Tank t 80 specifications. The T-80 turned out to be a complete disaster. tank memory

Modern battle tanks of Russia and the world photos, videos, pictures to watch online. This article gives an idea of ​​the modern tank fleet. It is based on the classification principle used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, then others have already become a museum exhibit. And all for 10 years! To follow in the footsteps of the Jane's guide and not consider this combat vehicle (quite by the way, curious in design and fiercely discussed at the time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet of the last quarter of the 20th century, the authors considered it unfair.

Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of armament of the ground forces. The tank was and probably will remain a modern weapon for a long time due to the ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable crew protection. These unique qualities tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technologies accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers of combat properties and achievements of the military-technical level. In the age-old confrontation "projectile - armor", as practice shows, protection from a projectile is being improved more and more, acquiring new qualities: activity, multi-layeredness, self-defense. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.

Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to perform quick maneuvers on impassable roads, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through the territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, induce panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and caterpillars . The war of 1939-1945 was the most ordeal for all mankind, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was the battle of the titans - the most unique period that theorists argued about in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large quantities virtually all warring parties. At this time, a "check for lice" and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank troops took place. And it is the Soviet tank troops that are most affected by all this.

Tanks in battle that became a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, be able to launch powerful tank formations on the battlefield already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks "in the days of testing ", from 1937 to the beginning of 1943. When writing the book, materials from the archives of Russia and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that was deposited in my memory with some depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and stopped only at the beginning of forty-third, - said the former general designer of self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, - there was some kind of pre-stormy state.

Tanks of the Second World War, it was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of "the wisest of the wise leader of all peoples"), who was able to create the tank that, a few years later, would shock German tank generals. And what’s more, he didn’t just create it, the designer managed to prove to these stupid military men that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked “highway”. The author is in slightly different positions that he formed after meeting with the pre-war documents RGVA and RGAE Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something "generally accepted". this work describes the history of Soviet tank building in the most difficult years - from the beginning of a radical restructuring of all the activities of design bureaus and people's commissariats as a whole, during a frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.

Tanks Wikipedia the author wants to express his special gratitude for the help in the selection and processing of materials to M. Kolomiyets, and also to thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication "Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941" because this book helped to understand the fate of some projects, unclear before. I would also like to recall with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former Chief Designer of UZTM, which helped to take a fresh look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War Soviet Union. Today, for some reason, it is customary to talk about 1937-1938 in our country. only from the point of view of repressions, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime ... "From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinkogo.

Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time sounded from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events, the Soviet tank began to turn from a "mechanized cavalry" (in which one of its combat qualities protruded by reducing others) into a balanced combat vehicle, which simultaneously had powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good cross-country ability and mobility with armor protection, capable of maintaining its combat effectiveness when shelling a potential enemy with the most massive anti-tank weapons.

It was recommended that large tanks be introduced into the composition in addition only special tanks - floating, chemical. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was reinforced by the transition from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form in 1938 to the four existing mechanized corps three more additionally, believing that these formations are immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they require a different organization of the rear. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, have been adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov, the new chief demanded to strengthen the armor of new tanks so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).

The latest tanks in the world when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one step ... "This problem could be solved in two ways. Firstly, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly," by using increased armor resistance". It is easy to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use of specially hardened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its durability by 1.2-1.5 It was this path (the use of specially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.

Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most massively used, the properties of which were identical in all directions. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of the armor business, the craftsmen strove to create just such armor, because uniformity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of the armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. So heterogeneous (heterogeneous) armor came into use.

In military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a result) to an increase in brittleness. Thus, the most durable armor, other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often pricked even from bursts of high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production in the manufacture of homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the highest possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened by saturation with carbon and silicon armor was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, processing a hot plate with a jet of lighting gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required high costs and an increase in production culture.

Tank of the war years, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But it was still expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in terms of protection to the same, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in mass.
Also, by the mid-1930s, in tank building, they learned how to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known since the end of the 19th century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.

How tanks shoot videos up to half the thickness of the plate, which, of course, was worse than carburizing, since despite the fact that the hardness of the surface layer was higher than during carburizing, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the "Krupp method" in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even somewhat more than carburizing. But the hardening technology that was used for sea armor of large thicknesses was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost never used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.

Combat use of tanks The most developed for tanks was the 45-mm tank gun mod 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain, it was believed that its power was enough to perform most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that the 45-mm gun could only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even the shelling of manpower in the mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was only possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point in the event of a direct hit . Shooting at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the small high-explosive action of a projectile weighing only about two kg.

Types of tanks photo so that even one hit of a projectile reliably disables an anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun on the armor of a potential enemy, as in the example French tanks(already having an armor thickness of the order of 40-42 mm) it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly strengthened. There was a right way to do this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since a long gun of a larger caliber fires heavier projectiles at a higher muzzle velocity over a greater distance without correcting the pickup.

The best tanks in the world had a large caliber gun, also has big sizes breech, significantly more weight and increased recoil reaction. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, the placement of large shots in the closed volume of the tank led to a decrease in the ammunition load.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give an order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik Design Bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained at liberty, who from the beginning of 1935 tried to bring his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the team of plant No. 8 slowly brought the "forty-five".

Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but in mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one was accepted ... "In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, which were worked on in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to the series. Moreover, despite the decisions on the highest levels of the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines, this process was held back by a number of factors.Of course, diesel had significant efficiency.It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour.Diesel fuel is less prone to ignition, since the flash point of its vapors was very high.

Even the most finished of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (there were no machine tools of the required accuracy yet), financial investments and strengthening personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel engine with a capacity of 180 hp. will go to mass-produced tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to find out the causes of tank engine accidents, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not fulfilled. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp was also started.

Brands of tanks with specific indicators that suited the tank builders quite well. Tank tests were carried out according to a new methodology, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the ABTU D. Pavlov in relation to combat service in wartime. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop traffic) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a "platform" with obstacles, "bathing" in the water with an additional load, simulating an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for examination.

Super tanks online after the improvement work seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the general course of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during the tests, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. The chief designer N. Astrov was suspended from work and was under arrest and investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new improved protection turret. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank a larger ammunition load for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (before there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).

US tanks as part of modernization work, on one serial model of the tank in 1938-1939. the torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the Design Bureau of Plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar did not show good enough results in tests, and therefore the torsion bar suspension did not immediately pave its way in the course of further work. Obstacles to be overcome: rises not less than 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, overlapping ditch 2-2.5 m.

Youtube about tanks work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks is not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes. 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank version (factory designation 102 or 10-2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully meet the requirements of the ABTU.Variant 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull according to the type of hull, but with vertical side sheets of case-hardened armor 10-13 mm thick, because: "Sloped sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) broadening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.

Video reviews of tanks in which the power unit of the tank was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was mastered by the industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. Gasoline of the 1st grade was placed in a tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully met the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK caliber 12.7 mm and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS appears) caliber 7.62 mm. The combat weight of a tank with a torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with a spring suspension - 5.26 tons. The tests were carried out from July 9 to August 21 according to the methodology approved in 1938, and Special attention given to tanks.

When the Minister of Defense of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mustafa Tlas, who commanded the Syrian army in Lebanon in 1981-82, was asked by a correspondent of the Spiegel magazine: “Would the former driver of the Tlas tank want to have the German Leopard that the Saudis so desire to get?”, he replied: “... There is a desire, but there is also a T-80 - Moscow's answer to the Leopard. It is not only equal to the Leopard, but also significantly superior to it. As a soldier and tank specialist, I consider the T-80 best tank in the world".

HISTORY OF CREATIONT-80

By the end of the 1960s, the Soviet Army had the most advanced tanks at that time. In 1967, the T-64 tank was adopted, which was significantly superior to foreign counterparts - the M-60, Leopard 1 and Chieftain. However, since 1965, joint work has begun in the United States and Germany on the creation of a new generation MBT MBT-70. The new NATO tank, in addition to enhanced armament and armor, was to be distinguished by increased mobility characteristics. An adequate response was required from Soviet tank builders.

On April 16, 1968, a joint resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, in accordance with which SKB-2 at the Kirov Plant was tasked with developing a variant of the T-64 medium tank with a gas turbine power plant.

By the end of the 60s, the USSR already had developments on the use of gas turbine engines in tanks. The gas turbine engine, which in the 1940s won a victory over piston engines in military aviation, began to attract the attention of tank builders. A gas turbine engine gave significant advantages over a diesel or gasoline engine: with similar sizes, a gas turbine had much more power, which made it possible to dramatically increase the speed and acceleration qualities of combat vehicles, improve tank control and ensure quick engine start at low temperatures.

The first development of a tank with gas turbine engines in the USSR began as early as 1948. And in 1955, two experimental tank gas turbine engines with a capacity of 1000 hp each were manufactured for the first time. In 1957, at the Kirov Plant, under the leadership of the chief designer of the design bureau Zh.Ya. Kotin, the first domestic turbine tank, an experimental object 278, was manufactured and tested. t develop a good speed - 57.3 km / h. Two tanks of this type were built and tested, however, unlike a diesel engine, the gas turbine was still far from perfect and it took more than 20 years of work and many experimental machines before the gas turbine engine could be installed on a production tank.

In 1963, in Kharkov, under the leadership of A.A. Morozov, simultaneously with the T-64 medium tank, its gas turbine modification was created - an experimental T-64T, with a GTD-3TL helicopter engine with a power of 700 hp. In 1964, an experimental object 167T with a GTD-ZT (800 hp), developed under the direction of L.N. Kartsev, left the gates of Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil.

The first experimental "Kirov" tank - object 219SP1, manufactured in 1969 - outwardly was almost similar to the experimental Kharkov T-64T. An experimental GTD-1000T engine with a power of 1000 hp was installed on the machine. development of NPO them. V.Ya.Klimova. The next vehicle, the 219SP2 object, was already significantly different from the original T-64: it turned out that the installation of a new, more powerful engine, the increased weight and the changed dynamic characteristics of the tank required significant changes to the undercarriage. The shape of the tower was also changed.

From the T-64A there were weapons and ammunition, an automatic loader, individual components and systems, as well as armor elements.

After building and testing several experimental vehicles, which took about 7 years, on July 6, 1976, the new tank was officially put into service under the designation T-80 (“object 219”). In 1976-78, the Leningrad production association "Kirov Plant" produced a series of "eighties". The T-80 became the world's first mass-produced tank with a gas turbine power plant.

The first information about the new Soviet main battle tank in the West began to appear in the mid-70s. This information was initially very vague. Initially, the NATO assigned the T-80 index to the modified "seventy-two" - T-72M1. For some time, the T-80 was considered as a modification of the T-64. It seemed unlikely to Western experts that the Soviet Union would arm its ground forces simultaneously with three types of similar tanks.

The first image of the T-80 in a Western edition was published in the official Pentagon brochure "Soviet military power" for 1981. This drawing did not reflect reality: on the body of the T-64, the artist placed an angular tower similar to the Leopard-2 tower. In 1982, the "Soviet military power" issued the T-72M1 for the T-80. Once again, the Pentagon yearbook returned to the T-80 only in 1986, when it published a heavily retouched photograph of the tank. However, Western experts did not come to a consensus: however, some called the T-64 as the progenitor, others called the T-72.

Quote from the magazine "Military Technology" No. 6, 1986: "The T-80 tank is the result of evolutionary development. This is nothing more than a T-72 tank with a new engine ... The turret of the new tank is the same as the turret of the T-74 tank (meaning T-72M). A year later, Jane's Defense Weekly writes: “... it can be expected that the T-80 tank is closer in design to the T-72 than to the T-64 ... the principles underlying the design of the T-72 tank , had only a minor impact on the creation of the tank. "Armor magazine for January-February 1987 wrote:" the T-80 tank is a combination of a new hull and suspension system adapted to the turret from the T-64V tank.

Against the background of such different opinions about the very origin of the tank, the wrong assessment of its "stuffing" is not surprising. The location and configuration of the lattice in the aft part of the armored hull suggests that a gas turbine engine is hidden under it, however (quote again) “a gas turbine engine is incompatible with the general design principles of Soviet tanks, moreover, there is not enough space to accommodate it in their cramped internal volume ".

Therefore, many believed that the modernized diesel engine was installed on the T-80. The grating, according to the author of Jane's Defense, serves to suppress IR radiation. At the same time, the Military Technology magazine was of the opinion that the T-80 still uses a gas turbine engine.

The initial analysis of the tank's cannon in relation to the possibility of firing from it was also erroneous. anti-tank missiles, charged from the breech. In extreme cases, it was allowed to load the ATGM from the side of the muzzle, while the ATGM ammunition is placed on the outer part of the tower. In the end, Western experts got acquainted with the real state of affairs: the ammunition load of the 2A46 gun does indeed include ATGMs, and rockets are loaded from the breech, like ordinary shots. The combination of rocket and artillery weapons in the T-80 tank is noted as one of the most important features of this tank, especially since the attempts of the Americans to create a 152-mm tank gun - launcher were unsuccessful.

DESIGN OF THE T-80 TANK

The design of the T-80 tank uses the systems and units of the T-64 tank, in particular elements of the fire control system, automatic gun loader, armor protection. In terms of armament (125-mm smoothbore gun 2A46), the tank is unified with the T-64 and T-72. However, the use of a new engine and the associated increase in mass required the creation of a new chassis: caterpillars, hydraulic shock absorbers and torsion shafts, support and support rollers, drive and guide rollers.

Layout

Like other Russian 4th generation tanks - T-64 and T-72 - T-80 has a classic layout and a crew of three. The mechanics-drivers of the T-64 and T-72 tanks have one viewing device each; the driver of the T-80 tank had three, which made it possible to significantly improve visibility. The designers also provided for the heating of the driver's workplace with air taken from the gas turbine engine compressor.

The body of the machine is welded, its frontal part has an angle of inclination of 68 degrees, the turret is cast. The T-80 hull is 90 cm longer than the T-64 hull. The frontal parts of the hull and turret are equipped with multilayer combined armor combining steel and ceramics. The remaining parts of the body are made of monolithic steel armor with a large differentiation of thicknesses and angles of inclination. There is a complex of protection against weapons of mass destruction (lined, undercut, sealing and air purification system).

