KAZ "Arena-M" at the stage of testing and modifications

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects the components of the Arena-M KAZ. Equipment units, radar and protective ammunition are visible. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense

Russian industry continues work on the Arena family of active protection systems for armored vehicles. The latest product in this line is currently being tested and is approaching adoption, while an improved version is being developed at the same time. Based on the results of ongoing work, the Arena-M KAZ will confirm the calculated tactical and technical characteristics, and will also receive new capabilities that correspond to the situation on the modern battlefield.

Consistent development

The development of the first KAZ of the future Arena family started in the late eighties and was carried out by the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (Kolomna). The goal of the project was to create a promising complex capable of automatically monitoring the situation around tank, detect and then hit dangerous objects - missiles and grenades.

Work on the first version of the KAZ was completed in the second half of the nineties, and at the same time its export version was developed. Soon the Arena was shown to the public for the first time. In the 2012s, work to improve the existing design continued. Based on their results, in XNUMX they showed a new version of the KAZ layout, optimized for placement on modern tanks.

In January 2017, KBM management announced testing of the Arena-M active protection complex. Under this name was hidden a product with an updated layout, first presented several years ago. The timing of the tests was not specified at that time, but it was clear that their success would open the way to the troops for the new KAZ. In 2021, KBM and the Ministry of Defense again spoke about testing the promising KAZ, and also showed its operation.

The first version of "Arena", created in the 90s. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense

The latest reports on the progress of work on the Arena appeared just the other day. Thus, on February 14, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the KBM Research and Production Corporation and checked the progress of work on the implementation of the state defense order. The company prepared a small exhibition, during which it showed the minister all the main modern developments, incl. product "Arena-M".

General designer of NPK KBM Valery Kashin reported to the minister the current situation with the Arena-M project. According to him, the product in its basic configuration has entered qualification tests. In addition, the company is working to improve the complex. The purpose of these measures is to expand the range of targets detected and hit - now the KAZ will be able to work against attack unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Minister of Defense commented on the work on Arena-M briefly and clearly: “we need to do it faster.” These words can be considered as a transparent hint at the desire of the Ministry of Defense to quickly complete all activities on the new KAZ, bring it to production and introduce it into the troops.

Technical features

KAZ "Arena-M", like previous products of the family, is a means of additional protection of armored vehicles from incoming anti-tank ammunition of the main classes. The complex is compatible with different media, operates automatically and shows high efficiency for typical purposes. At the same time, as follows from the latest News, it has potential for further development.

KAZ "Arena-M" being tested as part of the equipment of the T-72B3 tank. Photo: Bmpd.livejournal.com

The complex is compatible with various carriers, primarily with domestically produced main tanks - T-2, T-90 and T-80. Its installation does not require any significant modification of the media, but at the same time provides an increase in the overall level of protection. It was reported that Arena-M was tested on the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle. In theory, the KAZ can be carried by any armored combat vehicle that has sufficient carrying capacity and space for installing its elements.

Structurally, the Arena-M complex is divided into several parts. It includes a control unit, several small-sized radar stations and launchers with protective ammunition. Control devices are mounted inside the protected tank and controlled by the crew. All other elements of the KAZ are located outside the protected volume. So, on tanks, radars are distributed around the perimeter of the tower, and launchers are located on its rear.

The complex includes a special protective ammunition. This is a compact rectangular product with a directional fragmentation warhead and a remote fuse. Ammunition is placed in launcher shafts and fired in specified directions according to automatic control commands. The configuration of the two launching devices and the shafts in them is determined taking into account the possibility of firing in any direction.

The operating principle of Arena-M is quite simple. The complex operates in automatic mode and, using radar, constantly monitors the situation around the carrier. All-round visibility in azimuth is provided, while visibility in elevation is limited to the sector from which incoming missiles or grenades are expected. Automation detects small air targets, determines their trajectory and flight parameters.

Tank T-90M with KAZ "Arena-M" during testing. The moment of detonation of protective ammunition. Still from a report by Channel One

If the object flies towards the carrier armored vehicle and its parameters correspond to known threats, the KAZ makes the necessary calculations and launches protective ammunition at the right time. At a given distance from the launcher, the ammunition is detonated and creates a stream of fragments directed towards the approaching target. Anti-tank ammunition is destroyed and/or detonates at a safe distance from the combat vehicle and does not harm it.

