| T-72 Adra/Mahmia تي -72 عدرا | |
|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Syria |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2014–present |
| Used by |  Syria |
| Wars | Syrian Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (CERS) |
| Designed | 2012–13 |
| Manufacturer | Adra Industrial City |
| Produced | 2014–present |
| No. built | Unknown |
TheT-72Adra (Arabic:تي -72 عدرا) or 'Mahmia' is a Syriantank. It is a domestic upgrade to theT-72M1 that featuresslat armor,spaced armor, and chains to provide 360 degree protection from RPGs.[1]
In the late ‘70s through the early ‘90s Syria imported a number ofT-72M1 tanks from theSoviet Union, as well asCzechoslovakia. These tanks were used in the1982 Lebanon War, with moderate effectiveness, after which it was called byHafez al-Assad, “The Best Tank in the World”. TheSyrian Civil War took its toll on Syria's T-72 fleet, with many tanks being lost in intense urban combat. To try to reduce these losses, while under an arms embargo, Syria developed the 'Adra' upgrade for their T-72 tanks in the town ofAdra.[2][3]
TheAdra consists ofspaced armor around the turret and at the front of the hull, with the spaced armour and chassis being covered in a layer ofslat armor. The turret ring is also protected by steel chains which hang from the turret and are weighed down with steel balls, in the hope that they will offer similar performance to slat armor, but with more flexibility, however these are rarely effective and usually do not detonate the projectile.[4] Later versions are protected withSarab Active Protection System against ATGMs.[5]
The T-72Adra was first deployed inJobar in 2014, where two were confirmed to have been destroyed. As of November 2017 at least 11 T-72's have been converted to this variant. But it went on to be deployed in EasternGhouta, and possiblyAleppo. However, by 2016, it was in wide use in Jobar, Qaboun, and Eastern Ghouta, and very limited use in Aleppo. The T-72 Adra is often used in urban areas where regular T-72's would be vulnerable. It eventually proved to be vulnerable to rebelM79 Osa andRPG-29 anti-tank launchers and was later deployed in Daraa, though they have on 2 occasion stopped RPG-29's and usually stop early model ATGM's and RPG-7's in 2017, to stop the rebel offensive in Al-Manshiyah by the4th Armoured Division of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). 4th Division convoy towards Daraa included at least 4 tanks, 2 BMPs and 1 BREM-1 (+ several IRAM launchers).[6][7][8][9][10]
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