this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2026
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While it as has nothing directly to do with building a tank, the fact that russia can't design and build a tank that doesn't play turret toss when it gets hit with a shell or break down in the middle of a parade DOES have a lot in common with this - it's called brain drain.
Literally all of the smartest young people left Russia because the pay was bad and the prospects for living were better I'm the west.
You say thag everyone of consequence involved in designing military equipment in russia has better knowledge than Germany? Due to what experience, getting their World War 2 era tanks pulled out of the mud by Ukrainian tractors? They can't even build more than a handful of the newest tank and then never send them into war. They haven't fielded new equipment eccept inaccurate artillery shells.
You're wanting to claim a country that experienced that amount of brain drain is can do cutting edge brain surgery?? What, did they lobotomize you first?
Older Soviet tanks play turret toss, you know why? Their automatic loading system is optimized for fire rates, but not safety. You know why that and what that achieves? That achieves a whole lot of tanks built during Soviet times for mass ground warfare in the WWIII as it was imagined then. When it's one safer NATO tank against 5 worse but comparable (and fast-firing) Soviet tanks for the same expense, the choice (with Soviet doctrine) is obvious.
There was no brain drain then, these were all conscious design decisions making a difference of the scale of hundreds of tanks built.
Unfortunately no.
You are a few years late even in talking about tanks.
That's also something most Russians have passively understood by now about modern warfare, it's all about information, planning, coordination done by many small drones, with humans reduced to techs and operators and, of course, small assault groups. Tanks have no place in that.
Brain drain is something that was happening when plenty of Soviet-educated engineers and scientists simply had no place in ex-Soviet countries, or by any measure the offers they could get were far better in the West. Right now there's no coordinated incentive for said brain drain from the western governments. Which was a thing then.
Right now - yes, I think oil money that buys western components for weapons can buy expertise in areas of interest.
The autoloader can fire every 10 seconds. An Abrams crew can fire.. Every 4. NATO tanks are faster.
More Russian tanks also only matter if they ARE comparable. But they're not. For example, the "new engine" is an old Nazi design that was, and is still, famous for breaking down. They use thermal sights! Left over from the French.
Russians die AND they're slower. All glory to the motherland.
You should look up what brain drain means.
Fortunately for them yes? At least they're not dying in ukraine with sunflower seeds in their pockets.
Right!! That's why the invasion of ukraine was so quick! Plan for three days, the planning and coordination they passively understand means it's... Still going. 4 years later.
It's a darn good thing, too, since Russia has only built what, 30 T14s since 2015? Can't rely on something you can't build!
And you're right. Tanks have no place in modern warfare. That's why Russia saber rattles so hard when western nations give or sell tanks to Ukraine, because they're just so useless.
True!! If only they would stop putting that foreigner expertise straight onto the front lines. What a waste.