Modern designers of armored vehicles are forced to work in difficult conditions of intense competition in the foreign market. They should choose the right solutions, find the optimal relationship between fighting qualities and price.
An example of a fairly successful design in terms of marketing is the T-84U Oplot, a tank developed in Kharkov. Despite the fact that no fundamentally new schematic solutions were used in its development, it turned out to be in demand on the foreign market.
The power plant is located at the rear, the tower is inhabited, in a word, everything is like its ancestor, the T-80, designed back in the Soviet years and, in turn, leading the family tree from the reliable and powerful T-54.
However, there are very serious advantages that the Oplot tank can boast of. Technical characteristics are markedly improved due to the installation of an ultra-powerful (1200 hp) engine capable of working on almost everything that burns. Diesel, kerosene, gasoline, and even alcohol will do. You can mix different types of fuel in any proportion.
Oplot is a tank designed to meet the requirements of the international arms market. In order to increase its export potential, solutions were used that were not typical for the Soviet school of designing armored vehicles. Instead of the usual control levers, the driver uses a steering wheel to move the machine, which is more typical of American tanks. The caliber of the turret gun meets NATO standards - 125 mm.
Significantly enhanced armor protection, especially the side planes of the hull. Oplot is a tank in which for the first time in Ukraine the technology of solid forging of a tower is applied.
Especially important are changes in the instrumentation of the combat vehicle. The widespread use of imported fire control units and exterior orientation also solves the problem of providing greater attractiveness for foreign buyers.
Certainly, the Ukrainian Oplot tank is good, and thanks to many expensive components used in its design, it surpasses the Russian T-90 in some respects. However, evaluating and comparing these two machines, one should compare not only technical characteristics, but also many other factors.
Firstly, the T-90 in Russia has already been discontinued, that is, it is recognized as obsolete in the manufacturing country itself. This fact may mean one thing - on the way there are already new (and fundamentally) samples. These include the Armata car. Therefore, despite the victory in the tender for the supply of the Thai army to a batch of this equipment, it can be stated that there is clearly not enough money for serious design work in Kharkov. Comparison with the model of an already outgoing generation in itself indicates that the Oplot is a tank that is outdated at the level of the concept.
Secondly, the possibilities for mass production of this machine are also subject to assessment. The number of "Bastions" purchased for the Ukrainian armed forces barely exceeds a dozen combat units. As for the foreign armies, they are in no hurry to rearm, preferring to maintain good relations with long-standing suppliers from the USA and other Western countries.