Ukraine is now sending its tanks to the front line accompanied by drones. These classic combat vehicles, decimated by enemy drones at the beginning of the conflict, penetrate enemy sectors and can return unscathed. It’s proof that the tank is not yet „dead” in modern warfare; it just needs a little help.
The 475th Assault Regiment of the Ukrainian army has found a new way to protect its tanks against Russian drones. The unit has surrounded its tanks, equipped with additional armor, with its own drones. During a recent mission to counter infiltrations, two tanks of the Ukrainian regiment were guided into battle by three different types of drones, reports Euromaidan.
Russian troops have started infiltrating villages and towns along the northeastern border of Ukraine with Russia, likely aiming to draw Ukrainian forces away from major confrontations in the south, in the areas of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
An Unusual Team Surprises the Russians
To eliminate these infiltration teams without allocating precious infantry forces, the 475th Assault Regiment of Ukraine has formed an unusual team: two heavily armored tanks and three different types of drones.
The drones conducted reconnaissance ahead of the tanks and protected them as they advanced through the area controlled by enemy drones, a veritable lethal zone, to engage in close combat with Russian troops.
In this mission, the combination of mechanized forces and unmanned assets proved effective: the tanks achieved their objective and remained intact.
If this partnership between tanks and drones continues to yield results, it is expected to become increasingly widespread along the entire 1,200-kilometer front line as Ukraine faces an increasingly acute military personnel crisis, notes the cited publication.
Support for "Hedgehog" Tanks
It is not clear what types of tanks the 475th Assault Regiment uses, but it is evident how the regiment protects its tanks against the ubiquitous Russian drones.
The unit encases the tanks in metal cages, on which hundreds of metal spikes are then welded. These spikes trigger the explosion of approaching drones at a safe distance from the tank's body. At the same time, the cage structure supports the spikes and retains any drones they might miss.
Ukrainian soldiers call these vehicles "hedgehog tanks." The Russians created this protection system, but observing its effectiveness in repelling dozens of drones simultaneously, the Ukrainians have adopted it.
However, even the best-protected "hedgehog" tank may face difficulties crossing the enemy's lethal zone, where bombers and kamikaze drones operate in the air, and ground-based ambush drones, mines, and other threats lie in wait.
The Best Anti-Drone Defense
Sometimes, the best defense against a drone is another drone, a principle put into practice by the 475th Assault Regiment.
To escort the two tanks in the battle against Russian infiltration forces from the village of Vilkhuvatka in the Kharkiv region, located 9 km from the Russian border, the regiment deployed a heavy bombing drone of the Vampire type, at least one FPV quadcopter drone (with pilot's perspective view) loaded with explosives, and at least one surveillance quadcopter.
How the drones protect the tanks:
- Surveillance drones conduct reconnaissance in advance.
- The bombing drone can destroy mines and ambush drones operating in loitering mode.
- FPV drones can intercept approaching enemy FPV drones.
The layered protection system has proven effective. A video recording of the 475th Assault Regiment captured the moment when the tanks were hit multiple times by Russian drones and mines, but not strongly enough to slow them down.
Both vehicles reached an intersection in Vilhuvatka, fired their cannons at nearby Russian infiltration groups, and then withdrew.
Tanks Haven't "Died"
Conclusion? Despite the serious threats that drones and mines pose to tanks in the fifth year of Russia's war against Ukraine, tanks can still fight, overcome, and survive if they receive substantial support from the same types of enemy drones.
The tank hasn't "died" yet. It just needs a little help, concludes the Ukrainian publication.
T.D.