The first image you posted of the mine stricken T-72, it’s very likely that the hit to the UFP did not penetrate and cause any damage, because the tank clearly hasn’t got any burn damage or exploded from ammunition exploding or deflagrating after penetration, a very likely result for most T-oids.
The image of the T-72 with the hit to the front, the rust scarring and dents on neighoughring K-5 cassette and gunsleeve and turret ring bullet deflector is evident of a largish explosive, so ATGM. IIRC this tank was recovered abandoned by the 93rd Mechanized Brigade.
2nd image is the pic of the exploded T-80BVM, the cameraman and his buddy clearly took a photo with their phone of the most prominent feature they could see.
They aren’t battlefield surveyors that would go out and examine destroyed tanks to record hits and results of said hits like you would see in WW2.
Although I suspect we are going to have to agree to disagree on this overall. I would point out the last image that shows a clear penetration into the fighting compartment without resulting cook-off. Not common but possible.
Anyway - I will stop derailing the thread. We should probably get back to grousing about the plight of Challenger.
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That T-80BVM hull is the most damning as it does have Relikt armour and is one of Russias elite tanks at that time of the conflict.
I would say heavy ERA works or can work, but it should not work like it does in game 100% of the time.
After all even T-90M are just T-72 89 base models up armoured using Relikt and again that has been proven by analysing the armour array from destroyed T-90M tanks.
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Well this is it. With the exception of Israel (who obviously have less tank v tank and more tank v infantry AT) no Western military really put any money, time or expertise into Heavy ERA - despite nominally facing the same threats (darts, tandem ATGMs) that the Soviet stuff would face.
It isn’t that NATO and NATO-adjacent armies such as the Japanese, Koreans, etc. cannot make it. They’ve all decided not to bother - for various reasons that it either:
a) doesn’t work reliably against the threats that a tank faces
b) causes more headaches than it solves
c) can be replicated to a far easier and safer extent using NERA arrays.
Probably a mix of all three?
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I would say all the above, ERA is easy to replace, can be used to up armour a vehicle quickly but is not the solution to the problem of well T- series tanks are just not well protected and ERA and applique armour will not save them in a peer to peer conflict.
Also NATO are not smart enough to sandwich 2 plates between an explosive charge…
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Part of it is that basically every single modern western MBT was designed under the expectation that the vehicle will be hit multiple times. Iirc Chobham was built on the basis of multi-hit survivability being a critical feature. ERA just does not offer that whatsoever.
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So as far as this image, this vehicle definitely hit a mine. That damage is immensely characteristic of the vehicle having hit a mine with the right track. Additionally, the source for this image actually states that the vehicle was damaged and captured which suggests that hit was non-penetrating. There have been cases of penetrations through the ERA but… this certainly is not the best of examples.
I suspect the vehicle hit a mine, the crew bailed, and the vehicle was later shot once and captured.
The obvious issue we are not taking about is what happens to the person on the other side cannot be posted here, and generally normal people don’t like snapping photos of it.
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Watching a Video the Sun put on youtube (slop newspaper those who aren’t british)
Anyone got any ideas what the blurred out sections are on the turret?

I’m gonna guess laser warning sensors or something to do with the APS?
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its the LWS sensors,
No clue why they’re censored, its already been seen in photos and other footage
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Something, something no armor improvemts.
Weight is eletrical etc
-Gajin somewhere
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They’ll probably deny it proper armour regardless
Luckily based on some reporting today, the turret gearbox issues appear to already being addressed by RBSL without a programme delay (if you believe RBSL)
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They’re gonna give it the Tiger Porsche turn rate.
A Challenger 3 was at tankfest, a great surprise
It looks even better than I expected
I wasn’t there, but from what I know it was displayed alongside Challenger 2
They actually displayed all 3 Challengers at tankfest, sorry for the awful photo
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the triple chally convoy looks so damn cool
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Im not sure the poor A30 could take that haha
It does, hopefully someone posts some more images of them together soon
I dunno - you’d probably get some Gaijin Dev look at it.
‘Challenger A30 and Challenger 3 look similar - so they must be the same.’

Next thing you know - we’ve got 17 pdrs and even less armour at top tier…
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Nice pics.
Has DS99AA been seen as a CR3 before? Just glancing through photos I can’t seem to see it previously.