T-72M2 Moderna
| This page is about the Soviet medium tank T-72M2 Moderna. For other versions, see T-72 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The T-72M2 is a gift rank VII Soviet medium tank with a battle rating of 10.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update "Wind of Change" as a reward for the "Battle for Arachis" event.
The modernization of ex-Czechoslovakian license-built T-72M1 tanks with French thermal gun sights, new ERA packages, and new APFSDS, as well as an additional 30 mm autocannon for self-defence, the T-72M2 Moderna introduces Slovakia into the game with respectable firepower and overall higher mobility.
General info
Survivability and armour
Although it is named T-72M2, which might sound more advanced, the base model is still a T-72M which shares the same chassis as the stock T-72A. However, he M2 modification adds layers of DYNAS ERA blocks on UFP and turret front, each block can provide additional protection against up to 100 mm of kinetic penetration, making the T-72M2 tougher to be destroyed. While it might not be enough at higher tiers with an abundance of APFSDS shells which can go up to 500 mm penetration, the protection is enough to stop most tanks which have been up-tiered at longer ranges and the turret can stop up to 700 mm from kinetic penetrators.
But once again, this is still a T-72 series with a compact interior and the same AZ-172 autoloader; like any T-72 series tank, a solid penetration from enemy projectiles will very likely set it ablaze (sometimes even fuel explosion) or detonate the ammunition, launching the turret sky-high, so players need to pay extra caution to enemies just like other T-72s do.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | ___ mm | ___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom |
___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Turret | ___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet |
___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Cupola | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm |
Notes:
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 67 | 5 | 44.5 | 1317 | 1,622 | 29.6 | 36.45 |
| Realistic | 60 | 5 | 752 | 850 | 16.9 | 19.1 | |
Like later T-72s, the T-72M2 has its engine upgraded to a Polish PZL Wola S12U diesel engine with 850 hp output, which is a bit higher than T-72B's V-84S with 840 hp, though still the highest of the A and M series T-72s. The T-72M2 shares the same top speed of 60 km/h and infamous -4.2 km/h reverse speed, as well as the 44.5 ton weight of the later T-72B. Although 10 hp difference is not too much, the overall mobility is still worse than NATO counterparts.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
| 125 mm 2A46MS | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 44 | -6°/+13° | ±180° | Two-plane | 19.0 | 26.4 | 32.0 | 35.4 | 37.6 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 |
| Realistic | 11.9 | 14.0 | 17.0 | 18.8 | 20.0 | ||||||||
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| 3BK12M | HEATFS | 440 | 440 | 440 | 440 | 440 | 440 |
| 3OF26 | HE | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 |
| 3BM22 | APFSDS | 425 | 420 | 415 | 405 | 393 | 380 |
| TAPNA | APFSDS | 509 | 507 | 500 | 490 | 481 | 472 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| 3BK12M | HEATFS | 905 | 19 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 2.06 | 65° | 72° | 77° | |||
| 3OF26 | HE | 850 | 23 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 5.24 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| 3BM22 | APFSDS | 1,760 | 4.83 | - | - | - | 76° | 77° | 80° | |||
| TAPNA | APFSDS | 1,690 | 3.7 | - | - | - | 78° | 80° | 81° | |||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
Ammo part |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | Projectiles Propellants |
40 (+4) 40 (+4) |
29 (+15) 29 (+15) |
23 (+21) 23 (+21) |
1 (+43) 1 (+43) |
No |
Notes:
- The T-72M2 Moderna uses two-piece ammunition, composed of propellant bags (orange) and projectiles (yellow). Both have separate racks.
- Shells are modelled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
- A propellant charge remains in rack 2 after it is emptied and is later fired as part of rack 3. For the purpose of clarity, rack 2 is considered empty even if that charge is still present.
- Rack 4 (autoloader carrousel) is a first stage ammo rack containing 22 projectiles and 22 propellant charges.
- This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
- As the T-72M2 Moderna is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
- Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader with at least one shell. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
- Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 3 into rack 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
Additional armament
A very distinctive feature of the T-72M2 is the 2A42 30 mm autocannon mounted on the right side of the turret. The gun is highly destructive against light vehicles, low-flying aircraft, and vehicles showing their sides; alternatively, it can also be used to knock out enemies' barrels. It is considered as a "machine gun" and is operated by the vehicle gunner, sharing the same optics and thermals as the main gun.
| 30 mm 2A42 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer |
| 250 (250) | 550 | -4°/+35° | N/A | N/A |
Ammunition
- Default: AP-T · HEF-I*
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| HEF-I* | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| AP-T | 65 | 63 | 53 | 44 | 36 | 29 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| HEF-I* | 960 | 0.39 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 75.46 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
| AP-T | 970 | 0.4 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | ||||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm PKT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 2,000 (250) | 700 | N/A | N/A |
Usage in battles
The T-72M2 Moderna excels in mid- to long-range engagements with its powerful and accurate 125mm cannon. The recommended tactic is similar to most other Russian MBTs at this BR: find targets at range using the thermal sights, then use the laser rangefinder and well-endowed APFSDS or HEATFS projectiles to knock out the target from as far away from your vehicle as possible.
