Military Model Scene

Title:  Modern Russian Tanks & AFVs

Author: Russell Hart & Stephen Hart

Publisher:  Amber Books

ISBN:  978-1-78274-869-4

​

This new hardback from Amber Books is one of their 'Technical Guide' series, and brings us up to date with images and details of the various types of armoured vehicles in service with the Russian military. As a long time armour enthusiast, and modeller, this is ideal. In the Cold War we were used to the Warsaw Pact building huge numbers of military armoured vehicles. Many of these have been consigned to scrap dumps, sold to foreign users or simply placed in reserve. Since 1990 however, the Russian military have continued to develop some interesting new equipment, and that is what we find in here.

It is an A5 format hardcover book, with 128 pages. The first chapter takes on the topic of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs). Each one that is covered has the story behind them and basic statistics. It starts with the old T-10, and I was surprised to learn that the Russian Federation still hold over 200 in reserve storage. Others include such as variants of  T-54/55, T-62, PT-76, T-64 and more up to date with T-90 variants and most recently, the T-14 Armata. They all include a photo or two of the real thing, and some equally excellent colour artwork. Other chapters look at Armoured Personnel Carriers & Armoured Cars: Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles: Tank Destroyers; and finally Self Propelled Armoured Vehicles, which includes SP AA vehicles and SP artillery. There are still many bits of kit that a lot of readers will recognise from the Cold War Era, but it is the newer vehicles that I found the most interesting. These modern ones include the likes of Sosna-S SPAAML, TOS-1M Buratino SPRL, 2S35 Koalitsiya SPH, 2S34 Hosta, 9P162 Kornet-T, VPK-7829 Bumerang, URAL Typhoon-U Protected Truck and plenty more.. If you don't recognise any amidst that list, this book will help you.

As an armour historian and a modeller, so many of the vehicles included in the book are available as fine kits these days, I found this an interesting update on AFVs used by the modern Russian Federation. A very handy new reference.

​

Distributed by Amber Books, who kindly provided my review copy.

​

Robin