Rare Soviet tank spotted in US military drills raises questions
5:28 PM EDT, September 18, 2024
The Bulgarian Military portal reports that during the Northern Strike 24 maneuvers, a rare Soviet-origin tank, the T-72AG, of which about 60 units were produced, was spotted in the ranks of the 203rd Reconnaissance Battalion of the US Army. This is not the first time this machine has participated in military exercises. What exactly do the Americans use Russian equipment for?
The T-72AG tank seen during the Northern Strike maneuvers is not the only Russian design actively used by US forces. Bulgarian Military notes that the US Army also includes MiG-29 aircraft, mainly used for training and reconnaissance purposes. This allows the Americans to gather valuable information about the capabilities of Russian machines and the potential tactics that can be implemented with them.
Russian equipment in the service of the American army
The mentioned T-72AG serves the Americans for the same purposes. Although the variant designated "AG" is a significant upgrade compared to the basic version, the US uses the tank to verify its capabilities under combat conditions. While the original T-72 is of Russian production, it is also in the arsenal of the Ukrainian armed forces.
This allows the US to practice tactics that can later be applied on the front lines in Ukraine. It is also important that having Soviet-era equipment in their arsenal lets Americans test how it collaborates with Western designs.
The T-72AG tank
We should explain that the T-72AG is a modernization of one of the more popular and effective T-72 tanks. It differs from its predecessor in several ways, such as its power unit, which reaches 1,340 HP and results in a 4-ton increase in weight compared to the T-72. The "AG" variant weighs 50 tons and accelerates to about 28 mph. The commander has access to an improved TKN-4S sight effective day and night, with a detection range of 3 miles (2 miles more than the T-72 with the TKN-3). Additionally, the T-72AG has improved durability by installing Kontakt-5 reactive armor plates on the turret. The gun has also been upgraded to the 2A46M1 version.
