Military

This Russian Tank Has Bigger Guns Than the M1 Abrams

Libya tanks | A T-55 tank destroyed by NATO forces in the desert north of Ajadabiya, Libya.
Stocktrek Images/Andrew Chittock / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images

24/7 Wall St. Insights:

  • The T-14 Armata is the newest Russian tank to enter service
  • It has a 125mm smoothbore cannon that is bigger than the American M1 Abrams
  • Russia’s history as holding a strong tank army extends as far back as WWII
  • Also: Discover the next Nvidia

Russia’s newest main battle tank is formidable, and it is packing some serious firepower. The T-14 Armata made its debut in the 2010s and it is recognized by the Red Army as a huge step forward in tank warfare. It even features a bigger gun than its counterpart from the United States the M1 Abrams. (These are the warplanes of the Russian Air Force.)

The T-14 Armata features a 125mm 2A82 smoothbore main gun and a 30mm autocannon as its primary weapons. It also comes with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and 7.62mm machine gun, as well as smoke grenade dischargers. Needless to say, this tank is equipped with much of the modern military technology on top of this firepower. It is also one of the fastest modern tanks in existence, with a top speed of roughly 50 mph.

Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at Russian tanks and what they have to offer. To identify the most heavily armed Russian tanks ever built, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of tanks from Military Factory. We ranked each tank according to the caliber of the main gain and then secondary guns. We included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding the type of tank, year, manufacturer, top speed, and number manufactured. We excluded prototypes, projects and tanks with limited production runs.

One of the first major Russian tanks was the T-34, which emerged during World War II. Renowned for its armor, mobility, and formidable firepower, the T-34 played a crucial role in pivotal battles such as Kursk, which is often recognized as the largest tank battle in history.

Again, in the modern era, the T-14 Armata is the latest iteration of the Russian tank. Building on a rich history of technological progression and firepower, the T-14 represents the next generation of Russian military might. (These are all the warships and submarines in the Russian Navy.)

Here is a look at the most heavily armed Russian tanks:

Why Are We Covering This?

Czechia+artillery | 2022_07_18_Ukraine_Shield_of_Europe_exhibition_2_T-90A_main_battle_tank_020
96541566@N06 / Flickr

Russia’s historical and current tank developments reflect its status as a major military power. Russian tanks have not only been pivotal in wars but also a tool of diplomatic influence, shaping Russia’s standing on the world stage through both their physical might and strategic deployment.

30. T-38

  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 1937
  • Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 37
  • Top speed: 25 mph
  • Weight: 4 tons
  • Armament: 7.62mm machine gun

29. T-27

ChrisO / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 1931
  • Manufacturer(s): Bolshevik Works / GAZ
  • Top speed: 26 mph
  • Weight: 3 tons
  • Armament: 7.62mm machine gun

28. BMP-1 (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty)

  • Type: Infantry fighting vehicle
  • Year introduced: 1966
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 40 mph
  • Weight: 13.8 tons
  • Armament: 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm PKT bow-mounted machine gun

27. T-60

  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 1941
  • Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 37 / Factory No. 38 / GAZ
  • Top speed: 27 mph
  • Weight: 6.4 tons
  • Armament: 20mm TNSh L/82.4 main gun, 7.62mm machine gun

26. BMD-2 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

Нацгвардія України / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Amphibious light tank
  • Year introduced: 1985
  • Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
  • Top speed: 50 mph
  • Weight: 12.7 tons
  • Armament: 30mm 2A42 cannon, ATGM missile launcher, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm PKT bow-mounted machine gun

25. BMD-3 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

Mike1979 Russia / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Amphibious light tank
  • Year introduced: 1990
  • Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
  • Top speed: 44 mph
  • Weight: 14.6 tons
  • Armament: 30mm cannon, 7.62 machine gun, AT-4 ATGW launcher, 5.45mm machine gun, 40mm grenade launcher, smoke dischargers

24. BMP-2 (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty)

Vitaly V. Kuzmin / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Infantry fighting vehicle
  • Year introduced: 1982
  • Manufacturer(s): Kurgan Machine Construction Plant
  • Top speed: 40 mph
  • Weight: 16.1 tons
  • Armament: 30mm 2A42 main gun, 7.62 PKTM coaxial machine gun, 9M113 Konkurs mssile launcher, smoke dischargers

23. T-70

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 1942
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 28 mph
  • Weight: 14 tons
  • Armament: 45mm 20K main gun, 7.62mm machine gun

22. BT-7 (Bystrochodnij Tankov)

  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 1934
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 32 mph
  • Weight: 15 tons
  • Armament: 45mm main gun, 7.62mm machine gun

21. T-26

  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 1931
  • Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 174 / Stalingrad Tractor Factory
  • Top speed: 17 mph
  • Weight: 10.4 tons
  • Armament: 45mm main gun, 7.62mm machine gun, 12.7mm machine gun

20. BMD-1 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

Vitaly V. Kuzmin / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Infantry fighting vehicle
  • Year introduced: 1966
  • Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
  • Top speed: 50 mph
  • Weight: 8.3 tons
  • Armament: 73mm 2A28 smoothbore cannon, 9M14M anti-tank guided missiles

19. KV-1 (Klimenti Voroshilov)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Heavy tank
  • Year introduced: 1939
  • Manufacturer(s): Kirov Factory
  • Top speed: 22 mph
  • Weight: 49.6 tons
  • Armament: 76.2mm main gun, 7.62mm machine guns

