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what is the best t-72 variants

best version of T-72 is the Yugoslav built M84, the newest one is the M84AS
M-84AS (Serbia) - This is the latest upgrade package of the M-84A in the Serbian Army. Adding a new fire control system, new armor consisting of cylindrical pad, high-hardness steel, titanium, aluminum, and NERA as well as modular Kontakt-5 armor, new AT-11 Sniper and Agava-2 thermal sights, and the Shtora defense suite. The first public appearance of the M-84AS was in July 2004 at the Nikinci military base. It appeared to be very similar to the Russian T-90S, both in appearance and in capability. The differences reportedly consist of better armor on the T-90S, whereas the M-84AS has superior maneuverability. The M-84AS was also tested by Kuwaiti Army as part of an international tender, but a bid by a Turkish company was selected instead. It can also survive multiple hits at relatively close ranges from ATGMs or other hits from tanks. New thermal imaging cameras were mounted for the commander and driver so that the tank can operate at night. It is fitted with the 125 mm 2A46M smooth bore gun and a 1,200 hp diesel engine giving a maximum speed of 72 km/h. In addition, there were a number of undisclosed Arab countries that are interested in the purchase of the M-84AS
 
T-72B2 "Slingshot"





But the T-72B2 "Slingshot" by Yevgeny Kislov from Chelyabinsk. Sources in the long run are the same - T-90A from Meng Models and conversion kit from Miniarm. Also used various pleasant small features from Magic Models (Andrei Novitsky, Chelyabinsk). At a rally contest modelers Southern Urals, this model won an honorable 3rd place. It is worth noting that the model is somewhat different from Eugene model Vadim Schelkonogova. It shows a different version of laying and cable protection SEMP-2 on the nose module DPU "Relic". So it was in reality. In the course of re-test results for this construction was changed. Precisely the reason I will not name, but it seems like it was made for operational and technological reasons.One way or another, but there are photos of both options at different times. Generally, of course very sorry that Russian Army abandoned at the time of purchasing this remarkable machine, spending huge money on this crap as T-72BA and T-72B3. Somehow, we have long been developed so that those who purchases equipment, the battle did not go on it ...






 










Modernized T-72 with the new armor and weapons will be sent to the troops

New gun added accuracy, and improved armor makes modernized tank invulnerable to enemy projectiles. Time-tested T-72after the upgrade is ready to compete with the most advanced tanks in the world. Now the car being piloted, military officials inspect it significantly increased the quality of driving and firing purchased in the shops "Uralvagonzavod".

This stand is setting the parameters of a new fire control system, checked the automatic loader. Twist machine at different angles - it should work equally reliable in all positions. The tank was equipped with multi-aiming system that can retrieve targets at night and at large distances. By increasing the capacity of the T-72 has become more agile. The emergence of new nodes and electronics Add a job military representatives who see to it that the troops in the car came out of wedlock.

"Not a single failure does not pass by, the tank comes fully tested, battle-worthy, with a margin of safety", - assured the deputy chief of military representation Alex mud.

As part of this year's state defense order "Uralvagonzavod" has fulfilled the work on the overhaul of the modernization of tanks. Moreover, the factory has 140 retool machines through 2015.

"The ability to shop allows to make everything engineer vehicles based on the tank, as well as the production of new products - T-90 , and a completely new BMPT, the so-called "Terminator", also produced in our workshop. The volumes are increasing year by year. The Ministry of Defence building up defense procurement, indicating that the relevance and quality of our products ", - said the deputy section chief Alexei Uralvagonzavod Kaletyuk.

These combat vehicles passed all kinds of tests and adopted a military representative of the Ministry of Defence. Regular, fully equipped party tanks, will be sent to the troops in December.
 
The easiest way to discern different T-series is by looking on chassis and sizes/shape of roadwheels. This is T-64:

t64chassis_zps8dc15910.jpg

6 small-sized (555 mm) stamped road-wheels without outer rubber bandages.

This is T-72:
t72chassis_zps842bc12f.jpg

6 larger (750 mm) broad roadwheels with thick outer rubber cover and distinct stiffeners.

This is T-80:
t80chassis_zpsbf0cf88c.jpg

Also six medium-sized (670 mm) roadwheels with outer rubber cover with distinct central dome surrounded by bolts.

