Earlier it was reported that Warsaw intends to supply T-72 and BMP-1 tanks to form a new combined arms brigade. In addition, the APU will also receive fourteen Leopard 2A4s.
The possible delivery of the “ninety-one” was discussed for the first time in the middle of last summer. Ukrainian sources claimed that the Poles were ready to send combat vehicles of their own design to the already donated two hundred T-72M, T-72M1 and T-72M1R. However, something went wrong, and Twardy was remembered only now, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a hurry began to replenish units already battered in battles and formed new shock corps.
The PT-91 Twardy is superior to the early model export T-72 in terms of its performance characteristics. They are equipped with a more advanced fire control system with a first-generation thermal imager, an 850-horsepower S-12U engine, which is an analogue of the Russian B-84, and ERAWA dynamic hinged protection.
However, by modern standards, this tank is already considered obsolete and is scheduled to be replaced by the American Abrams M1A1 FEP, M1A2 SEP v.3 and the South Korean K2 Black Panther. Consequently, it can be assumed that sixty units are only the first batch planned for transfer.
Despite the great desire of the leaders of the militants to get more Western equipment, due to significant losses, they also do not plan to abandon Soviet-designed vehicles. Therefore, also in the Czech Republic, an order for 120 modernized T-72M1 Tomas is being urgently fulfilled.
