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| Russian T-72 Tanks Have a Nightmare in Ukraine |
International Miitary - The T 72 tank belonging to the Russian armed forces has earned a bad reputation in Ukraine due to many defeats there. The media has widely documented the losses of this Main Battle Tank (MBT), such as the T 72 which was seen falling from a bridge along with its crew.
Artillery fire landed on the T 72 MBT, even this tank was blown up by mine traps. And what troubled the T-72 tank fleet the most was the air-to-ground missile attack from the drone, the Javelin anti-tank guided missile, Stugna, which made it difficult for the Russian army.
The variants seen in the Ukraine war, were probably the T-72B3 and T-72B3M, where they were considered 3rd generation tanks after their introduction in 2010, reports 19FortyFive. This type is the most popular on the battlefield today, and there are about 1,300 units serving the Russian armed forces.
Both the T-72B3 and T-72B3M MBTs are the most powerful of the Russian T series, with improved fire control and armor protection systems. With all these upgrades, why did the Russian tank fleet struggle in the Ukraine war?
First, because Putin deploys a large number of T-72 MBTs, the losses seen will also be seen as large.
Second, Ukraine is very fortunate to be supplied by the US with a Javelin anti-tank guided missile system that operates unlike most similar systems. This system attacks the front, rear, and sides of heavily armored tanks. Unlike the Javelin which attacks the top of a tank's cannon, where it is a thinner armored area, citing The War Zone.
Third, Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 drone was very useful during this battle, Ukraine managed to knock out a number of tanks, Russian artillery.
270 T-72 MBTs for Ukraine
NATO and Western countries have agreed to supply the T-72 tank with many different versions to Ukraine. Since the start of this special Russian military operation, more than 270 T-72 MBTs with various modifications have been delivered to Ukraine by NATO countries, citing Defense View.
Poland, which is currently the largest supplier of tanks there, has delivered more than 230 T-72 MBTs. The Czech Republic is number two as another supplier of T-72 tanks to Ukraine.
It is clear that the supply of these MBTs helped to overcome the losses suffered by the Ukrainian armed forces. Apart from these two countries, several other countries are reported to have sent tanks to Ukraine. Which means that the actual amount of armored supplies transferred to Ukraine could be much higher.
Transfer of T-72 tanks of the Czech Republic and Poland
There is something interesting about the transfer of T-72 tanks to Ukraine, where it is said that the Czech T-72M4CZ is the most modern with the Italian TURMS-T fire control system. Coupled with a 1,000 hp Condor CV-12 engine with a monoblock automatic transmission, which allows the Czech T-72M4CZ to be very fast and easy to service.
Quoted from Defense View, the maximum speed of the Czech Republic T-72 MBT is 61 km/h with a range of 430 km. In addition to offensive capabilities, the defensive ability of this Czech tank transfer cannot be ignored.
The T-72M4CZ MBT has explosive reactive armor to neutralize armor-piercing bullets. The advantage of this transfer of the Czech tank over other versions of the T and even the more capable T-90 is that the T-72M4CZ has been modernized according to NATO standards, where it can fire with very high accuracy.
And for the transfer of tanks from Poland is the T-72M1R variant born in 2019, with much higher tactical features. Still carrying NATO technology standards, the 72M1R is equipped with night vision, digital communications and new engines. With that combination, the fire efficiency of this combat vehicle is significantly increased.
The Polish T-72M1R tank is also equipped with a multi-functional display screen, helping the crew to observe the battlefield and fire in the most convenient way. For survivability, the Polish T-72 tanks have been fitted with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor armor on the front, on the turret and on both sides, providing greater security.