Russia’s new flamethrower blasts drones across 500,000 sq ft in seconds

Russia has recently delivered a new batch of upgraded TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower systems to its armed forces, featuring enhanced anti-drone defenses developed from battlefield experience. Built on a T-72 tank chassis, these systems underwent extensive field trials to verify mechanical reliability, targeting accuracy, and operational effectiveness under varied conditions. The TOS-1A, armed with thermobaric rockets, can blanket approximately 40,000 square meters (about 430,000 square feet) in seconds, generating intense overpressure capable of destroying bunkers, fortified positions, lightly armored vehicles, and personnel concentrations. The system is used at short to medium ranges, with effective engagement distances spanning several hundred meters to several kilometers. The latest upgrades focus on countering small drones, a significant threat to Russian armored vehicles, though specific counter-UAV technologies were not detailed. Russian manufacturers have increasingly integrated electronic warfare modules, radar warning receivers, and improvised armor to mitigate drone attacks. The