US-made armored vehicles being used by Ukrainian forces are facing a range of Russian threats, from the conventional, like artillery shells, tank rounds, anti-tank missiles, and rocket-propelled grenades, to the unconventional, like small drones strapped with explosives.
These armored systems — specifically the M1 Abrams tank and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle — have hardened exteriors designed to keep their crews safe, but they are still vulnerable to Russian attacks, which are coming from all angles, including above. There have been losses for both vehicles.
One Ukrainian initiative, Rinat Ahkmetov’s Steel Front, has built dozens of steel screens for the Abrams and Bradley to provide the vehicles with an extra layer of protection against inbound threats.
A senior official affiliated with the armor initiative said that the screens are “performing well” as the vehicles take fire and come under attack.
“They’re taking hits, and after each hit, you have to repair it,” the official, who was granted anonymity for security concerns, told Business Insider, explaining that the goal is for the screen to absorb the damage and “not allow damage to the main parts of the vehicle.”
Ukraine and Russia have been outfitting their armored vehicles with these net-like screens throughout the war to give them added defenses against incoming munitions, especially the small exploding drones that have been a dominant feature on the battlefield.
The improvised armor is sometimes referred to as a “cope cage.” It can vary in appearance and effectiveness, with some more sophisticated in design than some more crudely built alternatives, like the unusual Russian “turtle tanks.”
“The main aim is to protect the crew,” said the official who spoke to BI. “So this is why we are installing it. And after, the second [aim] is to protect the armored vehicle.”
The official said if the vehicle is hit, the damage will ultimately depend on where the explosive impacted. For instance, a protective screen may not be effective against a direct strike but could help reduce the damage if the blast is indirect or originates farther away.
Fully destroyed protective screens can take two days to repair, while moderately damaged ones can take just a few hours to weld back into place.
A complete protective screen for the Abrams weighs roughly 900 pounds and can cost up to $20,000 to produce. The Bradley screen is significantly lighter, at around 550 pounds, and can cost closer to $12,000. Making a screen for either vehicle takes a day or two and another 12 hours or so to install.
Although a single screen may be significantly more expensive than a drone or tank shell, it’s still a relatively cheap way to give a multi-million-dollar armored vehicle and its crew the additional protection they need. The screens are also given to the Ukrainian military for free.
The Steel Front initiative has been making screens for Ukraine’s old Soviet tanks, such as the T-64 and T-72, for over a year and a half. So far, it has produced hundreds of screens for these vehicles.
The armor operation expanded to Abrams tanks earlier in the summer and to the Bradleys more recently. It has since produced 25 screens for the American-made tank and at least 70 for the infantry fighting vehicle, with the latter receiving its first install about a month ago.
Since Western countries started donating armored vehicles to Ukraine in early 2023, the US has outfitted Kyiv with 31 Abrams and more than 300 Bradleys, according to the latest Pentagon data.
While the provision of these combat-proven American vehicles has notably upgraded Ukrainian armor capabilities, they are not invincible.
At least 13 Abrams and 99 Bradleys have been damaged or destroyed in combat, according to Orxy, an open-source intelligence platform that tracks battlefield losses on both sides. Other Western armor has also taken losses.
The official BI spoke with about the ongoing add-on armor efforts said that, as far as they know, the Abrams and Bradleys outfitted with protective screens have not suffered losses over the past month.
The initiative outfitting US-made tanks with armor has started working on protection for the German-made Leopard main battle tank. The first variation of the screen will take at least a week to make before being sent to the Ukrainian military to be tested. Once full production begins, the official said it will likely take around two days to make a screen.
