Posted on 02/06/2014 12:38:36 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
KIEV, February 5 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine has delivered the first five main battle tanks to Thailand of a 2011 order worth over $200 million, a state-run arms exporter said Wednesday.
The shipment is part of an order of 49 Oplot-M tanks to be put in service with the Royal Thai Armed Forces in the near future.
The Ukrainian tanks arrived at the port of Sattahip on Tuesday and will undergo additional acceptance trials, Ukrspetsexport said in a statement.
The Oplot is armed with a 125-mm smoothbore gun, a 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun and a 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun.
The main gun can fire a laser-guided missile against battle tanks, armored vehicles and hovering helicopters within a range of five kilometers (3.1 miles).
The tank’s protection system integrates both passive armor and explosive reactive armor.
Ukraine has recently become an active competitor on global arms markets thanks to a reputation for reliable weaponry, relatively low prices and extended post-sale and repair warranties.
According to data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Ukraine exported major conventional arms worth $1.3 billion in 2012, making it the fourth largest arms exporter in the world that year.
Sales to Asian countries accounted for 47 percent of exports, while African countries and former Soviet states bought 23 percent and 21 percent respectively of Ukrainian arms, SIPRI reported.
THAILAND????
4 mill per copy? That’s dirt cheap!
Yes, it is. The Oplot is a modernized T-80 which has been around for almost 40 years now so it’s “mature” and not terribly difficult or risky to build.
“The main gun can fire a laser-guided missile “
They are going to wish it didn’t fire that missile.
Don't say that so loud.
Every freakin municipality in the US will be buying one...
Nice muzzle... is that the Airsoft version?
Nice lipstick on the muzzle.
“Every freakin municipality in the US will be buying one... “
That sudden proliferation of tanks in your neighborhood is your tax money given to financial supporters (tank manufacturers). The army can’t use those obsolete things so they’re giving them to local law enforcement. (Crony capitalism.) I have a muzzle loading rifle manufactured at the end of the civil war. They were never issued because they were obsolete when made. So, they’re all in perfect condition. (Same thing, different time.)
does Maine want them back?
//sorry, stupid joke
Coming soon to a police department near you.
(You got a problem with that, citizen?)
I thought that was lipstick?
“They are going to wish it didn’t fire that missile.”
Might as well send up a signal flare these days...
LOL!!
In steaming hot Thailand, that bad boy better have A/C inside for the crew.
>>>Yes, it is. The Oplot is a modernized T-80 which has been around for almost 40 years now so it’s “mature” and not terribly difficult or risky to build.<<<
More like a T-64 and a crappy unreliable diesel instead of gas-turbine.
Good condition T-64s would still be devastating platforms for engaging Styker-type and BTR-type vehicles. While the poor armor is very vulnerable to even lighter shoulder-fired weapons the T-64’s main gun with modern ammo is a threat even to today’s tanks.
At Fort Benning we wargame against OPFORs with obsolete CCCP vehicles and especially in an urban environment Blue losses can go quite high against those systems.
Perhaps Thailand would prefer diesel engines as there are some advantages.
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