Yet Another Tank Comparison

The National Interest just posted up another tank comparison article comparing the Russian T-14 to the Japanese Type 10 to the U.S. M-1: Russia’s T-14 Armata tank vs Japan’s Type 10 and America’s M1

I have a few comments:

First, they actually don’t really compare their potential combat performance relative to each other, it is just a discussion of the three tanks in one article. This could have easily have been three separate articles.
Not sure these tanks will face each other in the near future:
1. The Amata could face an M-1 if we supply them to Ukraine or Georgia and they clash with Russia. Right now, they do not have M-1’s.
  1. Ukraine is using T-64s, T-72s, T-80s and T-84s, all Soviet designs or Ukrainian updates to Soviet designs. Ukraine is exporting T-84s.
  2. Georgia is using T-72s modified with the help of Israel.
2. The Amata could face an M-1 if Russia intervenes somewhere else in the world (Russian intervention away from its border areas is fairly rare…..Syria not withstanding).
3. There is armed conflict between NATO and Russia (not very likely).
4. I do not think there are any plans to export Moscow’s latest high-tech tank.
5. Amata could face a Type 10 if Russia conflicts with Japan (again, not very likely).
6. If Japan sell its tanks to other nations (has never happened before) than then they could later conflict with Russia.
7. The Type 10 and M-1 facing each other is very unlikely.
The T-14 is going to be around for a while. There are only 100 Amata’s slated for production right now. In light of the economy, we shall see if they get around to manufacturing the other 2,200.
It is interesting that both Russia and Japan went with lighter tanks. This trend is noted but not analyzed.
Otherwise it is a decent article.
Perhaps The National Interest should do an article comparing the T-14 to the T-72 and T-84. This is a more likely scenario (not sure if they follow this blog).