Putin revamps Russian tanks with Arena-M shield to counter Western weapons in Ukraine

Hindustan times ^ | April 5, 2023 | Hindustan Times - staff

[Widget Jr]

Russia upgraded its main battle tank fleet to take on Ukraine's western tanks. As per TASS, Russia is installing the modern Arena-M reactive armour and high precision systems group on its tanks like the T-72, T-90, and T-80. Russia's T-72 main battle tank successfully passed tests using Arena-M armour. The Russian defence ministry is planning to quickly replace armoured troops with the Arena-M suite. Watch this video to know more.

[Widget Jr]

Posted to critique and criticize, not to agree.

The Hindustan Times is a Indian newspaper. I have noticed they play the game of lets-you-and-him-fight between other countries, as long as India is on the side and comes out ahead. They do not care who wins, as long as the US, Europe and western nations lose.

Videos of man portable anti-tank missiles and drones dropping grenades in hatches are good propaganda for Ukriane (and there is propaganda value in it). The reality is, the primary antiarmor and antivehicle weapons are mines and artillery. For each tank tanken out by a drone, several more run into mines or get hit by artillery. Active protection like the Arena-M can not defend from mines or artillery.

Reactive armor is nice on paper. Real life is different. Missiles like the TOW-II field in 1987 tandem warhead to defeat reactive armor, where the first blows off the reactive armor, the second destroys the tank. The RBS 56 Bill anti-tank missile was first deployed in 1988 flies over and attacks the top armor. Modern missiles like the Javelin and NLAW do the same. Even if the reactive armor works, there are some attacks where its effectiveness is limited by the limited armor behind it, and the vehcile may have enough damage that it is crippled anyway. The crew can get away, the vehicle is still a loss.

Manufacturing and deployment. Russia still has to build and deploy it to the battlefield. Just like getting US and NATO equipment takes time, this applies to new Russian equipment as well.

Russian hype versus Russian reality. The Arena-M system was first developed in 1993. The newer Afganit is used on the T-14 Armata. The problem with the Afganit is, when China was considering the T-14, one of the compliants was the Afganit did not work. If the newer active protection systems do not work, how well does a older system actually work? As well as, if Russia has had active protection like the Arena-M since they 1990s, why have they not deployed in any conflict they have been involved since, unless the systems do not work as claimed?

Complaints, more informed comments, criticisms, angry ranting and raving?

Tear Collection Kits available at poster's expense.

[Celtic Conservative]

Those might work unless some corrupt vendor used blocks of wood instead of reactive armor plates.

CC

[Brian Griffin]

It’s an active armor protection system that shoots two shells at an incoming threat coming from a wide range of directions.

https://euro-sd.com/2021/11/articles/exclusive/24493/arena-m-aps/

[Brian Griffin]

Any type of weapon system the US can make the Russians can make, and in larger quantities.

[MeganC]

Can’t wait to see Comrade Putin most bestest T-34 tank will be stronk like ox!

[MeganC]

Let’s see your Russian friends build an aircraft carrier.

[Brian Griffin]

https://www.armyrecognition.com/weapons_defence_industry_military_technology_uk/analysis_russian_afganit_active_protection_system_is_able_to_intercept_uranium_tank_ammunition_tass_11012163.html

[Pete Dovgan]

I am certain this will give improved survivability and crew protection to the T-34 they are actively sending to the front………

Except the videos have shown T-34’s, T-54,/55 headed to the front without such additional protections.

Not sure if technical reality has caught up to wishful thinking here. BTW, there are reports of Ukraine using WWII artillery because they don’t have any modern artillery left…..

Maybe soon both sides will throw rocks.

[Brian Griffin]

Russians have no real need for an aircraft carrier and it would probably get sunk rather easily.

Big ships are fine targets.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Great news!

[dila813]

You’re supposed to work on a lot of our anti-tank munitions, the latest ones were designed with this system in mind and they go way up in the air and they come straight down onto the turret where there is no protection, that’s so jib and Jive right at the last minute as well

[Celtic Conservative]

I think they still have enough soviet era small arms to draw this out for awhile.

CC

[Celtic Conservative]

They can make it cheaper and faster...with a 50% fail rate.

CC

[piytar]

Arena-M reactive armour Is easily overcome. It may have been effective 30 or so years ago. Now a joke.

[Brian Griffin]

“The Soviets ultimately built over 80,000 T-34s of all variants, allowing steadily greater numbers to be fielded despite the loss of tens of thousands in combat against the German Wehrmacht. Replacing many light and medium tanks in Red Army service, it was the most-produced tank of the war, as well as the second most-produced tank of all time (after its successor, the T-54/T-55 series).”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34

“The T-54/55 series is the most-produced tank in history. Estimated production numbers for the series range from 96,500 to 100,000.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-54/T-55

[nickfrost1]

This article may be good paying attention to the new Russian armor protection. But it has a lot of lapses.

Just one. Russia didn’t install it on her tanks WIDELY before simply because there were NO threats around from any enemy forces which might make her purpose really needed.

Until now in this war. So let us see how it will work in real war. Actually they test her against tow2 and other staff they captured from ukies. The article says she withstood tests.

[DUMBGRUNT]

—”Russians have no real need for an aircraft carrier and it would probably get sunk rather easily.

Big ships are fine targets.”

And yet, the Russians continue to pour massive amounts into attempting to keep the Kuznetsov afloat.

You should send them an email.

[nickfrost1]

Except the videos have shown T-34’s, T-54,/55 headed to the front without such additional protections.==

You probably saw ukie propaganda because it is utterly ridiculous. No T34 even left in the storage depos anymore only in museums. T55 is a oldest staff. Also they do not send them to front as they are but after upgrade.

Also they use T55 because they are rusting in depos so better to use now than let them rust out. Also they clear spaces too for new staff which be available after this war.

[nickfrost1]

And yet, the Russians continue to pour massive amounts into attempting to keep the Kuznetsov afloat.==

Kuznetsov is more like testing ship. They continue to upgrade it with new staff to try them in the real life. And their spending maybe 1% of what US spends on those carriers.

[Widget Jr]

RE #3, #4, and #7.

That is all according to Russia. The reality of the performance of the Russian military and their equipment is far different from what their marketing says.

Everyone expected Russia to win in three days. Russia expected to win in two weeks. In another year or two, Russia economy will decline so much it may not exist.