Russia may be considering increasing the number of Arena-M active protection system interceptors used to defend tanks against incoming drones, missiles, and other projectiles. However, as Euromaidan Press explained, the limited space available on a turret-mounted launcher could restrict how many anti-munitions the system can carry.
Active protection systems face growing drone threats
The challenges facing tank-mounted active protection systems have also emerged beyond the war in Ukraine. During the conflict involving Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah, Israeli Merkava 4 tanks deployed in Lebanon were equipped with the Trophy Active Protection System, developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
However, Hezbollah reportedly released videos showing small quadcopter drones carrying explosives attacking Israeli tanks while their Trophy systems were still loaded with anti-munitions. According to Defense Express, the footage raised questions about how effectively the Trophy system can detect and intercept small, low-flying drones.
The threat is even more difficult to counter when drones use communications links that are resistant to electronic warfare. Hezbollah has reportedly deployed unmanned aircraft controlled through miles of fiber-optic cable, reducing their vulnerability to radio-frequency jamming. This battlefield tactic first gained prominence during the war in Ukraine and later became an important part of Hezbollah’s asymmetric operations against Israel between March and June 2026, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
The exact number of Israeli tanks damaged or destroyed by Hezbollah drones remains unclear. However, drone attacks have been described as one of the most serious threats to Israeli forces operating in Lebanon. The Wall Street Journal reported that drone strikes accounted for a significant share of Israeli military deaths after a temporary ceasefire took effect in April.
Despite ongoing questions about the Trophy system’s effectiveness against small drones, several European countries have purchased the technology to strengthen the protection of their armored vehicles. EuroTrophy, the joint venture responsible for the system’s European production and integration, says that approximately 400 European Leopard tanks are expected to receive Trophy systems, according to Breaking Defense.
How drones are changing tank warfare
The U.S. military has also equipped hundreds of M1 Abrams tanks with the Trophy active protection system in recent years. Nevertheless, the United States and other militaries are still determining how to operate tanks effectively on battlefields dominated by surveillance drones and explosive first-person-view aircraft.
During the Combined Resolve military exercise in Germany, Ukrainian drone operators reportedly demonstrated the scale of the challenge by destroying an entire brigade of U.S. Army tanks and armored vehicles. The episode highlights the growing need for layered defenses that combine active protection systems, electronic warfare, counter-drone weapons, camouflage, and improved battlefield tactics.
Source: arstechnica.com