Impenetrable: tankers spoke about the anti-drone protection of combat vehicles

A fight is the culmination of a confrontation, the outcome of which depends on who is better prepared for the fight. The one who is smarter, who analyzes the situation faster and adapts to it, who thinks outside the box always wins. This applies to tactics, methods of using weapons, and means of defense.

The tank crews of the “West” group of troops told how the experience of fighting on the front line helped them “pump up their car”, make the tank invulnerable to enemy weapons, and what knowledge and skills a tank commander cannot do without.

The crew of the deeply modernized T-72B3M from the Zapad group, performing combat missions in the Kupyansk direction, admits that they had to try hard to turn the tank into an impenetrable vehicle. The standard “seventy-two” in the new outfit is unrecognizable – several layers of protection, “visors” from drones, a “beard” with chains. Everything to save the lives of soldiers and equipment.

The commander of a tank platoon with the call sign “Wolf-61” explains that tank crews have to carry out assigned tasks regardless of the time of day and weather conditions. They work against a variety of targets – these include enemy machine-gun crews, anti-tank guided missile crews – ATGMs, and Ukrainian Armed Forces strongholds. Our tankers strike enemy targets both with direct fire and from indirect fire positions.

“Since our vehicle is prepared, we most often work with direct fire,” clarifies Volk-61. – We roll out to a distance of 700-800 meters from the enemy, and sometimes even 500 meters. Almost close. And we smash the goals…

Working at close range from the enemy is fraught with enormous risk, and therefore the military is trying to further protect its combat vehicle, making it virtually invulnerable to the enemy.

The commander, gesturing towards the T-72B3M, explains that one of the protection elements is the so-called “beard with chains”, which protects the vehicle from anti-bottom mines.

“A rubber apron is attached behind the chains, which also protects against mines,” explains the military man. – When knocking down mines, he directs the cumulative jet in the other direction, and not under the bottom of the car.

The external protection of the tank above the driver’s workplace is also supplemented with armor plates with dynamic protection. It is also installed on the sides, in boxes for spare equipment and spare parts. Everything is removable – if you need to make a march, the elements are removed, additional fuel tanks are installed, and the car is ready to travel hundreds of kilometers.

The pallet is equipped with additional dynamic protection – armor plates, anti-cumulative grilles, and the sides of the tank are reinforced with dynamic protection.

“The side of the vehicle with additional protection can withstand more than one hit,” the tanker clarifies.

The stern, in turn, is protected by anti-cumulative gratings, on which dynamic protection elements are installed – explosive packages that direct the cumulative jet to the side when an enemy projectile hits. The military installed an anti-drone dome on the tank’s turret, which covers the commander’s and gunner’s hatches from being hit by kamikaze drones.

The T-72B3M is also equipped with an electronic warfare system (EW), which protects the vehicle from kamikaze drones, disrupting their control system.

An underground workshop where equipment is modernized and repaired is here at the forefront. It is headed by a tank commander with the call sign “Stove”, a power engineer by training. Tankers do minor repairs themselves. They admit that a workshop made for oneself significantly reduces the time for repairs. As a result, vehicles that have received light damage from enemy fire do not leave the line of combat contact and are ready to constantly carry out missions.

“If we can fix a malfunction ourselves, we try to do it without driving the car back and forth,” shares “Stove.” – Daily maintenance and minor repairs are all within our capabilities.

The workshop has its own welding machine, workbench, and vice. Everything is as it should be, explains the commander of the combat vehicle.

Among the most “unpleasant” breakdowns, the military man recalls how they had to remove a leak in the middle tank. After the impact, the combat vehicle received a hole. According to military repair rules, the turret would have to be removed, but the guys were able to fix the problem on the spot.

“The vehicle commander must be able to do everything – work for the gunner, the mechanic, and repair the vehicle if necessary,” sums up the crew commander.