War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

T-72A

2019-10-18T01:18:45Z

U15910824:

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_72a}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A and the use of Quartz core instead of Hard Hardness Rolled Armor (HHR) in the turret. Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the centre of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

=== Mobility ===


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons) || colspan="1" | Add-on Armour weight (tons) || colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" |41.0
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9
| colspan="1" |67 (AB)
|-
|60 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,209
|1,488
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|690
|780
|-
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|28.49
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|16.83
|__.__
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" |[[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 44 || -6°/+13° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|''Arcade''
| 19.0 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|''Realistic''
| 11.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" |Stock
! colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 72° || 73° || 75°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,530 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 5,240 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 300 (150) || 700 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320 mm of penetration at close ranges
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn’t be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2019-10-18T01:17:07Z

U15910824:

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_72a}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A and the use of Quartz core instead of Hard Hardness Rolled Armor (HHR) in the turret. Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the centre of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

=== Mobility ===


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons) || colspan="1" | Add-on Armour weight (tons) || colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" |41.0
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9
| colspan="1" |67 (AB)
|-
|60 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,209
|_,___
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|690
|780
|-
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|28.49
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|16.83
|__.__
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" |[[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 44 || -6°/+13° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|''Arcade''
| 19.0 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|''Realistic''
| 11.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" |Stock
! colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 72° || 73° || 75°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,530 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 5,240 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 300 (150) || 700 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320 mm of penetration at close ranges
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn’t be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2019-10-17T22:36:15Z

U15910824:

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_72a}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A and the use of Quartz core instead of Hard Hardness Rolled Armor (HHR) in the turret. Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the centre of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

=== Mobility ===


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons) || colspan="1" | Add-on Armour weight (tons) || colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" |41.0
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9
| colspan="1" |67 (AB)
|-
|60 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,209
|_,___
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|690
|___
|-
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|28.49
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|16.83
|__.__
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" |[[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 44 || -6°/+13° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|''Arcade''
| 19.0 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|''Realistic''
| 11.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" |Stock
! colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 72° || 73° || 75°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,530 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 5,240 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 300 (150) || 700 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320 mm of penetration at close ranges
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn’t be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-55A

2019-10-17T22:28:59Z

U15910824: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_55a}}

== Description ==


The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Russian medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]].

After active development of nuclear weapons, the predecessor of T-55 ([[T-54 (1951)|T-54]]) was tested against nuclear charges. It was evaluated that the crew could survive only at distances of over 700m, so it was decided to create a new tank that would have a nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection system, or ''Protivoatomnaya Zashchita'' (PAZ). The initial designs for this tank were completed in 1956, however, that was without additional NBC protection. In 1961, the development of an NBC system began, and it was introduced in the new T-55A variant. Among other upgrades, the T-55 had an increased ammunition supply with 18 more rounds being stored in the fuel tanks.

T-55 became a replacement for Soviet heavy tanks (IS series and the [[T-10M|T-10]]), something that is evident in War Thunder as well. Armour was sacrificed for better mobility and a better gun. Currently, the T-55A is one of the only vehicles at rank VI to have an APHE shell, which easily one-shots most vehicles from the sides and some from the front (notably, leopards). Unfortunately, the T-55A is relatively slow compared to other medium tanks around battle rating 8.3.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

[[File:T-55A XRay Front.png|thumb|left|X-Ray view of the T-55A, when faced frontally.]]

At battle ratings over 8.0, armour becomes almost obsolete. The T-55A has moderate frontal protection, with 100 mm plates for UFP and LFP placed at angles 59° and 56° respectively; effective thickness frontally comes up to ~180 mm and ~200 mm, respectively. At a perfect angle, you can bring the effective thickness to ~200 mm and ~220 mm for UFP and LFP, while having ~250 mm of protection at your angled sides. However, the additional 20 mm of armour will rarely save you from top-rank APFSDS, or even APDS, shells.
[[File:T-55A XRay Side.png|thumb|left|X-Ray view of the T-55A, when viewed side-on.]]

