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VLAND SYSTEMS T-72M1 Tank Upgrade Introduces Layered Defense Against Emerging Battlefield Threats.
VLAND SYSTEMS has unveiled a modernized T-72M1 at ADEX 2026 in Baku, combining improved night observation, explosive reactive armor and overhead protection designed to reduce vulnerability to FPV drones and top-attack munitions. Observed by Army Recognition at the exhibition, the configuration shows how legacy tanks are being adapted for battlefields where inexpensive aerial threats increasingly challenge traditional armor protection.
The upgrade retains the T-72M1’s 125 mm firepower and 780 hp powerpack while adding enhanced night sights, Kontakt explosive reactive armor and a large stand-off cage protecting the turret’s upper surfaces. Together, these changes prioritize crew survivability, nighttime combat capability and layered defense against both conventional anti-armor weapons and emerging drone threats without fundamentally redesigning the platform.
VLAND SYSTEMS unveiled a modernized T-72M1 tank at ADEX 2026 featuring upgraded optics, reactive armor and overhead protection designed to improve survivability against FPV drones and top-attack threats (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)
During ADEX 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, VLAND SYSTEMS showcased a modernized T-72M1 main battle tank combining upgraded observation capabilities, reactive armor and additional overhead protection against emerging aerial threats. The configuration reflects the continuing adaptation of legacy armored platforms to a battlefield increasingly shaped by FPV drones and loitering munitions. Army Recognition was present at ADEX 2026 to provide direct coverage and technical analysis of the latest defense technologies and combat systems presented by manufacturers at the exhibition.
According to technical information shared by VLAND SYSTEMS, the modernized T-72M1 has a combat weight of 43.4 tonnes and retains its three-person crew. Its principal weapon remains the 125 mm 2A46 smoothbore gun, supported by a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun and a 12.7 mm NSVT heavy machine gun. The main gun operates through an elevation and depression range of −6° to +13°, while VLAND SYSTEMS lists a firing range of up to 10,000 m with HE-FRAG ammunition. The automatic loading system provides a stated rate of fire of eight rounds per minute, compared with one to two rounds per minute when loading manually. This approach preserves the T-72M1's established firepower architecture while concentrating the modernization effort on observation, survivability and supporting systems rather than replacing its primary armament.
The observation package combines the 1A-40 day sight with a Tisas night sight identified by the manufacturer as an Elbit system. VLAND SYSTEMS states sighting ranges of 5,000 m with HE-FRAG ammunition and 4,000 m with impact-HEAT ammunition through the day sight, while the night sight provides a stated range of 3,000 m. The commander retains the TKN-3 observation device, offering a reported daytime observation range of 800 to 1,000 m and 300 to 400 m at night. The driver is equipped with an Elbit DNS night-vision system with a 200 m viewing range, backed by a TVNE-4B auxiliary device rated at 60 m. Taken together, these systems indicate that a significant part of the modernization is focused on improving nighttime operation and observation while retaining much of the T-72M1's original architecture.
Protection is one of the most visible elements of the vehicle displayed during ADEX 2026. VLAND SYSTEMS lists a 902V Tucha smoke-screen system incorporating ten launchers, with five positioned on each side, together with Kontakt-1 or Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor configurations comprising 92 and 40 elements respectively. Most notably, Army Recognition observed a large anti-drone protective structure installed above the turret. Commonly described as a “cope cage,” it consists of a raised rectangular steel frame with metal mesh covering its roof and sides, creating an additional physical barrier between an incoming aerial threat and the turret roof. The structure is intended to interfere with FPV drones and other top-attack munitions before their warheads can function directly against the vehicle's upper surfaces. Its actual effectiveness will depend on factors including the type of munition, fuze mechanism, impact angle and point of contact, meaning that such protection should be considered an additional survivability layer rather than a guaranteed defeat mechanism.
From a technical perspective, the significance of this configuration extends beyond the installation of a metal screen. Combining explosive reactive armor with extensive overhead stand-off protection illustrates an increasingly layered approach to armored-vehicle survivability, addressing conventional anti-armor weapons while responding to the growing threat posed by inexpensive precision-guided drones. The large cage provides substantial coverage of the turret's upper hemisphere while leaving the main gun and frontal sector unobstructed, but this protection comes with engineering compromises. It adds weight and height, increases the vehicle's visual profile and may affect crew access, observation, maintenance or emergency egress depending on the precise mounting arrangement.
Mobility remains based on the V-46-6 diesel engine developing 780 hp. Against the stated combat weight of 43.4 tonnes, this produces a power-to-weight ratio of approximately 18 hp per tonne, indicating that the modernization retains the existing propulsion architecture rather than introducing a major powerpack upgrade. VLAND SYSTEMS gives a maximum highway speed of 60 km/h, up to 50 km/h on unpaved roads and a combat speed of 35 to 45 km/h. The tank can overcome a 1.2 m vertical obstacle and cross a trench measuring 2.6 m in width. The vehicle is also equipped with an Israeli Elbit auxiliary power unit rated at 7.5 kW and 24 V. The APU allows electrical and observation equipment to operate without continuously running the main engine, a useful feature during stationary operations where reduced engine idling can lower fuel consumption as well as acoustic and thermal output.
The VLAND SYSTEMS T-72M1 displayed during ADEX 2026 demonstrates how an established armored platform can be adapted without fundamentally redesigning its weapon, crew arrangement or propulsion system. Instead, the modernization concentrates on areas that have gained increasing operational importance: night observation, additional reactive protection, electrical autonomy and defense of the vulnerable upper hemisphere against unmanned aerial threats. The prominent turret cage is therefore more than a visually distinctive addition; it reflects a wider shift in armored-vehicle protection, in which countering low-cost FPV drones and top-attack munitions is becoming an increasingly important consideration alongside traditional protection against direct-fire anti-tank weapons.
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