The makeshift protection of T-72B3M tanks has proven effective in battle. In one case, the so-called "barbecue grill", "dreadlocks" and "porcupine" helped the vehicle withstand 43 drone attacks, and the crew remained safe and sound, said a mechanic-driver with the call sign Ponomar.
According to him, only the engine was damaged then. But it was possible to repair it quickly, and the tank was returned to service.
At the same time, mines are much more dangerous for a tank than drones. The only defense against them is the attentiveness of the driver, who looks at the road through the triplex slit.
If a tank runs over a mine, it stops immediately. And it can withstand a drone strike, depending on the protection.
As a reminder, the protection, nicknamed "dreadlocks", consists of thick ropes frayed around the perimeter of the tank. In fact, they hang down under their own weight from a metal structure above the turret of the combat vehicle, which received the apt name "barbecue grill".
Also, "First Technical" in November 2025 already wrote about the protection of tanks in the form of a dandelion or porcupine. Practice and theory went in the same direction, the method proved successful in countering drones.
Read more materials on the topic:
- T-72B3M tanks were the first to receive serial active protection "Arena-M"
- Panacea for kamikaze drones? What is the effectiveness of the active protection "Arena-M" on T-90M tanks
- Expert called for covering T-90M "Breakthrough" tanks with active protection "Arena-M": will save from M712 "Copperhead" shells
