Russia touts new Arena-M APS for main battle tanks

The Chief Designer of the Machine Building Bureau, Valery Kashin, touted the newly developed Arena-M active protection system’s (APS) effectiveness against anti-tank guided missiles.

Speaking to the Russian News Agency TASS, Kashin claimed that the Arena-M can “undoubtedly … protect a tank from a TOW [Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided]” anti-tank guided missile.

As per Kashin, development of the Arena-M was propelled by recent combat experiences (from Russia and others) in the Middle East. Citing the essential role of MBTs in counterinsurgency (COIN) operations, Kashin stated that defensibility against anti-tank munitions cannot be sustained by reactive armour alone.

The Arena-M is a hard-kill APS, meaning, it utilizes a radar to detect incoming projectile threats and directs a rocket launcher onboard the tank to intercept incoming munitions. It will be available for T-72 and T-90 MBTs to serve as a first layer of defence against anti-tank munitions, such as the TOW.