What tanks in the army of the Republic of Belarus in 2023 - list of tanks of the Belarusian army
Belarus is a Russia-friendly state, whose army is the 60th largest in the world, has a good combat power and has about 537 tanks in service. In this article we will consider what tanks are in service in Belarus today, what they are and what their characteristics are. These are mostly Soviet vehicles that remained in the possession of this state after the collapse.
T-72B3 of the 2016 model
In 2016, a modernized T-72B3 tank was added to the ranks of the Belarusian army, on which a lot of money was spent from the country's budget. As technical improvements, the tank received modern sights, new radios, a 125-millimeter cannon and an engine with increased power of 1,130 hp.
The vehicle is protected by the second-generation Contact-5 modular dynamic protection system. Also added to the equipment is a digital display, thermal imager. For the first time the people could see this technique at the parade in 2017.
- Weight: 46.5 tons
- Cannon: 125 mm (2A46M-5)
- Engine power: 1130 hp.
- Maximum speed: 65 km/h
- Range: 500 km
- Quantity: 20 tanks
T-72B "Ural"
The main battle tank of Belarus is the T-72 Ural, which was one of the most mass produced tanks in the USSR. In total, about 30 thousand of these vehicles were produced between 1973 and 2005. In 1992, after the collapse of the USSR, about 1.5 thousand of them were transferred to the Republic of Belarus.
This version of the tank was modernized, it was equipped with a guided weapon system called "Svir", and also added protection "Contact". The cannon was also replaced by the 2A46M model range launcher. At the moment, the tanks in service in Belarus "Ural" consist of more than 500 units and are the main firepower.
The first development of these combat vehicles began in 1967, and mass production began in 1973. It was produced in the USSR and Russia from 1974 to 1992 at the Uralvagonzavod and Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant.
The turret is rolled up in 75 centimeters of armor, on the sides of the armor thickness is 80 millimeters. The cannon has not been modernized for a long time, it is the same Soviet 125-mm smoothbore gun. The tank is morally obsolete, but has a decent range and good speed. Besides, this amount of equipment is a pretty serious argument in itself.
- Weight: 45.6 tons
- Cannon: 125 mm (2A46)
- Engine power: 780 hp.
- Maximum speed: 120 km/h
- Range: 700 km
- Quantity: 477 tanks
How many tanks Belarus has now
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies report "Military Balance 2022", Belarus has 497 main battle tanks (MBTs) in service. Most of them (477 units) are Soviet T-72s, and the remaining 20 are modernized T-72Bs.
It is important to note that the number of tanks in the country's inventory does not always reflect their actual combat readiness. Many of the tanks in service in Belarus are likely to be in need of maintenance or repair. In addition, the Belarusian armed forces are not as well trained and equipped, due to the lack of combat missions, as some of its neighbors.
Overall, Belarus' tank forces are outdated and in need of significant modernization. The T-72s are inferior to the more modern T-90M and T-90, and even to the T-80, as well as to most Western models. Nevertheless, they still represent an impressive military asset for the country.
