• Armament
• Fire Control System
• Protection
• Mobility
• Participation in International Exhibitions
• Participation in Comparative Evaluation Trials

Oplot Main Battle Tank - Other equipment

Oplot Main Battle Tank

The Oplot is fitted with an EA-8 under-armour diesel auxiliary power unit (APU) developing 8 kW. This allows the vehicle to run key subsystems without the main engine running (for instance, when the tank is operating from a static fire position or when the vehicle is on silent watch). The APU is mounted at the rear of the hull on the right side.

EA-8 auxiliary power unit

The deep fording equipment enables the tank to cross water obstacles to a water depth of 5 m (1.8 m deep water obstacles can be crossed without preparation). When fording, the Oplot retains its full nuclear, biological and chemical protection. After the vehicle leaves the water obstacle, the deep fording equipment pipes can be immediately jettisoned with the help of a quick-release mechanism; in so doing, the crew members do not have to leave the vehicle.

The navigation support system is based on the GLONASS and NAVSTAR systems. The system gives the tank commander his own vehicle position and bearing, as well as friendly force location. This makes it easier to control the friendly force manoeuvres, which is especially important when operating in a closed-down vehicle, at night and in misty or smoky conditions. The system also gives various other information such as steering direction to the driver to ensure the vehicle's movement towards the pre-selected destination point.

The navigation support system enables the tank commander to transmit information (including encoded information) through a digital communication channel by using the standard radio set. This feature represents a key element in command and control system which will be enhanced at a future date or adapted according to a specific customer's requirements.

Navigation support system components

Navigation system installed at the commander's station

The self-entrenching device is mounted under the front of the hull and enables the tank to dig up a tank caponier within 15-40 minutes (this depends on the structure of the soil).

Self-entrenching device in use

The communications equipment consists of an R-173M VHF radio set, an R-163-50K HF radio set, and a crew intercom system.

R-173M radio set at the commander's station

R-163-50K radio set

To carry out mine-clearing operations, the Oplot can be fitted with various types of plough and roller-type mine-clearing systems at the front of the hull including KMT-6 plough-type system and KMT-7 roller-type system, both systems being designed for quick installation on the vehicle at unit level. The vehicle hull front is fitted with attachment points for the systems.

An unditching beam can be mounted at the rear of the hull.

KMT-6 mine clearing system

In the standard version, the Oplot has no air-conditioning system, but as an option, the Ukrainian-made KTT air conditioning system can be fitted. With an outside temperature of 55 °C, the air conditioning system maintains interior temperature at +15-20 °C. The cooled interior compartment improves electronics reliability and improves crew performance.

KTT air conditioning system

The Oplot MBT design is flexible and could be customised to meet other users' specific operational needs. The options being offered for the export market include an air conditioning system (see above), German-designed sophisticated navigation system, Belgian-made coaxial and anti-aircraft machine guns, French-designed radio equipment an so on. The tank design is modular and its components can be modified over time to cater for changes in the threat posed by the new generations of sophisticated anti-tank weapons as well as being further improved as advanced technologies become available, or slightly modified to suit varying tactical requirements and combinations of firepower, protection, and mobility. A number of technical improvements are currently in development, including sophisticated battle management system with digital map display (which can greatly increase awareness of the tactical situation enabling tank units to react more quickly and reduce crew work-load as well as the risk of fratricidal fire), automatic target tracking in the fire-control system (which enhances its ability to engage moving targets or on the move, eliminating the gunner’s tracking error), battlefield ‘identification friend or foe’ system, electronic engine management, inter-vehicle digital communication etc.

Nowadays, when the prominent role of main battle tanks on the battlefield is being called into question as the tanks are mostly used in tank-versus-tank engagements, the Oplot is designed as a fighting vehicle with multi-purpose capabilities that is able not only to destroy tanks but also to carry out a wide variety of secondary tasks as well as capable of engaging a wide variety of targets, including lightly armoured or unarmoured vehicles, men in the open and protected pinpoint targets such as emplacements or fortified positions.

German-designed navigation system installed at the Oplot MBT driver's compartment

Support Vehicles

The following key support vehicles can also be supplied to provide the Oplot MBT with technical and logistic support during its operational life:

• BREM-84 armoured repair and recovery vehicle (based on the Oplot chassis);
• BMU-84 armoured vehicle-launched bridge (based on the Oplot chassis);
• tracked carrier with a carrying capacity of 12 t (its main sub-assemblies are similar to those of the Oplot);
• various tank maintenance mobile workshops (based on the chassis of cross-country vehicles).

BREM-84 armoured repair and recovery vehicle

Product Support

Throughout the operational life of the Oplot MBT the KMDB and its sub-contractors provide users with the following product support:

• training courses
• training equipment
• assistance and advice on equipment management
• in-country support
• scaling and supply of spare parts
• post-design services
• publications

Examples of International Cooperation

At customers' request, the T-84 MBT can be fitted with various equipment which can best meet their requirements. Such equipment is produced by the companies that are world leaders in their sphere of activities.

Examples are as follows:

• thermal cameras produced by the THALES company of France
• vehicle crew intercom systems produced by the THALES company of France
• machine guns produced by the FN HERSTAL company of Belgium
• navigation equipment produced by the LITEF company of Germany
• meteorological sensors produced by the IRDAM company of Switzerland

Anti-aircraft machine gun system comprising the FN HERSTAL-made machine gun

Vehicle crew intercom system made by the THALES company