© Sputnik / Pavel GerasimovRussia's T-90M tank
The first batch of the new war machines, called 'Proryv' (breakthrough) has been delivered to the elite Taman Armored Division near Moscow.
The arrival to their place of basing has been filmed by the Defense Ministry's Zvezda channel and featured the sad trend of the current time, as servicemen were seen wearing protective masks over the raging and deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
"Those are game changing machines," Sergey Kisel, commander of the 1st Tank Army of Russia's Western Military District, praised the hardware which passed the state trials in February.
Their key difference from the earlier models is new design of the turret module with multi-layer armor, placement of ammunition outside the fighting compartment and a 125 mm 2A82-1M cannon.
The T-90Ms received "a more powerful engine and state-of-the-art multi-channel sighting, which allows for the use of weapons in both day and night time." The crews of different tanks will also be able to communicate with each other in real time, thanks to an updated communications system, according to the military.
The new armor is equipped with the Kalina automated fire control system and remotely-controlled 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. As for the protection from enemy fire, it's provided by anti-cumulative screens and Relikt dynamic defense system, the commander added.
The T-90M is an upgrade of the Russian T-90 main battle tank, which has been around since the early 1990s and exists in various modifications. Due to its price-quality ratio, the armor has become one of the most commercially successful tanks in the world, with hundreds of units produced, and more than two thirds of them sold to foreign buyers.
The T-90M was expected to be shown off to the broader public during the Victory Day parade on May 9, but the fate of the big event on the Red Square is hanging in the balance due to the coronavirus pandemic. The officials said it may well be moved to a later date.
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