A Soviet T-72 tank, modernized by specialists from the state corporation NORINCO, was spotted on the streets of Baotou, a city in Inner Mongolia, China. This was reported by Defence blog.
A new turret with FY-2 reactive armor blocks, a thermal imager, and a remotely controlled combat module with a 12.7-mm machine gun, similar to the export Chinese VT-4 tank, were installed on the T-72 chassis.
This is a budget alternative to the Russian T-90M, intended for countries with limited defense spending. The modernized version of the T-72 is aimed at customers from Africa and Asia.
The updated tank features enhanced protection and firepower. It is expected that the T-72 from Norinco will be purchased by states that cannot afford Western or Russian armored vehicles.
Characteristics of the FY-2 reactive armor:
- Element dimensions: 375 mm x 250 mm x 75 mm
- Steel thickness: 19 mm
- Weight of one element: 14 kg
The FY-2A armor, installed in the upper and lower planes of the frontal part of the hull and turret of the tank, reduces the penetration depth of the cumulative jet by 70%.