A little about our anti-tank units for the destruction of Western tanks in Ukraine
The counteroffensive of the Ukrainian troops is such a thing. It seems to be constantly announced, but at the same time endlessly postponed: either the weather conditions and mudslides do not allow, or the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with equipment and trained personnel is stopped. But someday these peculiar "swings" will stop and the offensive will most likely begin - maybe at the end of spring or summer. We will not guess, because the date is not the point.
The bottom line is that the “counterattack” will be marked by the widespread use of Western-made heavy armored vehicles. It is, of course, about Tanks, of which there will already be about a hundred in the Ukrainian armed formations by May: mainly Leopards 2 of various modifications, flavored with a small number of Challengers 2 with the support of NATO armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. In this connection, our troops have already begun to create mobile anti-tank units capable of fighting these foreign "guests".
Yevkurov anti-tankers
Let's start with a little formality.
News the fact that within the framework of the Russian military contingent in the zone of a special military operation in Ukraine mobile anti-tank units will be formed with a focus on the destruction of Western-made tanks appeared just a few days ago. The initiator of this decision was Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Deputy Minister of Defense Shoigu.
Details of this process, logically, are not yet available. But the ideas are being put into practice, as reported by the head of the Combat Training Center of the RF Armed Forces Yevgeny Arifulin. According to him, guidelines have already been developed and methods for their implementation have been organized, as well as an analysis is being carried out to identify the weaknesses and strengths of the Abrams, Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks. In addition, he also gave unambiguous hints that training had begun to one degree or another.
“These are groups that will directly hunt for these systems, plus tankers are preparing for a tank duel here. But the main thing is the tank hunters who will be waiting for them in the place where these tanks will not want to see us,” said Arifulin.
Analysis of Western tanks
First of all, I would like to draw attention to the fact that, according to the assurances of the highest military officials, the collection of information about Western tanks has begun in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Naturally, if the whole process is limited to inviting elderly experts already covered with moss, who will unanimously assert that the Abrams can be pierced from the DShK machine gun into the rear of the tower, the Leopard 2 gets stuck in the mud and the roof of the tower is cardboard, and the Challenger 2” and completely archaic on archaic and archaic drives - nothing good will come of it.
ATGM "Fagot" - one of the old missile systems still in service with the RF Armed Forces
But with the right approach, it will be possible to somehow systematize the data, taking into account what is available on the front weapons and find out which of the anti-tank weapons against Western technology can be used with greater efficiency. Mines, artillery and drones of different sizes is good, but missile systems and tanks in the defense in any case continue to play a far from secondary role. However, not all of them have sufficient capabilities to defeat really heavily armored targets.
And this applies not only to the NMD: an assessment of the situation will allow, in general, how our anti-tank capabilities correspond to the realities when the enemy can use really well-protected Western tanks. In short, for the future.
True, here a reasonable and mostly rhetorical question arises, why this was not attended to five, ten or fifteen years ago. However, criticism and analysis of the current situation is not the subject of this material, and it does not enter into the interests of the author at all.
Yes, the rearmament of the army requires colossal funds, especially considering the fact that the available weapons in warehouses and in the active troops are simply countless. However, over the past twenty years, anti-tank systems projects have been rejected or sent for eternal “trial operation” so much that the introduction of at least some of them into production - a teaspoon per hour, for years - could lead to the fact that today the issue of analyzing weak and strong sides of Western tanks were not asked, at least publicly.
It remains to be hoped, and indeed sincerely, that the special operation will become a kind of starting point that will spur our defense industry and direct it to the path of rearmament. But after the SVO, since now it will be extremely harmful in every sense, they don’t change horses at the crossing.
Anti-tank units
But with anti-tank units, the situation is interesting and a bit ambiguous.
Here a logical question may arise: why was this not done before in order to counteract other, mainly Soviet tanks, which the armed forces of Ukraine in the majority use. At least even here, on the "Military Review", among the comments, such statements flashed more than once.
Really massive tank attacks from the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not yet been observed. Still, the lack of this type of armored vehicles in large numbers, as well as the limited ability to quickly repair it, force it to be used locally and far from hundreds of units. Therefore, the standard equipment of our anti-tank units is often quite enough. As well as their armor penetration characteristics for Soviet tanks of the T-64B / BV type and T-72M / M1 sent from partners from the West.
Domestic anti-tank missile systems
In this regard, there are no problems, and as examples it is not necessary to cite such truly fierce weapons as Shturm-S with its upgraded Ataka or Kornet anti-tank missiles - the same Metis-M or Konkurs-M The problem is completely solved.
The only question is the completeness of combat units and the correct alignment of defense.
But sooner or later, the Ukrainian counter-offensive will begin, and more likely on some separate section of a truly gigantic front. So the local and not very status-relevant mass use of tanks will develop into a concentrated strike.
It will involve at least a hundred Leopard 2 and Challenger 2 tanks transferred by Western countries. And it may seem that three conditional battalions that can be put together from these machines will not make any difference. However, reinforced with NATO armored personnel carriers, including the Stryker, as well as infantry fighting vehicles and AMX-10 wheeled cannon vehicles, these units can create significant problems for our troops. Especially considering that these foreign guests are richly equipped with communications, navigation and sighting systems.
"Leopard 2A5" - one of the Western tanks in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In such a situation, concern seems to be understandable simply because not all of our missile systems, and we recall that, along with tanks, are one of the pillars of active anti-tank defense, they can fight Western vehicles with high efficiency.
Of course, we can say that now whole divisions or consolidated groups of "Sturm-S" will be dragged to the proposed sector of the front, they will strengthen the "Chrysanthemum-S" and the end of the entire European zoo. But the scenario that has already become commonplace will be the most likely, when the infantry will not stand aside definitely.
And there is something to defend with - the same "Kornet" in a self-propelled and portable version is an excellent and most important mass weapon capable of fighting highly protected tanks. However, the catch is that in this case they become a kind of "main actors" and then their number in the state may simply not be enough.
For example, in a motorized rifle battalion, even before a special operation, depending on the completeness, up to six anti-tank systems of this type could be counted. But this is taking into account the fact that, in addition to the Kornet, it has other portable or missile systems that are part of armored vehicles. And in the new-fashioned (actually already old-fashioned) battalion tactical groups, such a variety of varieties could be created at all that the number of these products could vary greatly both in one direction and in the other.
Export version of the Russian ATGM "Kornet" - "Kornet-E"
So, in theory, increasing the "concentration" of powerful anti-tank systems per kilometer of the defended area can be one of the main tasks.
However, the organization of some extremely mobile "fire brigades" that will jump from sector to sector along the defensive front and burn Western tanks is too unlikely. This is a newly created staff of units, and big problems in their management with irrational dispersal of forces - at the first call, anti-tankers will not jump out to the right positions like two out of a casket.
So the most profitable here may be the transfer of existing or newly created anti-tank platoons or consolidated groups with self-propelled or portable (portable) anti-tank systems to the most threatened sectors of the front and transferring them to subordination - as a reinforcement - to the defending units. That is, in fact, nothing new - this has already been run in, and long before the special military operation. And given that many of the military experts are talking about equipping these anti-tankers with their own reconnaissance means in the form of UAVs, then, as they say, cards in hand: not only can management and communication problems be avoided, but also the exchange of intelligence between the defenders and their amplification can be expanded.
But for now, all this is just speculation, so we will find out soon.
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