Ukrainian troops fire a rocket on the front line. Some Ukrainian units are showing a preference for domestically manufactured armored vehicles because repair of battlefield damage is faster than it is with Western-built counterparts, a new research report says. (X/Ukrainian defense ministry)
Locally manufactured armored vehicles are proving more effective for some Ukrainian units than their Western-built counterparts, according to a new assessment that has implications for how NATO’s armies should adapt for future wars.
While tank crews may enjoy the survivability of the Western tanks, their usefulness to commanders diminishes because of battle damage that’s difficult to repair, a Royal United Services Institute research paper published Thursday said.
The findings, authored by researcher Jack Watling, are part of a series of observations about emerging combined arms tactics from the war in Ukraine that U.S. and other NATO armies can draw lessons from.
“Ukrainians emphasize mobility, endurance and repairability as critical attributes for armor,” the paper said. “In contrast, they generally perceive Western tanks as overly heavy and hard to repair.”
American-made Abrams and German Leopards are among the tanks NATO allies have provided to Ukraine.
With damage caused by incoming fire considered a battlefield inevitability, Ukrainian forces have started to favor locally produced vehicles with modular armor that can be more easily fixed and maintained, the report said.
In the case of armor, NATO forces should consider ease of repair as a key requirement for future design and procurement, the report said.
“This probably suggests moving away from some fads ... including rubber tracks, and towards a more modular approach to sensors and armor,” the report said.
Ukrainian troops fine artillery somewhere on the front lines in Ukraine. The preference some Ukrainian units are showing for locally made tanks that are easier to repair than Western counterparts could offer lessons for NATO countries in the design of armored vehicles adapted to future wars, according to a new report from the Royal United Services Institute. (X/Ukrainian defense ministry)
While armor is still critical in the war, the report noted that the pervasive presence of drones has forced both Ukrainian and Russian troops to be more selective in their tank deployment.
Drones and electronic warfare are defining the battlefield in the Russia-Ukraine war. Although Ukraine continues to outthink its adversary, Russian tactics have improved, the report said.
Constant overhead surveillance means scouts or reconnaissance troops must go to great lengths to conceal themselves from detection.
For example, Russian forces under cover of darkness are wrapping themselves up in thermal sheeting while holding flashlights between their legs to see their own feet as they inch toward Ukrainian positions, the report said.
The Russian troop movements are then guided by a distant command post tracking their movements via a drone flying overhead. The troops, who receive directions from a radio hung around their necks, are part of a reconnaissance team that comes in groups as small as two troops, who sometimes camp out for several days to lay the groundwork for a larger assault.
When the conditions are right, Russia sends in larger groups on buggies, bikes and sometimes armored vehicles to rapidly advance along the seams of Ukrainian units, the report said.
“The Russian approach to offensive action is becoming increasingly effective at inflicting casualties on Ukrainian forces, but it nevertheless remains inefficient,” the report said.
Russia’s inability to support infantry means it fails to fully exploit the conditions it creates and “underperforms its military potential relative to the means it applies on any given axis,” the report said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continue to lean on their advantages in drone operations to compensate for a shortage of other military systems and insufficient new troop recruitment, the report said.
