T-80 is a third-generation main battle tank (MBT) developed in the former Soviet Union.

T-80 was designed between 1967 and 1975 at the Leningrad Kirov Plant (LKZ), with Soviet engineer Nikolay Popov as chief designer.

The serial production began in 1975 and a year later, in 1976, the T-80 already entered service with the Soviet Army.

Until 2015, approximately 5,575 T-80 tanks have been built.

The T-80B has a mass of 42.5 tonnes, while the T-80U is heavier, having a weight of 46 tonnes.

With the gun forward, the T-80B has an overall length of 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in), slightly longer than the T-80U which has an overall length of 9.654 m (31 ft 8.1 in).

The hull of the T-80B has a length of 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in) and the hull of the T-80U measures 7 m (23 ft 0 in) in length.

Regarding the width, T-80U is wider than the T-80B, T-80U having a total width of 3.603 m (11 ft 9.9 in) unlike the T-80B which has a width of 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in).

Both T-80B and T-80U have a height of 2.202 m (7 ft 2.7 in), while the ground clearance is 0.38 m (1.2 ft) for T-80B and 0.446 m (1.46 ft) for T-80U.

The hull of the T80B has a protection level 440-450 mm vs APFSDS and 500-575 mm vs HEAT, while the turret has a protection level of 500 mm vs APFSDS and 650 mm vs HEAT.

On the T-80U model equipped with Kontakt-5, the hull and the turret have a protection level of 780 mm vs APFSDS and 1,320 mm vs HEAT.

As the main cannon, T-80B tanks use a 125 mm 2A46-2 smoothbore gun with 36 rounds.

T-80U has a 125 mm 2A46M-1 smoothbore gun with 45 rounds.

T-80B main battle tanks are also equipped with four (4) 9M112 Kobra ATGMs, while the more advanced T-80U has six (6) 9M119 Refleks ATGMs.

As secondary armament, T-80s are fitted with a 12,7 mm NSVT, DShK, or PKT anti-aircraft heavy machine gun and with a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun.

T-80B has a 1,000 hp SG-1000 gas turbine engine coupled to a manual transmission with six (6) gears (5 forward and 1 reverse).

T-80U is powered by a 1,250 hp GTD-1250 turbine engine coupled to a transmission with 5 gears (4 forward and 1 reverse).

The power-to-weight ratio is 23.5 hp (17.6 kW) per tonne for T-80B, and 27.2 hp (20.3 kW) per tonne for T-80U, both models having a torsion bar suspension.

With an internal fuel capacity of 1,100 liters (240 imp gal), T-80 main battle tanks have an operational range on roads of 335 km (208 mi).

T-80 can be equipped with external fuel tanks with a capacity of 740 liters (160 imp gal). In this case, the operational range on road increases to 415 km (258 mi).

T-80 MBT can reach a maximum speed of 70 km/h (43 mph) on-road and 48 km/h (30 mph) off-road.