Russia testing jet drones against western Ukraine

The 475th Assault Regiment in Ukraine has once again demonstrated the effectiveness of deploying tanks and armoured vehicles alongside drones to protect against enemy threats. This time, the regiment escorted a tank and an American-made M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle on a mission in the disputed gray zone of northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast.

To conceal the tank from enemy drone detection, the regiment reinforced it with metal frames and welded additional metal spines onto the frame, creating a "hedgehog" vehicle. These spines could deflect incoming drone warheads before they reach the hull of the vehicle. In addition to the hedgehog tank, the regiment also deployed drones—both single-use first-person-view models and reusable Vampire models designed to drop grenades—to provide aerial protection for the armored vehicles.

The mixed ground-air combined arms formation allowed the tank and Bradley to engage Russian positions while the escorting drones provided aerial cover and assistance. Despite receiving hits from Russian drones, the hedgehog armor protected the vehicles, and both survived the mission. This approach of combining armored vehicles with drone escorts represents a promising strategy for traditional armored vehicles in the new era of drone warfare.