Libya deploys T-72B3M tanks equipped with a new generation UAV defense system.
The LNA has just unveiled the 2025 T-72B3M variant, incorporating Relikt armor and turret protection netting, to counter suicide drones based on real-world battlefield experience.
The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has just released images of heavily upgraded armored units, focusing on survivability against airborne threats. Most notably, the T-72B3M main battle tank, with its specialized anti-drone protection configuration, has been unveiled.
Showcasing strength at the Omar Almokhtar Battalion's training exercise.
Videos and images circulating on social media on May 15 showed a range of modern military vehicles participating in a training exercise by the Omar Almokhtar Battalion. This is considered one of the most elite units of the LNA, playing a key role in military operations in eastern Libya.
The centerpiece of this display is at least three T-72B3 tanks, specifically the Obr. 2025 variant. This is the latest upgrade developed by the Russian manufacturer Uralvagonzavod, based on lessons learned from the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. The presence of this tank in Libya demonstrates the LNA's efforts to modernize its military to adapt to modern warfare, where small UAVs play a crucial role as tank killers.
Details of the T-72B3M Obr. 2025 protection upgrade package.
The 2025 upgrade focuses heavily on enhancing both passive and active defense capabilities. The new generation Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA) system is densely installed on both sides of the hull and the sloping armor plate in front of the turret, significantly reducing the effectiveness of armor-piercing rounds and guided anti-tank missiles.
To counter kamikaze drones (FPVs), engineers installed a sturdy cage and steel mesh over the turret roof and the rear of the vehicle. These are the areas with the thinnest armor, frequently targeted by drones from above. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with a specialized electronic warfare system capable of jamming and disrupting the control links of enemy drones before they reach their target.
Synchronized modernization of armored forces.
Not only did the LNA deploy main battle tanks, but it also deployed upgraded BMP-3M infantry fighting vehicles. These vehicles were also equipped with protective mesh coverings on the turret to prevent projectiles dropped from UAVs or improvised explosive devices. This synchronized upgrade demonstrates the LNA's gradually improving inter-service combat strategy.
Since the political upheaval of 2011 that led to the downfall of leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has maintained a state of power division. While the Government of National Unity (GNU) governs the capital Tripoli in the west, the LNA and the lower house of parliament based in Benghazi control the east. With the continuous addition of modern equipment such as the T-72B3M Obr. 2025, the LNA is asserting its position as the most organized and powerful military force in this North African country.
