Russia's Dandelion Anti-Drone Armor Is Silly Looking. But It Works—And Now France Is Copying It.
A French VBCI armored vehicle got the dandelion treatment.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And that’s why the Russian military should feel pretty flattered right now. A photo that circulated online recently depicts a French military armored vehicle sporting the same “dandelion” anti-drone armor that the Russians recently developed to defend their own vehicles from Ukrainian drones.
The French dandelion is more than a curiosity. It’s a quiet admission that Ukraine’s drone war isn’t some Eastern European oddity—it’s what modern combat looks like. And NATO’s vehicles aren’t ready for it.
Russian anti-drone innovations—including “cope cages” and “turtle,” “hedgehog” and dandelion armor—is often crude and silly looking. But it works. The Ukrainian military understands this, which is why more and more Ukrainian vehicles are getting their own Russian-style add-on armor.
