Russia's Armata Tank And The Next Wave Of High-Tech Ground Warfare

Russia unveiled its new Armata tank in April ahead of the country's World War II Victory Parade. The highly touted combat vehicle boasts some impressive specs, but its rollout has had a few setbacks. The Armata T-14 tank broke down during a Victory Day Parade rehearsal, but Russia remains committed to its tank of the future.

The Armata T-14 combat tank will have several layers of protection, the Associated Press reported. There will be a defense system that could shoot down or deflect incoming projectiles and a layer of reactive armor that would explode to minimize damage to the tank. While Russia has not announced what type of armor the tank uses, previous reports indicate it could use ceramic-steel armor plating that is lighter and around 50 percent stronger than steel-based armor.

No tank of the future would be complete without some upgrades to the control system. A digital control scheme would allow for easier operator use and could be easily swapped for a robotic system that wouldn't need a human inside the Armata. Ily Demchenko, an Armata designer, told the AP that the operating the tank was like "playing a video game."

The Armata is also equipped with a remote-controlled turret and a 125-mm cannon that could be upgraded to 152-mm cannon. With its unveiling, many enthusiasts are comparing it to the U.S. Army's top tank, the M-1A2SEPv2.

Medium's War Is Boring describes the Army's tank as perhaps the best in the world, although its naming may be confusing because the M-1 Abrams went into service in 1980. These tanks also have their own upgrade packages that include new computer systems, new ammo and the ability to upgrade systems to new cannon ammo to compete with new Russian and Chinese tanks. There are also plans to upgrade that further and David Axe hopes it's called the M-1A3 to avoid even further confusion.

With all of the new technology, the T-14 and M-1A2 look very much like a tank. In the future, ground combat vehicles could look completely different.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a unit of the U.S. Department of Defense, is researching the Ground X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) concept. The tank looks nothing like the T-14 or M-1A2 and focuses on agility and less armor. The concept vehicle would dodge, deflect and change speeds to avoid projectiles. A closed cockpit and augmented control system are also part of the GXV-T design.