Data Quality87%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
T-72S
Category
Country
Production
1987–
Unit Price (current)
$715.6K↗ 43% inflation · 2011→2025
Original Price
$500.0K (2011)
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · COLD WAR
43
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
88
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$715.6K
Original: $500.0K (2011)
Inflation: +%43
ⓘ 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 Weight44.5 t
- Crew Size3
- Service Entry Year1987
◈Firepower11MOD.11
- Main Gun Calibre125 mm
- Main Gun TypeSmoothbore
- Main Gun Length (Calibres)48
- Muzzle Velocity (Max)1,700 m/s
- Effective Range (Main Gun)3,000 m
- Ammunition Stowage45
- Can Fire APFSDSYes
- Can Fire HEATYes
- Can Fire HE-FragYes
- Can Fire ATGMYes
- Coaxial / Secondary MG Count1
▣Protection9MOD.9
- Armour TypeComposite with Depleted Uranium
- Hull Front Thickness (Max)80 mm
- Turret Front Thickness (Max)200 mm
- Frontal RHA Equivalent (KE)500 mm
- Frontal RHA Equivalent (CHEM)800 mm
- Has ERAYes
- Has APSNo
- NBC ProtectionYes
- Smoke GrenadesYes
◇Mobility9MOD.9
- Engine Power840 hp
- Power-to-Weight Ratio18.8 hp/t
- Fuel TypeDiesel
- Transmission TypeSemi-Automatic
- Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
- Max Road Speed60 km/h
- Max Off-Road Speed45 km/h
- Operational Range (Road)500 km
- Fording Depth1.2 m
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
- Length (Hull)6.86 m
- Length (Overall, Gun Forward)9.73 m
- Width3.59 m
- Height2.23 m
- Ground Clearance0.49 m
▤Electronics & Optics8MOD.8
⬢Amphibious & Special4MOD.4
- AmphibiousNo
- Snorkel / Deep Wading Depth4 m
- Mine Plough CapabilityYes
- Dozer Blade CapabilityYes
▲Production & Service4MOD.4
- Total Production Units25,000
- Years in Production25 year
- Current Service StatusActive Service
- Notable Variants Count1
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
- 1980First deployment: Iran–Iraq War
- 1987Production started
39
years in service
32
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it. 2 countries retired it.
04 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
05 / Operators
Operator Inventory32country · 8,604units
8,604active
T-72SSALES1records
| Year | Buyer | Quantity | Amount | Present Value (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 300 | — | — |
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
06 / MASS Score
TANKS RANKING Tanks · Cold War
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
146TANKS43COLD WAR · TANKS959RUSSIA · ALL WEAPONS40PRICE · TANKS513PRICE · ALL WEAPONS11PERFORMANCE/PRICE · TANKS
ⓘ Rankings are within theTankscategory.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE22terms
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.
A Battle Management System (BMS) is a command‑and‑control software suite that gathers, processes, and shares battlefield data to provide situational awareness and coordinate the actions of military units.
Armour made from a combination of materials, including depleted uranium.
Computerised Advanced: a tank fire‑control system generation that uses digital computers to calculate ballistic solutions and integrate sensor data for enhanced targeting accuracy.
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.
Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA): Modular armor system that detonates upon impact to disrupt incoming warheads, reducing penetration of shaped charges and kinetic energy projectiles.
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.
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.
A semi‑automatic transmission in a tank automatically shifts gears using hydraulic or mechanical mechanisms while the driver selects gear positions, reducing manual clutch operation.
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.
Thermal sights are infrared imaging devices mounted on a tank's gunner station that detect heat emitted by objects, enabling target identification and aiming in low‑visibility conditions.
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