Russia has spent over 30 years developing the Arena-M active protection system for its tanks, with hopes of making them immune to modern threats. As of 2025, Arena-M has failed to defend against Ukraine’s $400 FPV drones, leaving Russia’s armored forces exposed.
Reports from August 2024 through November 2025 show the system’s radar can’t detect key threats, leading to over 11,000 Russian tank losses. Despite investing $500 million into anti-drone tech in 2024 alone, Russia’s APS efforts remain ineffective and outdated.
