History and introduction
While the soviets had developed the T-72B, they put up its export version, the T-72S on the market for all Warsaw pact countries. Among them being the GDR/DDR. It was soon trialed and set to be inducted by NVA during the 39th meeting of the MWTR, April 1989 in Warsaw.* The import was to be from a Romanian production batch of the T-72S. However the induction date was set to be 1995. Unfortunately for the GDR, it dissolved in 1990.
GDR was already producing** the optics for the T-72S for export customers such as czekoslovakia as well as having the license to produce the 9K120/9M119 Svir/Refleks GLATGM and its tank integrated guidance system (hence they were more or less familiar with the systems involved).
The T-72S “Shilden” is a T-72 through and through. Being the export version of the T-72B. It does not possess many differences from it, but the following:
- only 155/165 ERA bricks out of 227 on the 72B
- simplified NBC system
- no anti-radiation lining
- different engine (V-46-6, not V-84-1)
- other minor changes
Since this vehicle was actually trialled and ordered, i would like to suggest its addition to the GDR tech/sub tree. Especially since there exist no ERA equipped vehicles in the tree as well as vehicle and lineup diversity. It would also be a unique variant of the T-72 for the game upto this point in time.
Specifications
Crew: 3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner)
Engine power: 840hp V-46-6 liquid-cooled 4-stroke diesel engine
Weight: 46.5t
P/W: 18.1hp/t
Max speed: 60km/h
Reverse: 4km/h (sadness)
—Equipment—
Smoke grenades: Yes
ESS: Yes
NVD: Yes
TVD: No
Stabiliser: Yes
Equipment: 1K13-49 BOM day/night periscope, 1A40 FCS, TPD-K1 main gun-sight (same as on T-72B 1985)
—Armament—
Main armament: 1x 125mm 2A46M (D81-TM) cannon
Co-axial, anti-air armament: 1x 7,62mm PKT Mg, 1x 12,7mm NSVT Mg
—Ammunition— (most likely ammo (acc to Stuhlfleisch) based on what the NVA T-72M1 used)
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125mm: 44rds, 22rds in autoloader
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- 3BM26 APFSDS-T
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- 3BK21B HEAT-FS with estimated penetration of 750mm at 0°
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- 3OF26 HE-FS
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- 9M119 “Svir” ATGM (900mm at 0°) (5km range) (Laser Beam-riding)
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7.62mm: 2000rds
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12.7mm: 300rds
Photos/diagrams
Sources
- East Germany and the T-72 - AFV Forum - tanknet.org
- Olajbúvár III. - Hárman páncélban - KatPol Blog
- SIPRI report, To GDR.zip (6.9 KB)
- https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/SIPRI%20Yearbook%201989.pdf
- T-72 operators and variants - Wikipedia
- Deutsche Militärfahrzeuge: Bundeswehr und NVA (authored by Lutz-Reiner Gau, Jürgen Plate, and Jörg Siegert)
- Typenkompass: Panzer der NVA, 1956-1990, Motorbuchverlag, pg 277
- Ein Staat, eine Armee von der NVA zur Bundeswehr
- http://www.militaertechnik-der-nva.de/Tagebuch/Technik2000/Technik2000.html
- http://web.archive.org/web/20150709185650/http://militaertechnik-der-nva.de/Stichworte/KomplexeThemen/TechnikUebersicht.html
- http://www.nva-fahrzeuge.de/
- https://www.army-technology.com/projects/t72/
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-72
- http://www.t-72.de/alt/index.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-72_operators_and_variants
- http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_T-72.php
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/125_mm_smoothbore_ammunition
- https://www.quora.com/What-makes-a-T-72S-or-T-72B-different-from-other-T-72-models
- https://www.armyrecognition.com/russia_russian_army_tank_heavy_armoured_vehicles_u/t-72b_mbt_main_battle_tank_technical_data_sheet_specifications_pictures_video_10207161.html
- East German Tanks and AFVs of the cold war, 1947-1990
- Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices: 1945-1995. | National Technical Reports Library - NTIS (pg I-99,100)
Special thanks to @Stuhlfleisch and @WayOfTheWolk for their work in the suggestion on the old forum. (it took me WAY too long to find that broskis). Credit to @Little_relaxed45-psn for the title!
- Yes
- No
