T 80 U (Sweden)

T 80 U

T 80 U

Sweden

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
11.3	11.3	11.3

Class:

SQUADRON

Medium tank

Research:570 000

Purchase:1 140 000

Description

The T 80 U is a squadron rank VIII Swedish medium tank with a battle rating of 11.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Fire and Ice".

General info

Survivability and armour

ERA

Effective action against the cumulative ammunition

Composite armour

Balanced protection against all types of ammunition

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

ESS

Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle

Self-entrenching equipment

Creation of ramparts and trenches in soft ground

Armourfront / side / back

Hull105 / 80 / 50

Turret180 / 160 / 65

Crew3 people

Visibility79 %

The armour protection of the T-80U is adequate, especially if the incoming round hits one of the KONTAKT-5 ERA plates while newer shells such as the DM53 can still frontally penetrate the hull armour at close range. The strongest parts of the tank are the turret front and a majority of the upper front plate. It does, however, have some weaker areas, the most important being the driver's hatch, the immediate areas of the turret surrounding the gun and its breech, and its lower frontal plate. These weak spots are however pretty small targets at range, and thus by hiding them properly, the risk of being hit can be minimized. Owing to its very low profile, a hull-down T-80U is a small target in itself; the weaker parts of its armour are even smaller.

Fuel tanks on either side of the driver cannot soak up some shrapnel as recent changes have added fuel explosions, and these tanks detonate dramatically. As with all Russian auto-loaded MBTs, there are only three crew members so a well-placed shot is capable of causing a crew knock-out. It's also worth noting that the placement of the ammo rack, below the turret in a carousel-style setup, leaves the T-80U particularly vulnerable to side shots causing ammunition detonation. The protection of the T-80U is very similar to the T-64B in terms of the size and placement of the weak areas. The sides of your tank should always be protected, and when engaging an enemy, your front armour should always be aligned directly towards him to reduce the risks of a shot penetrating your weaker side. The tank does, however, have some KONTAKT-5 ERA on its upper front skirts, meaning that you have some extra protection against kinetic penetrators, and a lot against chemical shells, until the ERA bricks are detonated (leaving the area vulnerable for another hit).

As mentioned above, the T-80U also benefits from the typical low silhouette Russian tankers will be accustomed to, with the vehicle being significantly smaller than its competitors. This allows the T-80U to be hidden behind small terrain deformities which other MBTs would otherwise be visible. It's also harder for an enemy tank commander to immediately tell which area is the most vulnerable. But armour cannot be relied on in any circumstance, the tank is no longer new, and weaknesses are well known. Most tankers will have a steady aim at hitting weak spots even on the move.

Armour type:

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	105 mm	80 mm	50 mm	30 mm
Turret	180 mm	160 mm	65 mm	45 mm

Notes:

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB78 / 13 km/h

RB and SB70 / 11 km/h

Number of gears9 forward

1 back

Weight46.0 t

Engine power

AB2 385 hp

RB and SB1 250 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB51.8 hp/t

RB and SB27.2 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	78	13	46	1937	2,385	42.11	51.85
Realistic	70	11		1106	1,250	24.04	27.17

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 181 → 6 844

RB4 101 → 6 713

SB4 816 → 7 883

Total cost of modifications289 100

471 000

Talisman cost3 100

Crew training310 000

Experts1 080 000

Aces2 200

Research Aces1 280 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

160 / 200 / 240 %

250 / 250 / 250 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 Suspension Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 280 Brake System Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 280 Filters Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 450 Transmission Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 470 Engine Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 470	Improved Parts Research: 4 500 Cost: 23 000 350 Dozer Blade Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 Improved FPE Research: 3 600 Cost: 18 000 280 Smoke grenade Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 280 Crew Replenishment Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 450 ESS Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 470 NVD upgrade Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 470	Horizontal Drive Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 Adjustment of Fire Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 280 Laser rangefinder Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 280 Elevation Mechanism Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 450 125mm_ussr_ATGM_ammo_pack Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 450 Artillery Support Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 470

The T-80U has two night vision modifications. The first modification "NVD" grants access to an image intensifier for each crew member. The second modification "NVD Upgrade" replaces the gunner's image intensifier with a thermal imager.

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

125 mm 2A46M-1 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Autoloader

Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader

Ammunition45 rounds

First-order28 rounds

Reload6.5 s

Vertical guidance-5° / 15°

The T-80U is armed with the same 125 mm cannon found in the T-80B, with its 3BM46 "Svinets" round proving adequately competitive against other Rank VII offerings (The 3BM42 round has lost quite a bit of its luster however, and struggles with some of the more heavily armoured opponents at range, and lacks reliable post pen effect). As with previous vehicles of the family, the main gun is auto-loaded, so the loss of a crew member or an engine fire does not affect the loading times and the 6.5-second loading speed is competitive when compared to the 120 mm guns on the Leopard 2A5 and M1A1 Abrams. One notable perk of the auto-loader mechanism is that the gun will be reloaded even if the gunner is knocked out, if you're fighting a fire, or repairing. It does however also come with the drawbacks of a reload time that cannot be improved, the large ammo carousel concentric with the turret, and the chance of a single penetrating shot detonating the ammo racks. Another thing to note, since update 1.97 if the tanks battery runs out of power, the autoloader will not function and the cannon will need to be manually loaded, which is a much slower process.

Like with the T-80B and T-64B, the T-80U can launch missiles out of its gun. Unlike the previous two vehicles though, it gets the upgraded 9M119 which has 700 mm of penetration compared to the previous ATGM's 650 mm penetration. These ATGMs can prove useful for shooting over hills to hit a hiding enemy or to engage helicopters or low-flying aircraft.

