"Serious force on the battlefield": what is unique about Russian T-80 tanks

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation published footage of the combat work of the crews of the T-80 tank on enemy troops in the special operation zone.

Fire correction was carried out with the help of UAVs. Fire support of tanks ensures the offensive of motorized rifle units, the ministry emphasized.

"In one of the directions in the zone of the SVO for the advancement of our motorized rifle units, the crews of T-80 tanks moved to the front line of the enemy's defense and inflicted a powerful fire strike. First of all, the gunners-operators destroyed the positions of anti-tank weapons and armored vehicles of the enemy, "the ministry said in a statement.

It is noted that a pair of T-80 destroyed an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG), armed with small arms and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, which was moving towards Russian positions.

"Combat vehicles worked on the enemy and disappeared behind the terrain. Having received confirmation of the destruction of the enemy, the crews left for the waiting area, "the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Combat missions are performed by servicemen who were called up from the reserve as part of partial mobilization. The tankers underwent a full cycle of training and combat coordination at the training grounds of the Western Military District. Every day on the front line, they inflict a fire defeat on the manpower and armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the department said.

According to the commander of the T-80 tank with the call sign "Cadet", the vehicle is well adapted to perform tasks in winter and during the spring rasputitsa. According to him, most often the priority targets are the firing points of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - "mortar crews, enemy DRG with AGS, with other heavy weapons," as well as Ukrainian tanks, armored personnel carriers and BMPs.

The soldier specified that enemy objects on the front line are hit at coordinates obtained with the help of drones, which makes it possible to hit even targets located at a considerable distance and outside the line of sight. This approach is used to eliminate observation posts, ammunition depots, as well as foreign military equipment.

Also in the SVO zone, tankers often use such a complex tactical element as flanking shooting in motion, which implies hitting targets at a certain speed.

• Combat use of the T-80 and other airborne vehicles in the SVO zone

When performing this technique, the coherence of the actions of all crew members is of great importance, since the gunner-operator needs to determine the range to the target, and the driver-mechanic needs to drive the combat vehicle at a constant speed. As the military emphasizes, flanking shooting increases the survival of equipment on the battlefield.

"Decisively and coherently"

On March 16, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also demonstrated footage of the destruction of the platoon stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the involvement of the T-80.

The object was located in a forest and was detected by a UAV by a reconnaissance group of the Airborne Forces. To capture it, an airborne assault unit was sent with the support of an armored group on BMD-4M assault combat vehicles and T-80 tanks. The crews of the equipment approached the enemy and opened heavy fire on him.

"Acting professionally, decisively and coherently, showing courage and bravery, the soldiers of the "winged infantry", supported by an armored group firing from the armament of combat vehicles and tanks, seized the enemy's defensive positions on the move, destroying a large number of personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and capturing captured weapons," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

In winter, the Russian Military Department reported on a successful maneuver battle, which was conducted in the SVO zone by the T-80 crews of the Western Military District. With the forces of one company, they struck the armored vehicles and infantry of the enemy, using the shelters and folds of the terrain when firing.

According to experts, compared to other tanks, the T-80 demonstrates high efficiency in the cold season and during the mudslide period due to high driving characteristics.

"The T-80 is called "jet" for the ability to accelerate to 70-80 km / h. A powerful engine allows you to move and maneuver faster, including in the off-season, when almost all the equipment is bogged down in the mud. Also, from other Russian tanks, it differs in the possibility of launching almost without pre-warm-up, "retired Colonel Anatoly Matviychuk explained in a comment to RT.

According to him, such opportunities are largely provided by a unique multi-fuel gas turbine engine (GTE). At the same time, this engine has a much higher fuel consumption compared to diesel units installed on the T-72 and T-90.

"The T-80 gas turbine engine is very voracious. But, unlike diesel cars, it consumes different types of fuel, including aviation. It is faster and more maneuverable than the T-72 and T-90. The T-80 is less noisy, and the release of gases occurs smokelessly, which masks it well. All these qualities of the T-80 can be crucial in certain climatic and weather conditions," Matviychuk said.

• T-80 tank of the People's Militia in the DPR
• RIA Novosti
• © Victor Antonyuk

A similar point of view in an interview with RT was expressed by the candidate of military sciences Sergey Suvorov. In his opinion, the T-80 has a very high combat potential, but at the same time the machine requires a "special approach" in maintenance and repair.

For example, in the field, it is not so easy to repair a failed T-80 engine. According to the Ministry of Defense, specialists of repair units have to carefully unscrew all the screws to dismantle the gas turbine engine and detect the causes of the breakdown.

As Suvorov emphasized, the crew of the T-80 and the repair units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation should be well aware of the specifics of the tank and its gas turbine engine.

"The T-80 engine is a single power unit and can be replaced with a new one relatively quickly. But the need for this will not be too frequent if all the norms of operation are observed, "says Suvorov.

Mobility and controllability

Another conditional drawback of the T-80 analysts call exposure to the negative effects of dust. However, domestic designers have constantly worked to eliminate this problem, and in the modern version of the machine it is practically solved.

Recall that the modern modification of the "jet" tank was named T-80BVM. These vehicles are delivered to the SVO zone and are actively mastered by military personnel in the process of combat training in the rear areas.

T-80BVM from previous models differs in a much more powerful engine of 1250 hp At the same time, as noted by the military, the "appetites" of the tank have somewhat decreased. In particular, it was possible to reduce the operating fuel consumption when the GTE is operating in a parking lot with the fire control system turned on.

In general, as reported on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, all the main characteristics of the T-80 have been significantly improved. These include firepower, protection, mobility and command controllability.

"T-80BVM tanks have improved maneuverability and mobility characteristics, are equipped with new devices that increase combat effectiveness, the level of protection and reliability of operation in extreme conditions," the military department explains.

The mass of the T-80BVM is 46 tons The machine is equipped with a 125-mm gun, a multi-channel sight of the Gunner "Sosna-U", a weapon stabilizer, a driver-mechanic's observation device, a thermal imager, many cameras, sensors and special software. Anti-cumulative lattice screens and the Relikt modular dynamic protection complex were installed on the tank.

• T-80 tank in the LPR
• RIA Novosti
• © Victor Antonyuk

According to the military department, the T-80BVM provides "all-round protection of the vehicle from modern anti-tank weapons." In addition, Russian designers have improved the tank's artillery system, increasing the firing range of all types of ammunition at any time of the day and in conditions of limited visibility.

According to Suvorov, the T-80BVM is comparable in fire capabilities to the modernized T-72 and T-90. The expert calls the main advantage of the "jet" tank its driving characteristics.

"The T-80 family is perhaps the fastest and most passable type of tank in the world. They are able to operate even in swampy areas. Otherwise, these machines are comparable to the T-72 and T-90. If the crew is well trained and coherent, then in its hands the T-80 turns into a serious force on the battlefield," Suvorov concluded.