Between 1990 and the 2000s, with the collapse of the USSR and the birth of the T-90 program, the T-72 series was put on hold until the early 2010s, with the entry into service of the T-72B3 Obr.2011. This was an upgrade of the T-72B that brought an otherwise obsolete tank back to an (exclusively offensive) standard comparable to Western ones.

The main improvement is the introduction of the Sosna-U system for the gunner, which integrates a laser rangefinder, a day sight, the guidance channel for ATGMs, and, above all, the long-awaited thermal imager into a single system; its absence in the 1990s had heavily penalized the then almost impenetrable T-72B Obr.1989.It is easily recognizable as a clearly visible cylindrical optic on the turret. Designed by the Belarusian company JSC Peleng in the early 2000s, it transfers all information to the fire control computer, which automatically positions the barrel toward the target.The thermal imager used—the core of the system—is ironically French, the Thales Catherine-FC, though it was later replaced by a Russian model. The commander lacks modern optics, which remain unchanged from the previous model, so everything depends on the gunner, especially regarding engagement and situational awareness.

Most T-72B3 Obr.2011 tanks use the 1000hp V92S-2 engine, compared to the previous 840hp. This makes the tank more agile, though still less so than Western ones, and allows it to overcome obstacles more easily; however, the reverse speed remains extremely slow.A crucial improvement is the new gun with new ammunition: the 2A46M-5 is mounted, which greatly increases accuracy, reduces dispersion, and, most importantly, is fed by a new autoloader that can accommodate longer APFSDS rounds like the Svinets-1 (tungsten) and Svinets-2 (uranium), ensuring much higher penetration alongside a significant boost in precision.

The armor remains the same, and by 2011 it was already obsolete given the widespread use of tandem warheads and uranium penetrators with steel caps that survive the Kontakt-5.In the Ukrainian conflict, it has performed well due to its excellent accuracy, but survivability remains a disaster for this tank, both against other MBTs and against the much more common FPV drones and ATGMs.

🇮🇹 Fra il 1990 e gli anni 2000, con la caduta dell'URSS e la nascita del programma T-90, la serie T-72 fu lasciata in sospeso fino all'inizio degli anni '10 del 2000, con l'entrata in servizio del T-72B3 Obr.2011, un'aggiornamento del T-72B che ha riportato un carro ormai superato ad uno standard (esclusivamente offensivo) paragonabile a quelli Occidentali.
Il miglioramento principale è l'introduzione del sistema Sosna-U in dotazione al cannoniere, che integra in un solo sistema un telemetro laser, un mirino diurno, il canale di guida per ATGM e soprattutto l'attesa termocamera, di cui la mancanza negli anni '90 aveva penalizzato moltissimo l'allora quasi impenetrabile T-72B Obr.1989.

E' facilmente riconoscibile essendo un'ottica cilindrica ben visibile sulla torretta, fu progettato dall'azienda Bielorussa JSC Peleng all'inizio degli anni 2000, trasferisce tutte le informazioni al computer di tiro che posiziona automaticamente la canna in direzione del bersaglio.
La termocamera utilizzata, ovvero il fulcro del sistema, ironicamente è Francese, la Catherine-FC della Thales, ma è stata successivamente sostituita da un modello Russo, il comandante non ha ottiche moderne, invariate dal modello precedente, per cui tutto dipende dal cannoniere, soprattutto a livello di ingaggio e consapevolezza situazionale.
La maggior parte dei T-72B3 Obr.2011 utilizza il motore da 1000cv V92S-2, contro gli 840 precedenti, ciò rende più scattante il carro sebbene meno di quelli Occidentali, e gli permette di superare più facilmente gli ostacoli, tuttavia la retromarcia rimane lentissima.

