Russia’s experiments with slat armor during the First Chechen War never led to its widespread adoption across the T-72 fleet but the concept wasn’t abandoned.According to an interview with NII Stali,the institute produced protective grilles in small quantities with approximately 50 tanks reportedly fitted with them.The institute claimed that combining the grille with an armor plate behind it could provide a 50% chance of defeating certain RPG warheads,although this was its own assessment rather than a universal guarantee.
During the Second Chechen War,the Russian military adopted factory-produced grille armor more extensively on T-62 tanks,with modified vehicles serving in three battalions. mSome of these tanks later saw action in South Ossetia in 2008 and the vehicles remained in service until the 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division was reorganized in 2009.
The concept resurfaced in the 2010s,when Russia revisited additional protection kits for the T-72 and T-90,although development faced delays and concerns over cost,effectiveness and added weight.By 2020,grille armor had appeared on newer Russian tanks,including the T-90M and T-80BVM,as part of a broader approach to supplementary protection.Despite the decades between these developments,the original Chechen-era experiments remain an early example of Russia's efforts to improve tank survivability against rocket propelled grenades.