Russian forces in Ukraine are wasting about a hundred tanks a month, according to analysts who scan social media to identify destroyed vehicles. At the same time, the Russian industry builds no more than 50 new tanks per month.
To close the gap, as productively as they can, the Russians are taking old Cold War tanks out of their old warehouses, renovating them, upgrading them in some cases, and then sending them to the front along with the newly built tanks. The stored tanks are visible on advertising satellite images, making counting them easy. )
The recovered tanks come with T-55s from the 1950s, T-62s from the 1960s, and a variety of T-72s and T-80s from more recent decades. Curiously, the most common thing is that they do not come with the very old T-72s. – the original T-72 Ural and T-72A models from the early 1970s. Those with thinner armor and more rudimentary funnel controls.
Twenty-eight months into Russia’s broader war against Ukraine, T-55 inventories are down 31%, T-62 inventories are down 37%, and T-80B inventories are down 79%. But only nine percent of the T-72s remain. storage. The Russians “withdrew a larger number of T-72A/Ural tanks,” wrote analyst @Highmarsed.
To be clear, even an absolutely rusted tank can be saved if the hull is disassembled and sanded and almost each and every component, which is rarely forged steel parts, is upgraded. “With enough money, time and spare parts “It’s probably imaginable to restore any tank,” @Highmarsed explained.
But this type of deep recovery is time-consuming and expensive. If an old tank is gone, and to be clear, the approximately 1,000 T-72 Ural and T-72A that remain in the garage may simply be “in poor condition. ” According to @Highmarsed, it is probably more productive to invest in a tank with the new logo.
Why would the Kremlin spend money on restoring 70-year-old T-55 and T-62, but 50-year-old T-72? The most likely answer is that the T-55 and T-62 have human loaders in their four-person teams; The T-72s are supplied with autoloaders that replace the fourth member of the team.
Autoloaders are complex and can be difficult to maintain, which is why the US military and many other NATO militaries have never used them on their own tanks. In a 1982 evaluation, the United States Central Intelligence Agency praised the T-72’s autoloader for its speed, but noted its complexity.
Sure, a T-55 is 20 years older than a T-72 Ural, but it’s a much less confusing tank and less difficult to restore.
So there is a strangely overlooked environment in Russia’s old tank arsenals. Newer complex tanks are worth restoring, as are very old undisputed tanks. But the old, complex tanks (the T-72 Ural and the T-72A) are not worth the time and money it would take to get them back into operation.
According to analyst Richard Vereker, older T-72s account for 10% of Russian T-72 losses. This is to be expected, given that few old tanks are used on the lines.
But this still affects the destruction of several T-72 Ural and T-72As each month, out of only a hundred that the Russians have taken out of storage. At this rate, the old tanks could soon disappear.
The rest of the first-generation T-72s would possibly never leave the vast fleets where they have been slowly corroding for decades. The Russians would have to be desperate enough to take a look at the 46-ton oxide pile that was once a working T-72 Ural and see something worth investing time and money in.
However, they can truly despair. ” I don’t think there will come a time when Russia runs out of tanks,” @Highmarsed wrote, “however, its tank fleet will likely shrink slowly but frequently over time, which will have a negative effect. “effect on their offensive capabilities. “
As their military strength gradually erodes from a lack of tanks, the Russians might eventually find it worthwhile to restore the old, complex tanks along with the older, simpler tanks and newer, more complex tanks.
Sources:
1. Oryx: https://www. oryxspioenkop. com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment. html
2. @Highmarsed: https://x. com/HighMarsed/status/1809641392232075743
3. Central Intelligence Agency: https://www. cia. gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000498195. pdf
4. Richard Vereker: https://x. com/verekerrichard1/status/1790461001202012642
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