Ukraine has supplied the first batch of five Oplot main battle tanks produced at Ukraine's state-owned Malyshev Plant (Kharkiv) to Thailand under a contract signed in 2011.
The parties signed a technical acceptance certificate for the tanks
based on the completion of a full cycle of running and firing tests in
Kharkiv on Tuesday evening, Interfax-Ukraine learned at the press
service of Ukrspecexport State Company.
“The foreign customer has confirmed that the technical
characteristics of the Oplots fully meet the requirements laid down in
the contract,” Ukrspecexport said.
In addition to technical acceptance, the parties will later sign a final acceptance certificate for the tanks, the company said.
In September 2011, Ukraine and Thailand signed a contract worth over
$200 million on supplies of 49 Ukrainian Oplot main battle tanks to
Thailand. Ukroboronprom’s Malyshev Plant started fulfilling the contract
in the spring of 2012.
In recent years Ukraine has been actively developing military and
technical cooperation with Thailand. The contracts concluded with
Thailand in 2006-2011 for supplies of Ukrainian military hardware, in
particular BTR-3E1 armored personnel carriers and Oplot tanks, are being
implemented today, and are estimated to be worth $500 million.
The Oplot main battle tank, created by Morozov Design and Engineering
Bureau at the request of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, was added to
the arsenal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in May 2009, and the first two
tanks were supplied to the Ukrainian army.