When forced into close-range combat, this vehicle is very mediocre compared to NATO vehicles with its painful reverse speed, lack of neutral steering, and subpar turret traverse. However, the liberal application of ERA, slat armour, and the underlying composite armour can sometimes save you from smaller-calibre or poorly-aimed shells. IFVs in particular, even ones with high-penetrating APFSDS like the M3A3 Bradley and Strf 9040C, will be almost helpless against the frontal protection of a Moderna.
This vehicle will feel very reminiscent of the T-72AV (TURMS-T) with its almost identical gun and armour performance.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- DYNAS ERA provides up to 100 mm of kinetic protection
- Has access 2nd generation thermals for both the gunner and commander, which are also only a Tier II modification
- Powerful 30 mm autocannon tears through light vehicles and aircraft and is operated by the gunner
- Has commander fire control
- Good situational awareness thanks to LWS
- TAPNA APFSDS provides greater penetrative capabilities against enemies, even better than the 3BM42 Mango used by its Russian contemporaries
- Launches 11 smoke grenades per charge (11/22)
Cons:
- Poor turret traverse and gun handling
- * Somewhat sluggish with a horrible reverse speed
- Fixed 8x gunsight make engagements a struggle
- Hull and turret armour can easily be penetrated by most rounds it faces especially in uptiers
- 30 mm autocannon has no traverse of its own, can only move vertically
- Does not have access to ATGMs
History
The T-72M2 Moderna is a licensed-produced Slovakian upgrade of the Soviet T-72 MBT. Among the various upgrades, the tank is fitted with DYNAS explosive reactive armour, a modernized 24A5MS 125 mm smoothbore gun, a single 30 mm 2A42 autocannon, a laser warning system, and an automated modern VEGA fire control system, originating from SFIM, a French development partner, and SABCA, a Belgian development partner.[1]
The first prototype of the T-72M2 Moderna, an improvement on the T-72M1 prototype, was introduced in 1993. Although attempts were made to put the T-72M2 Moderna into production domestically and for export buyers, no production orders were ever placed, therefore, few functioning examples were produced.[1]
Devblog
After the division of Czechoslovakia followed by an economic crisis, Slovak tank builders found themselves on the brink of bankruptcy. Tank plant ZTS Dubnica initiated an upgrade project for the Soviet T-72 series MBT in order to make the tank interesting for both domestic and foreign operators. By 1993, together with the French company SFIM and the Belgian SABCA, a project was developed to modernize the T-72M1 tanks with a new VEGA fire control system, a new panoramic sight, an improved engine, domestic ERA protection and two gunpods with 20 mm KAA-200 guns on the turret's sides.
The built prototypes of the new main battle tank were designated T-72M2 Moderna. Later, the tank was equipped by a new DYNAS explosive reactive armour, and two 20 mm guns were replaced with one 30 mm 2A42 cannon. Only a few prototypes of the T-72M2 Moderna were built.
Media
- Skins
- Images
See also
- Related development
External links
References
| Dubnica nad Váhom Heavy Engineering Plant | |
|---|---|
| MBTs | |
| T-72 | T-72M2 Moderna |
| See Also | Uralvagonzavod |
| USSR medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| T-28 | T-28 (1938) · T-28 · T-28E |
| T-34-76 | T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E |
| T-34-57 | T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943) |
| T-34-85 | T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E |
| T-34-100 | T-34-100 |
| T-44 | T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122 |
| T-54 | T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951) |
| T-55 | TO-55 · T-55A · T-55AM-1 · T-55AMD-1 |
| T-62 | T-62 · T-62M-1 |
| T-64 | Object 435 · T-64A (1971) · T-64B |
| T-72 | T-72A · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-72B · T-72B (1989) · T-72B3 · T-72M2 Moderna |
| T-80 | T-80B · T-80U · T-80UD · T-80UK · T-80UM2 · Т-80U-Е1 · T-80BVM · Object 292 |
| T-90 | Т-90А · T-90M |
| Trophies/Lend-Lease | |
| Germany | ▂T-III · ▂T-V |
| Great Britain | ▂МК-IX "Valentine" |
| USA | ▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2 |
- Ground vehicles
- USSR ground vehicles
- Seventh rank ground vehicles
- Medium tanks
- Gift ground vehicles
- Ground vehicles with explosive reactive armour
- Ground vehicles with composite armour
- Ground vehicles with smoke grenades
- Ground vehicles with engine smoke generating system
- Ground vehicles with dozer blade
- Ground vehicles with night vision device
- Ground vehicles with thermal sight
- Multi-weapon ground vehicles
- Ground vehicles with autoloader
- Ground vehicles with gun stabilizer