The layout of the fighting compartment of the T-80 is similar to the layout of the T-64B.

Engine

The motor monoblock in the aft part of the tank hull is located longitudinally, which required some increase in the length of the vehicle compared to the T-64. The structure of the monoblock includes the gas turbine engine itself, an air cleaner, oil tanks and radiators for the engine and transmission, fuel filters, a generator, a starter, fuel and oil pumps, a compressor, and fans. The engine is made in a single block with a total weight of 1050 kg with a built-in bevel-helical reduction gear and is kinematically connected to two onboard planetary gearboxes.

The GTD-1000T is designed according to a three-shaft scheme, with two independent turbochargers and a free turbine. The adjustable nozzle apparatus of the gas turbine limits the frequency of its rotation and prevents it from "spacing" when changing gears. The absence of a mechanical connection between the power turbine and turbochargers increased the tank's patency on soils with low bearing capacity, in difficult driving conditions, and also eliminated the possibility of engine shutdown when the vehicle suddenly stopped with the gear engaged. This means that even if the T-80 suddenly hits a wall, its engine will not stall.

The fuel system consists of an external and internal group of tanks. The outer group includes two tanks on the right fender and three on the left. Eight internal tanks are installed along the perimeter of the hull, encircling the fighting compartment. The front left and front right tanks, as well as the back rack, are installed in the front. Ammunition is stowed in the storage tank (wet stowage). Further clockwise are the middle right (in the fighting compartment), the right aft and supply tanks (in the MTO) and the middle left (in the fighting compartment). The total capacity of the internal tanks is 1140l. Engine operation is possible on TS-1 and TS-2 jet fuels, diesel fuels and low-octane automobile gasolines. The GTE start-up process is automated, the compressor rotors are spinning up using two electric motors.

Due to the rear exhaust, as well as the inherent low noise of the gas turbine engine compared to a diesel engine, it was possible to reduce the acoustic visibility of the tank. Reducing the thermal visibility of the tank is facilitated by the use of a box-shaped guide grille of the exhaust manifold and the placement of equipment for underwater driving of the tank on the stern of the tower. A massive OPVT pipe hangs over the roof of the MTO and partially shields the thermal radiation of the engine.

The features of the tank include the combined braking system implemented for the first time on the T-80 with the simultaneous use of a gas turbine engine and mechanical hydraulic brakes. The adjustable nozzle apparatus (RSA) of the turbine allows you to change the direction of the gas flow, forcing the turbine blades to rotate in the opposite direction. This heavily loads the power turbine, which required the introduction of special measures to protect it. The process of braking the tank is as follows: when the driver presses the brake pedal, braking begins with the help of the turbine. When the pedal is pressed further, mechanical braking devices are also included in the work.

To control the gas turbine engine, an automatic engine operation mode control system (ACS) was used, including temperature sensors located in front of and behind the power turbine, a temperature controller (RT), as well as limit switches installed under the brake pedal and the PCA pedal, connected to the RT and the supply system fuel. The use of ACS made it possible to increase the life of the turbine blades by more than 10 times, and with frequent use of the brake and the PCA pedal to change gears (which occurs while the tank is moving over rough terrain), fuel consumption is reduced by 5-7%.

To protect the turbine from dust, an inertial (so-called "cyclone") air purification method is used, providing 97% purification. However, unfiltered dust particles still remain on the turbine blades. To remove them when the tank is moving in especially difficult conditions, a procedure for vibro-cleaning the blades is provided.

Transmission

Transmission T-80 - mechanical planetary; consists of two units, each of which included an onboard gearbox, an onboard gearbox and hydraulic servo drives of the motion control system. Provides four gears forward and one reverse.

Chassis

Dual track rollers with external shock absorption consist of two ramps fastened with ten bolts; rollers have rubber tires; roller disks are made of aluminum alloy. Wider compared to the tracks of the T-64 tank, the T-80 tracks have rubber treadmills and rubber-metal joints. The use of tracks of this design reduces the vibrations transmitted from the undercarriage to the tank hull, in addition, the level of noise generated by the tank during movement is reduced. Thanks to the wider and longer tracks with 80 tracks, despite the increase in the mass of the T-80 tank compared to the T-64, its ground pressure decreased by 5%, and the engagement area with the ground increased by 25%.

Tank suspension - individual torsion, with misaligned torsion shafts and double-acting hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers on the first, second and sixth rollers. The supporting and upper part of the road wheels are covered with rubber aprons, which weaken the action of the cumulative jet; aprons also somewhat reduce the cloud of dust raised by the tank when moving at high speed.

Tower and armament

The T-80 turret is in many ways similar to the T-64 tank turret.

The main armament of the T-80 tank includes a 125 mm 2A46-1 smoothbore gun. Shots - separate-sleeve loading; 28 of them are placed in the “carousel” of the mechanized ammo rack (the automatic loader is similar to that used on the T-64BV tank), 3 shots are stored in the fighting compartment and another 7 shells and charges are in the control compartment. The rate of fire is 7-9 rounds per minute with automatic loading and 2 rounds per minute with manual loading. Direct shot range - 2100 m, maximum firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile - 11 km; aimed fire at night using active night vision devices can be fired at a distance of 1300-1500 m. In addition to the cannon, the tank is armed with a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun coaxial with the gun (ammunition load - 1250 rounds), and mounted on the bracket of the commander's cupola 12 .7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun NSVT "Utes" (shooting from it is carried out by the commander, being at this time outside the reserved volume); Ammunition "Cliff" is 300 rounds.

The gunner was equipped with a TPD-2-49 sight with a stereoscopic optical rangefinder, which allows determining the distance to the target within 1000-4000 m. The optical axis of the sight has independent stabilization in the vertical and horizontal planes. Night sights of the commander and gunner are similar to those used on the T-64A tank.

WMD protection

The T-80 has a collective weapon protection system mass destruction, similar to the system used on the T-64. The inner walls of the fighting compartment are covered with a lining made of a polymeric material that performs a dual function. Due to his chemical composition the lining significantly weakens the effect of gamma and neutron radiation on the crew, and when kinetic ammunition enters the tank, the lining prevents small fragments of armor from scattering inside the hull. In addition, fuel tanks provide additional protection for the crew from neutron weapons. The WMD protection system includes a radiation and chemical reconnaissance device, ZETs-11-2 switching equipment, a filter-ventilation unit, an engine stop mechanism, closing seals with actuators and permanent hull and turret seals, the system operates in automatic or manual mode. In automatic mode, when radiation or toxic substances are detected outside the tank, the seals are closed, the FVU is turned on, and sound and light alarms are activated, warning the crew about the contamination of the area.

Engineering equipment

Self-digging equipment is mounted on the lower front armor plate of the hull, which is a blade with four struts and guides. The set of means for self-extraction includes a log, fastening in the aft part of the hull, two cables and brackets with bolts and nuts, with which the log is attached, if necessary, to the tracks. The T-80 has attachments for attaching the KMT-6 mine trawl.

The tank is equipped with equipment for underwater driving, which provides overcoming water obstacles up to 5 m deep.

T-80B ("OBJECT 219R")

In 1978, a new modification, the T-80B, was adopted. Unlike the T-80, its 2A46M-1 cannon can fire 9M112 guided missiles at a distance of up to 4 km, with a probability of hitting an armored target of 0.8. The missile corresponds in shape and size to the projectile, and can be placed in the trays of the mechanized ammunition rack of the automatic loader.

Missile guidance is semi-automatic: the gunner only needs to keep the aiming mark on the target. The ATGM coordinates relative to the aiming line are determined by means of an optical system using a modulated light source mounted on the missile, and control commands are transmitted via a narrowly focused radio beam.

The TPD-2-49 sight replaced the more advanced 1G42 sight with a built-in laser rangefinder and independent stabilization of the optical axis in two planes.

A ballistic computer was introduced into the 1A33 fire control system. Improved communication equipment; instead of the outdated R-123M radio station, the R-173 radio station is used. Communication equipment with aviation and a friend-foe identification device were introduced into the radio equipment.

Compared to the first T-80 tanks, the T-80B tanks also have more advanced multilayer armor protection, equivalent in properties to steel armor 500 mm thick. Since 1980, more powerful GTD-1000TF engines (1100 hp) have been installed on the T-80B.

Smoke grenade launchers of the 902 Tucha system are mounted on the outer surface of the tower.

T-80BV ("OBJECT 219RV")

In 1985, a modification of the T-80B with hinged dynamic protection entered service. The machine received the designation T-80BV. Somewhat later, the installation of dynamic protection began on the previously built T-80Bs in the process of their overhaul.

The predicted growth in the combat capabilities of foreign main tanks, along with the improvement of means of combating armored vehicles, required further improvement of the "eighties". Work on the development of this machine was carried out both in Leningrad and in Kharkov.

In 1976, the KhMDB completed a preliminary design of the "object 478", which outlined a significant increase in the combat and technical characteristics of the T-80. It was supposed to install a diesel engine, traditional for Kharkivites, - 6TDN with a capacity of 1000 hp, on the tank (the option of 1250 hp was also being worked out). It was supposed to install a new turret, guided missile weapons, a new sight, etc. on the car. Work on the "object 478" served as the basis for the creation in the second half of the 1980s of the serial diesel tank T-80UD.

T-80U ("OBJECT 219AS")

The emergence in NATO countries of new means of combating tanks, primarily A-10A Thunderbolt-2 attack aircraft, AN-64 Apache attack helicopters equipped with powerful Mayverick and Hellfire ATGMs capable of burning through armor up to 1000 thick mm, as well as new modifications of the TOW and Khot missiles, required a further increase in the protection of the main tanks.

At the same time, the variety of types of armored vehicles produced in the country worried the leadership of the USSR Armed Forces. It was decided to install on the T-80 chassis a new turret developed in Kharkov for the modification of the T-64, known as the "object 476". The cast tower, created under the direction of N.A. Shomin, had an increased volume and an armored shield, consisting of spaced steel plates with internal armored vertical plates, the space between which was filled with a urethane field.

The development of a modernized tank with a "Kharkov" turret in SKB-2 LKZ began in the early 1980s. The machine, which received the designation T-80A ("object 2I9A"), also had improved weapons (ATGM "Reflex") and a number of other innovations, in particular, built-in bulldozer equipment. An experimental tank of this type was built in 1982; subsequently, several more experimental vehicles were produced that had minor differences. In 1984, an experimental set of mounted dynamic protection was installed on them.

To test the new Reflex guided weapon system with laser-guided missiles, as well as the Irtysh weapon control system, the LKZ design bureau in 1983 created an experimental vehicle “object 2198” on the basis of the T-80B serial tank.

Both experimental tanks gave impetus to the next important step in the evolution of the "eighties", made by the Leningrad designers. Under the leadership of Nikolai Popov, work began on the T-80U tank ("object 219AC") - the latest and most powerful modification of the "eighties", recognized by many domestic and foreign experts as the strongest tank in the world. The machine, which retained the main layout and design features of its predecessors, received a number of fundamentally new units. At the same time, the mass of the tank compared to the T-80BV increased by only 1.5 tons.

The firepower of the T-80U has increased significantly due to the use of a new complex of controlled missile weapons"Reflex" with an anti-jamming fire control system that provides an increase in the range and accuracy of fire while reducing the time to prepare the first shot. New complex provided the ability to deal not only with armored targets, but also with low-flying helicopters. The 9M119 missile, controlled by a laser beam, provides a range of hitting a tank-type target when firing from a standstill at ranges of 100 - 5000 m with a probability of 0.8.

The ammunition load of the 2A46M-1 gun (other names D-81TM, "Rapier-3"), including 45 rounds, consists of armor-piercing HEAT projectiles ZBK14M and ZBK27, armor-piercing projectiles with a tungsten core ZBM12 and ZBM42, armor-piercing projectiles with a depleted uranium core ZBM32, as well as high-explosive fragmentation projectiles 2OF19 and ZOF26. Armor-piercing projectile has an initial speed of 1715 m / s (which exceeds initial speed projectile of any other foreign tank) and is capable of hitting heavily armored targets at a direct shot range - 2200 m.

By using modern system fire control, the commander and gunner can search for targets, track them, as well as aimed fire day and night, both from a place and on the move, and use guided missile weapons.

The 1G46 "Irtysh" daytime optical sight with a built-in laser rangefinder allows the gunner to detect small targets at a distance of up to 5000 m and determine the range to them with high accuracy. The sight is stabilized in two planes, regardless of the weapon. Its pancratic system changes the magnification of the optical channel within 3.6 - 12.0.

At night, the gunner searches and aims using the Buran-PA combined active-passive sight, which also has a stabilized field of view.

The tank commander conducts surveillance and gives target designation to the gunner using the PNK-4S sighting and observation day / night complex, stabilized in the vertical plane.

The digital ballistic computer takes into account corrections for range, target flanking speed, own tank speed, cannon trunnion angle, bore wear, air temperature, atmospheric pressure and side wind.

The gun received a built-in control device for the alignment of the gunner's sight; quick-release connection of the barrel tube with the breech, allows the replacement of the barrel in combat conditions, without dismantling the entire gun from the turret.

When creating the T-80U tank, considerable attention was paid to strengthening its protection. Work was carried out in several directions. Due to the use of a new camouflage color, which distorts the appearance of the tank, it was possible to reduce the probability of detecting the T-80U in the visible and IR ranges. Enhanced both armor and dynamic protection of the tank. The first series of the tank were equipped with a hinged set of dynamic protection "Contact". Then (for the first time in the world) elements of built-in dynamic protection (VDZ) were implemented, which is able to withstand not only cumulative, but also kinetic projectiles. VDZ covers more than 50% of the surface, nose, sides and roof of the tank. The combination of advanced multi-layered combined armor and VDZ "removes" almost all types of the most common cumulative anti-tank weapons and reduces the likelihood of being hit by "blanks". In terms of the power of armor protection, which has an equivalent thickness of 1100 mm against a sub-caliber kinetic projectile and 900 mm - under the action of cumulative ammunition, the T-80U surpasses almost all fourth-generation foreign tanks.

