Turtle Tank (Russian: царь-мангал, Tsar Mangal) is a series of modified Russian T-62, T-72 and T-80 tanks supplied with an improvised steel roof and siding, as well as anti-drone slat armor which covers the entirety of the original vehicle. Turtle Tanks were spotted in action for the first time in early April 2024 on the battlefield of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They also have anti-drone radio jamming equipment. Newer models are equipped with KMT 7 mine-clearing rollers with electromagnetic mine detector/trawl (Russian: Электромагнитный тральщик /приставка ЭМТ.) The consistent appearance of the tanks are also noted to be similar to the World War I era German A7V tanks.
Name
The Russian name "Tsar Mangal" derived from the Russian slang "mangal" for anti-drone slat armor, in an analogy with other large weapons such as the Tsar Cannon and Tsar Bomba.
It was named "turtle tank" for their turtle shell-like armor. Ukraine military also dubbed it "mobile barn". Other monikers are ‘blyatmobile’ (Блятьмобиль) and ‘assault garages’ (штурмовые гаражи).
Effectiveness
The Turtle Tank's major drawbacks are poor visibility and mobility, as well as having a non-rotating turret, although it reportedly serves well as a demining vehicle during armoured assaults. It was also reported that it can be damaged by mines and artillery. Despite these vulnerabilities, the tanks were effective against Ukrainian forces, mainly because they were better protected against FPV drones extensively used by Ukrainian forces (sometimes serving as substitutes for artillery due to munitions shortages).
Since the first sighting, footage of the damaged turtle tanks started appearing. On 17th June, Ukrainian media sources claimed that the Ukrainian army had captured a Russian turtle tank along with its crew somewhere in the Donetsk Oblast. The tank turned out to be based on a T-62M with its ammunition removed and its turret fixed in place.
See also
References
- ^ Появились кадры изнутри танка "Царь-мангал" ВС РФ с защитой от дронов и мин
- ^ David Axe, The Russians Have Added Yet Another Layer Of Armor To Their Giant Turtle Tanks
- ^ David Axe, The Russian Turtle Tank Is The Weirdest Armored Vehicle Of The Ukraine War. The Craziest Thing Is, It Might Actually Work.
- ^ The drawbacks of the Russian 'turtle tank', a T-72 with a metal shell, 6 May 2024, retrieved 6 June 2024
- Russia’s ‘Turtle Tank’ – its Latest Battlefield Innovation to Combat Kyiv FPV Drones
- "Ukraine Invasion Day 776: new cope-caged 'blyatmobile' T-72 tank". Daily Kos. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
- Tsar Mangal: Return of the Turtle Tanks, April 28, 2024
- Jake Epstein, The wild-looking Russian 'turtle tanks' that keep showing up may not be as crazy as they seem
- Is The Tide Turning Against The Turtle Tanks?
- Ukraine Captures First Turtle Tank Along With the Crew, 17 June 2024, retrieved 18 June 2024
- Altman, Howard (22 June 2024). "Ukraine Situation Report: Russia Now Launching Kalibr Cruise Missiles From The Sea Of Azov". The War zone. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
