Ukrainian state-owned company UkrOboronOrom has announced that it has completed the delivery of upgraded T-72 main battle tanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The final batch of 6 upgraded T-72 main battle tank was handed over on 4 March, the company said.

“These T-72 tanks are the result of rethinking the experience of modern warfare in the East of Ukraine,” Volodymyr Sinyavsky, acting director of SE “Kyiv Armored Plant” said, adding “We comprehensively approached the repair and significantly improved the tactical and technical characteristics of the vehicles so that they could better perform the combat missions of the Ukrainian defenders.”

Improved version of T-72 equipped with additional Nozh (Knife) explosive reactive armour (ERA) fitted to the turret in an arrow-head pattern and further cassettes laid flat on the sides of the hull.

The upgraded T-72 tank is equipped with upgraded 1K13 sights for firing Ukrainian-made Combat guided missiles, new night-vision devices with third-generation electron-optical converters, and more powerful engines increasing horsepower to 840 hp, compared with the previous 780 hp.

New digital radio stations from the Turkish company Aselsan allow tank crews to maintain direct contact with infantry units, which is of great importance for battlefield interaction. In addition, T-72 modification received modern satellite navigation equipment. Improvement of the crew environment is another aspect of modernization. Even an ordinary rear view camera greatly facilitates driver’s work.