T-72

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T-72
T-72 at the Worthington Tank Museum, Canadian Forces Base Borden.
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1973 - present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	See Combat history
Production history
Produced	1971 - Present
Number built	25,000+
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	41 tonnes 41.5 tonnes for T-72M [1] 45.7 tonnes (without ERA) for T-72M1[2] 49.1 tonnes for T-72B[2] 44.5 tonnes for T-72S[3]
Length	6.9 m 6.67 m (9.53 m with barrel in forward position) for T-72A[3] 6.95 m (9.53 m with barrel in forward position) for T-72M1, T-72B and T-72S[2][3]
Width	3.6 m 3.59 m (3.37 m without side skirts) for T-72A, T-72M1, T-72B and T-72S[2][3]
Height	2.2 m 2.19 m for T-72A[3] 2.23 m for T-72M1 and T-72B[2] 2.22 m for T-72S[3]
Crew	3 (commander, driver and gunner)
Armor	Composite armour; including armoured infrared light and smoke grenades; 3rd Generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component 500 mm (19.7 in) front of the turret (T-72M1)[2] 520 mm (20.5 in) front of the turret (T-72B)[2]
Primary armament	125 mm 2A46M smoothbore, T-72B can launch AT-11 "Svir" ATGM
Secondary armament	PKMT 7.62 mm coaxial light machine gun (2,000 rounds)[2] 12.7 mm DShK 1938/46 or NSVT antiaircraft heavy machine gun (300 rounds) on commander's ring-mount[2]
Engine	V-46-6 12-cylinder diesel for T-72 "Ural" V-84 12-cyl. air-cooled diesel for T-72B and T-72S[3] V-92S2 12-cyl. diesel for T-72BM (T-72B "Rogatka") 780 hp (582 kW) for T-72 "Urał" 840 hp (626 kW) for Objekt 172-2M "Buffalo" and T-72B 1000 hp (746 kW) for T-72BM (T-72B "Rogatka")
Power/weight	19 hp/tonne (14.2 kW/tonne) for T-72 "Urał" 20.5 hp/tonne (15.3 kW/tonne) for Objekt 172-2M "Buffalo" and T-72B 24.9 hp/tonne (18.2 kW/tonne) for T-72BM (T-72B "Rogatka")
Suspension	torsion bar
Ground clearance	490 mm[2]
Fuel capacity	317 gal (1200 l)[2]
Operational range	450 km, with externally mounted fuel drums 600 km 460 km, with externally mounted fuel drums 700 km for T-72A, T-72M1 and T-72S[3][2] 500 km, with externally mounted fuel drums 900 km for T-72B[3][2]
Speed	60 km/h (37 mph) on road[2][3] 45 km/h cross country[3]

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. It is a further development of T-62^[4] with some features of T-64A (to which it was a parallel design) and has been further developed as the T-90. Chronologically and in design terms it belongs to the same generation of tanks as the US M60 Patton, German Leopard 1 and British Chieftain tank. More recently, the T-72's reputation has suffered following poor combat performance of export models against Western tanks such as the M1 Abrams and Challenger 1 during the first and second Persian Gulf wars. Its losses, however, may have been more a consequence of the fact that most Iraqi T-72 tanks were export models (T-72, T-72M and T-72M1) using low quality ammunition and manned by poorly trained Iraqi tankers.

Contents 1 Origin 2 Production history 3 Design characteristics 3.1 Weight 3.2 Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection 3.3 Interior 3.4 Armour 3.5 Gun 3.6 Autoloader 3.7 Employment 4 Variants 4.1 Bulgaria 4.2 Croatia 4.3 Cuba 4.4 Czech Republic 4.5 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 4.6 Former East Germany 4.7 Former Czechoslovakia 4.8 India 4.9 Iraq 4.10 Poland 4.11 Romania 4.12 Russian Federation (former USSR) 4.13 Serbia 4.14 Slovakia 4.15 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 4.16 South Africa 4.17 Ukraine 5 Operators 5.1 Former operators 6 Combat history 7 Notes 8 References 9 Related content 9.1 Related development 9.2 Comparable AFV 9.3 Designation sequence 9.4 Related lists 9.5 See also 10 External links

[edit] Origin

The T-64 was one of the world's most advanced battle tanks when introduced, but early problems with its L60-derived engine, the roadwheels and inaccuracy of its main gun prompted Soviet leadership to seek a low-tech alternative with similar performance, especially after the high unit costs and labour intensive manufacture process of T-64 became obvious. The tank was too expensive to equip all Soviet tank armies, let alone Warsaw Pact (WARPAC) allies.

An "economy" tank with the old design V-46 powerplant was developed from 1967 at the Uralvagonzavod Factory located in Nizhny Tagil. Chief engineer Leonid Karchev created "Object 172", the initial design, but the prototype, marked "Object 172M", was refined and finished by Valeri Venidikov. Field trials lasted from 1971 to 1973 and upon acceptance the Chelyabinsk Tank factory immediately ceased T-55 and T-62 production to retool for the new T-72 tank.

[edit] Production history

The T-72 was the most common tank used by the Red Army from the 1970s to the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was also exported to other Warsaw Pact countries, Finland, India, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yugoslavia, as well as being copied elsewhere, both with and without licenses.

Outside the USSR the T-72 has been used worldwide, licenced versions of T-72 were made in Poland and Czechoslovakia, for WARPAC consumers. These tanks had better and more consistent quality of make but with inferior armour, lacking the resin-embedded ceramics layer inside the turret front and glacis armour, replaced with all steel. The Polish-made T-72G tanks also had thinner armour compared to Red Army standard (410mm for turret). Before 1990, Soviet-made T-72 export versions were similarly downgraded for non-WARPAC customers (mostly the Arab countries). Many parts and tools are not interchangeable between the Russian, Polish and Czechoslovakian versions, which caused logistical problems.

The Yugoslavs called their copy the M-84, and sold hundreds of them around the world during the 1980s. The Iraqis called theirs the Asad Babil, which means "Lion of Babylon," though the Iraqis assembled theirs from "spare parts" sold to them by the Russians as a means of evading the UN-imposed weapons embargo. More modern derivatives include the Polish PT-91 Twardy and Russian T-90. Several countries, including Russia and Ukraine also offer modernization packages for older T-72s.

Various versions of the T-72 have been in production for decades, and the specifications for its armour have changed considerably. Original T-72 tanks had homogeneous cast steel armour incorporating spaced armour technology and were moderately well protected by the standards of the early 1970s. In 1979, the Soviets began building T-72 modification with composite armour similar to the T-64 composite armour, in the front of the turret and the front of the hull. Late in the 1980s, T-72 tanks in Soviet inventory (and many of those elsewhere in the world as well) were fitted with reactive armour tiles and extra layer of synthetic ABV shielding carpet on the outside, which also served as an anti-slipping foot restraint.