It was previously reported that Arena-M could be modified to take into account modern threats. Thus, the complex was able to detect and hit missiles flying along a high trajectory and hitting a tank from the upper hemisphere. Now NPK KBM reports the possibility of combating incoming light UAVs. Apparently, these design problems are solved in a similar way - by increasing the viewing angles of the radar, as well as changing the range of characteristics of objects to which the KAZ must respond.

The long-awaited complex

The first version of the Arena was created a quarter of a century ago and, for various reasons, did not enter service. The export version of the complex, as far as is known, also did not go beyond the boundaries of training grounds and exhibitions. Later, a deeply modernized KAZ Arena-M was developed with an updated layout and improved instruments. Now it is undergoing the necessary tests, and at the same time it is being improved in order to improve its basic characteristics.

It should be recalled that the need to equip tanks with active protection systems arose several decades ago due to the proliferation of anti-tank grenade launchers and missiles in armies and various armed formations. However, the process of introducing domestic KAZ into practice has been delayed, and our tanks still do not have such equipment. As a result, instead of convenient and effective automatic systems, it is necessary to use various kinds of additional protection, often homemade.

The moment of destruction of the incoming ammunition. Still from a report by Channel One

Judging by the latest news, the situation has changed. The Ministry of Defense is ready to accept the modern domestic KAZ into service, but only after completing the necessary modifications and ensuring work against all types of expected threats. Having confirmed its characteristics and capabilities in tests, Arena-M will be able to enter service and go into production.

As a result of this, the tanks of the Russian army - and in the future, armored vehicles of other classes and types - will improve their protection against all typical threats. The risks associated with grenade launchers, ATGMs and UAVs will be sharply reduced, and the overall combat effectiveness of armored units will correspondingly increase.

Threat Response

Thus, the protracted epic with the creation and adoption of the KAZ into service by the Russian army seems to be approaching its end. The fighting once again demonstrated the need for such complexes, and also indicated the ways for their further development. This time, the Ministry of Defense and industry are showing full readiness to complete work on the current project and bring Arena-M into operation.

It should be noted that difficulties with the creation and implementation of KAZ concern only tanks and equipment of older types. Promising armored platforms were initially designed taking into account the use of such equipment. For example, the T-14 tank, like other products of the Armata family, immediately received the Afghanit KAZ. We can expect that the next generation of KAZ will be more successful and will enter service together with the carriers without any difficulties. In addition, before this it can be improved to combat new types of threats.

Comments

[keleg]

Difficulties with the KAZ are not mentioned, both technical (the tank starts to glow with the radar) and organizational (the KAZ hits its own infantry when used, if they are nearby)

[Xenofont]

Yes, the tank does not light up, since the KAZ radars are low-power and detect an approaching object at a distance of closer than 200m. At least that's the case with Afghanit.

[SKVichyakow]

Nothing is said about the fight against BPS. But you can’t destroy it and it won’t work before it hits.

[Cympak]

If the KAZ is reliably protected from RPGs, ATGMs and kamikaze drones, then this will already be huge progress and a new level in the protection of armored vehicles.
It is impossible to protect a tank from all threats; it is necessary to protect it, first of all, from “cheap” weapons, and not every enemy has the means to use “expensive” ones (and to have a lot of them).

[Romario_Argo]

KAZ Arena-M has a single submunition depending on the loading side, it works horizontally or along the upper hemisphere, there are also 2 types of detonation with the formation of light, medium or even heavy fragments
this ensures all-angle destruction of any ATGM, RPG and FPV drones
and for protection against BOPS there is a Relict DZ
By the way, in addition to the already installed spaced remote sensing Relict on the roofs of the towers, now from 50 to 70%
- it is also planned to install a built-in Relikt remote sensing system with ejection panels on the roofs of the turrets and commander’s and gunner’s hatches on the T-72B3M, T-80BVM, T-90M

[Nikolaevich I]

