T-90
Enable an AI agent to recognise a registered T-90 tank, assess its documented configuration and physical condition, and determine permitted inspection, custody, maintenance or preservation actions.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise a registered T-90 tank, assess its documented configuration and physical condition, and determine permitted inspection, custody, maintenance or preservation actions.
The T-90 is a Russian third-generation main battle tank developed by Uralvagonzavod as an evolutionary T-72B derivative (Object 188), combining a 125 mm 2A46M smoothbore gun, Kontakt-5 or Relikt explosive reactive armour, and the Shtora-1 or Kalina fire-control suite, first accepted by the Russian Army in 1992.
It can be Compare identity evidence with sourced T-90 configuration references and flag unresolved attribution.; Record installed, removed or replaced assemblies without inferring their functionality from appearance.; Request qualified inspections for uncertain mobility, structural or energetic-equipment conditions.; Check whether maintenance documentation applies to the recorded variant and installed assemblies.; Prepare an evidenced movement, storage or preservation review using actual condition and authorisation records..
Distinguishing features
Require identification plates, serial records or authoritative provenance to support T-90 attribution; a seller's label or photograph alone leaves identity provisional.
When distinguishing a suspected T-90 from a T-72 or T-80, compare the combined hull, running gear, turret and installed equipment against a sourced reference for the candidate configuration.
For a claimed T-90 variant, test whether its documented designation agrees with the observed turret configuration, sight housings and protection fit; record contradictions explicitly.
Distinguish an original production configuration from a later rebuild or conversion through dated records and component evidence.
Distinguish a complete vehicle from a display shell, training article or parts assembly by recording retained assemblies and documented demilitarisation status.
Scope
+ Vehicle identity and evidence supporting attribution to the T-90 family
+ Variant, production configuration and subsequent modifications
+ Condition of the hull, turret, mobility systems and installed equipment
+ Presence and documented safety status of armament, ammunition and protective systems
+ Custody, maintenance history and restrictions on movement, inspection or preservation
- Crew competence, personnel assignments and individual health
- Military unit organisation, deployment plans and combat tactics
- Target selection, weapon employment and firing procedures
- Design and manufacture of ammunition or armour
- Transporter vehicles, repair facilities and supply-chain organisations as independent things
Characteristics
- T-90 attribution confidence
- confirmed | supported | provisional | disputed | unknown Prevents resemblance or an unsupported designation from becoming accepted identity.
- Documented variant designation
- verbatim designation with source; unknown permitted Determines which configuration references and maintenance documentation may apply.
- Hull and turret identity relationship
- identified hull linked to identified turret; original pairing | replacement | unknown A replacement turret can make appearance diverge from the vehicle's original configuration.
- Installed configuration
- dated, evidenced inventory of mobility, armament, sighting, communications and protection assemblies Family designation alone does not establish what equipment the individual vehicle carries.
- Current mass
- kg, with measurement date, method and loading configuration Movement and support decisions require the mass of the actual vehicle configuration.
- Mobility condition
- not assessed | immobilised | restricted | assessed serviceable, with evidence and date Separates visible completeness from an authorised assessment of movement capability.
- Energetic equipment status
- per assembly: present | absent | unknown; safety certification recorded separately An empty ammunition compartment does not establish the status of every energetic device.
- Demilitarisation status
- undocumented | claimed | documented | independently verified, with scope A certificate must identify the affected vehicle and assemblies before it can support handling decisions.
- Responsible custodian
- linked organisation or person with dated authority and custody evidence Establishes who can authorise access, inspection, maintenance or transfer.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 28 questions.
T-90 identity and attribution Evidence that this individual vehicle belongs to the registry's intended T-90 concept.
Related tank designs, rebuilds and incomplete examples can produce misleading labels and visual identifications.
Vehicle identifiers
Connect physical identifiers to the individual vehicle and its records.
Hull identity evidence
Record observed identifiers, their locations, supporting documents and any inconsistencies.
- Which observed hull identifiers and documents support identification as a T-90? provenance
- Do the identifiers agree across the physical vehicle, custody records and configuration documents? boundary
Family and variant attribution
Separate T-90 family membership from a more specific variant claim.
Configuration-supported designation
Record the claimed designation and the evidence distinguishing it from plausible alternatives.
- Which sourced combination of hull, running gear, turret and equipment features supports the claimed T-90 designation? definition
- Which plausible T-72, T-80 or other T-90 configuration remains unresolved by the available evidence? boundary
T-90 configuration and rebuild history The vehicle's production baseline, installed assemblies and subsequent changes.
A T-90 label cannot substitute for knowing which turret, powerpack, sights and protection assemblies are actually installed.
Production baseline
The evidenced configuration from which the individual vehicle developed.
Baseline and document applicability
Connect production evidence to configuration references and maintenance document applicability.
- What records establish the vehicle's manufacturer, production period and original designation? provenance
- Which technical documents explicitly apply to that baseline and its recorded modifications? boundary
Installed assemblies
The current assembly inventory and evidence of replacement or retrofit.
