The T-72 was designed and first built in the Soviet Union.

T-72 "Ural" (Ob'yekt 172M) (1973): Original version, armed with 125 mm D-81TM smoothbore tank gun.
Unlike the later versions it had the searchlight mounted on left.
It also has flipper type armour panels.
It had the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder sight protruding from its turret.

T-72K: Command version of T-72 "Ural" with an additional R-130M radio.
Company command versions were fitted with two R123M/R-173 additional radios and also carried a 10 m telescopic mast.
Battalion and regiment command versions were fitted with two R123M/R-173 additional radios and the R-130M that uses the 10 m mast when its erected.
In NATO code T-72K was represented by three different designations: T-72K1, T-72K2 and T-72K3 which represented the company command version, battalion command version and regiment command version.

T-72 (Ob'yekt 172M-E, Ob'yekt 172M-E1): Soviet export version armed with 125 mm D-81T smoothbore tank gun with 44 rounds.
It was sold to Iraq and Syria and was also built in Poland by "Bumar-Łabędy".

T-72 fitted with a French 155 mm F1 turret for trials in India.

T-72 fitted with a British 155 mm Vickers T6 turret for trials in India.

Robot-2: Remote controlled T-72 "Ural".

Ob'yekt 172-2M "Buffalo": Modernization of T-72 made in early 1970s.
The angle of the front armour slope was changed to 30 degrees.
100% metal side-skirts protecting sides of the hull, added armour screens protecting the turret, ammo storage was increased to 45 rounds, modified suspension, added smoke grenade dischargers (SGDs), engine's power was boosted to 840 hp (630 kW).

T-72 "Ural-1" (Ob'yekt 172M1) (1976): new 2A46 main gun, new armour on the turret.

T-72V: ("V" for vzryvnoi – explosive) unofficial designator for tanks, fitted with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour fitted to hull front and turret.

T-72 "Ural" modernization.
Large numbers of early T-72 production models were modernized in 1980s.
The modernization included placing the search light on the right-hand-side of main armament, blanking off the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder and fitting of rubber skirts protecting the tracks instead of the flipper type armor panels.

T-72A (Ob'yekt 176) (1979): An improved version of the basic T-72 "Ural".
Overall, its offensive capabilities are similar to the basic T-72 "Ural", but it is much better protected.
The differences between T-72 "Ural" and T-72A include the searchlight being placed on the right hand side of turret, the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder being replaced by the TPD-K1 laser rangefinder, added plastic armour track skirts covering the upper part of the suspension with separate panels protecting the sides of the fuel and stowage panniers instead of the flipper type armor panels used in T-72 "Ural", the turret front and top being heavily reinforced with composite armour better known by its US codename - "Dolly Parton", provisions for mounting reactive armor, an electronic fire control system, MB smoke grenade launchers, flipper armour mount on front mudguards, internal changes, and a slight weight increase.

T-72A obr.1979g: Additional glacis armour with thickness of 17 mm of high resistance steel.

T-72A obr.1984g: Late production model with anti radiation lining.

T-72AK (Ob'yekt 176K): Command version of T-72A. In NATO code T-72AK was represented by three different designations: T-72AK1, T-72AK2 and T-72AK3 which represented the company command version, battalion command version and regiment command version.

T-72AV: ("V" for vzryvnoi – explosive) model with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour fitted to hull front and turret.

T-72M (Ob'yekt 172M-E2, Ob'yekt 172M-E3, Ob'yekt 172M-E4): Soviet export version, similar to T-72A but with thinner armour and downgraded weapon systems.
Also built in Poland and Czechoslovakia
T-72MK (T-72M(K)): Export version of T-72AK.
It is a command vehicle for battalion commanders and has additional radio equipment including the R-130M radio, AB-1-P/30-M1-U generator and a TNA-3 navigation system.
The main external differenc
The T-72 was designed and first built in the Soviet Union.
T-72 "Ural" (Ob'yekt 172M) (1973): Original version, armed with 125 mm D-81TM smoothbore tank gun. Unlike the later versions it had the searchlight mounted on left. It also has flipper type armour panels. It had the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder sight protruding from its turret.
T-72K: Command version of T-72 "Ural" with an additional R-130M radio. Company command versions were fitted with two R123M/R-173 additional radios and also carried a 10 m telescopic mast. Battalion and regiment command versions were fitted with two R123M/R-173 additional radios and the R-130M that uses the 10 m mast when its erected. In NATO code T-72K was represented by three different designations: T-72K1, T-72K2 and T-72K3 which represented the company command version, battalion command version and regiment command version.
T-72 (Ob'yekt 172M-E, Ob'yekt 172M-E1): Soviet export version armed with 125 mm D-81T smoothbore tank gun with 44 rounds. It was sold to Iraq and Syria and was also built in Poland by "Bumar-Łabędy".
T-72 fitted with a French 155 mm F1 turret for trials in India.
T-72 fitted with a British 155 mm Vickers T6 turret for trials in India.
Robot-2: Remote controlled T-72 "Ural".
Ob'yekt 172-2M "Buffalo": Modernization of T-72 made in early 1970s. The angle of the front armour slope was changed to 30 degrees. 100% metal side-skirts protecting sides of the hull, added armour screens protecting the turret, ammo storage was increased to 45 rounds, modified suspension, added smoke grenade dischargers (SGDs), engine's power was boosted to 840 hp (630 kW).
T-72 "Ural-1" (Ob'yekt 172M1) (1976): new 2A46 main gun, new armour on the turret.
T-72V: ("V" for vzryvnoi – explosive) unofficial designator for tanks, fitted with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour fitted to hull front and turret.
T-72 "Ural" modernization. Large numbers of early T-72 production models were modernized in 1980s. The modernization included placing the search light on the right-hand-side of main armament, blanking off the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder and fitting of rubber skirts protecting the tracks instead of the flipper type armor panels.
T-72A (Ob'yekt 176) (1979): An improved version of the basic T-72 "Ural". Overall, its offensive capabilities are similar to the basic T-72 "Ural", but it is much better protected. The differences between T-72 "Ural" and T-72A include the searchlight being placed on the right hand side of turret, the TPD-2-49 coincidence optical rangefinder being replaced by the TPD-K1 laser rangefinder, added plastic armour track skirts covering the upper part of the suspension with separate panels protecting the sides of the fuel and stowage panniers instead of the flipper type armor panels used in T-72 "Ural", the turret front and top being heavily reinforced with composite armour better known by its US codename - "Dolly Parton", provisions for mounting reactive armor, an electronic fire control system, MB smoke grenade launchers, flipper armour mount on front mudguards, internal changes, and a slight weight increase.
T-72A obr.1979g: Additional glacis armour with thickness of 17 mm of high resistance steel.
T-72A obr.1984g: Late production model with anti radiation lining.
T-72AK (Ob'yekt 176K): Command version of T-72A. In NATO code T-72AK was represented by three different designations: T-72AK1, T-72AK2 and T-72AK3 which represented the company command version, battalion command version and regiment command version.
T-72AV: ("V" for vzryvnoi – explosive) model with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour fitted to hull front and turret.
T-72M (Ob'yekt 172M-E2, Ob'yekt 172M-E3, Ob'yekt 172M-E4): Soviet export version, similar to T-72A but with thinner armour and downgraded weapon systems. Also built in Poland and Czechoslovakia
T-72MK (T-72M(K)): Export version of T-72AK. It is a command vehicle for battalion commanders and has additional radio equipment including the R-130M radio, AB-1-P/30-M1-U generator and a TNA-3 navigation system. The main external differenc
T-72 operators and variants