Takom TAK2166 T-55AD Drozd 1:35

T-55AD "Drozd"

Designed as an alternative to passive or reactive armour defence systems to defend against anti-tank rockets and weapons, the Tula Machine Design Bureau under A. Shipunov developed the world's first active tank defence system, called the KAZT Drozd (Kompleks aktivnoi zashchity tanka:: Tank active defence system-Thrush) or Drozd entered development in 1977 on the basis of an army requirement and the first prototypes were ready by 1978. The Russian Army lost interest in the concept, but the program continued due to support from the Soviet Naval Infantry.

The Drozd system consists of three main elements, two launcher arrays on either side of the turret and an auxiliary power unit on the rear of the turret. Each launcher array consists of four launch tubes with a Doppler radar sensor array mounted above the tubes. The radar sensor arrays actively emit a radio frequency beam forward of the tank. The auxiliary power unit can provide power to the system and can surge up to a maximum of 800 watts for short-periods of time.