How drones force countries to change tank tactics

Images published by the media in October show a series of Ukrainian Challenger 2 and M1A1SA Abrams main tanks with caged armor around the body and a folding canopy installed on the turret, to deal with threats from vehicles. suicide drones.

Russian tanks participating in the campaign in Ukraine also carry massive armor cages and steel mesh, likened to turtle shells, to deal with enemy first-person (FPV) drones. This type of armor is also increasingly perfected, no longer patchy like it was in the early stages, showing that the Russian army is making efforts to standardize and mass-equip turtle armor for tank units.

These are signs of the race to increase the ability to protect tanks worth millions of dollars from the risk of being disabled by drones that cost only a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Tanks were once considered the kings of the battlefield, but the popularity of suicide drones means that such large combat vehicles can be detected and become targets in just a few minutes. Many Ukrainian and Russian tanks were damaged, completely destroyed or fell into enemy hands after drone attacks.

“In addition to suicide drones, the enemy also often deploys reconnaissance drones (UAVs) to find targets. If tanks are detected, they will point to artillery, guided missiles, and suicide drones. , glide bombs and even mines for attack,” said the driver of a Ukrainian Abrams tank nicknamed Smilik.

Lessons from the Ukraine conflict are motivating many militaries to add active and passive anti-drone capabilities to tanks, as well as find ways to change the design and tactics of using this weapon. This is especially important for the militaries of many Western countries, which have considered tanks the center of their land strategy for decades.

“In the near future, the US military needs to urgently make adjustments to maintain the survivability of armored formations,” said General James Rainey, leader of the US Army’s Future Command. good. This is the agency responsible for modernizing equipment and preparing future combat scenarios for the US Army.

Assistant Secretary of the US Army in charge of procurement Doug Bush said the military is looking for ways to make tanks more difficult to detect, from changing paint colors to reducing electronic signals emitted from the vehicle. US defense corporations are also researching lighter materials to build tanks, helping to increase mobility and making drone raids more difficult.

Sweden’s Saab Group said many parties are interested in a camouflage net product that can cover the entire tank, partially concealing heat radiation and helping the vehicle hide better.

After the outbreak of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, Poland ordered hundreds of K2 main tanks made by Korea. A few months later, the country ordered another batch of K2 tanks and requested additional systems, including drone control signal jammers.

Russia and Ukraine both installed electronic warfare equipment on armored tanks to deal with drones, and deployed measures to neutralize the enemy’s jamming capabilities.

Meanwhile, the US and its allies are also adding active defense measures to tanks. Among these is the Iron Fist system made by Israel, with the ability to launch small explosive bullets to block a variety of incoming threats, from anti-tank missiles to FPV drones.

When fighting first broke out, Ukrainian soldiers often dug trenches and camouflaged themselves to hide tanks, ready to ambush the enemy.

“However, everything is now monitored and it is impossible to dig fortifications to hide vehicles. We have to try to keep our distance, operate out of reach of enemy drones and bring the vehicles to a suitable location to attack,” Lubomyr Stakhiv, a Ukrainian sergeant, said.

Anton Havrish, commander of a Ukrainian Leopard tank company, said the skills of armored tank commanders were previously assessed by their ability to fight alone and in coordination with infantry. Nowadays, the ability to shoot secretly and retreat quickly is more appreciated.

“Drones make us have to focus on training soldiers to continuously maneuver tanks. We cannot leave weapons in an open area on the battlefield even for a minute, we have to bring tanks under trees or to the destination. hide whenever they stop moving,” said Colonel Juhana Skytta, a Finnish army inspector and former commander of an armored brigade.

A series of US officials said there were many lessons to be learned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which took place on flat terrain with little vegetation, ideal for drones.

Ukrainian tanks do not play the leading role and spearhead the assault on the battlefield according to NATO’s combat doctrine, because Russia has the ability to dig a dense network of fortifications and lay large amounts of anti-tank mines in a short time.

“When participating in conflicts, the US military always deploys tanks under air support to better protect vehicles. Ukraine cannot do this,” a US official admitted.

Some US army officials believe that this service is investing too much in tanks. The US Marine Corps eliminated tanks when restructuring four years ago, to increase flexibility in combat. Some Western countries also cut the number of tanks in service, such as Norway last year reducing its Leopard 2 order to invest in missile defense systems.

However, many officers affirm that tanks still play an important role in modern warfare, although they are increasingly losing their inherent advantage because of the popularity of suicide drones. “We need tanks to create a shocking effect, thereby quickly penetrating and consolidating positions when confronting opponents with armored tanks,” General Kevin Admiral, commander of the US 3rd Armored Corps. , said.