It is strange that, although the T-64 main battle tank was massively destroyed on the battlefield of East Ukraine, Kiev still refused to allow the T-84 to enter the battle.
It can be explained that the T-84 main battle tank is not in combat because their numbers are too small. The tight budget is the main reason why Ukraine cannot equip in large numbers. Estimated cost of T-84 is about 5-6 million USD / unit.
The total number of T-84 tanks of the Ukrainian army is currently only about 10. Although the country has increased orders, they are less likely to be replenished in bulk to fight in the East.
Ukrainian military officials believe that the cost for a new T-84 can be used to upgrade 10 T-64s. In the context of the fierce war in the East, the army needed a large number of tanks to fight. Ukraine has thousands of T-64s, so the solution to upgrading them to fight is considered a more feasible economic problem than buying a small quantity of T-84s and sending them to war.
The second reason that makes the T-84 has no chance to fight in the East is Ukraine’s desire to keep its reputation for a tank that is considered very potential in the export market. Many customers still trust the Ukrainian T-84 tank more than the Russian T-90. It is fair to say that tanks developed by Ukraine still have their own advantages, especially in the field of engines and fire control systems.
The latest T-84 version is equipped with a 1,500 horsepower engine, while the new T-90 is only equipped with an engine from 900-1,100 horsepower. Equipping a large capacity engine will help the tank more maneuver on the battlefield.
The maximum speed of the T-84 is over 70 km/h, a range of about 550 km. The vehicle can cross a trench of 2.85m wide, cross obstacles 1m high, wade 5m deep water.
The T-84 is equipped with a Zaslon active protection system that includes a radar that detects an incoming “object” and fires it. The Zaslon system has a reaction time of just 1 second and is effective against grenades, RPGs and ATGMs.
With such impressive parameters, the T-84 can be considered a “steel tiger” on the battlefield, but on the modern battlefield, there will not be any tank that can be invincible on the battlefield. With the firepower and modern equipment of the militia forces of Eastern Ukraine, there is no guarantee that the T-84 will not be destroyed like the upgraded T-64s.
It seems that Ukraine does not want to bring T-84 tanks into combat to protect the reputation of this weapon, to ensure export.
