T-90MS Tagil Main Battle Tank (Russia)
Channel: Main Battle Tank
Date: 2023-01-11

The T-90MS is a recent version of the Russian T-90 main battle tank. It is also referred as Tagil or Proryv. It has a number of improvements and improved operational capabilities over the original T-90. This tank was first revealed in 2011. It is being proposed for various export customers. In 2017 it has been reported that a contract was signed to deliver a large number of these tanks to an undisclosed country from the Middle East, possibly Kuwait. India approved procurement of 464 of these main battle tanks. If the deal comes through, these could be delivered within the next 3-4 years.

The T-90MS Tagil MBT has a new welded turret with a turret bustle. However the turret bustle is used only as external storage for ammunition, and is not accessible from the inside.

This combat machine has new composite armor as well as built-in Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA) in place of the previous Kontakt-5. It provides protection against tandem warheads and reduces penetration of APFSDS rounds by over 50%. The Tagil is fitted with rubber side skirts with built-in armor There is also a countermeasures system, which triggers smoke grenade dischargers once the tank is being illuminated by a laser beam. This system significantly reduces the chance of being hit by enemy anti-tank guided weapons with semi-automatic guidance. As usually this tank is fitted with NBC protection and automatic fire suppression systems. Interior is lined with spall liner.

The T-90MS is armed with a new 2A46M-5 high-accuracy smoothbore gun. This 125 mm gun has longer range and is more accurate than the previous 2A46M gun of the baseline T-90. It fires APFSDS, HE and HE-FRAG rounds. The Tagil also fires 9M119 Refleks (NATO designation AT-11 Sniper-B) anti-tank guided missiles in the same manner as ordinary munitions. These missiles have a range of 4-5 km and can also engage low-flying helicopters. A total of 40 rounds a carried for the main gun. The T-90MS uses a proven carousel-type autoloader. As with its predecessor 22 rounds are stored in the autoloader and are ready to use. However remaining rounds are stored in a new turret bustle rather than a crew compartment in order to avoid risks of explosion.

Secondary armament consists of coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a remotely controlled weapon station, also armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun. Both machine guns are operated under armor.

The T-90MS Tagil has new Kalina fire control system and updated observation and aiming devices. This Russian tank has a hunter-killer engagement capability. Tank commander uses a panoramic sight with thermal vision to search for targets. Once the target is selected the gun is laid on the target automatically and the gunner completes al the aiming and firing process. During that time commander looks for the next target. Furthermore target acquisition system tracks selected targets automatically. It is claimed that the new tank is 15-20% more accurate than its predecessor.

This main battle tank has a crew of three, including commander, gunner and driver.

The T-90MS Tagil is powered by a new V-92S2F turbocharged diesel engine, developing 1 130 hp. Engine is coupled with an automatic transmission with 7 forward and 1 reverse gear. It is a milestone in the Russian tank development, as all previous Russian tanks were fitted with manual transmissions. The new tank also has improved suspension and drivetrain. Maximum road speed of this tank has improved over its predecessor. The Tagil is also fitted with auxiliary power unit, which powers all systems when the main engine is turned off. This combat vehicle is fitted with a deep wading kit, that can be installed by tank's crew within 20 minutes. With a deep wading kit attached it can ford water obstacles up to 5 m deep. The tank is also fitted with a self-entrenching blade and can prepare itself an emplacement within 12-40 minutes, depending on the ground type.

T-90M is an improved version of the Russian Army's T-90 tanks, designed for the Russian Army. Sometimes this tank is referred as "Proryv-3" (Breakthrough-3). It was first publicly revealed in 2017. The T-90M uses a number of similar components as the T-90MS. The T-90M was trialed by the Russian Army in 2017. During the same year a contract was signed to deliver a first batch of 10 newly-built T-90M tanks to the Russian Army and to upgrade another 20 T-90A tanks to a similar T-90AM standard. Deliveries of this first batch were planned to be completed in 2018-2019.