T-72

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T-72
T-72 of the Czech Armed Forces, 2011

T-72 of the Czech Armed Forces, 2011
General properties
crew 3 (commander, driver, gunner)
length 6.9 m
width 3.6 m
height 2.2 m (top of tower)
Dimensions 41.5 tons combat weight
Armor and armament
Armor Composite armor
Main armament 1 × 125 mm smoothbore cannon 2A46
Secondary armament 1 × 7.62 mm PKT ( coaxial MG)

1 × 12.7 mm NSWT ( Fla -MG)

agility
drive V-12 multi-fuel engine W-84
618 kW (840 hp )
suspension Torsion bar
Top speed 60 km / h
Power / weight 13.9 kW / t (18.8 PS / t)
Range 450 km (550 km with external tank containers)

The T-72 is a Soviet main battle tank that was built by the Uralwagonzavod company from 1972 and put into service by the Soviet Army . In addition to the Soviet Union, the tank was built in Poland , the Czechoslovak Republic and Yugoslavia , and it was licensed in India from 1980. The T-72 is currently the most widely used main battle tank in the world. It was exported in large numbers, including to many Middle East countries such as Syria , Libya , Iran and Iraq . It was used in many conflicts, such as the 1982 Lebanon War , the First and Second Gulf Wars and the Yugoslav Wars . A total of around 20,000 copies were made, of which Russia still maintains around 9,200, with only around 1,200 active. The export price for a T-72M1 in 1992 was about 1.2 million US dollars; with associated ammunition and spare parts, the unit price was about $ 1.8 million.

Development history

T-64

The development of the T-72 was a direct consequence of the development of the T-64 and T-64A. The T-64 (Object 432) was a technically very ambitious vehicle that was developed with the requirement that it weighed no more than 36 tons. The responsible planner of the Kharkov construction team was Alexander Alexandrowitsch Morosow .

Numerous innovations had to flow into the development, including an automatic loading device for the main gun and the associated reduction in the size of the crew to three, multi-layer armor and better armament for the T-64A (Object 434). All this led to problems in the practical implementation, in the construction and also in the operation of the vehicle.

Series production of the T-64 began in 1964, but planning for the T-64A with the 125 mm cannon had already begun in 1963, so that the T-64 with the 115 mm main armament was only available in small numbers for a few years was produced.

In addition to numerous problems with the production version of the T-64 with landing gear and loading mechanism, the notoriously unreliable 5TDF diesel engine (700 PS (515 kW)) caused the greatest difficulties. The maintenance effort was high and the guaranteed service life of the engine was as few hours of operation as had last been the case with vehicles from the time of the Second World War. Initially, there was little that could be changed about these problems, as the weight restrictions required a certain size and type of construction of the tub.

The development was flanked by expert reports drawn up in Kharkov that advised the key government agencies on tank issues, as well as by personal contacts that were maintained from Kharkov to decision-makers. The development of alternative ideas and solutions by other design offices was made more difficult.

Detour mobilization version

A "mobilization" version of the T-64 with the W-45 diesel engine (780 hp (574 kW)) should be developed by Uralvagonzavod as the Kharkov tractor plant in case of war would not be able to meet the then rising demand for 5TDF engines. The 5TDF was simply too complex and about twice as expensive as the W-45 engine. In 1967 "Section 520" was set up, which prepared the series production of the T-64 planned for 1970 in the Urals. However, it was found that the more powerful W-45 engine put too much stress on the tub and the lightweight chassis of the T-64, which resulted in stress fractures after a while. So a more stable solution had to be found.

To solve the problem, they went back to ideas from 1960 when a modification of the T-62 had been made. In 1961, two prototypes of the "Object 167" were built in Chelyabinsk near Uralwagonzavod to test a more powerful hull and drive configuration. At that time, however - under the influence of Kharkov, where a further development to the T-64 was also being sought - the model had not found any advocates among the decision-makers. This very construction with its large rubber-coated rollers became the basis of the mobilization version of the T-64.

Another change was made to the automatic loading mechanism, which has now also been carried over from an earlier project originally developed for the T-62. The ammunition - consisting of a projectile and a separate propellant charge - was not stored vertically on one level as in the T-64 from Kharkov, but horizontally on two levels. This version was considered more reliable than the version in the T-64.

Since Uralwagonsawod had already received two 125 mm D-81 cannons in 1964 and immediately installed them on a T-62 on a trial basis, the adaptation of the new 125 mm weapon of the T-64A was also prepared. Preparations for the production of the modified T-64 with the armament of the T-64A began as early as 1968.

T-72

The first prototype with a 125 mm cannon and a W-45K diesel engine from Chelyabinsk was manufactured in 1968 as "Object 172". After extensive comparison tests with the T-64A, Object 172 was revised again in 1970 in order to remedy minor defects.

Since it was still only a "mobilization version", the series production of Object 172 could not begin in peace. In a process that was not fully politically enlightened, government decree number 326-113 was drawn up, which approved the production of Object 172 in the Soviet Union as an independent model alongside the T-64A on January 1, 1972 and the Uralvagonzavod factory as part of this measure also approved by the Production of the actual T-64A released.

The first construction lot was again intensively tested under the name “Object 172M” after minor defects had been rectified at the beginning of 1973 and accepted by government decree as “T-72” in the same year.

Further development

Due to the limited production capacity of the suppliers of fire control systems and the internal competition between the development offices, the T-72 never received such a modern automatic fire control system as the T-64B and T-80 B. The T-72 was a replacement for the older stocks of T- 55 and T-62 tanks of the armies of the Warsaw Treaty and were produced in addition to the Soviet Union in Poland, the ČSSR and Yugoslavia. From 1980 the tank was also manufactured under license in India.

After the start of series production in 1974, the T-72 was continuously modernized and adapted to the different requirements and possibilities of different user states, so that numerous variants of the vehicle were created.

technology

Armor

Tub

The vehicle hull is mainly made of armored steel. The hull front consists of composite armor . This consists of an inner 20 mm thick layer of steel, a 100 mm thick middle layer of polyurethane and an outer layer of 80 mm high-strength steel . In the T-72M and T-72B versions, the middle layer has been reinforced to 105 mm. The filling in these models is made of GRP (Steltexolit). In these models, the tub front has also been reinforced by an additional welded-on plate made of armored steel.

