Czech Chief of Staff Supports Transfer of Modernized T-72M4CZ Tanks to Ukraine

The Czech Republic is modernizing T-72M4CZ tanks, which can be transferred to Ukraine after the necessary work is completed.

This was stated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic, Karel Řehka, who emphasized that such a step was in the country’s security interests.

He intends to recommend that the government of the country transfer T-72M4CZ to Ukraine to strengthen the armored units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In April 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Czech Republic would restore 30 decommissioned modified T-72M4CZ tanks. This was one of the steps to maintain the combat capability of the armored forces before the transition to new German vehicles, in particular Leopard 2A8.

Previously, these tanks were decommissioned due to a lack of spare parts for repair and maintenance, mainly fire control electronics, which are no longer in production.

The Czech T-72M4CZ tanks, compared to basic T-72s, have a 12-cylinder CV-12 engine from the British company Perkins Engines with a capacity of 1000 horsepower. The tanks are equipped with the Italian-made TURMS-T fire control system with new sights, dynamic protection, and a number of other systems.

In 2020, it was reported that VOP CZ would repair 27 T-72M4CZ tanks, three command vehicles based on them and three technical support vehicles BT-72M4CZ.

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Jan Grohmann, the editor-in-chief of the Czech publication Armádní Noviny, told Militarnyi that before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Czech Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces had planned to modernize one battalion of T-72M4CZ tanks.

“The reason was not only their obsolescence, but also the impossibility of purchasing spare parts for systems that were no longer in production. The purchase of new tanks was not considered – the reason was the lack of urgent need and lack of funding,” says Grohmann.

However, according to him, after February 2022, this changed – the Czech Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces was promised additional resources, “there was political will, and a unique offer from Germany to supply Leopard 2A4 tanks, and later to join the Bundeswehr’s framework contract not only for the purchase of new Leopard 2A8 tanks, but also for auxiliary vehicles based on the Leopard 2 chassis.”

However, at that time, the contract for the modernization of T-72M4CZ tanks had already been secured. Therefore, the Czech Defense Ministry decided to continue upgrading the vehicles, planning to hand over one battalion of 30 tanks to the Ukrainian army after the work is completed.

“Instead of a complete modernization, it is rather a technical upgrade that involves replacing components that have been discontinued and replacing/modernizing communication systems, sensors and fire control components,” said Jan Grohmann.