under the threat of drones, external armor gives tanks a new look
2024-09-07
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russia's "tsar mangal" tank. image courtesy of the russian ministry of defense
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the protracted conflict between russia and ukraine has pushed the "contradiction" between tanks and anti-tank weapons to a new chapter again and again. the latest evidence is the wild-looking "turtle tank" launched by the russian military. through external protective devices, this tank can minimize the threat of drones, but it sacrifices the traditional advantage of russian tanks in concealment.
a few days ago, a video from the russian official media red star circulated on the internet. the video shows a t-80 tank equipped with a unique protective structure, which is shaped like a turtle shell and can provide strict protection for the relatively fragile top and sides of the tank, with only the gun barrel protruding forward.
the code name of this tank with external protective equipment is "tsar mangal". russian soldiers said in an interview that the main purpose of the metal shell is to resist attacks from ukrainian drones. a folding bed is also installed inside the metal shell to facilitate soldiers to rest between battles. the russian ministry of defense has also shared a similar video on the social media platform "telegram". although the specific time and place have not yet been determined, it is generally believed that this "turtle tank" has participated in the war in the donetsk region.
the us website business insider analyzed that for both sides of the conflict, the large number of suicide drones has become the number one threat to the armored forces. skilled drone operators can accurately strike the weakest areas of tank armor, or even let the drone fly directly into the vehicle and explode. as a result, russia and ukraine are competing to add various external armors to their tanks.
however, these "rushed" emergency solutions have many shortcomings. they increase the weight of the tank, reduce its mobility, and because of its large size, the tank's projection area will also increase significantly, making it easier to be discovered and attacked. in this regard alone, russia's newly launched "turtle tank" has a particularly prominent problem.
traditionally, russian tanks are smaller in size and tonnage, with an emphasis on mobility. this design makes them harder to detect than their western counterparts, which feature comprehensive protection and powerful guns. "it is generally believed that russian tanks and american tanks have their own advantages," jeffrey edmonds, a defense security expert who served in the u.s. army armored forces, told business insider. "american tanks are tall and powerful, with longer range and more firepower; russian tanks have been known for their concealment and flexibility for decades, making it difficult for opponents to detect and aim."
but now, as russia and ukraine continue to add all kinds of strange external protective equipment to their tanks, the traditional advantages of russian tanks are gradually disappearing. for example, although the metal shell of the "turtle tank" provides additional defense, it also weakens the advantage of russian tanks being smaller and less vulnerable to being hit.
since the second year of the russian-ukrainian conflict, drones carrying explosives have been used extensively in anti-tank operations. nowadays, almost every day, there are first-person videos recording the amazing destructive power of these wandering "death gods".
in order to reduce the threat of drones, russia and ukraine both came up with the idea of adding cage-type additional armor to their vehicles. around june 2023, photos of irregular metal barriers welded on the exterior of russian mt-lb armored personnel carriers and t-72b tanks appeared on the internet. at first, these protective devices looked rough, but over time, their manufacturing process and protective effect have improved. ukraine has also installed similar protective devices on the american m1 tanks it has acquired, which can more comprehensively cover areas such as the top of the turret where the armor is thinner.
in some local conflicts in the past, there have been similar examples of the use of external metal cage protection measures, such as the us military's "stryker" wheeled combat vehicles deployed in iraq and afghanistan used it to defend against anti-tank rockets from militants. but in today's ukraine, with the increasing threat of drones, this single protection method is no longer sufficient to ensure the safety of vehicles. therefore, russia made a more radical attempt, and the "turtle tank" came into being.
business insider pointed out that although the design of the "turtle tank" runs counter to the concealment and flexibility that russian tanks have always pursued, this balance seems reasonable in the russian-ukrainian conflict. because in the actual combat over the past two years, tank-to-tank confrontations have rarely occurred, and the threat of drones has increased day by day, and the once respected heavy armored units have had to explore new ways of survival.
source: china youth daily client
