The T-80 turned out to be a complete disaster. T-80 turned out to be a complete disaster Modifications of the T 80 tank

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 production samples, which were created on the basis of the T-64 in SKB-2, were produced at the Kirov plant in Leningrad. Available in 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 Kharkov Malyshev plant. 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 the new generation, designated "object 219 sp 1", was produced in 1969 and was externally similar to the experimental T-64T gas turbine tank manufactured in Kharkov. The machine was equipped with something developed at the NPO named after. V.Ya. Klimov, GTD-1000T engine. The development with the designation “object 219 sp 1” differed from its predecessor prototype by significant changes to the chassis. In particular, support and support rollers, new guide and drive wheels, hydraulic shock absorbers, rubber-coated tracks and torsion shafts with improved characteristics were developed. The shape of the tower has also changed. This tank was combined with the T-64A by ammunition, a cannon, a loading mechanism (not the same as that found on the T-72 and its modifications), armor protection, as well as individual systems and components.

4. Performance 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
• Case width, mm: T-80 – 3525; T-80B (T-80BV) – 3582; T-80U – 3603; T-80UD – 3755
• Tower roof height, mm: T-80 – 2300; T-80B (T-80BV) – 2219; T-80U, T-80UD - 2215
• Ground 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 - “Curtain”.

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
• HV angles, 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

• Engine brand and type: 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. pp.: 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
• Speed ​​over rough terrain, km/h: T-80 – 50; T-80U - 60
• Cruising range on the highway, km: T-80, T-80B (T-80BV) – 500; T-80U – 450; T-80UD — 560
• Cruising range 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°
• Wall to be overcome, m: 1.0
• Ditch to be overcome, m: 2.85
• Fording capacity, 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 joint venture 1 - modification of the T-64A with an integrated gas turbine engine GTD-1000T
• 219 sp 2 - pre-production sample with new chassis
• 219 joint venture 2 - main battle tank T-80.
• 219A - experimental main tank T-80A. Development was carried out simultaneously with Object 478. Subsequently it was supplemented with mounted dynamic protection.
• 219AS is the main battle tank of the T-80U. Equipped with a 2A46M-1 cannon; smoke grenade launch system 902B “Tucha”; PPO 3ETS13 “Rime”; combined armor with dynamic built-in protection; weapon control complex 1A45 "Irtysh" (electronic BV, PRNA TPN-4S, laser sight-rangefinder 1G46, night combined sight TPN-4 "Buran-PA", stabilizer 2E42) and KUV 9K119 "Reflex". Subsequently, the KUV 9K119M “Invar” and GTD-1250 engines were used
• 630A - the main tank of the T-80UK. Command version of the T-80U. Equipped with an Agava-2 thermal imager; radio stations R-163K and R-163U, the Shtora-1 system, the TNA-4 navigation system, an improved atmospheric sensor, an autonomous power plant AB-1-P28, a system for remote detonation of HE shells
• T-80UE - version of the T-80UM, intended for Greece; equipped with improved controls and hydrostatic transmission
• 219AM-1 - the main tank of the T-80UA. An improved version of the T-80U.
• 219AS-M - the main tank of the T-80UM. An improved version of the T-80U, equipped with: radio-absorbing coating, R-163-50U radio station, Agava-2 thermal imager
• 219AS-M1 - the main tank of the T-80UM1 "Bars". T-80UM variant, equipped with a GTD-1250G engine, a 2A46M-4 gun, a complex active protection"Arena-E", TVN-5, R-163UP, "Shtora-1", R-163-50U, air conditioning system, "Velizh"
• 640 - main experimental battle tank T-80UM2
• 291 - equipped with a GTA-18 power auxiliary unit, fire-fighting equipment of PPO "INEY", a driver's night device TVN-5 "Mango", an Agava-2 thermal imaging sight, a 2A46M-4 125-mm caliber gun, a 1A45M KUO (IUS 1B558 , STV-2E42M, PDPN-1G46M) and a new blade for self-digging, included in the protection scheme. The RPZ-86M radio-absorbing coating was also used. First, the Progress-2 thermal imaging sight (T01-P05) was installed on the tank, and subsequently the T01-K05 Buran-M. The loading mechanism was adapted to accommodate BPS projectiles with a length of 750 mm
• 219R is the main battle tank of the T-80B. Equipped with a 2A46-2 cannon, a 902A “Tucha” smoke grenade launch system, a 9K112-1 “Cobra” KUV and a 1A33 fire control system (it includes a 1V517 BV, a 2E26M stabilizer, a set of sensors, a 1G43 shot resolution unit, and a 1G42 laser sight-rangefinder). The turret's armor has been strengthened. Subsequently it was equipped with a GTD-1000TF engine, a turret unified with the T-64B and a 2A46M-1 gun
• 219RV - the main battle tank of the T-80BV. T-80B equipped with dynamic mounted protection "Contact"
• 219AS-1 - the main tank of the T-80UE-1. Improved T-80BV. Equipped with a modernized 1A45-1 fire control system and a turret from a decommissioned T-80UD. In addition, several more updates have been installed
• 219M - improved T-80BV
• 219RD - experimental modification of the T-80B, equipped diesel engine A-53-2 (2B-16-2)
• 219E - experimental modification of the T-80B, equipped with the Shtora-1 electro-optical active protection system against precision weapons
• 630 - main tank T-80BK. Command version of the T-80B, equipped additional installation 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 - main tank project. Improved "Object 478". Equipped with a 12CHN diesel engine and the “Shater” active protection complex
• 478B - main tank T-80UD "Beryoza". Equipped with a remote-controlled anti-aircraft machine gun mount; diesel engine 6TD and mounted DZ. Then - the built-in remote sensing.
• 478БК - experimental modification of the T-80UD, equipped with a welded turret.
• 478D - an experimental main tank based on the T-80UD, equipped with the Ainet missile control system
• 478DU is a Ukrainian experimental main tank based on the 478D object with an improved chassis. Developed in Ukraine.
• 478DU1 - version of the T-80UD for export. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU2 - the main tank of the T-84. Modernized T-80UD, equipped with a new remote sensing device and the Shtora-1 system. Developed in Ukraine
• T-84-120 “Yatagan” - a version of the T-84 for export to Turkey, equipped with a 6TD-2 engine, a 120 mm caliber cannon, a built-in Knife PD and a welded turret with an AZ in the aft niche. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU9 - the main tank of the T-84U. Modernized T-84. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU10 is the main tank of the Oplot BM. Modernized T-84U. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU3 - modernized T-80UD. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU4 - modernized T-80UD, equipped with an improved gearbox Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU5 - modernized T-80UD, equipped with air conditioning. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU6 - modernized T-80UD. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU7 - modernized T-80UD. Developed in Ukraine
• 478DU8 - modernized T-80UD. Developed in Ukraine.

6. Tank-based vehicles

• Ladoga — vehicle With high degree protection
• BREM-80U - armored repair and recovery vehicle
• Msta-S - self-propelled gun mount
• Peony - self-propelled gun mount
• S-300V - air defense system
• SPM - special fire vehicle
• 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-80U and T-80BV. 3,000 vehicles are in storage. It is planned to abandon tanks by 2015
• Coastal troops of the Russian Navy - as of 2013, 160 T-72, T-55M and T-80 tanks
• Angola – unspecified number of T-80s
• Belarus - 69 T-80B
• UK - some T-80U acquired undiscovered 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 - unspecified number of T-80BV
• Ukraine - 165 T-80 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 up the White House
• During the first Chechen war stormed Grozny. Not used during the second Chechen war
• In January 2015, T-80Bs were used in an armed conflict between government forces and Shiite rebels in Yemen
• The OSCE mission that same month discovered 10 T-80 tanks in eastern Ukraine, located in territory controlled by rebels.

