A video was released on Twitter, supposedly taken from the “Velyka Novosilka” frontline, in the southwestern region of Donetsk in Ukraine, showing a Ukrainian T-72B3 tank apparently crushing an international M1224 MaxxPro MRAP while trying to evade being hit by a Russian “Lancet” drone strike.
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Another video shows the T-72B3 and the MRAP, suggesting the tank could possibly be repaired and returned to combat, while the damage to the MRAP is currently unknown but appears to be much more severe.
T-72B3
The T-72B3 is a modernized variant of the T-72, which is one of the most widely produced main battle tanks of the 20th century. Originally developed in the Soviet Union, the T-72 entered production in 1969. Since then, hundreds of thousands of units have been produced and the tank has seen service in numerous conflicts around the world.
The T-72B3 variant, specifically, was introduced by the Russian Armed Forces in 2010. This upgrade modernizes the T-72 with several new technologies and performance improvements.
Some of the most notable updates on the T-72B3 include:
- A new, more powerful engine
- Improved night vision equipment
- A new main gun, the 2A46M 125mm smoothbore, which can fire a variety of ammunition, including anti-tank missiles
- Improvements in armor, including the addition of explosive reactive armor (ERA) to improve protection against anti-tank missiles and other threats
- Improved fire control and navigation systems.
Despite its improvements, the T-72B3 still shares many of the characteristics of the original T-72 design, including its low profile and its famous “mushroom” shaped turret. These attributes have helped keep the T-72 viable on the modern battlefield, despite its age.
International M1224 MaxxPro MRAP
The International M1224 MaxxPro MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) is an armored combat vehicle designed by Navistar Defense, a subsidiary of the American company Navistar International, in partnership with the Israeli firm Plasan Sasa, which designed and manufactures the vehicle’s armor. The vehicle was designed to participate in the US armed forces’ Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle program, led by the US Marine Corps, as well as a similar program led by the US Army called the Medium Mine Protected Vehicle.
