MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. The T-14 tank on the heavy tracked vehicle platform has been tested in Syria, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said on Sunday.

"Yes, that’s right. They [Armata tanks] were used in Syria," he said in an interview with the Deistvuyushchiye Litsa (Political Actors) with Nailya Asker-zade program on the Rossiya-1 television channel answering a corresponding question. "They were used in field conditions, in Syria, so, we took into account all the nuances."

Alexander Potapov, CEO of Uravagonzavod, the tank’s developer and manufacturer (incorporated into Rostec corporation), said in an interview with the Vedomosti daily on February 3 that first batches of Aramata tanks would be supplied to the Russian army in 2020 for field trials.

The Armata is a heavy tracked standardized platform serving as the basis to develop a main battle tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored personnel carrier and some other armored vehicles. The T-14 tank based on the Armata platform was shown to the public for the first time at Red Square’s Victory Day parade on May 9, 2015. The new combat vehicle features fully digitized equipment, an unmanned turret and an isolated armored capsule for the crew.

Serial supplies of T-14 tanks

Serial supplies of Russia’s new T-14 tanks on the Armata platform to Russian troops will begin in 2021.

"It [the T-14 Armata tank] is expensive because it is still undergoing extra trials and modernization after the defense ministry requested additional technical solutions in order to begin serial supplies starting from the next year under the existing contract," said Denis Manturov.

Foreign buyers of Armata tanks

Russia plans to begin work with potential foreign buyers of Russian Armata tanks and has already received a number of advance orders.

"Next year, when serial supplies of these tanks to the defense ministry are launched and an exports certificate is obtained, we will begin to work with foreign clients," said Denis Manturov.

According to the minister, a number of countries have already demonstrated interest to these tanks. He noted that Russia already has advance orders. "Preliminarily, bearing in mind that we cannot provide all the documentation to our foreign clients, well, we do have preliminary orders," he said.