T-90MS

Dozens of new types of armaments are created in the world each year. Slowly but surely the vehicles of the future are transforming the tactics of warfare into something radically different from what they were. At the same time, tanks are still the most sought-after item on the weapons market and, experts believe, will not be displaced by other technology, anytime soon.

Tanks evolve rapidly within their category, as is illustrated by T-90MS, the modernized export version of Russia’s T-90 main battle tank.

The T-90 is one of the most easily recognizable tanks on the market. It is called the “flying tank” for its dynamism and capable suspension that can easily support huge loads as the tank speeds through rough off-road terrain. Its development, by the Urals Transport Engineering Design Bureau (UKBTM) in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was a milestone both in Russian and in world tank-building.

Many believe the T-90 is nothing more than a modernized T-72B on which the T-90 is based. Originally, the T-90 was, in fact, developed as an in-depth modernization of its predecessor and the specifications even referred to it as an “upgraded T-72B.” But it was introduced into service as the T-90 in 1992, and for a reason, since the designers used only the overall dimensions of the body and the turret and the tank loader. At the same time, the number of innovations and development work put into the T-90 easily allow it to be classified as a new combat vehicle.

The first hulls for the new tank were laid in April 1988. Less than a year later, two prototypes were sent for government (field) testing. For six months, the tanks were tested in the USSR’s Moscow, Kemerovo and Jambul regions and at the Kharkov Polytechnic Institute. Identified prototype problems were promptly removed and in October 1990 the upgraded tank passed its testing procedures with flying colors. On March 27, 1991, the USSR Ministry of Defense and the USSR Ministry of Defense Industry recommended the adoption of “Item 188.” However, the political changes that followed froze the decision for a long while. Nevertheless, on October 5, 1992, the Government of the Russian Federation issued Resolution No. 759-58 on accepting the vehicle with the T-90 name; the same resolution allowed it to be exported as the T-90S.

In subsequent years, the tank confirmed its efficiency in many areas of the world and became a hot item on the market. The advantages that set T-90 apart from its foreign counterparts include its comparatively low weight and overall dimensions; high cruising endurance; the ability to negotiate water obstacles; a guided missile system with a range of 5,000 meters and the ability to fire it’s weapons on the move even at night; and a land electronic defense system. In addition, the tank is less expensive than its foreign counterparts.

The T-90 design includes some outstanding technical features: a unique layout with three crew members and a loader in an isolated less vulnerable section, a powerful 125 mm artillery system, a low silhouette, traditional for Russian tanks, low weight, and a low-maintenance diesel engine.

During production, the tank was modernized. In 2005, T-90A entered production. The T-90A received an improved cannon and an upgraded shell loader capable of firing advanced ammunition.