Ukraine should thank its lucky stars. It has two of the most effective Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) at its disposal in the entire Ukraine war. No, I’m not talking about the much-ballyhooed German Leopard-2 MBTs. Nor am I referring to the completely overhyped (for Ukraine) American M1A1 Abrams or even the older British-built Challenger-2 MBTs. None of these systems have made a difference in the Ukraine war (other than to get captured or destroyed fairly early in their Ukrainian deployments). Instead, I’m referring to the ancient (by today’s standards) Soviet-era T-64 and the T-84 Oplot MBTs.

These two domestically produced systems have been more useful to the Ukrainian Army charged with defending against the invading Russian juggernaut than any advanced foreign system that has been gifted to Ukraine’s slowly collapsing Armed Forces. Specifically, the T-84 Oplot has been a key weapon in Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion.

The T-84 Oplot is a spinoff of the older Soviet-era T-80 MBT. Soviet T-80s were developed by the Kharkiv Morozov Design Bureau (KMDB) and were equipped with a 6TD-1 1,000-horsepower diesel engine. It made the T-80U a more fuel-efficient and cheaper alternative to the aforementioned T-80. Sadly for Ukraine, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, they could no longer rely upon Russia’s industrial base to sustain KMDB. So, the Ukrainians innovated their own variant of the T-80U, the T-84 and the T-84U.

Some Specs on T-84

Ukraine’s T-84 Oplot could cruise at a steady 43 miles per hour, faster than its Soviet cousins. A problem facing the T-84 was that there was little demand in post-Soviet Ukraine for the system. Back then, Russia was not the threat it would become. Moscow presided over a shambolic, broken state in the aftermath of the Cold War that was more a threat to itself than to its neighbors. 

Now, however, the Ukrainians desperately need every piece of armor they can get. Especially since the more advanced MBTs provided by NATO have had such a poor showing in the killing fields of Ukraine. The T-84 comes equipped with a KBA-125mm smoothbore gun, a KT-7.62 coaxial machine gun, and a KT-12.7 anti-aircraft machine gun.

Oh, and it can pop off laser-guided missiles against Russian tanks, helicopters, and other platforms. What’s more, it has Kontakt-5 Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), meaning it has a very significant defense capability. This new ERA kit incorporates hard lessons learned from the battlefield and can apparently deflect tandem-charge anti-tank warheads—something that has plagued both Russian and Ukrainian armored forces.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

If the Ukraine war is a portent of how the next great power war will be fought, then all the assumptions of the Pentagon and their defense contractors can probably be thrown out the window. After all, the T-84 is an old, far less capable tank when compared with newer Western systems, such as the M1A1 Abrams or the German Leopard-2. Yet, the T-84 (and its even older sibling, the T-64) have been excellent platforms for a Ukraine that is increasingly feeling the squeeze from Russia’s overwhelming war of attrition.

The T-84 is cheaper and less sophisticated than the Western systems that have been poured into Ukraine. Yet, it is a far better platform for the Ukrainian defenders. The Russians have exhibited a similar experience, where more advanced MBTs, like the T-14 Armata—or even the T-90M—are nowhere near as effective as the old T-72 MBT. One thing is clear: the future of war looks a lot more like the past than most weapons designers and strategists are willing to admit.

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.