As for the turret, the T-55A has slightly less protection than the T-62, and combined with a generally larger turret, it is generally easier for your opponents to hit and penetrate your turret. The thinnest spots are right next to the cannon breach, at 200 mm, which rather slowly becomes over 300 mm as you move further away from the breach.

Your weakest side is the right-hand side when looking ''at'' the T-55A, frontally, because 3 of your 4 crew are located in a row there. A well placed APFSDS shot to the top-right of the UFP will one-shot the T-55A, see diagram on the right.

=== Mobility ===


The maximum speed that the T-55A can reach is listed as 56 km/h (AB) and 50 km/h (RB/SB). That is ~15 km/h slower than the [[Leopard A1A1]]. However, the amount of firepower that the T-55A brings to the battlefield, coupled together with the ability to withstand shots sometimes, that speed is decent. Backwards, the T-55A can go at up to -7 km/h, which won't let you back out of tricky situations often.

The T-55A cannot turn in neutral gear, which makes it difficult to maneuver in close-quarter encounters, which often occur in the cities. The acceleration is good, the T-55A can get to 25 km/h from a standstill on flat, rough terrain in a few seconds, and turning is decent on flat ground.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|D-10T2S (100 mm)}}

The T-55A houses a 100 mm D-10T2S rifled anti-tank gun, which is equipped with an ejector and two-plane stabilizer arms. In-game, the T-55A has a 10.3 s reload rate, which is similar to its predecessor, the T-62. This rate of fire doesn't allow the T-55A to rush into battle and fend off waves of Leopards or [[M48A1|M48]]s/[[M60]]s, but it is sufficient to defeat one or two opponents in quick succession with good shot placements, granted you shoot first.

The stock round (3BM-8, APDS) allows the T-55A to penetrate [[MBT-70]] and [[KPz-70]] frontally, as well as deal with all other major threats, notably the [[Leopard I|Leopards]] (which you can penetrate anywhere), and [[Chieftain Mk 3|Chieftains]] (LFP, or UFP/LFP with the APFSDS round). One of the major advantages that the T-55A has over the majority of rank VI vehicles is its APCBC shell, which has the potential to one-shot any opponent if it penetrates. It is advised to flank your enemies and when given the opportunity, easily destroy oncoming enemies with this round.

== Ammunition ==

{| class="wikitable sortable;" style="text-align:center;" width="100%;"
! colspan="8" |Penetration Statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" |Ammunition
! rowspan="2" |Type of Warhead
! colspan="6" |Penetration at 90° (mm)
|-
!10m
!100m
!500m
!1000m
!1500m
!2000m
|-
| 3BM-8 || APDS || 299 || 298 || 291 || 272 || 253 || 249
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 234 || 232 || 218 || 203 || 188 || 174
|-
| 3BM25 || APFSDS || 335 || 330 || 307 || 290 || 275 || 260
|-
| 3BK17M || HEATFS || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 20 || 20 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)}}

The T-55A has a roof-mounted 12.7 mm DShK machine gun, which allows it to fight low-flying aircraft or helicopters. However, it is not effective against jets. It is recommended to use this machine gun against lightly armoured ground targets and to check whether or not a tank is alive or not, by shooting its tracks (which can also be done with the coaxial machine gun).

== Usage in battles ==

The T-55A has the great option to use an APCBC shell, which can one-shot Leopards frontally, and any well-armoured vehicles side-on. Therefore, this tank should be used as a flanker, large open areas present a great opportunity to scout and take out groups of oncoming enemies. However, make sure to stay near cover and use it after every shot to minimize the chances of getting scouted and penetrated.
[[File:T-55A Weakspot.png|thumb|right|The weakspot that allows a one-shot. 3 of the 4 crew members can be knocked out if shooting the upper right hand corner of the UFP.]]

However, that does not mean that the T-55A cannot engage opponents frontally. Its APFSDS round can penetrate all vehicles at its battle rating, apart from the T-64A/T-72 (if playing mixed battles), the Chieftains (when hull-down) and the Maus (when at distance and angled).

