US to supply Ukraine with 45 T-72B refurbished tanks in collaboration with Czech Republic


According to information published by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on November 4, 2022, the United States announces a new military aid to Ukraine of approximately $400 million including funding to refurbish HAWK air defense missile systems and M1117 4x4 armored security vehicles, T-72B refurbished tanks, 1,100 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems and Armored Riverine Boats.
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Russian-made T-72B main battle tank. (Picture source Vitaly Kuzmin)


On November 4, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced approximately $400 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). This USAI package underscores the continued U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine by meeting its most urgent needs, while also building the capacity of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to defend its sovereignty over the long term.

In total, the United States has now committed more than $18.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $21 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than $18.2 billion since the beginning of the Russian armed forces invasion on February 24, 2022.

This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine. This new military aid to Ukraine includes funding to refurbish HAWK air defense missile systems for inclusion in future Presidential Drawdown packages as well as funding to refurbish 250 M1117 4x4 Armored Security Vehicles.

The new list also includes 45 Refurbished T-72B Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) with advanced optics, communications, and armor packages. In this new package, the United States will also supply Ukraine with 1,100 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems, 40 Armored Riverine Boats, and Tactical secure communications systems and surveillance systems.

The overhauled T-72B tanks included in this package are part of a trilateral, coordinated effort with the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Alongside the United States, the Netherlands will provide 45 additional T-72B Tanks with the support of the Czech Ministry of Defense and in cooperation with the Czech industry.

The T-72B MBT (Main Battle Tank) is developed from the Russian main battle tank T-72A. It entered into service with the Russian army in 1984. Its turret has a new armor package that provides a much higher degree of protection than any previous model of the T-72 MBT. In addition,, the glacis plate is provided with 20 mm of appliqué armor.

The main armament of the T-72B main battle tank consists of one 125mm special smoothbore gun/launcher 2A46M. The 125 mm gun is stabilized in both planes. The main gun has a stabilizer, designated 2E42-2, with an electro-hydraulic elevation drive and electromechanical traverse drive.

The layout of the T-72B main battle tank is similar to the T-72A divided into three main compartments with the driver at the front, turret in the middle with commander and gunner, and power pack at the rear. The conventional armor of the T-72B with a maximum thickness of 280 mm, the nose is about 80 mm thick and the glacis is of a new laminate armor 200 mm thick.