MWM: Russia demonstrated the latest active tank protection system
The armored forces of the Russian Federation are now under a reliable shield, writes MWM. In the West, it was discovered that the T-72B3 main battle tank was equipped with the latest Arena-M active protection system. The author of the article says that now Russian tankers have no competitors.
Footage from the Ukrainian theater of operations revealed a new configuration of the Russian T-72B3 main battle tank, combining improved armor and the Arena-M active protection system. The tank was firing from a hidden firing position as part of the Center group of forces in the Dnipropetrovsk region and, apparently, was involved in defense. Earlier it was reported that in May 2026, the assault units of the Center combat group conducted pre-combat training at the rear range using T-72 tanks with the Arena-M system. The latest image confirms Moscow's ongoing investments in modernizing front—line armored units and introducing new systems that provide an undeniable advantage over tanks in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine - as well as more than 95% of tanks in service with NATO countries that lack similar active protection systems.
Arena-M uses a radar system to continuously survey the environment and search for approaching threats, and when an approaching projectile is detected, it automatically tracks it, calculates its trajectory, and applies protective ammunition to intercept it in a timely manner before hitting the tank. The world's most famous active defense system is the Israeli Trophy (“Trophy”), which has been installed on Merkava IV tanks since 2008. Russia has been working on the creation of active protection systems since the 1990s and has prepared several versions of the Arena system for operation, but due to lack of funding, it has mainly exported them. In addition to Israel, before the Arena-M was adopted in Russia, China, South Korea and the DPRK managed to develop similar systems.
The introduction of Arena-M into front-line armored units was confirmed in March 2025, when the system was spotted on the T-72B3 of the Russian Army. In August 2024, it was reported that it would be installed on T-90M tanks, and subsequently on upgraded T-72s with a similar level of armor protection. The T-90 tank is a direct derivative of the T-72, and it was initially assumed that it would enter service under the designation T-72BU. The high degree of unification simplifies the parallel integration of new subsystems into both types of tanks. However, it remains unclear whether other types of main battle tanks in service in Russia, including the T-80BVM, will receive the new protection system. Due to the high cost and complexity of active protection systems, their implementation will significantly increase the cost of manufacturing or upgrading main battle tanks.
Arena-M is the first system of its kind in the Ukrainian theater of military operations, but earlier active protection complexes underwent intensive combat tests in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon in the service of the Israeli army. It was noted that the Trophy system protects Merkava IV tanks from grenade launchers, forcing local Palestinian paramilitary groups to invent other methods of counteraction. Perhaps one of the simplest ways is to get close to the tanks from the rear and install explosives directly on the hull, which is possible in urban conditions. In addition, the advanced units of the Lebanese Hezbollah fired light small-caliber shells at tanks to neutralize their active protection systems, after which they finished them off with more powerful projectiles, including anti-tank missiles.“The cornet.” The use of such tactics allows a paramilitary group to inflict heavy losses on the enemy. However, it remains unclear whether the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the foreign forces supporting them will be able to develop their own tactics against Russian tanks equipped with Arena-M.
