21.06.2021.
T-72MS tank action at Lightning Strike 2021 exercise
Members of an Army Battalion equipped with the newly introduced T-72MS tanks are conducting tactical and live-fire drills at the "Pešter" and "Pasuljanske livade" ranges as part of the "Lightning Strike 2021" joint exercise.
During the training activities, the tank crews are working on improving their tactics, actions and procedures in performing offensive and defensive operations, independently and in cooperation with other SAF units, and practice firing 7.62 mm tank machine guns and 12.7 mm machine guns. By participating in the exercise, the members of the unit gain valuable experience in performing the most complex tank unit tasks, but also confidence in the reliability and power of the new combat vehicle.Since the introduction of T-72MS tanks in the SAF armament, members of the unit have undergone intensive training, and since they are excellent tankers, they have mastered handling the new tank in a short time, as demonstrated in this exercise. Successful firing speaks volumes about their level of training and the T-72MS tank’s firepower.
Procurement of T-72MS tanks for the Serbian Armed Forces is the result of military-technical cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation, and their introduction into service has improved the capacities and operational capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces as a whole. The tank is armed with a 125 mm gun with an ammunition load of 42 rounds, 7.62 mm co-axial (PKT) machine gun with an ammunition load of 2000 rounds and a 12.7mm Kord heavy machine gun with an ammunition load of 600 rounds.The joint tactical live-fire exercise "Lightning Strike 2021" is conducted at eight locations across Serbia by Army units in cooperation with the Air Force and Air Defence, the 72nd Special Operations Brigade and the 63rd Parachute Brigade.
