Key facts
- Russian tanks equipped with the new Arena-M active protection system have been deployed in Ukraine.
- Ukrainian drones destroyed at least seven Russian tanks, including some with the Arena-M system.
- The Arena-M system demonstrated effectiveness by shooting down some incoming drones.
- Ukrainian forces required 15-20 drones to destroy each tank equipped with the system.
- The Arena-M system has limitations in detecting small, unpredictable drones and can be overwhelmed by numbers.
- Similar active protection systems like Israel's Trophy have also faced challenges against drones.
Russian tanks equipped with the new Arena-M active protection system have seen limited success in combat in Ukraine, according to recent reports. While the system, designed to intercept drones and missiles, demonstrated some effectiveness by shooting down incoming Ukrainian drones, it was ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers.
During a documented assault in Donetsk Oblast on July 22, Ukrainian forces destroyed at least seven Russian T-72B3A tanks, including some fitted with the Arena-M. Ukrainian soldiers reported needing between 15 and 20 kamikaze drones to take out each tank, suggesting the system, which has a limited number of countermunitions, can be saturated. Analysts note that this indicates an ongoing arms race, with Russia experimenting with armor on drone-dominated battlefields.
The Arena-M system, an evolution of Soviet-era technology, uses radar to detect threats and launch interceptors. However, reports suggest difficulties in adapting it to detect smaller, slower, and more unpredictable drones compared to traditional anti-tank missiles. The Institute for the Study of War commented that the system alone is unlikely to be a sufficient countermeasure, and its limitations increase the cost and effort for Ukrainian forces.
Concerns about active protection systems' effectiveness against drones extend beyond Ukraine. In the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli Merkava 4 tanks equipped with Trophy active protection systems were reportedly targeted by Hezbollah drones. Hezbollah also employed drones connected by fiber optic cables, bypassing radio signal jamming, a tactic reportedly influenced by the war in Ukraine. Despite these challenges, multiple European countries and the U.S. military are equipping their tanks with the Trophy system.