M-84
| M-84 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin |
 Yugoslavia
|
| Service history | |
| In service | 1985–present |
| Wars |
Persian Gulf War Yugoslav Wars |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Military Technical Institute Belgrade |
| Designed | 1979‒1983 |
| Produced | 1984‒1991 (Yugoslavia) 1991‒2003 (Croatia) |
| Number built | ~650 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 41.5 tonnes |
| Length | 9.53 m |
| Width | 3.57 m |
| Height | 2.19 m |
| Crew | 3 (commander, gunner, driver) |
|
|
|
| Armor | composite alloy; including high-hardness steel, glass-reinforced plastic, RHA steel, and either sand or granite in the front of turret (M-84A). |
|
Main
armament |
125 mm 2A46 smoothbore gun |
|
Secondary
armament |
7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun, 5 smoke grenade launchers |
| Engine | diesel V-46TK 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
| Power/weight | 24.10 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Fuel capacity | 1200 + 400l |
|
Operational
range |
700 km |
| Speed | 68 km/h |
The M-84 is a Yugoslav third generation main battle tank, a variant of the Soviet T-72. The M-84 is in service in Serbia, Kuwait, Croatia, Slovenia.
The M-84 is based on the Soviet T-72 but with several modifications, including a domestic fire-control system, improved composite armor, and a 1000-hp engine. The M-84 entered service with the Yugoslav People's Army in 1984. The improved M-84A version entered service a few years later.
There were about 240 Yugoslav factories which directly participated in the production of the M-84 and about 1,000 others which participated indirectly. The main factories were:
The latest Serbian version of the M-84 is the M-84AS, unveiled in 2004. It features a new fire control system, Kontakt-5 ERA armor, AT-11 Sniper anti-tank missiles, Agava-2 thermal sight, and the Shtora defensive suite. It is very similar to the Russian T-90S, both in appearance and in capability.
About 150 M-84 tanks were exported to Kuwait. The disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s prevented further exports of the M-84.
The M-84A is armed with a 125 mm smooth bore cannon. The gas cylinder positioned in the middle of the barrel is shielded with a thermal coating that minimizes deformation of the barrel from high temperatures and ensures it is cooled at the same rate during rapid firing. The M-84 uses an automatic loader, which enables it to sustain a firing rate of 8 rounds per minute.
The cannon's ammunition is stowed underneath the turret (40 rounds) within the hull of the tank. This concept was inherited from the original Soviet design for T-72 and is both a strength and weakness of the tank. While the lower hull beneath the turret is one of the least likely place to be hit and penetrated by antitank rounds or mines, it also means, that in the event of penetration and secondary detonation of the ammunition, the crew and tank are unlikely to survive the resulting catastrophic explosion. This weakness was exploited by Croatian soldiers in the Croatian War of Independence to the detriment of the Yugoslav People's Army's tank crews. In later stages of the conflict, losses were reduced by adjusting and improving tactics.
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Wikipedia