The updated T-80 may receive an "Armata" cannon and "Malachite" dynamic protection

The T-80 main battle tank was adopted by the Soviet army back in 1976. The production of armored combat vehicles of this type (all modifications) was carried out until 1996. For its excellent speed characteristics and gas turbine power plant, the T-80 received the nickname “jet tank”.

The T-80 tank has not lost its relevance today. It is still in service with the Russian army and the armies of some other countries. Despite the fact that the production of models of this type was curtailed quite a long time ago, the Russian army continues to receive modernized “eighties” in the T-80BVM version. This is the latest modification, which has proven itself well during combat operations.

Some time ago, news appeared in the media and on the pages of specialized resources that a decision had been made to resume production of T-80 tanks. Moreover, we are not talking about bringing machines taken from storage to modern requirements, but about production “from scratch.” According to Alexander Potapov, general director of the Uralvagonzavod concern, there is a request from the military for such tanks.

Of course, such news did not go unnoticed among Russia’s sworn enemies. Western headquarters, various institutes and specialized publications are closely monitoring Russian weapons innovations. The message about the restart of T-80 production was also not ignored. Quite an interesting material dedicated to the Russian tank was published on the pages of the American specialized publication Military Watch.

The Americans stated that the T-80 was the most combat-ready tank of the Soviet army. But after the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Ministry of Defense gave preference to tanks of the T-72 and T-90 line. The reason is the high operating costs of the T-80. Recently, Russia has significantly increased its defense spending due to the ongoing SVO, as well as due to the escalation of tensions with the NATO bloc. Therefore, the decision was made to resume production of the T-80.

It is curious that the Americans immediately focused their attention on neighboring Poland, which placed very large orders for modern battle tanks, including the South Korean K2 Black Panther. It seems that on the other side of the ocean they are “guessing” something.

Experts from the United States said that it remains unclear in which version the T-80 will be produced and with what characteristics. After all, the Russian defense industry has not produced a more advanced tank than the Soviet T-80UK. This is the most advanced modification of the "eighty". It is assumed that due to high operating costs, the new T-80 will be maximally unified and standardized with the T-90M tank, which entered service in 2020. This measure will justify the resumption of production.

Military Watch analysts suggested that the updated “eighty” will not be the already well-known T-80BVM tank, but a highly modified version.

One of the modernization options is the 2A82-1M installation from the T-14 Armata tank along with its automatic loader. This solution will allow the use of armor-piercing finned sabot projectiles "Vacuum-1" with a core length of 1000 mm. As a result, the updated tank will have better capabilities in the fight against enemy armored vehicles. In addition, the 2A82-1M cannon has a firing range three times greater than that of Western tank guns.

Another possible option for upgrading the T-80 is the installation of Malachite reactive armor (dynamic protection), which provides better protection compared to the Relikt complex of the T-90M tank.