The second largest tank Russian army currently is the T-80. In total, there are at least 4,500 such armored vehicles in units and storage bases. The most popular modification is the T-80BV, of which there are about 3 thousand units. The production of such tanks continued until the end of the nineties.

Gradually, all existing T-80s will exhaust their service life and will be sent for disposal. In the time preceding this event, it is possible to carry out repairs and modernization of existing machines with an extension of service life. In order for old tanks to remain in service after updating, last years Several modernization options were created with the replacement of various systems and units.

"Object 219AM-1"

In the course of work on this option for updating existing equipment, the original T-80U received a number of new systems. The modernized tank, in addition to the “object” designation, also acquired a new designation - T-80UA. The greatest changes affected weapons and their auxiliary equipment. So, the native weapon is launcher replaced with a 2A46M-4 gun with a UUI-2 barrel bending device.

For fire control, the tank received a new 1A45-1 sighting system and new sighting systems gunner and commander. After modernization, they have the TO1-KO4 (day and night) and TO1-KO5 (night) complexes, respectively. The modernization project also allows the use of thermal imaging sights of other models. The chassis, power plant and chassis of the T-80U tank did not undergo any changes during modernization. The same can be said about the tower.

The absence of any design updates is due to the requirement to update the tank as simply as possible in a repair plant. Previous ride quality after modernization they are compensated by higher combat characteristics. Thus, the maximum turning speed of a combat vehicle, at which targeted shooting is possible, has almost doubled and is now equal to 40 degrees per second.

At the same time, the time it took for the commander to prepare a shot was reduced. Now he spends almost half as much time on all the necessary preparations for a shot. The new 2A46M-4 gun with the UUI-2 device made it possible to significantly improve shooting accuracy. Finally, maintenance and diagnostics of the sighting system is now carried out using a special remote control.

The Object 219AM-1/T-80UA tank was developed in the early 2000s and, after all the necessary tests, was put into service in 2005. Since the production of T-80 vehicles ceased several years before the tank was put into service, it was decided to modernize some of the T-80U model armored vehicles in service. The exact number of converted tanks is unknown.

"Object 219AM-2"

Simultaneously with the development of the T-80UA tank, work was underway on a simpler modernization of the T-80U, aimed at increasing its level of protection. To do this, it was proposed to install the Arena active protection complex on the base tank. It is worth noting that, if successfully completed, such a modernization project would improve the level of protection of all or almost all existing tanks of the T-80 family.

Regarding the progress of the Object 219AM-2 project, all that is known is that in the first half of the 2000s, the only prototype with the Arena system underwent state tests. Their results were not published anywhere, but from the available information about the further fate of the T-80 tanks, it can be concluded that the armored vehicle with the letters “AM-2” was not accepted for service. At the same time, work on equipping tanks of the T-80 family with active protection systems continued.

"Object 219AS-1"

Another project to modernize the existing T-80s involved changing the tank’s power and energy units, refining sighting equipment and improving protection. For this purpose, it was proposed to install a turret with a fighting compartment from the T-80UD on the chassis of the T-80BV tank. In addition, on the “Object 219AS-1” they mounted gas turbine engine GTD-1250 with a power of 1250 horsepower.

To increase engine efficiency and increase the fording depth, the tank was equipped with a special air intake device. Thanks to it, the Object 219AS-1 is capable of crossing bodies of water up to 1.8 meters deep without prior preparation. During the development of the power plant for the new modernization project, a number of measures were taken to maintain engine power while reducing fuel consumption.

To improve combat qualities, a 1V216M correction input device with 15 preset ballistics calculation algorithms was added to the original weapon control system of the T-80UD tank. Electricity consumption by the tank units generally remained at the same level, but the use of a gas turbine engine with its inherent high fuel consumption forced the installation of an autonomous generator with a capacity of 18 kilowatts on the tank. With this unit, the tank's electronics can operate even when the gas turbine engine is turned off.

The hull, turret and armor of the Object 219AS-1 remained almost the same as on the original T-80BV and T-80UD tanks. Some changes have been made to the design of the built-in dynamic protection. The absence of major modifications to the design of the armored hull and turret made it possible to simultaneously solve several problems. Firstly, it was possible to increase the combat potential of existing equipment, and secondly, it was possible to save on the disposal of turrets of removed T-80UD tanks.

In 2005, the Object 219AS was adopted by the Russian army under the name T-80UE-1. According to various sources, at least several dozen T-80BV tanks have been converted to this version to date.

T-80BV tanks. Training and methodological training of the Western Military District, 138th Infantry Brigade, Leningrad region. May 2011

"Object 219M"

One of the most interesting options for modernizing the T-80BV tank was the “Object 219M”. A careful examination of this project gives the impression that its authors tried to radically improve all the existing characteristics of the combat vehicle, but at the same time tried to keep within the capabilities of repair plants. For this reason, “Object 219M”, while retaining the main design details, changed most electronic equipment, and also acquired a number of new systems.

Changes in the tank's equipment are visible even at first glance. The upper frontal part of the tank's hull and turret are now covered by modules of the Relikt dynamic protection system. In addition, the antenna unit of the Arena active defense complex is visible on the tower. It is noteworthy that both of these complexes had previously been repeatedly used on tanks of various models, but were used together for the first time on the Object 219M. When developing the modernization project, it was assumed that the combination of the latest dynamic and active protection systems would significantly reduce the likelihood of a tank being hit, including by the most modern ammunition.

The armament complex of the new tank has undergone serious modifications. It received a new gun (presumably 2A46M-4) and updated electronics. The exact composition of the weapon control complex has not been published, but it is known that it provides the ability to operate day and night, and also significantly increases shooting accuracy. To use new shells, the gun's automatic loader was modified. The ammunition load apparently remained the same - about 40 rounds.

According to available data, during the overhaul and modernization, the T-80BV tanks, converted into the Object 219M, were to receive a modified version of the GTD-1250 gas turbine engine. Its main feature was the possibility of a short-term increase in power to 1400 hp. Thanks to this, the slightly heavier tank could move at higher speeds or overcome more serious obstacles for a short time.

Several years ago, testing of the only prototype of the Object 219M tank was completed. He showed interesting results on them, but was unable to interest a potential customer. As a result, the idea of ​​a comprehensive modernization of the existing T-80BV remained another not very successful project.

As we can see, just in the last few years, Russian tank builders have created a number of projects for modernizing tanks of the T-80 family. Not all of the updated vehicles reached combat units, but they are of some interest. After the existing T-80s have exhausted their service life, they will be sent for scrap. Therefore, existing modernization projects are doubly beneficial, because if they are implemented, our armored forces will have, at a minimum, equipment that is not outdated for several years.

In this case, when the troops have enough of the latest ones, there will still be a number of modernized T-80s in service that have not exhausted their service life and are capable of continuing to serve. However, according to the current plans of the Russian army command, T-80 tanks will gradually go out of service by 2020. Therefore, modernization projects that remain at the prototype level will remain unattended.