Laser rangefinders appear in T-72 tanks since 1978, earlier examples were equipped with parallax optical rangefinders, which could not be used for distances under 1000 meters. Some export versions of T-72 lacked the laser rangefinder until 1985 or only the squadron and platoon commander tanks (version K) received them. After 1985, all newly made T-72 came with reactive armour as standard, more powerful 840 bhp (630 kW) V-84 engine and an upgraded design main gun, which can fire guided anti-tank missiles from the barrel. With these developments the T-72 eventually became almost as powerful as the more expensive T-80 tank, but few of these late variants reached the economically ailing WARPAC allies and foreign customers before the Soviet bloc fell apart in 1990.

Since 2000, export vehicles have been offered with thermal imaging night-vision gear of French manufacture as well (though it may be more likely that they might simply use the locally manufactured 'Buran-Catherine' system, which incorporates a French thermal imager). Depleted uranium armour-piercing ammunition for the 125 mm gun has been manufactured in Russia in the form of the BM-32 projectile since around 1978, though it has never been deployed, and is less penetrating than the later tungsten BM-42 and the newer BM-42M, which compares in penetrating ability to the German DM-53.

The T-72 with these enhancements and a skilled, motivated, proficient crew is a formidable opponent, even by twenty-first century standards. The more advanced T-64 and T-80 were always deployed in the forward Soviet divisions in Germany, and the T-72 was intended to be a cheap (approximately one-third cheaper per unit than the T-80) yet efficient and simple-to-maintain battle tank.

At least some technical documentation on the T-72 is known to have been passed to the CIA by the Polish Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski between 1971 and 1982.

The T-72 is common around the world in the armies of many potential enemies of the U.S. and other Western nations. Many Western analysts regard this as worrisome because, at least theoretically, its 125 mm 2A46 main gun is capable of destroying any modern main battle tank in the world today, including the M1 Abrams. On the other hand, on the three occasions when Soviet clients using T-72s have met Western armies that possessed modern main battle tanks —Lebanon in 1982 (against the Israeli Merkava), Iraq in 1991 (against the U.S. M1 Abrams and the British Challenger 1), and again Iraq in 2003— the T-72 did not show its alleged abilities. After clashes in Lebanon in 1982, both the Israelis and the Syrians claimed their main tank's superiority. In the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi tank units were heavily defeated, although this might have more to do with the poor training and full air supremacy than with any deficiencies of the T-72 itself. Furthermore, while facing the most modern Western tanks, the versions the Iraqi army fielded were out of date at the time. The Iraqi T-72s were downgraded export versions that had not been significantly upgraded over time and were firing inferior ammunition (often with steel penetrators and half-charges of propellant).

[edit] Design characteristics

The T-72 exhibits many design features shared with other tank designs of Soviet origin. Some of these are viewed as deficiencies in a straight comparison to NATO tanks, but most are a product of the way these tanks were envisioned to be employed, based on the Soviets' practical experiences in World War II.

[edit] Weight

The T-72 is extremely lightweight, at forty-one tonnes, and very small compared to Western main battle tanks. Some of the roads and bridges in former Warsaw Pact countries were designed such that T-72s can travel along in formation, but NATO tanks could not pass at all or just one-by-one, significantly reducing their mobility (although it should be noted NATO strategy has never been to invade, so the restrictions of the Eastern Bloc road network were not a design factor). The basic T-72 is relatively underpowered, with a 780 hp (580 kW) supercharged version of the basic 500 hp (370 kW) V-12 diesel engine block originally designed for the WWII T-34. The tracks run on large-diameter road wheels, which allows for easy identification of T-72 and descendants (the T-64/80 family has relatively small road wheels). Ride comfort is reported as poor compared to Western tanks equipped with hydrodynamic suspension.^{[citation needed]}

The T-72 is designed to cross rivers submerged using a small diameter snorkel assembled on-site. Because the hull is not water-tight, the crew is individually supplied with a simplistic rebreather chest-pack apparatus for survival. If the engine stops underwater, it must be restarted within six seconds, or the T-72's engine compartment becomes flooded due to pressure loss. The snorkelling procedure is considered dangerous but is important for maintaining operational mobility.

[edit] Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection

The T-72 has a comprehensive nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protection system. The inside of both hull and turret is lined with a synthetic fabric made of boron compound, meant to reduce the penetrating radiation from neutron bomb explosions. The crew is supplied clean air via a complicated air filter system, which was designed to protect from the effects of nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare. A slight over-pressure prevents entry of contamination via bearings and joints. Use of an autoloader for the main gun allows for more efficient forced smoke removal compared to traditional manually-loaded ("pig-loader") tank guns, so NBC isolation of the fighting compartment can, in theory, be maintained indefinitely.

[edit] Interior

Like all Soviet-legacy tanks, the T-72's design has traded off interior space in return for a very small silhouette and efficient use of armour, to the point of replacing the fourth crewman with a mechanical loader. The smaller complement increases the crew's mental and physical exhaustion^{[citation needed]} (although in service, the tank crew is supplemented by a mechanic who travels with the military support organization). The basic T-72 design has extremely small periscope viewports, even by the constrained standards of battle tanks and the driver's field of vision is significantly reduced when his hatch is closed. The steering system is a traditional dual-tiller layout instead of the steering wheel or steering yoke common in modern Western tanks. This set-up requires the near-constant use of both hands, which complicates employment of the seven speed manual gearbox. Exported T-72s do not have the internal lining that is standard on Russian T-72s, which consists of a layer of synthetic material, containing lead, that provides some degree of protection against the effects of neutron radiation and electromagnetic pulses.

[edit] Armour

Armour protection of the T-72 was strengthened with each succeeding generation. The original T-72 turret is made from conventional cast armour. It is believed the maximum thickness of 280 mm, the nose is about 80 mm and the glacis of the new laminated armour is 200 mm thick, which when inclined gives about 500-600 mm LOS thickness. Late model T-72 features composite armour protection.

The T-72M (export version of the Soviet T-72A, sometimes called a monkey model) featured a different armour protection compared to the T-72A: it had a different composite insert in the turret cavity which granted it less protection against HEAT and armour-piercing (AP) munitions. The modernised T-72M1 featured an additional 16 mm of armour on the glacis plate, which granted an increase of 32 mm horizontally against both HEAT and AP. It also featured a newer composite armour in the turret with pelletised filler agent.

Several T-72 models featured explosive reactive armour (ERA), which increased protection primarily against HEAT type weapons. Certain late-model T-72 tanks featured heavy ERA to help defeat modern HEAT and AP against which they were insufficiently protected.

Late model T-72 like the T-72B featured improved turret armour, visibly bulging the turret front—nicknamed "Dolly Parton" armour by Western intelligence. The glacis was also fitted with 20 mm of appliqué armour. The late production versions of the T-72B/B1 and T-72A variants also featured an anti-radiation layer on the hull roof.