tower

The turret of the T-72 is made of cast steel . In the second production version, the T-72A, the armor on the turret front was reinforced by two patch pockets with composite armor. Because of this additional armor, the tank was given the nickname " Dolly Parton " by American tank crews . Initially, the Combination-K composite armor of the T-64B was used. After a few hundred production models, the Kwarz composite armor was used. This consists of an inner 50 mm thick layer of steel, a 105 mm wide cavity with a filling of silicon dioxide encapsulated with borosilicate glass , and a 60 mm thick outer layer of high-strength steel. This armor is also used on many export models. In the later models T-72M and T-72M1, the armor on the turret front was reinforced by two attached pockets with spaced armor . These consist of an inner 50 mm thick layer of steel, a 100 mm wide cavity for the spaced armor and a 60 mm thick outer layer made of high-strength steel. The spaced armor consists of a block of 20 plates made of composite material. The entire block is 1.455 m long and weighs 781.6 kg. The individual plates are constructed as follows: 21 mm armored steel , 6 mm rubber and 3 mm hard metal . Spacers made of 45 mm thick steel pieces are arranged between two composite material plates. All elements are put together in a sandwich construction. The entire block of composite material is embedded in a polyurethane filling. From the T-72B version, composite armor is used on the turret, which is still subject to confidentiality. This composite armor is housed in a 495 mm wide cavity in the front half of the turret. The composite armor presumably consists of high-strength steels with various degrees of hardness, aluminum and ceramics based on Al 2 O 3 . This armor was the thickest and most effective that had ever been fitted to a Soviet tank up to that point.

Additional protective systems
From the mid-1980s, the standard armor was reinforced by additional elements made of reactive armor . This additional armor increases armor protection by 25 to 30 percent. According to the RHA equivalent, the various versions of the T-72 have the following - theoretically assumed - steel armor compared to HEAT and KE projectiles :

Component T-72 (Proj.172M) T-72A (Proj. 176) T-72M1 (Proj.172M-E5) T-72B (Proj. 184) 1 T-72BM (Proj.187) 2
Tub front
KE floors: 		305-410 mm 360-420 mm 360-400 mm 450-530 mm 670-710 mm
Tub front
HEAT grenades: 		405-450 mm 490-500 mm 420-490 mm 480-900 mm 990-1050 mm
Tower front
KE storeys: 		380-410 mm 380-500 mm 380-410 mm 400-520 mm 420-920 mm
Tower front
HEAT grenades: 		380-500 mm 490-560 mm 490-500 mm 500-950 mm 580-1020 mm

1 With reactive armor (ERA) type Kontakt-1 .
2 With reactive armor (ERA) type Kontakt-5 .

The interior of the tank is lined with a resin-impregnated lead to protect the crew from ionizing radiation . In addition, the later models have a fire suppression system.

The tank has a high-performance, automatic NBC protection system to protect against chemical and biological warfare agents and to protect against the effects of a nuclear weapon explosion, such as pressure waves, instant and residual nuclear radiation and radioactive dust. The radiation measuring and warfare agent detection device GO-27 is used to detect ionizing radiation and chemical warfare agents.

Armament and ammunition

When ammunitioning, an HE grenade is lifted from the commandant's seat into the receiving tube of a cassette of the loading machine

The main weapon of the T-72 is the 125-mm D-81 TM cannon , which was adopted into the armament of the Soviet armed forces under the GRAU index 2A46 . It is a smooth-barreled cannon , which is provided with a sheet metal heat protection sleeve to avoid uneven heating due to weather conditions and has a smoke extractor . The weapon system is stabilized by the 2E28M stabilization system. The gunner's optics are stabilized in the vertical axis, the weapon system in the horizontal axis. The elevation range of the weapon is −6 ° to + 14 °.

The following types of ammunition can be fired:

  • APFSDS ammunition: A rmour P iercing F in S tabilized D iscarding S abot - Russian: БПС for Б ронебойный п одкалиберный с наряд (armor-piercing, sub-caliber bullet)
  • HEAT ammunition: H igh E xplosive A nti T ank - Russian: КС for к умулятивный с наряд (cumulative projectile)
  • HE-Frag ammunition: H igh E xplosive - Frag mentation - Russian: ОФС for о сколочно- ф угасный с наряд (High Explosive Splitter basement)

The APFSDS ammunition is available in different variants, including those made of steel, tungsten carbide or uranium . The barrel of the cannon is not hard chrome-plated on the inside and only has a very short lifespan of 80 to 100 rounds when using APFSDS ammunition, before the precision drops considerably. The combat load of the T-72 consists of 44 rounds. 22 rounds of ammunition are stored in a loading carousel in the bottom of the tub under the turret, the rest in different places in the fighting area. It is a two-part ammunition, which is divided into the cartridge for the propellant charge and the projectile. The cartridge is a partial burn-up charge, of which only a metal case base remains after being fired. This is ejected by the loading machine during reloading through a hatch in the rear wall of the tower. The loading machine is driven electromechanically and rotates at a speed of 70 ° per second, so that the ammunition is under the weapon system and can be loaded in less than three seconds. The loader enables a theoretical rate of fire of up to eight rounds per minute. The ready-to-use ammunition in the fighting compartment can be refilled by the crew without any problems. The loading machine is considered very reliable; an average of around 2200 charging cycles can be run through before a failure occurs. Most of the malfunctions in the charger are usually due to incorrect operation. In the event of damage or failure of the machine, the cannon can also be reloaded manually by the commander, but this reduces the rate of fire to one or two rounds per minute.

The secondary armament consists of a coaxial 7.62 mm MG PKT and a 12.7 mm MG NSWT for anti-aircraft defense. Starting with the T-72A version, there is also an 81 mm caliber smoke thrower with twelve tubes. This can create a curtain of fog with an extension of 300 m 2 in front of the tank.

Optics and sensors

Infrared searchlight for the commander (at the top of the picture) and for the gunner (center) on a T-72M1 of the NVA

The commander has his own day / night vision optics with an infrared channel called TKN-3 in his 360 ° rotatable dome. There is an infrared spotlight on the dome that provides the infrared light for the night vision optics. In addition, the commander has two additional day vision optics. The commander can automatically swing the turret to his line of sight and roughly oversteer the gunner in the horizontal plane. There is no optical interface with the gunner's optics. The gunner has two separate optics. He can use a TPN-1-49-23 infrared vision device and a TPD-K1 day vision optics. An infrared spotlight attached to the right front of the tower serves as the light source for the night vision optics. The driver has wide-angle day vision optics and an infrared vision device.

