Reality still falls short of rhetoric for Russian armoured vehicles
Based on the evidence of the Army 2020 event last month — and despite bullish pronouncements — the Russian Army remains reliant on upgrade packages for aging AFVs.
There were some genuine innovations on display: notably a new family of light armoured cars from the Military Industrial Company and the BMP-3M Manul from Kurganmashzavod.
However, outdated designs dominated the exhibition. Examples included improved versions of the MT-LB, BTR-82, BMP-1 and BMP-2, as well as numerous upgrades of T-72, T-80 and T-90 MBTs.
One significant contract in the land sector was a deal between Uralvagonzavod and the MoD to upgrade
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