T-72 Moderna

Notes: The Czechoslovakians, and later the Czechs and Slovaks, have been building and employing the T-72 and its variants for almost two decades now. Their local variants, both before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain, often had different electronics, fired locally-designed ammunition, had different armor suites, and different sensor suites, amongst many little and big differences.

A large portion of the Czech and Slovak tank forces consist of locally-manufactured and modified versions of the T-72M1 and T-72S. However, the Slovaks have come up with a radically different version of the T-72, based on a T-72S hull with a heavily-modified T-72M1 turret mounted on it. Two versions of these very-different T-72s are built, designated the T-72M1 Moderna and T-72M2 Moderna. Though there are some rumors of Slovak use and they are marketing the design heavily on the international market, there are no confirmed users as of yet.

The first model, the T-72M1 Moderna, was meant to be sort of a tank that also conduct effective short-range air defense as well as have a lighter weapon for use against light vehicles and personnel. Two this end, the T-72M1 Moderna turret retains it’s primary armament – but on each side of the turret, a 20mm Oerllikon KAA autocannon is mounted. The autocannons have independent elevation and depression from the main gun (but can’t be turned in different directions); depression is about the same as the main gun (about -5 degrees), but the elevation limit is just short of straight up. Different sights are used for the autocannons and the main gun/coaxial machinegun; the commander has controls for both the autocannons and the main guns, as does the gunner, and using both the commander and gunner, the main gun or coaxial machinegun and autocannons can be firing simultaneously. The sights for both weapons are separate, but approximately the same in capability, and both are stabilized equivalently. The T-72M1 Moderna has a laser detection system that can automatically one or more of the five smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret. The gunner and commander have thermal imagers and other upgraded night vision devices, and the main gun and autocannons have separate laser rangefinders. The ballistic computer has also been updated to be able to assist both the main gun and autocannons. The T-72M-1 Moderna can mount ERA on the turret front, glacis, and hull sides; the autocannon mountings do not allow for the installation of ERA on the turret sides.

The T-72M2 Moderna works from the same concept, but the 20mm autocannons are replaced with a twin autocannon mounting on right side of the turret. The autocannons on the T-72M2 Moderna are 30mm 2A42 autocannons instead of the 20mm KAA autocannons, and this allows the autocannons to be used against light armor as well as air targets and light vehicles. Sighting equipment is slightly different, and the ballistic computer is reprogrammed for the new autocannons and for general accuracy. The mounting of both autocannons on one side of the turret also simplifies the feed system and concentrates their fire.

The T-72S-based hull of the T-72 Moderna uses side skirts hade from a plastic/aluminum sandwich instead of the Gill armor of the standard T-72S. Like the T-72S, the floor armor is strengthened and the autoloader holds 22 main gun rounds. The Moderna’s main gun is a 2A46M, with ATGM capability, though ammunition carriage is reduced in order to carry ammunition for the autocannons.

Twilight 2000 Story: The T-72M1 Moderna does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline; the T-72M2 Moderna does, however, but it is called the T-72M1 Moderna.

Merc 2000 Story: This vehicle was chopped by the budget axe and does not exist except in prototype form.

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

T-72M1 Moderna

$586,638

D, A

500 kg

44.6 tons

3

21

Thermal Imaging (G, C), Image Intensification (G, C), Passive IR (D)

Shielded

T-72M2 Moderna

$598,960

D, A

500 kg

44.7 tons

3

21

Thermal Imaging (G, C), Image Intensification (G, C), Passive IR (D)

Shielded

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor*

T-72M1/M2 Moderna

130/91

33/21

1200+400

440

Trtd

T6

TF112Cp TS24Sp TR19 HF148Cp HS24Sp HR12

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

T-72M1 Moderna

+3

Good

125mm 2A46M gun, 2x20mm KAA autocannons, PKT, NSVT (C)

33x125mm, 4xAT-11, 800x20mm, 2000x7.62mm, 300x12.7mm

T-72M2 Moderna

+4

Good

125mm 2A46M gun, 2x30mm 2A42 Autocannons, PKT, NSVT (C)

33x125mm, 4xAT-11, 535x30mm, 2000x7.62mm, 300x12.7mm

*Hull floor armor is 8.