As a rule of thumb, protect your left-hand side when looking from behind the T-55A. You have 3 crew members there that can be taken out with a single well-placed APFSDS shot (upper right corner of the UFP). Also, don't rely on your reverse speed. You can't retreat efficiently, and will likely be destroyed in a close-quarters encounter if you don't engage your opponent first.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

*'Good Mobility'
*'Good gun and a wide ammo choices'(APDS,APFSDS,APHE,HEATFS and smoke)
*'Safe ammo spot for 18 rounds near the driver in the fuel tanks give it some KE and chemical protection'
*'Comes with a STAB unlike its older series the T-54'
*'A br of 8.3'
'''Cons:'''

*'Can easily killed if penned in the turret as 3 of its 4 crew are in it
*'suffer's from stock syndrome'
*'100mm front plate'
*'Weak sides on the hull(80mm) and back of the turret(66mm)

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2019-10-17T22:01:27Z

U15910824: /* Main armament */

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_72a}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A; The main difference of the T-72A is in it's turret using Quartz core instead of High Hardness rolled armor (HHR). Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the center of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

=== Mobility ===


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons) || colspan="1" | Add-on Armour weight (tons) || colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" |41.0
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9
| colspan="1" |67 (AB)
|-
|60 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,209
|1,488
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|690
|780
|-
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|28.49
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|16.83
|__.__
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" |[[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 44 || -6°/+13° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|''Arcade''
| 19.0 ||26.35||32.0||35.4|| __.__
|-
|''Realistic''
| 11.9 ||14.0|| 17.0 ||18.8|| __.__
|-
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" |Stock
! colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|
|-
|7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 72° || 73° || 75°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,530 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 5,240 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 300 (150) || 700 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320 mm of penetration at close ranges
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn’t be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2019-10-17T21:53:25Z

U15910824: /* Mobility */

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_72a}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A; The main difference of the T-72A is in it's turret using Quartz core instead of High Hardness rolled armor (HHR). Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the center of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

=== Mobility ===


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons) || colspan="1" | Add-on Armour weight (tons) || colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" |41.0
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9
| colspan="1" |67 (AB)
|-
|60 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,209
|1,488
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|690
|780
|-
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|28.49
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|16.83
|__.__
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" |[[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 44 || -6°/+13° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|''Arcade''
| 19.0 ||26.35|| __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|''Realistic''
| 11.9 ||14.0|| __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" |Stock
! colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|
|-
|7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 72° || 73° || 75°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,530 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 5,240 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 300 (150) || 700 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320 mm of penetration at close ranges
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn’t be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2019-10-17T21:42:24Z

U15910824: /* Main armament */

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_72a}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A; The main difference of the T-72A is in it's turret using Quartz core instead of High Hardness rolled armor (HHR). Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the center of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

=== Mobility ===


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons) || colspan="1" | Add-on Armour weight (tons) || colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" |41.0
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9
| colspan="1" |67 (AB)
|-
|60 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,209
|_,___
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|690
|___
|-
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|28.49
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|16.83
|__.__
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" |[[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 44 || -6°/+13° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|''Arcade''
| 19.0 ||26.35|| __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|''Realistic''
| 11.9 ||14.0|| __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" |Stock
! colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|
|-
|7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 72° || 73° || 75°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,530 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 5,240 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 300 (150) || 700 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320 mm of penetration at close ranges
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn’t be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}

T-72A

2019-10-17T21:38:05Z

U15910824: /* General info */

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_72a}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


The T-72A's hull armour is practically the same as the T-64A's; textolite middle sandwiched between two RHA plates. The difference is that the T-72As upper glacis is angled at one degree further back than that of the T-64A; The main difference of the T-72A is in it's turret using Quartz core instead of High Hardness rolled armor (HHR). Like the T-64 and T-80 line, the T-72A has a carousel-type autoloader centred under the turret. This means that a penetrating hit to the center of the tank has a high chance of leading to an ammunition detonation and subsequent launch of the turret. This is however slightly less likely to happen with the T-72As type of autoloader, where the charges are stored horizontally (as "=") in comparison to the T-64/-80 type, where the charge sits vertically and is easier to hit.

