It was developed in 1972. It was produced serially from 1974 to 1979. It is in service with the Soviet Army.
Tactical and technical characteristics
Weight – 41 tons
Number of crew – 3 people
Overall dimensions (length x width x height) – 9530 x 3370 x 2190 mm.
Armament
gun – 1 piece, caliber, mm 125, ammunition – 39 shots
machine gun – 2 pieces, caliber – 12.7 mm., ammunition – 300 shots
machine gun 1, caliber – 7.62 mm., ammunition – 2000 cartridges
Armored protection
Engine power – 780 hp
The maximum speed is 60 km / h
Cruising range on the highway – 650 km.
Depth of water barriers to be surmounted
without OPVT .. 1.2 m., with short-term preparation of 1.8 m., with OPVT 5
Design Features
Base – tank “object 172M”. The overall layout is classical.
Armament is a smoothbore gun, a two-plane electro-hydraulic stabilizer; automatic loading mechanism – electromechanical, separate dispatch of projectile and cartridge case; sight-rangefinder – monocular, periscopic, with independent stabilization of the field of view in two planes.
Protection – welded body, from rolled parts, upper frontal part combined; turret cast, forehead combined; the bottom is welded, of stamped parts; installed anti-radiation block in the inhabited offices; The tank is equipped with a system of protection against nuclear weapons.
Chassis – engine 12-cylinder, V-shaped, four-stroke, multi-fuel, water-cooled diesel, with a drive centrifugal supercharger; transmission with step-up reduction gear, two side gearboxes; suspension individual, torsion, with lever-lobed hydro-amortization; caterpillar belt with rubber-metal hinge.
Note
For visitors this tank T-72 on weekends is available for external and internal inspection (much to the delight of children and their parents)
By the tank crew day – 2017, access for external and internal inspection was prohibited.