When did the T-72 tank enter serial production?
Serial production of Object 172 began in July 1973 at Nizhny Tagil. Factory organization difficulties limited deliveries to only 30 completed tanks that year.
Questions about T-72
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who designed the original T-72 prototype known as Object 167?
Leonid Kartsev led the design team for Object 167 which competed against Alexander Morozov's Object 434. The Council of Ministers ordered Ob. 432 into production in December 1962 effectively dooming Kartsev's tank initially.
How many T-72 tanks were lost during Operation Desert Storm?
Total T-72 losses during Operation Desert Storm reached approximately 150 units. Coalition forces destroyed over 85 Iraqi tanks while losing only one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle to enemy fire.
What modifications distinguish the T-72B3M variant from earlier models?
The T-72B3M variant added Relikt explosive reactive armor on tank sides with soft-container reactive side skirts and slat screens. It also features improved autoloader systems capable of handling longer projectiles like 3BM59 and 3BM60 rounds.
When did Ukraine lose its first T-72s in the ongoing conflict?
As of July 2025, Ukraine had lost 374 T-72s of all variants including 92 destroyed, 4 damaged, 9 abandoned, and 10 captured from various models. Ukrainian forces received Czech T-72M1s and over 200 Polish T-72M1/M1R tanks donated by Warsaw.