In September 2023 Russian state media reported that the Omsktransmash tank manufacturing unit was to restart manufacturing of the T-80 most important battle tank, with reviews indicating that the category’ fight capabilities had made a robust impression on each personnel working them and on the Defence Ministry extra broadly. The T-80 was by far the costliest and most succesful tank class within the Soviet Army, and regardless of being over to 3 occasions as costly because the T-72 it was procured in very giant numbers to kind the spine of the fleet from the early Eighties. The category’ a lot greater manufacturing and operational prices in comparison with the T-72, nevertheless, led the Russian Defence Ministry to favour the T-72 after the USSR’s disintegration, because the T-72 was seen to be less expensive and to have higher export prospects. This choice, taken at a time of financial disaster within the Nineties, confronted appreciable resistance from a lot of the military management as a result of considerably superior capabilities which the T-80 retained. Because of this the tank class ceased manufacturing round 1996, whereas the newest model of the T-72, the a lot enhanced T-72BU, was re-designated the T-90.
Within the Eighties 5 main amenities produced most important battle tanks for the Soviet Army, with Omsktransmash having been one of many three largest alongside the Uralvagonzavod manufacturing unit positioned within the Ural Mountains, and the Malyshev Manufacturing unit positioned in current day Ukraine. The Omsktransmash manufacturing unit produced T-54/55 tanks for a lot of the Chilly Battle into the late Nineteen Seventies, by then completely for export, earlier than changing to provide the T-80. By the tip of the Chilly Battle there have been thus two amenities producing T-80s and three producing T-72s, with the latter additionally constructed underneath license in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Omsktransmash had an formidable program underway from the late Eighties to develop the T-80 right into a subsequent era tank, which was conceptually just like the T-14 presently in low degree manufacturing at Uralvagonzavod with crew housed in an armoured capsule and the turret unmanned. With the post-Soviet Russian financial system rapidly contracting, the tank was marketed to overseas purchasers for funding underneath the identify Black Eagle. With Russian having embargoed lots of its main potential purchasers, nevertheless, together with Iraq, Iran, Libya and North Korea, funding by no means materialised.
Very similar to the following era of the T-72 was named T-90, so too is it extremely doubtless, and in line with prevailing developments in Russia’s naming of its most important battle tanks for a brand new T-80 variant to be re-named. The designation ’T-100’ or ‘could be speculated and would make sense chronologically, and given the obvious choice for names which carry dramatic weight. In contrast to the T-90, which straight succeeded the T-72 in manufacturing, and for a quick interval was even produced alongside it, there will probably be an roughly 30 12 months hole between manufacturing of the final Soviet designed T-80s and the brand new manufacturing mannequin. Because of this the distinction in capabilities is anticipated to be a lot better than that between the final T-72B fashions and the baseline early T-90. It stays unsure to what extent the T-80’s design will probably be modernised, nevertheless, an particularly if and to what extent parts from the ‘Black Eagle’ design will probably be included.
Essentially the most excessive case for the brand new T-80 program might see an effort funded to develop a subsequent era tank based mostly on the design, which may very well be extra promising than the totally clear sheet T-14 design produced by Uralvagonzavod. Excessive delays to the T-14’s improvement imply a competing tank might present a worthwhile hedge towards the T-14 program, whereas inserting elevated strain on Uralvagonzavod to see it via. Nonetheless, with Uralvagonzavod now proudly owning Omsktransmash, and thus having a complete monopoly on Russian tank manufacturing, choices to extend effectivity via competitors stay restricted. It’s extremely doubtless that the brand new T-80, doubtless with a brand new designation, will produce Russia’s most succesful tank apart from probably the T-14 itself.
