Ukraine's new MRAPs: A lifesaving shield against drone attacks

Ukraine received a substantial number of MRAP vehicles from the USA. They are not the perfect solution for the combat conditions there, but they can withstand a few hits from FPV drones, known for destroying powerful tanks.

In the video below, filmed near Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) MaxxPro vehicle can be seen. During its journey to retrieve a wounded soldier (in the full version of the video), it was struck several times on the front line by FPV drones.

The MaxxPro withstood the hits as if nothing happened, which cannot be said for the Soviet-era tanks and the BMP/BMD family of infantry fighting vehicles, which often fall victim to these drones.

The MaxxPro, like other MRAP designs, is a specialized vehicle intended for use in expeditionary missions where the most significant threats are mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and ambushes with handheld anti-tank weapons such as RPG-7 launchers.

In such conditions, standard vehicles like the HMMWV proved too problematic, and something more durable yet cheaper than infantry fighting vehicles was needed—something that would allow the transport of a six-person squad, for example.

The solution was to design a heavily armoured vehicle with 4x4 drive, and one of the many variants is the MaxxPro produced by Navistar Defense. The MaxxPro has a curb weight of up to 17,000 kg (depending on the protection class) and has been optimized for explosive charges and protection from machine gun fire.

In the latter case, a V-shaped hull helps to disperse the shock wave to the sides, allowing the manufacturer to boast that the MRAP can withstand a 7 kg explosive charge without any damage.

Over time, nets were also developed for these vehicles to keep single-warhead grenades from PG-7VL (they are widely used on FPV drones) away from the armour. The war in Ukraine also showed that these vehicles are very resistant to artillery shell fragments.

However, these vehicles are not without flaws. The biggest is their very high centre of gravity, making them highly visible and difficult to camouflage. Additionally, theoretically, this also increases the risk of tipping over when traversing difficult terrain.

It turned out that their mobility in difficult terrain is not the best, which was particularly felt by Ukrainians in the spring and autumn during the rasputitsa that turns backroads into swamps. In such conditions, the traction of tracked infantry fighting vehicles proves indispensable, which Americans knew well, selling their MRAPs en masse after their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan ended.

As a result, many such vehicles went to Ukraine, where they are still very useful, especially in the summer months, saving soldiers' lives.