Ukrainian drones have shown they can take out Russian tanks fitted with Arena-M active protection,first used in combat July 22,2022. Despite its design to intercept threats,Ukrainian forces destroyed at least seven T-72B3A tanks during an assault in Donetsk Oblast.
The Arena-M,meant to shoot down drones and projectiles, struggled in its battlefield debut. Ukrainian defenders needed 15 to 20 drones per tank, highlighting the system's limits against massed attacks . Video footage from Ukrainian soldiers captured drones hitting their targets, illustrating modern arms race.
Analysts say Arena-M showed some effectiveness but couldn't counter Ukraine's swarm tactics. Journalists Dmytro Putiata and Rob Lee noted Russia's military is changing strategies in this drone-heavy conflict. Lee suggested Arena-M will likely see upgrades as war continues.
Introducing Arena-M is a key point in ongoing conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. With traditional tank assaults declining, focus is on shielding armored vehicles from cheap drones. Russia tried adding physical armor like “cope cages,” but these often hampered operations.
Developed in Soviet times, the Arena system uses radar to detect threats like grenades and anti-tank missiles. Adapting it for small drones has been tough . Arena-M's limited dozen countermunitions make it vulnerable to Ukrainian drone swarms,which cost as little as $400 each.
The Institute for the Study of War concluded Arena-M can't alone defend against Ukrainian drones. The report warned the system could be overwhelmed,raising costs and efforts for Ukraine defending against Russian armor.
Pro-Kremlin bloggers admitted Arena-M's limits,urging more layers to Russian tank defenses. Tanks also face crewed anti-tank weapons,mines, and artillery. Russia might boost Arena-M's munitions,but space on turret launchers is tight.
Active protection challenges aren't just in Ukraine . In the US-Israeli conflict with Iran,Israeli Merkava 4 tanks with Trophy protection struggled against Hezbollah's small drones. Despite countermunitions, these systems failed to intercept,causing Israeli losses.
Hezbollah’s drones,immune to jamming due to fiber optic links,are key in their fight against Israel. Lessons from Ukraine have alarmed Israel,as drones caused significant soldier casualties.
In response,European nations are acquiring the Trophy system for their armored vehicles. The EuroTrophy venture aims to fit 400 European Leopard tanks, while US has added Trophy to hundreds of M1 Abrams tanks.
As global militaries face drone warfare's rise, Ukraine's lessons and systems like Arena-M and Trophy will shape future strategies. The Combined Resolve exercise in Germany showed these issues,with Ukrainian drones taking out a whole brigade of US tanks and vehicles.
