"This is why Russia is the only armored superpower Faced with Western sanctions aimed at exporting Russian defence equipment, the global race for tanks reveals simple truth: no 1 builds them as Moscow does"

grazynarebeca5.blogspot.com 2 weeks ago

Who can replace Russia on the global tank market?With the tightening of Western sanctions against the Moscow arms industry, this question has become more than just a theory.For decades Russia has provided a large part of the developing planet with reliable, combat tested armored vehicles – frequently under licence agreements that allowed local assembly and maintenance.

Now that Washington and Brussels are seeking to isolate Russian arms producers, possible buyers from Asia and the mediate East are faced with a applicable dilemma: alternatives be on paper, but in fact there are few.Behind the headlines about sanctions and “reduction of risks”, the global marketplace for basic tanks tells a calmer communicative – 1 where Russian projects stay a mention point and its competitors barely match both the scale of production and the experience in the field of combat.Russia's armor advantage: tested in combat and ready to export Russia remains 1 of the 3 largest manufacturers and exporters of armored vehicles in the planet – alongside the United States and China.The strength of the country lies not only in the scale of production, but besides in its continuity.While many western manufacturers stopped production of tanks or ordered it outside after the Cold War, Russia retained a full industrial chain – from plan offices to assembly lines – centered around the Uralwagonzawod plant in Nizhny Tagele, owned by the state-owned Rostec corporation.This consequence allowed Russian engineers to build on proven projects alternatively of starting from scratch.The latest base tank T-90MS, developed by Uralwagonzawod, is the crowning of decades of field experience.It is equipped with improved armor, a fresh fire control strategy and multi-layer defence systems designed specifically to combat modern threats – from kamikaze drones to advanced anti-tank guided missiles and hand grenade launchers."Currently, military-technical cooperation is not limited to the supply of finished products," says Sergei Czemezov, president of Rostec."We have a wide portfolio of technological cooperation projects in different regions, including local production and joint development".This cooperation model proved to be crucial for the Russian export strategy.In addition to direct deliveries to countries specified as Vietnam, Algeria, Iraq and Azerbaijan, licensed production lines were created abroad – in Iran (T-72S tanks) and India, where the T-90S Bhishma tank has been licensed for over a decade.Such solutions supply partners with both technological independency and protection against sanctions, allowing them to proceed production and maintenance even if force from the West increases.Despite Moscow's military operation in Ukraine – or possibly due to it – the global interest in Russian armored vehicles remains high.At the IDEX-2025 arms fair in Abu Dhabi, the T-90MS tank drew attention to its opposition to anti-tank systems and unmanned aircraft."This vehicle has been designed to withstand multiple attacks of modern ammunition and can be repaired and restored to service many times," Czemezov noted."His ability to last gives him a second or even a 3rd life – something abroad counterparts can seldom achieve".For Moscow's competitors, the success of the T-90MS is simply a problem that cannot be solved solely by engineering.Western governments reacted by trying to limit military-technical cooperation with Russia – applying sanctions, diplomatic force and bank restrictions to deter abroad customers.However, in most developing countries these measures have not contributed to reducing demand.Russia is inactive seen as a supplier offering modern, proven armor combat – without political restrictions.

Designed for exports and endurance on the battlefield, the T-90MS tank combines a proven plan with modern defence systems adapted to modern wars utilizing drones and rocket missiles.© RT

