Last June, several images captured by reconnaissance drones of the Ukrainian forces sighted a unprecedented Russian offensive: Waves of two-wheeled troops launching motorcycle charges to break the kyiv front. If the scene seemed like a still from Mad Max, shortly after it would become reality with the appearance of trucks that we saw in the movie.
The latest: in an unprecedented turn of the screw, Moscow has brought out its assault “hedgehogs”
The tank turned into a “hedgehog”. The recent appearance of a T-80BVM Russian equipped with an extreme structure of steel cables along with foliage and tree branches, described as an “assault hedgehog”offers a revealing picture of the state of mechanized warfare in Ukraine. The photographs, broadcast by the channel Vodohray Telegramshow a T-80BVM with an anti-mine roller TMT-K and a T-72B3 with a KMT-7, both wrapped in dense cable cages covering the chassis, tower and top.
On the T-80BVM, in addition, a electronic warfare system. This modification, primarily intended to thwart FPV drone attacks, represents the rapid adaptation of the battlefield to a threat that has completely altered the relationship between armor, mobility and survivability.
And more. The structures that are seen look for prevent direct impact or cause drones to become trapped or damaged before reaching vulnerable points. However, the additional protection noticeably increases weightvolume and operational complexity: tanks become slower, more visible and difficult to maneuver in urban or forested areas.
Still, the fact that these modifications arise not only from field improvisations but also from organized units highlights the extent to which drone warfare is redefining the very form of ground combat.
T-80BV in the Kubinka tank museum
Evolution of the T-80BVM. He original T-80developed in the late 1970s, was conceived as an elite tank capable of combining firepower with exceptional mobility thanks to its gas turbine engine. This feature made it faster and quieter than other Soviet models, which made it a symbol of military modernity in its time.
With the dissolution of the USSR, many T-80s were stored, but the version T-80BVM (introduced in the 2010s) introduced important improvements: Relikt reactive shieldingmore modern optical and thermal systems, and mechanical adjustments to increase reliability, especially in cold environments. In Ukraine, where a war of attrition is being fought with very dynamic fronts, the T-80BVM has been used like crash car for quick attacks or penetration maneuvers, but the proliferation of drones has reduced their safety margins, forcing the modification of even a tank originally designed to move quickly and freely.
Other armor seen in Ukraine
FPV and the collapse of the classics. The expansion of FPV drones (capable of attacking from above or vulnerable flanks) has generated a conceptual crisis for traditional armor. Tower ledges, engine cover and commander’s hatch hinge have become critical points that even a cheap drone can exploit with an improvised payload.
For this reason, both Russia and Ukraine have experimented with “cages”“mobile bunkers” and supplementary armor. It turns out that the first versions of these cages, superficial or with rigid bars, were insufficient: the drones learned to maneuver between gaps or detonate just above them. Hence the cable structures They represent a more advanced iteration of that improvised defense: they are more flexible, denser, and more likely to entangle or slow down small aircraft. However, its effectiveness is uneven, depending on the quality of the wiring, the speed of the drone and the ability of the FPV operator to manually adjust its trajectory.
Camouflages and protections. we have gone counting before. The war has generated enormous tactical creativity on both sides. They have been seen covered armored of thermal networks to confuse infrared cameras, coated vehicles of tires to absorb shock waves, camouflaged transport with awnings and scrap metal to break silhouettes and even towers protected by improvisations of beams and bars that are reminiscent of shed roofs.
Some of these designs seek to deceive reconnaissance drones, others intend just gain seconds before the impact of an FPV, a time that can allow the crew to abort, retreat or request cover. Each innovation introduces new countermeasures: when the cages appeareddrones began to carry loads at an angle, and when jammers appeared, wired drones or drones with more autonomous guidance systems began to be seen. War, in this sense, has become a constant laboratory where adaptation is measured in hours, not years.
Uncertainty. Having said all this, the image of the “steel hedgehog” around the T-80BVM is not only curious: it symbolizes a war in which the rules of armored combat are changing at great speed. Tanks are still valuable, but can no longer operate without a dense layer electronic supportinfantry cover and constant surveillance of the nearby sky.
The question that emerges is whether these adaptations keep the car useful or whether they represent an attempt to keep a car alive. concept in transformation. For now, the response on the front is pragmatic: any measure that allows us to survive one more mission is welcome, even if it turns a vehicle designed for speed and direct impact into a slow, heavy creature covered in metallic thorns.
Because in the war in Ukraine, survival has become the true armor.
Image | Telegram, Alan Wilson, ArmyInform
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