The T-72B3A is a modernised variant of the Russian T-72B3 main battle tank. One of the key elements of this upgrade is the integration of the Arena-M active protection system (APS), an improved version of the earlier Soviet Arena. The system is designed to automatically detect and destroy incoming anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and RPG grenades before they strike the armour. Using a radar to identify threats, the APS launches counter-munitions that create a lethal fragmentation field 5–10 metres from the vehicle.

In 2013, the NPK “Konstruktorskoye Byuro Mashinostroyeniya” (KBM Design Bureau) first presented a modernised T-72 equipped with the Arena-M APS. By 2017, KBM announced that the system was undergoing trials under the supervision of the Ground Forces and was intended for installation on both the T-72 and T-90 series. On 27 June 2021, the Arena-M system was publicly demonstrated in operation on a T-72B3 tank during the TV programme Chasovoy.

The T-72B3A was introduced in Update “Leviathans”. It retains the 125 mm gun and overall armour protection of its predecessor but lacks the option to install a second layer of Relikt explosive reactive armour along the hull sides. Instead, the vehicle is equipped with the Arena-M APS — a more advanced successor to the Drozd system, providing all-round protection against ATGMs launched from both ground and air platforms. However, the tank still suffers from the characteristically poor reverse speed of the T-72 family, and the Arena-M is unable to intercept most kinetic penetrators.