The T-72 is a family of Soviet main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. 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.
T-72B3M in Alabino during rehearsals for the 2017 Moscow Victory Day Parade
Object 172 at the Kubinka Tank Museum.
Two T-72B tanks at the Chebarkul training ground, Russia, April 2017.
The upgraded T-72A which appeared in 1979. This vehicle is the basis for the most numerous export version – the T-72M and T-72M1.
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armour-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension systems and lighter composite armour allowed for the design of a tank that had the firepower of a super-heavy tank, the armour protection of a heavy tank, and the mobility of a light tank, in a package with the weight of a medium tank. The first designated MBT was the British Chieftain tank, which during its development in the 1950s was re-designed as an MBT. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the MBT replaced almost all other types of tanks, leaving only some specialist roles to be filled by lighter designs or other types of armoured fighting vehicles.
German Army Leopard 2A5 main battle tanks in 1996
Early model Mark I tank at the Battle of Somme, 1916
Abandoned French Hotchkiss H-39 light cavalry tank, Battle of France, 1940
New Panther tanks being loaded for transport to the Eastern Front