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A T-90M main battle tank of the Russian military has been spotted with what appears to be a new version of the Arena-M active protection system (APS).
A photo showing the tank loaded on a trailer surfaced online on July 4, although it was reported that it was taken back in May. It is unclear where exactly the tank was spotted. However, it is very possible that it was on its way to the special military operation zone in Ukraine, or some training ground nearby.
The Arena-M was designed by the Kolomna Engineering Design Bureau to detect, track and intercept munitions coming from all aspects. The APS uses a radar to detect incoming munitions with a speed up to 700 meter per second from 50 meters. Upon detection, one of 22 defensive munitions is fired at the inbound threat, destroying it before it could hit the vehicle.
Previously, it was reported that the system was capable of intercepting incoming munitions from minus 6 up to 20 degrees.
However, footage released last year by Rosoboronexport, the sole state intermediary agency for Russia’s exports and imports of defense-related and dual use products, revealed that the system has been upgraded to intercept munitions at up to 35 or even 40 degrees, which covers the attack angle of the American-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile. The tank used in the test was an T-72B3M.
The system spotted on the T-90M has very different design, possibly even with all new defensive munitions. This suggest that this is a completely new version of the Arena-M.
The APS was most likely upgraded to deal with new threats like first-person view (FPV) suicide drones, which are highly maneuverable.
The system is likely still being testing. Still, we could see deliveries soon, as last year, major tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod, a part of Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec, confirmed that its T-90M and T-72B3M tanks were being equipped with the Arena-M system.
When fully-fielded, the Arena-M is expected to significantly increase the survivability of Russian tanks in the face of missiles and drones.
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