T-72M vs T-72M1

[boring2004]

Cold war tanks have never been a strong suit of mine...

I can't tell any difference in game between a T-72M and a T-72M1 apart from the side skirts. Clearly something must be different, otherwise they wouldn't be different models - both in game and in real life.

Could someone help enlighten me as to what the differences are in game? Are there any exterior differences between them or is it all "under the hood"?

[Dooby]

The T-72M has an all steel turret while the T-72M1 has a turret with composite armor, it also has a 16mm armor steel plate welded on top of the front hull armor, which was added as a response to soviet tests in 1982 showing 105mm M111 Hetz from Israel (Dm23 in german service) could defeat the basic armor of most T series mbts of the time. T-72M1 is pretty much an export T-72A.

[boring2004]

Thank you, I appreciate it. Externally then - for the in game model - it's just the added plate on the hull and a slightly thicker turret?

[ActionScripter]

Originally posted by boring2004:

Externally then - for the in game model - it's just the added plate on the hull and a slightly thicker turret?

Correct. It takes a trained eye to see the difference in the turret shape, so the hull plate is currently the best way to tell. Also, if you see "gill" armor plates on the side, that's definitely a T-72M, as all the T-72M1 tanks have rubber skirts. (Some of the T-72M tanks have rubber skirts as well, so rubber skirts alone can't indicate the model.)

[plc]

First time I saw the gill side armour plates I thought they were a visual glitch. I had never heard of them before playing the game.

[boring2004]

Originally posted by plc:

First time I saw the gill side armour plates I thought they were a visual glitch. I had never heard of them before playing the game.

I thought they had something to do with fording rivers until I googled them last night!

[BobobVanBlob]

Originally posted by boring2004:

Could someone help enlighten me as to what the differences are in game? Are there any exterior differences between them or is it all "under the hood"?

Functionally, they are the same, shoot at the center of mass when facing it. Lase and adjust for lead when playing it. :^)