Tankopedia
Late Cold WarMBTMain Battle TankSoviet Union

T-80

In service 1976 - in service

Based onT-64 (derived from)

The gas-turbine Soviet tank: blisteringly fast, thirsty and expensive.

Built byKirov Plant, Leningrad and Omsk

T-80
T-80BVM — Russian Ministry of Defence, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Development history

The T-80 was the first mass-produced tank with a gas-turbine main engine, giving instant throttle response and remarkable acceleration at the cost of enormous fuel consumption. The T-80U added Kontakt-5 reactive armour and the Refleks gun-launched missile. Heavy losses in Grozny in 1995 damaged its reputation, though upgraded T-80BVM vehicles remain in Russian service.

Variants

One canonical record, 4 recorded variants.

  1. T-80

    1976

    First gas-turbine version, no missile capability.

  2. T-80B

    1978

    Kobra missile system and improved turret armour.

  3. T-80U

    1985

    Kontakt-5 reactive armour, Refleks missile, 1,250 hp turbine.

  4. T-80UD / T-84

    1987

    Ukrainian diesel-engined development of the same hull.

Notable actions

  • First Chechen War 1994-1996
  • Russo-Ukrainian War