Fire control systems

The fire control system of the T-72 consists of the stabilized optics of the gunner, the range finder (up to the introduction of the T-72A a cross- sectional range finder , then a laser range finder ) and an analog computer . The laser measures distances from 500 to 4000 m with an accuracy of 10 m. The gunner uses the rangefinder to determine the distance to the target, which is then displayed to him in his optics and automatically set in the telescopic sight. After setting the distance, you need to update manually. Values ​​for air temperature, propellant charge temperature, pipe wear and air pressure are also set manually if necessary and are automatically taken into account when setting the distance. The “Automatic Delta D” corrects the set shooting distance by continuously measuring the distance covered since the laser was triggered, taking into account the turret position. The fire control system allows targeted combat against targets up to around 1800 m away. Fighting targets while driving is possible up to a speed of around 25 km / h. It is possible to fight against targets at night, but the maximum fight range is limited to the range of the infrared headlights. It is not possible to use the laser in conjunction with the night vision device, so the gunner must estimate the distance to the target. In the case of a combat sight (here the range of the direct shot) with APFSDS ammunition from 2100 m to a target height of 2 m, this is irrelevant at night. The performance of the fire control system corresponds roughly to that of the M60A1 , Leopard 1 or AMX 30 .

Drive and drive

Cutaway model of the engine

The T-72 is powered by a 12-cylinder turbo-charged diesel engine called the W-46-6. The maximum output is 573 kW (780 PS) at 2,000 revolutions per minute, with later models the engine output increased to 618 kW (840 PS). The fuel tanks are located in the front of the tub to the right and left of the driver and in the rear area of ​​the tub. The engine is located in the rear immediately behind the partition wall to the fighting compartment. There is a large radiator directly behind the engine, with the gearbox underneath. The engine is a multi-fuel engine that can run on diesel as well as petrol or kerosene . The fuel consumption for the T-72B when marching over paved roads is around 250 liters per 100 km. A total of 1590 liters of fuel can be carried. 705 l are carried under armor protection, 495 l over the right chain shoulder and around 390 l in roll-hoop drums at the rear.

The suspension of each of the six rollers is provided by torsion bars. The maximum spring travel of the rollers is 285 mm; on the T-72B, the maximum suspension travel has been increased to 325 mm. The drive wheel is at the stern; There are also three support rollers to prevent the chain from sagging. Hydraulic shock absorbers are also attached to the first, second and sixth rollers on each side. The upper part of the drive is protected by a four-part chain apron. The chain of the T-72 is a hinged chain that gives the vehicle very good traction in the field.

crew

In the T-72, the commander (1), gunner (2) and driver (3) have their seats immediately next to and above the magazine of the loading machine (4), which contains the propellant charges (orange) and projectiles (yellow)

As with all Soviet tanks since the introduction of the T-64, the crew of the T-72 has consisted of three soldiers: the driver, the gunner and the commander. The gunner and commander have their seats in the tower directly above the carousel of the loading machine that contains the ammunition, while the driver sits in his compartment in the tub with his back to the carousel. Due to the flat design of the tank and the automatic loading machines in the tower, the crew members have little space available. In the tower in particular, the T-72's various automatic loading machines provide 25 centimeters less legroom than is available to the crew of a T-64.

  • The driver sits in the front of the tub. It gets into place through a hatch on the top. In the event that the tank has to be exited in an emergency and the cannon of the own tank blocks this hatch, the driver can use an emergency exit hatch on the underside of the tub, which is located behind his seat. For the safety of the driver, the infrared spotlight on the tower was moved from left to right after the first production version of the tank. The searchlight previously forced exit on the right-hand side of the cannon when the turret was in a turret position of 11–12 ° to the left, which was dangerous because the soldier was so close to the opening from which the coaxial machine gun fired.
  • The gunner sits on the left in the turret and has his own exit hatch above his seat. He can pivot the turret and change the elevation angle of the weapon system in order to aim at targets using the optics installed in front of his seat. He selects the type of ammunition with which the automatic loader loads the cannon and fires it or the coaxial machine gun.
  • The commandant sits in the tower on the right. The anti-aircraft machine gun is mounted on the hatch above his seat. The commander's duties include leading the other crew members via the on-board intercom, communicating with other tanks or command posts via the radio that is installed to his right, and observing the surroundings through a periscope and the corner mirrors installed in front of him. If the ammunition in the automatic loader is used or the mechanism fails, he can manually reload the cannon to his left or the coaxial machine gun in front of him from his seat.

Calls

The turret of an Iraqi T-72 "Asad Babil" abandoned by its crew protrudes from its position in 1991

Various versions of the T-72 were used in numerous wars and conflicts around the world. Nevertheless, the better armored Soviet vehicle versions never came together with Western tank models. In these cases, weaker export versions of the T-72 were always involved in the fighting. Conflicts with T-72 deployments include:

The first combat use of the T-72, about which information was published, took place in 1982 on the Syrian side in the Lebanon war against Israel. At the time, the Syrian Army had about 250 T-72 and T-72M, most of which were assigned to the 3rd Armored Division . How the T-72 performed in this conflict or how many vehicles were lost is controversial. After the Syrians had lost control of the airspace and their 1st Panzer Division had already lost most of their vehicles in the skirmishes around Beirut , their remaining vehicles, along with parts of the 3rd Panzer Division, were used to defend the main road between Damascus and Beirut in the Bekaa. Level used against outnumbered Israeli forces. The 82nd Tank Brigade of the Syrian 3rd Division lost several T-72s a few hours before the ceasefire. Despite statements to the contrary in several publications, there is no evidence of T-72 losses in combat with Israeli tanks and, in particular, no reliable evidence of the destruction of T-72s by Merkava-I tanks or vice versa. Reports from both sides claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy in tank combat, but the late arrival of the Syrian T-72s shortly before the end of the conflict and their location make this extremely unlikely - besides the lack of physical evidence. Between 9 and 12 Syrian T-72s were lost, but were destroyed by TOW missiles launched by Cobra attack helicopters or off-road vehicles , while only one Israeli Merkava was incapacitated by a T-62 and the remaining Israeli casualties on the effect of anti-tank missiles and were due to accidents. An Israeli attempt to rescue one of the T-72 wrecks from no man's land the night after the armistice failed, so that only some data could be collected by measurements on the destroyed vehicle and some instruments could be recovered.

In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the opponents of the conflict procured tanks from depots of the regular army, put together crews and had them briefly trained by compatriots who had done military service in tank units in the Soviet army. On May 8, 1992 there was a duel between T-72 tanks near Shusha . An Azerbaijani T-72 shot at an Armenian T-72 at a distance of 350 meters, which burned out after three hits and the death of the driver and gunner. In the course of the conflict, the majority of the population of Şuşa became Armenian, whereupon the wreck of the T-72 was provisionally restored and erected as a memorial.

In Europe, the T-72 was used in the Yugoslav Wars by the Serbian 10th Mechanized Infantry Division. The Croatians used crossbow anti-tank weapons against the T-72 , but they were unable to penetrate the tanks' frontal armor.

