The Steel Front has delivered its first Anti-Drone Shields for Ukraine’s tanks
Kyiv, 05 June 2024 –Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front has started production of defensive steel screens for the Ukrainian armed forces’ tanks, focusing on the American M1 Abrams, as well as Ukrainian T-64s and Soviet T-72s. To date, the Steel Front has delivered over 25 protection systems, seven of which are for M1s, protecting these powerful tanks from FPV drone attacks so they can return to front line duty.
The screens have been designed specifically for each tank type, with the key objective of protecting the soldiers from external threats. It is also important they do not interfere with the operation of the tank. The screens, which the Steel Front is providing free of charge, weigh around 400 kg. Each one takes 10-12 specialists around 12 hours to produce and install.
Oleksandr Myronenko, operational director of the Metinvest Group, said, “We have worked closely with military engineers to analyse the areas on each type of tank that are most vulnerable to drone attack. That detailed work has formed the basis for our steel screens. The anti-drone screens help protect the most expensive equipment. More importantly, they protect the lives of Ukrainian servicemen. This has been our objective from the very beginning of the war. Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front stands side by side with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to help defend our right to live and work in an independent and free Ukraine.”
As well as the defensive screens, the Steel Front continues to manufacture and provide a range of defensive equipment to the Armed Forces. These include underground bunkers, body armour, mine clearance trawlers, lancet catchers and other products. The Steel Front is also actively involved in the construction of fortifications for the Armed Forces in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Photos courtesy The Steel Front