Russia is equipping its tanks in Ukraine with a new counter-drone system, the Saniya. A T-80BVM tank was seen deployed with the system in a defense ministry video shot near eastern Ukraine’s Pervomaiske. Mass production is expected after the completion of trials at the end of 2023, Janes wrote, citing the Moscow-based developer 3mx.
Saniya Features
The electronic-warfare system can detect a first person vehicle (FPV) drone from a range of 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) and suppress it from 1 kilometer (0.62 miles). It features a passive detector, two small vertical antennas, and a suppressor with eight antennas. Originally designed for ground-based installation protection, the Saniya can be fused to a moving vehicle with added vibration pads to absorb external shocks.
Raises Doubts About Previous System
Russian tanks come equipped with a standard counter-drone system, the Volnorez. The Saniya’s deployment raises doubts about the Volnorez’s effectiveness, which was inducted a few months ago, according to Defense Express. “There are also indirect indications of Volnorez showing low effectiveness on the battlefield, in particular, Ukrainian forces managed to seize at least a few systems for analysis; there were also found loopholes in the frequencies and angles of area coverage,” the outlet added.
Counter-Drone Capability
Extensive employment of explosive-laden FPV drones in the war has exposed the tank’s vulnerability, particularly from the top. This necessitated the development and fielding of counter-drone capabilities by both countries. In addition to the Saniya and the Volnorez, Russia displayed the Triton electronic defense system for its tanks in August. In comparison, Ukraine’s non-kinetic counter-drone options includes a Brave 1 cluster-developed system that disables a drone by interfering with its radio frequencies.
