Mostly because Russia is famous for making a huge deal over their latest weapons. But when it comes to actually deploying them, there are always issues.
So, where are Russia’s new wonder weapons?
Su-57 “stealth aircraft” – Not ready.
K-14 Armata tank – Not ready.
Let’s start with the Su-57
Only 14 have been made, 10 prototypes, 4 production models. But even the production models are still undergoing testing. For the most part, the Su-57 is so expensive to build, Russia cannot afford to make it in significant numbers. They are looking for foreign buyers to help with the costs of development. India has already backed out, and Russian hasn’t found anyone else to fill the void.
Then there’s the K-14 Armata.
Supposedly a revolution in tanks design, we haven’t seen much of it except in parades. In one instance, the transmission broke during the parade, and it had to be towed away.
Russia planned to buy 2,300 between 2015 and 2020. But money was tight in Russia (as usual) and the whole production run cancelled. Later, this changed and 100 were expected to be delivered for state trials in…wait for it…2022. So, not even deployed in 2022, just ready for trials.