Quote: Romario_Argo

KAZ Arena-M has a single submunition depending on the loading side, it works horizontally or along the upper hemisphere, there are also 2 types of detonation with the formation of light, medium or even heavy fragments

Translate, please! But somehow it’s not clear! As I know: 1. "Arena" operates with ammunition, not sub-ammunition! Defensive ammunition...counter ammunition...but still ammunition! 2. It has a fragmentation plate (“field”) on one side (!), and “all-aspect” along the “vector” of damage is ensured by rotating the ammunition after firing using pulsed rocket micromotors... 3. Damaging elements in the form of heavy fragments of the FEM type. ..Possible “multi-core” plates; “solid”,,throwable,,metal plate... The project includes ammunition with an adjustable trajectory using pulsed micromotors; “removable” traction engines that increase the flight range of ammunition if necessary, stabilizers ...

[nedgen]

Quote: SKVichyakow

Nothing is said about the fight against BPS. But you can’t destroy it and it won’t work before it hits.

The fact of the matter is that tanks almost never meet each other on the battlefield. those. there is no one to shoot at tanks with BPS. This is becoming more of an exception. But there are huge numbers of UAVs, ATGMs and RPGs on the battlefield.

[Netl]

here are UAVs, ATGMs and RPGs

The most interesting thing is about UAVs. They said it in passing, like, maybe. But the KAZ was not developed for them.

And the Jews, who have had KAZ in their series for a long time, didn’t do very well against PBLAs.

Meanwhile, given the current situation in the theater of operations, the UAV is the main task. Especially taking into account the emergence of UAVs with target recognition, which practically no longer require communication with the operator.

[Romario_Argo]

DZ Relict with knockout panels (bent outer covers) - easily cut BOPS into 3-4 parts, and change the vector of movement of the leading remainder
so the remainder of the 50-100 mm BOPS does not even penetrate the 80 mm side armor

[K9_SWAT]

COSSACK also protects against BPS! KAZ "Arena" has ammunition with a shock core and can hit flying tungsten scrap, ATGMs, and RPGs.

[K9_SWAT]

The very first KAZ "Drozd" from 1983 intercepted a target flying at a speed of 300 m/s from 30 meters. Later, the target speed could reach 1000 m/s.

[Alekseev]

A tank is a means of destroying the enemy, mainly through direct fire. You can see him anyway. What the hell is that “glow”?!
And in the reserve area, the KAZ is not turned on at a camouflaged position.
But ALL elements of the complex must be covered with armor. At least from shrapnel and small-caliber automatic guns.
Otherwise, expensive KAZ for one time.
Well, you should think about replacing the ZPU machine gun with a 30 mm cannon, equipped with shells with remote detonation and an appropriate fire control system. This is an anti-UAV addition to the KAZ. Yes by
the earth is good. Such work has already been carried out, it is necessary to continue.

[Lt. Air Force stock]

Quote: keleg

Difficulties with the KAZ are not mentioned, both technical (the tank starts to glow with the radar) and organizational (the KAZ hits its own infantry when used, if they are nearby)

Judging by the SVO and the videos that are on the Internet, no one goes on the attack behind the tank, at least I did not see a tank driving and a group of infantry following it behind it, as a rule, tanks act separately.

[English tarantas]

KAZ hits its infantry when used, if it is nearby

Already tired of this story.
Doesn't the detonation of a cumulative warhead against a tank hit nearby infantry? What about DZ? What if the tank bursts due to the explosion of the ammunition? What if the tank just fires a cannon?
Have you ever seen a tank in real life?

[Bad_gr]

Quote: English tarantass

Already tired of this story.

Moreover, the area where the ammunition flying towards the tank will be shot down is located at a distance from the tank, and the consequences for the infantry (if they are present near the tank) from the shot down will be much less than from the one that hits the tank.
The diagram shows the scattering of fragments from the KAZ "Arena" and the Ukrainian KAZ "Zaslon"

[English tarantas]

there is a North Korean flavor

It doesn't even have anything to do with it.
How much distance? 5 meters? 10? That is, when intercepting a blank with 2-3 kg of explosives, the infantry will feel normal at 5 meters? Will there be any fragments, gases, or debris scattered?
Moreover, it is not so often that infantry can be point-blank to equipment. It's just not safe. You don’t walk alongside Kamaz trucks and tractors, do you?
And in such cases, it is possible to create special operating modes for the KAZ. Complete shutdown, or, for example, work only in the direction of the tower.

