T-72 upgrade proposal improves all three areas of main battle tank performance: firepower, mobility and protection.
Main areas of firepower improvements are:
- new fire control system, with high first round hit probability,
- new main gun of improved performance, resulting with superior accuracy,
- introduction of APFSDS-T and tandem shaped charge (HEAT) rounds into existing combat set,
- fitting the gun barrel with thermal sleeve,
- integration of NSV anti-aircraft machine gun,
- passivization of commander’s night vision device and driver’s night vision periscope.
One of the measures aimed at firepower increase is replacement of original gun with 2A46M version, boasting following advantages:
- ability to fire all types of standard 125 mm ammunition, including laser beam riding anti-armour missiles,
- replacement of barrel in field conditions within 4 hours, without turret disassembling,
- new breach block design
Enhancements in the mobility area include:
- integration of new PP1000 powerpack unit of increased performance,
- new track link with rubber pads,
Protection enhancements comprise:
- fitting the tank’s hull and turret with explosive reactive armour tiles,
- side and front mounted impregnated rubber skirt,
- Halon based fire extinguishing system,
- overpressure based NBC protection subsystem,
- smoke grenades dischargers mounted on either sides of the turret,
- self-entranching equipment,
- anti-explosion kit for increased protection for fuel tanks,
- reduced signature footprint in various segments of electromagnetic spectrum,
- electromagnetic anti-tank mine protection system.
Other improvements include:
- installation of commander’s panoramic stabilized optronic surveillance and