T-80U

The definitive late-Soviet gas-turbine-powered main battle tank, offering rapid acceleration and cold-weather reliability at the cost of high fuel consumption. Reactivated T-80U/BV variants have been pulled from storage for use against Ukraine alongside the newer T-80BVM.

In service since 1985 · 6 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

335

km range

25.9

hp/t

125

mm gun

46,000

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: No public unit cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Established · 6 operators

In service since 1985. Status: active · ~4,500 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 70 km/h

Stronger than 73% of main battle tanks
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 335 km

Bottom 3% of main battle tanks
Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 25.9 hp/t

Stronger than 86% of main battle tanks
Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.: 1,700 m/s

Stronger than 64% of main battle tanks

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 125 mm 2A46M-1 smoothbore (autoloaded)
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: 12.7 mm NSVT + 7.62 mm PKT machine guns
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 125 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 38

Stronger than 13% of main battle tanks

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Composite armor with Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.: Yes
Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: Kontakt-5 ERA, smoke grenade launchers
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 9.9 m
Width Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 3.6 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 2.2 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 46,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 3

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: GTD-1250 gas turbine
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 1,250 hp

Stronger than 63% of main battle tanks
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Gas turbine

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 4,500

Stronger than 88% of main battle tanks
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 6

Stronger than 83% of main battle tanks

Specifications compiled from public Uralvagonzavod and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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