Russian Armata Combat Platform To Be Displayed, Demonstrated At 2015 Arms Expo, Official Says

Russia’s Armata combat platform will be displayed and possibly demonstrated at a prominent national arms expo in September, the chief executive of the Russian manufacturer responsible for the technology said Tuesday. Dubbed the country’s next-generation heavy weapons system, the Armata platform will be used in production of Russia’s new T-14 tank, as well as infantry combat vehicles.

The Armata will make an appearance at the Russia Arms Expo-2015, a semi-annual forum for Russia’s latest military technology held from September 9 to September 12. Officials from more than 45 countries will attend the event, reported the Russian news agency Tass.

“As for the demonstration of the Armata, we’ll certainly show it. This will be either a closed show or Armata will be placed behind a glass anti-glare contour,” Oleg Siyenko, chief executive at Kremlin-owned manufacturer Uralvagonzavod, told Tass. It’s unclear if the Armata’s appearance will include a demonstration of the combat platform’s weapons systems.

The Armata combat platform can also be converted for use as a combat repair vehicle or an infantry combat vehicle, the manufacturing company’s officials have said. The T-14 tank version, which officials have said will eventually serve as the backbone of Russia’s mechanized forces, was publicly unveiled for the first time at the Moscow’s Victory Day parade in May. At least one of the tank’s prototypes broke down during parade rehearsals, reports said.

Aside from the 125-millimeter gun that will serve as a main weapon, the Armata T-14 tank will feature “explosive reactive armor” that can purportedly withstand anti-tank missile fire, a Russian military source told Tass last month. The tank’s gun turret will be automated, and a digital “early warning” system will purportedly alert the vehicle’s crew of two to three soldiers of mechanical issues before they occur.

Russia’s repeated touting of the Armata system is part of the Kremlin’s continued effort to revamp Russia’s armed forces by the end of the decade. Moscow has also repeatedly ordered snap-readiness exercises to test combat readiness of personnel stationed around the world, with the most recent drills occurring this week.