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T-72
Photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
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T-72

Tanks · Russia · 1973
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T-72

T-72
T-72 Photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
55
Protection
35
Mobility
50
Technology
40
Reliability
65
Crew Survivability
15
Operational Range
55
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
50
Strategic Impact
85
Origin Russia
CategoryTanks
EraCold War
In service1973
Operators54 countries
Quantity25,000
Data Quality87%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
49
Tanks MASS Rating
53/89
Cold War
186/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
55
Protection
35
Mobility
50
Technology
40
Reliability
65
Crew Survivability
15
Operational Range
55
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
50
Strategic Impact
85
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
T-72
Category
Country
Production
1973–
Quantity
25,000
Unit Price (current)
$715.6K↗ 43% inflation · 2011→2025
Original Price
$500.0K (2011)
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · COLD WAR
53
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
92
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$715.6K
Original: $500.0K (2011)
Inflation: +%43
49
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
  • Tank ClassificationMain Battle Tank (MBT)
  • GenerationCold War
  • Combat Weight41.5 t
  • Crew Size3
  • Service Entry Year1973
◈Firepower12MOD.12
▣Protection7MOD.7
◇Mobility8MOD.8
  • Engine Power780 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio18.8 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeManual
  • Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
  • Max Road Speed60 km/h
  • Max Off-Road Speed45 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)460 km
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
  • Length (Hull)6.95 m
  • Length (Overall, Gun Forward)9.53 m
  • Width3.59 m
  • Height2.23 m
  • Ground Clearance0.49 m
⬢Amphibious & Special4MOD.4
▲Production & Service4MOD.4
  • Total Production Units25,000
  • Years in Production53 year
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
  • Notable Variants Count30
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1918First deployment: Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
  2. 1973Production started
  3. 2011Sale: Ethiopia (171 units)
  4. 2025Sale: Ukraine (30 units)
53
years in service
25,000
units produced
52
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it. 2 countries retired it.
05 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
T-72 1973
// DERIVATIVES
T-72B3 1973
T-72M 1980
M-84 1985
T-72S 1987
TR-125 1987
T-72BA 1999
06 / Operators
T-72SALES7records
YearBuyerQuantityAmountPresent Value (2025)
2025Ukraine30——
2011Ethiopia171——
—Ethiopia50——
—Myanmar300——
—Mongolia100——
—Laos31——
—Nicaragua20——
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE18terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Anti-Tank Guided Missile: a missile designed to destroy tanks.
Automated loading system for tank guns, reducing crew workload.
Armour made from multiple materials, such as metals and ceramics, to increase effectiveness.
Computerised Basic: a fire control system generation in tanks that provides fundamental computer‑assisted ballistic calculations without advanced targeting aids such as laser rangefinders or thermal imaging.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
A front-mounted armored plate on a tank, primarily used for clearing obstacles, creating cover, or breaching fortifications.
High-Explosive Fragmentation: ammunition that explodes on impact, releasing fragments.
High-Explosive Anti-Tank: a type of projectile that uses a shaped charge to penetrate armor.
Optical device that uses laser pulses to measure the distance to a target with high precision.
A main battle tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a large caliber gun, used for front-line combat.
Manual: a tank transmission in which the driver selects gear changes manually, typically using a clutch pedal and gear lever to engage gears.
A mine plough is a device attached to a tank to clear mines from its path.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical protection for tank crews.
Enhanced low-light visibility through specialized optics or sensors.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
A smoothbore gun is a firearm with an unrifled barrel, allowing projectiles to travel without spin; it is commonly used in modern tank main guns for firing fin‑stabilized ammunition.
A torsion bar is a steel rod that resists twisting and serves as a spring in tank suspensions, with one end fixed to the hull and the other connected to a lever arm moving the road wheel.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →