NIZHNY TAGIL. Sept 27 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Armed Forces will adopt the Armata next-generation heavy military tracked vehicle platform designed by Uralvagonzavod in a few years, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told Interfax-AVN.
"We intend to procure the first trial batch of Armata vehicles for the Russian Army already in 2014 and test them," he said at the Russia Arms Expo 2013 show in Nizhny Tagil.
Uralvagonzavod's Armata was demonstrated to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during a private viewing at Russia Arms Expo 2013 on Thursday.
"We plan to start buying Armata [vehicle platforms] in 2015 after the state tests are completed," Borisov said.
"We would like the general public to see in the near future what we have seen during the private viewing. I hope we will be able to watch everything we saw in the specialized pavilion during the V-Day parade in 2015," the deputy minister said.
Replying to the question about the Russian Defense Ministry's position on the procurement of heavy armor, including tanks, Borisov said, "Tanks remain the major combat unit of the Army and, naturally, our attitude is relevant."