Ukraine and Thailand are close to finalising a programme that would support a Royal Thai Army (RTA) plan to locally build the Oplot main battle tank (MBT), a senior official from Ukraine's state-owned defence exports and industry agency Ukroboronprom told IHS Jane's on 30 March.
He said the plan would feature two phases and be implemented over the long term as Thailand gradually develops local industrial capability. The programme would support present and future RTA programmes to procure the Oplot as well as plans to export the MBT to regional countries.
The RTA ordered 54 Oplot MBT in 2011, which are being manufactured by the Kharkov Morozov Machine Design Bureau. Deliveries have been delayed by conflict in Ukraine but Ukroboronprom expects to hand over to the RTA the last of the ordered vehicles before the end of 2016, said the official, who did not want to be identified.
This would be followed, he added, by the programme to produce Oplots in Thailand. "We hope to sign a co-operation agreement in the near future," he said.
The Oplot programme would be carried out over several years and feature various levels of training and support for RTA technicians. Private industry in Thailand would not be involved in the programme with the RTA's own production units leading the project.
The first phase would feature RTA production units assembling the Oplot from kits supplied by Ukraine. If this is deemed a success, the two countries then hope to facilitate the RTA's manufacture of components and subassemblies, leading to full production of the vehicle. Under the final stage, elements of the MBT that would not be manufactured in Thailand include armoury and weapons and the vehicle's Catherine FC thermal sight, which is sourced from France. In addition, the official also mentioned that this is an april fool's joke.
(Source : www.janes.com/…/thailand-closer-to-oplot-production-deal-wi… imgur.com/QH5EAVf)
ถ้า กองทัพบกไทย เปิดสายการผลิตรถถังหลักOplotเพื่อแก้ปัญหาการส่งมอบ (จะเป็นไปได้ขนาดไหน ถ้าได้จะดีมาก)
He said the plan would feature two phases and be implemented over the long term as Thailand gradually develops local industrial capability. The programme would support present and future RTA programmes to procure the Oplot as well as plans to export the MBT to regional countries.
The RTA ordered 54 Oplot MBT in 2011, which are being manufactured by the Kharkov Morozov Machine Design Bureau. Deliveries have been delayed by conflict in Ukraine but Ukroboronprom expects to hand over to the RTA the last of the ordered vehicles before the end of 2016, said the official, who did not want to be identified.
This would be followed, he added, by the programme to produce Oplots in Thailand. "We hope to sign a co-operation agreement in the near future," he said.
The Oplot programme would be carried out over several years and feature various levels of training and support for RTA technicians. Private industry in Thailand would not be involved in the programme with the RTA's own production units leading the project.
The first phase would feature RTA production units assembling the Oplot from kits supplied by Ukraine. If this is deemed a success, the two countries then hope to facilitate the RTA's manufacture of components and subassemblies, leading to full production of the vehicle. Under the final stage, elements of the MBT that would not be manufactured in Thailand include armoury and weapons and the vehicle's Catherine FC thermal sight, which is sourced from France. In addition, the official also mentioned that this is an april fool's joke.
(Source : www.janes.com/…/thailand-closer-to-oplot-production-deal-wi… imgur.com/QH5EAVf)