Russia unveils first T-90M with Arena-M protection system
Russia’s UralVagonZavod, the country’s leading tank manufacturer, has officially showcased the first T-90M main battle tank equipped with the Arena-M Active Protection System (APS).
The unveiling marks a new phase in Russia’s ongoing efforts to upgrade its armored forces amid continued battlefield losses in Ukraine.
The Arena-M APS is designed to enhance the survivability of tanks against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
The T-90M, widely promoted by Russian officials as the country’s most advanced operational tank, has suffered substantial losses in Ukraine. Open-source intelligence analysts, including Oryx, have documented over 120 confirmed T-90M losses since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Despite its upgraded armor and fire-control systems, the tank has proven vulnerable to Western-supplied anti-tank weapons, suicide drones, and precision artillery strikes.
The integration of Arena-M APS is an attempt to address these vulnerabilities by providing 360-degree active protection against incoming threats. The system automatically detects, tracks, and intercepts incoming projectiles before they reach the tank, theoretically improving its ability to survive on the modern battlefield.
While Russia has previously claimed success in developing active protection systems, the real-world effectiveness of Arena-M remains unproven in combat. Unlike Israel’s Trophy APS, which has been battle-tested on Merkava tanks, the Arena-M system has yet to be deployed in combat zones. Questions also persist regarding its ability to handle modern loitering munitions and top-attack anti-tank systems, such as Javelin and NLAW, which have been highly effective against Russian armor.
Despite these uncertainties, Russian defense officials continue to present the T-90M with Arena-M as a next-generation armored solution. The Kremlin has relied heavily on UralVagonZavod to maintain tank production and modernization efforts, especially as Western sanctions restrict access to critical components for high-tech military systems.
