One of the new T-14 Armata tanks of the Russian Ground Forces is equipped with Nakidka optical camouflage

There’s no doubt that the war in Ukraine has impacted how companies are incorporating improvements in terms of protection for combat and armored transport vehicles. For obvious reasons, the Russian military complex is one of the most prolific in this area, as, alongside necessary innovation, it must support the Ground Forces with new solutions for their tank fleets currently in service, as well as those anticipated for the future. One such example was seen at the International ARMY 2024 Fair held in Moscow, where the presence of the T-14 Armata, Russia’s most modern tank, equipped with the new Nakidka optical camouflage system, was registered.

Since the conflict began, and with the use of new guided anti-tank missiles (ATGMs) in conjunction with various types of drones, the Russian Ground Forces have had to raise several requirements to the country’s industrial complex to improve the protection levels of their tanks and armored vehicles, both those for personnel transport and for infantry support. This is demonstrated by the increased use of reactive armor blocks (ERA), anti-drone cages, and, more recently, the inclusion of new active protection systems (APS) and optical camouflage.

In the latter aspect, one of the most significant developments reported over the past year was Rostec’s confirmation of the start of serial production of the Nakidka optical camouflage, initially intended to equip the modern T-90M tanks, but which, as has been recorded, is also being extended to the T-80 and T-72 tank families, as well as other armored vehicles.

This situation was evident at the recent ARMY 2024 Fair, where a large number of tracked and wheeled armored vehicles were observed equipped with the new Nakidka camouflage. Notably, one of these was seen on a T-14 Armata tank, the most advanced combat vehicle currently developed by Russia.

Designed to prevent detection by laser-guided anti-tank weapons (ATGMs) or radar, Nakidka camouflage has been developed by the Steel Research Institute to equip various types of combat vehicles. According to announcements, it consists of radiation-absorbing materials (RAM) of various wavelengths, which prevents or delays the detection and tracking of weapons used against armored vehicles.

Based on the widely circulated photographs, the camouflage covers the entire hull and turret of the T-14. It even covers the sensors that are part of the tank’s vision systems, including those of the active protection systems, which could indicate that its adaptation to the Armata, as well as other armored vehicles using the platform, is in the development and testing phase.

These observations are significant because the reality, not only for the Russian Ground Forces but also for Western forces like the U.S. Army, shows that various tank MBT manufacturing and modernization projects are being reformulated and reassessed based on lessons learned from the Ukrainian conflict. An example is the U.S. decision not to continue with the modernization program of the latest version of its M1A2 Abrams, known as SEP v4, in favor of a new variant designated M1E3 Abrams.

A similar situation to the Abrams might be the T-14 Armata, which has not been deployed in combat operations in Ukraine. According to Russian sources, its presence has been limited to small deployments for indirect fire support to address improvements arising from its use in a real operational environment. Additionally, Russian representatives themselves suggested that current tank production focuses on the economically more viable models, such as those in the T-72, T-80, and T-90 families currently in service, casting doubt on the future of the most modern tank of the Russian Ground Forces.

Photo credits T-14 Armata: @Kontakt6.

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