Russia's tank surge: Revamped models roll out with old tech twist
The Russian company Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil has boasted about sending the last batch of tanks for 2024. Here’s a closer look at what the Russians' New Year's delivery included.
The Russians have faced substantial armored losses in Ukraine, and replacements are being pursued in two ways. On the one hand, they're reviving older models, including tanks from the T-54/55 and T-62 families from post-Soviet stockpiles. On the other hand, they're accelerating the production of new T-72B3 and T-90M tanks based on T-72B shells, also from deep storage.
On the official Uralvagonzavod channel on Telegram, a Russian video shows the production line at the Nizhny Tagil plant and a train transporting at least five machines, four of which are T-90Ms with added anti-drone protection. In the background, another transporter is probably carrying four more tanks, although the exact number produced remains unknown.
It's worth noting the varying colors of parts or rust, likely due to using recycled parts to speed up production. For instance, one of the showcased tanks has a barrel that likely came from an older unit (different shade), and four tanks on the railway flatbed have rusty tracks.
Additionally, at least some tanks seem equipped with elements characteristic of the Arena-M active protection system. This is surprising because units with this equipment have never been seen on the front lines.
Arena-M system - an old idea adapted to new conditions
Due to the losses sustained, the Russians were compelled to revisit the Arena active protection system development, which they had originally developed in the 1980s. The result is the Arena-M system, first unveiled at the Army-2024 trade fair, as reported by Łukasz Michalik.
The Russians were pioneers in active protection systems initially, exemplified by the 1030M Drozd developed in the 1970s, seen on experimental T-80UM2 tanks, among others. However, the realization of this idea later failed due to the USSR's technological and financial challenges.
This idea inspired Israeli designers to develop the Rafael Trophy, the most effective and popular active protection system. Meanwhile, Russia continued working on the Arena system, which consisted of a radar and counter-missile launcher.
The new Arena-M system will likely modify the old solution, addressing its shortcomings. The earlier version could only detect objects moving at speeds above 230 feet/second and ignored missiles attacking from above, such as the TOW-2B or FGM-148 Javelin.
Arena-M system - advantages, drawbacks, and limitations
The Arena-M system is lighter than its predecessor and might even be capable of shooting down FPV drones. However, it's important to note that the system must include some filter to distinguish dangerous objects from, for example, birds. Drone pilots might, through trial and error, determine the system's activation point and, for instance, approach more slowly.
Another issue involves quickly responding to attacks by several objects, which is likely less effective in the Russian system than in the more refined Israeli Trophy. It's possible that, for example, the T-90M with Arena-M might not be sufficient in the event of a simultaneous attack by a swarm of 10 FPV drones, each costing around $1,000.
Theoretically, the Russians needed to address a key challenge associated with using Arena and similar systems. This involves the risk posed to their own soldiers near the tank. However, given the current disregard for soldiers' lives, it's doubtful whether any measures have been taken in this regard.