When armor is penetrated, the tank's survivability is ensured by the use of the fast-acting automatic fire-fighting system "Hoarfrost", which prevents ignition and explosion of the fuel-air mixture. To protect against the explosion of mines, the driver's seat is suspended from the turret sheet, and the rigidity of the hull in the control compartment area is increased by using a special piller behind the driver's seat.

An important advantage of the T-80U was its perfect system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, surpassing such protection of the best foreign vehicles. The tank has a lining and a lining made of hydrogen-containing polymers with the addition of lead, lithium and boron, local protection screens made of heavy materials, automatic sealing systems for habitable compartments and air purification.

The use of a self-digging system with a bulldozer blade 2140 mm wide and a system for setting smoke screens using the Tucha system, which includes eight 902B grenade launchers, contributes to an increase in survival. The tank can also be equipped with a mounted KMT-6 track trawl. excluding the detonation of mines under the bottom and tracks.

A significant innovation was the use of an auxiliary power unit GTA-18A with a capacity of 30 hp on the tank, which allows saving fuel while the tank is parked, while maintaining defensive battle, as well as in ambush. The resource of the main engine is also saved. The auxiliary power unit, located in the rear of the machine in the bunker on the left fender, is “built into” the general system of the gas turbine engine and does not require any additional devices for its operation.

Initially, it was supposed to install a gas turbine engine GTD-1000 (“product 37”) with an HP 1200 power on the tank. However, the fine-tuning of the engine, which has a complex adjustment system, was delayed (in particular, due to the fact that the Klimov Design Bureau was loaded with work on aircraft power plants). As a result, it was decided to equip the tank with a less powerful GTD-1000TF engine ("product 38F") with a capacity of 1100 hp.

By the end of 1983, an experimental series of ten T-80Us was made in Kharkov, eight of which were transferred to military trials. In 1985, the development of the tank was completed, and its large-scale serial production began in Omsk and Kharkov,

T-80UD

As mentioned above, the T-80 became the world's first production tank with a gas turbine engine. The installation of the turbine was considered a great success for tank builders, but not all tankers agreed with this conclusion. Capricious jet engines greatly complicated the work of the engineering and technical services of combat units; perhaps it was the techies who “launched” the next assessment of the T-80 into the world - this tank has only one drawback - the gas turbine engine.

In addition to the difficulty in operation, the gas turbine engine was inferior to the traditional diesel engine in such an important parameter as efficiency. In addition to everything, the GTD-1000 in the 1980s cost national economy at 104,000 rubles, and the V-46 tank diesel cost 9,600 rubles.

The answer to the question of which is better - a tank gas turbine or a diesel engine has remained open (and not only in your country, the Americans put a turbine on their Abrams, and the Germans put a diesel engine on the Leopard). In this regard, interest in installing a diesel engine on the most powerful domestic tank was constantly maintained. In particular, there was an opinion about the preference for the differential use of turbine and diesel tanks in various theaters of military operations.

Work on the creation of a diesel version of the "eighties" has been carried out since the mid-1970s. In Leningrad and Omsk, experimental vehicles "object 219RD" and "object 644" were created, equipped, respectively, with A-53-2 and V-46-6 diesel engines. However, the Kharkovites achieved the greatest success, creating a powerful (1000 hp) and economical six-cylinder diesel engine 6TD - a further development of 5TD. The development of this engine began in 1966, and since 1975 its development began on the chassis of the "object 476". In 1976, the Kharkovites proposed a variant of the T-80 tank with 6TD ("object 478"). In 1985, on its basis, under the leadership of General Designer I.L. Protopopov, the “object 478B” (“Birch”) was created. Compared to the “reactive” T-80U, the diesel tank had slightly worse dynamic characteristics, but had an increased cruising range. The installation of a diesel engine required a number of changes in the transmission and control drives. In addition, the car received remote control of the Utes anti-aircraft machine gun.

The first five serial "Birches" were assembled by the end of 1985, they were immediately sent for military trials. In 1986, the machine was launched into a large series, and in 1987 it was put into service under the designation T-80UD. The T-80UD was significantly different from the jet eighties, so it was supposed to give it a new designation T-84, however, they limited themselves to letters - UD (improved diesel), later, after gaining independence, the Ukrainians returned to the next model of the "eighties" to the designation T-84. "Birch" was tested with the condition of subsequent elimination of the customer's comments. The refinement of the tank continued for two years in parallel with mass production.

In 1988, the T-80UD was modernized: the reliability of the power plant and a number of units was increased, the hinged dynamic protection "Contact" was replaced with built-in dynamic protection, and the weapons were finalized. Until the end of 1991, about 500 T-80UDs were produced in Kharkov (of which only 60 were transferred to units stationed on the territory of Ukraine). In total, by this time in the European part of the USSR there were 4839 T-80 tanks of all modifications.

T-80 TWO WAYS: IN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

The presence of two centers for improving the T-80 tanks (in St. Petersburg and Kharkov) predetermined the peculiar ways of further development of the design in Russia and Ukraine. Perhaps the only thing in common was that both Ukrainian and Russian designers adapted new modifications, first of all, to the requirements of possible foreign customers, since at that time neither the Russian nor the Ukrainian armies were able to purchase complex military equipment in tangible amounts.

T-84

The Ukrainians won in 1996 a tender for the supply of main battle tanks to the Pakistani army. In the same 1996, a contract was signed for the supply of 320 diesel T-80s worth 580-650 million dollars (different sources give different figures), which received the Ukrainian designation T-84, to Pakistan (this number probably included tanks available in the Armed Forces of Ukraine). The export value of one T-84 was $1.8 million.

In Kharkov, a more powerful (1200 hp) 6TD-2 diesel engine was created, designed for installation on modernized T-64 and T-84 samples. Pakistan expressed interest in the participation of specialists from Kharkov in a joint Sino-Pakistani program to develop a promising main tank. Work on this car began back in 1988, but the developers were unable to overcome a number of technical problems, primarily related to the chassis and power plant. In 1998, the Pakistani side proposed installing a turret, developed in China for a promising tank, on the hull of the Ukrainian T-84. As the main engine, it is possible to use a "native" 6TD-2 diesel engine or a diesel engine of the European design "Perkins" V12 with a capacity of 1200 hp.

In 2000, KMDB specialists developed a version of the T-84, modified to NATO standards, called the T-84-120 Yatagan. The tank was equipped with a 120 mm cannon, an FN machine gun and communications equipment from the French company Thomson. The T-84-120 was made in a single copy, and did not go further into the series, since no orders were received for it.

In 2008, the production of the modern Ukrainian MBT "Oplot" was launched in Kharkov. This tank is significantly different from the T-84. It is equipped with a modern digital FCS and a thermal imaging sight, a commander's combined panoramic sight with day and night thermal imaging channels, and a laser rangefinder. The tank received a welded-rolled turret new form, the built-in dynamic protection system "Doublet", the complex of optoelectronic suppression "Warta" and side screens that protect the hull and chassis from RPG shots.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine ordered 10 Oplot tanks, for which they could not pay the manufacturer.

In 2011, Thailand ordered a batch of 49 Oplot-T tanks (tropical version). In 2013, the first batch of 5 tanks was delivered to the customer. At present, the factory Malyshev in Kharkov, the assembly of the second batch of "Oplotov-T" for the Thai army is underway.

T-80UM/UK

Russian designers, in the absence of powerful tank diesel engines left in Ukraine, continued to improve the "jet" T-80. The production of gas turbine T-80s has completely moved to a plant in Omsk. In 1990, the production of a tank with a more powerful GTD-1250 engine (1250 hp) began there, which made it possible to slightly improve the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle. Power plant protection devices against overheating were introduced. The tank received an improved 9K119M missile system.

T-80UM1 "Bars" with KAZ "Arena"

To reduce the radar signature of the T-80U tank, a special radar absorbing coating was developed and applied. The reduction in the effective scattering surface (ESR) of ground combat vehicles has become of particular importance after the advent of aviation systems radar reconnaissance in real time using a side-looking radar with a synthetic aperture providing high resolution. At a distance of several tens of kilometers, it became possible to detect and track the movement of not only tank columns, but also individual units of armored vehicles. The first two aircraft with such equipment - E-8JSTARS - were successfully used by the Americans during Operation Desert Storm, as well as in the Balkans.

On the part of the T-80U, they began to install the Agava-2 thermal imaging observation and aiming device (the industry delayed the supply of thermal imagers, so not all machines received them). Video image (for the first time on domestic tank) is displayed on a TV-type screen. For the development of this device, its creators in 1992 were awarded the Zh.Ya. Kotin Prize.

The serial T-80U tank with the above improvements introduced is known under the designation T-80UM.

Another important innovation that significantly increased the combat survivability of the T-80U was the use of the TShU-2 Shtora optoelectronic suppression system. The purpose of the complex is to prevent anti-tank guided missiles with a semi-automatic guidance system from hitting the tank, as well as to interfere with enemy weapon control systems with laser target designation and laser rangefinders. The complex included an opto-electronic suppression station (SOEP) TShU-1 and an aerosol curtain installation system (SPZ). SOEP is a source of modulated IR radiation with parameters close to those of ATGM tracers of the Dragon, TOW, HOT, Milan, etc. types. Influencing the IR receiver of the semi-automatic ATGM guidance system, it disrupts the missile guidance. SOEP provides interference in the form of modulated infrared radiation in the sector +/-20 degrees, from the axis of the bore along the horizon and 4.5 degrees. - vertical. In addition, TShU-1, two modules of which are located in front of the tank turret, provide IR illumination at night, aimed fire using night vision devices, as well as to dazzle any (including small-sized) objects.

The SDR, designed to disrupt the attack of such missiles as Maverick, Hellfire and the 155-mm Copperhead artillery projectile, responds to laser radiation within 360 degrees, in azimuth and -5 / +25 in the vertical plane. The received signal is processed at high speed by the control unit, and the direction to the source of quantum radiation is determined. The system automatically determines the optimal launcher, generates an electrical signal proportional to the angle to which the tank turret with grenade launchers should be turned, and issues a command to fire a grenade that forms an aerosol screen at a distance of 55-70 m three seconds after the grenade is fired, the SOEP operates only in automatic mode, and SPZ - in automatic, semi-automatic and manual.

Field tests of "Shtora-1" confirmed the high efficiency of the complex: the probability of hitting a tank by missiles with semi-automatic command guidance is reduced by 3-5 times, missiles with semi-active laser homing - by 4-5 times, and corrected artillery shells- 1.5 times. The complex is able to provide countermeasures simultaneously against several missiles attacking the tank from different directions.

The "Shtora-1" system was tested on an experimental T-80B ("object 219E") and for the first time began to be installed on a serial command tank T-80UK - a variant of the T-80U vehicle, designed to provide control of tank units. In addition, the commander's tank received a remote detonation system for high-explosive fragmentation projectiles with proximity electronic fuses. T-80UK communication facilities operate in the VHF and KB bands. The R-163-50U ultra-shortwave radio station with frequency modulation, operating in the operating frequency range of 30-80 MHz, has 10 preset frequencies. With a four-meter whip antenna in medium-rough terrain, it provides a range of up to 20 km. With a special combined dipole antenna mounted on an 11-meter telescopic mast mounted on the body of the vehicle, the communication range increases to 40 km (with this antenna, the tank can only work in the parking lot). The R-163-50K short-wave radio station, operating in the frequency range of 2-30 MHz in telephone-telegraph mode with frequency modulation, is designed to provide communication over a long distance. It has 16 preset frequencies. With a whip HF antenna 4 m long, which ensures operation when the tank is moving, the communication range was initially 20-50 km, but by introducing the possibility of changing the antenna pattern, it was possible to increase it to 250 km. With a whip 11-meter telescopic antenna, the operating range of the R-163-50K reaches 350 km.

The commander's tank is also equipped with a TNA-4-3 navigation system and an AB-1-P28 self-contained gasoline power generator with a power of 1.0 kW, an additional function of which is to recharge the batteries while stationary with the engine off.

The creators of the machine have successfully solved the issue of electromagnetic compatibility of numerous radio-electronic means. For this, in particular, a special electrically conductive caterpillar tape was used.

Armament, power plant, transmission, undercarriage, surveillance devices and other equipment of the T-80UK corresponds to the T-80UM tank, but the ammunition load of the gun has been reduced to 30 rounds, and the PKT machine gun to 750 rounds.

The development of the T-80 tank was a major achievement of the domestic industry. Designers A.S. Ermolaev, V.A. Marishkin, V.I. Mironov, B.M. Kupriyanov, P.D. Gavra, V.I. Gaigerov, B.A. Dobryakov and many other specialists. More than 150 copyright certificates for inventions proposed in the process of creating this machine speak of the amount of work done. A number of tank designers were awarded high government awards. Decrees of the President Russian Federation A group of specialists and the general designer of the T-80U tank, N.S. Popov, were awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology for the development of new technical solutions and the introduction of the machine into mass production.

However, the T-80 is far from exhausting the possibilities for further modernization. The improvement of the means of active protection of tanks also continued. In particular, on the experimental T-80B, the Arena Active Tank Protection Complex (KAZT) was introduced, developed by the Kolomna Design Bureau and designed to protect the tank from ATGMs and anti-tank grenades attacking it. Moreover, the reflection of ammunition is ensured, not only flying directly at the tank, but intended to destroy it when flying from above. To detect targets in the complex, a multifunctional radar with an “instant” view of space in the entire protected sector and high noise immunity was used. For targeted destruction of enemy missiles and grenades, highly targeted protective ammunition is used, which has a very high speed and is located along the perimeter of the tank turret in special mounting shafts (the tank carries 26 such ammunition). Automatic control of the operation of the complex is carried out by a specialized computer, which also provides control over its performance.

The sequence of operation of the complex is as follows: after it is turned on from the tank commander's control panel, all further operations are performed automatically. The radar provides a search for targets flying up to the tank. Then the station is switched to the auto-tracking mode, developing the parameters of the target's movement and transferring them to the computer, which selects the number of protective ammunition and the time of its operation. Protective ammunition forms a beam of submunitions that destroy the target on approach to the tank. The time from target detection to its destruction is record short - no more than 0.07 s. After 0.2-0.4 s after the defensive shot, the complex is again ready to “shoot” the next target. Each defensive munition fires at its own sector, with the sectors of closely spaced munitions overlapping, which ensures the interception of several targets approaching from the same direction.

