Polish T‑72M1R tanks redefine battlefield with thermal upgrade

In the video below, likely recorded in the summer, you can see the crew of the former Polish T-72M1R tank firing at the Russians. The presence of the third-generation KLW-1 Asteria thermal imaging camera from PCO indicates its Polish origin, among other things.

Poland has delivered approximately 200 to 300 T-72M1R tanks and at least 60 to 90 PT-91 Twardy tanks to Ukraine. The T-72M1R tanks are a budget-friendly upgrade featuring the installation of a third-generation KLW-1 Asteria thermal imaging camera for the gunner and modified communication systems.

The rest of the tank's components, including the basic armor lacking reactive armor and the old 125 mm caliber gun, remain unchanged. However, the Ukrainians quickly addressed these aspects, generously equipping the tanks with Kontakt-1 reactive armor blocks and better anti-armor ammunition for the gun. The exceptions were only captured Russian new-generation missiles intended for exclusive use in the T-72B3M, T-90, and T-80BWM.

Additionally, the former Polish tanks were often reinforced with cage armor, foldable anti-drone nets, or jammers. As a result, a machine that surpassed the performance of Soviet-era equipment, such as the T-72B or T-80BW tanks, was created. Despite having better armor than the Polish variant, these Soviet-era tanks are, one might say, blind at night or in poor weather conditions.

Thanks to the thermal imaging camera, the gunner of the Polish T-72M1R tank sees better and more clearly, enabling them to detect and fire at the opponent's tank first. This is usually sufficient, as any penetration of the armor of post-Soviet tanks can result in a spectacular explosion due to the construction of the ammunition storage with an automatic loader.

It's also worth noting that in recent months, the Russians have fewer new machines like the T-90M, and often, relics like the T-62 and T-54/55 appear on the front lines, becoming easy targets for the Polish T-72M1 tanks.