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The first T-72B1MS tank company donated by Russia represents a technological leap for armored units and brings many innovations for the Serbian Army, but also potential challenges in the field of logistics and foreign policy, reports the Balkan Security Network portal.
The tanks were presented to the public on Saturday in the presence of President Aleksandar Vučić., and the base for the new equipment will be the “Mija Stanimirović” barracks in Niš, where the 36th tank battalion equipped with M-84 tanks, manufactured in Yugoslavia, is already located.
The donation is part of a larger package in which Russia donated a total of 30 tanks, 30 BRDM-2MS armored reconnaissance vehicles and six MiG-29 fighters to Serbia.
The portal claims that the new Russian tank, which is informally called the “White Eagle”, has numerous advantages over the basic battle tank of the Armed Forces – the Yugoslav M-84 and M-84A, as well as some shortcomings. “It is a tank that is already modernized and reconditioned, with zero resources, which is valuable when it is known that the Air Force has a long-term problem with the reconditioning of the M-84, which is about 30 years old and has been through all the armed conflicts of the 1990s. your year “, is indicated in the text of the Balkan Safety Net.
The T-72B1 MS has improved armor protection, a thermal imaging targeting and surveillance system, the ability to fire a Water Reflex rocket through the barrel of a cannon, and a remote-controlled combat station in the turret with a 12.7-millimeter machine gun. All crew members have digitized workstations and thermography allows for very efficient operation at night, which is perhaps the biggest advantage over the M-84.
The commander’s panoramic view, dominating the left side of the cupola, is a recognizable feature of the T-72B1MS relative to other variants and derivatives of the T-72.
The tank has slightly better basic armor compared to the M-84, modular explosive-reactive (ERO) Kontakt-1 armor and an upgraded 125mm caliber gun. On the other hand, the main advantages of the domestic M-84 are a stronger engine and a fire control system.
The portal recalls that the Serbian Army already has five tank units in Sremska Mitrovica, Kraljevo, Nis, Zrenjanin and Vranje, which have 247 M-84 and T-72M tanks, and that the new battalion will only increase the existing problem with the lack of crews for the existing tanks. for a long time.
It is also added that this means that when the announced modernization of the domestic M-84 tank begins, the army will use a greater number of different versions of tanks at the same time, which is problematic from the point of view of maintenance and procurement of spare parts. .
“It should be remembered that Serbia also has political problems due to armaments in Russia. Although NATO officials routinely repeat in public appearances that Serbia, as a neutral military country, has the right to choose with whom to build military cooperation, the EU does not he hides from “He hopes that Serbia, as a candidate country for membership, will harmonize its foreign policy towards Moscow with that alliance,” the portal added.
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