To conclude, the new design of the Armata makes its full crew far more likely to survive an engagement than the M1A2 SEP v3. It also makes it more vulnerable to a mission kill, even from lighter vehicles. The M1A2 SEP v3 is likely to spot and shoot the Armata first, although the Afghanit APS might negate this first shot advantage and provide the Armata crew a vector in which they could return fire. In the end, both the M1A2 SEP v3 and the T-14 Armata will likely see changes to their technical characteristics, capabilities, and systems before they enter service, as they are both still in heavy development.

Charlie Gao studied political and computer science at Grinnell College and is a frequent commentator on defense and national-security issues. This article first appeared in 2018 and is reprinted here due to reader interest.

Image: Reuters