Now even Slovakia is testing "grills" on T-72 and Leopard tanks: drones force improvisation
The Slovak Armed Forces have installed homemade anti-drone structures on T-72M1 and Leopard 2A4 tanks - it doesn't look very stable, but the trend is clear.
Here's What We Know
Photos of the new protective elements were published by military observer Daniel of Bohemia. The photos show rather primitive frames made of thin pipes and mesh, which are mounted on towers. On some vehicles, the design looks incomplete - in particular, there is no rear protection.
The engine compartment and sides are also left open. Nevertheless, such experiments are another signal that drones are becoming a serious challenge even for armoured vehicles of Western armies.
Slovakian Leopard 2A4 tanks with anti-drone "grills". Illustration: Daniel of Bohemia
Slovakia currently has 45 tanks in the 14th Tank Battalion of the 2nd Mechanised Brigade. Of these, 30 are Soviet T-72M1s, whose modernisation has been cancelled. Another 15 are Leopard 2A4s received from Germany as part of an equipment exchange programme to support Ukraine. These vehicles were overhauled by Rheinmetall before being delivered.
The protective grills are not currently part of a centralised programme for NATO or national armies - they are an initiative of the units themselves. Meanwhile, the Slovak government is already thinking ahead: it is considering the purchase of more than 100 new tanks to form two more battalions.
Source: Daniel of Bohemia