125 mm 2A46M-1					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	45	-5°/+15°	±180°	Two-plane	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	6.50	6.50	6.50	6.50
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
3BK18M	HEATFS	550	550	550	550	550	550
3OF26	HE	42	42	42	42	42	42
3BM42	APFSDS	457	454	445	431	419	406
9M119	ATGM	700	700	700	700	700	700

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
3BK18M	HEATFS	905	19	0.05	0.1	2.79	65°	72°	77°
3OF26	HE	850	23	N/A	0.1	5.24	79°	80°	81°
3BM42	APFSDS	1700	4.85	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°

Missile details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Range (m)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
								0%	50%	100%
9M119	ATGM	800	5000	16.5	0.05	0.1	5.54	80°	82°	90°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
45	45 (+0) 45 (+0)	44 (+1) 44 (+1)	43 (+2) 43 (+2)	38 (+7) 41 (+4)	37 (+8) 39 (+6)	34 (+11) 38 (+7)	No

The T-80U main ammo rack consists of a mechanized carousel at the bottom of the turret which carries 28 propellants and projectiles.

Machine guns

12.7 mm NSVT machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Belt capacity100 rounds

Reload5.0 s

Fire rate700 shots/min

Vertical guidance-5° / 60°

7.62 mm PKT machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition1 250 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate700 shots/min

12.7 mm NSVT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	500 (100)	700	-5/+60°	±180°

7.62 mm PKT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	1250 (250)	700	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Learning to use terrain to hide the lower front plate and hull if possible is key to surviving. Like any other tank at the top rank, do not let enemies see your side armour. This is especially true for the T-64/T-80 line since their ammo is stored vertically and makes it very easy to hit. Since the Russian MBTs are relatively small, you can also use teammates as cover. The T-80U is a fantastic sniper due to the great penetration and thick turret, so that is also a viable option as long as you keep your eyes open on your flanks. The most dangerous enemy to the T-80U are helicopters, although the KONTAKT-5 will usually protect against one missile. However, it is still ERA, and will be blown off after it is detonated. Since the interior of the tank is so compact, this makes it easy for good pilots to knock you out in 2-3 rapid missile shots. To avoid helicopters, stay close to buildings or hide next to trees/large bushes and wait for an anti-air vehicle or plane to take it out. Or use the ATGM or range finder to shoot down the enemy yourself.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Effective armour against KE and chemical munitions. The KONTAKT-5 ERA mounted to the tank's frontal arc and turret means that even helicopter-launched ATGMs may fail to penetrate
• Varied and powerful ammunition available, from stock HEAT and HE to APFSDS and ATGM.
• Accurate and high muzzle velocity gun combined with the laser rangefinder provides easy long-range gameplay
• Autoloader provider a steady reload time in any situation
• Nimble tank for its size and tonnage - a fully upgraded T-80U is much more responsive than the T-80B.
• Low silhouette, a hull-down T-80U is hard to spot and harder to hit

Cons:

• Rather "easy to hit" weak spots at close medium ranges - some of them leading to turret kill or ammo detonation
• Vertical gaps between ERA plates are many small weak spots
• The cramped interior, with the crew placed tightly together, means that the tank is easily disabled if a shot penetrates
• Ammo detonation hazard from side shots due to the vertical ammunition carousel in the centre of the hull
• Spare ammunition is distributed around the hull and turret and increases the chance of ammo detonation
• Relatively low reverse speed and lack of neutral steering, makes it hard to fall back when flanked or damaged
• Poor gun depression of -5° due to the low turret height, makes it difficult to shoot over hills and other obstacles, especially on rough terrain

History

Work on improving the existing T-80 MBT begun as early as the mid-1970s with the design bureau in Leningrad. Here, developers were responsible for the production of the T-80 and started working on a joint project to further enhance the T-80's capabilities. In the early 1980s, the first prototypes were being built and after extensive testing and design tweaking, the new tank was considered ready for production. The resultant tank was accepted by the Soviet military under the designation T-80U. The T-80U received turret and upper frontal enhancements as part of its new construction along with being equipped with a second generation ERA protection system known as Kontakt-5. In contrast to the previous generation of dynamic protection, Kontakt-5 increased the tank's protection against HEAT and armour-piercing shells. The modifications also affected the armament of the tank - the T-80U is equipped with a new 1A45 fire control system and Reflex ICBM, which used more advanced 9M119 guided missiles. Subsequently, the tank was equipped with a new, more powerful GTD-1250 gas turbine engine which helped compensate for the increased weight of the vehicle and improved its dynamics. The T-80U had been factory produced in Leningrad in 1987, but in 1989, its production was moved to Omsk. Work on upgrading the T-80 was carried out in Kharkov, but there, they constructed their own vehicle equipped with a diesel engine, which was designated 'T-80UD'. The latter would evolve into further developed Ukrainian derivatives of the T-80. T-80Us served with the Soviet military until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and have since continued serving with the Union's successor states to this day. The vehicle also saw service abroad with some other countries as well, primarily with South Korea and Cyprus. Overall, around 700 T-80Us have been produced since 1985, but this vehicle has yet to be put into any actual combat situations.

- From Devblog

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• T-80UK
• T-80U

External links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-80
• https://warthunder.com/en/news/6051-development-t-80u-making-contact-en

Squadron ground vehicles
USA	M901 · M1A1 AIM
Germany	Leopard 2 PL
USSR	BMP-2M · T-80UK
Britain	Bhishma TWMP
Japan	RCV (P)
China	Object 122MT "MC"
France	CV 9035NL
Sweden	T 80 U
Israel	Magach 6B Gal