Russian defense contractor UralVagonZavod showed new improvements to Moscow’s T-90 tank this week at the International Defense Exhibition, hoping the upgrades will improve the tank’s survivability against Ukrainian forces.

The contractor showed off the latest version of the T-90, the T90MS, at IDEX in Abu Dhabi. The most apparent external change is large webbing above the turret that is designed to protect against top-attack weapons while providing visibility to operators.

The turret also is equipped with explosive-reactive armor to protect against anti-tank weapons. The armor also is placed on the tank’s front, rear and hull sides.

The new armor has added to the tank’s overall weight: The T-90MS weighs 48 tons, about 2 tons more than the original T-90. To compensate for the extra weight, the T-90MS is equipped with a turbocharged 1,130hp diesel engine and an automatic transmission.

The tank’s armaments have remained mostly unchanged, with the T-90 firing a 125mm smoothbore gun supported by a co-axial machine gun firing 7.62mm rounds.

The T-90MS reveal comes as Russian and Ukrainian contractors are unveiling competing military technology at IDEX. The Ukrainian pavilion at the defense expo focused on the nation’s drone warfare capabilities, confirming Kyiv’s goal to build a drone-only front line in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Ukrainian military’s focus on drone warfare could prove an issue for Russia’s new T-90 tank, which has already faced significant issues on the battlefield. According to independent reports, Russia has lost about 175 T-90 tanks since the start of the war in 2022.

According to reports, older versions of the T-90 relied on an autoloading system that left the tank’s ammunition vulnerable to precision attacks from ground troops and drones. The armor added to the T-90MS could reduce the main battle tank’s vulnerability.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.