Un miglioramento importantissimo è il nuovo cannone con le nuove munizioni, viene montato il 2A46M-5 che aumenta di molto la precisione, diminuisce la dispersione e soprattutto è alimentato dal nuovo caricatore automatico che può utilizzare APFSDS più lunghi come Svinets 1 (tungsteno) e 2 (uranio), garantendo penetrazioni molto maggiori con un importante incremento di precisione.
L'armatura rimane la stessa, e nel 2011 è ormai obsoleta vista la diffusione di testate tandem e penetratori all'Uranio con cappuccio in acciaio che sopravvivono alla Kontakt-5.
Nel conflitto Ucraino si è comportato bene a causa dell'ottima precisione, ma la sopravvivenza resta un dramma per questo carro, sia contro altri MBT che contro i molto più comuni FPV e ATGM.

T-72B3 Post up here!

EBRC JAGUAR 🇫🇷

🇬🇧The EBRC Jaguar is the most interesting of the three vehicles of the Scorpion program for me. While the other two vehicles offer solid, mobile, and modular options for transport the infantry around the battlefield the Jaguar is a new type of vehicles and it is the replacement for the renowned AMX-10RC. A 6x6 vehicle weighing 25 tons and armed with a 40mm automatic cannon, the Jaguar carries a sophisticated sensor suite and a pair of Akeron missiles with a 4,000-meter range. KNDS and Arquus describe it as highly versatile vehicle, suitable for peacekeeping and counter-insurgency operations as well as conflicts against adversaries with conventional capabilities. This versatility is achieved through a combination of armour (STANAG Level IV) and high mobility. Like the other vehicles in the program, it integrates the SICS system. It reach a high survivability, because it has the ability to withstand mines, IEDs, and RPGs. Its armor can be upgraded via various kits, and it incorporates the ECLIPSE jamming system to disrupt radio frequencies. The EBRC Jaguar features laser and incoming missile detection (Antares) system and an acoustic localization device (the Piral V). All this information is shared in real-time with other vehicles, providing crews with collective threat awareness. A unique feature of the Piral V system is that, when multiple Jaguars are used together, they can triangulate sounds to pinpoint a source's location; this information is instantly distributed across the group, potentially allowing one of the vehicles to automatically aim its weapon at the threat. The vehicle can also deploy 80mm smoke grenades designed to interfere with various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum; these obscure not only visual sight lines but also laser and infrared targeting, providing 360-degree coverage around the vehicle. The launcher can also be equipped with fragmentation grenades.

Pilar V 🇫🇷

🇬🇧In addition to a gross weight of nearly 25 tonnes, it stands 3.5 meters tall—due to the electronic and optical systems mounted on the turret—and is 7 meters long. The turret, operated by a gunner and the commander, houses the commander's 360-degree vision system and a 7.62mm machine gun. In terms of mobility, it reaches top speeds of 90 km/h with 500 horsepower, and has a stated operational range of 800 km. The vehicle is capable of orienting itself and determining its position even in environments where GPS signals are heavily jammed or completely absent. The Safran Paseo optical system provides the commander with a 360-degree view of the battlefield, allowing them to designate targets—or even aim the weapon directly at a target—while the gunner is simultaneously engaging other threats. With its array of information-gathering and processing systems, the Jaguar functions more as a platform for data collection, enemy observation, and geographic mapping than as a traditional infantry support vehicle.
The fully stabilized 40mm CTA cannon can elevate to 45 degrees and engage drones and slow-moving aircraft with a rate of fire of approximately 200 rounds per minute. The gunner can select between 5-round bursts, 3-round bursts, or single-shot mode. The ready-rack holds 65 rounds, with a total of 180 rounds carried; 80 rounds are housed within the survivability cell, while the remaining 40 are located outside the turret within the hull. The available projectiles range from AP and HE/HE-TF to APFSDS-T and airburst rounds. The distinctive feature of these telescoped rounds is their size: the propellant surrounds the projectile itself and burns around it upon ignition. Visually, the cartridge resembles a cylinder that houses all components internally [as shown in the photos]. This design minimizes space requirements and results in a more compact overall package. France aims to field approximately 300 of these vehicles by 2035. They will be organized into platoons consisting of four Jaguars, four light 4x4 VBL vehicles, and one 6x6 truck. In addition to small arms and anti-tank weapons (such as the AT4), VBL crews will be equipped with various types of FPV drones (specifically the NX70). Future plans envision these drones having the capability to guide Aekeron NLOS missiles onto their targets.

