19 replies to this topic

[Wizard]

I have a curious situation that requires me to establish some prices of the T-72 tank. I have done some google searches but haven't turned up anything of real substance. Do any of you military buffs out there happen to have seen a site that may lurk in the depths of the net that can identify this for me?

PS don't ask why I am not telling you

[Alias]

http://www.tanksforsale.co.uk/

Cue thread.

[Wizard]

I saw that thread and already saw that website. I don't want a surplus tank I want the cost of a brand spanking new one. Fully outfitted and setup.

[AZZKIKR]

may i know why? T-72s now are no longer in production. All are being modernised

[Wizard]

Er.... the real reason I can't tell you. I can however tell you that they are still manufactured and sold. Hence the need for an approximate price. I will, no doubt, find out their true commercial value at some point, however it would be very very helpful to know sooner rather than later.

[Alias]

I'm willing to put time into this, but only if I actually know what you need it for (even if it is just a brief statement). I just want to make sure my time isn't going to be wasted.

You are in the same situation that Boidy was in when he asked for money - many of us were willing to help if we actually knew why.

[Wizard]

This is a work related situation whereby the value of the tanks has a large bearing on several issues. As I have said, I expect to find out their true value in due course, however, the time delay in establishing their worth will not assist me in drafting the appropriate "legal" wording that I need to do for the job in question. I am trying to not be evasive on the topic, but business ethics (if there is such a thing) would suggest to keep the actual nature of this request as quiet as possible for the time being.

I have asked here as I know that there are several individuals that are very interested in military hardware and the general goings on of the arms trade and may have come across this sort of information in passing or at least know of somewhere to locate it beyond a rather wasted google search which I have already done.

If you the above isn't enough then perhaps I can discuss some more complexities via a "private" msn convo.

Edited by Beetlejuice, 31 October 2008 - 15:46.

[Dutchygamer]

You have clients who want to buy a tank? Okay...

[Wizard]

No, that isn't the case as I'd be an arms dealer and I would likely be able to find someone who could give me a price on this piece of kit. I am working for someone very independent of the arms trade and hence why I can't find out the going rate for T-72.

[CommanderJB]

I doubt you'll ever be delivered a factory-fresh T-72 unless you are a legitimate defence customer, at which point you'd almost certainly need to be a powerful defence contractor or a government representative. Certainly they're not legal for civilian ownership, anywhere, in an activated state, and it's not very likely you'll be delivered a factory-fresh deactivated one, as that would kind of defeat the point of the tank plant building them. I can find you a fully-outfitted T-72 as surplus, but new? I can't imagine you'd every be able to legally purchase a new one, and probably not even illegally. They aren't really being built any more; most of the versions you'll find for sale by ex-Soviet states are upgrades to existing models. New builds are more modern designs, such as the T-90 or Ukraine's T-80 variants by KBMD, who can be contacted through their website. Not T-72s though, they are much more modern and have a gas turbine engine and would be much more expensive.
I think by far your best bet is something like this:
http://www.russianmi...tails.php?id=86
As I can't really help you sourcing new vehicles. I can give you the plant names that used to build them, the Malyshev HMB Plant, based in Kharkov, Ukraine and at UKBM Nizhny Tagil, but I haven't turned up any contact information, nor do I know whether they are still carrying out new builds. If they are it's almost certainly guaranteed to be on an on-order basis, and I don't imagine an order of one example would be economical to fill. Sorry but I have strong doubts as to whether you'll be able to fulfil your client's wishes here from what you've told us.
Edit: Hmm, having re-read the thread, I think I may have got the wrong idea. There is just no info around on prices. All I can give you is an exceptionally vague ballpark estimate based on recent sales of upgraded models. Please note that according to Wikipedia, the only Russian plant currently producing tanks of any sort is the Uralvagonzavod plant, and they're building the T-90 as well as researching the new T-95, so there are no new T-72s coming out of Russia at least. The most recent Russia armoured deal I can find is the sale of 330 T-90S tanks to India, which was for a total of $800 million. However at least half of the vehicles were in knocked-down kits meaning the true deal price for an equivalent number of vehicles would likely rest around over $1 billion. This equates to approximately $3 million per tank. As the T-72 is a far older model I would estimate, with the word used in the loosest possible sense, that a T-72 would fetch approximately $1 million brand new, though given the better options available it may well be less. Please do not quote this to anyone; it is likely an order of magnitude out, but it seems at least loosely reasonable. It would fit roughly with an M1A2 Abrams unit cost of slightly over $4 million.

