T-72 operators and variants: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:26, 9 March 2025

Revision as of 11:30, 9 March 2025

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===India===

[[File:Indian Army T-72 image1.jpg|thumb|right|Ajeya MK2]]

By the late 1970s, [[Indian Army]] HQ had decided to acquire new-generation replacements for its UK-origin fleet of [[Centurion (tank)|Centurion]] and [[Vijayanta]] MBTs (based on the [[Vickers MBT]]), and consequently, paper evaluations concerning the firepower and mobility characteristics of the two principal contenders being offered for full in-country production— French-origin [[AMX-40]] and the British-origin [[Chieftain (tank)|Chieftain 800]] — were conducted by the Indian Army. By early 1980, the Army chose the 43-tonne AMX-40 MBT, which was still in its design-stage. It was to be powered by a 1,100&nbsp;hp [[Poyaud]] V12X 12-cylinder diesel engine coupled with a LSG-3000 automatic power shift transmission built by [[RENK]] Aktiengesellschaft of Germany offering a [[power-to-weight ratio]] of 25.6&nbsp;hp/tonne, and armed with a 120&nbsp;mm [[smoothbore]] cannon. However, AMX-40 had only marginal protection by the standards of 1980's. After the [[1980 Indian general election|General elections in 1980]], [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]] requested additional evaluation, including MBTs from the USSR, following which the Soviet Union's Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations (which after 1991 morphed into Oboronexport, then Rosoboronservice and ultimately [[Rosoboronexport]] State Corp) made a formal offer to India's [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) for supplying the 37-tonne T-72M Ob'yekt 172M-E4 MBT off-the-shelf, and according an approval for licensed-production of the 41.5-tonne T-72M-1982 Ob'yekt 172M-E6 to the MoD-owned [[Heavy Vehicles Factory]] (HVF) in [[Avadi]]. By early 1981, two [[T-72]]Ms—powered by a 780&nbsp;hp diesel engine, armed with 125&nbsp;mm [[2A46 125 mm gun|2A46M]] smoothbore gun and offering a power-to-weight ratio of 20&nbsp;hp/tonne, were subjected to an exhaustive series of in-country firepower and mobility trials by the Army. After review of trial results, T-72M and T-72-1982 (powered by a Model V-84MS four-stroke 12-cylinder multi-fuel engine developing 840&nbsp;hp and offering a power-to-weight ratio of 18.8&nbsp;hp/tone) were selected as Army's future MBTs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sengupta |first=Prasun K. |date=2011-09-01 |title=TRISHUL: T-90AM: Latest Avatar Of The T-90 MBT |url=https://trishul-trident.blogspot.com/2011/09/t-90am-latest-avatar-of-t-90-mbt.html |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=TRISHUL}}</ref> Throughout the 1980s, India continued to induct T-72 tanks followed by a licensed production line in [[Heavy Vehicles Factory]] (HVF) in [[Avadi]], India since 1984.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-06 |title=Major Russian customer scraps and dumps over 2400 T-72 tanks |url=https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2024/09/06/major-russian-customer-scraps-and-dumps-over-2400-t-72-tanks/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2025, India signed a $248 million contract with [[Rosoboronexport]] to procure new and more powerful 1000 hp engines to replace the current 750 hp engines in the Indian Army's T-72 fleet.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=7 March 2025 |title=India signs $248 million deal with Russia for advanced battle tank engines |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/india-signs-248-million-deal-with-russia-advanced-battle-tank-engines-2025-03-07/ |access-date=9 March 2025 |website=Reuters}}</ref> The $248 million procurement deal also includes a [[Technology transfer|transfer of technology]] from Rosoboronexport to [[Armoured Vehicles Nigam]], an [[Government of India|Indian government]] [[Public Sector Undertakings in India|owned company]], for licensed engine production.<ref name=":1" /> The Indian Army has operated and tested several variants of the T-72, including:

* '''Ajeya MK1''' (''Unconquerable'') <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/ajeya#:~:text=Ajeya%20(%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AF)%20refers%20to%20%E2%80%9C,to%20Mah%C4%81praj%C3%B1%C4%81p%C4%81ramit%C4%81%C5%9B%C4%81stra%20(chapter%2039) | title=Ajeya, Ajeye: 15 definitions | date=5 July 2017 }}</ref> – Indian version of the T-72M1. In parallel with buying various T-72M off-the-shelf from the Soviet Union, India also launched its domestic production at [[Heavy Vehicles Factory]].<ref name="JED The Military Equipment Directory">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jedsite.info/tanks-tango/tango-numbers-su/t-72_series/t72-series.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012124110/http://www.jedsite.info/tanks-tango/tango-numbers-su/t-72_series/t72-series.html|url-status=dead|title="JED The Military Equipment Directory"|archive-date=12 October 2007}}{{Unreliable source?|date=July 2011}}{{registration required}}</ref>

* '''Ajeya MK2''' – Indian version of the T-72M1 with ERA and banks of 6 smoke grenade-launchers on each side.

* '''Combat Improved Ajeya (Not to be confused with Ajeya MK2)''' - For a rather long time the Indian Army did not intend to modernize its T-72 tanks since it was relying on their own tank project, the Arjun. However, the Arjun program had been undergoing difficulties. As a result, they adopted the Operation Rhino plan aimed at re-equipping 1,500 T-72M1 tanks. The upgrade program provides for installation of a Polish SKO-1T DRAWA-T fire control system/thermal imager supplied by the Polish PCO/Cenzin (from '''[[PT-91 Twardy]]'''), [[DRDO]] [[explosive reactive armour]], a navigation system from Israel's Tamam, German Litef or South African RDI, a locally developed laser illumination warning system, new radios manufactured by Tadiran or GES Marconi and an improved NBC protection system will be fitted. The tank is planned to be powered by a {{convert|1000|hp|abbr=on}} S-1000 engine made by the Polish firm PZL-Wola (also from '''[[PT-91 Twardy]]'''). It is also upgraded with new fire detection and suppression systems and laser warning systems on either side of the turret. Indian sources often say that 1,800–2,000 T-72M1 tanks will be upgraded top to bottom while the rest will undergo only partial improvement.<ref name="JED The Military Equipment Directory" />

* '''[[Tank EX]]''' – Indian integration of the [[Arjun MBT|Arjun]] turret onto the T-72 hull, Prototype only. Did not enter production as it was rejected by the Indian Army.