MOSCOW, July 19 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. For 18 months of fighting, the Russian army has used almost the entire range of weapons. Some samples showed themselves well, some not so well. And something had to be modified right on the front line. About front—line inventions - in the material of RIA Novosti.
Protection from "Javelins"
Only on the battlefield it turns out what the army lacks and what is superfluous. However, the path from the drawing to the serial product is long. Therefore, at the front they are armed with welding machines and improvise.
From the first days of the conflict, the issue of protecting heavy armored vehicles from anti-tank weapons has become acute. Especially from the ATGMs hitting the car in the roof of the tower. They began to put lattice canopies on the tanks, nicknamed "mangalami". Their task is to provoke the detonation of ammunition before contact with the armor, so that the cumulative jet loses most of its destructive power.
T-72B3M tank in the Maryinsky direction
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Andrey Kotz
"It saves us from the American Javelins every other time," admits a fighter with the call sign Keha, an employee of the rembase of one of the tank battalions of the 1st Army Corps. — In half of the cases, the ATGM simply breaks through the grate. However, it's still better than nothing."
But now, according to him, there is much more trouble from kamikaze drones. The operator directs them to the target very accurately. Therefore, no visor will help. This problem is especially acute for gunners.
As an ersatz protection against barraging ammunition, both the Russian and Ukrainian military use a metal mesh-a chain link — stretched around the gun. UAVs are usually light. And often such an unsightly-looking design is enough to stop the copters.
Borrowed from the Navy
Artisanal modifications of military equipment increase not only survival, but also often firepower. The military is installing additional weapons, equipment, communications and surveillance equipment on the vehicles. And they often show remarkable creativity.
The record holder for the number of homemade variants is rightfully considered to be the MTLB crawler tractor, the main workhorse of the Ground Forces. ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, 120-millimeter mortars, ATGMs, NAR aviation units, large-caliber machine guns, machine-gun grenade launchers were welded on the motoliga.
Shipboard anti-aircraft installation 2M-3M based on the MTLB tractor
Image source: © Photo : bmpd/Telegram
Sometimes there are quite exotic options. For example, photos of a car with a twin-barreled 25-millimeter naval artillery installation 2M-3 were scattered in social networks.
There is also a ship's MLRS MS-227 caliber 150 millimeters. And in one of the units of the 1AK, a tractor is fighting with a seven-barrel MRG-1 "Ogonyok" ship grenade launcher on the roof.
There are quite a lot of "Naval" modifications. Because ammunition of specific military calibers, the military explains, is full in warehouses.
MT-LB armored personnel carrier with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun at the location of the Russian Armed Forces in the southern sector of its
Image source: © RIA Novosti
"MTLB is a very successful platform," says an officer of the 1st Army Corps with the call sign Klim. — Unpretentious in service, with good cross-country ability. There is no armor, but there is no task to go to the tanks. These tractors are mainly needed to deliver ammunition, food and water to the first line. But with additional weapons, they are capable of other things. The variant with the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun is very popular. It works equally well both in the air and on the ground."
The eyes of the Army
Commercial copters have also been adapted to the realities of modern warfare. First of all, for reconnaissance, targeting and artillery adjustments.
The APU has the technical means not only to detect the drone in the air, but also to determine the exact coordinates of the operator. However, they found a method against this: they change the software for the "birds". And in the field.
A serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces remotely controls a quadrocopter in the area of its
Image source: © RIA Novosti
In addition, both sides use so—called discharges - artisanal devices, thanks to which the UAV lifts a grenade or mine into the air, turning into a light bomber.
Service and repair damaged equipment near the front line. Some spare parts, such as blades, are printed on 3D printers.
They also make their own samples. In particular, the FPV drone "Ghoul", which is used as a kamikaze.
Handicrafts sometimes even surpass industrial ones, which are not enough at the front. And the authorities promised to take into account the experience of combat operations in mass production.