Russians use their only T-72B3M with the Arena-M system in a film instead of taking it to the frontline
The only currently known Russian T-72B3M tank with the Arena-M active protection system is likely to have been used in a propaganda film instead of combat operations. This was reported by armour researcher Andriy Tarasenko.
Here's What We Know
This vehicle, which, according to the Russian Uralvagonzavod, was supposed to be part of the serial re-equipment of T-72B3M and T-90M army tanks, was spotted only once in March - it was photographed against the backdrop of industrial buildings. Later, it was reportedly brought to the temporarily occupied Mariupol, where it plays the role of a Ukrainian T-64B1M in a film, with a Ukrainian flag on its barrel.
T-72B3 with the Arena-M system. Illustration: Andriy Tarasenko
Experts suggest that the vehicle, which is presented in the media as a combat vehicle, is in fact a single demonstration model. The Arena-M system was fired on the T-72B3 back in 2021, when the system was shown in action against a cumulative shot from an RPG-7. The system, despite its fixed deployment, is capable of turning countermeasures in the direction of the threat thanks to impulse engines.
"Arena-M was originally designed to combat anti-tank missiles, not drones. Only in early 2024 did the chief designer of the Russian design bureau, Valery Kashin, announce attempts to adapt the system to intercept attack drones.
However, there is no evidence of this adaptation being implemented in practice. To effectively combat drones, the radar and selection system need to be upgraded to detect manoeuvrable, stealthy targets, including multicopters.
Instead of actually being used on the frontline, the T-72B3M tank was used as a decoration - this not only devalues the claims of "massive equipment" but also demonstrates how far the technological reality lags behind the propaganda promises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
Source: Telegram
