[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Well to start I've given this some thought for a long time to settle this issue since the testing of the Ukrainian OPLOT-M and the results tended to line up as I expected and as the refs. I dug up in my evaluations would show, what I perceived as weaknesses that shouldn't have existed did. I submitted the following two tanks into the game below, so again, I had to take the time to reevaluate them without being biased in my decision making process. I relied on my evaluations from the recent testing done, looked at the feedback I received from others, rechecked old refs. and found new ones and checked my conclusions against it's peer Russian T-90A UNIT 050, it's main rival T-72B3M/B4 when I play the against the AI. I now fully understand why the AI picks this tank not just occasionally, but just about ALWAYS! I really feel this is one of the better tanks we've ever entered, not only based on how it plays in the game but, in the fact try as I may and given what it's done to my OPLOT-M tanks, I can't find NOTHING wrong with it as presented in the game.

But to fully understand a tank when doing what I propose to do below by giving Don "my" firm numbers for submission, you have to go deeper. I looked at it's predecessors, other contemporaries and one of the best tanks during the period of operations of this tank as listed below.

As with the two already listed these next where also used to evaluate my numbers for STEEL/HEAT/ERA & STABILISER as submitted below. They are (The ones I've submitted or changed will have "*" by the name.) THAILAND *OPLOT-M (T) UNIT 019, UKRAINE T-84 UNIT 059, RUSSIAN *T-80BMV UNIT 046, SWEDEN *STRV-122A UNIT 358 (This tank was chosen because it is my firm belief there is no better "TOP" protected tank in the world. Acted as a check against me as the others did. This came about from tests conducted on their stock of Russian tanks with STRIX which proved devastating to them. Also these LEOPARD tanks were made to order for SWEDEN and NOT stock tanks. The "STEEL" for the turret hatch alone was increased just shy of 2 feet thick which means the surrounding "TOP" area has to be even thicker as all hatches are recessed to avoid such issues as over pressurization etc.. no different then on a Submarine and verified by my co-worker "JAKE" (Helped us on some BRADLEY issues we were looking into in the past.) the ABRAMS/BRADLEY Driver/Gunner extraordinaire. For further see the FB Patch Thread "Patch Post #2 for the 2013/2014 Campaign"), USA M1A2 SEP V1 UNIT 318, M1A1HA+ UNIT 484, *MIA2 SEP V2 UNIT 517,and *M1A2 SEP V3.

So...
UKRAINE/OPLOT-M/UNIT 064/CHANGE/STEEL/HF 75 vice 72/HR 10 vice 8/TOP 10 vice 7/HEAT/110 vice 104/HS 45 vice 40/TR 20 vice 18/ERA/HF 20 vice 15/HS 18 vice 15/TF 20 vice 15/TS 18 vice 15/TOP 20 vice 15/STABILISER 6 vice 5//My key tanks here where the T-84, OPLOT=M (T), T-90A, T-72B3M/B4, T-80BMV and STRV-122A. We know or should know the following by now, the T-90A is it's peer tank, the tank was RESET to the "-M" with the Hull strengthened and the Turret was newly built for this tank, ERA is better than the T-90A and the KBA3 MG has a first round hit probability tested to at least 94%. All this was born out in the evaluations during testing from the refs supplied in the posts and more as described above.

From the tests the average Kill RATIO stands at 3:1 loss favoring the T-72B3M/B4. All the issues have already have been covered with the solutions to help counter the situation and acknowledged.
PG. 82 Posts 813/814/815 (Last Para) and 816.
PG. 83 Posts 824 and 830
PG. 84 Post 832.

Something happened with the next Tank that I haven't figured out yet. I tried finding my posts concerning it when I submitted it, but, I couldn't though I'm sure I just missed them in my search. I'm sure a part of the answer lies in those related Posts.

THAILAND/OPLOT-M/UNIT 019/CHANGE/NAME/OPLOT-T vice OPLOT-M/STABILISER 4 vice 3/STEEL-HEAT-ERA to match UKRAINE OPLOT-M UNIT 064 AS REVISED ABOVE// Though at the time, OPLOT-M was primarily used in referring to this tank, I'm assuming to avoid confusion. The refs. are using OPLOT-T now as has the THAI Army for sometime now. The only difference between these tanks were a small handful of internal issues i.e. AC (Ukraine would add this feature to based on THAI feedback to theirs.) and other tropical related matters. I believe the lesser FCS related numbers are probably good assuming the Ukrainians didn't clear them to receive the full FCS to the level of their own "home" tanks. This is not an unusual practice in the arms trade. That being said, if it's decided to fully match the hopefully revised Ukrainian OPLOT-M then I see no real issue there either.

A final note, I REALLY want to thank everyone for their personal time given to running those tests and providing me with your feedback.

It made the extra work in research etc. to get to this point well worth it and I could've have done that without you!!!

Also I had come across some new information after the testing that might've altered mine a couple of others impressions concerning the Ukrainian KOMBAT ATGM. We believed it was operating as it should, the new information was passed to Don for probably a 3rd look by then, and he kindly took the extra look and reverified our conclusions of the KOMBAT.

Thank You for that!

Well I'm pretty beat right now so a Good Morning or Night to you and have a great week everyone!

Regards,
Pat