Also noted that early model T-72 did not feature side skirts, instead the original base model featured gill or flipper type armour panels on either side of the forward part of the hull. When the T-72A was introduced in 1979 it was the first model to feature the plastic side skirts covering the upper part of the suspension and separate panels protecting the side of the fuel and stowage panniers.

However, in contrast to recent Western tanks, the T-72 stores ammunition in the crew compartment, including in the turret. This means if the main compartment is penetrated, ammunition cook-off can occur, which is likely to kill the crew and blast the turret high into the air.^{[citation needed]} American tank crews who faced Iraqi T-72s during the two Persian Gulf Wars referred to the tank as the "jack-in-the-box".

Jane's International Defence Review in 1997 July issue confirmed that after the collapse of USSR, US and German analysts had a chance to examine Soviet made T-72 tanks equipped with Kontakt-5 ERA, and they proved impenetrable to most modern US and German tank projectiles; this sparked the development of more modern Western tank ammunition, such as the M829A2 and M829A3. Russian tank designers responded with newer types of Heavy Reactive Armour, including Relikt and Kaktus.

[edit] Gun

The 125 mm 2A46 series main gun is about as powerful (depending on the ammunition) as the NATO-standard 120 mm/L44 found in many modern Western MBTs (which is to say, highly powerful and highly lethal, at least theoretically capable of destroying any tank in the world today at a kilometre or more).

The main gun of the T-72 has a mean error of one metre at a range of 1,800 m, which is considered substandard today.^{[citation needed]} Its maximum firing distance is 9,100 m, due to limited positive elevation. The limit of aimed fire is 4,000 m (with the gun-launched anti-tank guided missile, which is rarely used outside the former USSR). The T-72's main gun is fitted with an integral pressure reserve drum, which assists in rapid smoke evacuation from the bore after firing. The 125 millimetre gun barrel is certified strong enough to ram the tank through forty centimetres of iron-reinforced brick wall, but doing so will badly deteriorate the firing precision afterwards. Rumours in NATO armies of the late Cold War claimed that the tremendous recoil of the huge 125 mm gun could damage the fully mechanical transmission of the T-72. The tank commander reputedly had to order firing by repeating his command, when the T-72 is on the move: "Fire! Fire!" The first shout supposedly allowed the driver to disengage the clutch to prevent wrecking the transmission when the gunner fired the cannon on the second order. In reality, this still-common tactic substantively improves the tank's firing accuracy and has nothing to do with recoil or mechanical damage to anything.

The vast majority of T-72s do not have FLIR thermal imaging sights, though all T-72s (even those exported to the Third World) possess the characteristic (and inferior) 'Luna' IR illuminator. Thermal imaging sights are extremely expensive, and the new Russian FLIR system, the 'Buran-Catherine Thermal Imaging Suite' was only introduced recently on the T-80UM tank. Most T-72s found outside the former Soviet Union do not have laser range-finders. T-72 built for export have a downgraded fire-control system and automatic loader.

[edit] Autoloader

The T-72's autoloader design is not based on the faster, but more complicated autoloader in the USSR's domestic-use-only T-64 tank series (the T-72's is horizontally auto-fed, the T-64's uses vertical actuators). These systems are fast but prone to malfunctions if not maintained properly.^{[citation needed]} Even if properly maintained they can be relatively unreliable.^{[citation needed]} It takes between 6.5 and 15 seconds to load a new shell into the main gun, depending on the current position of the autoloader carousel.^{[citation needed]} The autoloader must crank the gun up three degrees above the horizontal in order to depress the breech end of the gun and line it up with the new shell. While autoloading, the gunner can still aim because he has a vertically independent sight. With a laser range-finder and a ballistic computer, final aiming takes at least another three to five seconds, but aiming is pipelined into the last steps of auto-loading so it proceeds concurrently. Refilling the autoloader with new shells is a real maintenance burden^{[citation needed]} and requires great attention to maintain the specified sequence, but it should be noted that the average rate of fire for this type of carousel automatic loader is quoted to be 8 rounds per minute. Trained T-72 crews don't find reloading much worse than loading other tank types; the separated cartridges are easier to handle.

[edit] Employment

A significant characteristic of all Soviet and Russian tanks since the Second World War is their relatively limited range of main gun elevation. The tank's low profile requires a correspondingly low turret roof, which stops the rising gun breech. This inhibits depression of the gun (this was seen as a reasonable trade-off for a low profile). The main gun can be depressed only a few degrees, making it difficult to stop in a well-protected hull-down position (with the tank parked just behind the crest of a ridge and just the muzzle of its gun and part of its turret visible to the anticipated target).^{[citation needed]}

Western tanks have considerably more elevation range and can be parked in a hull-down position with just the gun and a tiny sliver of the turret showing, whereas Soviet designs under many circumstances cannot take up a hull-down position at all because they cannot depress their guns far enough to park behind a ridge and shoot down the hill. However, given Soviet doctrine's tactical emphasis on offence over defence, it was not particularly important to the Soviet designers that their tank be able to fight from a defensive position for long periods.

It is more likely that the T-72's designers were acutely conscious of the tank's limited main gun depression. A close look at the T-72 reveals an integral hydraulic bulldozer blade on the underside of the frontal glacis, which enables the T-72 to excavate and construct a defensive position that minimizes the need for gun depression. The T-72's lower ammunition count, and lesser gun range when compared to its Western counterparts all indicate that its design prioritised mass production over comparative invincibility.^{[citation needed]} A (relatively) cheap weapon, fielded in quantity, could wear down the better-armoured spearheads of a Western conventional strike even in head-to-head battle.^{[citation needed]} The T-72 is better characterised as a low-cost design balanced for phased offensive and defensive employment than as a tank designed solely for the attack.^{[original research?]} Indeed, by comparison with its NATO contemporaries the T-72 seems somewhat under-provisioned for protracted offensive operations.^{[original research?]}

Western tanks such as the Leopard 2, the Leclerc, and the M1 Abrams, publicly specified for the capability to defend against a feared Soviet/Warsaw Pact invasion of NATO, exhibit significant offensive capabilities that could serve a preemptive strike as well as a defence including local counterattack. These Western tanks' higher on-board ammunition capacity may well have convinced habitually frugal Warsaw Pact strategists that they were not designed exclusively to fight from well-prepared positions in which additional ammunition could be stowed outside the tank turret (and from which a cheaper antitank solution might have nearly as much effect).^{[original research?]}

Armoured warfare is of course neither simple nor static, historically involving rapid alteration between modes of attack and defence. Engineers on the two sides of the Iron Curtain certainly received contrasting constraints and objectives. Whether evaluated for cost, mobility, armament, or protection, the T-72 is a classic representative of the Soviet school of tank construction.

