

While under enemy fire, the Afghanit active protection system would be activated, capable of intercepting rockets and other anti-tank munitions. In addition to the various guided, high-powered and air burst ammunition that can be fired by its 125 mm main cannon, the tank has been equipped with remote-controlled Kord-12.7 mm and PK 7.62 mm machine guns. The toilet was not the only feature that made the next-generation T-14 a formidable foe, however.

Many modern tanks, such as the iconic U.S.-built M1 Abrams lack this feature, forcing soldiers to improvise on the field. The United Kingdom initially coined the term "water carrier" to refer to the first tanks in hopes of maintaining secrecy around the project, but it shared an abbreviation with "water closet," a popular British term for "bathroom," compelling the military to find a new term, according to Tanks, 1914-1918 by Albert Gerald Stern and Let's Talk in English by Manish Gupta.Ĭoincidentally, the U.K.'s Challenger 2 is one of the few active tanks to actually have a toilet in it. The history of the tank may actually be intertwined with that of the toilet, and not just because modern toilets themselves rely on an entirely different kind of tank to work. The T-14 was first introduced in 2015 and continues to undergo upgrades. Russian T-14 Armata tanks parade through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, May 9, 2018. "From the very outset, this tank provides this possibility for a crew to perform lengthy combat missions, that is why the so-called life support system or, simply speaking, a lavatory, is available in it," he added. "Only the Armata vehicles solved this dilemma. That is, water and field rations are available in the tank, but all the other conveniences are, unfortunately, absent," Baranov told the state-run Tass Russian News Agency. "A major hassle for them is that they cannot relieve their natural functions. Ilya Baranov, the director for quality and information technologies at the Urals Design Bureau of Transport Machine-Building, described the innovation Thursday as a major quality of life improvement for personnel. The designers behind the Armata system that supports heavy armored vehicles such as the new T-14 tank have now added a toilet, allowing troops to tend to their bodily needs without exposing themselves during battle. Russia's latest battle tank has been upgraded in a way that will relieve its crew.
