Unequal duel
US armored personnel carriers take out Putin’s best tank
The shot up T90 after the fight
US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles shot down the best Russian main battle tank with automatic cannons. The T90 could not fire a single shot.
A twelve-minute video shows the fight between unequal opponents. Two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles take out a Russian T-90M Proryw. The fight took place in the rubble of Stepove. The Russians have been trying in vain to close the ring around the city of Avdiivka for months. This version of the T-90 is considered the most modern Russian tank used in Ukraine (Putin’s new old T-90M Proryv-3 main battle tank – cheap, proven and deadly). At first glance it seems like a battle between two Davids and one Goliath. The Russian tank has a smoothbore gun with a caliber of 125 millimeters. With the right ammunition it can penetrate even the frontal armor of a modern NATO tank. Its own frontal armor is said to cause problems even for the Leopard 2. The weight – 46.5 tons – is relatively modest for a main battle tank.
But it’s more than the Bradley, which weighs 33 tons (Bradley infantry fighting vehicle – the workhorse of the US Army). The main difference lies in the armament: the Bradley counters the T90’s massive combat vehicle cannon with a 25 millimeter caliber machine cannon. The M242 Bushmaster has no chance of penetrating the T90’s frontal armor. Which is no surprise: a projectile fits into a highball glass (137 millimeters long), and an armor-piercing projectile (APFSDS) from the T-90 is over half a meter long.
Armored personnel carrier with precise machine cannon
The effectiveness of the Bushmaster lies in the firing rate of up to 200 bullets per minute. And in the precision of the fully stabilized weapon. The Bushmaster also hits its target while moving. Most Russian armored personnel carriers cannot do that. The effective range is 2000 meters. At 1,600 meters it still penetrates 50 millimeters of armor steel.
In the Ukrainian war, armored personnel carriers generally performed better than main battle tanks. Main battle tanks are primarily designed as duel tanks, they are built to fight other tanks. Holding down infantry in trenches and bunkers or fighting the enemy in buildings is something armored personnel carriers can do better. Because unlike a battle tank, they can unleash a hail of fire.
The encounter in Stepove ended as a victory for the Ukrainian Bradleys. Nevertheless, the fight should not be overestimated. Tank duels or duels between armored personnel carriers and main battle tanks are relatively rare in Ukraine. Most often, armored vehicles are knocked out by mines, artillery, drones and anti-tank missiles. And then it is a special situation here.
Drone decides
The T90 was detected by the drone as it stood unsecured in the rubble of the settlement. The first Bradley was therefore able to approach him unnoticed and fire on him at a very short distance of around 70 meters. In this situation, the T90 had no chance, like any other tank. According to Russian information, the first hit destroyed the sighting optics, making the main weapon unusable. The crew of the armored personnel carrier showed enormous courage. A decisive first goal is not guaranteed. If the first rounds had been ineffective, the T90 could have fired at the Bradley with its cannon.
After more shots, the first Bradley retreats and the second gets into position. He showered the T90 with a hail of shells at a distance of barely 50 meters. All hell was unleashed in the tank. Every hit shakes it and the reactive ammunition explodes on the outside of the tank. Further hits damage the tower, which then rotates pointlessly.
Clear victory for Bradley. But on the other hand, the T90 was significantly damaged, but not destroyed. After countless hits, the T-90 remains mobile and tries to get to safety until it collides with a tree. The crew is said to have survived and was able to get out.
Where are the TOW?
A fundamental superiority of armored personnel carriers over main battle tanks cannot be derived from the battle. Imagine the situation in reverse. Two (!) main battle tanks, whether T90 or Leopard 2, ambush a Bradley and fire on it at 70 meters. The first shot would be a hit, an armor-piercing bullet would penetrate, the armored personnel carrier and its crew would be lost.
One can say: It is another victory for the drone over the armored forces. The Ukrainians were able to spot the T90 from above before the clip and thus set up their deadly trap.
Another detail is worth considering: the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle carries TOW anti-tank missiles. Two are in the start box on the tower. More are carried inside. Neither Bradley uses the missiles. A hit with the TOW would have completely destroyed the T90 and killed the crew. It is not known why the TOW was not used. If this special ammunition was simply not available, this would not be a good sign.