Cheap UAVs, the 'nemesis' of tanks on the Ukrainian battlefield

Cheap Russian UAVs have disabled at least two Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 tanks in just one day, showing how dangerous they are to Western tanks.

Video released by Russia on October 25 shows a flycam-style unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying anti-tank warheads continuously attacking Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks on the Zaporizhzhia front.

Andrew Perpetua, an open-source military intelligence analyst, said that based on videos published on social media, the Ukrainian military lost at least three Leopard 2A4 tanks on October 24, of which one was abandoned for unknown reasons, the other two were damaged by UAV attacks and appeared to have been recovered by Ukrainian forces.

This is Ukraine's biggest loss of Western tanks in a single day since Kiev launched its counteroffensive in early June. In the more than three months of counteroffensives, Ukraine lost a total of only nine tanks out of 150 supplied by the West, including five Leopard 2A4 tanks and three Leopard 2A6 variants, according to Forbes military expert David Axe.

Ukrainian Leopard tank caught fire due to Russian drone attack — Leopard 2A4 tank attacked by Russian FPV UAV in video posted on social media on October 25. Video: *Telegram/BOBRMORF*

Observers believe that losses to Ukraine's armored forces may increase in the coming time, as Russia seems to have gained combat experience and found the most vulnerable weakness of the Leopard 2A4 tank.

In recent attacks, UAVs carrying cheap Russian shaped charge warheads have targeted the ammunition chamber behind the Leopard 2A4 tank turret. This is the area where the tank’s ammunition is stored and is the most likely place to explode when attacked.

Unlike Soviet tanks, the ammunition chamber on the Leopard 2A4 tank is separate from the crew compartment, and the top roof is also designed to release the firepower to the outside, preventing the tank from experiencing the "turret flying" phenomenon like Russian vehicles.

This design helps Western tanks avoid being completely destroyed when attacked by UAVs, and the crew also has a much higher chance of survival. However, after the ammunition chamber explodes, the tank will be damaged and must be towed back for repair.

This shows that cheap UAVs, which can be purchased from civilian companies for a few thousand dollars, are becoming the "nemesis" of modern tanks worth millions of dollars.

These UAVs can be controlled remotely using a controller and a headset, giving the user a realistic view as if sitting in the cockpit. That mechanism allows the operator to let the UAV hover in the sky, then accurately aim at the weakest points on the tank to attack.

These UAVs are made from cheap components and can be assembled right on the battlefield. Their range is about 15 km, depending on the warhead they carry, allowing the operator to launch attacks from a safe distance.

This is why F-P UAVs are often used as suicide weapons, because the value of the target being attacked is much greater than the cost of the UAV. They can use different types of explosives depending on the target, to cause the greatest destructive effect.

"They can hit targets with precision, which was previously the task of expensive guided weapons. Instead of firing anti-tank missiles that cost tens of thousands of dollars, now they just need to use a much cheaper UAV," said Samuel Bendett, a UAV expert at the US-based Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

Russian soldiers deploy UAVs in Ukraine in this photo posted on October 24. Photo: RIA Novosti — Russian soldiers deploy UAVs in Ukraine in this photo posted on October 24. Photo: *RIA Novosti*

According to a report on October 24 by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia recently deployed a new long-range UAV model called "Italmas" and its variants in Ukraine. Compared to Iran's Shahed suicide UAV line that the Russian military is using, this UAV model is lighter, harder to hit, and cheaper, but has a lower weapon payload.

ISW also said Moscow is ramping up domestic production of low-cost UAVs, likely in preparation for a possible attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure before the coming winter. A leaked document from August said Russia plans to build a total of 6,000 by the summer of 2025, including new variants of the Shahed UAV.

Axe predicts that suicide UAVs will be used more widely by Russia, as the Ukrainian army takes advantage of the remaining time before winter to accelerate its offensive.

After more than three months of counter-offensive operations, the 47th Mechanized Brigade, the main Ukrainian force on the Melitopol axis, has suffered heavy losses and may have been withdrawn from the front line to recover. “They will be replaced by the 33rd Mechanized Brigade, the only unit equipped with Leopard 2A4 tanks,” which could increase Ukraine’s losses to Western tanks, Axe said.

Pham Giang (According to Forbes, Business Insider )

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