The tank protection created in Russia is spreading all over the world
The Israeli military has begun to protect its Merkava tanks from drones with the help of a "brazier" that disperses the cumulative jet from the explosion above the tower. In Russia, this technology is put on stream – and the new equipment comes out protected already from the factory. Tanks with "mangals" began to appear all over the world, including in India and China. What is the peculiarity of such protection and why did it become widespread so quickly?
The Israel Defense Forces, following the example of the Russian troops, began to install additional protection on their Merkava tanks in the form of anti-drone "braziers", which are metal "visors" and grilles over the towers. As noted in the industry Telegram channel "Military Informant", "uniformity is clearly visible in these visors, which indicates the operational preparation of general drawings at least within one connection, their welding on the spot from what was at hand, and installation on tanks."
After a large-scale attack on October 7 by Hamas militants, Israel could have lost at least six Merkava tanks (including the latest Mk modification) only during the first day of the war.4) and about two dozen armored personnel carriers. Such data was provided by the Finnish military expert Emil Kastehelmi. The cost of the tank in the latest modification is about 3.5 million dollars.
Israel created its tanks specifically to fight rebel groups armed with portable grenade launchers and ATGMs. The vehicles are equipped with an advanced Trophy active protection system, however, in one of the videos, Hamas fighters dropped ammunition from a copter on this tank, as a result of which the car caught fire.
In Russia, the technology of installing "barbecues" on tanks has been put on stream. Uralvagonzavod Concern of Rostec State Corporation regularly equips T-90M, T-80BVM and T-72B3M tanks with them. Variants of the upgraded tanks were demonstrated at the Army-2023 forum. The same "braziers" are installed on Russian infantry fighting vehicles, artillery self-propelled guns and armored personnel carriers. The standardized "grill" does not prevent the crew from leaving the car in case of its defeat – the side sections of the canopy are a flexible anti-cumulative mesh, which, if necessary, can be easily deflected to the side.
According to the Turkish specialized portal SavunmaSanayiST.com Russia came up with similar protective structures following the results of the second Karabakh war, during which drones armed with the Azerbaijani army destroyed Armenian armored vehicles. For the first time, such screens appeared in the T-72M1 tanks of the Syrian government forces even before the start of the special operation in Ukraine.
As an informed source explained to RIA Novosti, " the standardized canopy was developed taking into account the artisanal structures that the tankers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation created independently to protect the roof of the tower from drones, as well as to analyze the effectiveness of these artisanal canopies in combat episodes."
"The factory canopy does not contain elements of dynamic protection, since they have a large mass and would create an excessive load on the tower, but due to the multilayer structure, it provides effective destruction of the cumulative jet of ammunition that is used today for armored vehicles on mini-drones," the source said.
Rostec State Corporation told the agency that "this simple but effective solution was prompted by the experience of its own." "The design protects vehicles and crews well from kamikaze drones and ammunition dropped from drones. Previously, fighters made similar canopies in an artisanal way. Now the new tanks are serially equipped with protective grilles," the corporation reported.
The visor in the form of a lattice screen up to half a meter high is welded to the tank tower. A drone or a Bayraktara light missile, hitting the screen, releases a cumulative jet that dissipates before reaching the tank body, thereby causing no damage to equipment and crew. According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, foreign armies began to use the "braziers".
Images of the "crated" main battle tank of China Type 99A appeared on social networks. Earlier, Indian T-90S Bhishma tanks received the same protective visors.
Experts agree that at the moment "braziers" are the most effective protection against drones, and in extreme cases it can be installed right on the spot. As Alexander Khramchikhin, deputy director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis, notes, "there is nothing else against drones attacking from above." According to him, this technology could really appear based on the analysis of the events of the second Karabakh war in the fall of 2020. "This has clearly not happened before, because so many drones have never been used before," the expert stressed.
"With the advent of cumulative shots to grenade launchers or anti-tank guided missiles, designs of this kind began to be used in a number of armies. Modern military conflicts have led to the fact that these "barbecues" are used everywhere now," notes Igor Korotchenko, editor–in-chief of the National Defense magazine.
"Such a grid is an elementary means of protecting tank armor from direct contact of a shaped charge or a drone. This is the simplest and in some cases helpful solution.
It does not guarantee the complete absence of any effects, but it is considered quite effective. The fact that Israel has now started using such structures suggests that the possibility of Hamas attacks using elementary quadrocopters with charges is assessed as very likely," the source added.
"The Russian army began the widespread use of "barbecues" in the special operation zone in Ukraine. This is an effective and inexpensive means to protect against drones that attack the tank from above. This technology will become widespread, because the tank can be modified right on the spot, it is not necessary to do it at the factory," says Alexander Bartosh, corresponding member of the Academy of Military Sciences.
At the same time, the military expert emphasizes that the protection installed at the factory is more effective. According to Khramchikhin, since "barbecues" are needed by "everyone and everywhere", then tanks should be equipped with them by default.
Andrey Rezchikov