The blown turret of a Georgian T-72 lies next to the hull after the fighting in Tskhinvali , August 2008
A T-72 of the Syrian Army during the civil war, summer 2015

During the first Chechen war in 1994, Russian tank units attempted to conquer the Chechen capital Grozny with motorized infantry . The Chechen militias destroyed many T-72, T-80 and armored personnel carriers such as the RPG-7 and RPG-22 by firing from tall buildings at the weakly armored rear parts of the tower ceilings and engine covers. The turret weapons of the tanks could not be increased enough to fight the attackers. On New Year's Day 1994 in Grozny almost the entire tank inventory of the 131st “Maikop” brigade was destroyed, including many T-72Bs. According to Russian sources, however, the brigade was only equipped with the T-72A at that time. Of the few remaining T-72s in the brigade, one had at least seven hits from anti-tank missiles, which, however, had failed to penetrate the nuclear armor. In the following operations, the T-72 crews kept their distance from enemy positions, made use of the superior range of their on-board weapons and only turned the reactive armored front of their tanks towards the enemy , so that even 9M111 hits were largely ineffective.

In the Second Gulf War in 1990 and in the Iraq War in 2003, the Iraqis T-72, T-72M and T-72M1 had to face modern tank types such as the M1 Abrams . After 30 to 40% of the Iraqi tanks had been destroyed from the air, the remaining vehicles were posted in provisional positions in the open and largely destroyed or abandoned by the crews. While the coalition tanks were still able to fight the T-72 effectively at 4000 meters, the effective range of the T-72 was significantly lower and the Iraqi gunner often fired, as a result of insufficient training, without using the rangefinder with a preset value of 1800 Meters. In poor visibility conditions, the lack of thermal imaging devices also turned out to be catastrophic because the T-72s could not defend themselves while their opponents could target them. In addition, the problem of the ammunition housed in the fighting area became apparent. One hit often set one or more propellant charges on fire; in less severe cases the ammunition burned slowly, with the entire interior being cremated, in severe cases the fire spread to the ammunition in the loading machine, which then exploded and hurled the turret of the tank away. Only seven M1A1 tanks of the coalition forces received hits from Iraqi T-72s in the Second Gulf War without being destroyed or badly damaged. In 1990 the Iraqis used obsolete 3BM9 sub-caliber bullets that had been retired in the Soviet Union since 1973.

During the Caucasus conflict in August 2008, Georgian armed forces used tanks to occupy the Ossetian capital Tskhinvali . The local militias destroyed several of the Georgian T-72s with bazookas, and others fell victim to the Russian Air Force . 25 Georgian T-72s, including 22 T-72 (B) and three T-72Sim1s, were captured undamaged by the Russian armed forces during and after the conflict .

In the civil war in Syria , the T-72 was used by the Syrian Army and other parties to the civil war. The vehicles were also used in skirmishes in densely populated areas, such as the 2015 fighting for Jobar, a suburb of Damascus . However, they turned out to be vulnerable to anti-tank missiles from the insurgents, so that, with the help of the Russian Federation, armored units of the government troops have also been equipped with the better-protected T-90 since the end of 2015.

variants

Variants T-72 and T-72A (export):

  • T-72 Ural (Object 172M) : First production version from 1974, with 125 mm smooth- barreled 2A46 cannon , automatic loading device and cast turret. Later retrofitted with TPDK-1 range finder and additional armor on the roof.
  • T-72K : Command tank with additional navigation and communication equipment as well as a 10 m antenna mast.
  • T-72A (Object 174) : Simplified export version from 1975. Not to be confused with the later T-72A (Object 176) of the Soviet Army.

Variants T-72A, T-72G and T-72M:

  • T-72A (Object 176) : Second series version from 1979 with TPDK-1 rangefinder for the gunner and improved 2A46 smooth barrel cannon. Fire control system with laser rangefinder. With additional side skirts, additional composite armor on the front of the turret , 902B fog lights on the turret and further detail improvements.
  • T-72W : Forerunner of the T-72AW with an optical rangefinder and reactive tank tiles of the Kontakt-1 type .
  • T-72AW : Improved T-72A with 227 tiles of Contact 1 reactive armor.
  • T-72G (Object 172M-E) : Russian export version of the T-72A, rebuilt in Poland and the ČSSR as T-72M.
  • T-72GM : Simplified export version of the T-72M1 for the NVA the GDR .
  • T-72AK (Object 176K) : Command armored version of the T-72A with additional navigation and communication equipment.
  • T-72AKW : Command armored version of the T-72AW with additional navigation and communication equipment.
  • T-72M (Object 172M-E2) : Improved export version of the T-72A with new spaced armor on the turret front and older TPN-1-49-23 night vision device. From 1980 produced for Poland, the GDR and the ČSSR, among others. With TPDK-1 laser rangefinder, larger ammunition supply and detail improvements.
  • T-72MK : Export version of the T-72AK with TNA-3 navigation system and R-130M radio equipment.
  • T-72M1 (Object 172M-E5) : Improved T-72A / T-72M from 1982. Modified turret with spaced armor, additional 16 mm armor plate on the hull bow.
  • T-72M1K : Command armored version of the T-72M1 with additional communication equipment
  • T-72M1W : Variant of the T-72M1 with reactive armor of the type Kontakt-1 .
  • T-72M1M (Object 172M-E8) : Retrofit program for the T-72M1, presented in 2002. With Nakidka IR camouflage film and W-92S2 diesel engine with 735 kW (1000 PS). With a new 125 mm 2A46M-2 cannon and 9K119 Swir tubular rockets . Equipped with reactive armor of the third generation type relic and the Arena -Lenkwaffen-defense system. With the new central fire control system RAMKA .

Variant T-72B:

  • T-72B Olkha (Object 184) : Third production version from 1985 with a newly designed turret and 2A46M smoothbore cannon. Composite armor and additional 30 mm armor plate on the hull bow. With an additional 15 mm thick protective layer against neutron weapons . Equipped with guided missiles 9K119 Swir. Later retrofitted with 227 contact-1 type reactive tank tiles . In NATO this T-72 model is nicknamed "Super Dolly Parton ".
  • T-72BK (Object 184K) : Command armored version of the T-72B with additional navigation and communication equipment.
  • T-72B1 (Object 184-1) : As T-72B, but without guided missiles 9K119 Swir.
  • T-72B1W : Like T-72B1, but with additional reactive armor on the turret.
  • T-72B2 : Like T-72BM, but without guided missiles 9K119 Swir.
  • T-72B3 (Object 184-4) : Retrofit program for the Russian armed forces since 2011. Equipped with TKN-4SR day / night vision optics with infrared channel for the commander and PNM Sosna-U rifle scope for the shooter as well as a new Kalina fire control computer GLONASS navigation system. With a W-84 diesel engine developing 618 kW (840 hp) and a 125 mm 2A46M-5 cannon . With reactive armor of the type Kontakt-5 .
  • T-72B3M / 4M : Retrofit program for the Russian armed forces since 2014. Equipped with TKN-4SR day / night vision optics with infrared channel for the commander and PNM Sosna-U rifle scope for the shooter as well as 1A40-4 fire control computer . With diesel engine V-92S2F with 842 kW (1130 hp) and 125 mm gun of type 2A46M-5 (D-81TM) . With reactive armor of the Relic type .
  • T-72BA : Retrofit program for the Russian armed forces of the Uralwagonzavod and Chlyabinsk Tractor Works . Older T-72A / B are upgraded to the T-90 standard. Incl. 1A45 fire control system, 9K119 Swir guided weapons, improved loading carousel and reactive armor of the Kontakt-5 type .
  • T-72BR: (Object 184M) As T-72B1, but only 155 armor tiles made of reactive armor of the Kontakt-1 type .
  • T-72BM (Object 187) : Fourth production version from 1988 with reinforced composite armor on the turret front and reactive armor of the Kontakt-5 type . Also known as SMT M1990 in NATO. With guided missiles 9K119 Swir.
  • T-72BM-1 Rogatka : Version of the T-72BM, introduced in 2006. With Nakidka IR camouflage film and new 125 mm 2A46M-5 cannon. With a new W-92S2 diesel engine with 1000 HP. Third generation reactive armor of the Relic type . With the modern central fire control system RAMKA .
  • T-72BV (Object 187M) : Prototype with 12TchN diesel engine with 1200 HP and new hydromechanical gearbox. With a new type 2A66 (D-91T) cannon and 1G46 rifle scope with digital fire control computer. With reinforced front armor and modified reactive armor of the Kontakt-5 type . Forerunner of the T-90.
  • T-72BU (Object 188) : Modified T-72BM / BW from 1993. With modern 1A45 Irtysch fire control system, sensors and electronics. With reactive armor of the third generation of the Kontakt-5 type . After the catastrophic performance of the T-72 in the Second Gulf War , the tank was renamed the T-90 for marketing reasons.
  • BMPT-72 : September 2013 modernization measure in which the turret was removed and replaced by a weapons station with two 30mm automatic cannons, two 30mm grenade launchers, one 7.62mm machine gun and four launch tubes for Ataka T anti-tank missiles was exchanged.

Variants T-72S (export):

  • T-72S Shilden : From 1987 export version of the T-72B with a new engine and modified suspension. With 155 reactive tank tiles of the Kontakt-1 type and 1K13-49 day-night target periscope for guided weapons 9K119 Swir.
  • T-72SK : Armored command version of the T-72S with navigation system and extensive radio equipment.
  • T-72S1 : Export version of the T-72B1 with modified reactive armor and various detail improvements.
  • T-72S1K : Armored command version of the T-72S1 with navigation system and extensive radio equipment.

Variants outside of the Soviet Union / Russia:

  • T-72 SIM-1 : Georgian version of the T-72B1 with FALCON -C² system as well as new optics and night vision devices. Equipped with a friend-foe recognition system.
  • T-72KZ : Modernized variant of the T-72B from the Israeli companies IMI and Elbit for Kazakhstan with the modular multi-layer armor taken over from the Israeli battle tank Sabra as well as completely new electronics, fire control system and GPS navigation equipment. In addition, the tank has a thermal imaging stand-alone system (TISAS; an autonomous thermal imaging device for retrofitting older MBTs) as well as a night vision device for the driver.
  • T-72AM Banan : Improved T-72A variant for export by the Ukrainian company KMDB with an improved engine package and second generation reactive armor.
  • T-72MP : Modernized variant of the Ukrainian company KMDB with an improved engine package, western electronics, new turret armor and new reactive armor.
  • T-72AG : Modernized version of the Ukrainian company KMDB with an improved engine package with 882 kW (1200 hp) and a new 125 mm KBA1 cannon. Fire control computer, electronics and optics come from the T-80 UD. Exported to Algeria .
  • T-72-120 : Modernized variant of the Ukrainian company KMDB with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon for firing NATO ammunition. Ammunition bunker and loading machine in the rear of the tower.
  • T-72UA4 : Modernized version of the Ukrainian company KMDB with a 5TDFMA-1 engine with 1,050 hp and a defense system of the Vatra type .
  • T-72 Moderna : Modernized variant from Slovakia with completely new electronics, fire control system and navigation equipment. Improved armor protection through inserts made of ceramic and Kevlar as well as modern reactive armor. Additionally with a 20 mm KAA 001 cannon on the right side of the turret.
  • T-72M1CZ : Czechoslovak / Slovak license production of the T-72M.
  • T-72M2CZ : Czechoslovak license production of the T-72M1.
  • T-72M3CZ : Improved version with new electronics, fire control system and navigation equipment. Increased armor protection through inlays made of ceramic and Kevlar .
  • T-72M4CZ : Improved version of the T-72M3CZ with Galileo Avionica TURMS-T fire control system, improved diesel engine as well as new gearbox and modified suspension.
  • PT-91 Twardy : Polish replica of the T-72M1 with Polish reactive armor of the ERAWA type, new electronics and improved engine and gearbox.
  • PT-91 Pendekar : The most modern version to date for export to Malaysia, equipped with SAGEM night vision devices and modern fire control system, digital voice and data radio system from Thales, Diehl-Ketten, RENK / SESM fully automatic powershift transmission ESM350 and again improved motor Wola S1000R.
  • PT-72U : Version for so-called MOUT missions (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) with remote-controlled machine gun, cage armor , improved communication equipment
  • T-72MJ : Yugoslav version of the T-72M with various improvements. Predecessor of the M-84.
  • M-84 : ex. Yugoslav replica of the T-72A with completely new electronics, sensors and a new SUV-84 fire control system.
  • M-84A : Modified M-84 with W-46TK diesel engine with 735 kW (1000 PS), production today only in Croatia.
  • M-84A ERA : Modified M-84A with contact-1 reactive armor .
  • M-84AB : Export version of the M-84A for Kuwait . The M-84ABK and M-84ABN are sub-variants.
  • M-92 Vihor : Modified M-84A with completely new electronics, fire control system and navigation equipment; the only prototype remained in Croatia, the basis for Degman.
  • M-84AB1 : Serbian-Russian variant of the T-72M1 with TSchU1-7-Schtora-1 guided missile defense system. With new fire control system and guided weapons 9K119 Swir.
  • M-84A4 Snajper : Croatian upgrade with new fire control system / night combat capability.
  • M-84D, current upgrade of the Croatian army, identical to Degman except for the old M-84 turret.
  • M-95 Degman: Croatian replica of the T-72A with completely new turret (multi-layer armor), 120 mm or 125 mm smoothbore cannon, guided weapons 9K119 Swir, reactive armor and new command and fire control electronics.
  • Tank EX : Indian main battle tank based on the T-72. With a completely new turret, 120 mm smoothbore cannon and new electronics. The composite armor comes from the Arjun main battle tank.
  • TR-125 : Romanian prototype based on the T-72. 3 pieces made, no series production.
  • Asad Babil (Lion of Babylon) : Iraqi replica of the T-72M1 with improved 5-layer spaced armor on the turret front and 2A46M smoothbore cannon. With SUV-84 fire control system and improved electronics. Used by the Republican Guard .