Recent CIS export designs, intended to compete with Western tanks on the open market, have placed more emphasis on defence and crew survivability. The Ukrainian T-84 Oplot, T-84-120 Yatagan, and Russian Black Eagle appear to have armoured blow-out ammunition compartments.

[edit] Variants

[edit] Bulgaria

• T-72M2 - upgraded T-72M1 with new night vision devices, improved armour and IR suppression coating. Prototype only.^[5]

[edit] Croatia

• M-84D Degman - More modern prototype based on the M-84.
• M-95 Degman - 3rd generation tank based on M-91 Vihor tank.

[edit] Cuba

• T-72 - A designation used for all unmodified T-72 main battle tanks in service with Cuba.^[6]
  • T-72M1 (Not to be confused with Soviet T-72M1) - T-72 equipped with a Chinese radio set instead of the Soviet one and better protection for it against humidity, heat and bumps.^[6]
  • T-72M2 (Not to be confused with Slovak T-72M2) - T-72 with steel protection shield in the front of the AA HMG.^[6]

[edit] Czech Republic

• T-72M3 CZ - T-72M3CZ includes the gunner's thermal image sight with two part doors and the tank's commander tall cylindrical thermal image sight. Tank's driver passive IR sight viewer leaves that and Laser range finder and the ballistic calculator make computerized and added internal navigation equipment - this variant was not accepted by the Czech Army in favour of T-72M4CZ.^[5]
  • T-72M4 CZ - Added new ERA armour for protection from the HEAT and APFSDS round, additional armour array around turret with flat-face frontal aspect, MB smoke grenade dischargers on each side of turret. The tank is equipped with a new Galileo Avionica TURMS-T computerized FCS (it is equal to the one used in C1 Ariete), power pack was equipped with Perkins CV12-1000 740kW/1,000 hp water-cooled diesel engine and an Allison XTG-411-6 automatic transmission. All drive train work was taken over by Israel NIMDA and the existing transmission instead of the Allison. Also the weight of the T-72M4CZ grew by 4 tonnes, tank's commander tall cylindrical sight is similar to the one used in French Leclerc MBT. Czech Republic has upgraded 30 tanks to the T-72M4CZ standard.^[5]
    • VT-72M4 - Modernized VT-72 (BREM-72) ARV with T-72M4CZ upgrades including the power pack and communications upgrades.^[5]
• ShKH 2000 "Zuzana" (Zuzanne) - A 155 mm (45 calibers) version (the first prototype of which was completed by ZTS in December 1992) of the Dana 152 mm self-propelled gun-howitzer installed on a modified T-72M1 chassis.^[5]

[edit] Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

• M-84AI - Armoured recovery vehicle created from the chassis of a M-84A. It completed with the help of Polish experts, resulting in a vehicle similar to the WTZ-3. Standard equipment includes: A TD-50 crane, front-mounted stabilizing dozer blade, main and secondary winches.

[edit] Former East Germany

• T 72M - This designator was not only used for the standard T-72M, but also for 75 basic T-72's that were upgraded by RWN in 1986. These tanks (Kampfpanzer) were fitted with rubber side skirts, smoke grenade launchers "Tucha" and the additional 16 mm steel plate on the upper glacis plate.^[7]
• T 72M "Übergangsversion" - East-German army designator for 23 late-production T-72M's from Poland, fitted with the additional hull armour. Delivered in 1986.
• T 72(K) and T-72(K1) - East-German army designators for command tanks (Führungspanzer).
• T 72TK - East German designation for VT-72B (BRAM-72B). The vehicle was planned to enter service with NVA in 1990, but only one was actually handed over to IB-9 (Instandsetzungsbatallion 9) at Drögeheide (Torgelow). Two others were still in Grossenhain (Central tank workshop near Dresden) on 3 October 1990. At this place the tanks got fitted with relevant NVA kit and the cranes were tested/certified.^[5]
• BLP 72 (Brückenlegepanzer) - The East-German army had plans to develop a new bridgelayer tank that should have been ready for series production from 1987 but after several difficulties the project was canceled.^[8]
• FAB 172M or FAP 172U (Fahrausbildungspanzer) - Driver training vehicle. Three vehicles were made by using the chassis of the cancelled BLP 72 project.

[edit] Former Czechoslovakia

• T-72M (Ob'yekt 172M-E3) - This model was build under licence by ZTS Martin. In Western sources it is often referred to as T-72G which might be the designator for the version exported to the Middle East. In the late 1980s the tanks produced for the Czechoslovak army and for export as well were fitted with some improvements from the Soviet T-72A programme, including rubber side skirts (instead of "gill armour") and 902B "Tucha" smoke grenade launchers.
• T-72M1 (Ob'yekt 172M-E5) - This export version of the T-72A was also build by Martin. An external difference with the Soviet original is the reduced number of KMT mounts on the lower glacis plate.
• VT-72 (BRAM-72) (Vyprošt’ovací Tank) - Czechoslovak armoured recovery vehicle based on T-72 chassis.^[9]
  • VT-72B (BRAM-72B) - Czechoslovak ARV based on BREM-1 with dozer blade with prominent rams mounted on the front of the vehicle, hydraulic crane on the right side of vehicle and a large built-up superstructure at the front of the hull with a large tackle block in front of it.^[5]

[edit] India

• Ajeya MK1 - Indian version of the T-72M. In parallel with buying various T-72 versions from the Soviet Union, India also launched production at a domestic heavy engineering plant in Avadi where 900 vehicles were made and designated as Ajeya, in 1993 they were improved to T-72M1 versions.^[5]
• Ajeya MK2 - Indian version of the T-72M1. For a rather long time the Indian Army did not intend to modernize it's T-72 tanks since it was relying on their own tank project the Arjun. However, the Arjun program had been undergoing difficulties. As a result they adopted the Operation Rhino plan aimed at re-equipping 1,500 T-72M1 tanks. The upgrade program provides for installation of an SKO-1T DRAWA-T fire control systems/thermal imagers supplied by the Polish PCO/Cenzin, DRDO explosive reactive armour, a navigation system from Israel 's Tamam, German Litef or South African RDI, a locally developed laser illumination warning system, new radios manufactured by Tadiran or GES Marconi and an improved NBC protection system will be fitted. The tank is planned to be powered by a 1,000 hp (750 kW) S-1000 engine made by the Polish firm Vola. It is also upgraded with new fire detection and suppression systems and laser warning systems on either side of the turret. Also known as Combat Improved Ajeya. Indian sources often say that 180-2,000 T-72M1 tanks will be upgraded top to bottom while the rest will undergo only partial improvement.^[5]
• Tank EX - Indian integration of the Arjun turret onto the T-72 hull, Prototype only.