Current fit and substitutions
Track the hull-turret pairing and installed mobility, sighting, communications and protection equipment.
- Which identified turret, powerpack, sights, communications units and protection assemblies are currently fitted? definition
- Which replacements, removals or retrofits have dated evidence, and which are inferred only from appearance? provenance
T-90 structural and mobility condition Observed condition of the armoured vehicle and evidence supporting movement-related decisions.
A complete-looking tracked vehicle may still have structural, running-gear or powertrain defects that constrain handling.
Hull, turret and running gear
Condition of major structures and the components that support tracked movement.
Structural and running-gear assessment
Record damage, corrosion, missing components and qualified inspection conclusions.
- What damage or deterioration is documented on the hull, turret mounting, tracks, road wheels and suspension? measurement
- Which observed defects require qualified assessment before movement or supported display? action
Powertrain and movement status
Evidence about the fitted powertrain and the vehicle's assessed mobility condition.
Mobility evidence and limits
Distinguish an installed engine from an assessed vehicle and preserve the limits of every assessment.
- What dated inspection or maintenance evidence establishes the condition of the engine, transmission, steering and braking systems? provenance
- What movement restrictions has the responsible assessor imposed, and what evidence would be needed to revise them? action
T-90 armament and protection status Presence, identity and documented safety status of armament and protective equipment.
Removed ammunition, disabled armament and inert external fittings are separate claims that require separate evidence.
Armament and ammunition status
Account for installed armament, associated loading equipment and ammunition presence without providing employment procedures.
Armament accountability
Record retained or removed armament assemblies and the scope of any clearance or demilitarisation evidence.
- Which main and auxiliary armament assemblies and loading-system components remain installed? definition
- What qualified records establish ammunition clearance and any disabling or demilitarisation work on those assemblies? provenance
Protective and energetic fittings
Distinguish installed protection hardware, empty housings, inert substitutes and equipment of unknown status.
Protection-fit safety evidence
Record the evidenced status of fitted armour modules, obscurant equipment and other potentially energetic devices.
- Which fitted protection modules or devices are documented as energetic, inert, empty or of unknown status? definition
- Which inspections or handling activities require specialist clearance because a fitted device's status remains unresolved? action
T-90 custody, movement and preservation Authority and physical constraints governing the vehicle's present use as an asset, stored vehicle or exhibit.
The same T-90 may pass through operational, storage and museum contexts with different evidence and handling requirements.
Custody and use status
Connect the identified vehicle to its custodian, declared role and applicable permissions.
Authorised use and access
Record who controls access and which activities are permitted for this particular vehicle.
- Who has documented custody, and is the vehicle held for service, training, storage, restoration, display or another stated purpose? provenance
- What documented permissions and restrictions govern entry, inspection, maintenance and transfer? action
Movement and conservation envelope
Physical evidence needed to review transport, storage and preservation arrangements.
Actual-configuration handling requirements
Use the individual vehicle's measured configuration and assessed condition when preparing handling or conservation reviews.
- What are the vehicle's measured mass and overall dimensions in its recorded transport or display configuration? measurement
- What qualified requirements address support, securing, leakage, corrosion and retained equipment during movement or storage? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- T-90 (Object 188, original production with T-72B hull and cast turret)
- T-90S / T-90SK (export and command-export variants)
- T-90A Vladimir (welded turret, V-92S2 diesel, Russian service from 2004)
- T-90M Proryv-3 (Relikt ERA, 2A46M-5 gun, Kalina FCS, Afghanit-related soft-kill suite on later lots)
- T-90MS / T-90SM (export configuration of the T-90M family)
- T-90S Bhishma / T-90S Bhishma Mk III (Indian licensed assembly at HVF Avadi)
- T-90AK / T-90AKM (command tanks with extra radios and navigation)
- BMPT Terminator and T-90-based engineering vehicles (derived hulls, not gun tanks)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q192178 - Item for the T-90 tank family.
- GRAU / OKR object index - Object 188 (Ob'yekt 188); T-90M often cited as Object 188M - Soviet/Russian design-bureau object numbers, not a public product SKU.
- Russian Army designation - T-90, T-90A, T-90M (Proryv) - In-service type names; export marks add S/SK/MS.
- NATO equipment designation - T-90 (no separate reporting name) - Treated as a T-72 family descendant in NATO catalogues rather than a unique reporting name.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Russian Federation military acceptance and GOST/GJB-style armour-vehicle specs issued via the Ministry of Defence and Rosstandart (type qualification, not a public ISO tank standard).
- UN Register of Conventional Arms and OSCE/Vienna Document reporting: counted as a main battle tank (MBT) over 75 mm gun and above 16.5 t.
- Wassenaar Arrangement Munitions List ML6 (ground vehicles) - dual-use/export-control classification for transfers of T-90S/MS.
- CFE Treaty residual definitions of "battle tank" (still used descriptively in arms-control literature even after CFE atrophy).