Tank T-80BVK. Training and methodological training of the Western Military District, 138th Infantry Brigade, Leningrad Region. May 2011

It is noteworthy that modernized tanks could become another source of income. For example, Ukraine has been removing from storage for several years now, repairing and modernizing used tanks, and then selling them to third world countries. Obviously, the modernized T-80 with an extended service life will cost significantly less in the export version, and even more so the Armat. Thus, Russia will be able to expand the list of tanks offered for sale and attract small and poor countries. Will be able. But will it happen?

Thirty-five years ago, on July 6, 1976, the T-80 main battle tank (MBT) was adopted by the Soviet Army. Currently, in the Western Military District (WMD), the T-80 MBT is in service with a tank brigade, 4 motorized rifle brigades, and is also used for training 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 Group reported information support Western Military District.

The combat vehicle was created in the special design bureau (SKB) of 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. Main feature The T-80 was a gas turbine engine that was used as the tank's power plant. Some of its modifications have 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 combat operations in the North Caucasus. In service ground forces Russia, Cyprus, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Ukraine.

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

The T-80B fire control system includes a laser sight-rangefinder, a ballistic computer, a weapon stabilizer and a set of sensors for monitoring wind speed, roll and speed of the tank, target heading angle, etc. The 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 against external influences and reduce deflection when heated. The tank's combat weight is 42 tons.

A 125-mm smoothbore gun can hit targets at a range of up to 5 km. Tank ammunition: 45 rounds (type BPS, BKS, OFS, guided missile). Combined armor protection. The power plant is a multi-fuel GTD-1000T with a power of 1000 kW. Cruising range on the highway is 500 km, the depth of the water obstacle to be overcome is 5 m.

Main tank T-80

When the Minister of Defense of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mustafa Glas, who led the fighting Syrian army in Lebanon in 1981-82, a correspondent for Der Spiegel magazine asked: “Would the former driver of the Glas tank want to have the German Leopard 2, which Saudi Arabia is so eager to get?”, the minister replied: “.... I’m not trying 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 machine, but also significantly superior to it. As a soldier and tank specialist, I consider the T-80 best tank in the world." The T-80, the world's first production tank with a single gas turbine power plant, began to be developed at the Leningrad SKB-2 Kirov plant in 1968. However, domestic gas turbine tank building began much earlier. The gas turbine engine, which won an absolute victory in the 1940s over piston engines in combat aviation. began to attract the attention of tank creators. The new type of power plant promised very significant advantages over a diesel or gasoline engine: with an equal occupied volume, the gas turbine had significantly greater power, which made it possible to sharply increase the speed and acceleration characteristics of combat vehicles, improve control of the tank. Fast engine starting was also reliably ensured when low temperatures. The idea of ​​a gas turbine combat vehicle first originated in the Main Armored Directorate of the USSR Ministry of Defense back in 1948.

The development of the project for a heavy tank with a gas turbine engine was completed under the leadership of chief designer A.Kh. Starostenko at the turbine production design bureau of the Kirov plant in 1949. 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 satisfy 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 again the Kirov Plant took up this work, which was instructed to create on a competitive basis heavy tank new generation - the most powerful in the world combat vehicle weighing 52-55 tons, armed with a 130-mm gun with an initial projectile speed of 1000 m/s and an engine with a power of 1000 hp. 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. A meeting on this topic, held by Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers V.A. Malyshev in 1956, also contributed to increased interest in tracked gas turbine technology. The famous “tank commissar,” in particular, expressed confidence that “in twenty years, gas turbine engines will appear on ground transport vehicles.”

In 1956-57 Leningraders first produced 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 respectable speed of 57.3 km/h. However, the gas turbine tank was never born, largely due to subjective reasons, known in history as “voluntarism”: two diesel 277 objects, produced somewhat earlier than their gas turbine counterpart, in 1957, successfully passed factory tests, and soon one of they were shown to N.S. Khrushchev. The show had very negative consequences: Khrushchev, who had taken a course towards abandoning traditional weapons systems, was very skeptical about the new combat vehicle. As a result, in 1960, all work on heavy tanks was curtailed, and the prototype of object 278 was never completed. However, there were also objective reasons that prevented the introduction of gas turbine engines 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”, ironing testing sites and routes for two and a half decades, before the gas turbine engine could finally be “registered” 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 - the experimental 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, a prototype 167T with a GTD-3T (800 hp), developed under the leadership of L.N. Kartsev, emerged from the gates of the Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil. The designers of the first gas turbine tanks were faced with a number of intractable problems that did not allow them to create a combat-ready tank with a gas turbine engine in the 1960s. Among the most difficult tasks. requiring the search for new solutions, the issues of air purification at the turbine inlet were highlighted: unlike a helicopter, whose engines suck in dust, and even then in relatively small quantities, only during takeoff and landing modes, a tank (for example, while 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 also attracted the attention of the creators of a fundamentally new class of combat vehicles - rocket-propelled tanks, which had been 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 size. In 1966, experimental object 288, created in Leningrad and equipped with two GTD-350 with a total power of 700 hp, entered testing. The power plant of this machine was created in another Leningrad team - the aircraft manufacturing NPO named after. V.Ya. Klimov, who by that time had great experience in the creation of turboprop and turboshaft engines for aircraft and helicopters. However, during the tests it turned out that the “sparkling” of two gas turbine engines does not have any advantages over a simpler monoblock power plant, the creation of which, in accordance with the government decision, the Klimovites, together with KB-3 of the Kirov Plant and VNIITransmash, began in 1968 By the end of the 1960s, the Soviet army had the most advanced armored vehicles of its time.

The T-64 medium tank, put into service in 1967, significantly exceeded foreign analogues- M-60A1, "Leopard" and "Chieftain". However, in the USA and Germany, since 1965, joint work has begun to create the main battle tank a new generation - MVT-70, characterized by increased mobility, reinforced weapons (gun-launcher of the Shileila ATGM with a caliber of 155 mm) and armor. The Soviet tank industry was required to respond adequately to the NATO challenge. On April 16, 1968, a joint resolution was issued by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, according to which SKB-2 at the Kirov Plant was tasked with developing a version of the T-64 medium tank with a gas turbine power plant, characterized by increased combat characteristics. The first "Kirov" gas turbine tank of the new generation, object 219sp1, manufactured in 1969, was externally similar to the experimental Kharkov gas turbine T-64T.

The vehicle was equipped with a GTD-1000T engine with a power of 1000 hp. pp., developed by NPO im. 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, increased weight and changed dynamic characteristics of the tank required significant changes to the chassis. It required the development of new drive and guide wheels, support and support rollers, rubber-coated tracks, hydraulic shock absorbers and torsion shafts with improved characteristics. The shape of the tower was also changed. The gun, ammunition, automatic loader, individual components and systems, as well as elements of armor protection have been preserved from the T-64A. After building and testing several prototypes, 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 production association"Kirov Plant" produced a series of "eighties" that entered the troops.

