Thread by @KesariDhwaj

#RussianUkrainianWar - Tank in modern warfare & Indian context.
- Pictures of destroyed Russian T-series tanks in Ukraine have raised questions about the viability of tanks in modern warfare. Again.
- And people are questioning their relevance in Indian context as well.
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- 1st, I don't take the no about Russian tanks loses in Ukraine at face value.
- There is a 'famous' blog which has been documenting these loses, and to be honest, its far less than convincing.
- There is just too much western propaganda out there on the subject.
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[Tanks versus missiles]
- ATGM vs Tank debate has existed even since the Egyptians surprised Israeli armor during Yom Kippur War using the Russian AT-3 'Swagger (9M14 'Malyutka')
- Israelis lost ~800 tanks during the war and the ATGM accounted for 20%-25% of these loses.
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+ The Egyptians used innovate tactics and the real impact of ATGM was felt during first few days of the war.
- Of the 260 tanks lost by Israelis during first 2 days of the war, bulk were lost to the AT-3 missile.
- But then the Israelis learnt and developed counter tactics.
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+ Next we saw use of ATGMS in Hezbollah vs Israelis during Lebanon 2006.
- 45 Merkava tanks were damaged by ATGMs where missile penetrated 22 tanks.
- Though, only 5 tanks were claimed to be completely destroyed.
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+ Hezbollah used the heavy Russian Kornet ATGM to knock-out the Merkava tanks and other heavy APCs.
- I remember the Israelis even complaining to Moscow about Hezbollah using Kornet missiles.
- Kornet is a 2nd Gen, SACLOS missile which use a type of laser guidance.
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+ Lebanon 2006 broke the myth of invincibility of Israeli Merkava tank.
- While from Israel's perspective the tank design met is objective (crew protection), from Hezbollah's POV, it told them that they could take on the mighty Israeli armor and destroy/disable their tanks.
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+ Then came massive cluster-fck in ME where ATGMs became a stand-off, and precision attack weapon of choice.
- From tanks to enemy bunkers to even mobile infantry, everything was targeted using ATGMs.
- ATGMs of every kind were used on a massive scale.
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+ In Syria, tanks were again caught in Built-Up Area w/o adequate infantry support.
- Also, unique landscape (open, if not always flat terrain) allowed long range anti-tank, anti-bunker shots.
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+ Main ATGMs used were all 2nd Gen, SACLOS missiles:
- US TOW-2 (quite likely the most numerous, thanks to US taxpayers)
- Heavy Russian ATGMs like AT-5B (Konkurs-M) and 9M133 'Kornet'
- Medium Range ATGMs: AT-4 'Spigot' and 9K115 'Metis' (AT-13)
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+ Syrian 'rebels' and Kurdish fighters were even using the Chinese HJ-8 ATGMs.
- This ATGM is in service with the Pakistan Army as 'indigenously developed' Bakhtar-Shikan.
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+ Every type of tank suffered casualty.
- From T-series to Abrams in Iraqi & US service to Turkish Leopard tanks.
- Only the degree of damage/tank varied.
- Again, it was proved that a heavy ATGM like Kornet can disable/destroy even a heavy MBT like Abrams.
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- ATGMs have basically increased cost of doing business when using armor (tanks or IFVs).
- Plus, it reinforced some cardinal rules.
- Tanks don't do too well in BUA especially when you're short of infantry (both Russia and Syrian armies)
- You need a proper combined arms +

+ package to succeed in a modern battlefield where the threats have multiplied.
- Do all these advances make tank obsolete?
- Nope. Far from it.
- Even today, the centerpiece of Combined Arms Organization is a tank or an IFV with tank support.
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+ (India-Pakistan)
- In India-Pakistan context, Pakistan Army relies on anti-tank units called as Light and Heavy Anti-Tank (LAT & HAT) to blunt India's numerical superiority in armor.
- LAT: 4x4 mounted ATGM (Bakhtar-Shikan)
- HAT: APC mounted ATGM (Mainly TOW-2 or BS)
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+ (India-China)
- Chinese have a plethora of ATGMs under Red Arrow family.
- Although HJ-8 & its variants seem to be the standard missile as of now
- Pakistani BS is nothing but HJ-8
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- More modern HJ-9 (Laser Beam Riding, 5.5km, vehicle mounted) has entered service.
- HJ-10 (10km, fiber-optic wire guided, with man-in-loop) is another new missile.
- Its deployed in form of a battery within an artillery regiment signifying its utility as more than an ATGM
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- HJ-12: This is the first Chinese 3rd Gen, F&F, man-portable missile to enter service which is supposed to be in same league as Javelin and Spike.
- It also has a top-attack capability.
- DRDO's MPATGM is also in same category.
[To Be Continued]
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(Continued from above)
- When it comes to ATGMs, the Indian Army also maintains a massive inventory.
- Our infantry is equipped with medium range (Milan-2T) and long range (Konkurs-M) ATGMs.
- Each BMP-2 of our mechanized infantry is also equipped with Konkurs-M ATGM.
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+ In addition to these, we've multiple 3rd Gen, F&F ATGMs coming online.
- NAG
- HELINA
- SANT
- MPATGM
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- Long story short, both our borders, and we ourselves, are awash with ATGMs.
- These are man-portable, vehicle or helicopter launched or even fired from tank cannon.
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+ (ATGMs and Solution)
- Active Protection System (APS): First & foremost, tanks today need APS. It comes in two forms:
(1) Hard-Kill - Which actively interdicts an incoming anti-tank projective.
(2) Soft-Kill - Which interferes with ability of missiles and other platforms to +