The complex is all-weather and "all-day", it is able to work when the tank is moving, when the turret is turned. An important problem that the developers of the complex managed to successfully solve was to ensure the electromagnetic compatibility of several tanks equipped with the Arena and operating in a single group.

The complex practically does not impose restrictions on the formation of tank units under the conditions of electromagnetic compatibility.

"Arena" does not respond to targets located at a distance of more than 50 m from the tank, to small targets (bullets, fragments, small-caliber shells) that do not pose an immediate threat to the tank, to targets moving away from the tank (including its own shells), on low-speed objects (birds, clods of earth, etc.). Measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the infantry escorting the tank: the danger zone of the complex - 20-30 m - is relatively small, when protective shells are fired, no side-killing fragments are formed, there is an external light alarm that warns the infantrymen behind the tank about the inclusion of the complex.

Equipping the T-80 "Arena" allows you to increase the survival rate of the tank during offensive operations by approximately two times. At the same time, the cost of losses of tanks equipped with KAZT is reduced by 1.5-1.7 times. Currently, the Arena complex has no analogues in the world. Its use is especially effective in local conflicts, when the opposing side is armed with only light anti-tank weapons.

Tank T-80UM-1 "Bars" with KAZT "Arena" was first publicly demonstrated in Omsk in the fall of 1997. A variant of this tank with another active defense system, Drozd, was also shown there.

In order to increase the ability to combat air targets (primarily attack helicopters), as well as tank-dangerous enemy manpower, the Tochmash Central Research Institute created and tested a set of additional weapons for the T-80 tank with a 30-mm 2A42 automatic gun (similar to that installed on the BMP -3, BMD-3 and BTR-80A). The gun, which has a remote control, is installed in the upper rear part of the tower (while the 12.7-mm Utes machine gun is dismantled). The guidance angle relative to the tower is 120 degrees horizontally and -51 + 65 vertically. Ammunition installation - 450 shells.

T-80UM2 "BLACK EAGLE"

A further development of the T-80 was the Black Eagle tank, created in Omsk. For the first time this tank was demonstrated at the international arms exhibition Omsk-97. The demonstration caused considerable excitement in the world military press, especially since the tank was demonstrated at a distance of 500 m, and its turret was completely covered with a camouflage net.

Chassis and body "Black Eagle" inherited from the T-80. A new welded tower with a horizontal placement of the automatic loader is installed on the hull. The Cactus dynamic armor protection system is mounted on the frontal parts of the turret and hull, the Cactus blocks are also hung on the front of the side screens covering the undercarriage. GTE power increased to 1500 hp. At the same time, the mass of the vehicle increased to 50 tons. The main armament of the T-80UM2 remained the same - the 125-mm 2A46M gun.

The commander and gunner have stabilized sights with day and night channels; a laser rangefinder is integrated into the gunner's sight. Compared to the tanks of previous models, the commander and gunner have changed places; workplace the commander of the tank "Black Eagle" is to the left of the gun, the gunner is to the right. The T-80UM2 tank is equipped with the Arena active protection system. According to information published after the first demonstration of the tank, it is equipped with a 1500 hp gas turbine engine. Later, there were reports of the use of a GTD-1250G with a power of 1250 hp on the T-80UM2. and upgraded transmission.

This is how the serial production of the Black Eagle began, however, according to some reports, the developments obtained during the creation of this machine were used to create a new generation Russian tank - the Armata.

T-80 IN THE TROOPS

Unlike the T-72, which was widely exported outside the USSR, the T-64 and T-80 in Soviet times were only in service with the SA. The guard units of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany had priority in obtaining these vehicles. It was planned that in the event of war, a tank fist with a T-64 and T-80 at the tip would be able to reach the English Channel in one to two weeks. These tanks have become a big problem for NATO military leaders. During the 70s - 80s. practically all newly created weapon systems in the West were to one degree or another intended to fight tanks. The Americans even made their Abrams not so much as a traditional breakthrough tank, but as an anti-tank weapon. And yet, despite the highest degree of saturation Western Europe anti-tank weapons (helicopters, aircraft, various ATGMs, and finally tanks), NATO strategists also came to the conclusion that the advanced tank units of the Warsaw Pact would reach the Atlantic no more than two weeks after the start of large-scale hostilities.

The T-64 tanks were the first to receive in 1967 the 100th Guards Training Tank Regiment and the 41st Guards Tank Division, and their military tests were also carried out there. The division was located near the plant number 75 (plant named after Malyshev), which produced the T-64. The choice of a compound located near the manufacturing plant was dictated by the need to assist tankers in the operation and maintenance of new equipment by teams of factory specialists. In the GSVG, the 2nd and 20th guards, 3rd tank armies were armed with T-64 tanks, the 1st guards tank and 8th guards armies were armed with "eighties".

T-80UD units were the first to receive units of the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division Tamanskaya and the 4th Guards Tank Kantemirovskaya Division. Publicly, the T-80UD was first demonstrated at a parade in Moscow on May 9, 1990. At the time of the collapse of the USSR, 4839 T-80 tanks of all modifications were in service.

The T-80 tanks were well received by the troops, their high speed and excellent starting qualities of the gas turbine engine bribed them. According to analysts of the General Staff, in the event big war armored divisions equipped with "eighties" could reach the English Channel in five days, even before reserves from the United States begin to land in Europe. The development of new machines proceeded in an atmosphere of heightened secrecy, and their vague, obscure photographs only occasionally appeared on the pages of the Western press, each time serving as the "highlight of the issue." However, sometimes "jet tanks" appeared before the "general public." So, during one of the exercises of the Western Group of Forces, the T-80 battalion, making a swift maneuver, entered the highway near Berlin and rushed along it, overtaking buses and Trabants.

The real experience of the combat use of the T-80 is very far from the once planned rapid rush to the West. In October 1993, the T-80s of the Kantemirovskaya division shot at the Russian Parliament with direct fire. The track record of the tank includes Chechnya and Tajikistan. With the filing of the media, the New Year's assault on Grozny became a symbol of the Chechen war. It is difficult to say what the command was guided by when introducing armored vehicles into the city, because no armor will save from point-blank shots from RPGs and ATGMs. As you know, it ended with the heaviest losses of the Russian army.

In the future, instead of the massive use of armored vehicles, small armored groups were widely used - a tank (T-80 or T-72) and two or three infantry fighting vehicles. Such armored groups no longer entered the settlements, "rolling out" the defense of the Dudayevites from a safe distance. This tactic was successful: on April 4, 1996, the 27th Yekaterinburg Motorized Rifle Regiment, which consisted of 500 people, supported by tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, captured Gudermes, which was defended by about 800 militants, suffering minimal losses - one killed, several wounded. At the same time, for completely incomprehensible reasons, the use of "clean" tank units continued. So, in the summer of 1995, a separate tank battalion of the 166th motorized rifle brigade, armed with T-80BV tanks, covered the direction to Shali from militant attacks. The divisions of the battalion were located in an open field; I think that a well-trained infantry company would have completed such a task with great success: they had to defend themselves not from the Abrams and Leopards, but from light infantry.

Tanks were involved in escorting convoys, and often a tank with a mounted minesweeper was in the lead.

Currently, the T-80 is one of the most massive main tanks of the fourth generation, second only to the T-72 and the American M1 Abrams. As of early 2013, the Russian army had approximately 4,000 T-80BVs and T-80Us, of which 3,000 are in storage. Some more T-80s are in the Coastal Forces of the Russian Navy. In 2013, the head of the main armored department of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation A. Shevchenko announced the cessation of further operation of the T-80 and the decommissioning of all tanks of this series by 2015, however, then, apparently, these plans were abandoned. In any case, as of 2015, there is no such information in the media. The decommissioning of one of the most massive tanks would have the most serious consequences for the country's defense. Apparently, the issue of abandoning the T-80 should have been raised no earlier than the start of the massive supply of vehicles more than modern types, for example, "Armata".

The Ukrainian Armed Forces do not actively use T-80s, but as of 2013, there were 165 vehicles of this type in storage.

In addition to Russia and Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, and Syria have T-80 vehicles.

T-80 TANKS OUTSIDE RUSSIA

The first country to officially purchase the T-80 was Cyprus. The delivery of 41 tanks (the contract amount is $174 million) increased the number of tank units of the Greek community of the island by almost a third (besides the T-80, the Greek Cypriots are armed with 104 AMX-30V2 tanks). T-80s allow, to some extent, to compensate for the quantitative superiority in tanks that the Turkish community has (265 M-48A5 tanks). In 2009, a contract was signed for the supply of another 41 T-80U / T-80UK. Thus, the total number of T-80s in the Cypriot army was 82 vehicles.

However, Great Britain became the first non-CIS country where the G80 got to. There are several versions of the appearance of the T-80U tank by the British: from the goodwill gesture of President B.N. Yeltsin, made during one of his visits to England (January 1992 or November of the same year) to the successful operation Intelligence Service. According to one version, a certain Russian commercial firm offered the Ministry of Defense in early 1992 its services in selling four T-80Us in Morocco. Officially, the sale was allegedly carried out by the foreign trade organization Voentekh, with each tank estimated at $ 5 million, despite the fact that the average cost of more advanced T-80 variants is foreign market is approximately 2.2 million dollars. How many and where the tanks were sold remained unclear, but the Minister of Defense of Morocco, who arrived on a visit to Moscow in the fall of 1992, was very surprised when he learned about his country's purchase of Russian tanks. But it is quite clear why the British needed the T-80U, which they thoroughly studied, tested and fired at their ranges Chertsey, Fort Halsted and Bovington.

It is possible that the information obtained during the tests of the T-80U made it possible to disrupt a number of deals for the supply of tanks of this type to the countries of the Near and Middle East; the British tried to clearly outline the shortcomings of the tank, modestly shading its advantages. The first reliable information about the presence of the T-80U in England was published in January 1994, and the publications did not indicate when the tank got there.

There were also reports that the T-80U was being tested at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the United States. One tank was transferred to the US by the UK, and four more were received in 2003 from Ukraine.

Outside the CIS, the T-80U was first shown at an arms exhibition in Abu Dhabi, held in February 1993. The display aroused great interest, but no contracts were signed, possibly due to the counter-propaganda campaign of Western competitors.

As noted above, Ukraine supplied T-84 tanks to the armed forces of Pakistan. The press reported on the participation of T-84s delivered by Ukraine to Pakistan in combat operations in Afghanistan. Tanks with Pakistani crews fought on the side of the Taliban, but official Islamabad denied this information. As of 2013, the Pakistan Army had 320 T-80UDs.

In addition, the owners of a fairly large fleet of T-80s are the army of South Korea - 80 T-80U and Yemen - 66 T-80.

Prepared for the portalhttp://www.. Army series. The T-80 is the best tank in the world."

Main battle tank T-80- the world's first serial tank with a gas turbine power plant. Developed in SKB-2 LKZ since 1968 on the basis of the main tank T-64A. The Leningrad NPO named after V.I. V.Ya.Klimova, who was engaged in the development of the engine. The tank was put into service on August 6, 1976. Serial production was carried out at LKZ (1976-1990), KhZTM (1985-1991) and OZTM (since 1985). The production of T-80 tanks has been completed. T-80 tanks began to enter the troops in the late 1970s, primarily in the western military districts and foreign groups of troops. The intense thermal resource of the gas turbine complicated the use of these tanks in hot climate zones, so they were not delivered to the southern military districts.

According to the location of mechanisms and equipment inside the tank T-80 divided into three departments: management, combat and power. The control compartment is located in the bow of the hull. It contains the driver's seat, in front of which on the bottom of the body there are steering control levers, a fuel supply pedal and an adjustable nozzle apparatus pedal. Behind the seat in the bottom of the hull is an emergency exit hatch. In 1984, the attachment of the driver's seat to the beam was introduced instead of the attachment to the bottom.

The fighting compartment is located in the middle part of the tank and is formed by a combination of the hull and the turret. The turret has a 125 mm smoothbore gun. The hull contains a cabin docked with the tower. In the cockpit there is a loading mechanism (MZ), which provides for the placement, transportation, filing and sending of shots, as well as catching and placing the extracted pallets. To the right of the gun is the seat of the tank commander, to the left - the gunner. There are seats and footrests for the commander and gunner, as well as removable guards that ensure their safety during the operation of the stabilizer, the MOH and when firing from a cannon. To the right of the gun, a PKT machine gun coaxial with it, a R-123M radio station (on later production tanks - R-173) and an MZ control panel are installed. Above the tank commander's seat in the turret there is a commander's cupola with a hatch.

Behind the walls of the cabin there is an annular conveyor of the loading mechanism. The power compartment is located in the aft part of the tank hull. It has a gas turbine engine installed longitudinally. Output of power to the shafts of onboard gearboxes is carried out from both ends of the output gearbox of the engine. Each onboard gearbox is mounted in a block with a coaxial planetary final drive carrying the drive wheel.

Gas turbine engine GGD-1000T with a capacity of 1000 l, s. It is made according to a three-shaft scheme with two mechanical independent turbochargers and with a free turbine. The main components of the engine are centrifugal compressors of low and high pressure, combustion chamber, compressor axial turbines, axial power turbine, exhaust pipe, gearboxes and gearbox.

The roof of the power compartment is removable and consists of a front fixed part and a rear lifting part, which is connected to the front part using hinges and a torsion bar. The roof opens with the effort of one person and is locked with a tie in the raised position. In the front part of the roof there are entrance shutters, closed from above with removable metal meshes.

The main armament of the tank is located in the turret - a smooth-bore 125-mm 2A46-1 gun, equipped with a two-plane weapon stabilizer 2E28M2 and a hydroelectromechanical automatic loader of approximately the same design as on the T-64 tank. The gun is installed in the tank turret on trunnions. The embrasure of the turret is closed in front by armor, bolted to the cradle and covered from the outside with a cover. The mass of the swinging part of the gun without armored mask and stabilizer is 2443 kg. Ammunition consists of 40 rounds of separate-sleeve loading with a partially burning sleeve. Shooting is carried out with high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles. The range of a direct shot with a sub-caliber projectile with an initial speed of 1715 m / s at a tank-type target is 2100 m.

