T-72B3M.

This is coolbert:

It is not only the Israeli or the American that can take a tank already existing in the inventory and using refit, refurbishment and upgrade create a much more robust and combat effective armor vehicle!

THE RUSSIAN CAN DO IT TOO.

"Get Ready, NATO: Russia's Cold War T-72 Tank Is Set for a Big Upgrade"

"Russia plans to spend 2.5 billion rubles to upgrade one hundred and fifty T-72Bs to the new B3M standard for an average of 17 million rubles per tank."

"In U.S. dollar terms, that’s a total of $35 million for an average of $234,000 per tank—which means the T-72B3M upgrade is a relative bargain for the capability the vehicle is expected to deliver."

 "According to Izvestia, the upgraded tank will get a new 2A46M5 125-millimeter smoothbore gun along with a new sighting system called the Sosna-U, which will be paired with the 1A40-4 fire-control system. The tank will also receive a new ballistics computer to help increase its accuracy. Perhaps more significantly, the T-72B3M will receive an independent PK PAN sight for the tank commander, which has its own thermal imaging system."

"The T-72B3M is also getting the new Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA) package that was first introduced on the T-90AM. The Relikt replaces the older Kontakt-5 ERA package, and is allegedly twice as effective as the older system."

"The T-72B3M will also receive a new 1,130hp V-92S2F to replace its original 780hp diesel engine. The new engine is coupled with a new automatic transmission system and improved drive train, which should improve the T-72’s mobility. The driver will also receive a new rear-view camera display to improve his situational awareness."

FAR CHEAPER AND EASIER TO UPGRAND AND REFIT AN EXISTING TANK THAN BUILD A NEW TANK FROM SCRATCH!

More on the T-72 later. The T-72 based on an original design from over fifty years ago [T-64].

coolbert.