Framed by the DefenceIQ International Armored Vehicles conference, which took place between January 21 and 23, the British Army announced that it is evaluating the possibility of equipping its Challenger 2 tanks with anti-drone cages based on experience gained from the war in Ukraine. Additionally, possible alternatives were presented to equip British armored vehicles with new active protection systems against drones, including electronic countermeasures and kinetic interceptors.
Delving into details, tests for implementing these proposals are being carried out at the Army Training Unit (ATU) facilities in the United Kingdom, primarily aiming to design cages capable of protecting the armored vehicle from drone attacks while integrating seamlessly with the Challenger 2. This translates into tests regarding their weight, potential obstruction of crew entry/exit points, maintenance access, and other relevant aspects.
It is worth recalling that so-called anti-drone cages (also popularly known as “cope cages”) are essentially an additional layer of physical obstacles integrated into tanks to block the trajectory of enemy systems targeting the vehicle. These can be installed on the sides of the tank as well as on the upper part of its turret, where it is most vulnerable. Their operating principle is to cause the hostile drone (and some types of anti-tank munitions) to detonate before reaching the tank’s armor, thereby significantly reducing the damage inflicted on the vehicle.
As previously mentioned, exploring such alternatives is mainly due to lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, where drones have undoubtedly become a frequent threat to tanks on both sides, as well as the widespread use of various countermeasures to neutralize them. Concrete examples include the use of reactive armor blocks (ERA), such as those observed on Russian T-80 tanks in Crimea during 2022, as well as the Ukrainian Army’s use of foldable mesh on previously captured T-90 tanks.
The Challenger 2 model used by the British Army has already been involved in frontline combat, with a batch of 14 units sent by London to Kyiv in 2023 as part of a military assistance package that also included artillery systems. At the time, it became the first Western-made tank donated to Ukraine, later joined by German-made Leopard 2 and U.S.-made M1A1 Abrams models. It is also worth mentioning that in September 2023, the destruction of the first British tank from this batch was confirmed, as it took part in the then-recently launched summer counteroffensive.
Finally, it should be noted that the United Kingdom is currently working on upgrading part of its fleet (approximately 148 units) of Challenger 2 tanks to the Challenger 3 standard, with initial operational capability expected to be reached by 2027. The British Army has already received the first units for evaluation. While some of its new features are known, such as the incorporation of a new turret, composite armor, and active protection systems, it remains unclear whether they will also be equipped with anti-drone cages like their predecessor variant.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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