Czechia has canceled the modernization of 30 T-72M4CZ tanks that were to be sent to Ukraine after tests conducted in 2025 revealed serious failures in the fire control system.
According to the Ministry of Defense, essential components cannot be repaired or replaced, making it impossible to fulfill the contract without significant additional investment.
The ministry reported that all tests conducted in the summer and autumn failed, particularly in terms of firing accuracy, and the Italian manufacturer confirmed the technical impossibility of repairing the defective parts. To bring the vehicles into operation, the entire fire control system would need to be replaced, which would increase costs and delay delivery by up to two years, prompting the government to terminate the contract with the state-owned VOP CZ.
Experts point out that the plan to upgrade the T-72M4CZ existed before the Russian invasion but lost its relevance after 2022, when Czechia began receiving Leopard 2A4 tanks and joined the Leopard 2A8 program.
The modernization, initially intended as a technical upgrade of discontinued components, became economically unsustainable after the negative results of the tests.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @praisethesteph | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
T-72M4CZ – a great modernization that failed….
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Now, information is circulating about the issues with the T-72M4CZ tanks, and for some, it’s surprising, while others have been talking about it for a long time.
Is this an example of the failure of the Czech way? pic.twitter.com/djidz34cXy
— RostakOdVedle (@rostakod) December 3, 2025
