Drones Sideline Ukraine’s Western Tanks

A few years ago, tanks were among Ukraine’s most sought-after Western weapons. Now the $10m machines mostly sit idle, hidden in forests and gathering cobwebs, according to The New York Times.

Ukraine’s 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade was formed in part to receive Western tanks. But by the time they entered combat in 2023, cheap drones were already capable of striking their most vulnerable points.

Protective cages and reactive armor failed to solve the problem, and both sides soon stopped using heavy armor in assaults.

Today, tank crews mainly train, maintain their vehicles and wait. The brigade’s German Leopard tanks are occasionally used to tow damaged equipment, particularly in bad weather when fewer drones are in the air.

The brigade is adapting. About half of one tank battalion has already retrained as drone operators. Some newer recruits have never even operated a tank and instead work directly with unmanned systems.

Commanders are not writing tanks off, but believe their return to the battlefield will require a major technological breakthrough. Their future could lie in AI-based protective systems, onboard drone interceptors – or perhaps fully unmanned tanks.

(est)