SOURCE: AFI
In a significant step towards modernizing its mechanized forces to meet the evolving threats of contemporary warfare, the Indian Army has begun equipping its BMP-2 “Sarath” Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) with cope cages for the first time. These protective structures, designed to shield against First-Person View (FPV) drones and loitering munitions, mark a critical adaptation to the changing dynamics of the battlefield, particularly following the recent India-Pakistan conflict, Operation Sindoor, in May 2025.
The integration of cope cages on the BMP-2 fleet underscores India’s proactive approach to enhancing the survivability of its mechanized infantry in response to the growing prevalence of drone-based threats, as observed in recent global conflicts like Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh.
FPV drones, often equipped with improvised explosives or small warheads, and loitering munitions like the indigenously developed Nagastra-1, have proven effective against armoured vehicles due to their precision and ability to strike from above, where armour is typically thinner. The Ukraine conflict, where FPV drones have caused significant losses to armoured columns, and the Nagorno-Karabakh war, where drones overwhelmed outdated air defenses, have provided critical lessons for the Indian Army. These conflicts demonstrated that even advanced armoured vehicles are susceptible to cheap, agile drones, prompting India to adopt defensive measures like cope cages.
Cope cages, also known as slat armour or anti-drone cages, are metal lattice structures mounted on the exterior of armoured vehicles to prematurely detonate or disrupt incoming projectiles, such as drone-dropped munitions or loitering munitions with shaped-charge warheads. These cages, first widely observed in the Ukraine conflict, are designed to protect against top-attack threats, where drones exploit the weaker upper armour of vehicles like the BMP-2. The Indian Army’s decision to equip its BMP-2 fleet with cope cages reflects a cost-effective and rapidly deployable solution to enhance survivability without requiring extensive vehicle redesign.
The BMP-2 “Sarath,” a Soviet-designed amphibious IFV, is the backbone of India’s Mechanized Infantry, with over 2,500 units in service since the late 1980s. Equipped with a 30mm cannon, a 7.62mm PKT machine gun, and Konkurs anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), the BMP-2 is a versatile platform but lacks inherent protection against modern drone threats. The addition of cope cages aims to address this vulnerability by providing a physical barrier that can trigger the detonation of incoming warheads before they penetrate the vehicle’s armour.
The Indian Army’s adoption of cope cages comes as part of a broader modernization roadmap for its Mechanized Infantry, which includes upgrades to the BMP-2 fleet and the development of Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICVs). In March 2024, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) secured a contract to upgrade 693 BMP-2/2K vehicles with night-fighting capabilities, advanced fire control systems (FCS), and third-generation ATGMs, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The integration of cope cages builds on these upgrades, adding a layer of passive defense against aerial threats.
NOTE: AFI is a proud outsourced content creator partner of IDRW.ORG. All content created by AFI is the sole property of AFI and is protected by copyright. AFI takes copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all legal options available to protect its content.