T-80

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This article is about the Soviet main battle tank. For other uses, see T80

T-80U
T-80BV
Type	main battle tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union/Russia
Specifications
Weight	46 tonnes
Length	7.01 m
Width	3.60 m
Height	2.20 m
Crew	3 (driver, gunner, commander)
Armour	composite armour
Primary armament	125 mm 2A46 smoothbore gun
Secondary armament	7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun 12.7 mm NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun
Engine	gas turbine 1,250 hp (930 kW)
Power/weight	27 hp/tonne
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	335 km, 600 km with extra tanks
Speed	70 km/h (road) 48 km/h (off-road)

The T-80 is a Soviet/Russian/Ukrainian main battle tank. A development of the T-64, the T-80 first entered service in 1976 and was the first production tank in the world to be equipped with a gas turbine engine for main propulsion (the Stridsvagn 103 used a supplementary gas turbine by 1971). The latest version, the T-84, continues to be produced in Ukraine. The T-80 and its variants are in service in Cyprus, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine.

[edit] Production history

The T-80 has been confused by some Western analysts with the Soviet T-72, but a quick overview of Soviet tanks and their histories provides clarity: the T-80 and T-72 are mechanically very different. They are the products of different design bureaus (the T-80 from SKB-2 design bureau of the Kirov Factory in Leningrad, the T-72 from Uralvagonzavod at Nizhny Tagil, Russia), and are really only similar in general appearance. The T-80 is based on the earlier T-64 and incorporates features from the T-72, which was a complementary design.

The T-64 was the earlier offering of the Morozov Design Bureau (KMDB), a high-technology main battle tank designed to replace the obsolescent IS-3 and T-10 heavy tanks, used in the Red Army's independent tank units. The T-72 was intended to be a tank mass-produced to equip the bulk of the Soviet Motor Rifle units, and for sale to export partners and east-bloc satellite states. The mechanically simpler T-72 is simpler to manufacture, and easier to service in the field.

The T-64's story continues in the T-80. The Leningrad design bureau improved upon the earlier design, introducing a gas turbine engine in the original model, and incorporating suspension components of the T-72. This gave the tank a high power-to-weight ratio and made it easily the most mobile tank in service, albeit with acute range problems, since the turbine consumes fuel very rapidly, even when the engine idles. (Morozov's subsequent parallel development of the T-80UD replaced the gas turbine with a diesel, to decrease fuel consumption and maintenance.) While the M1 Abrams has a 1,500 hp (1,120 kW) gas turbine as well, the T-80 is almost half the size and weight; its consequent maneuverability sees it referred to as the "flying tank". The T-80 can fire the same 9K112 Kobra anti-tank guided missile as the T-64 through the gun barrel.

The T-80U main battle tank (1985, "U" for uluchsheniye ‘improvement’) was designed by SKB-2 in Leningrad (hull) and the Morozov Bureau (turret and armament). It is powered by the 1,250 hp (919 kW) GTD-1250 gas turbine. It is a step ahead of the GTD-1000T and GTD-1000TF engines that were installed on the previous tanks of T-80 line. This gas turbine can use jet fuels as well as diesel and low-octane gasoline, has good dynamic stability, service life, and reliability. the GTD-1250 gas turbine has a built-in automatic system of dust deposits removal. Of course it retains the T-80's high fuel consumption, which the Russian army found unacceptable during the Chechen conflicts. The T-80U is protected by a new generation of explosive reactive armour called Kontakt-5, integrated into the design of the turret and hull, and Brod-M deep wading equipment. It can fire the new 9M119 Refleks guided missile. The remotely controlled commander's machine gun is replaced by a more flexible pintle-mounted one.

The T-80U(M) of the 1990s introduced the Buran-P gunner's thermal imaging sight and 9M119M Refleks-M guided missile, and later an improved 2A46M-4 version of the 125mm gun, 1G46M gunner's sight, and TO-1KO-4 Buran-R gunner's thermal site.

Recently, the Russians seem to be abandoning the T-80. Because of the turbine-powered tank's high fuel consumption, and the poor combat performance of older T-80BV tanks in Chechnya, the Russian Army decided to standardize on the Uralvagonzavod factory's T-90 tank (derived from the T-72BM, but incorporating some T-80 technology), and have had some success selling it to the Indian Army. The Omsk Tank Plant in Siberia, facing a shortage of domestic orders, has sold a small number of T-80 tanks to Cyprus, South Korea, and China, and has demonstrated versions intended for export, including the T-80UM1 with active protection systems, and the advanced T-80UM2 Black Eagle concept tank.

[edit] Ukrainian T-80UD

In parallel with the T-80U, the Morozov Bureau in Ukraine developed a diesel-powered version, the T-80UD. It is powered by the 1,000-hp 6TD-1 6-cylinder multi-fuel two-stroke turbo-piston diesel engine, ensuring high fuel efficiency and a long cruising range. The engine support systems make it possible to operate the tank at ambient fuel temperatures of up to 55° C and to ford to a water depth of 1.8 m. The T-80UD shares most of the T-80U's improvements, but can be distinguished from it by a different engine deck, distinctive smoke-mortar array and turret stowage boxes, and retains the remotely-controlled commander's machine gun. About 500 T-80UD tanks were built in the Malyshev plant between 1987–91. About 300 were still at the Ukrainian factory when the Soviet Union broke up, so the T-80UD is more common in Ukrainian service than Russian.

Ukrainian exports of the T-80UD have been moderately successful, selling 320 units to the Pakistani Army in 1997–99. This contract almost fell through due to Russia withholding cast turrets and other technology. Ukraine was forced to make its tank industry independent by developing domestic components, including a locally-designed welded turret which was installed on some of the last T-80s for Pakistan.

