Russian soldiers install two-story anti-UAV tower on T-54 tank

Russian tankers put a double-decker roof on the turret of a T-54 tank, to prevent UAVs from attacking the most vulnerable position.

A video that surfaced on social media on September 30 shows a Russian T-54 main battle tank, apparently a T-54B variant, with a two-tiered anti-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) turret on its roof. The rear of the vehicle also has a canopy protecting the engine compartment.

The T-54’s UAV canopy is about 1.8 meters high, covered with branches and leaves. Adding this unusually high canopy could limit the T-54’s mobility and ability to hide, but Russian soldiers apparently hoped that this solution would prevent UAVs from attacking the turret, the tank’s thinnest part.

Russian soldiers install double-layer anti-UAV roof on T-54 tank — Russian T-54 tank with double-layer UAV canopy in video released on September 30. Video: *X/OSINT Technical*

The Russian military recently deployed many T-54s to Ukraine, despite the fact that this is a tank model that was introduced more than 70 years ago, has armor unsuitable for modern conflicts, and lacks an advanced fire control system.

The T-54 and T-55 lack passive infrared sights, making night combat difficult. If the turret's headlights were turned on to detect targets in the dark, the crew would give away the tank's location.

Russian commanders understood the weaknesses of the T-54 and T-55 tanks, so they did not engage them directly with Ukrainian forces. Instead, these tanks acted as “mobile artillery platforms,” providing artillery backup and fire support for the infantry.

The T-54 and T-55's 100mm D-10T main gun can be elevated to a high angle and fire high-explosive shells several kilometers away. "A few inaccurate 100mm shells fired at short range and only in daylight are better than no supporting fire at all," Forbes editor David Axe said, calling it "a countermeasure to Russia's lack of artillery firepower."

Some Western experts have argued that Russia made a mistake by sending older tanks such as the T-54, T-55, or T-62 to the battlefield. However, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) believes that Russia has found a way to effectively use the old tanks and armored vehicles in its inventory, helping them continue to gain the upper hand in combat.

Nguyen Tien (According to Forbes )

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