T-80 BVM Tank
Some surprise in the West is the transition of a large number of T-80 B MBTs to the T-80 BVM version. NATO experts were surprised by the modernization of the T-80 MBT by the fact that this type of military armored vehicle is more expensive than average in operation. Gas turbine consumption averages 750 liters per 100 km (on the road). In addition, after the high losses of the T-80U MBT in the Chechen war, the Russian Armed Forces planned to have only the T-72 and T-90. However, this idea was not implemented.
When the program for the development of the Arctic intensified in the 2000s, the frost-resistant tank turned out to be just in time. If a diesel engine needed a long (about half an hour) warm-up to start in a strong minus, then the gas turbine engine is ready for attack and defense in less than a minute after launch. A large-scale modernization program was announced, which resulted in the appearance of the latest T-80BVM model. It is these tanks produced by the Omsk Transport Engineering Plant (part of the UVZ concern) that are now supplied to the military.
The Ministry of Defense followed the concept according to which T-80s of various modifications are sent to units and formations in the Far East, as well as in the Arctic. It is believed that they are most adapted to the climate of the Far Eastern theater of operations. However, there is one exception. The guards Kantemirovskaya tank division, located in Naro-Fominsk, near Moscow, was decided to be left on the "eighties". The 12th and 13th tank regiments of this division have T-80U in their fleets, and its 423rd motorized rifle regiment has T-80BVM. Such machines make the Kantemirovskaya division the strongest formation of the Ground Forces. If necessary, it can be used as a powerful shock fist in one of the directions.
The T-80BVM is called "flying tanks", which have been in service with the RF Armed Forces for several years, strengthening the country's defense capability. This is a modernized version of the T-80BV tank, which entered the Soviet Army in 1985. For his ability to make incredible ski jumps, the "eightieth" was called a flying tank. During the Cold War, Soviet units in Eastern Europe, equipped with T-80s, kept NATO leaders in suspense. Powerful gas turbine engines allowed these tanks to make lightning-fast runs along European autobahns.
The changes, in particular, affect the new Sosna-U aiming device with WBG and laser rangefinder, and an improved loading mechanism. The latter will allow firing both the latest kinetic ammunition and the 9M 119 M Invar barreled missile (with a tandem HEAT warhead). Refinement of the GT-1250 gas turbine reduces fuel consumption. The tank will receive a new electric generator and the Relikt dynamic protection complex.
But the tank is still far from the level of survivability of Western MBTs (for example: M1A2 Abrams , Leopard 2A6 or Challenger 2 (2F)), since the T-80B inherited a dense layout and a low amount of armored space, characteristic of all Soviet MBTs. When an enemy projectile hits the side view, even at large angles, it often hits the ammunition that is in the automatic loader vertically and is located close to the three members of the tank crew and causes it to detonate, which, as a result, causes the tank to become incapacitated.
A gas turbine performs much better starting performance in cold weather than a diesel engine. In this regard, it is assumed that the T-80 will remain in operation in particular in the Siberian region, the Far East and the Arctic zone. In addition, labor market policy may play a role in favor of the Omsktransmash tank plant and the repair plant in St. Petersburg.
T-80BVM is a deep modernization of the T-80BV tank, which entered service in 1985. A long-term contract for a major overhaul with a deep modernization of T-80BV tanks between Uralvagonzavod and the RF Ministry of Defense was concluded in 2017 at the Army-2017 International Military-Technical Forum.
UVZ planned to continue work on the modernization of T-80BVM tanks, the main emphasis will be on increasing firepower, increasing security, mobility and command control. As of 2021, the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation had 310 T-80BV units and 140 T-80BVM units (3 thousand T-80B, T-80BV and T-80U units are in storage), as well as the Coastal Forces of the Russian Navy - 50 T-80BV units and 50 T-80BVM units.
Earlier, plans to modernize T-80BVM tanks were reported at the Research Testing Institute of Armored Weapons and Equipment (NII BTVT) of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The 38th Research Institute has prepared a number of materials on the modernization of the T-72B3, T-90M and T-80BVM tanks.
