Profile
- Type
- Export main battle tank
- Conflict side
- Azerbaijan
- Origin
- Russia
- Service note
- 1990s-present; documented in Azerbaijani service before the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
Tanks
T-90SA tank
The T-90SA tank entry covers the export T-90S family as fielded by Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. Conflict-loss documentation identifies Azerbaijani T-90S tanks rather than proving a unique subvariant label, so this record uses T-90SA conservatively as the requested export-family designation while grounding the conflict claim in T-90S evidence.
- Conflict side
- Azerbaijan
- Built by
- Uralvagonzavod
- Built in
- Russia
Service History
- In service
- Azerbaijan received Russian T-90 tanks under 2011-era contracts before the 2020 war.
- Used by
- Azerbaijani Land Forces
- Wars
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- Kartsev-Venediktov Design Bureau / Uralvagonzavod
- Designed
- Late 1980s-1990s T-90 development; export T-90S family marketed after Russian adoption
- Built by
- Uralvagonzavod
- Built in
- Russia
- Unit cost
- Not stated in open official specifications
- Produced
- 1992-present T-90 family production
- Number built
- Azerbaijan received about 100 T-90 tanks under Russian contracts reported in 2014.
- Variants
- T-90S, T-90SA export-family designation
Specifications
- Crew
- 3
- Combat weight
- 46.5 t
- Main armament
- 2A46M 125 mm smooth-bore gun with two-axis stabilization
- Secondary armament
- 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and 12.7 mm anti-aircraft heavy machine gun
- Missile guidance
- Semi-automatic laser beam-riding guided weapon system with 5,000 m listed range of fire
- Max road speed
- 60 km/h
- Cruising range
- 550 km on paved surfaces
- Protection
- Hard armor, integrated explosive reactive armor, automated smoke screen, and camouflage measures
Conflict Usage
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
- Side: AzerbaijanRole: Armored maneuver and direct fire
Azerbaijani T-90S/T-90SA-family tanks were fielded in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting; Oryx documented visually confirmed Azerbaijani T-90S losses, including destroyed, damaged, and damaged-and-captured vehicles.
T-90SA tank Images
Related Weapon Systems
Leclerc tankThird-generation main battle tankThe Leclerc is a French third-generation main battle tank built around a 120 mm smoothbore gun, autoloader, three-person crew, and high power-to-weight mobility. In the Yemen Civil War, UAE-operated Leclercs gave coalition forces heavy protected direct fire during armored pushes around Aden, Al Anad, and later western-coast operations.
M60A1 PattonSecond-generation main battle tankThe M60A1 Patton is a U.S.-origin main battle tank with a 105 mm gun, four-person crew, and improved turret protection over the original M60. Yemen's pre-war army inventory included M60A1s, so surviving vehicles formed part of the legacy armored force available as the Yemen Civil War split state units and front lines.
Merkava Mk 3 main battle tankMain battle tankThe Merkava Mk 3 is Israel's late-Cold War main battle tank, built around a 120 mm smoothbore gun, modular protection, and a front-engine layout. In the Israel-Hamas War, the IDF linked the Mk 3-equipped 188th Brigade to Gaza operations, keeping the older Merkava variant in active conflict use.
Merkava Mk 4 main battle tankMain battle tankThe Merkava Mk 4 Barak is Israel's latest digital upgrade to the front-engine Merkava Mk 4 main battle tank, adding a smart mission computer, updated sensors, and VR-based crew training for the IDF's armored corps. In the Israel-Hamas War, IDF-released Barak imagery from Gaza documents the variant's wartime use and the program's later production expansion.
9K114 ShturmRadio-command anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K114 Shturm is a Soviet radio-command anti-tank guided missile system built around the 9M114 Kokon missile and known to NATO as AT-6 Spiral. Designed by KBM Kolomna for attack helicopters and the MT-LB-based 9P149 Shturm-S carrier, it combines SACLOS guidance, a fast missile, and a roughly 5 km baseline range. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian 9P149 vehicles have been captured or displayed as battlefield trophies, while Ukrainian units have shown Shturm-S use and modernization efforts to keep the system relevant for anti-armor missions.
BRM-1KTracked armored reconnaissance vehicleThe BRM-1K is a Soviet tracked armored reconnaissance vehicle derived from the BMP-1 chassis, combining amphibious mobility with surveillance equipment and a reduced 73 mm armament. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict it appears in Armenian/Artsakh service as a visually documented reconnaissance vehicle loss category during the 2020 war.Sources
T-90S TankPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports manufacturer/export background and T-90S specifications including combat weight, crew, speed, range, armament, and protection. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Azerbaijan Eligible For More Russian TanksPublisher: Azatutyun / Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty | Note: Supports background on Azerbaijan receiving about 100 Russian T-90 tanks before the 2020 war. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The Fight For Nagorno-KarabakhPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use: T-90S tanks used by Azerbaijani forces, with visually confirmed destroyed, damaged, and damaged-and-captured losses. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Azeri T-90, parade in Baku, 2013Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Azerbaijani T-90 parade photograph, released under CC0 1.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20T-90S rear sidePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a T-90S rear-side view licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20T-90S ArmeniaPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a T-90S front view at a Yerevan defense expo, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20