Source: @global_tanks on Instagram
Sometime in 2024, Croatia provided the Ukrainian Army with thirty former Croatian Army M-84A4 Sniper (“Snayper” in Ukrainian) main battle tanks. One of these tanks is shown here, operated by the 141st. Mechanized Brigade. The M-84 is a Yugoslavian variant of the Soviet export model of the T-72A, designated the T-72M. Produced between 1979 and 1983 by the Croatian company Đuro Đaković Grupa d.d., some 680 tanks rolled off the lines. Ever since, the tanks have undergone modernization over the decades while in Croatian and also Serbian service. The M-84A4 Sniper is the final variant of the M-84A series and by 2008, the entirety of the Croatian Army's tanks were brought up to the M-84A4 standard. The type remains the mainstay of Croatian Army tank units and this is because the next modernization program, designated the M-84D, is extensive and costly. To date, only two M-84D tanks have been built.
The 42-ton M-84A4 is powered by a V-46TK 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled, supercharged, multi-fuel diesel engine that develops 1,000 horsepower. According to Đuro Đaković's promotional material, an optional “power pack” 1,000 horsepower engine is available and some believe this to be of German manufacture. The V-46TK is paired with a hydromechanical transmission featuring a 8-speed gearbox (7 forward, 1 reverse). Maximum road speed is 42 miles per hour. A 330 gallon fuel capacity gives the M-84A4 a total operational range between 310 to 434 miles.
The main armament of the M-84A4 is a turret-mounted 2A46 125mm smoothbore gun. The 2A46 sits within a 2-plane stabilizer with the mount providing 13.5 degrees of elevation and 6 degrees of depression. The turret gives a full 360 degree traverse. The original SUV-M-84 fire control system (FCS) is replaced by a more modern EFCS-3 FCS which is equipped with a DBR-84 ballistic computer. The gunner is provided with a DNNS-2 day/night sight and a laser rangefinder. Like all T-72 based tanks, the M-84A4 uses a automatic loader with 22 ready rounds of ammunition within the carousel situated beneath the turret basket. A further 20 rounds are stored throughout the tank's interior.
The 2A46 can fire a wide array of 125mm rounds. A typical APFSDS (Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot) round may be the 3BM26 which can penetrate 410mm of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) at a 0 degree angle at 1.2 miles. At a 60 degree, slope, the penetration is 200mm of RHA. The 3BK21B HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) can go through 260mm of RHA at a 60 degree slope to a range of 1.9 miles. The 3OF28 HE (High-Explosive) round contains 11 pounds of explosive and can be fired out to a range of 2.5 miles. The M-84A4 is not outfitted as standard to fire tube-launched ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles) such as the 9K119 Refleks (NATO reporting name AT-11 Sniper) and 9K120 Svir (a variant of the Refleks) or the older 9K112 Kobra (NATO reporting name AT-8 Songster).
Secondary armament of the M-84A4 consists of a co-axial 7.62mm PKT which is provided with 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Maximum range (not effective) is 1.1 miles with a rate of fire of 250 rounds per minute. The commander is provided with a 12.7mm NSV mounted heavy machine-gun outside his cupola on the turret top. A total of 360 rounds are carried for the NSV with the mounting providing for an elevation of 75 degrees and a maximum depression of 5 degrees.
To protect the 3-man crew (commander, driver, and gunner), the armor profile of the M-84A4 is much the same as the tank it is based on, the T-72A. The front hull supports 205mm of actual composite alloy armor but with an approximate slope of 68 degrees, the effective armor thickness is much higher. The turret is heavily protected with what the Soviet's called K-Combination. This is a laminate armor using hardened steel on the exterior turret shell behind which is a cavity containing a silicate (sand or granite), RHA steel, and ceramics. From the front, the turret has an effective 410mm to 500mm of armor thickness against APFSDS ammunition and between 500mm to 560mm of effective armor against HEAT rounds. The M-84A4 does not come with explosive reactive armor (ERA) as standard. Additional defensive equipment include an automatic fire extinguishing system, 12 smoke grenade launchers on the turret front for creating smoke screens, and a NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) system using filters and overpressure to seal the crew compartments.
Other equipment utilized on the M-84A4 includes a meteorological sensor (positioned right behind the gun on the turret top) and a Racal produced Jaguar V communication suite. The latter replaced the older, more conventional FM and UHF receivers. The Jaguar V uses UHF only receivers that feature the ability to hop across narrow or wide band frequencies to resist jamming. A TELDIX navigation system, DNKS-2 day/night commander's periscope, TNPO-168V driver's periscope, and a TNPA-65 auxiliary periscope round out the main equipment installations.
The Ukrainian M-84A4 shown here presents the breadth of add-on defenses Ukrainian units place on their tanks to give a measure of survival against enemy anti-tank weapons, FPV drones, and UAVs. As the M-84A4 does not come with ERA, Kontakt-1 blocks have been fitted to the upper and lower front hull and on the turret. Next, a complete metal frame cage supporting wire fencing has been secured to the turret. The open front of the cage is protected with weighted chains to foul drone propellers or the drone itself. Hanging down from the front of the tank are metal or rubber panels to provide a measure of defense against FPV drones looking to strike the thinner lower hull armor below the ERA blocks. Slat armor panels are secured along the tank's sides which have some effectiveness against HEAT munitions. Finally, the rear of the tank's upper deck is surrounded by what appear to be civilian radio antennas which, again, offer some defense against FPV drones or as a deterrent to attacks, forcing the FPV operator to try a more difficult vector to try to strike the tank.
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