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They have been waiting for a long time, but it was worth it: the T-72 MS tanks are now the most modern means of this type in the armored units of the Serbian army. During the last weeks they were transported from Russia in transport aircraft type Il-76, and on Saturday they were presented to the public for the first time in Nis. It is a Russian donation, a gift, announced a couple of years ago, but its delivery was delayed, some will say because of the slowness of the bureaucratic procedures, and others because of the silent political opposition of the West to the acquisition of arms from Russia. So far, 11 of the 30 donated tanks of this type have been delivered. Yesterday, Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic expressed his belief that the remaining tanks will be in the Serbian army’s arsenal for the next year.
For the first time after the eighties, when the domestic M-84 was developed, following the example of the T-72, our army has a modern tank.
But the delivered T-72 MS tanks, which are also known as the “white eagle,” are a deep modernization of that basic but still current model.
For the first time, the Air Force received tanks that have reactive protection and can fire rockets through the barrel of a cannon. In addition, there is a machine gun in a special small turret, which is controlled remotely, from a tank, so that the crew is not exposed to risks when opening fire from this weapon.
At the presentation of these tanks, Lieutenant Colonel Goran Jovanović of the Development and Equipment Directorate (J-5) of the Serbian Army General Staff stated that the T-72 MS is currently the best in the Balkans and the environment in general. Compared to the M-84 tanks, maneuverability, armor protection, and firepower have been significantly improved.
– By installing an 840 horsepower motor, its mobility has been increased. Our M-84 tank and the basic version of the T-72 tank have built-in 780 horsepower motors. There is also a built-in automatic transmission that allows the driver to drive more easily, and depending on the terrain they are moving on, they have the option of shifting gears manually or automatically, notes Lt. Col. Jovanović.
The armor protection installed on the T-72MS tank successfully protects the tank crew from various types of projectiles. Reactive armor works by exploding after a grenade or rocket hits and neutralizes or weakens the penetration of a grenade or rocket by an explosion directed in the opposite direction.
Lieutenant Colonel Jovanović points out that the essence of the modernization is actually in the optoelectronic means that allow the commander and the shooter to better observe the enemy and thus react faster to him. – The commander operates a panoramic sighting device that allows him to observe around the tank 360 degrees, regardless of the shooter, and thanks to that he can successfully locate the target at distances greater than six kilometers. The shooter can also successfully fire at ranges greater than six kilometers, depending on the type of projectile he uses, Jovanović said.
As was concluded in the presentation of these new media, they will be part of a new special tank battalion. Russia also donated 30 armored four-wheeled BRDM – 2 MS vehicles to Serbia, of which 10 have been delivered so far and are part of the newly formed Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Nis.
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