Inside the T-72M1
The T-72 is definitely not for those prone to claustrophobia. Dimensionally, it is noticeably lower and shorter than the American M-60A1 and British Chieftain tank and it is almost 20 tons lighter.
The first impression on climbing into the T-72M1 (Obiekt 172M-1) is how cramped it is inside, even compared with earlier Soviet tanks such as the T-62. American and European main battle tanks are luxurious in comparison. Neither the commander nor gunner can stand in the turret with the hatches closed because the autoloader cassette in the hull floor takes up so much space. It feels more like sitting inside an aircraft cockpit than inside a tank as far as space is concerned.
The T-72M1 is conventionally laid out with the driver located centrally in the hull, the commander in the right side of the turret, the gunner in the left side of the turret. The engine is mounted transversely in the hull with the engine accessories in the rear under the radiator.
The turret interior is dominated by the massive breech block of the D-81TM 125mm main gun, as well as its associated ammunition handling system. The gun uses a conventional sliding breech, combined with an elaborate autoloading system. The main ammunition reserve, consisting of 22 projectiles and 22 propellant cases, is stored in a rotating ammunition cassette on the floor of the tank. The projectiles are stored on the bottom layer, and the Zh40 propellant cases are on the top layer.
The additional ammunition is stored in the hull around the turret: 4 projectiles and propellant cases in pockets in the right front fuel cells, two projectiles and Zh40 behind the commander's seat, two projectiles and one Zh40 immediately behind the gunner, three projectiles on racks on the left rear hull side, six projectiles on the rear firewall, and eight Zh40 propellants cases in cavities in the rear fuel tank on the floor behind the ammunition carousel. The only ammunition above the turret line are five propellant charges stowed near the gunner's and commander's station on later models of the T-72.
The 7.62mm PKT co-axial machine gun is located to the right of the main gun, in the commander's side of the turret. Ammunition for the PKT is stored under the commander's seat in two ammunition boxes, with an additional six boxes stored in nooks and crannies in front of the commander and gunner.
The tank commander's station includes the vehicle radio. This is an R-173 in the case of the T-72M1 and operates in the FM mode. The R-173 operates at 30,000 to 76,000 kHz and has 10 pre-selected frequencies. Unlike most Western tank radios, the R-173M operates via a throat mike that is part of the normal tanker's helmet. The same throat mike is also used with the tank's internal communication system. The tank commander's main sight is the bi-ocular TKN-3 sight, mounted in a fully traversable cupola. The tank commander can override the gunner's controls to traverse the turret, and he can bring the turret to his line-of-sight with the control handle on the TKN-3. The commander also has several small vision periscopes, though they provide a much more interrupted view than on Western tanks such as the M-l Abrams.
Another significant difference between the T-72 and many Western tanks of the same generation is that the commander does not share an optical picture with the gunner. On tanks such as the M-l Abrams, there is an optical elbow between the gunner's main sight and the commander's station that helps the crewmen coordinate their actions and that allows the commander to verify the target being engaged by the gunner.
The gunner's station is even more cramped than the commander's station, mainly due to the presence of the bulky sighting system immediately in front of him. The gunner's sights consist of a TPN-1-49- 23 active infrared night sight on the left and the primary TPD-K1 day sight with integral laser rangefinder immediately in front of him.
Turret traverse is accomplished by a set of hand grips under the TPD-K1 sight, and a manual back-up is provided in case the electric drive is turned off or disabled. "Air conditioning" in the tank is provided by a small, unshielded plastic fan, located near the gunner's left knee. This may be adequate in Russian or European climates, but it would be of dubious comfort in the desert.
The driver sits centrally in the hull front, with a single large periscope mounted in the glacis plate, and two smaller periscopes mounted in the hatch over his head. This station is extremely cramped. There is a small belly escape hatch behind the seat, but it would take a very lithe gymnast to use it in combat. The driver controls are traditional braking levers rather than the steering yokes found in most contemporary Western tanks. On either side of the driver are two large fuel cells which also have ammunition cavities.
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