[edit] Iraq

• T-72 Lion of Babylon (Asad Babil) - Iraqi-assembled version of the T-72M, with laminated armour improvement and electro-optical countermeasures.
• Saddam - T-72M modified by Iraq to suit local conditions. Some of the suspension shock absorbers were removed and a searchlight on right-hand-side of main armament was added.^[5]

[edit] Poland

• T-72M (Ob'yekt 172M-E3) - This model was build under licence by "Bumar-Łabędy" in Gliwice. In Western sources the T-72M is often referred to as T-72G which might be the designator for the Middle East export version. Like Soviet tanks, the Polish T-72M was initially fitted with "gill armour"; later the tanks were upgraded with rubber side skirts and "Tucha" smoke grenade launchers. Late production models have the additional 16 mm steel plate welded on the upper glacis plate, like the T-72M1.
• T-72M1 (Ob'yekt 172M-E5) - This export version of the T-72A was also build under licence in Poland. An external difference with the Soviet original is the reduced number of KMT mounts on the lower glacis plate.
• T-72M1D - Polish designation for T-72M1K.^[1]
• Jaguar - When Polish T-72 production started in 1978, Polish considered upgrading them and the first T-72 upgrade program was launched by the Institute of Armament and Equipment of the Polish Army in 1982. The project was codenamed Jaguar since that was the designation under which Soviet Union handed a set of plans over to Poland. The Jaguar never left the conceptual design phase.^[5]
• T-72 "Wilk" - In 1986, the Polish T-72 Wilk project was instituted to allow the tank repair plants to upgrade T-72 tanks at their own facilities. In particular, it was proposed that the Soviet-made Volna fire control system be replaced by the Czechoslovak-made Kladivo FCS or by the Polish Merida, both originally designed for T-55AM "Merida". Beside the new FCS, the Radomka illumination-free night vision devices were installed in the driver's compartment, as were the LIS-Varta night sight, Obra laser illumination warning system, Tellur anti-laser smoke dischargers, solid or sectionalized metal side skirts and the Polish-developed Erawa-1 or Erawa-2 explosive reactive armour were also fitted. It was further developed as PT-91.
  • PT-91 "Twardy" - a Polish tank based on T-72M1.
    • T-72M1Z - (Z for Zmodernizowany - modernized) T-72M1 upgraded to PT-91 standard.
• PZA Loara - SPAAG prototype based on T-72 chassis.^[5]
  • PZA Loara-A - SPAAG based on PT-91 chassis.^[5]
• SJ-09 - Polish driver training vehicle. The turret has been replaced by a flat-plate cabin with dummy gun barrel.
• WZT-3 - ARV based on T-72M.^[5]

[edit] Romania

• TR-125 - Romanian tank based on T-72 with extra armour, modiffied suspension and more powerful diesel engine.

[edit] Russian Federation (former USSR)

• T-72 "Ural" (Ob'yekt 172M) (1973)^[1] - Original version, armed with 125 mm D-81TM smoothbore tank gun. Unlike the later versions it had the searchlight mounted on left. It also has flipper type armour panels. It had the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder sight protruding from it's turret.^[10][11][5]
  • T-72K - Command version of T-72 "Ural" with additional R-130M radio. Company command versions were fitted with two R123M/R-173 additional radios and also carried a 10 m telescopic mast. Battalion and regiment command versions were fitted with two R123M/R-173 additional radios and the R-130M that uses the 10 m mast when its erected. In NATO code T-72K was represented by three different designations: T-72K1, T-72K2 and T-72K3 which represented the company command version, battalion command version and regiment command version.^[12][5]
  • T-72 (Ob'yekt 172M-E, Ob'yekt 172M-E1) - Soviet export version armed with 125 mm D-81T smoothbore tank gun with 44 rounds. It was sold to Iraq and Syria and was also built in Poland by "Bumar-Łabędy".^[13][10]
    • T-72 fitted with a French 155 mm F1 turret for trails in India.^[5]
    • T-72 fitted with a British 155 mm Vickers T6 turret for trails in India.^[5]
  • Robot-2 - Remote controlled T-72 "Ural".^[5]
  • Ob'yekt 172-2M "Buffalo" - Modernization of T-72 made in early 1970s. Angle of the front armour slope was changed to 30 degrees. 100% metal side-skirts protecting sides of the hull, added armour screens protecting the turret, ammo storage was increased to 45 rounds, modified suspension, added smoke grenade launchers, engine's power was boosted to 840 hp (630 kW). ^[14]
  • T-72 "Ural-1" (Ob'yekt 172M1) (1976)^[1] - new 2A46 main gun, new armour on the turret. ^[15]
  • T-72V - ("V" for vzryvnoi - explosive) unofficial designator for tanks, fitted with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour fitted to hull front and turret.^[5]
  • T-72 "Ural" modernization. Large numbers of early T-72 production models were modernized in 1980s. The modernization included placing the search light on the right-hand-side of main armament, blanking off the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder and fitting of rubber skirts protecting the tracks instead of the flipper type armor panels.^[5]
  • T-72A (Ob'yekt 176) (1979)^[1] - An improved version of the basic T-72 "Ural". Overall, its offensive capabilities are similar to the basic T-72 "Ural", but it is much better protected. The differences between T-72 "Ural" and T-72A include the searchlight being placed on the right hand side of turret, the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder being replaced by the TPD-K1 laser range-finder, added plastic armour track skirts covering the upper part of the suspension with separate panels protecting the sides of the fuel and stowage panniers instead of the flipper type armor panels used in T-72 "Ural", turret front and top being heavily reinforced with composite armour better known by it's US codename - "Dolly Parton", provisions for mounting reactive armor, electronic fire control system, MB smoke grenade launchers, flipper armour mount on front mudguards, internal changes, and a slight weight increase.^{[5][2] [16] [1][5]}
    • T-72A obr.1979g - Additional glacis armour with thickness of 17 mm of high resistance steel.
    • T-72A obr.1984g - Late production model with anti radiation lining.
    • T-72AK (Ob'yekt 176K) - Command version of T-72A. In NATO code T-72AK was represented by three different designations: T-72AK1, T-72AK2 and T-72AK3 which represented the company command version, battalion command version and regiment command version.^[17][1][5]
    • T-72AV - ("V" for vzryvnoi - explosive) model with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour fitted to hull front and turret.^[5]
    • T-72M (Ob'yekt 172M-E2, Ob'yekt 172M-E3, Ob'yekt 172M-E4) - Soviet export version, similar to T-72A but with thinner turret armour. Also built in Poland and ex-Czechoslovakia^[18][5]
      • T-72MK (T-72M(K)) - Export version of T-72AK. It is a command vehicle for battalion commanders and has additional radio equipment including the R-130M radio, AB-1-P/30-M1-U generator and a TNA-3 navigation system. The main external difference is a 10 m telescopic antenna stowed under the rear of the stowage box during travel. An additional antenna base for this telescopic antenna is mounted on the left side of the turret. Because of the additional equipment the number of round for the 125 mm tank gun had to be lowered from 44 to 38. In NATO code T-72MK was represented by three different designations: T-72MK1, T-72MK2 and T-72MK3 which represented the company command version, battalion command version and regiment command version.^[5]
      • T-72M1 (Ob'yekt 172M-E5, Ob'yekt 172M-E6) - Soviet export version, with thicker armour and similar to T-72A obr.1979g. It also is fitted with 7+5 smoke grenade dischargers on turret front. (built also in Poland and ex-Czechoslovakia).^[19]
        • T-72M1K - Commander's variant with additional radios. ^[2]
        • T-72M1V - T-72M1 with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour ("V" for vzryvnoi - explosive).^[2]
        • T-72M1M (Ob'yekt 172M-E8) - Soviet export version. It's a T-72M1 upgraded to T-72B standard.^[2] It has the Arena Active Protection System.^[20]