[Vladimir Yurievich]

There is nothing for infantry to do next to a tank in battle. To accompany tanks there is a BMPT or infantry fighting vehicle. The infantry (in its current equipment) has nothing to do on the modern battlefield.

[Amateur]

Until the fried rooster pecks in the ass
The man will not cross
(A tale about the Ministry of Defense, generals and their decisions)

[tlauicol]

I'm 30 years late. Drones with EFP will fill the sky much sooner

[Cympak]

Just fpv - drones are an easy target for KAZ, they just weren’t considered a threat before the SVO. Lasers can also be used against FPV drones to burn camera matrices

[tlauicol]

Quote: Cympak

Just fpv - drones are an easy target for KAZ, they just weren’t considered a threat before the SVO. Lasers can also be used against FPV drones to burn camera matrices

Efp is the impact core. Explosively formed penetrator. Fpv drone will not even enter the Kaz Arena kill zone

[Timur_kz]

What the fuck? The impact core fires in 8-10 meters at best, i.e. the drone needs to fly at least 10 meters from the tank. Millimeter radar detects drones
Mavik type up to 5 km...

[tlauicol]

8-10m is the worst case. At best, tens of meters. Up to 150 on SBP.
All this will happen before the Arena

[K9_SWAT]

Well, they’ll make an Arena with a kill zone of up to 150 meters. And what?

[tlauicol]

Impact cores with such a range already exist. And they are in service. And KAZ has been in development for 40 years.
Now imagine the dimensions of such a complex... Will it be the size of a tank turret? And when? And you also need drives, a power plant, radars...

[Nikolaevich I]

KAZ "Arena" is my "favorite"! I defended it in every possible way all these years when there was a debate about whether our tanks needed this KAZ! And I told you that the Arena’s potential has not yet been fully revealed! [I just “saw” how this KAZ could be improved, what options (modifications) there could be! How can defensive ammunition (counter-ammunition) be improved... (For brevity, I called them “explosive panels”...) My idea of ​​the KAZ “Arena”, its potential, development prospects is such that I could write something like an article about "Arena" on the topic: what a KAZ could be... mmm... "Arena-M1/M2"! But no one needed this, although I sometimes posted small “fragments” of such an article in the comments when there were “disputes” about KAZs on the “pages” of VO! I am glad that, finally, the Moscow Region is interested in this wonderful KAZ and it will be the way I imagine it!

[PROXOR]

Considering the dominance of LBS FPV drones, KAZ boxes are needed again and again. All that remains is to teach KAZ to detect drones, calculate their speed and location of interception.

[Bad_gr]

Quote: PROXOR

All that remains is to teach KAZ to detect drones, calculate their speed and location of interception.

I wonder how long it will take the computer to distinguish a drone from a bird or a piece of something thrown by an explosion next door and decide to use the system (launching ammunition) or not - in general, a decision on processes that will develop literally next to the tank,
??

[PROXOR]

No matter how long it takes, it SHOULD take!

[Netl]

it's a MUST

Is it necessary?
How many birds fly over the battlefield, where the sides are firing each other?
And if some bad one still gets knocked up, let him shoot it down. It is unlikely that the enemy will train flocks of birds to deplete KAZ ammunition

[K9_SWAT]

The bird has no metal parts. They will sort it. And, as has already been said, during a battle birds do not fly and animals do not run.

[Vadim S]

One question arises: why was this not necessary before? Who exactly was slowing down the project? It was unnecessary, they thought it would blow away, but the “others” put the Trophy on it, are they freaking out? That’s how it is everywhere with us, no matter what area of ​​life you take!

[keleg]

And that “trophy” doesn’t work for them....

[Vadim S]

You can console yourself that it’s not working, the West is rotting and all that, but the question is open, why didn’t you move before? The tanks are on fire, they have turned into bush self-propelled guns, who is stopping this!

