New Batch of Enhanced T-90M Tanks Delivered to Russian Frontline Brigade: How Capable Are They?

The Russian Army Nevsky Volunteer Brigade has received a new batch of T-90M main battle tanks, as expanded production of the vehicles to several times pre-war levels has allowed them to enter service far more rapidly. The tanks have seen their capabilities enhanced significantly since the outbreak of full scale hostilities with Ukraine and supporting Western forces in February 2022, with a particular focus on enhancing survivability against drone and missile attacks. The tanks were already far better armoured than older Russian classes, with a particularly strong base armour supplemented by the integration of Relikt explosive reactive armour, while the isolation of ammunition internally significantly reduced vulnerability to detonations. Survivability has since been further improved with the integration of anti-drone ‘cages’ protecting the tanks from top attacks, while in August 2024 it was confirmed that the vehicles had integrated the Arena-M active protection system.

Integration of the Arena-M system is by far the most significant upgrade the T-90M has received since entering service. It includes a radar that continuously monitors the surrounding environment, and when detecting an incoming projectile tracks it automatically, calculates its trajectory, and deploys protective munitions to intercept and destroy it before it impacts the tank. The Arena-M can intercept rockets, missiles and high explosive anti tank shells travelling at up to 1000 meters per second, and can do so 50 meters away, with promotional materials claiming that it can counter top-attack missiles. Alongside its impressive survivability, the T-90M’s firepower is also far superior to its predecessors, with a new autoloader and main gun allowing it to integrate longer APFSDS rounds with a much greater penetrative capability against enemy armour. With the main gun of the older T-72B3 tank having demonstrated the ability to neutralise Ukrainian M1 Abrams tanks supplied by the United States, which are considered among the best armoured vehicles in the Western world, the T-90M’s significantly more powerful anti-tank armament is expected to be able to penetrate all existing classes of main battle tank frontally.

The T-90M entered service in the Russian Army in April 2020, two months after completing state trials, with its armour production configuration having from late 2022 been copied to significantly enhance the survivability of older T-72 tanks. At only around two thirds the size of Western tanks, which can weigh 70-80 tons for up-armoured American and German vehicles, the T-90M combines much lower fuel consumption and maintenance needs with much greater ease of transport. While presenting a much smaller target to enemy gunners, the tank’s size also optimises it to using roads and bridges built for civilian vehicles which few Western tanks can. Production of T-90 tanks has increased rapidly from approximately 90-110 tanks per year in 2020-2021, to 280-300 tanks in 2024, which represents an effective tripling of output, according to reports by open-source investigators from the Conflict Intelligence Team. The team assessed that Russia’s defence sector is on track to further significantly expand production to reach a landmark output of 1,000 tanks by mid-2028, and a staggering 3000 tanks by mid-2035.