View source for TR-125

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox weapon
| is_vehicle         = yes
| name               = TR-125
| image              = TR-125 tank during a military parade.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = TR-125
| origin             = [[Romania]]
| type               = [[Main battle tank]]
| used_by            = [[Romania]]
| wars               = none
| number             = 5-10 prototypes
| weight             = 50 tonnes
| length             = 7.9 m
| width              = 3.6 m
| height             = 2.2 m
| crew               = 3 (commander, driver and gunner)
| suspension         = torsion bar
| primary_armament   = 125 mm A555 smoothbore tank gun
| secondary_armament = [[PKMT]] 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, [[DShK]] 12.7 mm AA machine gun on commander's ring-mount
| armour             = Composite armour 570 mm (22.4 in) front of the turret
| engine             = 8VSA3 diesel
| engine_power       = 900 hp (671 kW)
| pw_ratio           = 18 hp/tonne (13.4 kW/tonne)
}}

The '''TR-125''' ({{Langx|ro|Tanc Românesc 125|lit=Romanian Tank 125}}) prototype [[main battle tank]] is a redesigned [[T-72]] made in [[Romania]] with Romanian components only. Number 125 in the designation stands for the 125&nbsp;mm A555 smoothbore tank gun. It is now designated P-125 (P stands for Prototype).

==History==
In the late 1970s - early 1980s, Romania ordered 30 [[T-72|T-72M]] main battle tanks from the USSR. The Romanian government asked USSR for a license to build T-72 tanks locally.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jurnalul.ro/sc-nteia/jurnalul-national/nicolae-ceausescu-si-licentele-militare-sovietice-319742.html |title=Ceausescu and the Soviet Military Licenses (in Romanian, from Jurnalul.ro) |access-date=15 February 2011 |archive-date=6 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180606055903/http://jurnalul.ro/sc-nteia/jurnalul-national/nicolae-ceausescu-si-licentele-militare-sovietice-319742.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Rebuffed by the Soviet leaders, the communist government decided to reverse-engineer the [[T-72]] tank.

The tank was developed from 1984 to 1991. The turret and the loading mechanism were developed by ICSITEM research institute from Bucharest, while the chassis was designed by ACSIT–P 124 from the F.M.G.S. (FMGS stands for "Fabrica de Mașini Grele Speciale" - Special Heavy Equipment Factory) division of the "23rd August" (now known as FAUR) factory from Bucharest.

Between five and ten prototypes were made between 1987 and 1988 and tested until 1991.<ref>Caravan, p. 291</ref> An order from the Romanian Army did not come however, and the project was later cancelled. The prototypes are kept in storage.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

==Description==
The vehicle has a modified suspension with seven pairs of wheels, unlike the T-72 and most tanks based on it which have six.<ref>Zaloga, p. 17</ref><ref>Gelbart, p.72</ref> This allowed the hull to be stretched by 1 m and installation of a more powerful 850-900 HP [[diesel engine]] 8VSA3, basically a variant of the engine mounted in TR-85. It used an old [[DShK]] machine gun for anti-aircraft purposes and was fitted with extra armour. The 125mm A555 smoothbore tank gun was developed by Arsenal Reșița factory. As a result of these changes the tank's weight increased from 41.5 tonnes (T-72M) to around 50 tonnes.

==Operators==
* {{ROM}} - The exact number varies according to the source: 3, 5 or 10 prototypes.

==References and notes==
;References
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web |last= Caravan |first= Alexandru |url= http://rft.forter.ro/2010_1_t/06-arm/06.htm |title= Tancul Românesc - O istorie (History of the Romanian Tank) |publisher= Statul Major al Forțelor Terestre (Romanian Land Forces Staff) |year= 2010 |language= Romanian |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110826042133/http://rft.forter.ro/2010_1_t/06-arm/06.htm |archivedate= 26 August 2011 |df= dmy-all }}
* {{cite book |last=Gelbart |first=Marsh |title=Tanks main battle and light tanks |year=1996 |publisher=Brassey's UK Ltd |isbn=1-85753-168-X}}
* {{citation |last= Zaloga |first= Steven J |year=1993 |title=T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-93 |publisher=Osprey |isbn=1-85532-338-9}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080618182415/http://www.forter.ro/ro/arme/tancurile/ Brief history of tanks in Romanian Army]
* [http://www.cartula.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=3141 One of the very few active topics discussing TR-125 on the Romanian internet]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022173522/http://militarium.net/wojska_ladowe/mt72.php Polish page about T-72 based tanks including TR-125]
* [https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/tr-125.htm Global security page about TR-125]

{{T-64_navigation|style=wide}}
{{Cold War tanks|style=wide}}

[[Category:Main battle tanks of Romania]]
[[Category:Main battle tanks of the Cold War]]
[[Category:Romania–Soviet Union relations]]
[[Category:T-72]]