Here is finally the overview of the T-72A and its export versions I promised you. Since the original thread moved to page 3 or 4, I decided to start a new one. I will not list the basic T-72 nor T-72B here since there don’t appear to be confusion about these models.
In general it’s actually quite simple. There are three main models: the T-72M, the T-72M1 and the T-72A (the latter however comes in some sub-versions). The first two were made for export and have only 4 KMT mounts, the T-72A series is always fitted with 8 mounts (except for command tanks) and has always the “Dolly Parton” turret. Here’s a listing of all the models with the original designators (obr.1978g = obrazets 1978 goda = model 1978).
T-72A (obr.1978g) [early production]
The early T-72A retains the hull armour of the basic T-72 (4 ribs in front of driver’s hatch) but has the uparmoured “Dolly Parton” turret with TPD-K1 sight unit. He was initially not fitted with smoke grenade launchers and was misidentified by NATO as T-72M.
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T-72A (obr.1979g) [standard production]
The standard T-72A is fitted with additional 16mm hull armour (3 ribs in front of driver); note the trapezium-shaped edge around the driver’s periscope. This hull armour is also found on the T-72B. This type got the NATO-code T-72 M1981/3 and was later misidentified as T-74/T-74M (when fitted with rubber side skirts and SGL’s), then T-72M1 until the right designator was known.
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T-72A (obr.1983g) [late production]
As standard production model but has anti-radiation lining on the turret roof and a 3rd stowage box on the left side of the turret (these items were later also mounted on some early T-72A’s and even basic T-72’s). Was initially misidentified as T-80.
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T-72A [rebuild]
Just like early T-64’s and T-80’s were fitted with the additional hull armour, so were some of the early T-72A’s. Because the armour plate was fitted after production, it has the same cut-outs around the towing eyes etc. (and two ribs) that you normally see on the T-72M1. It has however the eight KMT mounts and often other features that are not found on the export T-72M1, like anti-radiation lining and the 3rd stowage box.
Initially the T-72A – all before mentioned models – were not equipped with smoke grenade launchers (introduced from 1979), whereas the T-72M1 got those from the start. From 1984 some T-72A’s were fitted with Kontakt-1 reactive armour. They are often known as T-72AV although this is not an official designator.
Note that although the T-72A was not build for export outside the Soviet Union, in the 1990’s some A models were sold to Bulgaria, Macedonia and Hungary (sometimes under the designator T-72M1 but with all the T-72A features), as a result of the widespread downsizing of armed forces. Today the T-72A is still in service in the armies of most if not all CIS states.
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T-72M (obr.1980g)
The T-72M was only build for export, also under licence by ZŤS Martin in Slovakia and ZM “Bumar-Łabędy" S.A. in Poland. It has the hull and turret armour of the basic T-72. Early models had gill armour, handholds on the lower turret sides and no smoke grenade launchers. Confirmed users are/were Yugoslavia, Poland, Czech and Slovak Republics, East-Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Bulgaria and India. The T-72M is sometimes known as T-72G which might be the designator for the export version for non-WarPac states (there are actually three sub-versions of the T-72M with the respective industrial indexes Ob’yekt 172M-E2, -E3 and -E4). The initial NATO code was T-72 M1980/1. The M84 is the Yugoslavian variant with new fire control equipment. The T-72M was never delivered to Soviet units AFAIK, but Georgia received some former Czech army tanks in 2005.
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T-72M ["late production"]
This is a very rare Polish-made version, simply a T-72M with the T-72M1’s hull armour (and from the beginning fitted with rubber side skirts and SGL’s). The only confirmed user was East-Germany that received 23 tanks in 1986 and called them T-72M Übergangsversion (intermediate version). At least one tank however is used by US OPFOR units (Germany sold 27 T-72 series tanks to the US in 1993 and 5 to Sweden).
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T-72M1 (obr.1982g)
Export version of the T-72A (1979 model) with simplified NBC and fire control systems. Has only 4 KMT mounts (like the T-72M) and can therefore only use the KMT-6 but not the KMT-7. The 16mm glacis plate has cut-outs around the towing eyes and two ribs in front of driver. The T-72M1 is always equipped with type 902A smoke grenade launchers and rubber side skirts, but is never fitted with anti-radiation lining or the 3rd stowage box (except for a small number of Czech-made vehicles that were delivered to the Soviet army and were later slightly upgraded). Sub-variants are the Ob’yekt 172M-E5 and –E6. The T-72M1 was build under licence by Poland, Czechoslovakia and India (locally known as Ajeya and later equipped with additional stowage racks etc). Among other confirmed users are/were Algeria, East-Germany, Iraq, Libya, Bulgaria and Finland.
The M84A is the Yugoslavian variant with new fire control equipment. Other upgraded and modernised versions include the Czech T-72M4CZ, the Slovak Moderna series, the Polish PT-91 Twardy, the Indian Combat Improved Ajeya and the Romanian TR-125 (prototype only).
Sources:
1)
http://www.zpsbumar.pl/MainPage.aspx?Sel=2008637&Nr=26>
2) http://forum.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/title/T-72M1/p/232337#232337>
3) http://disarmament.un.org/UN_REGISTER.nsf>
4) Boyeviye Mashiny Uralvagonzavoda. T-72 (S.V. Ustyantsev, D.G. Kolmakov) Media-Print
5) Janes’s Armour and Artillery 1993-1994, 2003-2004
6) Deutsche Militärfahrzeuge – Bundeswehr und NVA (L-R. Gau, J. Plate, J. Siegert), Motorbuch Verlag
7) Suomalaiset Panssarivaunut 1918-1997 (E. Muikku, J. Purhonen), Apali Oy
8) Obozreniye Otechestvennoj Bronyetankovoj Tekhniki 1905-1995 gg. (A.V. Karpenko) Nevskij Bastion
9) Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices: 1945 to Present (A.W. Hull, D.R. Markov, S.J. Zaloga) Darlington Productions
10) T-72, Soviet main battle tank (S.J. Zaloga) Concord 1004
11) T-64 and T-80 (S.J. Zaloga) Concord 1031
12) Defence Production Catalogue 2000, Slovak Republic, Magnet Press
13) T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-1993 (S. Zaloga, P. Sarson), New Vanguard 6
14) http://www.zts-tees.sk/T72M1eng.html