For firing from a cannon, an optical stereoscopic sight-rangefinder TPD-2-49 is used. The sight has an independent stabilization of the field of view in the vertical plane and allows you to determine the range to the target within 1000-4000 m with high accuracy. Data on the range to the target is automatically entered into the sight. Corrections are also automatically entered for the speed of the tank and data on the type of selected ammunition. For shooting at night, the TPN-1-49-23 sight is used.

Auxiliary armament consists of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun coaxial with a cannon and a 12.7 mm NSVT machine gun in an open anti-aircraft machine gun mount. ZPU is designed for firing at air and ground targets at ranges up to 2000 m. The installation provides circular firing at machine gun pointing angles in the vertical plane from -5 "to +75". Installed on the commander's cupola. For firing from a machine gun, 12.7 mm caliber cartridges are used: armor-piercing incendiary B-32 and armor-piercing incendiary tracer BZT-44.

The caterpillar mover consists of caterpillars with a rubberized treadmill and RMSH, track rollers with rubber tires and support rollers with external shock absorption, all-metal guide wheels and drive wheels, worm-type tensioners. Suspension - individual, torsion bar, with misaligned torsion shafts, with hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers on 1, 2 and 6 suspension units.

Modifications
T-80(object 219sp2) - the basic version. Combat weight 42 tons. Crew 3 people. Serial production at LKZ from 1976 to 1978

T-80B(object 219R, 1978) - guided weapon system 9K112-1 "Cobra" and SUO 1A33 (laser rangefinder sight 1G42, tank ballistic computer 1V517, stabilizer 2E26M, shot resolution unit 1G43 and a set of sensors), gun 2A46-2, smoke grenade launcher 902A "Cloud". Improved turret armor. since 1980 - the GGD-1000TF engine with a power of 1100 hp. and a turret unified with the T-64B, since 1982 - the 2A46M-1 "Rapier-3" cannon.

T-80BV(1985) - T-80B with a set of hinged dynamic protection installed on the turret and hull.

T-80U(object 219AS, 1985) - the 9K119 "Reflex" guided weapons complex and the 1A45 "Irtysh" weapon control complex (1G46 laser rangefinder sight, electronic ballistic computer, 2E42 stabilizer, sighting and observation complex of the commander TPN-4S, combined active passive night sight TPN-4 "Buran-PA"), 2A46-M1 cannon, 45 rounds of ammunition (of which 28 in the loading mechanism), advanced multi-layer combined armor with built-in dynamic protection, 902B smoke grenade launcher system, PPO 3ETs13 "Frost ”, built-in self-digging equipment, mounted gauge trawl KMT-6. Since 1990 - the GTD-1250 engine with a power of 1250 hp, the 9K119M guided weapon system. Combat weight 46 tons.

T-80UD(object 478B "Birch", 1987) - 6-cylinder two-stroke turbo-piston diesel engine 6TD with a capacity of 1000 hp, anti-aircraft machine gun installation with remote control. Since 1988 - built-in dynamic protection.

T-80UM(1992) - Agava-2 thermal imaging device for observation and aiming. radio absorbing coating, R-163-50U radio station.

T-80UK- commander's version of the T-80UM. A system for remotely detonating high-explosive fragmentation projectiles with an electronic remote contact fuse, a Shtora-2 optical-electronic suppression complex, R-163-U and R-163-K radio stations, a TNA-4 navigation system and an AB-1- autonomous power generator P28.

According to the data declared by the Soviet side at the Vienna talks on the limitation of conventional arms in Europe, in 1990 on the European territory of the USSR, as well as in units stationed in Eastern Europe, there were 4839 T-80 tanks of all modifications. After the collapse of the USSR, almost all of them ended up on the territory of Russia and Ukraine, while the production of the T-80UD, carried out in Kharkov, also ended up abroad. Their production continued in Ukraine under the designation, mainly for export. In 1996, a contract was signed for the supply of 320 such machines to Pakistan. At the same time, 175 tanks were made again, and 145 were sent from the presence of the armed forces of Ukraine.

Rosoboronexport also actively offered T-80U tanks for export. The Cypriot army is armed with 41 combat vehicles of this type (the contract value is 175 million dollars). The South Korean army has received 80 T-80U tanks to pay off the Russian debt to this country. In both cases, deliveries were made from the presence of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

As part of the Soviet Army T-80 did not take part in hostilities. Tanks T-80B and T-80BV were used by the Russian Army during military operation in Chechnya in 1995-1996. During the second Chechen campaign, T-80 tanks did not take part in hostilities.

As of January 1, 2010, T-80 tanks various modifications are in service in Belarus (92), Cyprus (41). Pakistan (320), Russia (4500, status unclear), Ukraine (271) and South Korea (80).

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE T-80B TANK
COMBAT WEIGHT, t: 42.5.
CREW, people: 3.
OVERALL DIMENSIONS, mm: length - 9651, width - 3582. height (on the roof of the tower) - 2219, ground clearance (on the main bottom) - 451.
ARMAMENT: 1 gun 2A46M-1 caliber 125 mm. 1 PKT machine gun caliber 7.62 mm, 1 anti-aircraft machine gun NSVT caliber 12.7 mm, 8 launchers caliber 81 mm for launching smoke grenades.
AMMUNITION: 38 shots, 300 rounds of 12.7 mm caliber, 1250 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber.
AUTOMATIC LOADER: hydroelectromechanical, with constant loading angle.
WEAPON STABILIZER: two-plane electro-hydraulic 2E26M.
GUIDED WEAPONS: 9K112-1 Cobra, with TUR 9M112 with radio control and optical feedback. AIMING DEVICES: laser range finder 1G42, periscopic night sight TPN-3-49.
RESERVATION, mm: anti-shell combined.
ENGINE: GTD-1000TF, made according to a three-shaft scheme with two independent mechanical turbochargers and a free power turbine; power 1100 hp (809 kW).
TRANSMISSION: mechanical, planetary; consists of two units, each of which includes an onboard gearbox, an onboard gearbox and hydraulic servo drives of the motion control system.
RUNNING GEAR: six double rubber-coated road wheels on board, five single rubber-coated support rollers, rear drive wheel with removable gear rims (lantern gear), idler wheel; individual torsion bar suspension. hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers on the suspension of the 1st, 2nd and 6th track rollers; each track has 80 tracks.
MAX SPEED, km/h: 70.
POWER RESERVE, km: 600.
OVERCOME OBSTACLES: elevation angle, deg. - 32; moat width, m - 2.85; wall height, m ​​- 1, ford depth, m - 1.2 (with OPVT - 5 m).
COMMUNICATIONS: R-123M radio station. intercom R-124.

Thirty-five years ago, on July 6, 1976, the main battle tank (MBT) T-80 was adopted by the Soviet army. Currently, in the Western Military District (ZVO), the T-80 MBT is in service with a tank brigade, 4 motorized rifle brigades, and is also used to train personnel in the district training center, as well as cadets and officers in military universities and academies. In total, the Western Military District has more than 1,800 T-80 tanks and its modifications, the Information Support Group of the Western Military District said.

The combat vehicle was created in a special design bureau (SKB) for transport engineering at the Leningrad Kirov Plant by a group of designers led by Nikolai Popov. The first series of T-80 tanks was produced in 1976-1978. The main feature of the T-80 was a gas turbine engine, which was used as the power plant of the tank. Some of its modifications are equipped with diesel engines. The T-80 tank and its modifications are different high speed movement (up to 80 km / h with a crew of 3 people). The T-80 took part in the fighting in the North Caucasus. It is in service with the ground forces of Russia, Cyprus, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea and Ukraine.

The T-80 tank is designed to conduct offensive and defensive battles in various physical, geographical, weather and climatic conditions. For fire damage the enemy T-80 is armed with a 125-mm smooth-bore, stabilized in two planes cannon and a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun coaxial with it; 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine-gun system "Utes" on the commander's cupola. To protect against guided weapons, the tank is equipped with a Tucha smoke grenade launcher. The T-80B tanks are equipped with the 9K112-1 Cobra ATGM system, and the T-80U tanks are equipped with the 9K119 Reflex ATGM system. The loading mechanism is similar to the T-64 tank.

The T-80B fire control system includes a laser rangefinder sight, a ballistic computer, an armament stabilizer and a set of sensors to control wind speed, tank roll and speed, target course angle, etc. Fire control on the T-80U is duplicated. The gun is made with strict requirements for the barrel, which is equipped with a metal heat-shielding casing to protect it from external influences and reduce deflection when heated. The combat weight of the tank is 42 tons.

The 125 mm smoothbore gun ensures hitting targets at ranges up to 5 km. Tank ammunition: shots - 45 (type BPS, BKS, OFS, guided missile). Armor protection combined. As a power plant, a multi-fuel GTD-1000T with a power of 1000 kW is used. Cruising on the highway - 500 km, the depth of the overcome water barrier - 5 m.

Main tank T-80

USSR

When the Minister of Defense of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mustafa Glas, who led the fighting of the Syrian army in Lebanon in 1981-82, the correspondent of the magazine "Spiegel" asked: "The former driver of the Glas tank would like to have the German Leopard 2, which is so eager to get in Saudi Arabia ?”, the minister replied: “.... I don’t strive to have it at any cost. The Soviet T-80 is Moscow’s answer to the Leopard 2. It is not only equal to the German car, but also significantly superior to it. As a soldier and tank specialist , I consider the T-80 the best tank in the world." The T-80, the world's first mass-produced tank with a single gas turbine power plant, began to be developed at the Leningrad SKB-2 of the Kirov Plant in 1968. However, domestic gas turbine tank building began much earlier. GTE, which won an absolute victory over piston engines in combat aviation in the 1940s. began to attract the attention of the creators of tanks. new type The power plant promised very solid advantages over a diesel or gasoline engine: with an equal occupied volume, the gas turbine had much more power, which made it possible to sharply increase the speed and acceleration characteristics of combat vehicles and improve tank control. Fast start-up of the engine at low temperatures was also reliably ensured. For the first time, the idea of ​​​​a gas turbine combat vehicle originated in the Main Armored Directorate of the USSR Ministry of Defense back in 1948.

The development of the project of a heavy tank with a gas turbine engine was completed under the leadership of the chief designer A.Kh. However, this tank remained on paper: an authoritative commission that analyzed the results of design studies came to the conclusion that the proposed vehicle did not meet a number of important requirements. In 1955, in our country, they again returned to the idea of ​​a tank with a gas turbine engine, and the Kirov Plant again took up this work, which was instructed on a competitive basis to create a heavy tank of a new generation - the most powerful combat vehicle in the world weighing 52-55 tons, armed with 130-mm a gun with an muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s and a 1000 hp engine. It was decided to develop two versions of the tank: with a diesel engine (object 277) and with a gas turbine engine (object 278), differing only in the engine compartment. The work was headed by N.M. Chistyakov. In the same 1955, under the leadership of G.A. Ogloblin, the creation of a gas turbine engine for this machine began. The meeting on this topic, held by the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR V.A. Malyshev in 1956, also contributed to an increase in interest in caterpillar gas turbine technology. The famous "tank people's commissar", in particular, expressed confidence that "in twenty years gas turbine engines will appear on ground transport vehicles."

In 1956-57. For the first time, Leningraders manufactured two experimental tank gas turbine engines GTD-1 with a maximum power of 1000 hp. The gas turbine engine was supposed to provide a tank weighing 53.5 tons with the ability to develop a very solid speed - 57.3 km / h. However, the gas turbine tank never came into being, largely due to subjective reasons known in history as "voluntarism": two diesel objects 277, released somewhat earlier than their gas turbine counterpart, in 1957, successfully passed factory tests, and soon one of them was shown to N.S. Khrushchev. The show was very Negative consequences: Khrushchev, who has embarked on a policy of abandoning traditional weapons systems, was very skeptical about the new combat vehicle. As a result, in 1960 all work on heavy tanks were curtailed, and the prototype object 278 was never completed. However, there were also objective reasons preventing the introduction of GTE at that time. Unlike a diesel engine, a tank gas turbine was still far from perfect, and it took years of hard work and many experimental "objects" that ironed polygons and tracks for two and a half decades before the gas turbine engine could finally "register" on a serial tank.

In 1963, in Kharkov, under the leadership of A.A. Morozov, simultaneously with the T-64 medium tank, its gas turbine modification was created - an experienced T-64T, which differs from its diesel counterpart by installing a GTD-ZTL helicopter gas turbine engine with a power of 700 hp. In 1964, an experimental object 167T with a GTD-3T (800 hp), developed under the direction of L.N. Kartsev, left the gates of Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil. The designers of the first gas turbine tanks faced a number of intractable problems that prevented the creation of a combat-ready tank with a gas turbine engine in the 1960s. Among the most difficult tasks. requiring the search for new solutions, issues of cleaning the air at the turbine inlet were highlighted: unlike a helicopter, whose engines suck in dust, and even then in relatively small quantities, only in takeoff and landing modes, a tank (for example, when marching in a column) can constantly move in a dust cloud, passing 5-6 cubic meters of air per second through the air intake. The gas turbine attracted the attention of the creators of a fundamentally new class of combat vehicles - missile tanks, which were actively developed in the USSR since the late 1950s.

This is not surprising: after all, according to the designers, one of the main advantages of such machines was increased mobility and reduced dimensions. In 1966, an experimental object 288, created in Leningrad and equipped with two GTD-350s with a total power of 700 hp, went for testing. The power plant of this machine was created in another Leningrad team - the aircraft building NPO. V.Ya.Klimov, who by that time had extensive experience in creating turboprop and turboshaft engines for aircraft and helicopters. However, during the tests, it turned out that the "spark" of two gas turbine engines does not have any advantages over a simpler monoblock power plant, the creation of which, in accordance with a government decision, "Klimovtsy", together with KB-3 of the Kirov Plant and VNIITransmash, began 1968. By the end of the 1960s, the Soviet army had the most advanced armored vehicles for its time.

