Ukrainian brigade transforms Abrams tanks with Soviet-era armour

Ukrainians from the renowned 47th Mechanised Brigade have showcased the M1A1 Abrams tank, which, in addition to reactive armour tiles from the TUSK package, features a substantial number of Soviet-era Kontakt-1 tiles. We explain why such a variant was developed and what benefits the modifications introduced by the Ukrainians provide.

For a considerable time, the 47th Mechanised Brigade, along with several other units, defended the Avdiivka region, extending their area of operations westwards to Pokrovsk. The brigade is known for its daring raids on Russian positions utilising the M2A2 Bradley ODS infantry fighting vehicles and M1A1 Abrams tanks.

Initially, there were issues with the Abrams tanks, which the Ukrainians openly discussed. Out of the 31 Abrams delivered to Ukraine, over 20 units were destroyed, damaged, or captured by Russian forces. To adapt them to the specifics of the Ukrainian theatre, they employed drone jammers and a large number of Kontakt-1 reactive armour tiles in areas not covered by the American ARAT tiles.

While the Ukrainians praised the Abrams for its powerful weaponry, advanced fire control system (FCS), and good protection of ammunition from the crew, they criticised it for its vulnerability to FPV drones.

Although the Abrams did not explode like Russian tanks even when hit in the ammunition, many units were still lost. Consequently, the Ukrainians decided to install Kontakt-1 reactive armour tiles on parts of the armour not protected by the ARAT reactive armour, which is part of the TUSK package.

The K-1 tiles were strategically placed in vulnerable areas, from the upper front plate susceptible to drone attacks, to the front and sides of the turret or hull. Moreover, the K-1 tiles, which contain 260 grams of powerful explosive, were even placed on the turret roof and, intriguingly, on the gunner's sight.

Should a K-1 tile detonate, it would likely damage the FCS, blinding the tank. Although K-1 tiles are difficult to detonate, withstanding shots from a 14.5x114 mm calibre rifle, a 30 mm calibre cannon can cause detonation.

It is important to note that this armour significantly increases resistance to FPV and Lancet-3 drone attacks but also drastically increases the tank's weight. The M1A1 Abrams tanks have a base weight of about 70 tonnes, and the addition of Kontakt-1 reactive armour can increase this by over 2 tonnes. For comparison, the Kontakt-1 tile package for T-72 tanks weighs 1.2 tonnes, and the Abrams, being larger, requires a dedicated mounting framework.

This additional weight leads to overload and faster wear of the suspension and engine, resulting in more frequent breakdowns. Furthermore, it is unclear how the Ukrainian modifications affect the anti-explosion system of the Abrams' ammunition storage, which is designed to eject damaged sections of the storage outward in the event of ammunition ignition.