During the so-called. the anti-terrorist operation of the Ukrainian army had to face a host of problems of various kinds. During the years of independence, the country's leadership did not pay enough attention to the armed forces, which is why their equipment and training leaves much to be desired, and even militias without special training can effectively resist them. The lack of a coherent state policy forces the military to take care of their own security on their own. In particular, many units of the Ukrainian army are forced to independently modernize their equipment and equip it with additional protection systems.
A characteristic feature of the current conflict in Ukraine is the use of physically and morally outdated technology, which no longer fully meets the requirements of the time. One of the consequences of this is the appearance of combat vehicles, which received the protection of handicraft production. To increase the level of protection of combat vehicles, various means are used to attract attention. Let's consider the main methods of such additional equipment of military equipment used by the Ukrainian military.
The current conflict has reaffirmed the obvious thesis: light armored vehicles, by definition, cannot protect the crew from anti-tank weapons, for example, rocket-propelled grenade launchers. To solve this problem, various anti-cumulative screens are used. Indeed, equipping a combat vehicle with a metal or lattice screen makes it possible to cause an anti-tank grenade to detonate at a distance from the armor and thereby save equipment from defeat. In addition, some screens destroy the grenade and prevent it from exploding. Such screens have been known since the Second World War and have been used with noticeable success.
Ukrainian designers, creating the BTR-4 armored personnel carrier, took into account the experience of armed conflicts in recent decades and equipped the new vehicle with anti-cumulative lattice screens. Such protection, created by specialists, has corresponding high characteristics. There are cases when armored personnel carriers with factory-made grilles returned from battle with anti-tank grenades stuck between the screen plates. Naturally, the lattice screens are damaged, but the armored personnel carrier and its crew remain intact.
BTR-4 after the battle
Not all Ukrainian armored vehicles are equipped with factory-made lattice screens. Crews often have to "upgrade" their equipment on their own. Handicraft screens made from various materials at hand have become widespread. For example, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles with screens made of metal mesh stretched over the frame often appear in the battle zone. For obvious reasons, such protection is not very effective. The rigidity and strength of the meshes used do not allow keeping the rocket-propelled grenade at the required distance from the armor and initiating its detonation. As a result, mesh screens do not increase the level of protection of the equipment, but to some extent complicate its operation.
In mid-September, photographs of one of the motorized rifle units of Ukraine, equipped with BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, were published. Taking into account the existing experience, the unit's equipment was finalized and received a set of anti-cumulative screens. On the front of the upper frontal plate of the vehicles, a wide grille of small height was installed, covering the projection of the upper part of the hull. The sides of the car were also covered with lattices of the appropriate size. In addition, fasteners for rubber screens were installed on the lower frontal part of the machine body.
The side and frontal screens of the BMP-2 in the available photos can speak of their origin: probably, a certain enterprise participated in their manufacture. The screens are based on metal corners, from which the structure frame is made. Metal rods are welded onto the corners, forming a mesh. The soft frontal screen, in turn, is a sheet of rubber of the required size, covering the lower part of the frontal projection of the machine. The exact fate of vehicles equipped in this way is unknown, but it can be assumed that they have a much better chance of surviving on the battlefield than vehicles with nets.
In early October, a photo of a Ukrainian armored personnel carrier with a very original additional protection appeared. The sides of the car are covered with a lattice screen assembled from metal rods. Sandbags or soil bags are placed between the body and the grilles for additional protection. The lower frontal part is covered with a metal plate. Finally, tank reactive armor units are welded onto the side skirts and the cheekbones of the hull's forehead. Such a set of additional means of protection shows how seriously the authors of this "modernization project" approached the matter.
BTR with reactive armor units. Photo ukrinform.ua
Nevertheless, experts and amateurs of military equipment immediately noticed a number of disadvantages that could significantly worsen the survivability of an armored personnel carrier. First of all, these are dynamic protection units welded onto relatively thin bulletproof armor. When a grenade hits and the charge is detonated, the ERA is capable of breaking through the armor of an armored personnel carrier and causing damage to both the vehicle and the crew. However, there is reason to doubt that explosives are still present inside the welded blocks. Perhaps only empty boxes were installed on the armored personnel carrier, which to some extent increased the level of protection. However, even in this case, the additional protection of the armored vehicle looks doubtful and ambiguous.
The lack of the required number of combat-ready armored vehicles leads to the emergence of converted civilian equipment, equipped with armor. This technique is typical of recent local wars in Asia and Africa. It is noteworthy that in these wars, converted civilian vehicles were and are used mainly by non-governmental armed groups. As for the current war in Ukraine, such equipment is ordered primarily by the security forces, and industrial enterprises are engaged in its manufacture.
