The mystery of hi-tech tanks that do not go to the front: only prototypes to exhibit

A year ago it was the pride parade, displaying a military force that felt invincible on Red Square. Today ahead of Vladimir Putin defeated soldiers will parade and a big question: is it possible that the Russian army has turned out to be a “paper tiger”? Many of the vehicles that will be colonized to celebrate the defeat of the Third Reich have never been seen on the Ukrainian front. They are like the luxurious armor that the nobles of the 16th century sported in the royal processions: fearful in appearance but useless on the battlefield.

Let’s take the Armata T 14 tanks, presented since 2015 as “the most powerful in the world“. Their appearance shocked Western observers: a 125mm cannon capable of firing 10 rounds per minute; automation to reduce the crew to three people; a radar to manage missile-proof countermeasures. In 7 years, however, Moscow has not been able to start production: they do not work. And the suspicion is growing that the trust accorded to the builders, the Uralvagonzavod factory, arises only from the gratitude for the support that the workers gave to Putin, offering to “clear the streets of the demonstrators” who contested the Kremlin.

Same thing for its derivative T 15, an armored vehicle with futuristic shapes to bring a team of eight infantry into combat. Its remote-controlled turret has an unsurpassed volume of fire; the defense system and the armor in special materials on the paper do not fear the Javelin missiles. What the Russians would need in the Donbass but which has remained in the prototype phase for 7 years: it only serves for the parade. Another regular is the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled gun: it has been given a range of 80km, such as to annihilate the howitzers supplied by the West to the Ukrainians. But entry into service is postponed from year to year.

These unfinished projects demonstrate the limits of the Russian hi-tech industry, unable to convert the Soviet mechanical tradition into the age of electronics. A deficit so profound that it even reached state TV talk shows. The former colonel Mikhail Khodaryonokan expert always aligned with the Putinian entourage, on Saturday criticized the situation, arguing the futility of mobilizing new recruits: “We shouldn’t send men with equipment from the past into a twenty-first century war to deal with NATO’s endowments. Would he like to create a new armored division? Maybe ninety days, but he couldn’t have modern armaments because we don’t have any in our reserves. “

Other sophisticated systems that will parade on Red Square have not appeared at the forefront for unclear reasons. In the case of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile batteries, perhaps the desire to keep the radar frequencies hidden from Western intelligence has weighed: they remained in Russian territory.

Instead, heavy bombers participate only in night raids, launching cruises against strategic targets. Moscow has avoided using them for carpet bombing, as in Syria: the Tupolev Tu 22 can drop over 60 bombs. This threat is likely considered a last resort, to be used only if the situation becomes unbearable. However, another factor should not be overlooked: stocks of long-range missiles are approaching exhaustion. Many signs of a worrying situation for the invaders, which could lead the Kremlin to extreme decisions.