Like other Russian tanks of the 1960-70s. - 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 improves visibility. The designers also provided for heating the driver's workplace with air taken from the gas turbine engine compressor. The body of the vehicle is welded, its frontal part has an inclination angle of 68°, and 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 hull 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, overlining, sealing and air purification system). The layout of the T-80 fighting compartment is generally similar to the layout adopted on the T-64B. The walk-behind tractor at the rear of the tank hull is located longitudinally, which required a slight increase in the length of the vehicle compared to the T-64. The engine is made in a single block with a total mass of 1050 kg with a built-in reduction bevel-helical gearbox and is kinematically connected to two onboard planetary gearboxes. The engine and transmission compartment has four fuel tanks with a capacity of 385 liters each (the total fuel reserve in the reserved volume was 1140 liters). The GTD-1000T is made according to a three-shaft design, with two independent turbochargers and a free turbine. The turbine's variable nozzle apparatus (VNA) limits its rotation speed and prevents "overshoot" when changing gears. The absence of a mechanical connection between the power turbine and turbochargers increased the tank's maneuverability on soils with low load-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 versatility. The engine operates on jet aviation fuels TS-1 and TS-2, diesel fuels and low-octane automobile gasolines. The start-up process of the gas turbine engine is automated; the rotation of the compressor rotors is carried out using two electric motors. Due to the rear exhaust, as well as the inherent low noise level of the turbine compared to a diesel engine, it was possible to somewhat reduce the acoustic signature of the tank. 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 turbine's adjustable nozzle apparatus makes it possible to change the direction of gas flow, causing the blades to rotate in the opposite direction (of course, this puts a lot of stress on the power turbine, which required special measures to protect it). The tank braking process occurs as follows: when the driver presses the brake pedal, braking begins through the turbine.

When the pedal is further depressed, the mechanical braking devices are also activated. The gas turbine engine of the T-80 tank uses an automatic engine operating mode control system (SAUR), which includes temperature sensors located in front 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 automatic control systems made it possible to increase the service life of turbine blades by more than 10 times, and with frequent use of the brake and the RSA 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”) method of air purification was used, providing 97 percent purification. However, unfiltered dust particles still settle on the turbine blades. To remove them when the tank is moving under particularly difficult conditions, a vibration cleaning procedure for the blades is provided. In addition, before starting the engine and after stopping it, purging is performed. The T-80 transmission is mechanical planetary. It consists of two units, each of which includes an onboard gearbox, a final drive and hydraulic servos of the motion control system. Three planetary gears and five friction control devices in each side box provide four forward and one reverse gears. The track rollers have rubber tires and aluminum alloy discs. Caterpillars - with rubber running tracks and rubber-metal hinges.

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

The commander fires from it, being at that time outside the reserved volume. The firing range at air targets from the Utes can reach 1500 m, and at ground targets 2000 m. The mechanized ammunition rack is located around the perimeter of the fighting compartment, the habitable part of which is made in the form of a cabin, separating it from the ammunition rack conveyor. The projectiles are placed horizontally in the tray, with their “heads” to the axis of rotation. Propelling charges with a partially combustible cartridge case are installed vertically, with the pallets facing upward (this distinguishes the mechanized ammunition rack of the T-64 and T-80 tanks from the ammunition rack of the T-72 and T-90, where shells and charges are placed horizontally in cassettes). At the gunner’s command, the “drum” begins to rotate, bringing the cartridge 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 upward to the ramming line, after which the charge and projectile are pushed into the charging chamber fixed at the loading angle of the gun with one stroke of the rammer. After the shot the pallet is caught special mechanism and transferred to the vacated tray. The rate of fire is six to eight rounds per minute, very high for a gun of this caliber and independent of the physical condition of the loader (which significantly affects the rate of fire of foreign tanks). If the machine gun fails, you can load it manually, but in this case the rate of fire naturally 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 accurately determine the range to a target within the range of 1000-4000 m.

To determine shorter ranges, as well as shooting 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. Target range data is automatically entered into the sight. A correction is also automatically made for the speed of the tank and data on the type of projectile selected. In one block with the sight there is a weapon pointing control panel with range and shooting buttons. Night sights for 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 from cumulative projectiles. The frontal part of the hull has multi-layer combined armor; the remaining parts of the tank are protected by monolithic steel armor with differentiated thicknesses and angles of inclination. In 1978, the T-80B modification was put into service. Its fundamental difference from the T-80 was the use of a new gun and guided missile system. missile weapons 9K112-1 "Cobra" with a 9M112 radio-controlled missile. The complex included a guidance station installed in the fighting compartment of the vehicle, behind the gunner. "Cobra" provided missile firing at a range of up to 4 km from a standstill 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 mechanized ammunition storage. In the head part of the ATGM there was a cumulative warhead and a solid propellant engine, in the tail there was a hardware compartment and a propellant device. The ATGM parts were mated in the loading mechanism tray when being sent into the gun barrel. The missile's guidance was semi-automatic: the gunner only needed to keep the aiming mark on the target. The coordinates of the ATGM relative to the aiming line were determined by optical system by a modulated light source mounted on the rocket, and control commands were transmitted via a narrowly directed radio beam. Depending on the combat situation, it was possible to select three missile flight modes. When firing from dusty ground, when dust raised by muzzle gases can cover the target, the gun is given a small elevation angle above the aiming line. After the rocket exits the barrel, it makes a “slide” and returns to the line of sight. If there is a threat of a dusty plume forming behind the missile, unmasking its flight, the ATGM, after gaining altitude, continues to fly with some excess above the line of sight and, only immediately in front of the target, descends to a low altitude. When firing a missile at short range (up to 1000 km), when the target suddenly appears in front of a tank whose gun is already loaded with a missile, 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 mounted dynamic protection complex was put into service. The vehicle received the designation T-80BV. Somewhat later, during the process of planned repairs, the installation of dynamic protection began on previously built T-80Bs. The growth in the combat capabilities of foreign tanks, as well as anti-tank weapons, constantly required further improvement of the "eighty". Work on the development of this machine was carried out both in Leningrad and Kharkov. Back in 1976, the KMDB, based on the T-80, completed a preliminary design of object 478, which had significantly increased combat and specifications. The tank was supposed to be equipped with a diesel engine, traditional for Kharkiv residents - 6TDN with a capacity of 1000 hp. With. (an option with a more powerful 1250-horsepower diesel engine was also being studied). At object 478 it was planned to install an improved turret, guided missile weapons, a new sight, etc. Work on this vehicle served as the basis for the creation of the T-80UD serial diesel tank in the second half of the 1980s. A more radical modernization of the “eighty” was supposed to be the Kharkov object 478M, design studies for which were also carried out in 1976. The design of this machine included the use of a number of technical solutions and systems that have not been implemented to this day. The tank was supposed to be equipped with a 124CH diesel engine of 1500 liters. s., 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 tank's security was supposed to increase sharply due to the installation of the promising "Shater" active protection complex - the prototype of the later "Arena", as well as a 23-mm anti-aircraft machine gun with remote control.

