Russia’s T-72 Tank Is Nothing More Than a ‘Coffin on Tracks’

Russian armor is failing again. This time, the Cold War-era T-72 tank is ubiquitous the world over but a disaster in Ukraine.

The T-72 is nearly 50 years old, and Vladimir Putin’s forces send the relics to the front only to see them turn into smoking wrecks.

Russia lost an eye-watering 1,200 T-72s in combat, and that was just during the first year of the war.

There may be only 1,500 still remaining, and many of those have been in storage since the days of Mikhail Gorbachev.

What should we make of the old T-72 tank and its chances of success in the Ukraine war now and in the future?

Modern War Has Shown T-72 Weaknesses

Anti-tank missiles, drones, artillery, and multiple-launch rocket systems are damaging all Russian armor. Combine those modern threats with inept crews, failures to make tactical adjustments, and violations of the principles of mechanized warfare, and a once-respected tank looks like a children’s toy on the battlefield.

It Is One Popular Tank, Though

Despite its failure in Ukraine, the T-72 is one of the most popular tanks around the globe. Thirty-five countries operate it, and the T-72 has seen combat in nearly all wars of the 21st century. Twenty-thousand have been built since 1971, mostly for export.

Design Problems Are a Disadvantage

The T-72 is easy to recognize because of its low profile. The turret is not tall. This makes for a cramped crew compartment and places pressure on the loader who doesn’t have much room to do his job. So, the Russians gravitated toward installing an auto-loader to make things easier. Unfortunately, this contraption is painfully slow.

Ammunition is on a carousel, and it is not well-protected by the light armor of the turret. This has been a problem in Ukraine as the rounds can cook off in a strike from the defenders resulting in a large explosion that sends the T-72 crew to an untimely death.

Lacks Protection and Maneuverability

The T-72’s armor is poor, just eight inches thick. This is one of the biggest problems the tank has in Ukraine. The T-72 will win no speed races. It can only reach 37 miles per hour on roads. It is not very agile either. The T-72 is equipped with a 125mm smoothbore gun, including a 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm gun to protect it from low-flying aircraft.

This Thing Was Based on the World War Two Experience

The T-72 is so outdated that it was really designed for warfare from lessons learned during World War Two before the entry of modern anti-tank missiles, loitering drones, and artillery with precision-guided shells. These tanks should not be let out of storage, but Putin’s generals are desperate for anything that could tip the scales in Ukraine.

Made for the Days When Massive Attacks Worked

The idea behind the T-72 is all about mass. Send this tank into battle with an array of armored personnel carriers, use large numbers as spearheads to punch a hole in the enemy lines, and stream through the opening. Hopefully using a speedy axis of attack will help surround neighboring troops once a breakthrough is achieved.

Ukraine Strikes Back Easily with Modern Weapons

But the T-72 is not the right tool for this job in 2024. Recon drones can easily spot movement alerting the Javelin anti-tank troops. Ukrainian soldiers then send up the kamikaze attack drones. The artillery takes over and combining that with multiple-launch platforms like HIMARS and you have a problem. The T-72 doesn’t have a chance.

So, the T-72 is a coffin on tracks. The Russians should leave it in storage. It has no place on the front lines, and one only has to use it while playing a first-person shooter video game to understand its weaknesses. Putin’s generals should keep it deep in the rear for territorial defense instead of deploying it forward.

In this reserve capacity, the T-72 could have protected the lines during the Ukrainian Kursk incursion or slowed down Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops’ advance.

It’s time for Russia to face the facts. Their tanks, tactics, and procedures are second-rate. The T-72 has been a failure and has only led to more unnecessary battlefield deaths. Russia should keep those T-72s far from the frontlines and let the border guards maintain them on standby.

They are part of a bygone era when massive tank-on-tank battles were the norm. They are no match for modern weapons and the Russians are asking for trouble with their continued use.

About the Author

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.