RUSSIAN ARMOUR: Main Battle Tank T-80

This is the third title in our new ‘Russian Armour’ series which has been designed to provide much needed authoritative information on the classic Soviet tank designs of the 20th century. The books are written by Russian experts and the research has been done in Russian archives. The series has already been established as required reading for all those interested in the development of armoured warfare over the past 100 years.

The latest title examines in detail the T-80, which was developed from the late 1970s onwards and represents the final phase of Soviet tank development in the era before the break-up of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the Russian Federation and the other new states created as the Soviet Union gradually imploded. Amongst the most technologically advanced of all the armoured vehicles to have emerged from the old Soviet Union, the T-80 and its later variants, such as the T-90 ‘Black Eagle’, still is a major part of the inventories of the Russian army’s armoured units as well as those of several of the ex-Soviet states, such as the Ukraine. In addition to service with the forces of the erstwhile Soviet Union, the T-80 has also found a significant place in the global market with orders from countries such as Pakistan and Korea.

The book provides the reader with a comprehensive account of the development and operational record of the T-80. Utilising photographs, line drawings and specially prepared artworks, the author provides a detailed portrait of these highly successful tanks. The book includes six chapters. Chapter 1 describes the T-80’s development history; chapter 2 deals with the production of the baseline diesel-engined T-80 and its subsequent modernisation to T-80BV standard. A detailed structural description of the T-80B follows in Chapter 3. The next chapter describes the production of the turbine-powered T-80U and its mid-life upgrade, the T-80UD. Chapter 5 gives an account of the T-80’s service, including combat use by the Russian Army. The final chapter describes the T-80U’s further development into the most advanced Russian tank of today, the T-90 ‘Black Eagle’.

Aimed at the modeller, military historian and wargamer, we believe that the ‘Russian Armour’ series provides authoritative information on the classic Soviet tank designs of the 20th century, to a level of detail probably not previously available in the English language.

Title: RUSSIAN ARMOUR: Main Battle Tank T-80
Author: Mikhail Baryatinskiy
Format: PB 96 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: May 2007
ISBN: 9780711032385