+ aim at the target.
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- From our perspective, we've the option of importing APS from Russia & Israel for T-72 & T-90 and Arjun tanks.
(1) Arena (Russia): It uses a Doppler radar to detect, track and neutralize incoming projectiles.
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(2) Trophy (Israel): Uses AESA radar panel at various places on the vehicle to detect and neutralize incoming projectile.
- In use by Israel and even installed by the US & German Armies on their MBTs and IFVs.
- Most successful APS product amongst its peers.
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+ However, Trophy is an expensive product and its costs Israelis $900,000 per tank. In case of import, the cost will most likely go beyond $1.0 Mn.
- DRDO APS Program: DRDO is actively working on a hard-kill APS and has begun work towards fabricating the key radar unit.
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+ (China)
- GL5 APS: China has developed and installed GL5 APS on its latest Type-99A tank and ZTO-15 Light Tank.
- It will also be installed on VT-4 tanks, which have been imported by the Pakistan Army.
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GL5 in action - intercepting an incoming 2nd Gen, SACLOS ATGM.

+ (Pakistan)
- VT-4: Pakistan Army has imported the Chinese VT-4 tank and GL5 APS can be expected to be installed on them as well.
- But there is no evidence of the same yet on Pakistani VT-4 tanks.
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- Apart from VT-4, Pakistan Army has a sizeable fleet of Al-Khalid/1 tanks, Al-Zarrar tanks (upgraded T-59) and Type-85MII
- These are all at present w/o any soft, or hard APS.
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- To summarize:
(1) There is considerable ATGM threat on both eastern & western borders.
(2) 3rd Gen F&F ATGMs have entered service with PLA.
(3) Chinese can be expected to mass induct APS on their tanks & IFVs.
(4) Pakistan might do that in limited scale (budget issue).
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(5) IA needs to induct APS on mass scale for its tanks and IFVs.
(6) And also accelerate induction of 3rd Gen, F&F MPATGM and NAG.
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Limitation of APS:
- There are two limitations of APS - (1) Protection against APFSDS or Kinetic Anti-Tank rounds.(2) Top Attack ATGMs.
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+ Top attack profile puts the ATGMs like Javelin or Spike or our very own NAG or upcoming MPATGM, outside the FOV of APS radars.
- Plus, they hit at a spot where armor is the weakest, causing considerable damage.
- Therefore, in this game of sword & shield, as we focus on +

+ inducting APS across our armor fleet, we also need modern, F&F ATGMs in service with the IA to defeat adversary's APS.
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Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA)
- Even as we discuss hard kill options, we need to ensure our T-series tanks have heavy ERA panels to defeat ATGMs and +

+ Kinetic Projectiles.
- Kontakt-5: Our T-90 have Kontakt-5 ERA, need to upgrade them to 3rd Gen, Relikt ERA (2nd pic, T-90M with Relikt)
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- T-72: DRDO had upgraded T-72 with ERA panels, apart from other modifications to create Combat Improved Ajeya (CIA Ajeya).
- It has now developed ERA Mk-II and applied them on the T-72. These are supposed to be equivalent to Kontakt-5 ERA in performance.
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+ In the end, it would be suffice to say that ATGMs increase the cost of doing business when employing tanks.
- 3rd Gen ATGMs bring addition lethality but these are expensive and we're unlikely to see 1-to-1 replacement of 2nd Gen ATGMs with 3rd Gen ATGMs.
- But the tank remains+

+ the king of battlefield.
- With most armies now looking at Combined Arms structure, some right down to battalion level, it becomes part of the whole.
- There is still no better instrument to implement shock-and-awe in the battlefield than a tank.

#RussianUkrainianWar - Tanks & ATGMs
- Here is an interesting observation.
- Just look at these images of destroyed Russian tanks.
- What is common to each one of them?
- In none of the cases, the frontal armor or ERA were penetrated.
- These tanks were taken out with +

+ shot to their top armor (Javelin) or side armor or rear.
- This kind of ambush of tank convoys may be possible in Ukraine with its vast, open geography and with Russians not exactly controlling the terrain.
- Is this possible in case of India & Pakistan with high density of +

+ infantry and limited ingress in terms of kilometers?