tanks with explosive reactive armor or helicopters. Armed with an autoloader-serviced 125mm 2А46М main gun, the T-90 has a firing range of 5 kilometers in its basic form and is additionally equipped with KORD 12.7mm heavy and 7.62mm PTKM coaxial machine guns.
Despite that Russia presents the T-90 as one of its most advanced tanks in service today, Russian T-90s have run into serious issues in Ukraine. Russia has reportedly lost 20 “Vladimirs” in Ukraine to date according to the open-source blog Oryx, as well as two T-90Ms.
In fact, Russia appears to have suffered its first T-90M loss shortly after the tanks began to appear in Ukraine in the spring. The T-90 has not lived up to much of its hype in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The discovery of French optronic technology in a T-90 captured by Ukrainian forces raises questions about the durability of the supply chains which support T-90 production.
