According to the military doctrine of the Russian Federation, tank troops are the main striking force of the Ground Forces, as well as the most powerful means of solving the most important combat missions in conditions of various combat operations. Currently, the Russian army is armed with about 22,800 tanks, of which 6,500 are in service, the rest are in storage.
Instructions
Step 1
Since 2005, the following tanks have remained in service with the RF Ground Forces: T-72BA, T-80 in several modifications and T-90A. The most modern of them is the T-90A. Currently, the Ministry of Defense does not purchase new models of tanks until the creation of a single Armata tank platform, which is planned to be presented to the public in 2015.
Step 2
The T-72BA is the T-72 main battle tank upgraded to the current level, adopted by the USSR in 1972. The T-72 tank was the most massive 2nd generation tank in the world. It was in service with dozens of countries around the world, and in some it is still. From the T-64 tank, which was in service with the USSR in the 60s, 70s and 80s, it favorably differed in its cheapness and manufacturability. It was these two qualities that ensured the popularity of the T-72 all over the world. In the 90s, the tank was no longer produced, but they have not yet been removed from service. The total number of tanks in service is about 15,000.
Step 3
The T-80 in the troops is represented by modifications of the T-80BA, T-80UA and T-80U-E1, which are just different options for upgrading the base tank. The T-80 tank itself became the world's first tank with a gas turbine engine, adopted by the USSR in 1976. Until the end of the 80s, the T-80 tank was considered the most advanced tank in the world, but the cost of operating it was 2.5 times higher than the cost of operating the diesel T-72, which was too expensive even by Soviet standards. Therefore, the number of T-80s in the troops was several times less than the T-72. In fact, it has not been produced since the early 90s, but legally since 1996. The total number of tanks in service is 6,000.
Step 4
T-90A is a modernized T-90 tank, adopted by Russia in 1992. In fact, the T-90 is a successful idea for a cheap and serious modernization of the same T-72. At the development stage, it was called T-72BU, but for marketing purposes it was later renamed T-90. It is considered the most advanced tank of the Russian army, but their number is negligible - about 800 copies. Despite the loud statements of patriots about the perfection of the tank, its characteristics lag behind many modern tanks in developed countries. The only huge plus is the low price, good quality and not very strong obsolescence due to periodic upgrades.
Step 5
Also in the warehouses of the Ministry of Defense there are 23,000 obsolete T-55 and T-64 tanks. Formally, they are not in service with the Ground Forces, but if necessary, they can be used en masse. At one time, the country spent colossal efforts and resources on the production of these tanks, so it is a pity to simply dispose of them. Small lots of them are slowly being sold to third world countries that cannot afford a dozen modern tanks, but they can afford to buy hundreds of T-55s.
