T-72A

T-72A

T-62M-1

T-72B

T-72A

T-62M-1

T-72B

USSR

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.3	9.3

Class:

Medium tank

Research:220 000

Purchase:620 000

Description

The T-72A is a Rank VI Soviet medium tank with a battle rating of 9.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

General info

Survivability and armour

Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?

If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)	Add-on Armour weight (tons)	Max speed (km/h)
41.0	41.9	67 (AB)
		60 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	1209	_,___
Realistic/Simulator
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	28.79	35.87
Realistic/Simulator	28.79	31.06

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: 2A46M (125 mm)

Main armament[edit | edit source]

Main article: 2A46M (125 mm)

125 mm 2A46M
Capacity			Vertical  guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
44			-6°/+13°	±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	19.0	26.22
Realistic	19.0	22.42
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
7.10	7.10	7.10	7.10

Ammunition[edit | edit source]

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
3BM9	APFSDS	321	317	303	285	268	249
3BM15	APFSDS	440	430	420	410	405	400
3BM12	APFSDS	383	378	367	351	339	327
3BK12M	HEATFS	440	440	440	440	440	440
3OF26	HE	47	47	47	47	47	47

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocityin m/s	ProjectileMass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g(TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
3BM9	APFSDS	1800	3.6	N/A	N/A	N/A	°	72°	73°	75°
3BM15	APFSDS	1780	3.88	N/A	N/A	N/A	°	76°	77°	78°
3BM12	APFSDS	1800	3.6	N/A	N/A	N/A	°	76°	77°	78°
3BK12M	HEATFS	905	19	0.0	0.1	2,790	°	65°	72°	75°
3OF26	HE	850	23	0.1	0.5	5,780	+0°	79°	80°	81°

Machine guns[edit | edit source]

Main articles: NSVT (12.7 mm), PKT (7.62 mm)

12.7 mm NSVT
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate  (shots/minute)	Vertical  guidance	Horizontal  guidance
300 (150)				700	-10°/+60°	±180°

7.62 mm PKT
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate  (shots/minute)	Vertical  guidance	Horizontal  guidance
1,250 (250)				700	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".

Pros:

• Mounts the same powerful 125mm 2A46 gun as on the T-64 and T-80
• Low profile
• Able to deflect most rounds from counterpart tanks of other countries if angled effectively due to its thick frontal armor
• Very accurate gun due to the high muzzle velocity of the APFSDS rounds, making this tank an effective long-range sniper

Cons:

• Ammo racks all around the center of the hull interior; can be easily detonated
• Slow reverse speed and traverse speed
• 3-man crew makes tank able to be knocked out easier
• Gun depression inadequate for most hull-down situations, e.g. sniping from a hill
• Not very good stock APFSDS shell with around only 320mm of penetration at close ranges

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 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

• [Devblog] T-72A: The Globetrotter