Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces show a strong interest in the acquisition of the Belarusian-made T-72BME main battle tank (MBTs), a source from the Belarusian defense industry told TASS.

T-72BME at Milex 2017, in Minsk (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"Kazakhstan is planning to update its tank inventory and the country’s military has already paid specific attention to the T-72BME MBT. Being an updated variant of the Soviet-age T-72B tank, the vehicle meets Kazakh requirements, especially those in terms of cost and maintenance," said the source. According to him, the T-72BME was showcased to an official delegation of the Kazakh military in April 2018.

In fact, the T-72BME is a deep upgrade of the T-72B mod. 1984 MBT. The modernized vehicle has received the ESSA-72U multichannel sight that allows the crew to fire all types of tank ammunition (including anti-tank guided missiles) on the move. The MBT has been fitted with a meteorological sensor and new ballistic computer. The T-72BME can engage targets at a distance of up to 5,000 m by day and up to 3,500 m by night. The vehicle also works in ‘hunter-killer’ mode. The T-72BME is powered by an 840-hp V-84MS diesel engine and an auxiliary power unit. The tank has received a modern digital radio.