Spare ammunition not inside the 22 round carousel is however spread more randomly around the fighting compartment. Therefore, bringing only 23 rounds (for 1 in the gun and 22 in the carousel) limits the chance of the spare ammo detonating in the case of i.e. a turret hit. There are two diesel tank ammo racks within the tank - one to the right of the driver and one between the engine and fighting compartment (with some loose ammo above it). It doesn't take much to realize that like most Soviet MBTs, the T-72A is rather explosive if extra ammo is taken, so great care is needed when showing the hull. The driver should also be aware of having only 3 crew members; if one is knocked out they should be sure to return to an objective point as soon as possible to get a new one.

=== Mobility ===


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons) || colspan="1" | Add-on Armour weight (tons) || colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
|-
| rowspan="2" |41.0
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9
| colspan="1" |67 (AB)
|-
|60 (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|1,209
|_,___
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|690
|___
|-
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! colspan="1" |Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|28.49
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|16.83
|__.__
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" |[[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 44 || -6°/+13° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|''Arcade''
| 19.0 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|''Realistic''
| 11.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" |Stock
! colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
|7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10 || 7.10
|-
|}

===== Ammunition=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 321 || 317 || 303 || 285 || 268 || 249
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 440 || 430 || 420 || 410 || 405 || 400
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| 3BM9 || APFSDS || 1,800 || 3.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 72° || 73° || 75°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BM15 || APFSDS || 1,780 || 3.88 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,530 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 5,240 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 300 (150) || 700 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The T-72A play-style is near identical to the T-64A (and with that, Soviet MBTs from here on). One of the key differences between the two vehicles is the T-72A's stronger armour. The quartz core composed turret will also bounce many shots and can even eat up some of the strongest ATGMs. In terms of armament, the T-72A boasts the very powerful and accurate [[2A46M (125 mm)|2A46M]] that Soviet high-rank tankers will quickly become familiar and fall in love with. Make sure to research the 3BM15 sabot rounds as soon as you can (after Parts and FPE of course), as the stock round has mediocre penetration for a sabot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mounts the same powerful 125 mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80 (though an earlier version)
* Low profile, small target compared to other countries' main battle tanks
* Early unlocked laser rangefinder makes sniping long distances easier
* Due to thick frontal armour and correct angling, able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries
* Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, very effective long-range sniper
* Autoloader continues working even if fighting a fire or replacing a crew member, ready to use upon the fire being extinguished or the gunner having been replaced

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo carousel means your first stage rounds all are centred below the turret; can be easily detonated through a hit to the hull
* Very slow reverse speed and traverse speed, a problem in situations where you cannot back away from an attacking enemy
* 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier; once one crewmember is knocked out, you have to be very careful not to get hit again
* Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill or down a valley
* Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320 mm of penetration at close ranges
* Its 2A46 125 mm gun is an early type; the stock ammunition is lacklustre and it cannot fire ATGMs like the T-64B, T-80B, and T-80U
* Glacis armour is not reliable until the addon armour plate is unlocked (a tier IV modification)

== History ==


Development of the T-72 began shortly after the production of the T-64 highlighted several problems which negatively impacted production rates. Among these problems was an unreliable engine, which couldn’t be produced at the high rates needed for a smooth production of the T-64 to take place.

In response, the Uralvagonzavod plant began working on a modified version of the T-64, which would use a more reliable and readily available engine, in order to provide the army with a tank fit for mass-production. Apart from this, changes were also made to the armor layout, in order to simplify production and decrease costs. This work resulted in the creation of the Object 172.

Development of the Object 172 continued, and after some trials, the vehicle entered service with the Soviet Army in August 1973, receiving its official designation T-72. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was permitted for mass production, following the issuing of an official decree in 1974.

The T-72 was also heavily exported to and produced by nations of the Warsaw Pact as well as other countries worldwide, although these vehicles received certain downgrades compared to native Soviet models. Despite this, the T-72 quickly became one of the most widely used tanks in the world, participating in more conflicts than a single devblog could ever cover.

Since production began in 1974, over 20,000 T-72 tanks were built across several modifications in the Soviet Union/Russia alone, with production of more modern variants still ongoing today, even in other countries as well.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5945-development-t-72a-the-globetrotter-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> T-72A: The Globetrotter]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}