The Yatagan MBT is a further development of the Oplot MBT fitted with a NATO 120mm smoothbore gun fed by a bustle-mounted automatic loader.

The Yatagan MBT uses locally produced components and subsystems, although systems of foreign origin can be incorporated at the customer's request.

This MBT was designed in 2000. Its design features the technical solutions tested during modernisation of T-72-120 battle tank.

In some publications the Yatagan MBT was also referred to as the KERN2-120 (name of prototype) or the T-84-120.

The Yatagan MBT armament includes a 120mm gun with chrome plated barrel, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun. The tank crew is also equipped with sub-machine guns and a signal pistol.

The main armament comprises a 120mm smoothbore gun to fire NATO-standard ammunition. The gun is fed by a bustle autoloader and fitted with a thermal sleeve and fume extractor (bore evacuator). The gun has a quick-replacement barrel which can be changed under field conditions without the need to remove the gun from the tank.

A total of 40 rounds of ammunition are carried. The bustle-mounted automatic loader contains 22 rounds of ready-use ammunition with a further 16 rounds stowed in the additional stowage place - the conveyer located in the hull, and two more rounds are stored in the fighting compartment. Types of ammunition that can be fired by the gun include rounds of all types and purposes developed in compliance with NATO standards - STANAG 4385 and STANAG 4110 (APFSDS-T, HEAT-MP-T etc), as well as Ukrainian-made laser beam-riding guided missiles.

The coaxial machine gun can be aimed and fired either from the gunner's or commander's station.

The Yatagan main battle tank is fitted with a fire control system derived from the Oplot MBT and adapted for the new armament. Its main specific feature is the ability to fire a barrel-launched 120mm guided missile.

Nowadays 120mm barrel-launched guided missiles are only designed and manufactured in Ukraine.

The Yatagan MBT was selected as one of the contenders to meet the requirement for a new MBT by Turkey (comparative evaluation trials took place in 2000).