Russian Military Receives Modernized T-72B3 Tanks

Uralvagonzavod has delivered a batch of T-72B3 tanks to the Russian military.

These tanks were upgraded by the company from T-72B to B3 standard under a state defense order.

Russia’s Izvestia reported last week that the military plans to deploy its T-72B3 main battle tanks to the disputed Kuril Islands, that were captured by Soviet forces following Japan’s surrender to Allied Forces in 1945. It is unclear if this would include the newly delivered tanks.

T-72B3 Main Battle Tank

Fitted with new active protection armour mounted on each side of the hull, the T-72B3 version was unveiled in 2016. The tank weighs 46,000kg, has a range of 500km and can attain a speed of 70kmph. It can accommodate 3 crew members. First of these tanks were delivered to the Russian military in 2018.

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It has standard armour with Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor. Armament includes one 125mm gun, one 7.62 PKTM machine gun and one 12.7mm NSV machine gun. The 125mm 2A46M-5 smoothbore gun is fitted with a light-alloy thermal sleeve and a bore evacuator. Due to new hard-core projectile, modern ballistic computer, modernized stabilizer and auto target tracker, it fires accurately even while there is movement.

The tank is equipped with an NBC protection system, night vision equipment, satellite navigation system GLONASS, laser warning system, laser range finder and automatized fire control system. T-72B3 has Sosna-U multichannel sights and is powered by reinforced engines over 1,000 p.s.

Also, unlike its predecessors, the T-72B3 has the latest fire control system. Its digital ballistic computer allows reducing time for calculations and increasing efficiency. Imaging infrared channel of the primary sight provides reliable operation of guidance equipment day and night in any weather conditions.