M-84
The M-84 is a Yugoslav third generation main battle tank, a variant of the Soviet T-72. The M-84 is still in service in Croatia, Kuwait, Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Development and production. Development. The M-84 is based on the Soviet T-72M (export variant of T-72A) but with many improvements, including introducing domestic fire-control system that T-72M lacked, 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. Other variants were introduced later, most being  modernization packages. Production in Yugoslavia. There were about 240 Yugoslav factories which directly participated in the production of the M-84 and about 1,000 others which participated indirectly. Finalist was chosen to be in Đuro Đaković (company) Croatia by Josip Broz Tito, among other proposed manufacturers in Serbia:Goša FOM Smederevska Palanka and Mašinska Industrija Niš that where at that time the biggest producers of locomotives and wagons in Yugoslavia. Biggest manufacturers directly involved in production of M84 main battle tank in SFR Yugoslavia and Federal republic of Yugoslavia among former republics were: Production and development in Serbia. Producers in Serbia . Serbian version of the M-84 is the M-84AS was 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. Latest prototype version from Serbia M-84AS1 unveiled in 2017. has new fire control system with domestic laser and radar warning system, RCWS 12.7mm and soft active protection suite with new version of domestic reactive armor - ERA, later modified prototype of same tank unveiled in 2020 has better shaped ERA M19  reactive armour and some new situational awareness equipment including new ammunition. Exports. About 150 M-84 tanks were exported to Kuwait. The disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s prevented further exports of the M-84. Sales of M84 including negotiations of contracts with foreign partners were done through Yugoimport SDPR, at that time acting as Yugoslav state agency. Production and delivering was awarded to- and performed by Đuro Đaković (company). Design. Armament. The M-84A is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore cannon derived from the Soviet 2A46. The fume extractor 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. Along with its primary armament, the M-84 is also armed with one 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and one 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun mounted on the commander's turret. All versions of the M-84 have a crew of three. The commander sits on the right side of the turret, the gunner on the left, and the driver sits centrally at the front end of the vehicle. Like most Soviet  derived vehicles, the M-84 series of tanks do not have a manual loader, due to the tank's autoloader system. Protection. The basic tank has a cast steel turret with maximal thickness of 410mm; later, in the M-84A version, a segment made out of a non-metal, most likely rubber and boron carbide (see Chobham armour), was sandwiched between layers of steel. The glacis uses laminate armor, glass in plastic resin between two steel plates, in the A version a 16mm steel plate was welded on the glacis. Total armor protection ranges between 550mm-650mm for the glacis  and 560mm-700mm for the turret. During the wars in Yugoslavia the M-84's frontal armor proved very effective against any type of AT threat. Side or rear hits often result in a catastrophic ammo explosion. Twelve smoke grenades are positioned in front of the turret in banks of five and seven grenades. Night vision and gunner's sight are positioned on the top-right side of the turret. The M-84 has a search light used in short-range combat situations. The M-84 tank has nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection capabilities. Mobility. The base M-84 engine is a 12 -cylinder water-cooled V46-6 diesel engine, rated at 574 kW (780 hp). The improved M-84A has a more powerful, V46-TK 735 kW (1,000 hp) engine. With maximum fuel capacity (1,200 litres) the tank's range is 450 km, and with external fuel tanks, this range can be extended to 650 km. The Croatian-made variants have enhanced power plants. The M-84A4 "Sniper" model has a German-built 820 kW (1,100 hp) engine, while the M-84D has an 895 kW (1,200 hp) engine, the most powerful of all M-84 variants. The M-84D also has greater fuel capacity (1,450 litres ). The tank can ford 1.2 meters of water at any time, or up to 5 meters with a snorkel. Variants. M-84 (Yugoslavia) – The initial version based on the Soviet T-72M and produced between 1984 and 1987. Less than 150 units manufactured. Operational history. Desert Storm. Prior to the Persian Gulf War, Kuwait ordered 170 M-84ABs, 15 M-84ABI ARVs and 15 M-84ABK command tanks, from Yugoslavia. Four M-84A tanks were delivered; however, the Iraqi Army soon captured them after the occupation. Further deliveries were stopped for the duration of the war. The Kuwaiti 35th Al-Shaheed Armored Brigade was equipped  with 70 M-84s. During the retaking of the country, the 35th Brigade did not directly take part in battles with Iraqi tanks because of the M-84s similarity to Iraqi T-72 or Asad Babils. The M-84 was however very effective against T-62s and T-55s but some unconfirmed reports claim that a few of them were damaged, but recovered and repaired. Yugoslav Wars. Slovenia. During the Ten-Day War, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) attempted to regain control over border crossings, airports and other strategic positions in Slovenia. The Slovenian Territorial Defence had no armored units of its own and JNA  M-84s were commonly used to break through barricades. Slovenia inherited all the M-84s within its territory, once the ceasefire and Slovenia's independence was accepted. Croatia. The M-84 saw action in the Battle of Vukovar, where the JNA and Serbian forces deployed large columns of main battle tanks in urban areas without the adequate support of the infantry. Tanks and APCs found themselves extremely exposed and suffered significant losses mainly to RPGs. It was noted by anti tank crews that the M-84s were extremely durable in comparison to other vehicles fielded by the JNA. One account from a team in  the Battle of Vukovar noted that a single M-84 took 5 rounds from various launchers and direction with a 6th only knocking out its engine forcing its crew to bail out (its main gun being destroyed by a "lucky" AT shot from an RPG-7). Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, M-84s saw little action, the mainstay of all three warring parties being the T-55. At the beginning of the war, JNA units stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina had passed their equipment to the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). The VRS had several dozen M-84s, with the  Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina managing to capture only three M-84s. A number of M-84 tanks were used during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as during smaller localized conflicts. The number of M-84 tanks destroyed during the Bosnian war is unknown. Preševo Valley. The M-84 was used by Yugoslav army in Oraovica village during Insurgency in the Preševo Valley. T-72 – M-84 – M-91 Vihor – M-84D – M-95 Degman & M-84AS