The Ukroboronprom state concern has announced that the next batch of Oplot main battle tanks will be supplied under the contract to Thailand next week.
“Next week we ship the next shipment: the amount is confidential information, we fulfilled three quarters of the contract,” chief engineer at Kharkiv-based Malyshev Plant (part of Ukroboronprom) Oleksandr Sheiko said.
The next batch Oplot main battle tanks will arrive at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand by sea.
“Delivery of 29 more tanks under contract will be finished this year if the Thai military agency agrees it,” Oleksandr Sheiko said.
At the moment, about 30 tanks were sent by Royal Thai Armed Forces.
The Oplot is main battle tank is developed by Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (KMDB) and produced at Kharkiv-based Malyshev Plant. The main battle tank can destroy ground-based and low-flying, low-speed aerial targets, while offering superior protection and high mobility for troops.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence inducted the Oplot-M MBTs into service in 2009. In September 2011, the Royal Thai Army placed an order with Ukrainian arms trading company Ukrspetzexport for 49 Oplot MBTs.
The first two Oplot tanks entered service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in May 2009. An over $200 million contract for the delivery of 49 Oplot tanks to Thailand was signed in 2011. The Malyshev company started implementing the contract in April 2012. Investment in the tanks’ serial production amounts to $30 million, according to the company management.
(Defence Blog)