This is usually enough to identify a model of tank, but sometimes you cannot see the chassis, so there are another signs. T-64:
t64spotlight_zpsf4eaa6d7.jpg


T-64 have a infra-red spotlight on the left of the turret. Driver have single triplex (vision port).
t64erakit_zps953a2625.jpg


T-64 also have an exhaust port on the upper part of the rear armorplate. And it usually equipped with a single large box for tools/sparparts installed on the rear of the turret together with one or two tubes of underwater crossing equipment. Toolboxes on the sides of the turret are either small or not installed at all.
"Kontakt" ERA blocks on the "cheekbones" of turret have distinct mount type with double row of blocks on the top.
 
T-72B:
t72spotlight_zps45d09cf6.jpg

IR spotlight is on the right side of the turret. Driver have a single triplex as on T-64.

t72exhaust_zpsd838e3cb.jpg

Exhaust port is on the left side of the hull.

t72kit_zps9a1db070.jpg

There are three toolboxes of equal size with a single underwater crossing equipment tube. Also T-72 have a distinct small hatch for discarding shell pallets.

t72kontakt_zps86e37b1b.jpg

Kontakt ERA blocks are mounted diffrently from T-64 and they are also placed on the top of T-72 turret.

And at last - T-80BV:
t80driver_zpsa2df78b8.jpg


IR spotlight is placed on the right of the turret. Driver have three smaller-sized triplexes. Kontakt ERA blocks are placed at the turret in a similar way to T-64BV but there is only one row of blocks on the top.

t80skirt_zps2ab6a7fc.jpg

Most T-80s also have two distinctive rubber-fabric skirts covering lower frontal glacis.

t80exhaust_zpsd62c3094.jpg

Exhaust port of T-80 is similar to one of T-64 and also placed on the rear of the vehicle. But it is broader and shorter.
 
Well. Second part about early T-72 variants. It is a baseline T-72 as it was accepted into service in 1973:
t72_zps012d52d6.jpg

Distinct "bare" turret without any additional equipment, sights or ERA.

This is a next stage - T-72A which was accepted into service in 1979:

t72a_zpseed5a0e0.jpg


1. Rubber-fabric side skirts.
2. 12 smoke dispensers "Tucha" (Cloud) were installed on "cheekbones" of turret.
But this are not very reliable signs because sideskirts can be easily lost and some baseline T-72 were equipped with them later. Smoke dispensers also weren't installed on all T-72A.
More distict traits are different gunner sights. Baseline T-72 had a TPD-2-49 (Tank Sight/Rangefinder) and TPN-1 (Tank Night Sight)

t72turret_zpscc35ab1a.jpg


but I did not find a good photo of it on T-72 turret, so there is a photo of rare baseline T-72 with later TPD-K1 sight. TPD-2-49 is slightly smaller and narrower. There is a photo of it on T-64A:

T-64a_zpscbcf70c8.jpg
 
This is a T-72A turret. It also have TPD-K1 sight but night sight is TPN-3-49:
t72Aturret_zps6a44b59b.jpg

There are closeups on two different night sights. Upper is TPN-1 and lower is TPN-3-49:
tpn-1_zps90f01e42.jpg

TPN-3-49 have distinct cover on 4 bolts. Two round thingies are mounts for anti-neutron patch. Also TPN-3-49 have a small headlight with IR filter (no filter on photo).

The next modification is T-72AV which is a T-72A with Kontakt ERA.
t72av_zpsc7645e01.jpg

The "V" (В) letter in index is always means that the tank recieved an ERA upgrade. This is true for T-64, T-72 and T-80. The distinct sign of T-72AV is complex ERA on turret "cheekbones":
t72avERA_zps1824cbb8.jpg

Next modification was T-72B accepted into service in 1985. Note the simplified ERA layout on turret sides:
T72BERA_zpsbf25b71c.jpg
 
The main difference (besides a new more powerful engine B-84 (840 hp) and Kontakt ERA as standart issue) was a new fire control system 1A40 with guided weaponry complex 9K120"Svir'" (it is a name of the river), The visual difference is a new 1K13 night sight instead older TPN-3. The daysight is the same old TPD-K1:

1K13_zps7998c9e2.jpg

1K13 is very distinct with clearly visible drive for opening protective cover.

