T-72

The T 72 is a Soviet designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. Chronologically and in design terms it belongs to the same generation of tanks as the US M60 Patton, German Leopard 1 and British Chieftain tank. It has been exported and produced in many countries since, such as the Iraqi Asad Babil model. The T-72 is significantly older than the Abrams, and the models is game are early outdated versions of the tank, or cheap export knockoffs.

In Game
The tank can be found in the levels The Coup providing security at the building Al-Asad was broadcasting from, in The Bog where you must destroy T-72s on the overpass with a FGM-148 Javelin, in War Pig where it attempts to fire its main gun on Vasquez's platoon, but it is soon destroyed by the War Pig tank, in Shock and Awe where it defends the capital and in Heat where you must destroy oncoming T-72s. Since all T-72 in the game only fire their main gun in scripted events and will only fire their machine guns if you get too close, all T-72 in the game are harmless as long as the player doesn't get too close. The tanks used by Al-Asad's army appear to be the T-72M1 type, which is in service with multiple armies around the world, most notably Iraq which used them to little success against Western-made tanks. In Modern Warfare 2 the Tanks are replaced by BTRs for the most part. Though some T-72 tanks can be seen in the background and many destroyed T-72's can be seen as well.

Weaknesses
As shown in the mission, "War Pig", when hit with a penetrating round in the turret, the ammunition for the T-72's main gun which is stored in the base of the turret, can cook off and explode. The explosion caused by the ammunition will instantaneously kill anybody inside the vehicle. The ammunition is stored here because it statistically is the safest place for it, unlikely to be set off by a mine, or set off by enemy weapons penetrating the armor. However, in the event that the ammunition is struck, the death of the crew is almost certain. The T-72 has thick armor, and is enhanced further in later versions (the T-72s in the game are early versions or export models). The T-72 is also a complex tank and for troops without "real" training, such as the Opfor forces, would be difficult to properly use. Which is why the tank crew of the T-72 in War Pig got itself into what Major Ingram would call "a real bugger of a situation."