They are also developing a version fitted with a Nato-standard 120mm smoothbore gun and automatic loader. Kharkov Machine Building Design Bureau (KMDB) of the Ukraine is offering the T-72MP with SAGEM SAVAN sights. T-72 main battle tank upgradesĪ number of upgrade packages are available for T-72 series tanks. The tank is also equipped with additional communication systems including R-713 radio, R-173P radio-receiver, HF R-134 radio set, R-174 intercom system and TNA-4-3 tank navigation aids. It features an additional AB-1-P/30-Ml-U benzene powered electrical generator to supply electricity when the main powerplant is not operating. The T-72SK tank is intended to command and control a number of tank units and maintain communication with the brigade commander. The running gear is protected by gill-type armour panels.Ī smokescreen can be laid by the 902B Tucha smoke discharging system or by an exhaust smoke-laying system. The hull and turret are protected by armour plating, including combined armour arrays over the frontal arc. The gun’s automatic loader will feed both ordnance and missiles. The system’s 9M119 missile has semi-automatic laser beamriding guidance. It has a range of 100m to 4,000m and firing requires the tank to be stationary. The system is intended to engage tanks fitted with ERA as well as low-flying air targets. The tank’s anti-armour missile system is the 9K120 Svir (Nato codename AT-11 Sniper), designed by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau, Tula. Dual-axis stabilisation ensures effective firing on the move. Fire accuracy is attained by a laser rangefinder sight, ballistic computer and a thermal barrel sleeve. The gun fires separate loading armour-piercing discarding sabot rounds (APDS), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds and high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) projectiles. The T-72S carries 45 rounds of 125mm ammunition, 22 rounds of which are carried on an automatic loading carousel. The tank is fitted with a 125mm D-81 smoothbore gun, a 7.62mm co-axial machine gun and a 12.7mm air defence machine gun mounted on the commander’s cupola. The export version of the T-72B, the T-72S has a new engine and suspension system and is configured for mounting explosive reactive armour (ERA).

The T-72A main battle tank was in production until 1985, along with export versions T-72M and T-72M1.

Main battle tanks with the best fording