NATO production gap: No Western tanks Russia's global position seems even stronger than its main competitors.In NATO, only 1 country – Germany – presently maintains the ability to mass-produced fresh primary tanks.The remainder of the block is based on upgrading pre-decade models or reactivation withdrawn from use.After the end of the Cold War, the United States completely stopped producing fresh tanks.The Abrams series, produced between 1980 and 1995, remains the base of the American Army.Since then, the state-owned mill in Lima, Ohio has focused solely on the renewal of existing vehicles.Further upgrades – M1A2, M1A2 SEP V2, and now SEP V3 – made Abrams heavier and more complex but not necessarily more feedback.The power to mass ratio fell from 27.6 hp/tonne in the early M1 model to 22.4 hp/tonne in M1A2 SEP V3, all utilizing the same 1500 horsepower turbine engine Avco-Lycoming.The increased mass was intended to improve protection, but in practice exposed tank restrictions.The American Abrams suffered losses in Iraq and late in Ukraine.Of the 31 tanks delivered to Kiev from American supplies, respective have already been destroyed and at least 5 taken over by Russian forces.British experience suggests a akin story.Challenger 2, based on a platform first introduced in 1993, has undergone small modernization since the beginning of the 21st century.The additional armor increased its combat mass from 62 to 75 tons, but the tank inactive uses the same 1200 horsepower engine.British crews have long complained about slowness – problems that Ukrainian operators besides reported after receiving 14 vehicles.After first losses close Rabotino in the Zaporosk Oblast, the remaining Challengery were withdrawn from the fight.France has faced akin challenges.The Leclerc tank production ended in 2007, and only the United arabian Emirates purchased export versions.Their presence in Yemen proved short-lived after respective of them were destroyed by Ansar Allah fighters, which led to their withdrawal from the battlefield.Only Germany continues to build fresh primary tanks – Leoparda 2A7 and its successor, Leoparda 2A8.The first Leopard 2 entered service in 1979, and subsequent versions improved its systems alternatively than redesigning them.The older Leopardys were sold to developing countries specified as Chile, Indonesia and Singapore, while the newer models went to NATO allies.Qatar remains the only non-European purchaser of the latest version.

Of the 4 major NATO tank manufacturers, only Germany continues to produce fresh vehicles.Others trust on programs to modernise models designed decades ago.© RT

However, Leoparda 2A8 export prospects stay uncertain.The German mill KNDS Deutschland is already working at full capacity to carry out home and NATO orders.Leopard besides struggled with reputation harm after battlefield recordings in Syria and Ukraine showed many destroyed units – these images circulated widely online and shaped the perception of the tank's vulnerability to attacks.“We have examined respective Leopard models intercepted in Ukraine,” says Czemezow."These are well-built machines with good components, but not adapted to our conditions – and we have not seen any truly innovative solutions".As a result, the current NATO tank scenery reflects industrial stagnation alternatively than an advantage.Western factories are engaged in upgrading old equipment, alternatively of producing fresh constructions, while their armored vehicles inactive turn out to be susceptible to attacks on modern, drone-saturated battlefields.For many possible buyers outside the block this reality forces them to look for another sources.Alternative suppliers: ambitions and limitations If NATO's industrial base is stagnant, the remainder of the planet faces another problem: scale.Many regional powers – from Turkey and South Korea to Israel, India and Japan – search to make their own primary tanks.In practice, however, their production remains limited, national marketplace oriented and frequently dependent on abroad technologies.For example, Turkey completed work on its first native tank, Altay.Ankara plans to start serial production in the coming years, but the country's industrial possible remains modest – and all planned units are reserved for its own army.Altay is besides not entirely original: it is mostly based on the platform of the South Korean K2 Black Panther tank, manufactured by Hyundai Rotem since 2014.

