T-72 TANKS MUST BE TRANSFORMED

In their present condition in desert circumstances T-72 tanks cannot be used though these tanks have been offered for NATO.

NATO experts have accepted the offer but the tanks must be transformed. The construction works will be done by a Czech company though the work could be profitable for the Hungarian state as well. The main problem to be solved is the cooling system of the tanks – after having made ten kilometers these Soviet tanks may break down in the hot desert. Roland Farkas, a captain serving in Afghanistan has published an open letter to Ferenc Juhász, Minister of Defense, desribing the anomalies there.

The captain criticizes the armour of the jeeps and the useless mounting of machine-guns, and the lack of wire-cutters on vehicles too easily ambushed. He mentions, however, that the unit has been sent a cartload of suntan oil over guarantee which might be handy in the extremely cold winter in Afghanistan. The minister has ordered an inquiry into the case and forbade the captain to make any statements.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó