Romania has showcased the modernized TR-85M1R main battle tank featuring anti-drone protection, created by analogy with the Ukrainian folding "hood" for armored vehicles. This was reported by Defense Express, according to UNN.
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The updated vehicle was presented at the BSDA 2026 defense exhibition in Bucharest. The modernization is being carried out by the Uzina Mecanică București company as part of the Revitalizat Sisteme Modernizate program, under which Romania plans to upgrade 108 TR-85/M1 tanks to the TR-85M1R standard.
The new protection caught the attention of armored vehicle researcher Andrii Tarasenko. According to his assessment, the Romanian military has effectively adapted the Ukrainian concept of a folding anti-drone "hood," which is attached to the tank's turret and preserves its mobility. The structure covers a significant part of the vehicle and is designed to counter FPV drones.
Defense Express notes that previously, Romanian TR-85M1 Bizonul tanks were spotted during exercises without any anti-drone protection at all. Now, Bucharest has begun to take into account the experience of the Russian war against Ukraine and is actively integrating solutions that have already proven effective on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian "hood" has previously been copied in Russia, China, and Syria. In Russia, it was even claimed that such a design could be one and a half times more effective than other options for protecting armored vehicles from drones; however, the Russian version suffered from flaws due to being attached to the hull rather than the tank's turret.