[Bad_gr]

Quote: Vadim S

Tanks are burning

And with "Trophy" they don't light up? are there statistics on this KAZ?

[alexoff]

Quote: Vadim S

Why wasn't this necessary before?

What was needed before? Everywhere you look, it’s the same nonsense.

[Alekandr]

Interest in KAZ in itself is good! But will Arena M be able to fight off ten drones? A solution suggests itself with a system of small sensors and mortars (for example, from a smoke screen system)

[Nikolaevich I]

Quote: Alexander

will Arena M be able to fight off ten drones?

Well, even in the “old” “Arena” there were up to 22 “counter-ammunition”...

[Bad_gr]

Quote: Nikolaevich I

Quote: Alexander

will Arena M be able to fight off ten drones?

Well, even in the “old” “Arena” there were up to 22 “counter-ammunition”...

It is not a fact that the new one has more of them, since the new one has the ability to control counter-ammunition and now it is possible to cover with fewer numbers many more directions from which the threat comes.

[alexoff]

Why these counter-ammunitions? Drones are slow compared to a missile, you need to install an automatic anti-aircraft saiga with a couple of hundred rounds of ammunition per duck

[Timur_kz]

It’s easy to make a remote-controlled turret with a commander’s machine gun + a good heat gun, which can be combined with a panorama and a laser rangefinder.

[alexoff]

The machine gun is not very good against small targets. But the ancient duckling would immediately knock out strikes, with one shot they would knock down the entire flock. If you spin at a speed of one revolution in 5 seconds, then no one will fly up at all.

[Alekandr]

A shotgun will no longer help against a swarm.

[alexoff]

Will KAZ help? If five tanks with such anti-aircraft guns shoot out sectors at a distance of a couple of hundred meters in a coordinated manner, then it will take more than one hundred drones to defeat them

[Alekandr]

What if they come from the same sector?

[Bad_gr]

Quote: Alexander

What if they come from the same sector?

The new KAZ "Arena-M" has the ability to turn its submunitions in the right direction, so it will repulse an attack from one direction. The old Arena had its own submunition for each direction.
The first photo shows a BMP-3 with an Arena (arrows indicate submunitions). In the second photo there is a T-72 with the Arena-M KAZ installed (the arrows indicate the silos with submunitions)

[K9_SWAT]

What about air defense? All sorts of “Shells”, “Pines”, “Derivations”? They have to destroy all this crap, and KAZ is the one that breaks through. Protection is a set of measures. If they put “Vitebsk” on turntables, then maybe they can put it on a tank to burn out or blind the cameras?

[Cympak]

"Armata" needs to be improved due to the threat of fpv drones. The Afghanit KAZ installed on it is not intended to intercept targets in the upper hemisphere. The sides are covered by active protection, and the roof is covered only by the mortar for multi-spectral interference of the homing seeker. This will not work against fpv drones, because... the drone can circle around the tank until the interference dissipates. Additional protection is needed for the upper hemisphere of the "Armata"

[Bad_gr]

Quote: Cympak

The Afghanit KAZ installed on it is not intended to intercept targets in the upper hemisphere.

KAZ "Arena-M", according to the director of the company that produces it, covers the upper hemisphere, but the much more advanced "Afganit" does not? Please provide a link to the source of this data. .

[Cympak]

Article about KOEP "Armaty": V.V. Stepanov, B.V. Nemirovsky
(JSC "VNIITransmash") "Anti-targeting system for protecting armored military equipment from high-precision weapons."
Posted on elibrary.ru in the collection "Current problems of protection and security. Armored weapons and equipment" pp. 181-188

[Bad_gr]

Quote: Cympak

in the collection "Current problems of protection and security. Armored weapons and equipment" pp. 181-188

Strange. In the description that I came across, the upper hemisphere overlaps. In general, I will look for information from the manufacturer.
In any case, thanks for the information.

[Timur_kz]

Read about Afghanite on Wikipedia. Just visually look at the mortars installed on the Armata tower, how can they cover the top? To cover the upper hemisphere, a curtain with dipoles is fired there, which should shoot down the seeker of the same Javelin. Nobody thought about FPV back then. By the way, Afghanit doesn’t cover himself from behind either; for this, Armata needs to deploy a turret with mortars... Well, then, there is not a single video test of Afghanit’s work, at least indicative. All KAZ have such videos, the same Arena was shown several times at work.

