The widespread use of drones has pushed tanks into a secondary role in modern conflicts, but Russia still needs to keep developing its armored vehicles. Military expert Yuri Knutov told NEWS.ru that Russian designers must continue improving tanks and stay ahead of their American counterparts.

According to Knutov, the conflict in Ukraine has already shown that Russian tanks are more effective than American ones. At the same time, modernization cannot stop because the opposing defense industry is also advancing.

Improving survivability is one of the main areas of development. Knutov pointed to stronger active and passive protection systems, while tank tactics are also changing. Crews are increasingly firing from covered positions, and unmanned tanks are emerging as another promising direction.

Knutov also focused on the M1 Abrams tanks supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In his assessment, their heavy weight reduces mobility on soft ground, where the vehicles can get bogged down and become difficult to maneuver. He described their vulnerability to Russian drone strikes as an even more serious weakness.

Modern attack drones are accurate and powerful enough to destroy heavy armored vehicles, Knutov said. He cited the Upyr UAV as an example, saying such drones are capable of literally burning Abrams tanks.

At the same time, Knutov does not expect American tanks to disappear completely from the battlefield. He believes armored vehicles will remain in demand despite the current dominance of unmanned systems.

In his view, drones will not retain their present advantage indefinitely. As militaries begin using lasers and electromagnetic guns more actively to shoot them down, UAVs will have to become far more sophisticated. That will make them much more expensive and reduce the scale of their use, while tanks will remain relevant.