A further improvement of the T-80UD is the Ukrainian T-84 main battle tank, including the new welded turret, 1,200-hp 6TD-2 engine, Kontakt-5 reactive armour, Shtora active protection system, thermal imaging sight, muzzle referencing system, and auxiliary power unit. The T-84U (1999) shows many refinements, including deeper sideskirts, modified reactive armour, a small reference radar antenna near the gunner's hatch (used to track rounds and compensate for barrel wear), and a large armoured box for the auxiliary power unit at the rear of the right fender. The T-84 Oplot (ten delivered in 2001) introduced turret-bustle ammunition storage, and the T-84-120 Yatagan has been offered for export, featuring a very large turret bustle and NATO-compatible 120mm gun.

Further information: T-84

[edit] Design traits

The T-80BV has reactive armour adapted to its turret and hull. The later T-80U has newer-generation reactive armour integrated into its design.

One of the T-80's advantages is the small size of the tank (about half to three quarters that of the U.S. M1 Abrams, depending on the aspect) and optimal internal volume (about half of the M1's, but a bit roomier for the crew than the T-72). This gives high armour to volume ratio (one of protection indices).

Except in more modern versions of the tank (like the T-84 Oplot), the ammunition is stored in the most protected area - below the crew inside the crew compartment in the autoloader carousel. This means that if the tank is penetrated, the ammunition can cook off, killing the crew and blowing the turret into the air. In most western tanks, like M1 Abrams, only part of ammunition is stored inside crew compartment and can cook off too; however, to protect the crew this ammo is usually stored in a blast proof cabinet with blow out panels above it in case it ever does cook off. Autoloader speed is from 7.1 seconds to 19.5 s depending on the initial position of autoloader carousel.

The carousel itself is actually quite well protected. It is the rounds stored outside of the autoloader, especially those in the fighting compartment, that are mainly responsible for this "trademark" survivability issue, and this problem is made all the more acute by the use of semi-combustible charge casings instead of the traditional brass ones, giving almost no protection from the white-hot metal fragments sprayed inside the vehicle in the event of penetration. A T-80 restricted to carrying ammunition in its carousel greatly reduces this hazard, though it limits the vehicle to 28 rounds of ammunition (a fully laden T-80 can hold 45 rounds), which may be quite inadequate for most combat missions on the high intensity battlefield, but more acceptable in low intensity operations.

Due to the low turret roof, the lowest gun elevation is a few degrees below zero and so it is more difficult to find hull-down positions that the tank can fire from. The latest prototype, the T-84 Oplot, has an entirely new turret with armoured ammunition compartment, and presumably improved gun depression (as does the latest Russian development, the Black Eagle concept tank).

[edit] Models

• T-80 (1976) - First production model, essentially a T-64 with GTD-1000 1,000 hp (745 kW) gas turbine engine.
• T-80B (1981) - New ceramic armour.
• T-80BV - Retrofitted explosive reactive armour.

• T-80U (1985) - New turret. Replaced Kobra ATGM with newer Refleks. Improved 1,250 hp (930 kW) GTD-1250 engine. Added Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armour; which defeats APFSDS.
• T-80U(M) - Improved fire control.
• T-80UD - Ukrainian diesel-engined version with 1,000 hp (750 kW) 6TD engine (exported to Pakistan).
• T-80UK, T-80UDK - Command version, equipped with an additional radio. The T-80UK with uprated GTD-1250 engine, Shtora countermeasures system, thermal sight, fire control, navigation system, and APU became the main Russian export tank in the 1990s.
• T-80UE (1999) - less expensive, simplified export version of the T-80UK, retaining Shtora APS.
• T-80UM - Russian version, with new Buran Thermal Imaging sight in place of Luna IR.
• T-80UM1 Bars ‘Snow Leopard’ - Russian 1997 prototype with new Arena active protection system (Zaloga 2000:4).
• T-80UM2 - Russian prototype with Drozd-2 active protection system (Zaloga 2000:4).
• Black Eagle (Chorny Oryol) - A series of Russian demonstration prototypes with new turret including separate crew and ammo compartments, blow-out panels on the ammunition compartment, new autoloader, Kaktus ERA, new targeting systems, and other undisclosed improvements. Six and seven-axle versions have been demonstrated.
• T-84 - Ukrainian development of the T-80UD, including T-84U, T-84 Oplot, and T-84 Yatagan models.

[edit] Variants

• BREM-80U - Armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) based on the T-80U, with an 18-tonne crane and 35-tonne winch (in contrast to earlier Soviet ARVs which had light jib cranes).
• BREM-84 - Ukrainian ARV

• 2S19 Msta-S - self-propelled 152mm artillery gun based on T-80 running gear and the T-72's diesel engine. There is also a NATO 155mm-barrelled version.

[edit] References

• Sewell, Stephen ‘Cookie’ (1998). “Why Three Tanks?” in Armor vol. 108, no. 4, p. 21. Fort Knox, KY: US Army Armor Center. ISSN 0004-2420. (PDF format)
• Zaloga, Steven and David Markov (2000). Russia's T-80U Main Battle Tank. Hong Kong: Concord. ISBN 962-361-656-2.

[edit] See also

• List of tanks
• List of Soviet tanks
• T-95, rumoured Russian prototype main battle tank with a remotely-controlled turret
• 125 mm smoothbore rounds
• T-90

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

T-80

• Pakistan Main Battle Tank T-80UD
• Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau—Ukrainian producer of the T-80. KMDB's pages for T-80UD, T-84, and Oplot.
• Main Battle Tank T-80U
• Army Technology: T-80U Main Battle Tank Information
• T-80U MBT, T-80UM1 BARS MBT, T-80B MBT and T-80UD MBT at army-guide.com
• T-80U Main Battle Tank at the Armor Site
• Tanknet forums .

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