• T-72B (Ob'yekt 184) (NATO code: SMT M1988)^[2] {1985}^[1] (SMT - Soviet Medium Tank) - Much improved version with 1A40-1 fire control system, thicker armour, turret front and top was heavily reinforced with composite armour better known by its US codename "Super Dolly Parton", 20 mm of appliqué armour in the front of hull, 9K120 system which gives T-72B 9M119 "Svir" (NATO code: AT-11 Sniper) laser-guided antitank missile capability, new 2A46M main gun, 1K13-49 sight, stabilization system, and new V-84-1 engine with 840 hp (626 kW). On early models the smoke dischargers were mounted on the turret front (as per T-72A), later they were grouped on the left side of the turret to prepare for the installation of ERA bricks.
  • T-72B fitted with 227 "Kontakt-1" ERA bricks to the hull and turret. The glacis plate and turret is covered with a layer of single ERA blocks and the turret's bottom row is mounted horizontally. There's also an ERA array on the sideskirts. They're often incorrectly called T-72BV.^[5]
  • T-72BK (Ob'yekt 184K) - Command version of T-72B, recognizable by having multiple radio antennas and a radio mast stowage under rear turret bin.^[5][21]
  • T-72S "Shilden" (T-72M1M1^[10], Ob'yekt 172M-E8) - Export version of T-72B with only 155 ERA bricks, simplified NBC system, no anti-radiation lining etc.
  • T-72B1 (Ob'yekt 184-1) - T-72B without ATGM capability and with the T-72A's optics.
    • T-72B1 fitted with "Kontakt-1" ERA. It has eight SGD on left-hand-side of the turret and explosive reactive armour on turret and hull front.
    • T-72B1K (Ob'yekt 184K-1) - Command version of T-72B1. ^[22]
    • T-72S1 "Shilden" (T-72M1M1^[10]) - Soviet T-72B1 export version, ERA modifications were small as T-72B, appeared at 1991.^[5][2]
  • T-72B obr.1989g - T-72B equipped with advanced Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armour, composite armour in sides of turret as well. Often called T-72BM or T-72B(M) but this is not correct. NATO code: SMT M1990.^[23][5]
  • T-72B obr.1990g - Additionally fitted with new FCS, cross-wind sensor and sometimes V-92S2 engine.
    • T-72B obr.1990g with an improved commander's cupola with a larger sight.^[5]
      • T-90 (Ob'yekt 188^[24]) - This is a further development of the T-72, incorporating many features of the heavier, more complex T-80. It was first called T-72BU but after the poor performance of the T-72 in Chechnya and Kuwait/Iraq it was decided to rename it to improve its chances on the export market.^[25]
  • T-72BM "Rogatka" obr.2006g (Ob'yekt 184M) - Upgrade of T-72B under "Rogatka" programme. First shown at the 2006 Russian Arms Expo, it is upgraded with new fire control system including a gunner's thermal sight, "Nakidka" camouflage kit, new 125mm 2A46M-5 main gun with muzzle reference system, V-92S2 1,000 hp diesel engine and new "Relikt" 3rd generation explosive reactive armour which is claimed to be twice as effective as Kontakt-5.
• BMO-T (Boyevaya Mashina Ognemyochikov) - This is a transport vehicle for flamethrower-squads armed with RPO launcher.^[5]
• BMPT (Ob'yekt 199) - Heavy convoy and close tank support vehicle (Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov). All new turret armed with 2 30mm 2A42 autocannons (500 rounds), 1 boxed 9M133 Kornet ATGM launcher on left-hand-side of weapons mount (4 rounds), AGS-17/30 30mm grenade launchers and a 7.62 mm PKT MG (2,000 rounds). It be also fitted with either 2 7.62mm PKT MGs or 30 mm AGS-17/30 as bow weapons and a 902A "Tucha" 81 mm smoke grenade launcher array. Features new fire control system with thermal sights and a ballistic computer and 3rd generation "Relikt" explosive reactive armour and "Kaktus" modular armour. It is equipped with Agat-MR passive and thermal night vision devices, an NBC detection and protection system, a crosswind sensor and parts of the KAZ "Shtora" active protection system. The vehicle can be fitted with either the KMT-8 or the EMT mine clearing system. It also has the engine from T-90A.^[5] The term BMP-T that is very often found is not correct.
• TOS-1 - Large box-type multi-barrel napalm rocket launcher with 30 tubes that replaces turret.^[5]
• TZM-T - Reloading vehicle for the TOS-1 mobile multi-barrel napalm rocket launcher.^[5]
• BREM-1 (Bronirovannaya Remonto-Evakuatsionna Mashina) - Armoured recovery vehicle with a hydraulic crane with capacity of 12 tonnes mounted at the front of the hull on the left side. It also has a main winch with capacity of 25 tons which can be increased to 100 tonnes, auxiliary winch, hydraulically operated dozer/stabilizing blade at the front of the hull, towing equipment and a complete range of tools and recovery equipment.^[5]
  • BREM-1M - improved version fitted with one-piece side bin, a more powerful crane and improved recovery tools. The crew can remain inside the vehicle for recovery operations.
• IMR-2 (Inzhenernaya Mashina Razgrashdeniya) - Combat engineer vehicle. It has a telescoping crane arm which can lift between 5 and 11 metric tons and utilizes a pincers for uprooting trees. Pivoted at the front of the vehicle is a dozer blade that can be used in a V-configuration or as a straight dozer blade. When not required it is raised clear of the ground.^[5] On the vehicle's rear, a mine-clearing system is mounted.
  • IMR-2M1 - Simplified model without the mine-clearing system. Entered service in 1987.
  • IMR-2M2 - Improved version that is better suited for operations in dangerous situations, for example in contaminated areas. It entered service in 1990 and has a modified crane arm with bucket instead off the pincers.
  • IMR-2MA - Latest version with bigger operator's cabin armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun NSV.
    • Klin-1 - Remote controlled IMR-2.^[5]
• MTU-72 (Ob'yekt 632) (Tankovyj Mostoukladchik) - bridge layer based on T-72 chassis. The overall layout and operating method of the system are similar to those of the MTU-20 and MTU bridgelayers. The bridge, when laid, has an overall length of 20 meters. The bridge has a maximum capacity of 50,000 kg, is 3.3 meters wide, and can span a gap of 18 m. By itself, the bridge weighs 6400 kg. The time required to lay the bridge is 3 minutes, and 8 minutes for retrieval.^[5]
• RKhM-7 "Berloga-1" (Razvedivatel’naya Khimicheskaya Mashina) - NBC reconnaissance vehicle without turret and with fixed superstructure.
• Ob'yekt 327 - Self-propelled 152 mm gun. Prototype only.

