Suicide drones are gradually taking over the position of tanks on the Ukrainian battlefield, including key weapons praised as the M1 Abrams.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict, with the increasingly popular presence of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), is rapidly transforming modern combat.
On the traditional battlefield, tanks are considered one of the main weapons, a symbol of military strength in many countries. But the increasing popularity and lethality of drones in Ukraine may change the role and use of this combat vehicle.
According to a senior US official, Russian forces in the past two months destroyed 5 out of 31 M1 Abrams tanks that the country provided aid to Ukraine. Austrian Colonel Markus Reisner said at least three other M1 Abrams were moderately damaged since Ukraine sent this main tank model to the front line earlier this year.
The M1 Abrams is hailed as one of the most powerful main tank models. However, the ease with which Russian forces brought down the M1 Abrams with a suicide drone “shows how this conflict is reshaping the nature of modern warfare,” according to expert Can Kasapoglu of the Hudson Institute. in America.
Russia destroyed more Abrams tanks and million-dollar mine-clearing vehicles from Ukraine
Abrams tanks and Ukrainian ABV mine-clearing vehicles were destroyed on March 3. Video: RIA Novosti
Despite possessing high mobility, strong firepower, strong raid capabilities and solid protection, tanks are not invulnerable combat vehicles. The most vulnerable locations on the tank are places with thin armor such as the roof, the rear engine compartment and the gap between the turret and the vehicle body.
Over the past decades, tanks have been designed and improved to deal with anti-tank mines, improvised explosive devices, anti-tank guns and guided missiles. More and more modern types of armor help tanks protect their bodies better against enemy fire.
But tank manufacturers did not foresee that one day first-person view (FPV) drones would become the most popular anti-tank weapon, even more accurate than anti-tank missiles. FPV drones have cameras that transmit images directly to the operator, helping them steer them into the most vulnerable positions on the tank.
In some battles, FPV is dispatched to finish off tanks that have hit mines or anti-tank missiles, leaving them motionless on the battlefield and unable to be brought back to the rear. Russian forces used this tactic in the battle to shoot down Ukraine’s first M1 Abrams near Avdeevka on February 26.
Depending on size and sophistication, a suicide drone can cost as little as $500. This is a small investment to destroy an M1 Abrams main tank with a price of up to 10 million USD each.
Some drone models can also carry anti-tank bullets or concave explosive bullets to increase the ability to defeat targets. In many battles, FPV even crawled through the hatch into the tank turret and exploded.
Abrams tank’s chain broke in photo released on March 3. Image: RIA Novosti
A few weeks after receiving 31 M1 Abrams, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted in November 2023 that this main tank model “can hardly play the most important role on the battlefield due to its small number”.
Some officials and experts believe that Ukrainian commanders plan to reserve M1 Abrams tanks for a future offensive campaign in 2025, therefore opposing sending them to the front line to avoid causing losses to the enemy. these rare combat vehicles.
Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade operated the above mentioned M1 Abrams tanks and came to reinforce the entrenched forces at Avdeevka. However, the 47th Brigade failed in its mission to hold the stronghold of Avdeevka and lost at least 5 M1 Abrams in fighting with Russia in the area.
According to experts, Russian drones can take down the M1 Abrams tank of the 47th Ukrainian brigade because this unit does not have short-range anti-aircraft guns like the German-made Gepard complex, which is on duty to protect Kiev and some other areas. Other important metropolises of Ukraine.
The FPV can be taken down by a jammer that cuts off the connection to the operator, the rifle or even the fishing net. “The most effective means used to defeat FPV at the moment are electronic warfare and other types of passive protection,” according to Michael Kofman, an expert at the Carnegie Institute for International Peace Studies based in America.
In addition to cage armor, Russian forces have recently manufactured turtle shell armor, some with anti-drone jamming devices on top, and installed it on tanks leading convoys of motorized vehicles attacking enemy positions. Ukraine also applies a number of anti-drone measures and is considered gradually more proficient in this activity.
Russian tank with turtle shell armor and electronic warfare cluster on the roof in photo released on April 16. Image: X/Kherson Cat
However, Ukraine deprived the tanks of the air defense network on the front line when using Gepard artillery and other short-range missiles, intended for this area, to protect urban areas and key infrastructure from attacks. Russian long range.
Some Ukrainian soldiers said they rarely use anti-aircraft missiles or advanced missile complexes to deal with FPV because they are needed to take down Russian helicopters and fighter jets.
Many experts doubt the effectiveness of these weapons in dealing with drones, because they are too small and fast, making them difficult for missile bullets to hit or cannot be detected by radar.
David van Weel, assistant secretary general of NATO in charge of new forms of combat, said that the militaries of several countries are testing laser weapons that can take down drones. This type of weapon uses a high-energy laser beam to burn the target, is capable of hitting small targets such as FPV and has cheaper operating costs than traditional systems.
However, Mr. van Weel said that the invention of countermeasures to neutralize laser weapons is only a matter of time, like all other new forms of warfare.
Since tanks appeared on the battlefield, many countries’ armies have sought new methods to defeat this combat vehicle. Some experts believe that FPV may not make main tanks like the M1 Abrams, Leopard or T-72, T-90 obsolete, because armies still need them to raid and occupy important positions. important.
However, drones, not tanks, are the important factor that can change the battlefield of the future. It can promote underground warfare, when soldiers sitting in underground fortifications control drones to fight with each other, instead of directly engaging in battle.
Nguyen Tien (According to Yahoo News, AFP, Reuters)