As regards the T-80BVM, it was reported that, as part of the modernization, it is planned to install the Arena-M active protection complex, additional dynamic protection units along the sides, and also replace the Contact-5 dynamic protection with Relikt. In addition, it is proposed to install the Lesochek electronic warfare system on tanks, which suppresses radio control channels for mines and improvised explosive devices. It is also proposed to install an electromagnetic protection system and an autonomous reusable fire protection system on the tanks. It was not known what UVZ will take from this list, it is possible that the company had developed its own version of the modernization of tanks.
The T-80B tank and its modifications were produced at Omsktransmash JSC from 1979 to 1991 a year. The latest modification was the T-80BV tank, adopted by the Soviet army in the 1985 year. MBT T-80BVM - a new version of the modernization of the tank, developed in Omsk.
T-80 Soviet and Russian main battle tank, so-called. 3rd generation of the Cold War and modern times. The first prototypes of this machine were built in 1967-1975, and the machine entered service in the second half of the 1970s. It is estimated that at least 5400 examples of this car were built. The combat weight of the T-80B version reaches 42.5 tons. The drive is provided by one gas turbine GTD-1000 with a capacity of 1000 hp, and in later versions - GTD-1250 with a capacity of 1250 hp. The main armament was a 125 mm 2A46M smoothbore gun, the secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun and a 12.7 mm NSV machine gun.
The T-80 tank was the first large-scale machine, the so-called. 3rd generation in Radzitsky's army and the first in the world with a gas turbine. Despite the external resemblance to the T-64 or T-72 tanks, this is not just a development, but in fact a completely new design. In the course of serial production, many modifications of the T-80 were created, among them: T-80B (a vehicle with a fire control system [SKO] 1A33, with enhanced armor and the ability to fire a 9K112-2 Koba missile from a cannon), T-80U ( tank with SKO 1A46, reinforced drive and added dynamic protection "Contact-5") or T-80UM (vehicle with new guidance systems).
The new version of the "eightieth" is equipped with a modified gas turbine engine GTD-1250 with a capacity of 1250 hp, more powerful and more economical than its predecessors. The machine uses a weapons stabilizer and a TVN-5 driver's observation device, as well as a new Sosna-U multi-channel gunner's sight, which includes sighting, thermal imaging, rangefinder channels and a missile control channel. The combat weight of the tank is 46 tons.
The modernisation of the tank, last upgraded in 1985, has allowed it to be armed with kinetic energy anti-tank rounds made of depleted uranium. The latter increases the density of the round's material, making it more effective against steel armor. The Russian Defence Ministry has published specifications for the latest model of Russia's T-80 tank (named T-80BVM) developed in 2017. It turned out that the tank has received a new auto-loader, allowing it to use new anti-tank ammo: Svinets-1 and Svinets-2 rounds. Although little is known about these rounds, reports suggest that one of them is made of an alloy, based on depleted uranium. Such rounds are not forbidden by any international convention, and their usage has been deemed relatively harmless since radioactive emissions from such rounds is minimal due to depleted uranium's significant half-life.
The fire capabilities of the vehicle have increased significantly thanks to the Reflex guided weapon system. With it, the updated "eighty" can hit targets at a distance of up to 5 km. The system, using a laser beam, directs supersonic missiles launched from a cannon barrel at the target. This allows the tank to destroy armored targets without entering their kill zone. Thanks to the new complex of guided weapons, shooting is possible not only from a stationary position, but also on the move.
To protect against enemy weapons, the T-80BVM is equipped with the Relikt modular dynamic protection system and anti-cumulative lattice screens. Such protection is able to protect the tank even from being hit by modern tandem-type projectiles. a new set of dynamic dynamic attachments will also be placed in soft containers on the sides of the tank. It was reported that previously only T-72B3 tanks of the 2016 model had such protection. Thus, there is now reason to believe that after the T-80BVM and T-72B3 new armor will be on other combat vehicles of the Russian army, including, for example, on the T-90M.
