The Russian army relies on the main battle tanks (MBT) of the T-72, T-80, and T-90 series. This armored vehicle is a "modernized product of the Cold War", writes military expert Maya Carlin in an article for The National Interest.
Т-72 is a Soviet-era tank that remains in service with the armies of more than 30 countries, making it one of the most popular MBTs.
Over the years, the T-72 has undergone several upgrades. The latest version, the T-72B3, is equipped with an improved fire control system, a 2A46M5 125-mm smoothbore gun, and a thermal imaging sight. Although the T-72 has new protection features, it struggles against Western-made anti-tank weapons.
Carlin noted that the T-80 is externally similar to the T-72. It was created to counter Western armored vehicles. The modernized version of the tank received "Kontakt-1" dynamic protection.
Т-90 is a third-generation tank with superior performance compared to its Soviet-designed predecessors. The new version of the Т-90М, thanks to its new gun, hits targets with high-explosive fragmentation, high-explosive, or armor-piercing discarding sabot projectiles of 125 mm caliber.
The T-90 is equipped with the "Shtora-1" electronic-optical active protection system.
Read more on the topic:
The National Interest: The T-90M tank may shine on paper, but it is vulnerable to the Javelin ATGM