In most cases, refitting vehicles involves installing metal sheets over the body. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian conflict has shown that even such an approach to the creation of improvised armored vehicles can be accompanied by original ideas and solutions.
In mid-July, the Nikolaev diesel locomotive repair plant completed the re-equipment of two UAZ-3303 vehicles, modified by order of the Border Service of Ukraine. The vehicles received protection for the cockpit and a metal body, in which a turret with a machine gun was installed. The shooter's workplace was protected in a standard way for this technique: sheet metal was used. At the same time, the chassis and the cockpit received original protection.
Armored UAZ-3303
The wheels, frame and lower part of the cab doors received protection made of sections of the metal airfield cover. Such a metal profile is hardly capable of providing serious protection against small arms bullets, but it is of interest as a technical curiosity. The protection of the frontal projection of the car and the side windows of the cab looks no less original. On these parts of the base trucks, a structure from a metal frame and reinforcement welded onto it was installed. The rods of the latter were attached to the frame, and also welded together. The protection characteristics of such "reinforcing armor" raise serious doubts, although the originality of the idea is worth considering.
An interesting approach to the manufacture of improvised armored vehicles for the Ukrainian military is demonstrated by the Energoatom company, which cooperates with the Atomremontservice enterprise. In early September, the company handed over to the security officials three minibuses that received protection. The vehicles were reportedly equipped with steel plate armor. Above the front part of the car body, structures of a characteristic angular shape were installed. Comparatively large windows were left to monitor the road.
"Armored cars" of the "Energoatom" company of the second version. Photo energoatom.kiev.ua
On the last day of September, Energoatom announced the transfer of three more modified vehicles to the military. They are said to have received a lightweight booking option. Apparently, the relief lies in the change in the design of the armoring of the front of the vehicles. So, instead of a large frontal sheet and side sheets in the front of the car, we received grilles of the same size. The reasons for the appearance of such a design are not fully understood. Nevertheless, one can immediately speak of an extremely low level of protection of such a design. The grille does not protect the windshield and hood of the car from bullets and shrapnel, which is why any shots at them can be fatal both for the car itself and for its crew.
Among the improvised "armored personnel carriers", the car shown at the beginning of October by the Zaporizhstal plant stands out. As a base for it, a serial KamAZ truck was taken, which was sheathed with 6-mm steel. As can be seen in the photographs available, all important vehicle components have been protected, from the cab to the rear wheels. A retractable shield covering the windshield is provided, as well as sheets that protect the rear wheels from the sides and the front axle in front. In the sides of the armored van there are loopholes for observing the situation and firing personal weapons. The frontal leaf covering the cockpit is decorated with a stylized blue-yellow trident.
Zaporozhye armored KamAZ. Photo ipnews.in.ua
It was argued that the steel-clad KamAZ would be sent to one of the units fighting on the territory of the DPR. Earlier, the Zaporizhstal plant had already fulfilled the order of the military, then a car of the UAZ brand received protection. This time, Zaporozhye specialists took into account the experience gained and made a protected truck. Nevertheless, as follows from the published data, armor steel is not used in the protection of the vehicle, which accordingly affects its survivability in real combat conditions.
All the considered samples of full-fledged and improvised armored vehicles, as well as ways to increase their level of protection, are interesting from a technical point of view. In terms of their real characteristics, they seriously differ from each other, however, in many cases, additional protection of equipment can be considered more a means of complacency than a real way to save vehicles and soldiers. However, in the current situation, the Ukrainian military does not have to choose, they are forced to use the available opportunities and look for ways to protect themselves and their equipment.
The appearance of artisanal means of additional protection and improvised armored vehicles can speak of one unpleasant fact for Ukraine. Homemade grilles and nets on armored personnel carriers are a sign that the country's defense industry was not ready to ensure the participation of the army in hostilities. Apparently, she either did not have her own developments in this area, or all these projects were simply not implemented. As a result, the soldiers had to independently search for nets or gratings and install them on their combat vehicles.
The appearance of improvised armored vehicles also speaks of the poor state of the armed forces and industry. The troops have a certain number of tanks, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, but the number of combat-ready equipment could be insufficient to solve the assigned tasks. Repair companies are actively involved in the restoration of unusable equipment, but the losses are still too great and they simply cannot cope with the load. The solution to this problem is the installation of metal parts on civilian vehicles. Due to the workload of defense enterprises, other factories are involved in the assembly of such equipment.
Samples of improvised armored vehicles and combat vehicles with home-made means of additional protection simultaneously demonstrate two interrelated trends. On the one hand, the fighters of the armed forces want to get equipment with a high level of protection that can protect them from enemy fire, and on the other hand, the industry cannot provide them with everything they need. Naturally, all this affects the loss of people and equipment, and also contributes to the victories of the militia.
