In 1916, British engineer William Tritton designed a tank to protect the crew from artillery threats on the battlefield during World War I. The tank, known as the “Flying Elephant,” was essentially a heavy-duty tractor fitted with guns and wrapped in thick steel plating resembling an elephant’s ears. Fast forward to the present day, Russian engineers have created a modern version of the Flying Elephant by mounting a roof of steel armor on a tank to protect against small explosive drones in Ukraine.
During a recent attack on Ukrainian positions around Krasnohorivka, a Ukrainian drone spotted the modified tank. The tank, compared to a turtle by some analysts, features armor that covers the entire vehicle and protrudes halfway along the length of the tank’s main gun. However, this bizarre modification actually hinders the tank’s mobility, blocks the turret’s traverse, and ultimately won’t protect the crew from the drones.
Despite the ineffective modification on the tank, Ukrainian FPV drone operators have proven their ability to maneuver their drones and target tanks where they are most vulnerable. The drones can potentially circumvent the tank’s added armor, as demonstrated in a recent incident where drones were guided underneath an immobilized Russian tank to target the troops hiding beneath it. This highlights the evolving threats and responses on the battlefield.
As drones continue to pose a significant threat to tanks in Ukraine, both Russian and Ukrainian militaries have resorted to improvisations to counter these threats. They have started welding crude metal roofs and cages onto tanks, inspired by combatants in Syria. This improvisation has become standard practice, with cage armor now common on many Russian, Ukrainian, and Israeli tanks.
In addition to armor improvisations, the Russian and Ukrainian militaries are attaching various combinations of radio jammers and antennae to vehicles to counter incoming drones. Some of these methods may seem unusual, but they are developed in response to the evolving battlefield conditions and threats. New vehicle types are also being created by mixing spare chassis and weapons in inventive ways.
The adaptation to new threats on the battlefield is crucial for tank crews to survive. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, drone production increases, and tank losses rise. Russian tankers are faced with the choice to adapt or face defeat. The crude modifications to tanks like the Flying Elephant’s roof armor are a sign of the changing landscape in mechanized warfare, where every tank must be equipped with extra protection against drones. The evolving responses to these threats indicate the coming era of warfare, where adaptability is key to survival.
