The 1030M Drozd APS uses small rockets placed in fixed silos to both sides of the turret to defeat incoming ATGMs. The millimeter radar on the rear of a turret tracks the missile and fires the rocket from a silo that points in that direction. The rocket detonates, producing the stream of fragments that destroys the incoming projectile.

The system was installed on marine units' T-55 tanks (designated T-55AD, D signifying Drozd) in 1983.

This system had substantially less capability than the Arena APS in range of protected angles, number of incoming projectiles, and reliability of interception.

The Drozd-2 system that is being marketed today as an upgrade option for T-80U MBT offers several significant improvements over the original version, the most important being the drastically increased range of protected angles, as well as decreased projectile size and increased number of projectiles. This new system may be not inferior to Arena APS.

T-55AD with Drozd APS. 1 - Rocket silos; 2 - High frequency radar unit; 3 - Radar control station. T-80U modernization options include Drozd-2 APS. 1 - Radar units; 2 - Rockets. T-55AD turret detail showing Drozd APS components	Specifications: Designation Drozd Drozd-2 1030M Layout on each side of the turret 2 blocks of 5 spread 2 rockets Protected angle ±40° ±120° Number of rockets 8 10 Rocket designation 3UOF14 Rocket caliber 107mm Engagement rate 0.35 sec/threat Threat speed range 70 .. 700 m/sec Reload time 15 min