[edit] Serbia

• M-2001 (M-84AB1) - M-84 tank modernized to T-90 level by Yugoimport SDPR.
• Yugoimport SDPR T-72 modernization pack - T-72 with upgraded engine, communication gear and ERA.

[edit] Slovakia

• T-72M1A - T-72M1 upgraded with suspension of the drover's seat from hull roof, DSM 16.1 engine monitoring system, ERA armour package around the turret with a flat front section, fire detection and suppression system, improved transmission, improved hull floor protection, laser Detection Warning System, modified electrical harness, PNK-72 driver's night sight, SGS-72A commanders stabilized passive sight, gunner's sight with a large head with two section door, S12U diesel engine, Slovenian EFCS3-72A fire control system and MB smoke grenade dischargers on the each side of the turret. It also has two external sensor rod mounts on turret roof.^[5]
• T-72M2 - Slovak modernisation. Development was completed but without any order for tank fleet modernisation.
• VT-72C - Improved VT-72B produced since 1999 for India. It is fitted with more powerful Polish S-12U diesel engine and has a modified interior.^[5]
• VT-72Ž - Combat engineer tank. Similar to the VT-72B but with a modified telescopic arm with bucket.
• MT-72 - Slovakian scissors-type bridge based on T-72 chassis. When deployed the bridge is 20 m long and will span a gap of 18 m. It is capable of carrying loads of up to 50 tonnes.^[5]

[edit] Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

• M-84 - Yugoslav build tank based moust on T-72M but with some upgrades.
• M-84A - Improved version of M-84. Basically a T-72M1 with new fire control system like the M-84.
  • M-84AK - Command version of M-84A fitted with land navigation equipment.
• M-84AB - Export version of standard M-84, with new SUV-M-84 computerized fire-control system, including the DNNS-2 gunner's day/night sight, with independent stabilization in two planes and integral Laser range-finder. About 200 were exported to Kuwait.
  • M-84ABK - Command version of M-84AB fitted with land navigation equipment.
  • M-84ABN - Navigation version of M-84AB fitted with extensive communication equipments, land navigation equipment, and a generator for the command role.

[edit] South Africa

• T-72 "Tiger" - The modernization package from LIW includes two large sights installed on the front of the turret.^[5]

[edit] Ukraine

• T-72MP - modernization package for the T-72 by Ukrainian company KMDB, including improved engine, armour and fire control with sights SAVAN 15MP (gunner) and SAGEM VS (commander). The upgrade is built in co-operation with Sagem of France, and PSP Bohemia of the Czech Republic.
• T-72AM "Banan" - Ukrainian T-72A upgrade covered extensively with early generation "Kontakt-1" ERA tiles (V-shaped array around sides of turret and an array on sideskirts). It also has 6TD-1 or 6TD-2 diesel engine (1250 hp) from the T-84 and additional smoke grenade launchers.^[5][2]
• T-72AG - KMDB modernization package with components from the T-80UD, including improved engine 6TD-1, "Kontakt-5" armour, fire control system with TKN-4S and 1G46 sights, and main armament.
• T-72-120 - KMDB modernization package, including an auto-loaded main gun KBM2 capable of firing NATO 120 mm ammunition or ATGM.
• BMT-72 - Ukrainian T-72 upgrade. The unique compact design of the Ukrainian-developed BMT-72 power pack, based on that of the T-84, made it possible not only to considerably increase the power capabilities of the vehicle, but also to introduce into the vehicle design a troop compartment. The troop compartment is located between the fighting compartment and the power pack compartment. In the troop compartment roof there is a set of three hatches in slightly raised portion of the hull roof behind turret that allow the troops to get in or dismount the vehicle. There are also steps on the end of each catwalk at rear of vehicle. The main visual difference between BMT-72 and T-72 is a seventh pair of roadwheels. ^[5]
• BTS-5B - Ukrainian version of the BREM-1.

[edit] Operators

Past and present operators of the T-72.

•  Abkhazia
•  Algeria - 500
•  Angola - 22 T-72M1 bought from Belarus in 1999.^[5]
•  Armenia - 160 ^[3]
•  Azerbaijan - 180 T-72A en T-72B in 2003 ^[26]
•  Belarus - 1,465 T-72B^[27][28]
•  Bulgaria - 430 T-72M and T-72A in 2003 ^[3]
•  Croatia - 3 (see also M-84)
•  Cuba - About 50 ^[3]
•  Czech Republic - 543 inherited from former Czechoslovakia in 1993. 179 T-72 main battle tanks in service as of 1st of January 2008. Before that there was 181 T-72 main battle tanks in service. ^[29]
•  Ethiopia - 50 from Yemen
•  Georgia - 230+ (Т-72B1, Т-72M and Т-72A Ukrainian versions)
•  Hungary - 180 T-72, T-72M and T-72A ^[3]
•  India - 1,700 T-72M and T-72M1 ^[30]
•  Iran - 480 T-72M1 and T-72S since 2002 (200 in 1995 and 120 in 2000) ^[31]
•  Iraq - 1000 T-72s, T-72Ms, T-72M1s, Lion of Babylon and Saddam tanks were in service with Iraqi Regular Army in 1990. 375 T-72s, T-72Ms, T-72M1s, Lion of Babylon and Saddam tanks were in service with Iraqi Regular Army in 2003. Only 77 T-72M1 are in service as of 2007 with the new Iraqi Army^[32]
•  Kazakhstan - 650
•  Kyrgyzstan - 210
•  Libya - 150 in 2003 ^[3]
•  Malaysia
•  Morocco - 200
•  Macedonia - 30 T-72A and 1 T-72AK from Ukraine
•  Myanmar - 139 T-72S
•  North Korea - Probably a T-72S was sold to the North Koreans in the early 1990s. ^[33]
•  Philippines
•  Poland - 586 T-72M1 (2005 - 644, 2006 - 596)^[34] and 135 T-72M1Z^[35] (T-72M1 upgraded to PT-91 standard) (Also 98 PT-91 in service) Plans to withdraw the T-72M1 in 2010.
•  Russia - 9700 in active service. ^{[36] [37]}
•  Romania - 30 T-72 and 3 or 5 TR-125 (to be phased out)
•  Serbia - 65 T-72M
•  Slovakia - 272 T-72M and T-72M1 ^[3]
•  South Africa - ^[5]
•  Syria - 1,600 ^[38]
•  Tajikistan - 44 (33 in 2000) ^[39]
•  Turkmenistan - 702 ^[40]
•  Ukraine - 1,180^[41]
•  United States (display, tests)
•  Uzbekistan - 70 ^[42]
•  Vietnam - 120~150 in the 2005. Supplied by Poland
•  Yemen - 39 in 2003 ^[3]

