Russian tank drill shows T-14 Armata in action

The Russian Defense Ministry has released video from a recent tank drill that shows, for the first time ever, the capabilities of the T-14 Armata. In the footage, Russia's newest tank is shown negotiating hillocks and trenches.

The video was taken at a private demonstration held during the Army 2016 military and technology forum, which took place in the Moscow Region on Sep. 6-11.

The clip also includes footage of tank "battles" that took place nine years ago, during the Vostok-2007 strategic exercises.

The Т-14 tank built on the Armata platform had its debut at the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, 2015.

The first batch of 100 Armata tanks will come into service with Russia's ground troops in 2017-18, according to a statement from Vyacheslav Khalitov, deputy head of the Uralvagonzavod research and production corporation, the tank's manufacturer, to the Ekho Moskvy radio station.

The published price of a Т-14 Armata tank is about 250 million rubles ($3.8 million). The basic model has a 125-mm gun. However, according to the tank's designers and manufacturers, the Armata can be upgraded to a 152-mm gun.

The Т-14 is capable of firing 10 shots a minute at an effective range of up to 4.5 miles.

This article originally appeared at Russia Beyond the Headlines.