Is Ukraine’s T-84 Tank the Best Homegrown Armored Vehicle on the Battlefield?: Most of the time you read headlines about how Ukraine is receiving tanks from other countries. Articles trumpet news about the latest batch of tanks, like the M1 Abrams, the Leopard, or the Challenger, heading to Kyiv to fight the Russian hordes. It would seem that Ukraine has no tanks of its own that have been domestically produced. But that is not the case, as one homegrown armored vehicle stands out: the T-84 Oplot.
Give Credit to Ukrainian Engineers
The T-84 is produced domestically, and it was sent to the battlefield this summer after being christened by former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov in 2023.
Origins of the T-84
The Ukrainian T-84 goes back to the Soviet T-80 tank in the latter days of the Cold War. However, the baseline T-80 was a gas hog, and Russian engineers devised a new diesel engine that was more fuel efficient. They dubbed this tank the T-80UD and installed the 6TD-2E 1,000-horsepower diesel engine.
The T-80UD was also cheaper to produce in numbers and the Soviets showed off this tank at military parades before the USSR broke up.
Now It Achieves the ‘Oplot’ Moniker
Once Ukraine was independent, the T-80UD became the T-84 Oplot. The Oplot was introduced in 1994 and entered service in 1999. That engine referenced above could put out 1,200 or 26 horsepower per ton of weight. The T-84 is speedy, with the ability to hit 43 miles per hour on roads, which is above average compared to other main battle tanks worldwide. The Ukrainian tankers can also feed the 6TD-2E engine jet fuel or other types of mixtures with diesel, adding to the tank’s versatility.
The T-84 has a crew of three. The T-84 has a climate-controlled system for its soldiers, and they can operate the tank at extreme cold and hot temperatures.
Well-Armed and Lethal
The T-84 has a great set of armaments. To top things off, there is a 125mm smoothbore KBA-3 cannon, a KT-7.62 (PKT) coaxial machine gun, and a KT-12.7 anti-aircraft machine gun. The cannon can shoot many different types of ammunition. The main round is the high explosive fragmentation. Next would be the armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot or the high explosive anti-tank rounds. The KBA-3 can even fire a laser-guided missile, that can be used against other tanks, armored vehicles, or helicopters.
Fire Control System Is Top-Notch
The T-84 has an advanced fire control system with a gunner’s day sight and a PNK-6 panoramic sighting system for the tank commander. There is also a PTT-2 thermal imaging sight and separate sights for the anti-aircraft machine guns.
Tough Armor to Penetrate
The T-84 features a modern armor for better survivability called Duplet explosive reactive armor that explodes in reaction to an attack. This makes an enemy round less likely to penetrate the armor.
Spoofing Anti-Tank Missiles
The T-84 performs great with anti-tank missile launchers. The Varta optronic countermeasures system works to spoof enemy missiles. The Varta uses laser warning sensors, smoke, and aerosol screening. Plus, there is an infra-red jammer. The Varta system can help the T-84 move away from incoming missiles. The Varta is made to jam the guidance system of anti-tank guided missiles.
There Are Just Not Enough T-84s to Make a Difference
That’s all great but the Ukrainians did not build that many T-84s. For example, at the beginning of the war in 2022, the Ukrainians could only field a single platoon of T-84s. There were only ten made by 2002. After the invasion, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces quickly threw every T-84 it could into battle. The 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade reportedly deployed them to attack Russian armor.
No Confirmed Losses
While there are only a handful of T-84s in Ukraine, military analyst Przemysław Juraszek claims there are “zero confirmed losses (no verified photos) of T-84 Oplot tanks.” Juraszek reports that at least one T-84 has been hit by Russian Lancet-3 drones, but the tank lived to fight another day.
T-84: Why Didn’t They Make More?
Unfortunately, the Ukrainians have not been able to produce the T-84 in numbers. All the goodies are expensive, and Kyiv’s defense industrial base has been curtailed by the Russian attack. Materials for the explosive reactive armor are not available since the war started.
This is a shame because the few T-84s on the battlefield are doing a yeomen’s job. They are well-protected against drones and anti-tank missiles which have eliminated so many other Ukrainian tanks. If the United States and NATO allies had been more prepared for the Russian invasion going back to the loss of Crimea to the Russians in 2014, they could have aided the Ukrainian defense contractors to produce more T-84s. As it stands now, Kyiv must depend on the largesse of allies to bolster its tank fleet. The T-84 now represents an excellent tank that is fighting a lonely war.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
