Timed to coincide with Russia’s 80th anniversary Victory Day celebration, the Uralvagonzavod tank factory in Nizhny Tagil posted videos on Telegram on Tuesday of what it said showed a fresh consignment of an unspecified number of T-72B3M and T-90M main battle tanks being dispatched to the front line.
A quick study of the video shows some obvious visual differences from the standard tanks as these new builds incorporate elements designed to increase protection from the swarms of Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) attack drones that have become a feature of the battlefield. These include a permanent “cope cage” fixed to the turret along with anti-drone netting and heavy-duty rubber matting screening critical areas around the turret rear and engine compartment.
In its text that accompanies the images posted on Telegram, Uralvagonzavod claims that this current tank production run has incorporated around 200 design changes resulting from battlefield experience gained over the three years of Russia’s so-called special military operation – its war on Ukraine.
The manufacturer claims these improvements enhance the tanks’ firepower, protection, communications, and mobility as well as the addition of new electronic warfare systems.
The T-72B3M variant was first introduced in 2017 as the latest upgrade of the 1970s T-72 tank. Its 125mm smoothbore gun can fire armor-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) rounds, high-explosive fragmentation shells, and the 9M119 Refleks anti-tank guided missile out to 4,000 meters (2.5 miles).
It is fitted with Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA) along with the addition of the counter-drone protection. The latest V-92S2F diesel engine enables the 46-ton tank to reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour on roads. It now includes upgraded fire control systems combined with improved sights and a rearview camera, that “improves situational awareness and targeting accuracy.”
Other developments include the Akveduk secure radio system and the addition of a new fire suppression system designed to enhance crew survivability if onboard ammunition ignites.
The other tank on show is T-90M Proryv said to be Russia’s most advanced tank which Russian President Vladimir Putin once declared to be “the best in the world.”
It is in fact developed from the T-72 and contains many of the same components but has enhanced modular armor, a comprehensive electronic warfare suite, a panoramic commander’s sight, the Kalina all-weather, day night, networked fire control system, and some are fitted with the Arena-M active protection system – designed to fire a weapon to intercept incoming missiles and other projectiles.
The military issues website BulgarianMilitary.com cites Uralvagonzavod’s CEO Alexander Potapov as saying that the tanks that rolled into Ukraine in early 2022 are distinctly dissimilar from those being produced now and the company’s efforts to introduce design changes necessitated by challenges on the battlefield will continue – sadly these will come too late for the crews of the almost 4,000 tanks which Moscow has already lost in Ukraine, according to the Oryx open-source warfare research group.