The possibility of arming the Armata tank with atomic shells was discussed on July 9 in an article by The National Interest, EDNews.net reports citing Bulgarian Military News.

“Since Armata is designed to equip a 152 mm gun, we can soon see the return of a nuclear tank to the battlefield,” wrote Charlie Gao, an expert on defense and national security.

According to the publication, the Armata tank has the potential to build up firepower through the use of nuclear shells. A new modification of the tank can get a 152-mm gun, and with it the ability to use shells with a nuclear warhead of low power.

It is emphasized that the predecessor of the Armata tank, Object 195, the Black Eagle, had a theoretical possibility of using tactical nuclear shells.

It should be noted that according to open sources, the platform of the T-14 Armata tank was developed taking into account the possibility of installing a 152 mm gun. In Russia, two 152-mm tank guns were developed: the LP-83 and the more modern 2A83.

Since the beginning of the 1980s, three types of tanks with a 152 mm gun have been developed: Object 292, Object 477 Hammer, Object 195 Black Eagle. Tanks were not mass-produced.

The main disadvantages of the 152-mm guns compared with the 125-mm ones in service are the significantly larger weight of the guns, the larger projectile size and, as a result, the reduction of the tank’s ammunition load.

Nuclear ammunition for the 152-mm guns was developed and adopted in 1981 under the index 3BV3. Ammunition power reached 2.5 kilotons of TNT.