Ukraine has developed new protective shields for US-donated Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to counter the growing threat of Russian drone strikes on the eastern front. The Ukrainian company Metinvest Group, operating under the Steel Front initiative, has successfully completed testing of these complex sliding screens and is now moving into mass production, according to Oleksandr Myronenko, the company’s chief operating officer.
Earlier this month, Akhmetov’s Steel Front announced the commencement of production for protective screens for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).
Myronenko told Newsweek that the screens, costing around $2 million each, are designed to be fitted onto M2 Bradleys operated by the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine. The new shields build upon the company’s previous work developing steel protective cages for M1 Abrams main battle tanks and other military hardware.
The earlier Steel Front’s report elaborated that it is currently manufacturing protective screens for Soviet-era T-64 and T-72 tanks, M1 Abrams, and Bradley IFVs.
Myronenko told Newsweek that the new sliding screen for M2 Bradleys was “successful in testing” that was completed in recent days.
The threat posed by Russian explosive drones, particularly first-person view (FPV) drones, has become a significant concern for Ukrainian forces. Myronenko previously stated to Newsweek that drones are currently “the biggest danger for the tanks and for any kind of armored vehicles which the Ukrainian army uses.”
The new sliding screens for the Bradleys are more complex than previous iterations, featuring a special mobile structure that can slide back and forth from the top to the side of the vehicle depending on the combat situation. This adaptability is crucial for the Bradleys, which, like the Abrams tanks, are prime targets for Russian drone attacks.
The US has provided Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks and more than 300 Bradleys, according to Pentagon documents. These vehicles, assigned to the 47th Mechanized Brigade fighting in Donetsk Oblast, have proven effective in combat.
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