🇬🇧 The EBRC Jaguar performs multiple roles within the army's force structure. Foremost among these is the gathering of information, which entails rapidly observing and reporting on the unfolding of events. In unconventional settings, its array of sensors enables it to conduct security operations along roads and in remote areas, as well as to provide convoy escorts. It is capable of engaging conventional adversaries by supporting infantry units in both offensive and defensive operations; furthermore, thanks to its speed, it can rush to the aid of units under attack. The vehicle is designed to withstand fire from rounds up to 14.5mm in caliber. Its add-on armor kits include a metal "cage" (slat armor) spaced away from the main hull; this triggers the premature detonation of HEAT and HE warheads, allowing the vehicle to survive potentially lethal hits. The hull sits higher than that of its predecessor to provide enhanced mine resistance. The vehicle features a protective crew cell and remains mobile even after sustaining damage, capable of continuing operations despite significant degradation. Additionally, its weight allows for air transport via A400M aircraft to remote locations when required. The vehicle saw its first overseas deployment in 2024 in Estonia with the 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie, which has since been conducting exercises alongside other NATO forces. Its predecessor successfully carried out operations across Africa with its crews but proved highly vulnerable in the conflict in Ukraine due to Artillery. Will this new vehicle be capable of replacing the old one, while also finding a use in the new era of drones?

🇫🇷🥖EBRC JAGUAR with SLAT armor

The T-72B3 Obr.2016 introduces the new Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA), addressing the main weakness of the T-72B3 Obr.2011, whose protection remained essentially geared toward threats of the 1990s. Relikt armor is integrated into the frontal hull, along the sides (the rectangular plates running the full height of the hull flank), on the front of the turret (the wedge-shaped modules), and on the turret sides in the large vertical armor packages. These side packages contain up to four Relikt modules arranged at angles covering multiple directions, ensuring that a side impact does not strike at a perfect 90-degree angle. Such angling preserves the lateral component of plate movement against the projectile, which is crucial to the effectiveness of ERA since it works best when the interaction occurs obliquely.
Conceptually, Relikt can be considered a "double Kontakt-5."

Whereas Kontakt-5 consisted of one thick front plate and a very thin supporting plate behind it, a Relikt module is essentially composed of two heavy plates. Several Relikt modules are housed within each armor package in the configuration described above. The key innovation lies in the scissor-like motion of the two heavy plates, which move in opposite directions while the penetrator passes through them, breaking it into multiple fragments. Rather than simply launching a single plate obliquely into the penetrator, Relikt adds a second plate moving rearward, further disrupting and fracturing the projectile. In addition, all the other modules within the package can detonate, combining their effects on the penetrator and severely degrading it, even in the case of tandem-charge ATGMs or APFSDS rounds with sacrificial precursor tips, although the system remains vulnerable to penetrators equipped with particularly long initiator tips.

Turret protection is estimated at approximately 800-850 mm RHAe against APFSDS and 1,100-1,300 mm RHAe against HEAT warheads, representing an increase over the previous model's roughly 720 mm and 1,100-1,200 mm respectively.
The complete armor package adds approximately 3 tonnes to the vehicle's weight.
To compensate for the increased combat weight of 46.5 tonnes, the tank is equipped with a new 1,130 hp engine, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 24.3 hp/t, compared to the previous 18 hp/t. This engine enables the new T-72 to accelerate much more aggressively and overcome more challenging obstacles. The vehicle also finally receives an exhaust cooling system, reducing its thermal signature and making it more difficult to detect and lock onto with thermal guidance systems.

Furthermore, it introduces an automated transmission control system through the installation of a hydraulic actuator that replaces the driver's physical effort without fundamentally altering the transmission itself, significantly modernizing the vehicle's propulsion system without requiring a complete redesign of the powerpack.

The tank also finally receives an independent thermal sight for the commander, the PK PAN, allowing the commander to search for targets independently rather than leaving this task exclusively to the gunner. This gives the commander the ability to designate targets to the gunner while the latter is already engaging another target, thus providing a true hunter-killer capability.
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