A contract with Pakistan for the overhaul of the T-80UD tanks has begun in the Malyshev Factory located in Kharkiv. A contract was signed between Ukrspetsexport and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in February this year at the IDEX-2021 International Arms Exhibition for a total of $ 85.6 million.
Vadym Nozdria, Director General of the Ukrspecexport told Ukrinform “Work on the contract began on a schedule that includes the purchase of the necessary materials and components to fulfill the contract for the repair of the T-80UD tank fleet … The plant has already received an advance of 30% of this amount.”
“The first batch of tank components – including new engines, gearboxes and chassis – will be sent to customers in April 2022. In the future, the contract will be fulfilled on the terms of prepayment in installments,” Nozdrya added.
As per the news agency, two contracts were signed including supply of 88 tank sights and the start of a pilot project for the overhaul of an initial batch of five Pakistan Army T-80UD MBTs. Depending on Islamabad’s satisfaction with the upgrade work on the first five tanks, it will extend to the army’s entire inventory of around 300 T-80UD MBTs.
Pakistan Army T-80UD tanks could be upgraded to the standards of the T-84 Oplot-M MBT, an improved variant of the T-84 (which in turn is an improved version of the T-80), featuring a larger turret mounting sophisticated sensors and, among other things, a panoramic thermal-imaging system.
The T-80UD MBT is an improved variant of the Soviet-made T-64 MBT and was first introduced into service with the Pakistan Army in the late 1990s. Ukraine has sold about 320 T-80UDs to Pakistan. The country is also selling 200 Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building (KMDB) 6TD-2 engines to Pakistan to create a newer version of Al Khalid tank called Al Khalid II.
Malysheva, formerly the Kharkiv Locomotive Factory, is a state-owned enterprise specializing in the production and modernization of heavy and light armored vehicles. The factory is part of the State Concern UkrOboronProm.