The Subject: T-72 Ural (1973)
The vehicle was also given the code name "Ural" after the testing location at the Uralvagonzavod plant. When a minister from Moscow visited the plant while it was still being designed in 1967, the head designer was chastised for not following their instructions. However, after being persuaded to at least look over the design, the minister was impressed with all of the new design changes and improvements made.
A dozer blade was present on the Object 172M prototypes created during the summer of 1972 for performance trials (shown in the photo below), and the final Object 172M model that was accepted into service in the Soviet Army as the T-72 Ural on the 7th of August 1973 had a dozer blade.
The 1st series production of T-72 Object 172M began in July at UKBM in Nizhny Tagil. However, due to difficulties in getting the factory organised for the change in production from T-64 to T-72, only 30 completed tanks were delivered in 1973.
Troubles continued in 1974 when out of a state production quota of 440 only 220 were officially declared, with the actual number of completed tanks being close to 150. As a result, substantial investment in tooling was undertaken. Only after modernisation, could the factory begin full-scale production of the T-72. Nizhny Tagil produced the tank in various modifications until 1992.
Of recent, the T-72 has had an all-too-familiar role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine on both sides. Often the start of the "Turret ejection club" showing often destroyed and disabled (or towed) T-72's in the hands of new owners.