Rogozin's Armata fleet 'Vision' threatened by the Nightmarish cost? HT: Fool.
Russia is building a supertank -- if the nation can afford it.Last month, we introduced you to Russia's new Armata main battle tank. Weighing in at 55 tons, and featuring multilayered armor, an independent crew capsule, and a fully automated 125 mm main gun firing both cannon rounds and laser-guided missiles, Armata is designed to be Russia's answer to General Dynamics' (NYSE: GD ) M1 main battle tank built for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
We also described how Russia is using Armata ("Армата") as a core chassis upon which it will build an entire family of armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft missile launchers, armored self-propelled artillery, flame throwers, bridge-layers, and minesweepers -- some operated as robots.
But as high-tech and powerful as all this sounds, the Armata contains one potentially fatal flaw: its cost.
Trouble in Putin's paradise Late last year, a controversy broke out between Russia's Ministry of Defense (MinOboron) and UralVagonZavod (UVZ), the military contractor responsible for building Armata. As described on Russian-language website gazeta.ru, MinOboron blasted UVZ for offering a tank that it describes as overpriced and incomplete.
To date, Russia has invested 15 billion rubles ($239 million) in developing the Armata tank, and budgeted 39 billion ($622 million) more. But MinOboron is demanding UVZ both complete its design and lower its price. Unless UVZ complies, "MinOboron will not extend the contract for delivery of Armata to the [armed] forces, and will refuse serial purchase. ... We'd rather buy the latest version of the T-90 while they finish up the Armata," said the Defense Ministry.
To date, the Russian army has taken delivery of only 12 prototype Armata tanks, bought in 2013. A contract is in place for production through 2017. But at last report, no long-term contract had been signed. Read the full story here.
Hmmm....As i wrote three years ago "Rogozin....A man with a vision". The Russian 'Bear' isn't ready ....yet but he's preparing at full speed.
http://t.co/Kdzfg2FmzA This tank isn't for parades. But we'll make an exception for May 9th
— Dmitry Rogozin (@DRogozin) February 6, 2015
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