The Elusive Presence: Afghanistan's T-72 Tank Mystery

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1969 or 1971 and has since been widely exported and used in numerous conflicts. While it is unclear if Afghanistan has ever had T-72 tanks, it is known that the Soviet Union did not deploy them during the Soviet-Afghan War. Instead, the Soviets relied on T-54/55 and T-62 tanks.

T-72 Tanks in the Soviet-Afghan War

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1969 (or 1971 according to another source). It was widely exported and has seen service in 40 countries and in numerous conflicts. However, it was never used in the Soviet-Afghan War. Instead, the 40th Soviet Army deployed T-55 and T-62 tanks.

The T-72 was a development based on the T-64, which was itself a product of a rivalry between two design teams. The T-72 was designed to be an improvement on the T-62, which was innovative but ultimately unsuccessful in the long run due to its cost, complicated features, rushed production, and primitive fire control system (FCS). The T-72 incorporated some innovations from the T-64 but was designed to be more mature and faster, allowing it to catch up with other vehicles.

The T-72 was accepted for service in 1973 and over 25,000 units were built. It was a real upgrade in firepower, protection, speed, and fire accuracy compared to previous models, and even contemporary Western main battle tanks. It was well-modernized over the decades and is still in frontline use today, in thirty-six armies.

T-72 Tanks in Iraq

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. It was widely exported and has seen service in 40 countries. Iraq was one of the countries that received the T-72, and it played a significant role in the country's military history.

During the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq imported T-72 tanks from the Soviet Union and Poland. The Iraqi military utilised these tanks effectively against Iranian forces, and they became a crucial part of their armoured forces. However, the conflict also led to a halt in T-72 exports to Iraq, as some Western countries imposed an arms embargo. Despite this, Poland resumed deliveries in 1982, and Soviet exports followed suit later that year. Overall, Iraq received approximately 1,038 T-72 tanks, with the majority produced in Poland.

The T-72s proved their worth in combat against Iranian armour. They were highly effective against Iranian 105mm M68 tank guns and TOW missiles, which could not penetrate the T-72's frontal armour. Iraqi T-72s were also successful in direct confrontations with Iranian Chieftain tanks, which were among the most heavily armoured NATO tanks at the time. According to Ra'ad Al-Hamdani, an Iraqi general, the T-72-equipped 10th Iraqi Armoured Brigade destroyed the Iranian 16th Armoured Division within 12 hours.

However, the T-72s were less successful against American and Western tanks during the Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Their armour and weaponry were outclassed by the M1 Abrams and other advanced Western tanks. The Iraqi T-72s lacked modern night-vision systems and effective armour-piercing ammunition, putting them at a significant disadvantage. As a result, they were often used as armoured self-propelled artillery rather than in manoeuvre warfare roles.

In the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, the new Iraqi Government acquired dozens of refitted T-72M1s from Hungary to equip an armoured brigade. This decision was influenced by the experience of Iraqi Army officers and crews, who were familiar with the T-72 platform.

In recent years, Iraq has shown interest in modernising its armoured forces. They have considered purchasing T-90 tanks, which are modern derivatives of the T-72. Additionally, there have been plans to upgrade their existing fleet of T-55 tanks and transform them into more advanced platforms.

T-72 Tanks in Georgia

Georgia had 191 T-72 tanks in its arsenal during the 2008 war with Russia, of which 120 were modified to the T-72SIM1 standard. The country deployed 75 of these tanks in South Ossetia. The Georgian military lost 30 T-72s, ten in combat during the fighting around Tskhinvali, and another 20 were destroyed by Russian paratroopers after their capture.

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. It replaced the T-54/55 series as the workhorse of Soviet tank forces. The T-72 has been exported and produced in many countries, including Georgia.

The T-72 is extremely lightweight, weighing about 41 tonnes. It is very small compared to Western main battle tanks. The basic T-72 is relatively underpowered, with a 780 hp supercharged version of the basic 500 hp V12 diesel engine originally designed for the World War II-era T-34. The 0.58 m wide tracks run on large-diameter road wheels, which allows for easy identification of the T-72 and its descendants.

The T-72 is equipped with a 125 mm smoothbore tank gun and a 12.7 mm AA machine gun and 7.62mm machine gun. The T-72SIM-1 is an upgraded version of the T-72, which includes a Polish night-vision sight with a laser rangefinder, new radios, and other improvements.

T-72 Tanks in Ukraine

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1969. It was never used in the Afghanistan War, but has seen extensive service in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine with both sides.

Ukraine had 600 T-72s in storage before the conflict, which were returned to active service since the War in Donbas. In April 2022, an unspecified number of Czech T-72M1s were provided to Ukraine, and Poland donated over 200 T-72M1/M1R tanks. The Ukrainian Army had lost a total of 207 T-72 tanks by June 2022.

In November 2022, the US and the Netherlands pledged to pay for the Czech Republic to refurbish 90 T-72 tanks for Ukraine. The first tanks were expected to arrive by the end of the year, and would be "the most technically advanced tanks on the battlefield", according to the Pentagon.

T-72 Tanks in Russia

Russia's most numerous tank is the T-72B3, with older models such as the T-72B also in operation. In the buildup to the invasion, Russian forces added improvised steel grilles to the top of the turret, known as "cope cages". Analysts have speculated that these were added to counter the use of top-attack weapons by Ukrainian forces.

As of April 2024, Russia has lost a total of 1423 T-72s of all variants.

T-72 Tanks in Syria

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1969 and has been widely exported and used in numerous conflicts. Syria received an estimated 700 T-72s in four batches from the USSR, Czechoslovakia, and Slovakia. The first batch of 150 T-72s was delivered in the late 1970s, followed by 300 T-72As in 1982, 252 T-72M1s in 1992, and the remaining T-72M1s in 1993.

The T-72 has been used extensively in the Syrian Civil War by the Syrian Arab Army since 2011. Several captured units have been used by anti-government forces, including the Free Syrian Army, the Islamic Front, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Initially, the insurgent forces used IEDs and RPG-7 ambush tactics, but later obtained more advanced weaponry, including modern anti-tank guided missiles, enabling them to engage and destroy government armoured vehicles from safer distances. As of March 2020, at least 837 T-72 tanks operated by the Syrian armed forces were destroyed.

To enhance the protection of their T-72s, the Syrian Arab Army has implemented various upgrades, including the T-72 Mahmia (meaning "shielded" in Arabic), which involves adding additional armour such as cages, chains, and spaced armour to protect the tanks from RPGs and missiles. The T-72 Shafrah is another upgrade, featuring brackets with angled plates welded onto them, designed to resist all forms of anti-tank rockets. The T-72 Grendizer is a mysterious upgrade that is still in development, aiming to create a T-72 that is invulnerable to all missile types.

In addition to these upgrades, Syria has also received T-72 tanks from other countries, such as Iran, which provided an unknown number of T-72s to Syria in 2017.

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