General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams vs Uralvagonzavod T-90M
Full specs: General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams Uralvagonzavod T-90M
General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams and Uralvagonzavod T-90M are both main battle tank, compared here on public specifications. The Uralvagonzavod T-90M leads on range (550 vs 426 km). Several Russia-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
Verdict
The Abrams and T-90M represent two very different design philosophies. The Abrams is heavier (66,800kg vs 48,000kg), crewed by four rather than three (no autoloader, versus the T-90M's autoloaded 125mm gun), and relies on composite armor with depleted-uranium mesh plus the Trophy active protection system. The T-90M is lighter, faster to build and cheaper (a disputed but far lower cost than the Abrams' roughly $10.5 million per unit), and pairs its 125mm 2A46M-5 autoloader with Relikt explosive reactive armor and the Shtora-1 soft-kill defensive system. Publicly reported figures on Russian equipment, including T-90M cost, protection performance and battlefield survivability, carry this site's standard caveat: they are state or state-adjacent claims with limited independent verification, a caveat that does not apply to the Abrams' US-published figures.
Analysis by Cole Merrick, Defense-systems data columnist, WeaponSpecs · Last updated 2026-08-06
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Full data
Full spec sheet
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 67 km/h ✓ | 60 km/h |
| Range (km) | 426 km | 550 km ✓ |
| Power-to-weight (hp/t) | 23.8 hp/t ✓ | 20.9 hp/t |
| Muzzle velocity (m/s) | 1,655 m/s | 1,700 m/s ✓ |
| Firepower | ||
| Caliber (mm) | 120 mm | 125 mm |
| Ammunition | 42 ✓ | 40 |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 9.77 m | 9.63 m |
| Combat weight (kg) | 66,800 kg | 48,000 kg |
| Crew | 4 | 3 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Engine power (hp) | 1,500 hp ✓ | 1,130 hp |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $10,500,000 | $4,500,000 ✓ |
| Units built | 10,300 ✓ | 1,500 |
| Operator countries | 8 ✓ | 5 |
Analysis
General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams vs Uralvagonzavod T-90M: how they match up
Firepower and crew
The T-90M's 125mm 2A46M-5 gun is autoloaded, letting it run a three-man crew (no dedicated loader) and carry the 9M119M Invar gun-launched anti-tank missile alongside conventional rounds, a capability the Abrams does not have. The Abrams' 120mm M256A1 is manually loaded by a fourth crew member, generally considered to sustain a faster and more reliable rate of aimed fire than autoloader designs, at the cost of one more body inside the vehicle.
Protection
The Abrams pairs composite armor with third-generation depleted-uranium mesh inserts and, for equipped units, the Trophy active protection system. The T-90M uses composite armor with Relikt explosive reactive armor (a hard-kill layer that detonates outward against incoming rounds) plus the Shtora-1 infrared jammer, a soft-kill system meant to disrupt guided anti-tank missiles before impact. These are different protection philosophies, passive-plus-hard-kill versus passive-plus-soft-kill, and their real-world effectiveness against modern top-attack munitions is contested for both tanks.
Mobility
The Abrams' gas-turbine engine gives it a stronger power-to-weight ratio (23.8 hp/tonne vs the T-90M's 20.9), while the T-90M, at nearly 19 tonnes lighter (48,000kg vs 66,800kg), needs less power to achieve a comparable top speed (60 km/h vs 67 km/h) and posts a longer published range (550km vs 426km) on its diesel engine.
Cost, production, and combat record
Russia does not publish an official T-90M export price; reported per-unit figures vary widely depending on whether technology-transfer fees are included, so any cost comparison with the Abrams' roughly $10.5 million SEP v3 upgrade cost should be treated as directional at best. Both tanks have seen combat losses in the Russia-Ukraine war, Abrams supplied to Ukraine from 2023, T-90M fielded by Russian forces, with loss reporting on both sides shaped heavily by the source and, for Russian losses specifically, independent open-source tracking rather than official disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Abrams better than the T-90M? +
The Abrams has stronger published armor, mobility, and protection-system figures from a transparent source; the T-90M's comparable claims come largely from Russian state sources and carry more uncertainty, not necessarily worse real performance.
Why does the T-90M have a smaller crew than the Abrams? +
Its 125mm gun is autoloaded, eliminating the need for a dedicated loader; the Abrams' 120mm gun is manually loaded by a fourth crew member.
How much does a T-90M actually cost? +
Russia does not publish an official figure; reported per-unit costs vary substantially depending on whether technology-transfer and localization fees are included, making direct comparison to Western published costs unreliable.
Has the Abrams or T-90M performed better in Ukraine? +
Both have documented combat losses; no independently verified fleet-wide performance comparison between the two exists, and loss reporting methodology differs significantly between Ukrainian, Russian, and third-party open-source sources.
Which is faster, General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams and Uralvagonzavod T-90M? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 67 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The Uralvagonzavod T-90M has the longest range at 550 km.
Which is cheaper? +
The Uralvagonzavod T-90M has the lower public unit-cost figure at 4,500,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher power-to-weight? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams has the higher power-to-weight at 23.8 hp/t.
Which has the higher muzzle velocity? +
The Uralvagonzavod T-90M has the higher muzzle velocity at 1,700 m/s.
Which has the higher ammunition? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams has the higher ammunition at 42.
Is the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams better than the Uralvagonzavod T-90M? +
On the public specs we track, General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams and Uralvagonzavod T-90M are closely matched, General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams leads on max speed, power-to-weight, ammunition, while Uralvagonzavod T-90M leads on range, unit cost, muzzle velocity. See the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
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