Edited by Igor, 01 November 2008 - 03:00.

[Wizard]

Thanks for that JB. These are Ukranian made 72's. And they are a military purchase for a middle eastern government so that would be why they are being sold largish quantities and not so obviously done. I suspect that true value will be hard to estimate based on what you've said and I think that it'll be slightly more than $1m. I guess I'll have to wait for what the commercial invoices say!

I'll let you know when I find out in due course.

[tank50us]

hey buddy, if you can find some tanks that are cheap to buy, and can be converted for airsoft, I'm all ears

[partyzanpaulzy]

I have read somewhere our (I mean Czech) government sold 120 T-72 to Georgia, but I think they were upgraded in Ukraine before getting to Georgia (which people were friendly with Russians* (dunno how has it changed during conflict), all except dictator**, erm president, the government and ruling party) and there was also 30 Dana Howitzers (poor Cchinvalli) and other military stuff (some radars and AAs).


*from reliable travel magazine Koktejl (mainstream, main travel magazine in my country).
**same (or worse) as Putin, just Putin isn't for America

[ultimentra]

Hey dude I would recommend you buy some tanks from china like their newer T-90s. They would be lighter, and cheaper and probably easier to get to as China will sell anything for the right price. You just need some pull is all, some kind of representation or some kind of intellectual device that would have them to take you seriously.

[Waris]

Type 90 != T-90

Is there a Type 90?

[CommanderJB]

The Type 90 is best known as the JGSDF's main battle tank. There was, however, also a Chinese Type 90, in fact it was their first reasonably modern tank, but the design was developed in several stages (one of which resulted in Pakistan's Al-Khalid) to become the Type 96, of which China possesses something like two and a half thousand examples. It's not built any more IIRC thanks to the recent adoption of the much more modern Type 98 and 99.

[ultimentra]

I cant wait to see russia's massive T-95, it has a 156mm cannon on it. its supposed to be an MBT too!

[Wizard]

For an FYI I have been advised that the cost per unit is thought to be US$ 345,000.00.

[partyzanpaulzy]

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

...

I have remember I have read in one topic on Czech forum about military tech (Palba.cz I think), one former soldier said
the soviets were affording their T-72s for some 2400 dollars/tank when they were leaving their base in Czecho-slovakia (it was 1993 I think).
It like all the leaving armies* do, they sell their weapons like they were toys (or few years old car in case of the tank).

On the other hand such tank can be on 75% wreck,
T-72 M4CZ has only one original component, panzer.
New motor, new loading system, new...

teeth of time...

*Watch the Lord of War, esp. that Palestina part.

BTW, there's easy way to get your car or tank away with no expenses, leave it somewhere in some darker streets.
I have read once, in Russia has been stolen whole 200t iron bridge.

To T-95: I found picture how it would look like, these are still speculation and it's strategically valuable to not letting know us, how new Russian tanks
look. Doesn't matter if they have it or not.
how this tank would look like (picture is probably too big)
http://www.otvaga2004.narod.ru/
otherwise it also could have non-separated turret, only Russian generals and top politicians knows (for other pictures use Google).

Edited by partyzanpaulzy, 06 November 2008 - 19:11.

[Wizard]

OK that is a little off the mark for what this topic is for.