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

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

By using modern system fire control, the commander and gunner can conduct separate search for targets, tracking them, as well as aimed fire day and night, both from a place and on the move, and use guided missile weapons. The 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. Regardless of the gun, the sight is stabilized in two planes. Its pancratic system changes the magnification factor of the optical channel in the range of 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 observation and gives target designations 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, flank speed of the target, speed of its tank, angle of inclination of the gun trunnions, wear of the bore, air temperature, Atmosphere pressure and side wind. The gun received a built-in control device for the gunner's sight alignment and a quick-release connection between the barrel tube and 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, significant attention was paid to enhancing its security. Work was carried out in several directions. Through the use of a new camouflage coloring that distorts appearance tank, it was possible to reduce the probability of detection of the T-80U in the visible and infrared ranges. Increased survivability is facilitated by the use of a self-entrenchment system on the tank with a 2140 mm wide bulldozer blade, as well as a smoke screen system using the “Tucha” system, which includes eight 902B mortar grenade launchers. The tank can also be equipped with a mounted KMT-6 track trawl, which prevents the detonation of mines under the bottom and tracks. The armor protection of the T-80U has been significantly strengthened, the design of the armor barriers has been changed, and the relative proportion of armor in the mass of the tank has been increased. For the first time in the world, elements of built-in dynamic protection (EDP) have been implemented, which can withstand not only cumulative, but also kinetic projectiles. The VDZ covers more than 50% of the surface, nose, sides and roof of the tank. The combination of improved multi-layer combined armor and explosive reactive armor “removes” almost all types of the most widespread 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 when exposed to cumulative ammunition, the T-80U is superior to most foreign fourth-generation tanks. 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 armored vehicles Manfred Held. Speaking at a symposium on the prospects for the development of armored vehicles, which was held within the walls of the Royal Military College (Great Britain) in June 1996, M. Held said that tests of the T-72M1 tank, which the Bundeswehr inherited from the GDR army and was equipped with active armor, were carried out in Germany . 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 even more high level protection and is capable of withstanding fire from sub-caliber shells fired from 140-mm promising 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 ammunition in service with NATO countries and have more effective protection than their Western analogues(Jane's International Defense Review, 1996, No. 7)."

Of course, this assessment may be opportunistic in nature (you need to “lobby” for the creation of new types of ammunition and guns), but it is worth listening to. When penetrating armor, the survivability of the tank is ensured through the use of the fast-acting automatic fire-fighting system "Rime", which prevents the fire and explosion of the fuel-air mixture. To protect against mine explosions, the driver's seat is suspended from the turret plate, and the rigidity of the hull in the area of ​​the control compartment is increased through the use of a special pillar behind the driver's seat. An important advantage of the T-80U was its perfect protection system against weapons of mass destruction, superior to similar protection of the best foreign vehicles. The tank uses 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 hp on the tank. pp., which allows you to save fuel while the tank is parked, during a defensive battle, as well as in an ambush. The life of the main engine is also saved.

The auxiliary power unit, located at the rear of the vehicle, in a bunker on the left fender, is “built-in” into the overall operating system 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 produced, eight of which were sent for military testing. 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 significantly lower (for example, the B-46 engine in the 1980s cost the state 9,600 rubles, while the GTD-1000 cost 104,000 rubles). The gas turbine had a significantly shorter service life and its repair was more complicated.

It was not possible to obtain a clear answer: which is better - a tank gas turbine or an internal combustion engine. In this regard, interest in installing a diesel engine on the most powerful domestic tank has constantly remained. In particular, there was an opinion about the preferability of the differential use of turbine and diesel tanks in different theaters of military operations. Although the idea that was in the air about creating a version of the T-80 with a unified engine and transmission compartment, allowing the use of interchangeable diesel and gas turbine engines, was never realized, work on the creation of a diesel version of the “eighty” 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 B-46-6 diesel engines. However, the greatest successes were achieved by the Kharkovites, who created the powerful (1000 hp) and economical six-cylinder diesel engine 6TD - a further development of the 5TD. The design of this engine began back in 1966, and since 1975 it has been tested on the “Object 476” chassis. In 1976, a version 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, “object 478B” (“Birch”) was created.

Compared to the “jet” T-80U, the diesel tank had slightly worse dynamic characteristics, but had an increased power reserve. Installing a diesel engine required a number of changes to the transmission and control drives. In addition, the vehicle received remote control of the Utes anti-aircraft machine gun. The first five production "Berez" were assembled by the end of 1985, in 1986 the vehicle 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 “Contact” mounted dynamic protection was replaced with built-in dynamic protection, and the weapons were modified. Until the end of 1991, about 500 T-80UDs were produced in Kharkov (of which only 60 were transferred to units stationed in Ukraine). In total, by this time in the European part of the USSR there were 4839 T-80 tanks of all modifications. After the breakup Soviet Union car production dropped sharply: independent Ukraine was unable to order military equipment for its own armed forces (however, the situation of “independent Russia” turned out to be little better).

A solution was found in offering a diesel version of the T-80 for export. In 1996, a contract was concluded for the supply of 320 vehicles, which received the Ukrainian designation T-84, to Pakistan (this number probably included tanks available in the Ukrainian armed forces). The export value of one T-84 was $1.8 million. In Kharkov, work is underway to create a more powerful (1200 hp) 6TD-2 diesel engine, intended for installation on modernized T-64 models. However, in light economic situation, which has developed in Ukraine, as well as the breakdown of 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 was completely moved to the plant in Omsk. In 1990, production of a tank with a more powerful GTD-1250 engine (1250 hp) began, which made it possible to somewhat improve the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle. Devices to protect the power plant from 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). Reducing the effective dispersion surface (ESR) of ground combat vehicles has acquired particular importance after the advent of aviation systems radar reconnaissance in real time using side-looking radar with synthetic aperture, providing a 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 - 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 surveillance and targeting device 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 the TShU-2 Shtora optical-electronic suppression complex. The purpose of the complex is to prevent targeted hits of anti-tank guided missiles with a semi-automatic guidance system into a tank. as well as interfering with enemy weapon control systems with laser target designation and laser rangefinders.

The complex included an optoelectronic suppression station (SOEP) TSHU-1 and an aerosol curtain installation system (ACS). The SOEP is a source of modulated IR radiation with parameters close to those of ATGM tracers of the Dragon, TOW, NOT, Milan, etc. types. By influencing the IR receiver of the semi-automatic ATGM guidance system, it disrupts missile guidance. SOEP provides interference in the form of modulated infrared radiation in a sector of +/-20° from the axis of the barrel bore horizontally and 4.5" vertically. In addition, TSHU-1, two modules of which are located in the front part of the tank turret, provides IR illumination in the dark, tracking aimed shooting using night vision devices, and are also used to blind any (including small) objects. The SDS, designed to disrupt the attack of missiles such as Maverick, Helfire and the artillery guided 155-mm Copperhead projectile, reacts to laser radiation within 360" in azimuth and -5/+25" in the vertical plane. Received signal from high speed processed 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 turret of the tank with grenade launchers should be turned, and issues a command to fire a grenade, forming an aerosol curtain at a distance of 55 m three seconds after the grenade is fired. SOEP operates only in automatic mode, and SPZ operates in automatic, semi-automatic and manual mode. Field tests of "Shtora-1" confirmed the high efficiency of the complex: the probability of hitting a tank with missiles with semi-automatic command guidance is reduced by 3 times, missiles with laser semi-active homing - by 4 times, and with adjustable artillery shells- 1.5 times. The complex is capable of providing countermeasures simultaneously against several missiles attacking a tank from different directions. The "Shtora-1" system was tested on the experimental T-80B ("object 219E") and for the first time began to be installed on the serial command tank T-80UK - a variant of the T-80U, designed to provide command and control of tank units. In addition, the command tank received a system for remote detonation of high-explosive fragmentation shells with non-contact electronic fuses. T-80UK communications equipment operates in the VHF and HF bands. The ultrashort wave radio station R-163-U with frequency modulation, operating in the operating frequency range of 30 MHz, has 10 preset frequencies. With a four-meter whip antenna in moderately rough terrain, it provides an operating range of up to 20 km.

