Russian "turtle tanks" could be breakthroughs, this is a dangerous moment - Forbes
Date: 2024-04-22 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
Strange Russian tanks with “shells” are increasingly being spotted at the front. T-72s with wide protective armor on top were called “turtle tanks”. They can probably be used for mine clearance.
According to Forbes, all of the spotted "turtle tanks" belong to the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade, a former separatist unit that is now under Russian command.
Both Ukrainians and Russians tried to protect their tanks from drones and shells. For this purpose, protective cages or slats were used, which only slightly limited the rotation of its cannon turret.
The armor in the turtle tank's shell leaves only a small gap in the front and prevents the gun from rotating. The obvious disadvantages of homemade armor raise questions.
"The turtle tank's role seemed to be to destroy it," said weapons scientist Matthew Moss wryly.
These tanks likely serve as a breacher - a plow-equipped engineering vehicle whose main job is to guide other vehicles through a minefield to get them close enough to enemy lines to attack. It is assumed that the enemy will fire at the breacher, so the special vehicle is equipped with dense armor.
The US Army has the best breakthrough vehicle in the world, a nearly 70-ton vehicle that is essentially an M-1 tank without the gun and with mine-clearing equipment attached. At the end of last year, the Americans quietly gave the Ukrainians several of these assault breakers.
The Russian army does not have a breakthrough vehicle of the same class. IMR's own Russian engineering vehicles typically function as emergency responders. They weigh only 50 tons, have less protection and a bulky crane.
Faced with a Ukrainian minefield and swarms of tiny FPV drones, and without specially designed breachers, 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade technicians may have decided to create their own breachers.
If the theory is true, the Russians took older T-72 tanks - perhaps ones whose turrets already had trouble moving - and added two things every vehicle needed to break through: extra armor and mine-clearing gear. It is difficult to verify the presence of the second component of the breakthrough in “skull tanks”, because it is hidden behind the armor.
Analyst Rob Lee of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia spotted a mine roller on one of these tanks. This is a set of durable wheels that activate the mines just ahead of the vehicle.
"This 'turtle tank,' which was also the first of its type to have anti-drone equipment, continued to advance after driving through several mines," Li noted.
Now only one turtle tank has been destroyed - it was hit by artillery after returning to base after the battle on April 8. If there is any reason to fear for the long-term future of such tanks, it is that they are FPV protected.
If the ammunition shortage in Ukraine ends soon, then Russian “turtle tanks” will not live on the battlefield for so long.
