Mesh and lattice screens and “curtains” over the tank turret: what are they for?
Back at the end of 2021, many photos with Russian tanks, to the tower of which mesh or lattice screens, the so-called “visors,” were welded. This know-how was explained by the need to protect against cumulative Javelin and NLAW projectiles supplied by the West to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
However, controversy arose in the expert community about the usefulness of such protection, and in the Western media it was completely ridiculed, calling it a “cage for complacency.”
Later it turned out that “visors” and “blinds” are really ineffective against the above-mentioned weapons. As a result, in the spring of 2022, such add-ons on tanks disappeared. True, not for long.
Already this year, “visors” appeared not only on Russian, but also on Ukrainian tanks. And there is an explanation for this.
Firstly, this superstructure, especially the mesh one, perfectly protects the crew from a grenade or VOG that gets into the open hatch. Or rather, an enemy “thrown” there from a quadcopter with almost sniper precision.
Secondly, the lattice screens quite well protect the tank crew from shells fired from a large-caliber mortar or howitzer hitting the vehicle. The thing is that even if a tank’s armor can withstand a direct hit, it often gets chipped on the inside, fragments of which cripple the crew.
The lattice screen attenuates the impact, which eliminates the above-mentioned situation. By the way, it is important here that the screen is lattice (hard). The fact is that a metal mesh does not always trigger the fuse on a howitzer projectile.
Finally, thirdly. The superstructures above the tank's turret provide very good protection from the cumulative jet of submunitions contained in the cluster warhead of MLRS or Haymars missiles.
Due to the small diameter of the cumulative funnel, the effect of this submunition can be weakened by a distance of a meter and a half from the body. Both lattice and mesh screens are suitable here.
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