With a special combined antenna of the “symmetrical vibrator” type, installed 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 operate while parked). Shortwave radio station R-163-K, operating in the frequency range of 2 MHz in telephone and telegraph mode with frequency modulation. designed to provide long-range communications. It has 16 pre-prepared frequencies. With a 4 m long HF whip antenna, which ensures operation while the tank is moving, the communication range was initially 20-50 km, but by introducing the possibility of changing the antenna pattern, it was increased to 250 km. With a whip 11-meter telescopic antenna, the operating range of the R-163-K reaches 350 km. Command tank It is also equipped with a TNA-4 navigation system and an AB-1-P28 1.0 kW self-powered gasoline power generator, the additional function of which is to recharge the batteries while parked with the engine not running. The creators of the machine successfully resolved the issue of electromagnetic compatibility of numerous radio-electronic equipment.

For this, in particular. A special electrically conductive caterpillar track is used. The armament, power plant, transmission, chassis, surveillance devices and other equipment of the T-80UK correspond to the T-80UM tank. however, the gun's ammunition capacity was reduced to 30 rounds, and that of the PKT machine gun to 750 rounds. The development of the T-80 tank was a major achievement domestic industry. A great contribution to the creation of the tank was made by 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. The volume of work done is evidenced by more than 150 copyright certificates for inventions proposed in the process of creating this machine. A number of tank designers were awarded high government awards. The Order of Lenin was awarded to A.N. Popov and A.M. Konstantinov, the Order of the October Revolution - to A.A. Druzhinin and P.A. Stepanchenko.....

June 8, 1993 By Presidential Decree Russian Federation group of specialists and general designer tank T-80U, N.S. Popov was 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 vehicle into mass production. However, the T-80 is far from exhausting the possibilities for further modernization. The improvement of active tank protection continues. In particular, the experimental T-80B tested the Arena active tank protection system (KAZT), developed by Kolomna KBM and designed to protect the tank from attacking ATGMs and anti-tank grenades. Moreover, it ensures the reflection of ammunition not only flying directly at the tank, but also intended to be hit by it when flying from above. To detect targets, the complex uses a multifunctional radar with an “instant” overview of the entire protected sector and high noise immunity. For targeted destruction of enemy missiles and grenades, narrowly targeted protective ammunition is used, which has a very high speed and is placed around the perimeter of the tank turret in special installation shafts (the tank carries 26 such ammunition). Automatic control of the operation of the complex is carried out by a specialized computer, which provides. also, monitoring its performance.

The sequence of operation of the complex is as follows: after turning it on from the tank commander’s control panel, everything further operations are performed automatically. The radar provides search for targets approaching the tank. Then the station is switched to auto-tracking mode, generating target movement parameters and transmitting them to the computer, which selects the number of protective ammunition and the time of its operation. Defensive ammunition forms a beam of destructive elements that destroy the target as it approaches the tank. The time from target detection to its destruction is record-breakingly short - no more than 0.07 seconds. 0.2-0.4 seconds after the defensive shot, the complex is again ready to “shoot” the next target. Each defensive munition fires its own sector, with the sectors of closely located munitions overlapping, which ensures the interception of multiple targets approaching from the same direction. The complex is all-weather and “all-day”; it is capable of operating while the tank is moving and when the turret is turning. An important problem that the developers of the complex were able to successfully resolve was ensuring the electromagnetic compatibility of several tanks equipped with the Arena and operating in a single group.

The complex imposes virtually no restrictions on the formation of tank units according to 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, and no secondary lethal fragments are formed when protective shells are fired. there is an external light alarm that warns infantrymen behind the tank that the complex is turned on. Equipping the T-80 with an "Arena" makes it possible to increase the tank's survivability during offensive operations approximately twice. At the same time, the cost of losses of tanks equipped with KAZT decreases 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 from KAZT "Arena" was first publicly demonstrated in Omsk in the fall of 1997. A version of this tank with another active protection system, the Drozd, was also shown there. In order to increase capabilities to combat air targets (primarily -attack helicopters), as well as the enemy's tank-dangerous manpower, the Central Research Institute "Tochmash" created and tested a set of additional weapons for the T-80 tank with a 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannon (similar to that installed on the BMP-3, BMD-3 and BTR-80A). The remote-controlled gun is installed in the upper rear part of the turret (the 12.7-mm Utes machine gun is removed). The pointing angle relative to the tower is 120" horizontally and -5/ -65" vertically. The installation's ammunition capacity is 450 shells.

Characteristics of KAZT "Arena"

Speed ​​range of targets hit: 70-700m/sec
Azimuth protection sector: 110°
Detection range of approaching targets: 50 m
Complex reaction time: 0.07 sec
Power consumption: 1 kW
Supply voltage: 27V
Complex weight: 1100 kg
Volume of equipment inside the tower: 30 dm sq.

A further development of the T-80 was the Black Eagle tank, work on the creation of which was carried out in Omsk. The vehicle, which retains the T-80 chassis, is equipped with a new turret with a horizontal automatic loader, as well as 1 TD with a capacity of 1500 hp. With. At the same time, the weight of the vehicle has increased to 50 tons. Advanced guns with a caliber of up to 150 mm can be used as the main armament of the Black Eagle. Currently, the T-80 is one of the most popular 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, the US military has 79 IS Mi tanks. Ml A and M1A2, the Bundeswehr has 1,700 Leopards, and the French army plans to purchase a total of only 650 Leclerc tanks. In addition to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Syria also have T-80 vehicles. The press reported interest in purchasing "eighties" from India, China and other countries.

The Soviet main battle tank T-80 became not only the world's first tank with a gas turbine power plant to be put into production, but also the best of its time, surpassing the most advanced Western models.

Nowadays, it surprises with its mobility, maneuverability, ability to effectively jump from springboards, its ease of control has won the hearts of many military personnel, and its protection against weapons of mass destruction is not inferior to and superior to that of many modern MBTs.

Creation

The idea of ​​replacing a conventional diesel engine with a gas turbine power plant (GTE) has been in the air since 1948, when Starostenko was designing a heavy tank with such an engine; Chistyakov and Ogloblin returned to it in 1955, developing Object 278, and in 1957 they were born the first samples of GTD-1 with a power of 1000 hp.

But all these tanks remained projects, both because of the government’s policy towards new weapons and because of the imperfections of the turbines of that time.

Only in 1963 was the gas turbine version of the T-64T released, which received a helicopter gas turbine engine with a power of 700 hp. Engineers expectedly faced the problem of air purification, which still causes trouble today.

Due to the development of the MVT-70 by the USA and Germany, it was decided to create a new tank superior to the Western model. The decree on this was signed on April 16, 1968.

In 1969, the Object 219sp1 appeared, similar to the T-64T, but had a GDT-1000T, developing 1000 hp. The Object 219sp2 received a deeply improved chassis and turret, and on July 6, 1976, after 7 years of refinement, it was born and was adopted by the T-80 MBT.

