On December 7, a short 29-second video circulated on the internet showing the delivery of an upgraded T-72B3M Main Battle Tank (MBT) in a trailer carriage from the UralVagonZavod (UVZ) factory.
A number of features of this MBT have raised questions as to whether this batch 'deserves' a new nomenclature – T-72B3M2, T-72B4 or perhaps just T-72B3M (model 2022). In Russian style, the year of manufacture differentiates the variants, along with the built-in protection system.
The T-72 MBT family is clearly not new to the Russian cavalry, however, due to the relatively large stock of T-72, because it has been produced since the Soviet era, the MBT is one of those that gets priority to get an upgrade, the purpose of which is to be deployed in the war in Ukraine.
And as information circulated on the Telegram social network, the batch sent from UralVagonZavod is a T-72B3M which has received increased protection.
The Russian Ministry of Defense took delivery of the T-72B3M to replace the MBTs destroyed or damaged during the fighting in Ukraine. Citing a Russian military source, the T-72B3M version is an upgraded version based on the combat experience of the Russian cavalry gained in the Ukrainian War.
The T-72B3M is an upgraded variant of the T-72B3 which is the latest modern version of the T-72 MBT family. The existence of the T-72B3M variant was first introduced to the public in the International Russian Army Tank Biathlon competition which took place in October 2014.
Citing Russian sources, the T-72B3M offers the same level of protection and firepower as the T-90 MBT but at a much lower operational cost. Armyrecognition.com mentions the T-72B3M has several new improvements in terms of firepower and protection.
The T-72B3 MBT retains the same armament as the previous version, including the 2A46M5 125 mm smoothbore gun capable of firing a wide range of 125 mm ammunition including APDS (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot), HEF (High-Explosive Fragmentation) and (High-Explosive Anti- Tank). The guns on the T-72B3 can also fire the 9M119 Refleks (NATO designation AT-11 Sniper) anti-tank guided missile system with a range of from 100 to 4,000 meters.
Speaking of protection, the T-72B3M MBT is equipped with dynamic protection around the hull. The turret appears to be equipped with a new ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) that surrounds the turret. The bottom of the dome is now equipped with an RPG metal net which offers more protection against Rocket-Propelled Grenades.
To the right of the dome can also be seen fitted with eight smoke grenade dischargers which are now protected by ERA Kontakt-1 armor. Citing information from open sources, before the war with Ukraine, the Russian military had around 580 T-72B3M units.
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