T-72

T-72
T-72
	T-72B3M in Alabino during rehearsals for the 2017 Moscow Victory Day Parade.
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1973–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	List Iran–Iraq War; 1982 Lebanon War; 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War; Sri Lankan Civil War; First Nagorno-Karabakh War; Gulf War; 1991 Iraqi uprisings; Georgian Civil War; Civil war in Tajikistan; Sierra Leone Civil War; Yugoslav Wars; Algerian Civil War; Rwandan Civil War; First Chechen War; Kargil War; Second Chechen War; 2003 invasion of Iraq; Russo-Georgian War; First Libyan Civil War; Syrian Civil War; South Sudanese Civil War; War in Iraq (2013–2017); Second Libyan Civil War; Boko Haram insurgency; 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes; 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war; Tigray War; Russo-Ukraine War; 2023 Sudan conflict;
Production history
Designer	Leonid Kartsev-Valeri Venediktov
Designed	1967–1973
Manufacturer	Uralvagonzavod, Heavy Vehicles Factory
Unit cost	US$0.5–1.2 million in 1994–1996, 30,962,000–61,924,000 rubles (US$1–2 million) in 2009, US$0.5 million in 2011
Produced	1973–present
No. built	approx. 25,000
Specifications (T-72A)
Mass	41.0 tonnes (45.2 short tons) (T-72 Ural); 41.5 tonnes (45.7 short tons) (T-72A); 44.5 tonnes (49.1 short tons) (T-72B);
Length	9.73 m (31 ft 11 in) gun forward; 6.67 to 6.86 m (21 ft 11 in to 22 ft 6 in) hull;
Width	3.40 to 3.59 m (11 ft 2 in to 11 ft 9 in)
Height	2.23 m (7 ft 4 in)
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Armour	Steel and composite armour with ERA
Main; armament	125 mm 2A26M2/2A46/2A46M/2A46M-5 smoothbore gun
Secondary; armament	7.62 mm PKT coax. machine gun; 12.7 mm NSVT;
Engine	V12 diesel; V-46-4 (T-72 Ural), V-46-6 (T-72A), V-84-1 (T-72B), V-92S2F (T-72B3 & T-72B3M); ; 780 hp (580 kW) (V-46-4/V-46-6); 840 hp (630 kW) (V-84-1); 1,130 hp (840 kW) (V-92S2F);
Power/weight	19.0 hp/tonne (T-72 Ural), 18.8 hp/tonne (T-72 A/B)
Transmission	Synchromesh, hydraulically assisted, with 7 forward and 1 reverse gears
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	0.49 m (19 in)
Fuel capacity	1,200 L (320 U.S. gal; 260 imp gal)
Operational; range	500 km (310 mi), 650 to 700 km (400 to 430 mi) with fuel drums
Maximum speed	60 km/h (37 mph); 4 km/h (2.5 mph) (reverse)

The T-72 is a family of Soviet main battle tanks that entered production in 1973. The T-72 was a development based on the T-64 using thought and design of the previous Object 167M. About 25,000 T-72 tanks have been built, and refurbishment has enabled many to remain in service for decades. It has been widely exported and has seen service in 40 countries and in numerous conflicts. The Russian T-90 introduced in 1992 and the Chinese Type 99 are further developments of the T-72. Production and development of various modernized T-72 models continues today.