Design and layout

Even during the tests of Object 219, it became clear that the T-64 taken as a basis would have to be seriously reworked. The chassis was not very suitable for a tank with an increased mass; installation of a gas turbine engine required changing the engine and transmission compartment (MTO).

As a result, the T-80 received an original chassis, and the length was increased due to the longitudinal arrangement of the walk-behind tractor weighing 1050 kg, which included a turbine, radiators, filters, etc., and a new turret also appeared.

At the same time, there are many similarities with the layout of the T-64, its fighting compartment and loading mechanism.

The crew still consisted of 3 people - the commander, gunner and driver.

Frame

The body is welded and has highly differentiated protection. The frontal plate consists of combined metal-ceramic armor and is located at an angle of 65°, the remaining parts are made of monolithic steel armor.

The sides of the T-80 are covered with rubber-fabric screens that protect against cumulative shells.

From the inside, in the fighting compartment, the armor sheets are covered with a polymer lining of a special composition, which protects not only from fragments, but also from gamma radiation along with neutron radiation.

Additionally, there is a plate under the driver’s seat, protecting him from radiation in contaminated areas.

There is also a semi-automatic collective protection system, consisting of a radiation reconnaissance device, a filter-ventilation unit and hull and turret seals.

Tower

Already the 2nd prototype received its own turret, different from the T-64. It was produced by casting and had poured rods in the frontal part, and its thickness reached about 450 m at its thickest point.

As in the hull, a lining was installed in the turret to protect the crew from radiation and dynamic protection.

Later, in 1985, the T-80BV received an improved welded tower with a smaller area of ​​weakened zones and additional filler.

Armament

The T-80 inherited the 125 mm 2A46-1/2A46-2 gun from the T-64, capable of firing guided missiles. Cobra, Reflex and Invar depending on the modification. On serial tanks the gun received a thermal casing.

The loading mechanism remained the same, with a hydro-electromechanical drive and 28 shells out of 45 in total arranged vertically. Thanks to it, the rate of fire is around 6-9 rounds per minute.

Two machine guns act as auxiliary weapons. A coaxial 7.62 mm PKT gun with 1,250 rounds of ammunition and a manually controlled 12.7 mm NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun with 300 rounds of ammunition.

To set up smoke screens, Tucha smoke grenade launchers are used.

Engine and transmission

What distinguishes the T-80 most from other MBTs is its gas turbine-type power plant. Engine GTD 1000T with a power of 1000 hp. was installed from the beginning of production, after which it was replaced several times with more modern versions with power up to 1250 hp.

It is the gas turbine engine that gives the tank both pros and cons, at times forcing adherents of one type of power plant to argue.

The turbine easily starts at temperatures from -40 to +40 degrees, while operational readiness is only 3 minutes, practically does not consume oil, has reduced level noise, can operate on almost any fuel and does not stall when the load suddenly increases. A nice bonus is easy handling, allowing less fatigue for driver mechanics.

The most important disadvantage is the difficulty of air filtration, however, it can be considered solved. Back in the 70s, specialists created a unique cleaning method using air hammers around the nozzle, which shook off all deposits using vibration. The effectiveness of this solution has been repeatedly confirmed, including during tests in Greece and India. T-90 engines, for example, failed Indian tests.

Also considered a disadvantage is increased fuel consumption, however, with the advent of an auxiliary unit that provides power to all systems without starting the main engine, consumption has noticeably decreased and become even lower than that of tanks with a traditional power plant.

The last disadvantage is the cost, which reached 167,000 rubles at the time of the appearance of the GTD-1000T and decreased to 100,000 during mass production. The cost of the T-64A is only 174,000 rubles.

The speed of the gas turbine engine can reach 26,650 rpm, its power is transmitted to the gearbox and transmission. Due to the fact that the engine, along with its components and additional units, is placed in a monoblock, its replacement time is 5 hours, and each gearbox is only 4.5.

For comparison, the T-72 requires 24 hours to replace the engine, and 10.5 to replace the gearbox.

Chassis

A completely redesigned chassis was created for the T-80. Due to the increased power and weight, new drive and idler wheels were needed, and the support and support rollers were also replaced. They also developed tracks with rubber-coated treads and used hydraulic shock absorbers along with improved torsion shafts.

Telescopic shock absorbers are considered the main problem, but they can be easily and very quickly replaced if necessary.

Many consider the T-80 chassis to be the best, superior to those used on the T-72 and T-64. It is likely that this is true, since it was the T-80 track that was transferred to the new versions of the T-72 and T-90.

Modifications

Several vehicles were created on the basis of the gas turbine MBT, for example, Ladoga, Pion, Msta-S and S300-V, and the tank also received many modifications that continue to this day. The most significant of them will be listed below.

The 1978 T-80B received a new fire control system, 2A46-2/2A46M-1 cannons, reinforced armor, a turret, and a GTD-100TF engine.

The 1985 T-80BV received mounted Contact dynamic protection.

T-80U 1985 received missile system reflex, new Irtysh fire control system, new armor and GTD-1250 engine.

The T-80AT received a 2A46M-4 gun, built-in Cactus dynamic protection, a new turret with an automatic loader located in the rear niche, a new control system, an Ainet system, a satellite navigation complex and a GTD-1250G engine.

T-80UD version with a diesel engine, withdrawn from the Russian army and found use in the Ukrainian one.

Epilogue

The T-80 turned out to be controversial. On the one hand, it had excellent characteristics and was repeatedly called one of the best in the world, on the other hand, it took a lot of time to fine-tune the power plant and solve its problems, and the high price prevented mass production.

During the fighting in Chechnya, the T-80s were unable to prove themselves in any way, however, this is easily explained by the inadequate use of armored vehicles without support and cover. Fortunately, this lesson was enough for us to use tanks more thoughtfully in subsequent military conflicts.

It was on the basis of the T-80 that the Black Eagle was created, it is a pity that in the end the project was closed. Now the T-80 remains in service in numbers of about 5,000 and continues to be improved.

Main battle tank (MBT) is a term given to a combat vehicle capable of combining high maneuverability, security and firepower. An example of a Soviet MBT is the T-80 heavy tank, which has been in service for 42 years.

This is the first car where the designers used a gas turbine unit as an engine, which was ahead of its time. According to the Western Military District, there are currently about 4,000 pieces of equipment in the Russian Army. In total, more than 10,000 vehicles of various modifications were produced, including 6,000 T-80U tanks.

How the legendary car was created

In fact, the roots of the creation of the T-80 go back to the distant 1942-1948 years of the last century. It was then that designer Alexander Starosenko designed the first tank with a gas turbine engine instead of a standard diesel engine. Unfortunately, the project was not published, but it was not forgotten either. Seven years later, in 1955, designers Chistyakov and Ogloblin at the Leningrad Kirov plant designed and produced “Object 278”, with a GTD-1 engine.

Its power amounted to a thousand horsepower. This machine, which had a mass of 53.6 tons, developed a speed that was no joke for its weight - as much as 57.3 km/h. But again, failure - the slightly earlier versions with a diesel engine of the Object were rejected by Khrushchev, and the tank again went into obscurity, this time for three years.

In 1963, along with the new T-64 medium tank, a gas turbine version was designed, codenamed T-64T.

The design continued to be modified until 1976. As a result, little remained of the “sixty-four”. In addition to the engine, the chassis, the shape of the hull, and even the turret were redesigned. The designers left only the gun, automatic loader and ammunition.

