A bit about the T-80BVM
Author of the article - call sign "Sievert" (Translated by The Right People)The interviewee (tank man) - call sign "Sever".
This article has two heroes. One is all in armour and with a powerful "heart" and weighty arguments, if there is a "dispute", a T-80 BVM tank, a truly interesting machine.
The second is a guy of steel, who has been through fire and water and brass pipes, a true hero of our time, whose youth ended in 2014. He had to become a warrior and now participates in the T-80 BVM in the SMO.
The T-80BVM:
The tank is 9,554 mm long, 3,384 mm wide and 2,202 mm high. The T-80BVM can negotiate trenches up to 2.6 m wide and 0.8 m high vertical walls, ford water obstacles to a water depth of 1.2 to 1.8 m and, using special equipment, to a water depth of 5 m. The weight of the tank in ammunition is 45.7 tonnes. The crew strength is 3 people.
Due to a gas turbine engine of 1,250 hp the tank can move along the highway at a record speed of 80 km/h, due to which the media call it "jet" or even "bird".
The fuel range is 500 km. The 2A46M-1 125mm cannon is equipped with 45 rounds of ammunition. The ammunition for the 7.62mm PKTM machine gun is 1,250 rounds, and for the anti-aircraft 12.7mm Kord, 300 rounds.
Initially, the main T-80B tanks, including the T-80BV, were equipped with the 9K112 Cobra guided weapon system with the 9M112 missile. Development of this system, primarily involving the development of new missiles, continued until the late 1980s. Under the T-80BVM project, it was decided to replace the obsolete Cobra with a more modern system of the same class. In the course of the upgrade, the tanks would receive the 9K119 Reflex guided weapon system with 9M119 missiles.
As this is the first conflict for the T-80 BVM, many people wondered how the tank would perform in combat. One of our brothers from the PTSD Team happens to be participating in the SMO with just such a vehicle. So the idea for the mini-interview was born. I should note at once that I asked people interested in the subject to help me compose the questions, for which I thank them very much.
Author:
- Question about the mobility of the machine: are the GTEs "hell for the supply people" or a thing? Reliable enough? Problems on the march on fuel? Smoothness of travel, bumpiness, injectivity compared to diesels. What are the main drawbacks of the T-80 BVM?
Tankmaster:
- It all depends on what role the tank group plays. As practice has shown, the speed of the "box" directly affects its survivability. If the same specimens in the form of T-72B and T-72B3 had very impressive losses during fights in urban areas, the "80s" group lost only one tank in 3 months of operation.
Undoubtedly, servicing mixed groups is hell for support, but there is no need for them either. In the later stages of the operation the vehicles were used for completely different tasks. There were no complaints about the reliability of the vehicles, enduring more than they should have. Movement on the T-80 BVM is much quieter and smoother, which made it possible to conduct lightning attacks.
The main disadvantage of the machine is an outdated thermal sight on which any terrain phoned, and high fuel consumption.
Author:
- Nuances in use? Ammunition? Did you only take the BC to the task in mechanised stacking? A typical composition of the BC (proportion: OPS, CS, "crowbars")? Or was it filled differently for a particular task? What type of ammunition was used most often? Is the main "crowbar" still 3B42?
Is the RTG a suitcase without a handle, or a really useful thing? Is the "long arm" of our tanks realistic in the current theater of war? Have you ever used it? If yes, nuances, reliability, were there any failures of guidance and what was their reason? From personal experience: what ammunition would need to be refined or created?
Tankmaster:
- Never had more than 10 shells in the armour. I also know from experience of fighting around Donetsk airport what happens to a combat vehicle when it is full of ammunition. When an RPG shell comes from the commander's hatch and the turret flies to the 3rd floor of the terminal. Our "vis-a-vis" decided to ignore this simple truth and were always full to capacity, for which they were nicknamed "a herd of lemmings" among the unit.
APart from the "Mango" there was nothing at the beginning of the operation, the ammunition was expended so quickly that there was no way to replenish it. About "long arm" I'll answer as concisely as I can.
It's possible, but it's cumbersome. Making calculations to hit a confined standing target (God forbid even a moving one) is extremely inconvenient, and makes you have to figure out the bike on the spot, based on the terrain.
Concrete demolition weapons are badly needed, taking into account NATO's methodology for building fortifications.
Author:
- Observation. Have tasks been carried out at night? How does the commander conduct surveillance at night? How did the sighting equipment perform? At what distances on average was the enemy detected?
Tankmaster:
- The execution of missions at night by armoured formations is effective only when operating from closed positions. Ideally, if a tank group advances on an assault, it is better to do so at 2 or 3 in the morning and reach the point of engagement by dusk. Sighting equipment is obsolete, to be replaced. But at the stage of fighting the USSR tanks, though upgraded, it is not critical. Thanks to the infantry and the well-coordinated work of the Akhmat, we always knew where the enemy was and how to move.
Author:
- General situational awareness. Communication. Communication in combat with an infantry unit? Were systems of automated control used (like TZ's ECU) or everything was done through radio communication only?
Tanker:
-Communication not divulged.
Author:
- Tank dueling? Or tanks with tanks do not fight (c)? Is there a problem with defeating enemy tanks? How do you rate the T-80 BVM's resistance to modern anti-tank weapons? What is the skill of the enemy?
Tankmaster:
- Tank duels in this theater are very much in demand from our side and we are trying to enforce them. The superiority in back speed and the ability to get in the sides of the enemy gives us the ability to not lose these duels at all. And since Ukrainian tanks are packed to the brim with ammunition, you don't need more than one hit.
As for the resistance to domestic - a solid 5. It is more difficult about the Western ones, as we did not give them an opportunity to work on us. But it seems to me that tandem shells could be a problem for us, but there is always the good old net for that.
Luckily for us in Ukraine the tankers are outnumbered, most of the experienced commanders and gunners were knocked out as a result of the fighting in the 14-15s.
Author:
- One last question. How did the extra fabric screens perform?
Tankmaster:
- We don't have them on our vehicle at the moment. But, to all appearances, they charged at us from something during the clearing of the "Z" settlement, and they saved us. It works.
Author:
- Thank you, for answering the questions.
Tankmaster:
- You're welcome! Hi all from the PTSD Team!
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