The Soviet T-72 tank was originally designed as a less expensive version of the Soviet 'state of the art', Kharkov-designed, T-64 main battle tank. From the beginning of the T-64 program there had been jealousy from other tank designers/manufacturers over the decision to build the Kharkov tank, and the complicated T-64 tank had not been well received by everyone in the Soviet military. The T-64 was designed with an automatic loading system for the main gun, and when the announcement was made in 1964 to adopt the T-64 for production, the competing Vagonka design bureau in Nizhni Tagil began experiments to produce an automatic loader for their own T-62 design. Gradually, push came to shove, and the altered T-62 design with autoloader was accepted for production in 1967 as the T-72. The new design was accepted for full-scale production in 1971 after prototypes were built and tested, and the T-72 tank was born.

The Soviet's decision to simultaneously build both the T-64 and T-72 tanks was a compromise decision between those in the military demanding the most sophisticated tank possible to compete with NATO's best (the T-64 was complicated and expensive), and the Ground Forces who desired the greatest number of tanks (The T-72 was simpler and less expensive). The decision to build both vehicles produced a difficult situation for the Soviet Army because most of the two vehicle's parts were different, the primary common component being the ammunition for the 125mm gun. Production of the new T-72 tanks was first undertaken by the Ural Railcar Plant in Nizhni Tagil. Manufacturing was later extended to the Chelyabinsk Machinery Plant when it ceased production of the T-55 and T-62 tanks for export. The plants at Omsk and Kharkov were then used to produce the higher cost T-64 tank, and later the expensive T-80. The T-72 in this photo is a Finnish Army T-72M1, an export T-72 built by Poland under license. You can see Finland's identifying blue and white national roundel behind the turret smoke dischargers.

COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF T-72 AND T-72MP TANKS
DESIGNATION	T-72  (before modernization)			T-72MP  (after modernization)
General
Weight, t	41.5			45.5
Power-to-weight ratio, hp/t	19			21.7 (26.08 if 6TD-2 engine is installed)
kW/t	14			16 (19.2 if 6TD-2 engine is installed)
Mobility
Engine, type	V46-6			6TD-1 or 6TD-2
Engine power output, hp	780			1000 or 1200
kW	547			736 or 883
Cooling system, type	liquid, fan-type			liquid, ejector-type
Maintenance rate of the air cleaner
cassettes under extremely dusty conditions, km	300			at least 1,000
Maximum road speed, km/h	60			65
Deep fording without preparation, m	1.2			1.8
Maximum ambient air temperature at which the engine operates without any degradation in performance, °C	+40			+55
Protection
Additional armour plates	no			yes
Explosive reactive armour	no			yes
Thermal protection of powepack top deck	no			yes
Dazzle painting	no			yes
Fire/explosion suppression system	only fire fighting equipment			yes
Fire control system
Gunner's daytime sight:
-type	TPD-K1			SAVAN-15 (day/night)
- target detection range, m	4000			5000
- stabilization of the field of view	one-axis stabilization			two-axis stabilization
Gunner's night sight:
- type	TPN-1-49 (with image intensifier)			SAVAN-15 (with thermal imager)
- target detection range, m	up to 1000			3000
- stabilization of the field of view	no			two-axis stabilization
Commander's observation device:
- type	TKN-3 day/nightobservation device			VS580 panoramic sight and monitor for the thermal imager of the SAVAN-1 5
- target detection range
- at daytime, m	2000			5000
- at night, m	400			3000
- stabilization of the field of view	no			two-axis stabilization
- manual adjustment of automatic devices	no			yes
Ballistic computer:	no			digital computer with built-in test equipment
Anti-aircraft machine gun:
- type	open			closed (can be loaded and fired from within the tank under complete armour protection)
- stabilization	no			two-axis stabilization
- firing conditions	only from a stationary position			both on the move and from a stationary position
T-72A
MAIN TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA
1. General specifications
Type	medium
Combat weight	41t
Crew	3 persons
Engine	V-46-6
Engine horsepower	780 hp
Speed:
average on mud road	35-45 m/h
- highway	up to 50 km/h
maximum - on highway	60 km/h
Maximum range
- on mud road	420-600 km
- on highway	700 km
2. Armament
125mm smooth bore gun
Battle rate of fire:
- with automatic loading	upto 8 rounds/ min
- with manual loading	1-2 rounds/min
Max. range of effective fire with TPD-K1 sight-rangefinder:
- armour piercing	4000 m
- high explosive	4000 m
- hollow charge	5000 m
Combat allowance	44 rounds
Coaxial machine-gun PKT 7.62mm
Max. range of fire with TPD-K1	1800 m
sight-rangefinder
Rate of fire	650-750 r/min
Combat allowance	2000 rounds
Anti-aircraft machine-gun NSW 12.7 mm
Max. range of fire:
- to air targets	1500 m
- to surface targets	2000 m
Combat allowance	300 rounds
3. Obstacles crossing
Max. gradient	30
Max. side slope	25
Trench	2.6-2.8 m
Vertical obstacle	850 mm
Forging:
- without preparation	1.2 m
- with 5 min preparation	1.8m
Water crossing with underwater driving equipment and with water current speed up to 1.5 m sec:
- water width	up to 1000 m
- depth	5 m
CHARACTERISTICS OF T-72AG TANK
Weight,t		46
Maximum road speed, km/h		65 (75 if the increased-speed side gearbox is installed)
Average speed on dry mud road, km/h		40-45
Engine:
-type		6TD
-power output, kW(hp)		736(1000)
Power-to-weight ratio, kW/t		16
Specific fuel consumption, g/kWh		218
Air cleaner filter maintenance rate in extremely dusty conditions, km		1000
Deep fording without preparation, m		1.8
Commander's sight:
-type		TKN-4S
-target detection range:
in the day-time, m		5000
at night, m		700
-stabilization of the field of view		vertical stabilization
Gunner s day sight:
-type		1G46
-target detection range, m		5000
-stabilization of the field of view		horizontal and vertical stabilization
-magnification		2.7 to 12 (zooming)
Gunner s night sight:
-type		TPN-4
-target detection range, m		1200 (1500)
Effective fire range:
-armour-piercing projectile, m		2500
-guided missile, m		5000
Tank ballistic computer		yes
TANK T-72-120
Combat weight			48 t
Maximum speed:
-forward			69 km/h
- reverse			32 km/h
Engine:
- designation			6TD-2
-power output			1200 hp
Armament:
a) main gun
-calibre			120
- allowance of ammunition			42 (22 in automatic loader)
b) anti-aircraft machine gun
- caliber			12.7 mm
- type of control			remote-comtrolled
- stabilization			vertical stabilization
c) coaxial machine gun
-caliber			7.62 mm
Sights:
a) gunner's sights
-main sight			1G46
-night sight			TPN-4E-1 or thermal imager
b) commander's sight			day/night TKN-4S-1
Computer			1V528-3

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