Technical specifications

T-72M4CZ with snorkel wading through a body of water

Technical data from:

designation Main battle tank T-72S
Type: Main battle tank
Crew: 3
Engine: 12-cylinder diesel engine W-46-6
Power: 617 kW (840 hp) at 2,000 rpm
Transmission: hydraulically controlled epicyclic gear shift and steering gear with seven forward gears and one reverse gear with integrated side gear for each chain strand,
Landing gear: torsion bar sprung support roller drive
Length over all: 9,533 mm
Width over everything: 3,590 mm
Height above everything: 2,280 mm
Ground clearance: 490 mm
Wading ability : 1,200 mm without preparation, 5,000 mm with preparation
Trench crossing ability: 2,900 mm
Climbing ability: 850 mm
Gradeability : 60%
Bank slope: 40%
Combat weight: 46,500 kg
Specific ground pressure : 0.90 kg / cm²
Maximum speed road: 60 km / h
Top speed terrain: 36 km / h
Fuel quantity: 1,000 liters
Driving range: 550 km with fuel barrels
Armament: D81-TM cannon, 1 × PKT-MG, 1 × NSVT-MG
Ammunition: 44 rounds for the BK, 2,000 cartridges for the PKT, 300 cartridges for the NSVT

User states

Current users

  • AlgeriaAlgeria Algeria - As of January 2018, 325 T-72s are in service.
  • AngolaAngola Angola - As of January 2018, 50 T-72s are in service.
  • ArmeniaArmenia Armenia - As of January 2018, there are 101 T-72s in service.
  • AzerbaijanAzerbaijan Azerbaijan - As of January 2018, there are 244 T-72s in service.
  • EthiopiaEthiopia Ethiopia - As of January 2018, 215 T-72s are in service, of which 50 T-72A were procured from Yemen.
  • BulgariaBulgaria Bulgaria - As of January 2018, there are 90 T-72s in service.
  • YemenYemen Yemen - As of January 2018, an unknown number of T-72s are in service.
  • Congo Democratic RepublicDemocratic Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo - As of January 2018, 100 T-72AVs are in service.
  • GeorgiaGeorgia Georgia - As of January 2018, 100 T-72s are in service.
  • IndiaIndia India - As of January 2018, 1950 T-72M1s are in service.
  • IraqIraq Iraq - As of January 2018, there are at least 168 T-72s in service.
  • IranIran Iran - As of January 2018, there are 480 T-72S in service.
  • KazakhstanKazakhstan Kazakhstan - As of January 2018, there are 300 T-72BA in service.
  • KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan - As of January 2018, 150 T-72s are in service.
  • CroatiaCroatia Croatia - As of January 2018, 90 T-72s are in service under the designation M-84 .
  • LibyaLibya Libya - As of January 2018, an unknown number of T-72s are in service.
  • MalaysiaMalaysia Malaysia - As of January 2018, there are 48 PT-91 in service.
  • MoroccoMorocco Morocco - As of January 2018, there are 40 T-72s in service.
  • Macedonia 1995Macedonia Macedonia - As of January 2018, there are 31 T-72A in service.
  • MongoliaMongolia Mongolia - As of January 2018, 50 T-72A are in service.
  • MyanmarMyanmar Myanmar - As of January 2018, 50 T-72S are in service.
  • NicaraguaNicaragua Nicaragua - As of January 2018, there are 20 T-72B1 in service.
  • NigeriaNigeria Nigeria - As of January 2018, there are 12 T-72AV and 31 T-72M1 in service.
  • PolandPoland Poland - As of January 2018, 458 T-72 / T-72M1D, T-72M1 and 232 PT-91 are in service.
  • RussiaRussia Russia
    Russian Army - As of June 5, 2019, there will be at least 1100 Т-72B / А and at least 1298 Т-72B3 in service.
    Russian Marines - As of January 11, 2019, there are 80 Т-72B and 200 Т-72B3.
    Russian Airborne Forces As of January 2018, there are 60 T-72B3 in service.
    Another 7,000 T-72s are in storage.
  • SerbiaSerbia Serbia - As of January 2018, there are 13 T-72s in service.
  • SlovakiaSlovakia Slovakia - As of January 2018, there are 30 T-72M in service.
  • SudanSudan Sudan - As of January 2018, there are 70 T-72AVs in service.
  • SyriaSyria Syria - As of January 2018, an unknown number of T-72 / V, T-72B and T-72M1 are in service.
  • TajikistanTajikistan Tajikistan - As of January 2018, there are 30 T-72s in service.
  • Czech RepublicCzech Republic Czech Republic - As of January 2018, there are 30 T-72M4CZ in service.
  • TurkmenistanTurkmenistan Turkmenistan - As of January 2018, 650 T-72 / UMG are in service.
  • UgandaUganda Uganda - As of January 2018, 10 T-72s are in service.
  • UkraineUkraine Ukraine - As of January 2018, 100 T-72AV and B1 are in service.
  • HungaryHungary Hungary - As of January 2018, there are 30 T-72s in service.
  • UzbekistanUzbekistan Uzbekistan - As of January 2018, there are 70 T-72s in service.
  • VenezuelaVenezuela Venezuela - As of January 2018, there are 92 T-72B1 in service.
  • BelarusBelarus Belarus - As of January 2018, there are 527 T-72Bs and 5 T-72B3s in service.

