15 Things You (Maybe) Didn’t Know About the Russian T-90 Tank

The Russian T-90 is one of the world’s most renowned tanks, often called a “workhorse” on modern battlefields. Although it has been in service since the early 1990s, the T-90 hides many surprising details that even military enthusiasts might not know. Here are 15 fascinating facts about this armored giant — ranked from the least to the most impressive!

Developed from Soviet Remains

The T-90 was developed as an evolutionary upgrade of the aging T-72 after the fall of the Soviet Union. Choosing the T-72 as the base was mainly due to economic reasons: it was cheaper, simpler, and easier to produce than alternatives like the T-80.

Originally Known as the T-72BM

Before being named the T-90, the tank was called the T-72BM. It wasn’t until 1992 that it received its final name, distancing it from the T-72’s tarnished reputation from conflicts like the Chechen War.

A Costly Investment

When first introduced, a single T-90 cost around 2.5 million dollars. The price has increased over the years, with the latest variants like the T-90SM costing upwards of 4.5 million dollars.

Export Adventure to India

India is the largest foreign operator of the T-90. Under the name “Bhishma,” India has produced hundreds of T-90s under license and continues to upgrade them into more advanced versions.

Spared From the Chechen War

One reason for the T-90’s good reputation is that it was not deployed during the First Chechen War, where T-72s and T-80s suffered heavy losses. This spared the T-90 from bad media exposure.

Equipped with “Red Eyes”

The T-90 is famous for its distinctive “red eyes,” part of the Shtora-1 defense system. This system tries to confuse enemy anti-tank missiles with infrared signals.

Capable of Firing Missiles

In addition to regular shells, the T-90 can fire 9M119 Refleks anti-tank missiles directly from its barrel — giving it an effective range of up to 6 km against armored targets.

Survived Numerous RPG Hits

Later versions of the T-90 are equipped with advanced thermal cameras developed in collaboration with France’s Thales, giving crews a significant advantage in night combat.

Revolutionary Thermal Sights

Later versions of the T-90 are equipped with advanced thermal cameras developed in collaboration with France’s Thales, giving crews a significant advantage in night combat.

“Relikt” Armor on Newer Models

The T-90M and T-90MS variants feature “Relikt” explosive reactive armor, providing much better protection against modern projectiles compared to older systems like Kontakt-5.

Automatic Loading System

Like many Russian tanks, the T-90 uses an automatic loader, reducing the crew to three and enabling faster firing than many Western counterparts.

60 km/h on Roads

Despite weighing over 46 tons, the T-90 can reach a top speed of about 60 km/h on roads and around 45 km/h on rough terrain — quite fast for a main battle tank.

Heavy Losses in Ukraine

During the war in Ukraine, the T-90 — especially the newer T-90M models — has suffered significant losses, often due to top-attack weapons like Javelin missiles and improvised drones.

New Upgrades on the Way

The latest Indian Bhishma Mk.3 models and Russian upgrades include more powerful engines, active drone defense systems, and advanced sights capable of detecting targets up to 8 km away.

Rising Production Challenges

Since the start of the Ukraine invasion in 2022, sanctions have severely impacted Russia’s arms production, making it difficult to produce new T-90s fast enough to replace lost units — despite efforts to increase production.

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.