The new ‘soft packages’ offers major improvements in capabilities compared with standard bricks. The tank soft kit is a durable fabric package, attached by belts on the main side armor at a distance of 10-15 centimeters. Inside these ‘packages’ are exactly the same elements of explosive reactive armour as usual. Moreover, the soft ERA (exactly as it is called in Russia) is hung only on the sides of the armored vehicle, while all the same ‘bricks’ are used on the turret and frontal armor. The main reason for the use of soft ERA is that in urban environments, it is necessary for a tank to come into contact with any solid surface (a corner of a building, walls) the elements of a classic ERA are torn off the sides, leaving unprotected areas. Soft ERA in this regard is better, though small, and can survive such a collision. If not, it doesn’t matter. It is possible to hang a new ‘packages’ in a matter of seconds, while the bricks are holding onto bolts and in order to replace them will have to remove the damaged element and reinstall the new one.
Thanks to the modernization, the main combat qualities of the tank have increased: its firepower, security, mobility and command controllability. At the same time, the T-80BVM retained the ability to work well in the most severe frost, which gives it broad prospects in the development of the Arctic. The tank can still start at -40?, accelerate in a straight line up to 80 km/h, make spectacular police turns and record jumps. The updated T-80BVMs have been entering the army for several years, strengthening the combat potential of tank units in the northern, Far Eastern and other territories of the country.
By 2023 the conflict in Ukraine obviously affected the production of military equipment of the countries participating in it. Somethings were being modernized and finalized in order to improve performance, and somethings were being simplified for the sake of forced release and cheaper products.
The special military operation in Ukraine is far from an exception in this respect. In the winter 2022-23 UralVagonZavod began to ship new Tanks T-72B3 with enhanced protection, which was the result of an analysis of combat experience, however, not without controversial decisions. But an example of minimizing costs in favor of mass production was the updated T-80BVM, which received a different sighting system, which without a shadow of a doubt can be called a simplified hodgepodge.
The fact that Sosna-U sights would not be enough for all tanks was clear for a long time. It is understandable simply because with such a large number of vehicles pulled out of storage to restore them and bring them into combat condition, material costs and the workload of component production will increase many times over.
Russia had fully mastered the production of sights of this model at home and on the Russian element base. They are produced and installed on tanks - first of all on the T-90M, and secondly - on the T-72B3 and T-80BVM, but not all. Therefore, some of the "mobilization" machines get a simplified alternative.
Sosna-U is associated by the general public interested in armored vehicles with a thermal imaging channel. Its function is now performed by the 1PN96MT-02 sight, which, in fact, was also planned for installation on old T-72 and T-80 tanks, but ultimately became the prerogative of the modernized T-62M. By itself, this sight is, in principle, self-sufficient in the sense that it can be used as the main one, albeit a very simple one. Unlike Sosny-U, the 1PN96MT-02 sight does not have a daytime channel - only thermal imaging, but with a laser rangefinder. It is based on an uncooled matrix, which most directly affects the target detection range, which is approximately two to three kilometers. And this is significantly less than its predecessor. Also, 1PN96MT-02 does not have the ability to target guided tank missiles, although this circumstance still found a solution, but not without "crutches", of course. The 1G46 sight and the 1PN96MT-02 thermal imaging sight are, of course, an ersatz, and there is no other soft epithet.
In April 2022, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported that a T-80BV with additional protection was spotted in the area of ??the special operation. During a special military operation, the modernized Russian T-80BVM tanks outperform Ukrainian armored vehicles in a number of indicators. Thanks to high speed, new dynamic protection and additional fabric screens, tankers of the Russian Armed Forces emerge victorious from tank duels with Ukrainian crews. There were no complaints about the reliability of the vehicles, they withstood more than they should have. The movement on the T-80BVM is much quieter and smoother, which made it possible to carry out lightning attacks.
Tank duels on this theater of operations were very much in demand, and Russians were trying to impose them. Superiority in reverse speed and the ability to go into the sides of the enemy gives the opportunity not to lose these duels at all, and more than one hit is not needed.
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