Former users

  • Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.
  • Germany Democratic Republic 1949GDR German Democratic Republic - The T-72G, T-72GM and T-72GM1 as well as 162 T-72B were sold or scrapped after reunification .
  • FinlandFinland Finland - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.
  • LebanonLebanon Lebanon - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.
  • KenyaKenya Kenya - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.
  • MontenegroMontenegro Montenegro - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.
  • Korea NorthNorth Korea North Korea - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.
  • RomaniaRomania Romania - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.
  • South SudanSouth Sudan South Sudan - By January 2018 at the latest, 80 T-72AVs will no longer be operational.
  • VietnamVietnam Vietnam - Retired by January 2018 at the latest.

photos

  • States that use the T-72

  • T-72 memorial in Nizhny Tagil. The inscription means: The employees of the Urals wagon factory - creators of the T-72 tank

  • Russian T-72B3 with Kontakt-5 reactive armor on the turret front similar to that of the T-90

  • Indian T-72M

  • Czech T-72M4CZ

  • Georgian T-72B1 with Kontakt-1 reactive armor

  • Polish PT-91 Twardy

  • Iraqi T-72 of the 9th Mechanized Division

See also

Remarks

  1. ↑ The numbers of lost T-72s differ greatly. In its 27th edition 1982 Der Spiegel reports 9 losses of T-72s, (Der Spiegel: In close proximity to the USSR. July 5, 1982) while the author Steven Zaloga in T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-1993. on p. 36 f. reports alone of 19 T-72 tanks shot down, said to have fallen victim to Merkava tanks.

literature

  • Steven J. Zaloga, Michael Jerchel, Stephen Sewell: T-72 Main Battle Tank. 1974-1993 . Osprey Publishing , London 1993, ISBN 1-85532-338-9 (color plates by Peter Sarson).
  • Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tank. Technology today and tomorrow . Report, Frankfurt am Main / Bonn 1999, ISBN 3-932385-04-7 .
  • Andrew W. Hull, David R. Markov, Steven J. Zaloga : Soviet / Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices. 1945 to Present . Darlington, Darlington 1999, ISBN 1-892848-01-5 .
  • AW Karpenko: Soviet-Russian tanks. (1905-2003) . Ed .: Rudi Meier. Elbe-Dnjepr, Klitzschen 2004, ISBN 3-933395-44-5 (Russian: Обозрение отечественной бронетанковой техники (1905–1995 гг) . Translated by Rudi Meier).
  • Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Urals wagon factory. T-72 tank . Media-Print, Nizhny-Tagil 2004, ISBN 5-98485-003-6 (Russian: Боевые машины Уралвагонзавода. Танк Т-72 . No German edition available).
  • Christopher F. Foss :: Jane's Armor & Artillery 2009–2010 . Ed .: Jane's Information Group . 30th ed. Coulsdon 2009, ISBN 978-0-7106-2882-4 .
  • Steven Zaloga: M1 Abrams vs. T-72 Urals. Operation Desert Storm 1991 . In: Osprey duel . No. 18 . Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2009, ISBN 978-1-84603-407-7 .
  • Jörg Siegert , Helmut Hanske: Main battle tanks of the NVA . Motorbuch-Verl., Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03294-1 , pp. 154-203 .