18. PT-76

  • Type: Amphibious light tank
  • Year introduced: 1952
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 27 mph
  • Weight: 16.1 tons
  • Armament: 76.2mm main gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun

17. T-44

  • Type: Medium tank
  • Year introduced: 1944
  • Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 75
  • Top speed: 32 mph
  • Weight: 35.2 tons
  • Armament: 85mm D-5T main gun, 7.62mm machine guns

16. T-34

  • Type: Medium tank
  • Year introduced: 1940
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 32 mph
  • Weight: 30.9 tons
  • Armament: 85mm D-5T / ZiS-S-53 main gun, 7.62mm DT MG coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm DT machine gun

15. T-54

  • Type: Medium tank
  • Year introduced: 1949
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 30 mph
  • Weight: 39.7 tons
  • Armament: 100mm D-10TG main gun, 7.62mm SG MT coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm bow-mounted machine gun

14. T-55

Stocktrek Images/Andrew Chittock / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
  • Type: Medium tank
  • Year introduced: 1958
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 31 mph
  • Weight: 44.6 tons
  • Armament: 100mm D-10 rifled main gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun

13. BMP-3 (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 1987
  • Manufacturer(s): Kurgan Machine Construction Plant
  • Top speed: 43 mph
  • Weight: 20.6 tons
  • Armament: 100mm 2A70 rifled main gun, 30mm 2A72 coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers

12. BMD-4 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

Пользователь / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Light infantry fighting vehicle
  • Year introduced: 2005
  • Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
  • Top speed: 43 mph
  • Weight: 15 tons
  • Armament: 100mm main gun, 30mm cannon, AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank guided missile launcher, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 40mm automatic grenade launcher, 5.45mm general purpose machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers

11. T-62

  • Type: Medium tank
  • Year introduced: 1961
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 28 mph
  • Weight: 45.7 tons
  • Armament: 115mm smoothbore main gun, 12.7mm DShKM anti-aircraft heavy machine gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun

10. IS-2 / JS-2 (Josef Stalin)

David Merrett / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Heavy tank
  • Year introduced: 1943
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 23 mph
  • Weight: 56.2 tons
  • Armament: 122mm D25-T main gun, 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun, 7.62mm machine guns

9. IS-3 / JS-3 (Josef Stalin)

Andrew Milligan sumo / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Heavy tank
  • Year introduced: 1945
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 25 mph
  • Weight: 50.5 tons
  • Armament: 122mm D-25T main gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft heavy machine gun, 7.62mm machine guns

8. IS-10 / T-10 (Josef Stalin)

Ferran Cornellà / Wikimedia Commons
  • Type: Heavy tank
  • Year introduced: 1953
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 26 mph
  • Weight: 57.3 tons
  • Armament: 122mm D-74 main gun, 14.5mm KPV machine guns, 12.7mm DShK anti-aircraft machine gun

7. 2S25 (Sprut-SD)

  • Type: Light tank
  • Year introduced: 2007
  • Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
  • Top speed: 43 mph
  • Weight: 19.8 tons
  • Armament: 125mm 2A75 main gun, 7.62 coaxial machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers

6. T-80 (MBT)

  • Type: Main battle tank
  • Year introduced: 1976
  • Manufacturer(s): Omsk Transmash / Malyshev / LKZ
  • Top speed: 43 mph
  • Weight: 50.7 tons
  • Armament: 125mm main gun, 12.7mm air defense machine gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers

5. T-90

  • Type: Main battle tank
  • Year introduced: 1995
  • Manufacturer(s): Uralvagonzavod
  • Top speed: 40 mph
  • Weight: 51.3 tons
  • Armament: 125mm smoothbore main gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers

4. T-72 (Ural)

deyanarobova / iStock via Getty Images
  • Type: Main battle tank
  • Year introduced: 1972
  • Manufacturer(s): State Factories
  • Top speed: 42 mph
  • Weight: 50.7 tons
  • Armament: 125mm smoothbore main gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers

3. T-64

  • Type: Main battle tank
  • Year introduced: 1966
  • Manufacturer(s): Malyshev Factory
  • Top speed: 43 mph
  • Weight: 43 tons
  • Armament: 125mm D-81 smoothbore main gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun

2. T-99 Armata

  • Type: Multirole tracked armored vehicle
  • Year introduced: 2013
  • Manufacturer(s): Uralvagonzavod
  • Top speed: 50 mph
  • Weight: 55.1 tons
  • Armament: 125mm smoothbore main gun, 12.7mm coaxial machine gun, 57mm automatic grenade launcher

1. T-14 (Armata)

rusm / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Type: Main battle tank
  • Year introduced: 2016
  • Manufacturer(s): Uralvagonzavod
  • Top speed: 50 mph
  • Weight: 48 tons
  • Armament: 125mm 2A82 smoothbore main gun, 30mm autocannon, 12.7mm heavy machine gun, 7.62mm machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers

Take This Retirement Quiz To Get Matched With An Advisor Now (Sponsored)

Are you ready for retirement? Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, that’s why it could be a good idea to speak to a fiduciary financial advisor about your goals today.

Start by taking this retirement quiz right here from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes. Smart Asset is now matching over 50,000 people a month.

Click here now to get started.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.