The third-generation T-90 was developed at the tail end of the Cold War to replace the T-72, and it was seen as being equal in capabilities to the U.S. military's M1 Abrams and German-made Leopard 2.

The efforts to fully replace the older Kalashnikov assault rifle began in 2018, but as seen in the Kremlin's ongoing war in Ukraine, it will likely take years for the transition to be completed.