The T-64 medium tank, put into service in 1967, was significantly superior to foreign counterparts - M-60A1, "Leopard" and "Chieftain" in terms of main combat indicators. However, since 1965 in the United States and Germany, joint work has begun on the creation of a new generation main battle tank, the MVT-70, which is distinguished by increased mobility, enhanced armament (a 155 mm Shileila ATGM launcher) and armor. The Soviet tank-building industry needed an adequate response to the NATO challenge. On April 16, 1968, a joint resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, in accordance with which the SKB-2 at the Kirov Plant was tasked with developing a variant of the T-64 medium tank with a gas turbine power plant, featuring increased combat characteristics. The first "Kirov" gas turbine tank of a new generation, object 219sp1, manufactured in 1969, outwardly was similar to the experimental Kharkov gas turbine T-64T.

The machine was equipped with a GTD-1000T engine with a capacity of 1000 hp. with., developed by NPO them. V.Ya.Klimova. The next object - 219sp2 - was already significantly different from the original T-64: tests of the first prototype showed that the installation of a new, more powerful engine, the increased weight and the changed dynamic characteristics of the tank require significant changes to the undercarriage. It required the development of new driving and steering wheels, support and support rollers, tracks with rubberized treadmills, hydraulic shock absorbers and torsion shafts with improved performance. The shape of the tower was also changed. From the T-64A, the cannon, ammunition, automatic loader, individual components and systems, as well as elements of armor protection have been preserved. After building and testing several experimental vehicles, which took about seven years, on July 6, 1976, the new tank was officially put into service under the designation T-80. In 1976-78, the production association "Kirov Plant" produced a series of "eighties" that entered the troops.

Like other Russian tanks of the 1960s and 70s. - T-64 and T-72, T-80 has a classic layout and a crew of three. Instead of one viewing device, the driver has three, which significantly improved visibility. The designers also provided for the heating of the driver's workplace with air taken from the gas turbine engine compressor. The body of the machine is welded, its frontal part has an angle of inclination of 68 °, the turret is cast. The frontal parts of the hull and turret are equipped with multi-layer combined armor, combining steel and ceramics. The remaining parts of the body are made of monolithic steel armor with a large differentiation of thicknesses and angles of inclination. There is a complex of protection against mass destruction (lining, linting, sealing and air purification system). The layout of the fighting compartment of the T-80 is generally similar to the layout adopted on the T-64B. The motoblock in the aft part of the tank hull is located longitudinally, which required some increase in the length of the vehicle compared to the T-64. The engine is made in a single unit with a total weight of 1050 kg with a built-in bevel-helical reduction gear and is kinematically connected to two onboard planetary gearboxes. The engine compartment has four fuel tanks with a capacity of 385 liters each (the total fuel supply in the booked volume was 1140 liters). The GTD-1000T is made according to a three-shaft scheme, with two independent turbochargers and a free turbine. The adjustable nozzle apparatus (RSA) of the turbine limits the frequency of its rotation and prevents "spacing" when shifting gears. The absence of a mechanical connection between the power turbine and turbochargers increased the tank's patency on soils with low bearing capacity, in difficult driving conditions, and also eliminated the possibility of engine stalling when the vehicle suddenly stopped with the gear engaged.

An important advantage of the gas turbine power plant was its multi-fuel capability. The operation of the engine on jet aviation fuels TS-1 and TS-2, diesel fuels and automobile low-octane gasolines is ensured. The GTE start-up process is automated, the compressor rotors are spinning up using two electric motors. Due to the rear exhaust, as well as the turbine's own quietness compared to a diesel engine, it was possible to somewhat reduce the acoustic visibility of the tank. The features of the T-80 include the first implemented combined braking system with the simultaneous use of a gas turbine engine and mechanical hydraulic brakes. The adjustable turbine nozzle allows you to change the direction of the gas flow, forcing the blades to rotate in the opposite direction (of course, this heavily loads the power turbine, which required special measures to protect it). The process of braking the tank is as follows: when the driver presses the brake pedal, braking begins through the turbine.

With further depression of the pedal, mechanical braking devices are also included in the work. The gas turbine engine of the T-80 tank uses an automatic engine control system (ACS), including temperature sensors located in front of and behind the power turbine, a temperature controller (RT), as well as limit switches installed under the brake pedals and RSA associated with the RT and fuel supply system. The use of ACS made it possible to increase the life of the turbine blades by more than 10 times, and with frequent use of the brake and the PCA pedal for gear shifting (which occurs while the tank is moving over rough terrain), fuel consumption is reduced by 5-7%. To protect the turbine from dust, an inertial (so-called "cyclone") air purification method was used, which provides 97 percent purification. However, unfiltered dust particles still settle on the turbine blades. To remove them when the tank is moving in especially difficult conditions, a procedure for vibro-cleaning the blades is provided. In addition, before the engine starts and after it stops, a purge is performed. Transmission T-80 - mechanical planetary. It consists of two units, each of which includes an onboard gearbox, an onboard gearbox and hydraulic servo drives of the motion control system. Three planetary gear sets and five friction control devices in each side box provide four gears forward and one reverse. The track rollers have rubber tires and aluminum alloy discs. Caterpillars - with rubber treadmills and rubber-metal joints.

Tension mechanisms - worm type. Tank suspension - individual torsion, with misaligned torsion shafts and hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers on the first, second and sixth rollers. There is equipment for underwater driving, providing, after special training, overcoming a water barrier up to five meters deep. The main armament of the T-80 includes a 125 mm 2A46M-1 smoothbore gun, unified with the T-64 and T-72 tanks, as well as the Sprut self-propelled anti-tank gun. The gun is stabilized in two planes and has a direct firing range (with a sub-caliber projectile with an initial speed of 1715 m/s) of 2100 m. The ammunition load also includes HEAT and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles. Shots - separate-sleeve loading. 28 of them (two less than those of the T-64A) are placed in the "carousel" of the mechanized ammunition rack, three shots are stored in the fighting compartment and another seven shells and charges - in the control compartment. In addition to the cannon, a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun coaxial with the gun was installed on the experimental vehicles, and a 12.7-mm NSVT Utes anti-aircraft machine gun was also installed on the serial tank on the basis of the commander's hatch.

Shooting from it is conducted by the commander, being at this time outside the booked volume. The firing range for air targets from Utes can reach 1,500 m, and for ground targets, 2,000 m. The shells are placed in the tray horizontally, "heads" to the axis of rotation. Propelling charges with a partially burning cartridge case are installed vertically, with pallets up (this distinguishes the mechanized ammunition rack of the T-64 and T-80 tanks from the T-72 and T-90 ammunition rack, where shells and charges are placed horizontally in cassettes). At the command of the gunner, the "drum" begins to rotate, bringing the cassette with the selected type of ammunition into the loading plane. Then the cassette along a special guide with the help of an electromechanical lift rises up to the ramming line, after which the charge and the projectile are pushed into the charging chamber of the gun fixed at the loading angle with one stroke of the rammer. After the shot, the pallet is caught by a special mechanism and transferred to the vacated tray. A rate of fire of six to eight rounds per minute is provided, which is very high for a gun of this caliber and does not depend on the physical condition of the loader (which significantly affects the rate of fire of foreign tanks). In the event of a failure of the machine, it is possible to load manually, however, at the same time, the rate of fire, of course, decreases sharply. Optical stereoscopic sight-rangefinder TPD-2-49 with independent stabilization of the field of view in the vertical plane provides the ability to determine the range to the target within 1000-4000 m with high accuracy.

To determine shorter ranges, as well as firing at targets that do not have a vertical projection (for example, trenches), there is a rangefinder scale in the field of view of the sight. Data on the range to the target is automatically entered into the scope. A correction for the speed of the tank and data on the type of the selected projectile is also automatically entered. In one block with a sight, a weapon guidance control panel with buttons for determining the range and firing is made. The night sights of the commander and gunner of the T-80 are similar to those used on the T-64A. The tank has a welded hull, the front part of which is inclined at an angle of 68 °. The tower is cast. The sides of the hull are protected by rubber-fabric screens that protect against damage by cumulative projectiles. The frontal part of the hull has multi-layer combined armor, the rest of the tank is protected by monolithic steel armor with differentiated thicknesses and angles of inclination. In 1978, the T-80B modification was adopted. Her fundamental difference from the T-80 was the use of a new gun and a complex of guided missile weapons 9K112-1 "Cobra" with a radio-controlled missile 9M112. The complex included a guidance station installed in the fighting compartment of the vehicle, behind the gunner. "Cobra" provided rocket fire at a distance of up to 4 km from a stop and on the move, while the probability of hitting an armored target was 0.8.

The missile had dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a 125-mm projectile and could be placed in any tray of a mechanized ammunition rack. In the head part of the ATGM there was a cumulative warhead and a solid propellant engine, in the tail part there was an equipment compartment and a throwing device. The docking of parts of the ATGM was carried out in the tray of the loading mechanism when sent into the gun barrel. Missile guidance is semi-automatic: the gunner only needed to keep the aiming mark on the target. The ATGM coordinates relative to the aiming line were determined by means of an optical system using a modulated light source mounted on the rocket, and control commands were transmitted via a narrowly focused radio beam. Depending on the combat situation, it was possible to select three missile flight modes. When firing from dusty soils, when dust raised by muzzle gases can close the target, the gun is given a small elevation angle above the aiming line. After the rocket leaves the barrel, it makes a "slide" and returns to the line of sight. If there is a threat of the formation of a dust plume behind the missile, unmasking its flight, the ATGM, after climbing, continues to fly with some excess above the line of sight and, only directly in front of the target, descends to a low altitude. When firing a rocket at a short range (up to 1000 km), when the target suddenly appears in front of the tank, the gun of which is already loaded with a rocket, the gun barrel is automatically given a small elevation angle, and the ATGM is lowered to the aiming line 80-100 m from the tank.

In addition to improved weapons, the T-80B also had more powerful armor protection. In 1980, the T-80B received a new GTD-1000TF engine, the power of which increased to 1100 hp. With. In 1985, the T-80B modification with a hinged dynamic protection complex was adopted. The machine received the designation T-80BV. Somewhat later, in the process of scheduled repairs, the installation of dynamic protection began on the previously built T-80Bs. The growth of the combat capabilities of foreign tanks, as well as anti-tank weapons, constantly required further improvement of the "eighties". Work on the development of this machine was carried out both in Leningrad and in Kharkov. Back in 1976, the KMDB on the basis of the T-80 completed a draft design of the 478 object, which has significantly increased combat and technical characteristics. It was supposed to install a diesel engine traditional for Kharkiv citizens - 6TDN with a capacity of 1000 liters on the tank. With. (A variant with a more powerful 1250-horsepower diesel engine was also worked out). At object 478, it was supposed to install an improved turret, guided missile weapons, a new sight, etc. Work on this machine served as the basis for the creation in the second half of the 1980s of the serial diesel tank T-80UD. A more radical modernization of the "eighties" was to be the Kharkov object 478M, design studies for which were also carried out in 1976. In the design of this machine, it was planned to use a number of technical solutions and systems that have not been implemented to date. The tank was supposed to be equipped with a 124Ch diesel engine with 1500 hp. with., which increased the specific power of the machine to a record value - 34.5 liters. s. / t and allowed to reach speeds of up to 75-80 km / h. The security of the tank was to be sharply increased by installing a promising active protection complex "Shater" - the prototype of the later "Arena", as well as a remote-controlled 23-mm anti-aircraft gun.

In parallel with object 478, a promising modification of the T-80A (object 219A) was developed in Leningrad, which has improved protection, new missile weapons (ATGM "Reflex"), as well as a number of other improvements, in particular, built-in bulldozer equipment for self-digging. An experimental tank of this type was built in 1982, and several more vehicles were subsequently produced with minor differences. In 1984, they worked out a set of hinged dynamic protection. To test the new Reflex guided weapon system with laser-guided missiles, as well as the Irtysh weapon control system, the LKZ Design Bureau in 1983, based on the T-80B serial tank, created another experimental vehicle - object 219V. Both experimental tanks gave impetus to the next important step in the evolution of the "eighties", made by the Leningrad designers. By 1985, under the leadership of Nikolai Popov, the T-80U tank was created - the last and most powerful modification of the "eighties", recognized by many domestic and foreign experts as the strongest tank in the world. The machine, which retained the main layout and design features of its predecessors, received a number of fundamentally new units.

At the same time, the mass of the tank compared to the T-80BV increased by only 1.5 tons. The tank's fire control system includes an information-computing daytime gunner's sighting system, a commander's sighting and observation system and a gunner's night sighting system. The firepower of the T-80U has increased significantly due to the use of a new complex of guided missile weapons "Reflex" with an anti-jamming fire control system that provides increased range and accuracy of fire while reducing the time to prepare the first shot. The new complex provided the ability to deal not only with armored targets, but also with low-flying helicopters. The 9M119 missile, controlled by a laser beam, provides a range of hitting a tank-type target when firing from a standstill at a range of 100-5000 m with a probability of 0.8. The ammunition load of the 2A46M-1 gun, which includes 45 ammunition, also consists of armor-piercing cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation rounds. The armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile has an initial velocity of 1715 m/s (which exceeds the initial velocity of any other foreign tank) and is capable of hitting heavily armored targets at a point-blank range of 2200 m.

With the help of a modern fire control system, the commander and gunner can conduct a separate search for targets, track them, as well as aimed fire day and night, both from a standstill and on the move, and use guided missile weapons. The Irtysh day optical sight with a built-in laser rangefinder allows the gunner to detect small targets at a distance of up to 5000 m and determine the range to them with high accuracy. Regardless of the weapon, the sight is stabilized in two planes. Its pancratic system changes the magnification of the optical channel within 3.6-12.0. At night, the gunner searches and aims using the Buran-PA combined active-passive sight, which also has a stabilized field of view. The tank commander conducts surveillance and gives target designation to the gunner using the PNK-4S sighting and observation day / night complex, stabilized in the vertical plane. The digital ballistic computer takes into account corrections for range, flanking target speed, own tank speed, cannon trunnion angle, bore wear, air temperature, atmospheric pressure and side wind. The gun received a built-in control device for the alignment of the gunner's sight and a quick-release connection of the barrel tube with the breech, which allows it to be replaced in the field without dismantling the entire gun from the turret.

