Russian "armored barns" withstand drones but not javelins
Russians continue to use "armored barn" type tanks, which can unfortunately be effective in the absence of dedicated anti-tank weapons on the Ukrainian side. Here's where their secret lies.
7:39 PM EST, November 27, 2024
In response to Ukrainians' widespread use of FPV drones, the Russians have attempted to defend themselves in various ways. The most obvious solution is jammers, which do not guarantee 100% effectiveness. There have been instances of FPV drones attacking vehicles not equipped with them because the drone pilots managed to change control frequencies beyond their range.
For this reason, the idea emerged to cover tanks and other vehicles with scrap on a frame designed to prematurely detonate the cumulative warheads used on drones. Such a shield is placed about 20 inches away from the actual tank armor, so the detonation of a grenade such as the PG-7VL will not cause any harm. This is clearly shown in the video below, where a T-80 tank with a superstructure survived two FPV drone hits as if nothing had happened.
"Armored barn" - helpless against full-fledged anti-tank weapons
However, this barrier is ineffective against weapons with dual/tandem cumulative warheads, as the first warhead will make a hole in the scrap shield, allowing the main warhead to detonate on the actual tank armor. The Russians also use curtains protecting the front and rear to prevent a drone from flying under the scrap shield, though they also reduce visibility for the tank crew.
It is worth noting that when FGM-148 Javelin launchers arrived in the Krasnohorivka region in 2024, the Russian "armored barns" were turned into wrecks. The same applies to anti-tank weapons like Akeron MP or Stugna-P.
Ukraine lacks these means, which is why FPV drones have been successfully used as substitutes, equipped mostly with PG-7VL grenades capable of penetrating 20 inches of steel armor. However, they also occasionally use cluster munitions or Poland-era PGN grenades.
Meanwhile, infantry soldiers use valuable resources such as tandem grenades PG-7VR for RPG-7 launchers. In theory, mounting them on an FPV drone would solve the "armored barns" resistance problem, but these grenades are almost twice as heavy besides their limited availability. All this makes the unusual modifications of Russian tanks effective primarily due to the Ukrainians' limitations.