And in the summer of 1976, an order was received from the USSR Army for a completely new main battle tank called the T-80. The technology turned out to be successful and suitable for deep modification, which continued until the end of the nineties. This is how the thorny and difficult path of our “eighty” began.

Design features and changes

Although the T-80 was, in fact, a converted “sixty-four”, there were plenty of changes in its design, and they affected not only the engine. The layout was left the same - classic, the crew consists of three people. But the driver-mechanic acquired three viewing devices at once, although previously he had only one.

Unlike its predecessors, the designers added the ability to heat its place with warm air from the turbine compressor.

The T-80's hull was still welded. It was also decided not to change the angle of inclination of its frontal part - it remained equal to 68°. Crew protection is differentiated; the frontal parts of the vehicle hull consist of multi-layer combined armor. Materials: steel and ceramics. The rest of the armor is steel, with a variety of angles and thicknesses. The sides are covered with special protective screens made of reinforced rubber; this solution made it possible to improve protection against cumulative projectiles.

Inside the equipment there is a polymer lining that performs several functions. When armor is penetrated by kinetic projectiles, the lining reduces the scattering of fragments inside the vehicle, thereby increasing the protection of the crew. The second function is to reduce exposure to gamma radiation. To prevent exposure to radiation in radioactive areas, the designers installed a special plate under the driver’s seat. The weight of the tank varies depending on modifications - from 42 to 46 tons.

The T-80's turret was originally cast, with a thickness of 450 mm at its thickest point. In 1985, it was replaced with a more modern, welded one with fewer vulnerable areas. After modernization, it is possible to attach dynamic protection “Kontakt-1/2” and “Cactus”. The designers placed the tank's underwater driving equipment at the rear of the turret, thus covering the MTO compartment and providing it with additional protection.

T-80 armament

The tank has a 125 mm smoothbore gun 2A46-1, later 2A46-2 / 2A46M-1, capable of firing guided missiles of the Cobra, Invar, and Reflex-M types. The direct fire range is 4000 meters, missiles fly up to 5000 meters. The ammunition load includes sub-caliber, high-explosive fragmentation and, of course, cumulative projectiles, with a separate cartridge charge. Total varies depending on tank modifications (38-45 charges).

The designers also transferred the loading mechanism from the T-64A.

The carousel of the T-80 mechanized combat stowage holds 28 rounds, the average rate of fire is 6-9 rounds. On production samples, the gun received a thermal casing. The tank is equipped with a twin, caliber 7.62 mm. On the commander's turret there is a 12.7 mm Utes anti-aircraft weapon with a firing range of 1,500 meters against air targets and 2,000 meters against ground targets.

The table shows the performance characteristics of various T-80 tanks

Engine and transmission

The main difference between the T-80 and its predecessors and contemporaries is the gas turbine engine. The designers had to increase the length of the body due to its longitudinal location. The engine weight is 1050 kilograms, and the maximum speed is about 26 thousand revolutions per minute. In the engine compartment there are four fuel tanks with a total capacity of 1140 liters. The main advantage of a gas turbine engine is its versatility.

The engine runs successfully on a variety of aviation fuels (TS-1/2), as well as diesel fuel and low-octane gasoline. Thanks to the rear-facing turbine exhaust, the tank's noise signature was noticeably reduced, which had a positive effect on overall camouflage.

To facilitate the start-up of the gas turbine engine on the T-80, the designers installed an automatic engine operation control system (SAUR). This made it possible to increase its wear resistance by 10 times. The engine starts within -40° to +40° Celsius. Operational readiness is 3 minutes, engine oil consumption is minimal.

The transmission was heavily redesigned compared to the T-64.

The increased weight and power forced the designers to replace the drive and guide wheels, support and support rollers. The new tracks have rubberized tracks. Some experts consider telescopic shock absorbers to be the bane of a tank, but replacing them is not difficult even in the field. Thanks to these changes, the T-80 chassis is considered the best in its class.

Comparison with the MBT of a potential enemy

By rights, the main competitor of the T-80 is the American main one. This is quite logical, because the vehicles entered service with their countries at approximately the same time. The American competitor is only 4 years younger than the domestic tank.

Another interesting fact is that both cars are equipped with gas turbine engines. At the same time, the dimensions of the T-80 are smaller than those of the M1A1. This makes him less noticeable on the battlefield. Although, given the capabilities of modern high-precision weapons, this is a rather controversial advantage, for which the designers had to sacrifice the engine heat exchanger.

According to the stated data, the degree of air purification of the M1A1 engine is one hundred percent, while that of the T-80 is 1.5% less. But for some reason the Abrams is more difficult to operate in desert conditions. The American engine stalls due to a clogged filter. The domestic analogue feels great in any weather and climatic conditions.

The weight of the M1A1 is 60 tons, the cruising range is 395-430 kilometers with maximum speed 70 km/h. Our T-80 boasts 46 tons of live weight and 355 kilometers of power reserve. This can be explained by the lower fuel consumption of the Abrams. This can be corrected by installing additional tanks on the T-80 hull; unfortunately, this does not allow increasing the ceiling speed of 60 km/h.

The American's armament is slightly different from its Soviet competitor.

The M1A1 is equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, with 40 rounds of ammunition (versus our 45 for the T-80U). It is possible to fire sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles guided by missiles. The gun is loaded manually, so the number of tankers is four. Abrams has a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun installed on the turret, and two more 7.62 mm are paired with the main gun.

Most main question– price. The cost of the M1A1 Abrams is approximately $6 million. The T-80 costs the treasury about two million, which is cheaper.
You can argue endlessly about whose main battle tank is better. Everyone has pros and cons, the most important thing is that they occur only at tank competitions, checkered sheets and virtual space.

Oddly enough, the equipment created to protect the borders of the Soviet homeland did not take part in their defense. Not a single copy of the T-80 took part in battles for the USSR. The first combat use occurred on the territory of the Russian Federation in the fall of 1993.

It was the “eighties” who fired at the White House building in Moscow.

And then there was Chechnya. From 1995 to 1996, T-80 tanks took part in battles against the Republic of Ichkeria. I would like to note that the technology was used inadequately, sometimes not for its intended purpose.

Poor crew training, lack of dynamic protection, and the use of vehicles in urban and mountainous conditions led to losses. The command made conclusions and the T-80 was no longer used in the second Chechen campaign.

It should be said that after the collapse of the USSR, most of the tanks remained on the territory of Ukraine, along with the Kharkov plant, where this equipment was produced.

Victories in the virtual space

Gamers associate the T-80 tank with the confrontation between the USSR and the USA. In most games where these superpowers clash, the main armored force of the Soviet country is this vehicle. New “Free to play” games, such as “Armored Warfare” also promise this example of Soviet equipment at the end of the leveling up branch. It is popular among military strategy developers.

T-80 became the final chord Soviet designers, who worked on the creation of technology for 10 years.

In 2015, the government of the Russian Federation decided to replace this model of equipment with. The reason for the replacement is the futility of modernizing the tank.

Instead, the troops will also receive the latest Armata tanks. This cannot be said that this is the end of the T-80, because the replacement will occur gradually, and the equipment will serve its homeland for a long time. Especially in the cold regions of Russia, where the gas turbine engine is a good ace in the hole. Still, for a tank, 42 ​​years is the prime of life, and not the end of its life.

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