The T-80 is a third-generation main battle tank (MBT) designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union. When it entered service in 1976, it was the first MBT in the world to feature a powerful multifuel turbine engine as its main propulsion engine. The T-80U was last produced in a factory in Omsk, Russia, while the T-80UD and further-developed T-84 continue to be produced in Ukraine. The T-80 and its variants are in service in Belarus, Cyprus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. The chief designer of the T-80 was the Russian engineer Nikolay Popov.
T-80U main battle tank armament
The T-80U carries the 9M119 Refleks (Nato designation AT-11 Sniper) anti-tank guided missile system which is fired from the main gun. The range of the missile is 100m to 4,000m. The system is intended to engage tanks fitted with ERA (explosive reactive armour) as well as low-flying air targets such as helicopters, at a range of up to 5km. The missile system fires either the 9M119 or 9M119M missiles, which have semi-automatic laser beamriding guidance.
The tank is fitted with a 125mm 2A46M-1 automatic smoothbore gun with thermal sleeve, which can fire between 6 and 8 rounds/minute. Loading is hydro-mechanical with a 28 round carousel container. 45 rounds are carried. The gun fires separate loading projectiles which have semi-combustible cartridge case and sabot. Ammunition can be AP (armour piercing), APDS (armour piercing giscarding sabot), HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) and HE-FRAG (high-explosive fragmentation).
"The T-80U carries the 9M119 Refleks (Nato designation AT-11 Sniper) anti-tank guided missile system."
Armament also includes a 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun and a 12.7mm Utes (NSVT-12.7) air defence machine gun.
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| T-80U gunner position |
Protection
The tank is protected by a combination of explosive reactive armour at the front and gill type armour panels elesewhere. Other countermeasures include quieter running, gas-turbine engine which exhausts smokeless gases, improved heat insulation of roof and hatches, ventilation of the engine-transmission system, cooling system, smoke-laying system and smoke discharging system.
Fire control and observation
The tank fire control system is the 1A42 which includes 1V517 ballistic computer, two-axis electrohydraulic weapon stabiliser, rangefinder sight stabilised in two axes as well as a GPK-59 hydro-semicompass azimuth indicator and an azimuth indicator for the turret rotation. This system permits firing on the move.
The gunner has the 1G46 day sight and also an infrared sight.
Propulsion
The T-80U’s gas turbine engine is the GTD-1250 which produces 920kW (1,250hp). The GTD-1250 is a three shaft engine with two cascades of turbocompression. There is also an independent GTA-18 auxiliary power unit for use when the tank is stationary.
The tank has a planetary power transmission with hydraulic servo-system for increased mobility. The track and suspension system is fitted with RMSh track and rubber-tyred road wheels, torsion bar suspension with hydraulic telescopic double-acting shock absorbers. Maximum speed of the vehicle on road is 70km/h and across county is 48km/h.
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| T-80U commander position |
T-80UK command tank
The T-80UK tank provides command and control capability for field commanders and enable communications with superior command. It is similar to the T-80U but has a number of additional features. It is fitted with the Shtora-1 countermeasures suite also fitted on the T-90 tank. Shtora-1 is produced by Electronintorg of Russia. This system includes infrared jammer, laser warning system, grenade discharging system and a computerised control system. Operational range is 200m.
"The latest version of the T-80U being developed is the T-80UM2."
The tank has a combined symmetric dipole antenna for both UHF and HF communications. This increases range when the tank is stationary – up to 40km for the R-163-50U radio and 350 km for the R-163-50K radio. An AB-1-P28 1kW benzene generator is provided to power communications when the tank is stationary. T-80UK also has a more advanced fire control system, automatic loader for the gun, built-in turret ERA and TNA-4-3 navigational aid.
T-80UM2
The latest version of the T-80U is the T-80UM2, also called Black Eagle or Chiorny Oriol, which is designed to engage targets while stationary or on the move. The demonstration of the prototype tank was held in Omsk in September 1997. The tank has a new all-welded cast steel turret with ERA on the hull front and turret, an automatic loading system and relocation of the ammunition to the turret bustle for improved survivability.
Other improvements include a computerised fire control system, thermal imaging sights for commander and gunner, and the Arena active countermeasures system. The T-80 UM2 is planned for exports.
| T-80 | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1976–present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | First Chechen War, Second Chechen War, War in Donbass |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Nikolay Popov, LKZ (T-80), KMDB (T-80UD) |
| Designed | 1967–1975 |
| Manufacturer | LKZ and Omsk Transmash, Russia Malyshev Factory, Ukraine |
| Unit cost | USD $2.2 million T80U export, 1994. |
| Produced | 1976–1992 |
| No. built | 5,404 (as of 2005) |
| Variants | engineering & recovery, mobile bridge, mine-plough with KMT-6 plough-type system and KMT-7 roller-type system. |
| Specifications (T-80B / T-80U) | |
| Weight | 42.5 tonnes T-80B, 46 tonnes T-80U |
| Length | 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in) T-80B, 9.654 m (31 ft 8.1 in) T-80U (gun forward) 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in) T-80B, 7 m (23 ft 0 in) T80U, (hull) |
| Width | 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) T-80B 3.603 m (11 ft 9.9 in) T-80U |
| Height | 2.202 m (7 ft 2.7 in) T-80B, T-80U |
| Crew | 3 |
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| Armour |
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Main
armament |
125 mm 2A46-2 smoothbore gun, 36 rounds T-80B, 2A46M-1 with 45 rounds T-80U 9M112 Kobra ATGM, 4 missiles T-80B, 9M119 Refleks ATGM, 6 missiles T-80U |
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Secondary
armament |
7.62 mm PKT coax MG, 12.7 mm NSVT or PKT antiaircraft MG |
| Engine | SG-1000 gas turbine T-80B, GTD-1250 turbine T-80U, or one of 3 diesel T-80UD 1,000 hp T-80B, 1,250 hp T-80U |
| Power/weight | 23.5 hp (17.6 kW) / tonne T-80B 27.2 hp (20.3 kW) / tonne T-80U |
| Transmission | manual, 5 forward gears, 1 reverse T-80B, 4 forward, 1 reverse T-80U |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Ground clearance | 0.38 m (1.2 ft) T-80B, 0.446 m (1.46 ft) T-80U |
| Fuel capacity | 1,100 litres (240 imp gal) (internal) 740 litres (160 imp gal) (external) |
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Operational
range |
335 km (208 mi) (road, without external tanks) 415 km (258 mi) (road, with external tanks) |
| Speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) (road) 48 km/h (30 mph) (cross country) |
T-80U Main Battle Tank
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Oleh
hanna
