MBT - T-72M1

T-72M1 MAIN BATTLE TANK

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Crew: 3.
Combat Weight: 41,500 kg.
Ground Pressure: 0.83 kg/cm².
Engine: V-12 air-cooled, multi-fuel injection, engine with 780 hp.
Fuel Capacity: 1200 litres (1600 litres with extra tanks).
Maximum Speed: 60 km/h.
Maximum Range: Without long range fuel tanks; 480 km.
.......................With long range fuel tanks; 550 km.
Transmission: Synchromesh, hydraulically assisted with 7 forward and 1 reverse gear.
Steering: Clutch and brake.
Suspension: Torsion bar.
Electrical System: 24V.
Gradient: 60%.
Side Slope: 40%
Vertical Obstacle: 0.85 metres.
Trench Crossing: 2.28 metres wide.
Armament: 1 x 125mm smoothbore gun with 44 rounds.
...............1 x 12.7mm NSV anti-air machine gun with 300 rounds.
...............1 x 7.62mm co-axial PKT machine gun with 2000 rounds.
...............1 x Assault Rifle for the crew.
...............3 x Pistols for the crew.
Gun Elevation/Depression: +14º/-6º.
Smoke Grenade Launchers: 8.
Variants used by the Army: BLT T-72 AVLB (Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge); A vehicle mounted on the T-72 chassis, with a scissors-type bridge laid over the front of the vehicle. It has option to carry a 20- or 22-metre Class 70 MLC bridge, which carry all types of tanks in service with the Indian Army, including the Arjun MBT. Prototypes of a Multi-Hop Assault Bridge (MHAB) and an Extended Span Assault Bridge (ESAB) have also been built. All three are indigenously-developed.
VT-72B ARV (Armoured Recovery Vehicle); Based on the T-72 chassis from ZTS of Slovakia. A total of 80 ARVs have been purchased and a license has been obtained to undertake production of 400 more in India. Production was due to start by 2001-end, but no confirmation of licensed production has been received to date.
Comments: Known as Ajeya, around 1950 T-72M1 tanks form the modern backbone of the Indian Army's MBT fleet. Licensed production of the T-72M1 at Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi is believed to have ended in 1998 and during a 15-year period 1100+ tanks were produced. According to the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, the last T-72M1 production run at HVF, stood at 92 tanks during 1997-98. HVF has a capacity to produce 400 tanks a year, but never more than 200 were produced annually. The T-90S MBT has now completely replaced the T-72M1 on the production line at HVF. An indigenously developed aiming trainer for the tank has been developed at the Simulator Development Division (SDD), Secunderabad. The state-of-the-art simulator is designed to impart cost-effective, basic aiming training to gunners and commanders of T-72M1 crews. Some 250 Simfire simulations systems were recently acquired for use with the tank.