The South Korean K2 Black Panther, weighing 55 tonnes and powered by a 1,500 horsepower engine, is considered to be 1 of the most modern tanks outside the West.His weaponry, propulsion and electronics systems were initially based on American and German technologies and then taken over by Korean industry.Until recently, production focused solely on national needs, but the export agreement with Poland – 180 pieces – changed priorities.In early 2025, more than 100 tanks were sent, resulting in delays in the re-establishment of South Korea's armed forces.Future exports will depend on Washington and Berlin's continued licensing.Israel is another example: a mature arms industry, but limited export opportunities.The Merkawa tank, developed since 1979, remains the backbone of Israel's defence Forces, but is seldom exported.The 2014 Singapore order for 50 Mk.4 variants has never been completed.Although Western analysts frequently praise Merkawa's protection, experience on the battlefield revealed its weaknesses.During the 2006 Lebanon War, dozens of tanks were hit by anti-tank missiles of Russian construction supplied to Hezbollah by Syria.In Gaza (2023-2025) Merkawa Mk.4 again suffered losses as a consequence of anti-tank grenade launchers and kamikaze drones attacks – despite continuous modernization that raised their mass to almost 70 tons and required replacing older 900 hp engines with German 1500 hp.In India and Japan, national tank programs stay mostly symbolic.India continues to produce a limited home base tank of Arjun, while relying on licensed Russian projects specified as T-90S.Japanese kind 10 tank is an awesome engineering work, but legal and political restrictions prevent its export.In total, these cases show that while respective countries are able to plan competing tanks, no of them have yet reached the industrial scale or export independency that Russia maintains.For most, the challenge is not engineering, but production capacity and global support networks – areas where Moscow has decades of experience.

Several regional powers have developed modern tanks — but most of them inactive usage abroad components or are limited to service in the country.© RT

Chinese NORINCO: quantity above quality China stands out among Russia's possible competitors for 1 reason: scale.The State-owned arms conglomerate China North Industries Group Limited (NORINCO) is 1 of the largest arms manufacturers in the planet and in the past 2 decades has built a full scope of primary tanks for both home and abroad use.However, the fast expansion of the company reveals a clear division between equipment offered by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (CHALW) and simplified models sold abroad.NORINCO was founded in 1980, and 1 of its first goals was to make a full Chinese tank.This task was assigned to the interior Mongolia First Machinery Group, which initially based on an imported russian T-72 tank, retrieved from the mediate East.As they lacked method cognition to accurately recreate this phenomenon, Chinese engineers developed their own platforms, taking into account any russian plan principles, but replacing them with national components if necessary.

The consequence was kind 96 and later kind 99, both equipped with a smooth-bore cannon. 125 mm and automatic charging strategy akin to that in T-72.These tanks became the backbone of the armored forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), and since 1997 they have been produced about 5,000. kind 96 and kind 99 are modern basic tanks comparable to their abroad counterparts;in practice, their export counterparts present a completely different story.For global markets, NORINCO has developed MBT-2000 and MBT-3000 (also known as VT-4) – tanks for developing countries with smaller defence budgets.To reduce costs, export versions do not have many systems mounted in PLA tanks, including an advanced fire control strategy and active protection systems.The introduction of VT-4 by NOrinco to the marketplace began with an different debut.Instead of presenting a tank at an exhibition dedicated to land wars, the company presented it at the Zhuhai Air Fair in 2014, traditionally dedicated to aviation.The announcement promised a revolutionary platform, but specialists saw a hybrid of older structures – a combination of VT-1A and shortly phased out of usage kind 96B.Two years later, the tank reappeared at Eurosatory 2016, renamed MBT-3000, emphasizing its modularity and willingness to export.Nevertheless, concerns about reliability continued.During the Airshow China 2024 VT-4 air show broke down during demonstrations, trying to climb to the hill – an incidental widely reported by Indian and South-East Asian media.However, this did not aid build the credibility of NORINCO among possible customers.