[Bad_gr]

Quote: Timur_kz

Just visually look at the mortars installed on the Armata tower, how can they cover the top?

Almost all of our KAZs shoot down incoming ammunition not directly, but with fragments. From the KAZ "Zaslon" and "Drozd" fragments scatter in the shape of a disk from the point where the submunition is detonated. That is, flying next to enemy ammunition, the submunition explodes. and the fragments scatter at 90° from the trajectory of its flight (to the sides).
KAZ "Arena-M" fires the submunition upwards and towards the approaching enemy ammunition, the submunition explodes, and the fragments fly again to the side of the submunition (in the direction from top to bottom).
The KAZ "Afganit" uses not fragments to shoot down a threat, but an impact core, which is fired from a submunition, again, not directly, but sideways. Therefore, shooting upward from a horizontally flying submunition is not a problem.

[Timur_kz]

It clearly says that a curtain is used to cover the upper hemisphere! And I have never heard that an impact core is used - this is probably the most ineffective way to intercept a missile. A directed flow of fragments is more effective. In any case, Afghanit will not help with FPV; the radar simply will not see slower targets.

[Bad_gr]

Quote: Timur_kz

And I have never heard that an impact core is used - this is probably the most ineffective way to intercept a missile.

There was one comrade from Israel here (on “VO”), and he claimed that the “trophy” knocks down the threat with a “shock core”, only it fires it directly from the tank (from the platform).
But the sighting device itself has a mechanical drive, which clearly affects the aiming time, which means that the speed of the approaching ammunition should not be high, otherwise it will not have time. An RPG-7 grenade will certainly be intercepted, but something more nimble will slip through the defense.
According to my data (from the Internet):
The maximum speed of ammunition from which the KAZ “Trophy” can protect is 250 m/s,
-------------------------------------------------- -------- KAZ "Arena" - 70-700 m/s

[Nikolaevich I]

Quote: Bad_gr

one comrade from Israel, he claimed that the “trophy” knocks down the threat precisely with a “shock core”, only it fires it directly from the tank (from the platform).

“Multi-nuclear” ammunition is used...anti-tank ammunition is hit by a “beam” of small “impact nuclei”...

[Garris199]

I read it and somehow felt better. It's like it's already on all the boxes at the front.

[Yuri L]

Hmmm, I wonder how long it will take for our Ministry of Defense to realize the need to introduce an extremely necessary complex. And after all, before the eyes of the United States, where the Israeli Trofi-M will soon be installed on everything that moves. But we don’t need amers example. Another question here is how many charges are in the installation. The videos that come from the LBS do not inspire optimism - the Enemy has NO limit on UAVs, they are now freely sending 6 drones to the tank, and there are still some left, tomorrow they will send 60 drones to the tank, and there will still be left. Looking at Arena-M, no it looks like there are more than 12 charges. "Arena-M" was made with the expectation of countering very expensive ATGMs, so so many charges were quite enough, for a UAV the "Arena-M" simply simply does not have enough charges, So in reality it is necessary to develop much more some kind of large "Arena-MM", but if it takes another thirty years... Therefore, in terms of cost, there are currently no alternatives to electronic warfare equipment installed on armored vehicles (the only thing is that these equipment must be broadband, so that adjusting frequencies after the enemy does not take much time occupied) A radical solution to the problem would be to install on the tank short-range missiles, up to 100-1000 m, with a caliber of 57mm (shortened, primitively controlled on the basis of the S-60), placed vertically in installations such as a helicopter launcher (no wonder, the S-60 is from the same place, dushmans put them in packs on pickup trucks) mounted behind the tank turret. Here you can put up to 40 of them. Control - radar from the Arena. And if (to dream of dreaming) our engineers had developed mini-warheads to receive an EMP pulse like "Alabuga", then radar guidance and controllability of the racket would not have been needed, however, all the electronics of the tank would have to be taken into account a Faraday cage, but you can’t put a small drone in it. Well, the roof-mounted machine gun is also at least somehow strengthened by making explosive guided bullets and attaching it to the radar, you see, it will shoot down something, but this is much more difficult to do than installing anti-aircraft missiles, so there’s no need to get distracted. It’s useless to dream about a 23 or 30mm gun, like the one on the T-95, we need to make a new tank with a new turret, and we have the T-14 now...at the 100th Summer State Tests, and not at LBS, alas

