How Capable Are The T72A Tanks That Poland Sent To Ukraine Georgios Mavridis - 13 May 2022
Poland continues to increase the military aid sent to Ukraine, now with the delivery of more than 200 T-72A and T-72M1 main battle tanks. T-72A is one of the most popular tanks in the world, so we take a closer look at its capabilities.
How Capable Are The T72A Tanks That Poland Sent To Ukraine
© Provided by HotCars
The Soviet Legend
T-72 is a Soviet- developed main battle tank that was designed by Morozov Design Bureau, a company with a base in Nizhny Tagil, a city 15 miles away from the borders between Asia and Europe.
The production of the T-72 started in 1974, while the product was fully operational in 1975. For the last two decades, the Russian military industry continuously improved and modernized the main battle tank. Today, the T-72A version is the most popular weapon. Its export variant is known as T-72M1.
The Most Successful Version Of The Battle Tank
¤-72‘ features many improvements like the TPD-K1 laser rangefinder that improves the possibility of an accurate hit for the first round shot, one TPN-3-49 night vision sight, one TPN-3 flashlight, side covers, one 125 mm 2A46 gun (although the first versions had a 2A26M gun), an 81 mm smoke grenade launcher, napalm protection system, improved suspension, and a better engine. The new suspension with the V-46-6 diesel engine helps the vehicle be more maneuverable in difficult terrains and generally in off-road conditions.
¤-72‘ was adopted back in 1979, while it was being produced during 1981 to 1985. In total, it is being referred that 5,264 T-72A battle tanks have been delivered to the Soviet army. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, these weapons continued in service between the newly formed nations.
How Important Are These Weapons For Ukraine?
With the gathering of powerful Russian forces in East Ukraine, the defending country hasn't many chances to use effectively anti-tank weapons, like the US Javelin missile. That is happening because in this specific region the combat takes place in relatively open environments, where operators (of anti- tank systems) are very exposed to enemy fire. Therefore, the lack of cover makes anti-tank missiles very difficult to use.
It is why the Ukrainian armed forces need battle tanks and powerful armored vehicles to fight against of the Russians. These 200+ T-72 could prove to be very important in the war, although it is possible that Poland will receive help too. Germany has promised the delivery of modern tanks to every country that would send the Soviet-era equipment to Ukraine.
Of course, you would question: why Germany doesn't send its own battle tanks to Ukraine? The answer is quite simple and makes a lot of sense. Ukrainian military personnel are already trained at using the T-72 tanks and other Soviet-made equipment. The Ukrainian troops would require extensive training to get used to the Germany's armoury like the Leopard battle tank. This process requires time and manpower, two things that Ukraine may need more than modern German tanks at this time.