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| Specifications for the Russian T-80 Battle Tank |
Moskow - Russian battle tanks T-80 MBTs are one of the strongest tanks in the world. This is because Russia is the country with the most tank operators in the world. As quoted from Army Technology, the tanks produced and operated by Russia consist of several types, namely the T-72, T-80, T-90, and the latest is the T-14 Armata.
Of course, these tanks have various variants. But on this occasion, we will discuss more about the T-80 main battle tank (MBT), which is one of the mainstays of the Russian forces.
The T-80 tank was first operated by the Soviet Union Army in 1976. This tank was designed and manufactured by the Leningrad Kirov Plant (LKV). At the beginning of its production, this tank confused the West because its design resembled the previous tank, namely the T-72.
Quoted from The EuRasian Times, this Russian battle tank has a maximum speed of up to 70 km/h with an engine power of 1000 horsepower and can travel as far as 335 kilometers. While the engine used in the T-80 tank is the GTD-1000T, which is of the Gas Turbine type. This makes the T-80 one of the tanks powered by a Gas Turbine engine besides the American-made M1 Abrams.
The T-80 tank is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore cannon with an auto-reload system. The tank is also equipped with one 7.62 mm machine gun and a 12.7 mm (50 cal.) machine gun on top of the tank. This Russian battle tank can hold around 40 rounds of ammunition when operational. Even in the newest variant, the T-80 can also carry the Cobra anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). This tank has quite a lot of variants and has undergone several improvements.
The T-80B was the first variant to be produced. This variant is capable of launching Kobra anti-tank missiles through its main gun. Then there is the T-80BV variant which is a development of the T-80B. In this variant, the entire body of the tank is added with additional armor in the form of Kontakt-1 Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA). This additional armor can protect the tank from missile attacks and other anti-tank weapons.
The next variant is the T-80U which is known to be superior to the previous variant. This variant is called the second generation T-80 with a new type of 125 mm cannon that can launch the 9M119 Refleks missile. This variant also has several new computer devices that make it easier for tank crews to target targets.
The latest is the T-80BVM variant which is the most modern variant of the T-80. This tank has a larger engine with 1,250 horsepower. This tank is also equipped with the latest type of ERA, namely Relikt. In addition, this tank is also equipped with an Active Protection System (APS).
The T-80 is one of the most produced Russian battle tanks today. Many countries use these tanks besides Russia, namely Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Pakistan, Yemen and South Korea (as training tanks).
Here are the complete Specifications of the T-80 Main Battle Tank!
- Country of Origin: Soviet Union
- Put into use: 1976
- Tank crew: 3 people
- Weight: 42 tons
- Guns: 125mm smoothbore, 7.62mm, and 12.7mm
- Engine: GTD-1000T Gas Turbine (1000hp)
- Maximum Speed: 70km/h
- Mileage: 335 km
- Variants: T-80B, T-80BV, T-80U, and T-80BVM
- User countries: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Pakistan, Yemen, and South Korea (as training tanks).