T-90

T-90
A Russian army T-90M main battle tank
TypeMain battle tank
Place of originRussia
Service history
In service
  • From 1992 (T-90)
  • From 2004 (T-90A)
  • From 2019 (T-90M)
Used bySee Operators
Wars
Production history
DesignerKartsev-Venediktov
ManufacturerUralvagonzavod, Heavy Vehicles Factory
Unit costUSD 2.5 million in 1999, USD 2.77–4.25 million in 2011 (varies by source)
T-90SM: USD 4.5 million in 2016
Produced1992–present
No. built≈4,000 (2023, see Operators)
1,400 units of T-90S/SM built in India under license
>1000 delivered to other countries
Specifications
Mass46 tonnes (45 long tons; 51 short tons) (T-90)
46.5 tonnes (45.8 long tons; 51.3 short tons) (T-90A)
48 tonnes (47 long tons; 53 short tons) (T-90SM)
Length9.63 m (31 ft 7 in) 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) (hull)
Width3.78 m (12 ft 5 in)
Height2.22 m (7 ft 3 in)
Crew3

ArmorSteel-composite-reactive blend APFSDS: 550 mm + 250–280 mm with Kontakt-5 = 800–830 mm
HEAT: 650–850 mm + 500–700 mm with Kontakt-5 = 1,150–1,550 mm
Main
armament
2A46M 125 mm smoothbore gun with 43 rounds (T-90)
2A46M-2 125 mm smoothbore gun with 42 rounds (T-90A)
2A46M-5 125 mm smoothbore gun with 43 rounds (T-90M)
Secondary
armament
12.7mm Kord Heavy machine gun, 7.62mm PKMT
EngineV-84MS 12-cyl. diesel (T-90)
V-92S2 12-cyl. diesel (T-90A)
V-92S2F
840 hp (617 kW) for V-84MS 12-cyl. diesel engine
1000 hp (736 kW) for V-92S2 12-cyl. diesel engine (T-90A and T-90S)
1130 hp (831 kW) for V-92S2F (T-90M and T-90MS)
Power/weight18.2 hp/tonne (13.3 kW/tonne) (T-90)
21.5hp/tonne (15 kW/tonne) (T-90A)
SuspensionTorsion bar
Operational
range
550 km (340 mi) (without fuel drums)
Maximum speed60 km/h (37 mph) (T-90A and T-90MS)

The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank developed from, and designed to replace the T-72. It uses a 125 mm 2A46 smoothbore main gun, the 1A45T fire-control system, an upgraded engine, and gunner's thermal sight. Standard protective measures include a blend of steel and composite armour, smoke grenade dischargers, Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armour (ERA) and the Shtora infrared anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) jamming system.

The T-90 was designed and built by Uralvagonzavod, in Nizhny Tagil, Russia. It entered service with the Russian army in 1992. The tank allegedly first saw combat in the 1999 war in Dagestan, with Russian Ground Forces. Russia later used the tank from 2017 in its intervention in the Syrian civil war. Russian T-90s were deployed in the war in Donbas in 2014, as well as in the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Syrian Arab Army used the tank in the Syrian civil war in 2017, as did the Azerbaijani Land Forces in the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.