The Russian military currently maintains
a small force of T-72 tanks that have
been upgraded to the T-72B3 M version
also known as the T-72B4. The tanks were first exhibited during
the 2014 tank biathlon world
championships and the initial batch of
20 upgraded tanks entered service with
the western military district of the
Russian army in February 2017.
This week, TASS reported that a batch of
30 T-72B3 M tanks arrived at the Russian
army's 201st military base in Tajikistan
as part of its rearmament with advanced
weaponry in December 2021.
The battalion of the advanced tanks was
to boost the capabilities of a motorized
infantry unit through improved
maneuverability while enhancing the
survivability of the tank crews.
Russian personnel has been undergoing
training to operate the improved t-72b
3m tanks, which offer a variety of
improved combat properties. in the course of their training, the
crews studied the combat capabilities
and technical characteristics of the
tank, the preparation of its armaments, sighting systems and ranging equipment.
At the Lyor Mountainous proving ground, the tank gunners and commanders
conducted fire on the move against the
targets located at a distance of up to
2000 meters from the 125 millimeters
guns outfitted with the Sosnia
multi-channel sight that cuts the time
of detecting and striking targets, the
press office of the 201st military base
said in a statement.
In addition, the driver mechanics took
part in a variety of exercises including
speedy maneuvers, surmounting natural and
artificial obstacles, and moving backward
using rearview cameras.
Russia's central military district
commander colonel-general alexander
lapin had previously told reporters that
a set of measures was underway to
further enhance the combat potential of
the 201st Russian military base in
Tajikistan, including its rearmament with
advanced weapon systems.
The Russian army's 201st military base
in Dushanbe, Tajikistan is Russia's
largest military facility outside of its
national borders. It comprises motor rifle, armored, artillery, and reconnaissance units air
defense forces radiation, chemical and
biological protection, and signal troops.
Under an agreement signed in October
2012, Russia's military base in
Tajikistan will remain operational until
at least 2042.
The soviet design T-72 Main Battle Tank (MBT) initially entered production in
1971 to replace the T-54, T minus
tank series that had been the workhorse
of the Soviet tank forces in the latter
half of the cold war. more than 25.000 T-72s were produced
including for export.
Moscow has made significant efforts to
modernize its aging tanks even as it has
developed more modern armored combat
platforms, including the T-14 Armada.
The T-72B3 M is the latest iteration of
the ubiquitous T-72 and it features a
nearly identical layout with the
driver's cabinet forwarding hull, fighting compartment in the center, and
the power pack at the rear.
The T-72B3 MBT is still manned by a crew
of three which include a driver mechanic, a commander, and a gunner. the middle section of the forward hall
of the MBT houses the driver while the
turret accommodates the other two crew
members. The T-72B3 MBT is equipped with an
advanced fire control system and a new
thermal sight.
In addition, the mobility and combat
characteristics of the tank have also
been improved to compete with the most
advanced tanks worldwide. the tank is even equipped with radio
systems for encrypted digital voice and
data transfer, snorkels for deep forting
and a built-in blade for
self-entrenching.
Despite the age of the platform, the T-72B3 M is capable of engaging and
destroying targets with missiles from
the halt and on the move day and night
at ranges of up to 5.000 meters with
fire accuracy close to 100 percent.
In addition to the tanks, an automatic target
tracker increases the accuracy of fire
against moving targets and substantially
cuts the time of preparing for fire. It
is armed with a 2A46 M5 125 millimeter
smoothbore gun, an advanced version of
the 2A46M cannon. It is capable of firing a range of
ammunition, including Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabo (APSD), High Explosive Fragmentation (HEF) and High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) as well as 9M119 reflex, NATO codename at 11 sniper guided
anti-tank missiles.
The projectiles and missiles are loaded
by an autoloader. the upgraded t72 b3m has also received
an effective protection system that
boosts its efficiency both in combined
arms warfare and in a variety of combat
environments.
