The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. It is a further development of T-62[4] with some features of T-64A (to which it was a parallel design) and has been further developed as the T-90. Chronologically and in design terms it belongs to the same generation of tanks as the US M60, German Leopard 1 and British Chieftain tank. More recently, the T-72's reputation has suffered following poor combat performance of export models against Western tanks such as the M1 Abrams, M60 Patton, Merkava and Challenger 1 during the first and second Persian Gulf wars and the 1982 Lebanon war. Its losses in the Persian Gulf wars, however, may have been more a consequence of the fact that most Iraqi T-72 tanks were export models (T-72, T-72M and T-72M1) using low quality ammunition and manned by poorly trained Iraqi tankers.
Russian T-72 Tank demonstration
Seventy-seven tanks and four tank-recovery vehicles donated to the Iraqi Armed Forces by Hungary arrived in Iraq and are now stationed at Taji, north of Baghdad, which is the headquarters of the Iraqi 9th Division (Mechanized). The tanks were transferred from Hungary by a combination of land and sea transport. They are expected to be operational by mid-December. This donation of more modern, newly refurbished tanks will enable the 9th Division to play an important role in providing security to Iraqi citizens.
At the end of 2004, the Government of Hungary pledged to contribute to the new Iraqi army seventy-seven T-72 tanks, especially outfitted for the Iraqi forces. The tanks were transported to the Taji Military Base in a joint effort by several NATO allies.
The T-64 was one of the world's most advanced battle tanks when introduced, but early problems with its L60-derived engine, the roadwheels and inaccuracy of its main gun prompted Soviet leadership to seek a low-tech alternative with similar performance, especially after the high unit costs and labour intensive manufacture process of T-64 became obvious. The tank was too expensive to equip all Soviet tank armies, let alone Warsaw Pact (WARPAC) allies.
An "economy" tank with the old design V-46 powerplant was developed from 1967 at the Uralvagonzavod Factory located in Nizhny Tagil. Chief engineer Leonid Karchev created "Object 172", the initial design, but the prototype, marked "Object 172M", was refined and finished by Valeri Venidikov. Field trials lasted from 1971 to 1973 and upon acceptance the Chelyabinsk Tank factory immediately ceased T-55 and T-62 production to retool for the new T-72 tank.
Seventy-seven tanks and four tank-recovery vehicles donated to the Iraqi Armed Forces by Hungary arrived in Iraq and are now stationed at Taji, north of Baghdad, which is the headquarters of the Iraqi 9th Division (Mechanized). The tanks were transferred from Hungary by a combination of land and sea transport. They are expected to be operational by mid-December. This donation of more modern, newly refurbished tanks will enable the 9th Division to play an important role in providing security to Iraqi citizens.
At the end of 2004, the Government of Hungary pledged to contribute to the new Iraqi army seventy-seven T-72 tanks, especially outfitted for the Iraqi forces. The tanks were transported to the Taji Military Base in a joint effort by several NATO allies.
The Iraqi Armed Forces took possession of the tanks on November 12, 2005.