[edit] Former operators

•  Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Operated several dozen of these, left behind by the USSR, bought from USSR, Russia and captured during and before the First Chechen war.
•  Czechoslovakia - About 1,700 T-72/T-72M/T-72M1 were produced between 1981 and 1990. Czechoslovak army had 815 T-72 in 1991. All were passed on to the successor states.
•  East Germany - 35 T-72 (from USSR), 219 T-72 (from Poland and Czechoslovakia), 31 T-72M (from USSR), 162 T-72M (from Poland and Czechoslovakia) and 136 T-72M1. 75 T-72's were fitted with additional hull armour. Passed on to the unified German state.^[43]
•  Finland - Some 160-170 T-72M1s. About 70 T-72M1s (one armoured brigade) were bought from the Soviet Union and were delivered in 1984, 1985-1988 and 1990. A further 97 T-72M1s (including a small number of command versions T-72M1K and T-72M1K1) were bought from German surplus stocks in 1992-1994. All are now withdrawn from service and have been scrapped or sold as spares to the Czech Republic. ^[44]
•  Israel - Captured some of the Syrian T-72M1 tanks but unlike T-54/T-55 and T-62 tanks they weren't used by the Israeli Army. One was given to the Yad la-Shiryon Museum.
•  Serbia and Montenegro - Passed on to the successor states.
•  Soviet Union - Passed on to successor states.
•  West Germany/ Germany - 549 tanks taken from GDR's army, all scrapped, sold to other countries or given to the museums.
•  Yugoslavia - 90 T-72M and 3 T-72MK made in Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union; passed on to successor states. (see also M-84)
•  Yugoslavia - Passed on to the successor state.

[edit] Combat history

• Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka
• Iraq: Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) and Iraq War (2003-present)
• Syria: 1982 Lebanon War
• Soviet Union: Afghanistan
• Armenia, Azerbaidjan: Nagorno-Karabakh War (1992-1994)
• Russia: Chechnya (First Chechen War: 1994-1996, Second Chechen War: 1999-2002)
• Yugoslavia: Yugoslav Wars (1991–1995)
• Yugoslavia: Kosovo War (1997-1999)
• Yugoslavia: Preševo Valley conflict (2000 - 2001)
• Macedonia: 2001 Macedonia conflict (February - August 2001)

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Sewell, Stephen ‘Cookie’ (1998). “Why Three Tanks?” in Armor vol. 108, no. 4, p. 21. Fort Knox, KY: US Army Armor Center. ISSN 0004-2420. (PDF format)
• Christopher. F. Foss, Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005-2006. ISBN 978-0-7106-2686-8.
• Leizin, Uri (2004) "Two myths of one battle: Syrian T-72's in 1982 Lebanon war"(in Russian)
• Zaloga, Steven J (1993) T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-93, Osprey Publishing ISBN 1-85532-338-9.
• Ustyantsev, Sergej Viktorovich; Kolmakov Dmitrij Gennadevich "Boyeviye mashiny Uralvagonzavoda. Tank T-72"
• A.V. Karpenko (1996) "Obozreniye Bronetankovoj Tekhniki (1905-1995 gg.)" Nevskij Bastion

[edit] Related content

[edit] Related development

• Lion of Babylon tank
• T-64
• T-80
• T-84
• M-84
• T-90
• PT-91 Twardy
• M-84AB1
• M-95 Degman
• Tank-Ex/MBT-EX

[edit] Comparable AFV

• Chieftain tank
• Leopard 1
• M60 Patton

[edit] Designation sequence

T-54 - T-55 - T-62 - T-64 - T-72 - T-80 - T-90 - T-95

[edit] Related lists

• List of tanks
• List of Soviet tanks

[edit] See also

• 125mm Smoothbore Rounds

[edit] External links

• Uralvagonzavod, manufacturer's English-language home page (Russian)
• Vasiliy Fofanov's Modern Russian Armour Page
• T-72 variants (German)
• NiiStali website
• Detailed description of the T-72/90 at www.kampfpanzer.de (English) (German)
• [2] "Kalejdoskop"

Soviet and post-Soviet armoured fighting vehicles after World War II
Tanks T-10 · T-54 · T-55 · PT-76 · T-62 · T-64 · T-72 · T-80 Russian: T-90 · Black Eagle · T-95 Ukrainian: T-72MP · T-80UD · T-84 Armoured personnel carriers Tracked BTR-50 · MT-LB Wheeled BTR-40 · BTR-152 · BTR-60 · BTR-70 · BTR-80 Russian: BTR-90 Ukrainian: BTR-3 · BTR-4 · BTR-94 Infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1 · BMP-2 · BMP-3 · BMD-1 · BMD-2 · BMD-3 Russian: BMD-4 · BTR-T · BMP-T Armoured scout cars BRDM-1 · BRDM-2 Self-propelled artillery 2S1 Gvozdika · 2S3 Akatsiya · 2S4 Tyulpan · 2S5 Giatsint · 2S7 Pion · 2S9 Anona · 2S19 Msta · 2S23 Nona-SVK · 2S30 Iset · 2S31 Vena · ASU-57 · ASU-85 Multiple rocket launchers BM-14 · BM-21 Grad · BM-24 · BM-25 · BM-27 Uragan · TOS-1 · BM-30 Smerch Surface-to-surface missiles FROG-7 · 9K79 Tochka (SS-21 Scarab) · R-400 Oka (SS-23 Spider) Russian: Iskander (SS-26 Stone) Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns ZSU-57-2 · ZSU-23-4 · 2S6 Tunguska Self-propelled surface-to-air missile launchers 2K11 Krug (SA-4 Ganef) · 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) · 9K22 Tunguska (SA-19 Grison) · 9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9 Gaskin) · 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) · 9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13 Gopher) · 9K37 Buk (SA-11 Gadfly) · 9K330 Tor (SA-15 Gauntlet) · S-300 (SA-10 Grumble) Russian: Pantsyr-S1 · 9K38 Buk-M1-2 (SA-17 Grizzly)
List of armoured fighting vehicles by country