Russian soldiers welded closed armor onto T-62 tanks to protect them from UAV attacks, trading mobility for protection.
A video that surfaced on social media on October 8 shows several T-62 tanks and a BTS-4A recovery vehicle moving along a road during combat in Ukraine. Some of the T-62 tanks have roof armor on their turrets, while a T-62 and a BTS-4A recovery vehicle have full-body armor.
"When they armored the T-62, Russian forces assumed, perhaps correctly, that small, explosive-laden drones were the biggest threat to the 1960s-era tank," Forbes editor David Axe said.
Since mid-year, Russia has withdrawn hundreds of T-62s from storage and deployed them to Ukraine to compensate for the loss of modern tanks in the early stages of the war. During the war, Russian soldiers have continuously sought to improve these old tanks to deal with the threat from Ukraine.
Russian T-62 tank with fully enclosed cage armor in video released on October 8. Video: X/AFVRec
Small, inexpensive UAVs carrying a few kilograms of explosives have become a major threat to tanks and other combat vehicles of both Russia and Ukraine. Since the T-62’s armor is inferior to many modern tanks, with the thickest part only having the equivalent of 240 mm of steel, the threat from UAVs to these older tanks is even greater.
The UAVs, which cost about $5,000, have taken out hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles and mechanized vehicles from both sides, including Leopard 2 and Challenger 2 main battle tanks that Ukraine received aid from the West.
However, commentator Axe believes that welding a steel frame to the hull and turret would deprive the Russian T-62 of important maneuverability on the battlefield. "Frontline tanks must move quickly in and out of cover to support coordinated attacks on enemy positions," he said. "A steel cage covering the vehicle would prevent this."
Cage armor, which is twice the size of a T-62 tank, will limit the tank’s ability to hide, making it impossible for it to penetrate the trees on the battlefield. This is why both sides are often cautious when equipping frontline tanks with anti-UAV cage armor.
Therefore, Russian forces will likely only be able to deploy these T-62s in the rear, playing a fire support role instead of engaging directly with the Ukrainian army.
The T-62's 115mm main gun is less powerful than the 125mm guns on more modern Russian tanks. However, they can still elevate their guns to engage targets up to 8km away, although not with great accuracy. Russian forces have recently used T-54/T-55 tanks for the same purpose.
"The 8km distance puts the T-62 outside the range of a typical small explosive-laden UAV, but one Russian unit was still concerned about the threat posed by such a vehicle," Axe said. "It is possible that the crew thought it was worth doing everything possible to protect the vehicle, including using cage armor, even though this would make the tank more cumbersome."
Nguyen Tien (According to Forbes )
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