Web links

Commons : T-72  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chris Foss: Jane's Armor and Artillery 2005-2006. Jane's Information Group, ISBN 0-7106-2686-X , p. 101.
  2. ↑ Andrew Hull et al: Soviet / Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices 1945 to Present. P. 102.
  3. ↑ Christopher Foss: Jane's Armor & Artillery 2009-2010. P. 102.
  4. ↑ Steven Zaloga: M1 Abrams vs. T-72 Ural - Operation Desert Storm 1991. p. 23.
  5. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 38.
  6. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 30.
  7. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, pp. 33, 34.
  8. ↑ Steven Zaloga: M1 Abrams vs T-72 Ural: Operation Desert Storm 1991. p. 16.
  9. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 35.
  10. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 39.
  11. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 36.
  12. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 32 ff.
  13. ↑ a b Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawod. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, pp. 39, 40.
  14. ↑ a b Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawod. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 57.
  15. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 53.
  16. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, pp. 45, 46.
  17. ↑ a b Sergei Suvorov: T-72 tank. Yesterday Today Tomorrow. P. 4.
  18. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 51.
  19. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 52.
  20. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 55.
  21. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 56.
  22. ↑ Sergei Suvorov: T-72 tank. Yesterday Today Tomorrow. P. 6.
  23. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 58.
  24. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 60.
  25. ↑ Steven J. Zaloga, Michael Jerchel, Stephen Sewell: T-72 Main Battle Tank. 1974-1993. P. 14.
  26. ↑ Steven Zaloga: M1 Abrams vs T-72 Ural - Operation Desert Storm 1991. p. 20.
  27. ↑ Steven Zaloga: T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-1993. P. 8.
  28. ↑ Andrew Hull et al: Soviet / Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices 1945 to Present. P. 115.
  29. ↑ Steven Zaloga: T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-1993. P. 22.
  30. ↑ Steven Zaloga: M1 Abrams vs. T-72 Ural - Operation Desert Storm 1991. p. 28.
  31. ^ Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow: Concepts - Systems - Technologies. P. 143.
  32. ↑ T-72M1 / T-72A main battle tank. Retrieved on February 2, 2013 (English, with overview drawing and animations of the loading machine).
  33. ↑ Andrew Hull et al: Soviet / Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices 1945 to Present. P. 112.
  34. ↑ Steven Zaloga: T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-1993. P. 34.
  35. ↑ Christopher Foss: Jane's Armor & Artillery 2009-2010. P. 103.
  36. ^ Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow: Concepts - Systems - Technologies. P. 144.
  37. ^ Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow: Concepts - Systems - Technologies. P. 141.
  38. ^ Andrew W. Hull et al. (1999): Soviet / Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices 1945 to Present. P. 112.
  39. ↑ a b Sergei Suvorov: T-72 tank. Yesterday Today Tomorrow. P. 10.
  40. ↑ a b Christopher Foss: Jane's Armor & Artillery 2009-2010. P. 104.
  41. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 382.
  42. ^ Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow: Concepts - Systems - Technologies. P. 151.
  43. ↑ Sergei Suvorov: T-72 tank. Yesterday Today Tomorrow. P. 8.
  44. ^ NATO chief regrets death of rebels
  45. ↑ NATO 'No Apologies' For 'Friendly Fire' that Killed Rebels ( Memento April 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  46. ^ Luke Harding, Mona Mahmood, Matthew Weaver, James Meikle: The siege of Homs: scores killed in the fifth day of shelling. dated February 8, 2012 on guardian.co.uk, viewed February 22, 2012
  47. ↑ Kenneth Michael Pollack: Arabs at war: military effectiveness 1948-1991. University of Nebraska Press 2002, ISBN 0-8032-3733-2 , pp. 536, 545.
  48. ↑ a b c Article on waronline.org: Два мифа одного боя: сирийские Т-72 в Ливанской войне 1982 года ( Memento from June 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) about: Two myths about a battle - The T-72 in Lebanon War 1982, sighted February 4, 2013.
  49. ↑ Thomas de Waal: Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War. NYU Press 2004, ISBN 0-8147-1945-7 , p. 178 f.
  50. ↑ Thomas de Waal: Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War. NYU Press 2004, ISBN 0-8147-1945-7 , p. 184.
  51. ↑ Steven Zaloga: T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-1993. P. 41.
  52. ↑ Sean JA Edwards: Mars unmasked: the changing face of urban operations. RAND 2000, ISBN 0-8330-2820-0 , p. 34 f.
  53. ^ Gericke and Putnam: Forests of Steel: Modern City Combat From the War in Vietnam to the Battle for Iraq. Antal, Historical Explorations, ISBN 1-934662-00-3 , p. 157 f.
  54. ↑ Konstantin Jauk: I am "Caliber 10". The storming of Grozny. January '95. Rybinsk 2010, p. 11.
  55. ↑ ТАЙНА ГИБЕЛИ МАЙКОПСКОЙ БРИГАДЫ A newspaper article on Zavtra.ru from February 3, 2010, viewed on May 26, 2015
  56. ↑ a b Sergei Suvorov: ТАНК-72 ВЧЕРА СЕГОДНЯ ЗАВТРА (T-72 tank yesterday - today - tomorrow). ТанкоМастер СПЕЦИАЛЬНЫЙ ВЫПУСК (Tankomaster, special edition)
  57. ↑ Steven Zaloga: M1 Abrams vs T-72 Ural: Operation Desert Storm 1991. Osprey Publishing, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84603-407-7 , p. 23.
  58. ↑ Steven Zaloga: T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-1993. P. 38 ff.
  59. ↑ Steven J. Zaloga: M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1982-92. Osprey Publishing 1993, ISBN 1-85532-283-8 , p. 38.
  60. ↑ Stefan Kotsch: 125 mm D-81. The ammunition of the Russian D-81 tank cannon (cannons 2A26, 2A46, 2A46M to 2A46M-5, 2A75). In: Main battle tanks in detail. Retrieved December 21, 2014 (Hardened Steel Penetrator).
  61. ^ Jörg Siegert, Helmut Hanske: Main battle tanks of the NVA . Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03294-1 , p. 163 (penetration capacity 400 mm RHA at a distance of 2200 m).
  62. ↑ Не место этому президенту в Южной Осетии Kommersant.ru, interview with Anatoly Barankevich on December 4, 2008, viewed on March 3, 2010
  63. ↑ Список трофейной грузинской техники ( Memento from December 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  64. ^ Robert Mackey: Watching Syria's War as a Music Video Shot by a Russian Drone. NYT October 20, 2015.
  65. ^ David Blair: Russia sends warning to West with show of strength in Syria. Telegraph dated December 13, 2015.
  66. ↑ Sergei Ustjanzew, Dimitri Kolmakow: Combat vehicles of the Uralwagonsawods. T-72 tank. Nizhny-Tagil 2004, p. 64.
  67. ↑ Stefan Kotsch: 9K116 BASTION. The guided missile system 9K116 BASTION of the T-55AM and SHEKSNA of the T-62. In: Das Panzerdetail. Retrieved September 21, 2015 .
  68. ↑ Stefan Kotsch: 9K119 REFLEKS. The 9K119 REFLEKS guided missile system for the T-80U, T-80UD and T-90 tanks. In: Das Panzerdetail. Retrieved September 21, 2015 .
  69. ↑ Rolf Hilmes: T 72, T 80, T90 and T14 - modernization of Russian battle tanks. In: esut.de. European Security & Technology, August 9, 2019, accessed November 15, 2019 .
  70. ↑ Russia Unveils 'Terminator-2' Tank Support Vehicle. Ria Novosti, September 25, 2013, accessed November 24, 2013 .
  71. ↑ www.renk.de (PDF; 2.2 MB) data sheet (English, accessed on February 7, 2010).
  72. ^ Romanian Army - Romanian Tank - TR series. In: globalsecurity.org. Retrieved May 9, 2016 .
  73. ↑ Christopher Foss: Jane's Armor & Artillery 2009-2010. P. 103.
  74. ↑ AW Karpenko: Soviet-Russian tanks. 1905-2003 . Ed .: Rudi Meier. Elbe-Dnjepr, Klitzschen 2004, ISBN 3-933395-44-5 , p. 371 (Russian: Обозрение отечественной бронетанковой техники (1905–1995 гг.) . Translated by Rudi Meier).
  75. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): The Military Balance 2018 . 1st edition. Routledge, London 2018, ISBN 978-1-85743-955-7 (English, January 2018).
  76. ↑ AFP: 'The Ethiopians have always been tough, mean'. In: hiiraan.com. December 20, 2006, Retrieved January 18, 2019 (Russian).
  77. ^ The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): The Military Balance 2018 . 1st edition. Routledge, London 2018, ISBN 978-1-85743-955-7 , pp. 194 (English, January 2018).
  78. ↑ Вооруженные силы получат более 300 модернизированных танков Т-72-Б3. In: РИА НОВОСТИ. ria.ru, September 9, 2016, accessed on January 18, 2019 (Russian, including at least 1000 T-72B3 ("Т-72-Б3") currently in the army).
  79. ↑ До конца 2017 года в ЗВО поступит около тысячи единиц военной техники (among others 90 T-72B3 were delivered in total by October 2017). In: Mil.Press Военное. военное.рф, October 18, 2017, accessed October 20, 2017 (Russian).
  80. ↑ УВЗ передал военным последнюю в 2017 партию танков Т-72Б3 (including 22 T-72B3 additionally delivered). In: Mil.Press Военное. военное.рф, November 1, 2017, accessed November 3, 2017 (Russian).
  81. ↑ Оренбургские военные получили 16 модернизированных танков Т-72. In: Mil.Press Военное. военное.рф, December 29, 2017, accessed December 29, 2017 (Russian).
  82. ↑ Николай Сурков, Алексей Рамм, Евгений Андреев: Бригады морской пехоты «потяжелеют». In: ИЗВЕСТИЯ. iz.ru, March 21, 2018, accessed on January 4, 2019 (in Russian, a total of 150 T-72B3s will be delivered by the end of 2018).
  83. ↑ В соединения береговой обороны ЮВО поступило более 10 единиц ПТРК «Штурм-С». In: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации. structure.mil.ru, June 5, 2019, accessed June 7, 2019 (in Russian, among other things, another 20 T-72B3 were shipped in the southern military district).
  84. ^ The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): The Military Balance 2018 . 1st edition. Routledge, London 2018, ISBN 978-1-85743-955-7 , pp. 198 (English, January 2018, 50 T-72B).
  85. ↑ Бригады морской пехоты "потяжелеют" На вооружение армейского корпуса Балтийского Флота поступило более 30 танков Т-72Б. In: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации - structure.mil.ru. January 11, 2019, accessed January 4, 2019 (Russian).
  86. ^ The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): The Military Balance 2018 . 1st edition. Routledge, London 2018, ISBN 978-1-85743-955-7 , pp. 194 (English, January 2018).