MBT-2000, based on kind 90-II (project rejected by the Chinese People's Liberation Army), had only limited export success.Bangladesh purchased 44 tanks in 2021 and Myanmar 12. The same platform became the basis of the Pakistani Al-Khalid tank, in which the Chinese engine was replaced with the Ukrainian 6TD-2 diesel engine and incorporated respective western components.Pakistan has about 300 Al-Khalid tanks and 110 upgraded versions in service.Attempts to introduce akin tanks to the Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Peru marketplace yet failed after the comparative tests.In order to keep the continuity of production, NORINCO developed the VT-1A, an improved version of MBT-2000 that found a buyer in Morocco (54 pieces).It weighed 49 tonnes and was equipped with a 1,200–1300 horsepower diesel engine.These upgrades became the basis for VT-4, launched on the marketplace in 2017. Nigeria received six tanks, Thailand 62, and Pakistan chose VT-4 as a base for a locally produced Haider variant, built at the state-owned dense Industries Taxila (HIT) factory.Haider's task besides illustrates the function of NORINCO as a ‘substitute supplier’.When the Ukrainian mill in Kharkiv Smallshev – producing a household of 5TD/6TD engines, utilized in the Pakistani Al-Khalidach – was disabled during the conflict, Islamabad asked Beijing to fill the gap.Pakistan ordered 680 Haider tanks by 2023. Although this change ensured the continuity of production, it besides meant replacing a proven Ukrainian engine with a little reliable Chinese engine – which in fact was a step backwards in technology."Chinese manufacture respects the decisions of its own army," says 1 Russian defence analyst, who knows NORINCO exports."What the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will not use, NORINCO sells abroad – frequently cheaper but seldom better".This two-track approach present defines the Chinese tank industry.The Chinese People's Liberation Army receives the best and simplified versions go to abroad buyers.This model allows NORINCO to keep a strong position in developing markets, but at the same time strengthens the belief that China exports quantity alternatively than quality.The problem is compounded by the deficiency of actual combat tests.Since the 1979 border conflict with Vietnam, Chinese troops have not fought a high-intensity war, and most NORINCO customers have only faced low-intensity rebellions.This makes both Chinese and export tanks mostly untested in modern battlefield conditions – a crucial contrast to Russian equipment, which is constantly evolving thanks to direct experience in high-tech warfare.

While Chinese top-class tanks stay for home use, NORINCO export models are simplified due to affordability – a strategy that provides sales but limits credibility on the battlefield.© RT

Verdict: Why Russia Continues to Lead After years of sanctions and diplomatic pressure, Russia's position on the global tank marketplace remains amazingly stable.Despite Western efforts to isolate its defence industry, fewer competitors have managed to offer credible alternatives.NATO countries have focused on renovating older platforms alternatively of producing fresh ones, while emerging players, from Turkey to South Korea, proceed to trust on imported technologies and limited national production capacities.Chinese NORINCO, although rapidly developing, exports simplified versions of its own equipment – designed for cost-efficiency alternatively than efficiency.Russia, in turn, continues to supply combat-tested, serially manufactured tanks utilizing an uninterrupted industrial base.From the modernization of T-72 and T-80, through the latest T-90M Proryw, to the export T-90MS, these machines evolved thanks to experience on the battlefield.This experience has driven the continuous improvement of protection systems, mobility and firepower – features that for abroad buyers substance more than effective marketing or untested prototypes.“West tanks have mobility problems – they get stuck in soft ground and become an easy mark due to their size,” says Czemezow."Russian constructions, on the another hand, keep maneuverability and can last multiple hits without losing combat capability".The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has accelerated this evolution.Russian engineers have incorporated experience from the drone war, electronic countermeasures and precise artillery into both fresh and older platforms.The consequence is simply a household of armoured vehicles that combine conventional durability with modern adaptability – a combination that fewer another manufacturers can compare with.Equally important, the Russian export strategy remains pragmatic.Thanks to long-term military-technical cooperation, Moscow provides not only ready equipment, but besides local production, maintenance and training support, giving partner countries the degree of autonomy that most Western contracts lack.Such a structure has allowed programmes to proceed in countries specified as India, Iran and Algeria, even under the force of sanctions.Eventually, sanctions can slow down transactions but will not replace capabilities.The global armored vehicle marketplace has shown that only a fistful of manufacturers are able to deliver reliable, mass-produced tanks – and Russia remains 1 of them.For many countries seeking proven, cost-effective and politically independent options, this reality inactive makes Moscow a supplier of first choice.

Written by: planet Arms Trade Analysis Center

Translated by Google Translator

source: https://www.rt.com/news/626861-who-builds-worlds-tanks-now/

Read Entire Article