When creating the T-80U tank, considerable attention was paid to strengthening its security. Work was carried out in several directions. Due to the use of a new camouflage coloring, which distorts the appearance of the tank, it was possible to reduce the probability of detecting the T-80U in the visible and IR ranges. The use on the tank of a self-digging system with a bulldozer blade 2140 mm wide, as well as a system for setting smoke screens using the Tucha system, which includes eight 902B grenade launchers, contributes to an increase in survival. The tank can also be equipped with a KMT-6 mounted track trawl, which excludes the detonation of mines under the bottom and caterpillars. The armor protection of the T-80U has been significantly strengthened, the design of armor barriers has been changed, and the relative proportion of armor in the tank's mass has been increased. For the first time in the world, elements of built-in dynamic protection (VDZ) have been implemented, which is able to withstand not only cumulative, but also kinetic projectiles. VDZ covers more than 50% of the surface, nose, sides and roof of the tank. The combination of advanced multi-layered combined armor and VDZ "removes" almost all types of the most massive cumulative anti-tank weapons and reduces the likelihood of being hit by "blanks".

In terms of the power of armor protection, which has an equivalent thickness of 1100 mm against a sub-caliber kinetic projectile and 900 mm - under the action of cumulative ammunition, the T-80U surpasses most foreign tanks of the fourth generation. In this regard, it should be noted the assessment of the armor protection of Russian tanks, which was given by a prominent German specialist in the field of armored vehicles, Manfred Held. Speaking at a symposium on the prospects for the development of armored vehicles, which took place within the walls of the Royal Military College (Great Britain) in June 1996, M. Held said that Germany had tested the T-72M1 tank, inherited from the Bundeswehr from the GDR army and equipped with active armor . During the firing, it was found that the frontal part of the tank hull has protection equivalent to rolled homogeneous armor with a thickness of more than 2000 mm. According to M. Held, the T-80U tank has an even higher level of protection and is able to withstand the shelling of sub-caliber shells fired from advanced 140-mm tank guns, which are only being developed in the USA and a number of Western European countries. “Thus,” the German specialist concludes, “the latest Russian tanks (primarily the T-80U) are practically invulnerable in frontal projection from all types of kinetic and cumulative anti-tank munitions in service with NATO countries and have more effective protection than their Western counterparts(Jane "s International Defense Review, 1996, No. 7)".

Of course, this assessment can be opportunistic in nature (it is necessary to "lobby" the creation of new types of ammunition and guns), but it is worth listening to it. When armor is penetrated, the tank's survivability is ensured by the use of the fast-acting automatic fire-fighting system "Hoarfrost", which prevents ignition and explosion of the fuel-air mixture. To protect against the explosion of mines, the driver's seat is suspended from the turret sheet, and the rigidity of the hull in the control compartment area is increased by using a special piller behind the driver's seat. An important advantage of the T-80U was its perfect system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, surpassing such protection of the best foreign vehicles. The tank has a lining and a lining made of hydrogen-containing polymers with the addition of lead, lithium and boron, local protection screens made of heavy materials, automatic sealing systems for habitable compartments and air purification. A significant innovation was the use of an auxiliary power unit GTA-18A with a capacity of 30 liters on the tank. s., allowing you to save fuel while the tank is parked, when conducting a defensive battle, as well as in an ambush. The resource of the main engine is also saved.

The auxiliary power unit, located in the stern of the machine, in the bunker on the left fender, is "built into" the general system of operation of the gas turbine engine and does not require any additional devices for its operation. At the end of 1983, an experimental series of two dozen T-80Us was manufactured, eight of which were transferred for military trials. In 1985, the development of the tank was completed and its large-scale serial production began in Omsk and Kharkov. However, despite the perfection of the gas turbine engine, in a number of parameters, primarily in terms of efficiency, it was inferior to the traditional tank diesel engine. Besides. the cost of a diesel engine was much lower (for example, the V-46 engine in the 1980s cost the state 9,600 rubles, while the GTD-1000 cost 104,000 rubles). The gas turbine had a much smaller resource, its repair was more complicated.

Unequivocal answer: which is better - a tank gas turbine or an engine internal combustion failed to obtain. In this regard, interest in installing a diesel engine on the most powerful domestic tank was constantly maintained. In particular, there was an opinion about the preference for the differential use of turbine and diesel tanks in various theaters of military operations. Although the idea of ​​creating a T-80 variant with a unified engine compartment that allowed the use of interchangeable diesel and gas turbine engines, which was in the air, was never realized, work on the creation of a diesel version of the "eighty" was carried out from the mid-1970s. In Leningrad and Omsk, experimental vehicles "object 219RD" and "object 644" were created, equipped, respectively, with A-53-2 and V-46-6 diesel engines. However, the Kharkovites achieved the greatest success, creating a powerful (1000 hp) and economical six-cylinder diesel engine 6TD - a further development of 5TD. The design of this engine began in 1966, and since 1975 it has been tested on the chassis of the "object 476". In 1976, a variant of the T-80 tank with 6TD ("object 478") was proposed in Kharkov. In 1985, on its basis, under the leadership of General Designer I.L. Protopopov, the "object 478B" ("Birch") was created.

Compared to the "reactive" T-80U, the diesel tank had slightly worse dynamic characteristics, but had an increased cruising range. The installation of a diesel engine required a number of changes in the transmission and control drives. In addition, the car received remote control of the Utes anti-aircraft machine gun. The first five serial "Birches" were assembled by the end of 1985, in 1986 the machine was launched into a large series, and in 1987 it was put into service under the designation T-80UD. In 1988, the T-80UD was modernized: the reliability of the power plant and a number of units was increased, the hinged dynamic protection "Contact" was replaced with built-in dynamic protection, and the weapons were finalized. Until the end of 1991, about 500 T-80UDs were produced in Kharkov (of which only 60 were transferred to units stationed on the territory of Ukraine). In total, by this time in the European part of the USSR there were 4839 T-80 tanks of all modifications. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the production of cars dropped sharply: independent Ukraine was unable to order military equipment for its own armed forces (however, the position of "independent Russia" turned out to be little better).

The way out was found in the proposal of the diesel version of the T-80 for export. In 1996, a contract was made for the supply of 320 vehicles, which received the Ukrainian designation T-84, to Pakistan (this number probably included tanks that are part of the Ukrainian armed forces). The export value of one T-84 was $1.8 million. In Kharkov, work is also underway to create a more powerful (1200 hp) 6TD-2 diesel engine, designed for installation on modernized T-64 samples. However, in the light of the economic situation in Ukraine, as well as the break in cooperation with the Russian military-industrial complex, the prospects for tank building in Kharkov look very uncertain. In Russia, the improvement of the gas turbine T-80U continued, the production of which completely moved to the plant in Omsk. In 1990, the production of a tank with a more powerful GTD-1250 engine (1250 hp) began, which made it possible to slightly improve the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle. Power plant protection devices against overheating were introduced. The tank received an improved 9K119M missile system. To reduce the radar signature of the T-80U tank, a special radar absorbing coating was developed and applied (Stealth technology - as such things are called in the West). The reduction of the effective dispersion surface (ESR) of ground combat vehicles has become of particular importance after the advent of airborne real-time radar reconnaissance systems using high-resolution synthetic aperture side-looking radars. At a distance of several tens of kilometers, it became possible to detect and track the movement of not only tank columns, but also individual units of armored vehicles.

The first two aircraft with such equipment - Northrop-Martin / Boeing E-8 JSTARS - were successfully used by the Americans during Operation Desert Storm, as well as in the Balkans. Since 1992, the Agava-2 thermal imaging device for observation and aiming began to be installed on parts of the T-80U (the industry delayed the supply of thermal imagers, so not all vehicles received them). The video image (for the first time on a domestic tank) is displayed on a television-type screen. For the development of this device, its creators were awarded the Kotin Prize. The serial T-80U tank with the above improvements introduced is known under the designation T-80UM. Another important innovation. significantly increased the combat survivability of the T-80U. was the use of a complex of optoelectronic suppression TShU-2 "Shtora". The purpose of the complex is to prevent anti-tank guided missiles with a semi-automatic guidance system from hitting the tank. as well as interfering with enemy weapon control systems with laser target designation and laser rangefinders.

The complex included an opto-electronic suppression station (SOEP) TShU-1 and an aerosol curtain installation system (SPZ). SOEP is a source of modulated IR radiation with parameters close to those of ATGM tracers of the Dragon, TOW, HOT, Milan, etc. types. By acting on the IR receiver of the ATGM semi-automatic guidance system, it disrupts missile guidance. SOEP provides interference in the form of modulated infrared radiation in the sector +/-20 ° from the axis of the bore horizontally and 4.5 "vertically. In addition, TShU-1, two modules of which are located in front of the tank turret, provide IR illumination at night, conduct aimed fire with the help of night vision devices, and are also used to blind any (including small-sized) objects. and artillery corrected 155-mm projectile "Copperhead", reacts to laser radiation within 360 "in azimuth and -5 / + 25" in the vertical plane. The received signal is processed at high speed by the control unit, and the direction to the source of quantum radiation is determined .

The system automatically determines the optimal launcher, generates an electrical signal proportional to the angle to which the tank turret with grenade launchers should be turned, and issues a command to fire a grenade that forms an aerosol screen at a distance of 55 m three seconds after the grenade is fired. SOEP operates only in automatic mode, and SPZ - in automatic, semi-automatic and manual. Range tests of "Shtora-1" confirmed the high efficiency of the complex: the probability of hitting a tank by missiles with semi-automatic command guidance is reduced by 3 times, missiles with semi-active laser homing - by 4 times, and corrected artillery shells - by 1.5 times. The complex is able to provide countermeasures simultaneously against several missiles attacking the tank from different directions. The Shtora-1 system was tested on an experimental T-80B ("object 219E") and for the first time began to be installed on the T-80UK serial command tank - a variant of the T-80U vehicle, designed to provide command and control of tank units. In addition, the commander's tank received a remote detonation system for high-fragmentation projectiles with proximity electronic fuses. T-80UK communication facilities operate in the VHF and KB bands. The R-163-U ultra-shortwave radio station with frequency modulation, operating in the operating frequency range of 30 MHz, has 10 preset frequencies. With a four-meter whip antenna in medium-rough terrain, it provides a range of up to 20 km.

With a special combined antenna of the "symmetrical vibrator" type, mounted on an 11-meter telescopic mast mounted on the vehicle body, the communication range increases to 40 km (with this antenna, the tank can only work in the parking lot). Shortwave radio station R-163-K, operating in the frequency range of 2 MHz in telephone-telegraph mode with frequency modulation. designed to provide communication over a long distance. It has 16 preset frequencies. With a whip HF antenna 4 m long, providing operation when the tank was moving, the communication range was initially 20-50 km, but by introducing the possibility of changing the antenna pattern, it was possible to increase it to 250 km. With a whip 11-meter telescopic antenna, the operating range of the R-163-K reaches 350 km. The command tank is also equipped with a TNA-4 navigation system and a 1.0 kW AB-1-P28 self-contained gasoline power generator, an additional function of which is to recharge the batteries while stationary with the engine off. The creators of the machine have successfully solved the issue of electromagnetic compatibility of numerous radio-electronic means.

For this, in particular. a special electrically conductive caterpillar tape was used. Armament, power plant, transmission, chassis, surveillance devices and other equipment of the T-80UK corresponds to the T-80UM tank. however, the ammunition load of the gun has been reduced to 30 rounds, and of the PKT machine gun to 750 rounds. The development of the T-80 tank was a major achievement of the domestic industry. Designers A.S. Ermolaev, V.A. Marishkin, V.I. Mironov, B.M. Kupriyanov, P.D. Gavra, V.I. Gaigerov, B.A. Dobryakov and many other specialists. More than 150 copyright certificates for inventions proposed in the process of creating this machine speak of the amount of work done. A number of tank designers were awarded high government awards. The Orders of Lenin were awarded to A.N. Popov and A.M. Konstantinov, the Orders of the October Revolution - to A.A. Druzhinin and P.A. Stepanchenko.....

On June 8, 1993, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, a group of specialists and the general designer of the T-80U tank, N.S. Popov, were awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology for the development of new technical solutions and the introduction of the machine into mass production. However, the T-80 is far from exhausting the possibilities for further modernization. Improvement and means of active protection of tanks continues. In particular, on the experimental T-80B, the Arena active tank protection complex (KAZT) was tested, developed by the Kolomna Design Bureau and designed to protect the tank from ATGMs and anti-tank grenades attacking it. Moreover, the reflection of ammunition is ensured, not only flying directly at the tank, but also intended to be hit by it when flying from above. To detect targets in the complex, a multifunctional radar with an "instant" view of space in the entire protected sector and high noise immunity was used. For targeted destruction of enemy missiles and grenades, narrowly targeted protective ammunition is used, which has a very high speed and is located along the perimeter of the tank turret in special mounting shafts (the tank carries 26 such ammunition). Automatic control of the operation of the complex is carried out by a specialized computer, which provides. as well as monitoring its performance.

The sequence of operation of the complex is as follows: after it is turned on from the tank commander's control panel, all further operations are performed automatically. The radar provides a search for targets flying up to the tank. Then the station is switched to the auto-tracking mode, developing the parameters of the target's movement and transferring them to the computer, which selects the number of protective ammunition and the time of its operation. Protective ammunition forms a beam of submunitions that destroy the target on approach to the tank. The time from target detection to its destruction is record short - no more than 0.07 seconds. In 0.2-0.4 seconds after the defensive shot, the complex is again ready to "shoot" the next target. Each defensive munition fires at its own sector, with the sectors of closely spaced munitions overlapping, which ensures the interception of several targets approaching from the same direction. The complex is all-weather and "all-day", it is able to work when the tank is moving, when the turret is turning. An important problem that the developers of the complex managed to successfully resolve was to ensure the electromagnetic compatibility of several tanks equipped with the Arena and operating in a single group.

