Arena-M
Hard-kill self-protection for armoured vehicles against anti-tank weapons and FPV drones
Active protection system from KBM (Kolomna) that detects incoming anti-tank projectiles by radar and defeats them with an explosive counter-munition. According to Russian reports it gained a drone mode in 2025 and a variant against one-way attack drones in early 2026. During the Tsentr-2026 exercise a T-90M with Arena-M shot down FPV quadcopters and fixed-wing drones in a staged attack. Shows how Russia tries to protect armour against the drone threat — and where the limits are.
Learn more in the Drone Academy →Key data
- Manufacturer
- KBM, Kolomna (Rostec)
- Platform
- T-90M (T-72B3M also mentioned); however, new T-90M and T-72B3M tanks delivered in Sep 2026 did not have the system fitted. According to Defence Blog (8 Oct 2026), some T-90Ms in Uralvagonzavod's early-October delivery do carry Arena-M — not independently confirmed (RU Mil Tracker e-20261009-10)
- Operation
- Radar detection of incoming threats and an explosive counter-munition (hard kill)
- Capacity
- Known configuration: 12 counter-munitions — after that the vehicle is unprotected until reloaded
Against drones (claim, 2025–2026)
- Development
- Drone-intercept mode in 2025; variant against one-way attack drones completed in early 2026 (Russian figures)
- Tsentr-2026
- A T-90M shot down FPV quadcopters and fixed-wing drones in a staged attack on a tank column; numbers launched, intercepted or getting through were not disclosed
- Combat experience
- Ukrainian units reported the system destroying FPV drones in combat; one unit said it took 15–20 drones to knock out a single tank fitted with Arena-M
- Source
- Russian MoD via Defence Blog (3 Oct 2026), RU Mil Tracker e-20261004-07 — not independently verified
Relevance
- Lesson
- Active protection raises the cost per kill (more drones per vehicle), but a limited stock of counter-munitions makes saturation with cheap drones a workable answer
- See also
- The Hard kill and Shturm cards
News archive 5
Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.
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«О безэкипажных танках» (Rybar: 'On uncrewed tanks' — Deputy Defence Minister Yevkurov says uncrewed tank units may appear in the Russian armed forces)
The milblogger channel Rybar reports that Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov has said units of uncrewed tanks may appear in the Russian armed forces, and that the vehicles were tested at a range in Chelyabinsk region. Rybar does not quote Yevkurov directly or say where or when he said this; the original statement could not be traced in other sources…
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Russia's top tank maker takes on T-90 repairs as new builds strain
According to Defence Blog, Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) in Nizhny Tagil, Russia's main tank manufacturer and the only plant building new T-90M tanks, is now carrying out major (capital) repairs of T-90Ms badly damaged in Ukraine. Photos circulating on social media this week show a train with heavily damaged T-90Ms on rail cars heading to the plant. Analysts note th…
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Tsentr-2026: Shturm robotic tank debut falters in the mud while T-90M's Arena-M downs drones in staged attack
During the Tsentr-2026 strategic exercise (28 September – 3 October, more than 47,000 troops according to the Russian Defence Ministry), Russia used uncrewed tanks from Uralvagonzavod's Shturm heavy robotic assault system in drills for the first time. The ministry said on 2 October that President Putin was shown the vehicles at the Chebarkul range in Chelya…
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Syrskyi: Ukrainian active protection systems for armoured vehicles intercept 60–80% of FPV drones in testing
Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom Militarnyi describes as the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told LB.ua in an interview that Ukrainian active protection systems (APS) for armoured vehicles can already intercept between 60% and 80% of FPV drones. He said Ukraine and Russia are both developing systems to shield armour from drone attack, and t…
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Russia's New T-90M and T-72B3M Tanks Arrive With Upgraded Anti-Drone Protection
Russian state manufacturer Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) — the sanctioned tank plant in Nizhny Tagil — has delivered a new batch of T-90M "Proryv" and T-72B3M tanks to Russian forces, according to parent company Rostec. The delivery was timed to coincide with the 80th observance of Russia's "Tank Crew Day." As with previous batches, Russia disclosed neither the quan…