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Russian tank crews in Tajikistan retrained to operate advanced T-72B3M tanks

The driver mechanics also practiced conducting speedy maneuvers, surmounting natural and artificial obstacles, and moving backward using rear-view cameras

YEKATERINBURG, January 12. /TASS/. The personnel of a tank battalion of Russia’s 201st military base in Tajikistan has undergone retraining to operate advanced T-72B3M tanks with improved combat properties, the press office of the Central Military District reported on Wednesday.

A batch of 30 T-72B3M tanks arrived for the 201st military base as part of its rearmament with advanced weaponry in December 2021. A battalion of advanced tanks boosted the capabilities of a motorized infantry unit through improved maneuverability and the crew’s armored protection.

"In the course of their training, the crews studied the combat capabilities and technical characteristics of the tank, the preparation of its armaments, sighting systems, and ranging equipment. At the Lyaur mountainous proving ground, the tank gunners and commanders conducted fire on the move against the targets located at a distance of up to 2,000 meters from the 125mm guns outfitted with the Sosna-U multichannel sight that cuts the time of detecting and striking targets," the press office said in a statement.

The driver mechanics also practiced conducting speedy maneuvers, surmounting natural and artificial obstacles, and moving backward using rear-view cameras, the statement says.

Russia’s Central Military District Commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin earlier said that a set of measures was underway to boost the combat potential of the 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan, including its rearmament with advanced weapon systems.

The T-72B3M tank can destroy targets with missiles from the halt and on the move, day and night, at ranges of up to 5,000 meters with fire accuracy close to 100%. The tank’s automatic target tracker increases the accuracy of fire against moving targets and substantially cuts the time of preparing for fire. The advanced communications equipment ensures secure jam-resistant radio communications.

The upgraded T-72B3M has received an effective protection system that boosts its efficiency both in combined arms warfare and in a combat environment with the massive use of anti-tank weapons, for example, in urban conditions.

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