[David1993]

You are being overly dramatic about the drone issue. They are not yet heavy enough to carry anything serious. Nowadays it’s enough to put a cheap lidar with a MONK on the grill. And it’s just that the grille with remote control saves you on the stages. Problems begin when crews start slacking and forgetting to be careful.

[wladimirjankov]

The Minister of Defense commented on the work on Arena-M briefly and clearly: “we need to do it faster.”

This begs the question: why was this phrase heard only now, and not fifteen years ago, when this person was appointed to the post of Defense Ministry? Or was it not said by Shoigu’s predecessors, the notorious Serdyukov and Ivanov? Is it because these people are purely civilians and had nothing to do with the army before? What could they know about the needs of the army and navy and where and how should they develop? Someone will say that they had professional deputies and assistants and they were the ones who should have told the Defense Ministry what the army needed. Maybe they suggested it, but he always makes the decisions himself. And in order to make the right decision, you must always understand the issue yourself. But this, unfortunately, did not happen not only in relation to KAZ, but also in the timely creation and production of UAVs, secure communications equipment, AWACS, satellite reconnaissance, counter-battery warfare, modernization and creation of artillery systems, naval aviation, surface ships, etc. Now, during the SVO, it “suddenly suddenly became clear” that tanks without KAZ are self-propelled guns capable of shooting and fighting from closed positions, otherwise in an open LBS they will quickly end their existence. And only now, when it became obvious to everyone and this phrase of the Minister of Defense was heard, “we need to do it faster.” For some reason, it seems that if our country’s Defense Ministry were headed by professionals in their field, such as Grechko, Ustinov and the like, then our tanks would probably have KAZ and we would not have problems with UAVs and communications. Everyone should mind their own business, and not take someone else’s place, then there will be order in the country

[vvn_vl]

If you release an album with a photo of the minister, where he stands with a smart look over some product, then there will be 200 pages... But what’s the point in these shows???!!!

[Yuri L]

Indeed, KAZ in current conditions is simply a salvation for tanks. However, it should have more charges than now, somewhere around 30, then it can hit a swarm of UAVs, now there simply may not be enough charges for everyone. And you definitely need to take advantage of the experience of visionary Chinese comrades, install an all-angle powerful laser next to the “arena”, like on their T-99. (on the roof, not next to the gun) With burned-out video cameras and jammed electronic warfare channels, any FPV drone turns into a piece guano (plastic) Then there will be no need to use all sorts of unreliable barbecues on collective farms. It will be cheap and cheerful. The arena will only work against traditional anti-tank weapons

[Army General]

There is a good toy tank on the table.
I should buy one for the kids.

[bug120560]

The problem of adopting all domestically developed KAZs into service is primarily the lack of mass production of domestic microelectronics components. It’s like with the MI-26 attack helicopter, which was proudly called “Night Hunter,” but in fact they never created a workable station for it. As a result, we have a good attack helicopter, but far from the declared characteristics. Well, they don’t have those balls above the screw from the word AT ALL.

[Calm_type]

The minimum speed of targets hit by the arena is 70 m.s. It’s unlikely that the arena has a different indicator. So for FPV, Arena M will most likely not be dangerous

[schigi]

Quote: Alekseev

Well, you should think about replacing the ZPU machine gun with a 30 mm cannon, equipped with shells with remote detonation and an appropriate fire control system. This is an anti-UAV addition to the KAZ. Yes by
the earth is good. Such work has already been carried out, it is necessary to continue.

The Terminator BMPT has a 30mm and even two :), by the way, it’s a good principle in general - to allocate everything unnecessary into a separate unit of armored vehicles, and not hang everything on the tank... Perhaps the Mini-Air Defense should also be made a separate vehicle.