T-72B1 variant was in production at the same time as T-72B. The sole difference was the lack of "Svir" guided weaponry complex, therefore 1K13 was replaced by simplier TPN-3-49:
t72b1_zps784892bf.jpg

The other difference between T-72A and T-72B(B1) was different toolbox and underwater crossing equipment layout:

T72AB1_zpsb31b7814.jpg


The next variant is T-72B model 1989 (also known as T-72BM):
T72B1989_zpsf5a3b831.jpg


The primary difference is distinctive Kontakt-V ERA. Note that Kontakt-V is integrated into T-72BM frontal glacis and not mounted on it. And this is T-72B1 modernized in similar way:

T72B11989_zpsef346490.jpg

The nightsights are different.

T-72BA (model 1999). This is russian and not a soviet modernization. This variant can be oftenly mistaken with T-72BM or even T-72B because it was an upgrade package for all T-72B variants. First BAs were equipped with old Kontakt ERA as on this photo:

T72BAkontakt_zps3a8d910f.jpg


While later were equipped with Kontakt-V:
T72BA_zps125f62dd.jpg
 
The distinctive sign of this modernisation is this:
windsensor_zps16ce37d2.jpg

This is a wind sensor array.

Don't forget the massively thicker armor on the turret compared to the T-72A. Also, Kontakt ERA wasn't standard issue from the very outset, though I understand it was intended to be. Here's one without Kontakt ERA, showing the hugely thicker turret armor:

t72b04_005.jpg


Smoke dispensers were relocated to the turret sides as well.

More stuff. Another definite sign of russian and not soviet T-72 variants are different tracks:
tracks_zps71ee3cab.jpg

Upper variant - older track with consecutive rubber-metallic hinge common to soviet-era T-72A/T-72B.
Lower variant - newer track with parallel rubber-metallic hinge common to russian produced/modernized T-72BA, T-72B2 and T-72B3.
Another difference is different exhaust ports:
exhaust_zps32c7634b.jpg

Upper variant is exhaust port of standart (for T-72s) B-84 diesel engine. Lower is exhaust port of B-92S2 diesel engine which was installed on later T-72BA.

This is most advanced T-72 variant for the current moment: T-72B2 Rogatka (Slingshot).
rogatka_zpsf9db9a9b.jpg
 
New fire control system "Sosna-U" (Pine-tree U):

sosna-u_zpsb28cb903.jpg


Note that old trusty TPD-K1 gunsight is still here, but now it is only secondary/reserve one.
B2 variant also have a new Relikt ERA but it is somewhat hard to see at the upper photo because of "Nakidka" (Cape) camouflage kit, so there are photos of Kontakt-V on T-90A and Relikt on T-90SM:

kontaktVrelikt_zpse8a73547.jpg

Turret elements of both ERA systems are visually similar.

rogatka2_zps82afcf11.jpg

Another main differences are: rubber skirts on turret ERA, "Nakidka" cover on frontal glacis, lattice screens on sides in additional to usual rubber-fabric ones and auxillary power unit at the rear of the vehicle. Also note the absense of IR spotlight "Luna" (Moon) at the front of the turret.

And the latest modification - T-72B3 which is a downgrade in comparsion with T-72B2 but at least it is in mass production now.

T72B3_zps6077cd87.jpg

t72B32_zps53bdb74c.jpg


T-72B3 have older Kontakt-V instead Relikt ERA and B-84 engine instead B-92S2. Again main visual difference between T-72BA (or older variants) and T-72B3 is absent IR spotlight.

Special variant of T-72B3 was created for the russian team of Tank Biathlon'2014. The differences are: panoramic commader sight (close up of it is on thrid photo of the collage bellow), new automatic transmission an more powerful B-92S2F engine (1130 hp). AFAIK there is no official designation. It is called T-72B3M (Modernized) commonly.

T72B3M_zps2f1cacf5.jpg


T-80BV again:
T-80BV_zpsee42cd15.jpg~original

Definitive signs: Kontakt ERA, three driver's triplexes instead a single one on T-72.
T-80U:
T-80U_zps941798a4.jpg

Main difference is Kontakt-V ERA.
 
T-90A is only modification which is present in russian army (and probably will be in the future as no further purchases of any T-90s are planned):
T-90A_zpsbd029cff.jpg~original

Kontakt-V ERA and most distinctive sign is twin "Shtora" (Curtain) Optical-Electronic Suppression System spotlights at the front of the turret.
Another (but rather hard to see) difference is that turret of T-90 is welded and not cast:
T-90Aturret_zpsfb975d5c.jpg


TankBiathlon14final-40.jpg
 
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