AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

NIZHNY TAGIL, Russia — It has a remote-controlled turret, it bristles with state-of-the-art defence systems and its computerized controls make driving it feel “like playing a video game.” Russia’s Armata tank, which its creator says can be turned into a fully robotic combat vehicle, is the crowning glory of a sweeping military modernization drive that is rumbling forward amid a perilous confrontation with the West over Ukraine.

[np_storybar title=”The Armata” link=”http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/how-russias-new-and-possibly-fully-robotic-armata-tanks-measure-up”]

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Russia’s new tank, the Armata, is expected to form the backbone of the nation’s armed forces for years to come. Its designers say the new machine may evolve into a fully robotic vehicle that could operate autonomously on the battlefield. Here is a look at some of the key features of the new tank:

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Remote-controlled turret
The Armata is groundbreaking in having a remote-controlled turret…