Ukraine's anti-drone protection system for tanks and other armored vehicles, unofficially nicknamed the "hood" on social media, continues to gain popularity worldwide. Variants of the foldable design have already appeared in several countries, and it has now been spotted on Ukrainian-built Oplot-T main battle tanks operated by the Royal Thai Army. Photographs of the upgraded vehicles were published on X (formerly Twitter) by user Hem (@wuthi11_).
The images show the now-familiar foldable structure mounted above the turret of the Thai Oplot-T. Beyond this, however, no additional physical anti-drone protection is visible on the vehicle. Unlike many modern battlefield configurations, it lacks side cage armor or other protective additions. It is therefore possible that Thailand is evaluating several different solutions before selecting the most effective configuration.
Read more: Ukrainian T-64BM Bulat Tank Gets Oplot-Derived Transmission, Possibly Indicating New Modernization
Thailand has become the latest country to adopt Ukraine's foldable anti-drone "hood" concept for armored vehicles. russia has already copied the design twice in different configurations, while China has also developed its own version.
A similar structure has previously been spotted on Syrian T-72M1 tanks. South Korea also equipped its K1 and K2 main battle tanks with hood-type protection after experimenting with conventional cage armor. Romania likewise showcased a comparable solution on its upgraded TR-85M1R.
That said, the version installed on Thailand's Oplot-T appears to provide less overhead coverage than the original Ukrainian design. The reduced protective area could be considered a drawback, as it leaves more of the turret exposed to attacks from above.
It is worth recalling that, during last year's border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, Thailand deployed its Ukrainian-built Oplot-T tanks in combat for the first time. At least three vehicles were seen crossing the border and destroying a casino building reportedly occupied by hostile infantry.
Those tanks were already fitted with conventional cage armor over their turrets. As these latest images demonstrate, however, Thailand has now moved toward a more advanced foldable protection system inspired by the Ukrainian design.
Previously, Defense Express also reported that russia's upgraded Arena-M active protection system failed to protect tanks from Ukrainian FPV drone attacks.
Read more: russia Claims FPV-Resistant T-72B3A Tanks With Arena-M Active Protection Are Heading to the Front