- Indian defence procurement and DGQA inspection regimes for licensed T-90S Bhishma production at HVF Avadi.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Front-line MBT of the Russian Ground Forces (T-90A and increasing T-90M lots), used in high-intensity combined-arms assaults and defensive hull-down positions.
- Export combat service: Indian Army strike corps; Algerian, Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Ugandan and Vietnamese inventories of T-90S; Syrian Army T-90A in the civil war from 2015.
- Used as a hull donor for BREM-1M recovery, IMR engineer, and BMPT fire-support derivatives in the same industrial family.
- Encountered in OSINT, treaty reporting, and battlefield loss tallies as a distinct T-72-derived type with welded or cast turret and ERA bricks.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Combat weight - 46-48 (T-90/T-90A); about 48-51 (T-90M/MS) - t
- Main gun calibre - 125 - mm
- Crew - 3 (commander, gunner, driver; autoloader in place of a loader) - persons
- Powerplant output - 840 (V-84) to 1000-1130 (V-92S2 / V-92S2F) - hp
- Maximum road speed - 60-70 - km/h
- Hull length / length with gun forward - hull ~6.9; gun forward ~9.5-9.8 - m
- Width / height - width ~3.8; height ~2.2-2.3 - m
- Ammunition stowage (main gun) - 42-43 rounds, of which 22 in the carousel autoloader - rounds
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Carousel autoloader and hull ammunition cook-off if the fighting compartment is penetrated, producing turret throw and catastrophic loss (shared T-72-family hazard, reduced but not eliminated on T-90M with extra blow-off and Relikt).
- ERA and Shtora dazzlers are less effective against tandem-warhead ATGMs, top-attack munitions (Javelin, NLAW, FPV drones) and APFSDS from later 120/125 mm guns.
- High silhouette of the turret bustle and thermal signature of the exhaust make the type detectable by UAV ISR.
- Mine and IED underbelly attack; limited mine-protection compared with Western MBTs fitted with V-hull kits.
- Export and captured examples create proliferation and reverse-engineering risk; depleted-uranium or tungsten APFSDS and ATGM inventory are additional range-safety and EOD hazards.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Russia uses T-90 / T-90A / T-90M (Proryv) nomenclature; export customers see T-90S and T-90MS.
- India officially designates licensed tanks T-90S Bhishma (later Mk III upgrades), assembled at HVF Avadi with local fire-control and radio fits.
- NATO and OSINT sources often gloss all marks as "T-90" without distinguishing A from M, which mis-states protection and FCS generation.
- Some Middle Eastern reporting conflates T-90A (welded turret, no Relikt) with T-90M after 2022 footage of both types in Ukraine.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- T-72B / T-72B3 - T-90 has a distinct turret (cast on early T-90, welded with enlarged bustle on T-90A/M), Shtora or Kalina FCS, and usually Kontakt-5/Relikt rather than Kontakt-1; T-72B3 keeps the T-72 turret ring and Sosna-U on a T-72 hull.
- T-80U / T-80BVM - T-80 family uses a gas-turbine GTD-1250 (or diesel on a few export T-80UD) and a different hull/suspension; T-90 is a diesel T-72 derivative with six road wheels of T-72 pattern.
- T-14 Armata - T-14 is an unmanned-turret, isolated-crew, Armata-chassis design; T-90 retains a manned turret and T-72-pattern hull.
- T-90M vs T-90A - T-90M has Relikt ERA, a 2A46M-5 gun, Kalina FCS and a turret bustle ammunition rack; T-90A has Kontakt-5, Shtora-1 lamps on the turret face, and the earlier welded turret without Relikt tiles.
- Type 99 / VT-4 (Chinese MBTs) - Chinese 125 mm MBTs share the autoloader concept but are indigenous hulls; they lack Shtora TShU-1-7 dazzler boxes and Russian Relikt brick geometry.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of T-90 this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- T-90 main battle tank product family - Manufacturer identity, Object 188 lineage from T-72, and the T-90 / T-90S / T-90M product split.
- T-90 series main battle tanks - Service entry 1992, variant chronology (T-90A, T-90M/MS), armament and protection packages used in specialist literature.
- T-90 (Q192178) - Canonical Wikidata item for the tank family and aliases.
- T-90S Bhishma induction and licensed production - Indian licensed production at Heavy Vehicles Factory Avadi and the Bhishma local name.
What the second pass must settle
- Does registry entry vr.tr.t-90 denote the T-90 tank family, a particular variant, or a different thing sharing the name?
- Which variants, export designations and rebuilds belong within this entry, and which are already covered by neighbouring registry entries?
- Does an existing Vercy world model already own this concept, requiring a registry link instead of another publication?
- Which authoritative references can establish variant recognition criteria and technical-document applicability without relying on visual generalisations?
- What evidence and qualified authority are required in the intended jurisdiction to accept mobility, energetic-equipment clearance and demilitarisation assessments?