Ukraine installed anti-drone screens for Challenger 2 tanks

The video was published by British military magazine UK Defence Journal Posted earlier this week showed two Ukrainian Challenger 2 main tanks moving on a route near the front line, but the specific time and location were unclear. Both tanks are armored around the body and fitted with a folding screen on the turret, most likely to deal with suicide drones.

Another video released in August showed the screen in its deployed state, covering the roof and rear of the Challenger 2 turret, leaving only the front area exposed with the main gun and opto-electronic equipment. The Ukrainian tank in the second video does not have cage armor around the body.

It is unclear what materials were used to make the Challenger 2’s screen, as well as its manufacturing cost and actual effectiveness. The British magazine believes that this screen is more compact and lightweight than the welded steel cage fixed on the turret, and has less impact on the speed and mobility of the tank.

The Ukrainian army has not commented on this video.

The shutter is one of the latest measures applied by Ukraine to protect tanks against Russian drones, reflecting the trend of modifying combat vehicles to adapt to new threats.

Cheap suicide drones have caused significant losses to parties involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They are often used to disable armored vehicles and clear the way for other types of firepower, while also finishing off vehicles that are incapacitated and left on the battlefield.

The UK donated a total of 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, all assigned to the 82nd Air Assault Brigade from March 2023. Ukraine’s first Challenger 2 tank was burned near the strategic village of Rabotino in Zaporizhzhia province in September 2023, marking the first time this tank model was completely destroyed by the enemy since it was put into service by the UK.

The Ukrainian army then withdrew the Challenger 2 tank to the rear and used it as a mobile fire station, avoiding direct collisions with Russian guided missiles and suicide drones.

Ukrainian soldiers revealed in March that only seven Challenger 2s were still capable of fighting. Of the remaining 6 vehicles, one is for training in the rear, 5 vehicles are damaged but do not have spare parts yet. Two vehicles were damaged in combat but were repaired, one of which had to have its gun barrel replaced.

Challenger 2 tanks may have participated in the battle in Kursk province

British media said in August that Ukraine had deployed Challenger 2 tanks for the campaign in Russia’s Kursk province. The Russian Ministry of Defense also released a video of the Lancet suicide UAV crashing into a tank suspected to be a Challenger 2 moving in Kursk, causing a violent explosion and completely destroying the target.