T-84-120 "Yatagan" – the Ukrainian medium tank

During the Soviet Union, Kharkiv was one of the largest and most important arms centers in the Warsaw Pact. The T-34, T-44, T-54, T-55 and T-64 tanks were produced in Ukraine. Later versions of the latter model were developed by the Kharkiv Morozov Design Bureau (TchKBM), and manufactured by the Kharkiv Malyshev Plant. In the mid-1980s, the Ukrainian Tank Center began production of the most advanced Soviet tanks at that time, the T-80. After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine dynamically entered the struggle for world markets. Already in 1993 the TchKBM decided to continue the development of the T-80. A year later, the first prototype of the T-84 tank was completed. Its name can be considered a reference to the Soviet-era T-64 produced in Kharkiv. The first version of the T-84 tank differed from its predecessor (the T-80 tank) in that, it had a new fire control system, a modified gun night sight system, and was equipped with a second blind lens - a ballistic computer data display. These improvements significantly increased the tank's ability to attack targets, including moving ones, using the night sight system. Changes to the armor configuration were limited to replacing the original “Kontakt-5” explosive reactive armor with domestic counterparts. New fuel tanks were installed on the sides and rear of the turret, which were unique to these tanks. The tank was equipped with a new 1,200-horsepower 6TD-2 engine. The main goal of all these changes was to replace the original Russian parts with local Ukrainian ones. According to the manufacturer, 98% of the tank's parts were manufactured domestically. The tank in this configuration debuted in 1995 at the “IDEX “exhibition in Abu Dhabi. With this new, improved tank, Ukraine re-entered the global armored vehicle market. There were two options for this: the first in Malaysia (where the T-84 lost to the Polish PT-91M), and the second - a competition in Turkey. In Asia Minor, the T-84M was in the lead, but ultimately any success depended on the modernity of the combat vehicle. In 2000 work on the T-84-120 prototype was completed. The first major change, compared to previous models, was its 120 mm KBM-2 cannon with a 50 caliber barrel length. The armament was adapted to NATO requirements and standards. The second feature, that distinguished it from the “Oplot” was the use of a new mechanized loading system. Thus adapted to Turkish and NATO requirements, the T-84-120, under the new name "Yatagan", participated in the competition, but was unsuccessful. The Turks decided to abandon the idea of buying tanks abroad and instead created their own main battle tank.

A small, but well-designed and richly detailed small-scale model for medium-experienced and experienced modelers. The main difficulty, that prevents it from being glued by beginners and modelers with little experience, is precisely its high level of detailization - the tracks are given as strips and from separate tracks, there are many chassis’ parts, the entire tank is "full" of small details and complex assemblies. Even experienced ones will have something to get tired of!!! The model recreates a slightly "used" machine from maneuvers or training. There are no color reserves, no textual instructions, but who needs them, when the graphical one is the embodiment of all wishes: clear, meaningful, informative and perfectly readable!!!