The complex practically does not impose restrictions on the formation of tank units under the conditions of electromagnetic compatibility. "Arena" does not respond to targets located at a distance of more than 50 m from the tank, to small targets (bullets, fragments, small-caliber shells) that do not pose an immediate threat to the tank, to targets moving away from the tank (including its own shells), on low-speed objects (birds, clods of earth, etc.). Measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the infantry accompanying the tank: the danger zone of the complex - 20 m - is relatively small, when protective shells are fired, side lethal fragments are not formed. there is an external light alarm that warns the infantrymen behind the tank about the inclusion of the complex. Equipping the T-80 with the Arena makes it possible to approximately double the tank's survivability during offensive operations. At the same time, the cost of losses of tanks equipped with KAZT is reduced by 1.5-1.7 times. Currently, the Arena complex has no analogues in the world. Its use is especially effective in local conflicts. when the opposing side is armed with only light anti-tank weapons. The T-80UM-1 tank with KAZT "Arena" was first publicly demonstrated in Omsk in the fall of 1997. There was also shown a variant of this tank with another active defense system - "Drozd". In order to improve the ability to combat air targets (primarily attack helicopters), as well as tank-dangerous enemy manpower, the Tochmash Central Research Institute created and tested a set of additional weapons for the T-80 tank with a 30-mm 2A42 automatic gun (similar to that installed on the BMP -3 BMD-3 and BTR-80A). The gun, which has a remote control, is installed in the upper rear part of the tower (at the same time, the 12.7-mm Utes machine gun is dismantled). The pointing angle relative to the tower is 120 "to the horizon and -5 / -65" - vertically. Ammunition installation -450 shells.

Characteristics of KAZT "Arena"

Target speed range: 70-700m/s
Protection sector in azimuth: 110°
Detection range of incoming targets: 50 m
Complex reaction time: 0.07 sec
Power consumption: 1 kW
Supply voltage: 27V
Weight of the complex: 1100 kg
The volume of equipment inside the tower: 30dm sq.

A further development of the T-80 was the Black Eagle tank, the creation of which was carried out in Omsk. The machine, which retained the T-80 chassis, is equipped with a new turret with a horizontal placement of the automatic loader, as well as 1 TD with a capacity of 1500l. With. At the same time, the mass of the vehicle increased to 50 tons. Promising guns with a caliber of up to 150 mm can be used as the main armament on the Black Eagle. Currently, the T-80 is one of the most massive main tanks of the fourth generation, second only to the T-72 and the American M1 Abrams. As of early 1996, the Russian army had approximately 5,000 T-80s, 9,000 T-72s and 4,000 T-64s. For comparison, there are 79 IS Mi tanks in the US armed forces. Ml A and M1A2, in the Bundeswehr - 1700 Leopards, and french army plans to purchase, in total, only 650 Leclerc tanks. In addition to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Syria also have T-80 machines. The press reported on the interest in acquiring the "eighties" of India, China and other countries.

The T-80 is a Soviet-made main battle tank. It is the first tank in the world to be equipped with a single gas turbine power plant. It has been in service with the Soviet Army since 1976. The first serial samples that were created on the basis of the T-64 in SKB-2 were produced at the Kirov Plant in Leningrad. They are part of the Armed Forces of such states as South Korea, Ukraine, Russia and others. The T-80U modification was manufactured at the Omsktransmash plant, and the T-80UD at the Malyshev plant in Kharkov. In turn, the T-80UD also has modifications - Ukrainian BM "Oplot" and T-84.

1. Photos

2. Video

3. History

The debut "Kirov" gas turbine tank of a new generation, which received the designation "object 219 sp 1", was produced in 1969 and outwardly looked like an experimental gas turbine tank T-64T, manufactured in Kharkov. The car was equipped with the one developed at the NPO. V.Ya. Klimov, engine GTD-1000T. The development with the designation "object 219 sp 1" differed from the predecessor prototype by significant changes in the chassis. In particular, carrier and support rollers, new guide and drive wheels, hydraulic shock absorbers, tracks with rubber-coated tracks and torsion bars with improved characteristics were developed. The shape of the tower has also changed. With the T-64A, this tank was combined with ammunition, a cannon, a loading mechanism (not the same as on the T-72 and its modifications), armor protection, as well as individual systems and components.

4. Tactical and technical characteristics

4.1 Dimensions

• Case length, mm: T-80 - 6780; 6982; T-80U - 7012; T-80UD - 7020
• Length with gun forward, mm: T-80 - 9656; T-80B (T-80BV) - 9651; T-80U - 9556; T-80UD - 9664
• Hull width, mm: T-80 - 3525; T-80B (T-80BV) - 3582; T-80U - 3603; T-80UD - 3755
• Height on the roof of the tower, mm: T-80 - 2300; T-80B (T-80BV) - 2219; T-80U, T-80UD - 2215
• Clearance, mm: T-80, T-80B (T-80BV), T-80U - 451; T-80UD - 529.

4.2 Booking

• Type of armor: anti-ballistic, cast and rolled combined and steel
• Dynamic protection: T-80U, T-80UD - Contact-5
• Active protection: T-80UD - "Shtora".

4.3 Armament

• Gun brand: T-80 - 2A46-1; T-80B (T-80BV) - 2A46-2 / 2A46M-1; T-80U - 2A46M-1 / 2A46M-4; T-80UD - 2A46M-1
• Gun type: smoothbore gun
• Gun caliber: 125 mm
• Barrel length, calibers: 48
• Gun ammunition: T-80 - 40; T-80B (T-80BV) - 38; T-80U, T-80UD - 45
• Angles HV, degrees: −5…+14°
• Firing range, km: ATGM: 5.0, BOPS: 3.7
• Sights: night periscope TPN-3-49, optical sight-rangefinder TPD-2-49
• Machine guns: 1 × 7.62 mm PKT, 1 × 12.7 mm NSVT
• Guided weapons: T-80B (T-80BV) - 9K112-1 "Cobra" / 9K119 "Reflex"; T-80U - 9K119 "Reflex" / 9K119M "Reflex-M"; T-80UD - 9K119 "Reflex".

4.4 Mobility

• Make and type of engine: T-80 - GTD-1000T (gas turbine); T-80B (T-80BV) - GTD-1000TF (gas turbine); T-80U - GTD-1000TF / GTD-1250 (gas turbine); T-80UD - 6TD (diesel)
• Engine power, l. s.: T-80, T-80UD: 1000; T-80B (T-80BV): 1100; T-80U - 1100/1250
• Highway speed, km/h: T-80, T-80B (T-80BV), T-80U - 70; T-80UD - 60
• Cross-country speed, km / h: T-80 - 50; T-80U - 60
• Power reserve on the highway, km: T-80, T-80B (T-80BV) - 500; T-80U - 450; T-80UD - 560
• Power reserve over rough terrain, km: 250
• Specific power, l. s./t: T-80 - 23.8; T-80B (T-80BV) - 25.8 (25.17); T-80U - 21.74 / 27.2; T-80UD - 21.7
• Suspension type: individual torsion bar
• Specific ground pressure, kg / cm²: T-80 - 0.83; T-80B (T-80BV) - 0.865; T-80U - 0.93; T-80UD - 0.924
• Climbability, degrees: 32°
• Overcoming wall, m: 1.0
• Crossable ditch, m: 2.85
• Crossable ford, m: 1.2 (1.8 with preliminary preparation; 5.0 with OPVT).

4.5 Other parameters

• Combat weight, t: T-80 - 42; T-80B (T-80BV) - 42.5 (43.7); T-80U, T-80UD - 46
• Layout scheme: classic
• Crew, people: 3.

5. Modifications

• 219 cn 1 - modification of the T-64A with the introduction of a gas turbine engine GTD-1000T
• 219 sp 2 - a pre-production sample with a new chassis
• 219 sp 2 - T-80 main battle tank.
• 219A - experimental main tank T-80A. The development was carried out simultaneously with the "Object 478". Subsequently, it was supplemented with hinged dynamic protection.
• 219AS - T-80U main battle tank. Equipped with a 2A46M-1 gun; smoke grenade launcher 902B "Cloud"; PPO 3ETs13 "Hoarfrost"; combined armor with dynamic built-in protection; weapon control system 1A45 "Irtysh" (electronic BV, PRN TPN-4S, laser rangefinder sight 1G46, combined night sight TPN-4 "Buran-PA", stabilizer 2E42) and KUV 9K119 "Reflex". Subsequently, engines KUV 9K119M "Invar" and GTD-1250 were used
• 630A - the main tank T-80UK. Commander's version of the T-80U. Equipped with Agava-2 thermal imager; R-163K and R-163U radio stations, Shtora-1 system, TNA-4 navigation system, advanced atmospheric parameter sensor, AB-1-P28 autonomous power plant, HE shell remote detonation system
• T-80UE - T-80UM variant, intended for Greece; equipped with advanced controls and hydrostatic transmission
• 219AM-1 - the main tank T-80UA. An improved version of the T-80U.
• 219AC-M - the main tank T-80UM. An improved version of the T-80U, equipped with: radar-absorbing coating, R-163-50U radio station, Agava-2 thermal imager
• 219AS-M1 - the main tank T-80UM1 "Bars". T-80UM variant equipped with GTD-1250G engine, 2A46M-4 cannon, Arena-E active protection system, TVN-5, R-163UP, Shtora-1, R-163-50U, air conditioning system, " Velizh
• 640 - the main experimental battle tank T-80UM2
• 291 - equipped with a GTA-18 power auxiliary unit, fire-fighting equipment PPO "INEY", a driver's night vision device TVN-5 "Mango", a thermal imaging sight "Agava-2", a 2A46M-4 gun of 125-mm caliber, KUO 1A45M (IUS 1V558 , STV-2E42M, PDPN-1G46M) and a new self-digging blade included in the protection scheme. The radio absorbing coating RPZ-86M was also used. First, the Progress-2 thermal imaging sight (T01-P05) was installed on the tank, and later the T01-K05 Buran-M. The loading mechanism was adapted to accommodate BPS projectiles 750 mm long
• 219R - T-80B main battle tank. Equipped with a 2A46-2 cannon, a 902A Tucha smoke grenade launcher, a 9K112-1 Cobra KUV and a 1A33 SUO (it includes BV 1V517, a 2E26M stabilizer, a set of sensors, a 1G43 shot resolution unit, and a 1G42 laser rangefinder sight). Increased turret armor. Subsequently, it was equipped with a GTD-1000TF engine, a turret unified with the T-64B and a 2A46M-1 gun
• 219RV - T-80BV main battle tank. T-80B equipped with dynamic hinged protection "Contact"
• 219AS-1 - the main tank T-80UE-1. Improved T-80BV. Equipped with a modernized SLA 1A45-1 and a turret from decommissioned T-80UD. In addition, a few more updates have been installed.
• 219M - improved T-80BV
• 219RD - experimental modification of the T-80B, equipped with a diesel engine A-53-2 (2V-16-2)
• 219E - an experimental modification of the T-80B, equipped with a complex of electro-optical active protection against precision weapons"Curtain-1"
• 630 - the main tank T-80BK. Commander's version of the T-80B, equipped with an additional installation of radio and navigation equipment
• 644 - experimental modification of the T-80, equipped with a V-46-6 diesel engine
• 478 is an experienced main tank. T-80 chassis, Object 476 turret, 6TD diesel engine
• 478M - project of the main tank. Improved "Object 478". Equipped with a 12CHN diesel engine and the Shater active protection system
• 478B - the main tank T-80UD "Birch". Equipped with an anti-aircraft machine gun with remote control; diesel engine 6TD and mounted DZ. Then - the built-in remote sensing.
• 478BK - an experimental modification of the T-80UD, equipped with a welded turret.
• 478D - an experimental main tank based on the T-80UD, equipped with the Aynet missile control system
• 478DU - Ukrainian experimental main tank based on the 478D object with an improved chassis. Developed in Ukraine.
• 478DU1 - T-80UD variant for export. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU2 - the main tank T-84. Upgraded T-80UD, equipped with a new remote sensing system and the Shtora-1 system. Designed in Ukraine
• T-84-120 "Yatagan" - a variant of the T-84 for export to Turkey, equipped with a 6TD-2 engine, a 120 mm cannon, a built-in DZ "Knife" and a welded turret with an AZ in the aft niche. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU9 - the main tank T-84U. Upgraded T-84. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU10 - the main tank of the BM "Oplot". Upgraded T-84U. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU3 - modernized T-80UD. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU4 - modernized T-80UD, equipped with an improved gearbox Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU5 - modernized T-80UD, equipped with air conditioning. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU6 - modernized T-80UD. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU7 - modernized T-80UD. Designed in Ukraine
• 478DU8 - modernized T-80UD. Developed in Ukraine.

6. Vehicles based on a tank

• Ladoga - a vehicle with a high degree protection
• BREM-80U - armored recovery vehicle
• Msta-S - self-propelled gun mount
• Pion - self-propelled gun mount
• S-300V - SAM
• SPM - fire truck
• PTS-4 - floating conveyor

7. In service

• USSR - entered service with the states formed after 1991
• Russia - The Russian Army, as of 2013, operates 4,000 T-80Us and T-80BVs. 3000 cars are in storage. It is planned to abandon the tanks by 2015
• Coastal troops of the Navy of the Russian Federation - as of 2013, 160 tanks T-72, T-55M and T-80
• Angola - an undetermined number of T-80s
• Belarus - 69 T-80B
• United Kingdom - a number of T-80U, acquired in an undiscovered way for strategic research
• Egypt - 20 T-80U and 14 T-80UK
• Yemen - 66 T-80
• Cyprus - 82 T-80U
• Republic of Korea - 80 T-80U
• Pakistan - 320 T-80UD
• USA - 4 T-80UD, 1 T-80U
• Uzbekistan - an indeterminate number of T-80BV
• Ukraine - 165 T-80s in storage.

8. Combat use

• On October 4, 1993, six T-80UD tanks of the 12th Guards Tank Regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division shot down the White House
• Grozny was stormed during the first Chechen war. During the second Chechen war were not used
• In January 2015, T-80Bs were used in an armed conflict between government forces and Shiite rebels in Yemen.
• The OSCE mission in the same month found 10 T-80 tanks in eastern Ukraine, located in the territory controlled by the rebels.