This tank has always been a black sheep among Soviet-era tanks. Despite being an advanced and capable tank at its release, it was soon eclipsed by its Western competitors, namely the American Abrams and the German Leopard.
Ever since the Chechen Wars, its performance in combat has been questionable. However, despite its equally shaky performance in Ukraine, the T-80 received an unexpected second wind after Russian tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) announced its intentions to restart T-80 production.
Great Speed at Great Cost
When designing this tank, the Soviets wanted a tank that could quickly traverse the highways of Europe.
To that end, they equipped the tank with a gas turbine engine, reaching an impressive top speed of 80 kilometers per hour on the road.
However, much like the gas turbine engine in the American Abrams, the T-80’s engine is a notorious gas guzzler, which leaves it at a significant disadvantage in resource-heavy wars of attrition.
Even after its creation, Soviet authorities deemed the T-80 too costly, and production was halted in 1992.T-80 Tank Enters The Ukrainian Meatgrinder
As has been the case with all tanks in Ukraine, the T-80’s performance has been mixed at best, with pro-Ukrainian sources reporting around a thousand T-80s destroyed, damaged, or captured on both sides.
One of the primary issues has been its high fuel consumption. The gas turbine engine, while powerful, is notoriously inefficient, leading to logistical challenges in maintaining fuel supplies for extended operations.
Like every other tank on the battlefields of Ukraine, the T-80 has no solid defenses against drones. Even the most advanced variant, the T-80BVM, with its advanced Relikt explosive reactive armor, struggles to provide adequate protection against kamikaze drones.
To combat this, Russia and Ukraine have attempted to equip their T-80s with improvised armor such as anti-drone cages and additional metal screens.
Such methods, while certainly better than nothing, still fail to provide sufficient protection, as footage shows even tanks with improvised protection are still vulnerable to experienced drone pilots.
Unexpected Windfall?
The T-80 had been written off as a failure by both Western and Russian analysts, destined to be replaced by the cheaper and more reliable T-90M.
However, in September of 2023, General Director of UVZ, Alexander Valerievich Potapov, announced plans to restart production of tank from the ground up.
Restarting serial output on a project that has been dead for over a few decades is no small feat and comes with a whole set of challenges.
As some Russian analysts have noted, it requires implementing techniques and capabilities that disappeared with the USSR.
Some speculated that the decision to restart the T-80 was due to the high volume of tank losses sustained by Russia. While tank losses have most certainly had an impact, if Russia were truly desperate for more tanks, it would not make sense to restart a several-decade-long dead project that would take more time and money before production could start.
If Russia wanted more tanks, it would make sense to expand production of T-72s/T-90s. There are two possible explanations: either someone at UVZ is lining their own pockets, or the Russian Ministry of Defense sees a genuine need for more T-80s than other types of tanks.
What’s Next for the T-80 Tank?
This tank has long struggled to find its place in the Soviet/Russian armies. Despite its shaky past performances, it has seemingly performed satisfactorily enough that Russia feels confident in its decision to restart production from scratch.
While this tank certainly has its advantages over the T-72/T-90, especially in terms of mobility, it comes at a much higher material cost, plus the cost of fuel and maintenance.
Only time will tell whether this is a wise investment or a shortsighted mistake on Russia’s part.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a 19FortyFive Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
