Russia ramps up tank production with arena-M upgrades
The Russian company Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil has announced the final tank shipment for 2024. Here is what the Russian New Year delivery included.
The Russians have suffered considerable armoured losses in Ukraine, and the restoration of their capabilities is being addressed in two ways. On the one hand, there is the reanimation of older models, such as tanks from the T-54/55 and T-62 families from post-Soviet stock, and on the other, the accelerated production of new T-72B3 and T-90M tanks using the hulls of T-72B tanks also sourced from deep storage.
On the official Uralvagonzavod channel on Telegram, a Russian video showcases the production line at the Nizhny Tagil plant and railway transport containing at least five machines, four of which are T-90Ms featuring additional anti-drone protection. In the background, another transporter is visible, likely carrying four tanks, although the official number of tanks produced remains unknown.
It is also worth noting the different colours of the components or rust, which is most likely due to the use of used elements to expedite production. For instance, one of the tanks presented has a barrel probably taken from an older piece (differing in the shade), and four tanks on the railway trailer have rusty tracks.
Additionally, at least some of the tanks have been equipped with features characteristic of the Arena-M active protection system. This is unexpected, as machines outfitted with this system have not previously been observed at the front.
Arena-M system - an old idea adapted to new conditions
Due to the losses sustained, the Russians were compelled to revisit the development of the Arena active protection system, which had been underway since the 1980s. The outcome of this work is the Arena-M system, which was first showcased during the Army-2024 exhibition.
Notably, Russians were pioneers of active protection systems initially, such as the 1030M Drozd developed in the 1970s, which is seen on, among other things, the experimental T-80UM2 tank. However, the idea's implementation later failed due to the USSR's technological and financial problems.
The idea inspired designers in Israel, who developed the currently most effective and popular active protection system, Rafael Trophy. In Russia, the Arena system was developed and intended to consist of radar and countermeasure launchers.
The new Arena-M system is likely a modification of the former solution that addresses the shortcomings of the original system. The older version could only detect objects moving at speeds over 156 mph and ignored missiles attacking from above, such as the TOW-2B or FGM-148 Javelin.
Arena-M system - alongside its advantages, there are drawbacks and limitations
The Arena-M system is lighter than the old version and may also be capable of intercepting FPV drones. However, the system must have a filter to distinguish between dangerous objects and, for example, birds. Drone pilots may, through trial and error, identify the system's activation point and approach more cautiously.
Another issue is the challenge of quickly repelling attacks from multiple objects, which is likely less effective in the Russian system than in the more sophisticated Israeli Trophy. It may transpire that a T-90M with Arena-M is insufficient in the event of a simultaneous assault by, for instance, a swarm of 10 FPV drones costing around 800 pounds each.
Moreover, theoretically, the Russians have to contend with one key challenge when using the Arena and similar systems: the risk to their soldiers near the tank. However, considering the current lack of regard for soldiers' lives, it seems unlikely that any measures have been taken.
