Russia's anti-drone innovations are constantly emerging, and the next generation may be the so-called "dandelion" anti-drone brackets. Their branch-like metal "calyxes" can trigger enemy FPV drones prematurely before they strike the vehicle body. This bionic black-tech protective structure is expected to further enhance the anti-drone defense capabilities of Russian vehicles.

If judged by the performance of Russia's previous generations of anti-drone defense systems, this "dandelion defense device" might indeed prove effective.

Simple Working Principle
Military observer Andrei Btvt discovered that a recently submitted Russian patent application revealed the design of the "dandelion tank." He wrote: "This passive protection device consists of multiple groups of flexible material rods, which are interconnected to form a tree-like (branch-like) structure, creating a three-dimensional protective barrier."

Andrei Btvt explained that the core of this new anti-drone design lies in its layered structure: the tree-like structure is divided into multiple levels, each containing flexible rods of varying lengths and cross-sections. The upper layers use rods with thin cross-sections, while the lower layers use rods with thick cross-sections. The number of rods gradually increases from the lower to the upper layers. He added, "The rods are fixed to each other via easily detachable connectors. The flexible rods are made of glass fiber-reinforced bars of different diameters, and the connectors are made of formed metal plates or impact-resistant plastic. Between the upper layers of the tree-like structure, fine nets made of high-strength synthetic materials (such as Kevlar-grade) are stretched."

In 2022, "anti-drone cages" emerged—protective devices made of metal bars or nets installed on or around armored vehicle turrets, designed to intercept incoming FPV drones. A year later, the "turtle tank" made its debut: the entire combat vehicle was fully encased in an anti-drone metal shell. In 2024, the Russian military added hundreds of thick metal spines to some "anti-drone cages" or "turtle tanks," a design that proved highly successful—the resulting "porcupine tanks" could withstand attacks from more drones.

This year, metal spines have been upgraded to fine metal "hairs" made from unraveled aluminum cables. These "hedgehog tanks," potentially equipped with tens of thousands of such "hairs," have become the most protective vehicles in Russia's 45-month special military operation in Ukraine.

Some of these reinforced vehicles—particularly "turtle tanks," "porcupine tanks," and "hedgehog tanks"—can withstand dozens of FPV drone attacks before ultimately being destroyed. This resilience increases the probability of Russian assault groups crossing drone-patrolled no-man's-land and deploying infantry to seize new positions.

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Post time:Sep-25-2020