T-80 Main Battle Tank (Russia)

The T-80 was an attempt by the Soviet Union to rationalise its tank fleet. Rather than have the 'advanced' T-64 and the 'basic' T-72, the T-80 was designed to bring the best capabilities of both together in one tank. The T-80 is in fact quite similar to the T-64 externally but differs in the running gear (six road wheels of a forged steel-aluminium type with a rubber tyre), track (modern end-connector track with central guide horns), drive sprocket (four spokes instead of three) and return rollers (five instead of four). The T-80 mounts its snorkel on the back of the turret, and can mount a third external fuel tank (as well as the other two on sponsons at the hull rear) on the engine hatch cover. The exhaust outlet was at the back, in common with the T-64 but different from all other post-Second World War Soviet tanks (which had them on the left side to the rear). The engine in the earlier models was a gas turbine, developing 1,000hp (such as in T-80B) which imparted excellent mobility, along with the wide track and improved torsion-bar suspension. This has been superseded in the T-80UM with a 1,250hp engine. A later model, the T-80UD, was equipped with a 1,100hp diesel engine, a testament to the thirsty nature of gas turbines. Armour protection is superior to both the T-72 and T-64 with additional laminate armour bulges being evident on the turret. The T-80 has also been fitted with second and third (T-80U) generation explosive reactive armour as well as (from the T-80U onwards) active defence suites such as the Shtora-1 and Arena defence systems. Shtora-1 attempts to jam the guidance systems of incoming missiles through pulses of intense infra-red light and Arena mounts a combination of sensors to detect incoming projectiles and launches a hail of mini-slugs to try and deflect them. The T-80 is armed with the same 125mm main gun as the T-64 and T-72 which is fully stabilised, has (in the T-80U onwards) thermal imaging and can fire AT-11 Sniper missile. It also has NBC protection. The Ukraine has begun production of an upgraded version of the T-80UD, the T-84. This has a larger welded turret, measures designed to minimise its radar and thermal signatures, and has a redesigned gun mount to make it easier to change the barrel. It mounts a powerful, yet compact 1,200hp diesel engine, explosive reactive armour and Shtora-1 defence suite.

(T-80B) Hull length: 7.4m. Hull width: 3.4m. Height: 2.2m. Crew: 3. Ground Clearance: 0.38m. Weight: 42,500kg (combat) Ground pressure: 0.86kg/sq.cm Max speed: 70km/h. Max range (internal fuel): 450km on road. Armament: 125mm smoothbore main gun, 1 x 7.62mm MG coaxial, 1 x 12.7mm anti-aircraft MG.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Foss, Christopher. 'T-80 Update' in Jane's Soviet Intelligence Review, January 1989, pp. 22 - 26.
Scneider, Wolfgang. 'From the T-64 to the T-80' in International Defence Review, June 1987, pp. 745 - 750. Schneider, Wolfgang. 'T-80 Update' in International Defence Review, August 1989, pp. 1019 - 1022.
Zaloga, Steven. T-64 and T-80, 1992, 1st Edition, Concord Publications, Hong Kong.
How to cite this article: Antill, P. (6 February 2001), T-80 Main Battle Tank (Russia), http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_t80.html

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