T-80B

The T-80B is a tier 6 Main Battle Tank originating from the Soviet Union, and is sold by Marat Shishkin. It can be unlocked from the T-80, and leads to the T-80U.

Features

 * Heavy armor: this vehicle's armor bounces more shots and takes more hits
 * High caliber: the high caliber weaponry deals an increased damage
 * Gas Turbine : provide a smoother acceleration, compared to an ordinary diesel

Player Recommendations
Highly mobile and heavily armored, the T-80B, much like its tier 5 predecessor, is purpose built for flanking attacks. With strong turret armor and one of the best MBT accelerations in the game, it excels in fast maneuvers around enemy positions, which are impossible for most other thickly armored vehicles. Unlike its tier 6 counterparts, it does not have a substantial armor boost, but it makes up for this in mobility and firepower.

Pros

 * High alpha damage
 * Good camo rating
 * Excellent mobility

Cons

 * Extremely high hull traverse can make precise turning hard
 * Mediocre gun depression
 * Poor hull armor for its tier

Upgrade Suggestions
The Kontakt-1 ERA Package offers a protection boost against ATGM and HEAT across the frontal half of the vehicle, so upgrading to this is a worthwhile early investment towards increasing survivability. Upgrading firepower through better ammunition and various modifications can heavily improve the effectiveness of flanking attacks into enemies, so it should be a primary focus as well.

Retrofit Suggestions

 * Advanced Muzzle Reference System
 * Augmented Optics
 * Improved Gun Breech
 * Improved Pioneer Tool Kit
 * Improved Spall Liner

Commander and Crew Skill Suggestions

 * Commander: Juan Carlos, to improve the aim speed and crew stats.
 * Driver: Spin to Win, Off-Road Driving
 * Gunner: Sharpshooter, Do the Twist

History
Class: Main Battle Tank Developed: 1976-1978 Service: 1978+ Vehicles Built: cca 2000-3000 Operators: Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Yemen The problem with the original T-80 was that while the concept was sound in the late 1960s, the long development and testing period meant that, when the vehicle was finally accepted into service, it was far less formidable than its designers planned it to be. The late 1960s was the era of the M60A1 Patton, while a decade later the Americans were already testing the first prototypes of the M1 Abrams. But not just that, the T-80 was also inferior to certain Russian designs (such as the T-64B with improved turret armor layout and FCS). The Soviets, fearing they’d lose their edge, quickly started working on a response in the form of Object 219R, an improved version of the T-80, which entered service only 2 years after the T-80 under the designation of T-80B. The 1978 pattern T-80B had a number of advantages over the T-80. For one, the armor was changed to increase the protection of the vehicle. The turret was also improved and the protection level was now on par with the T-64B, the inlay became ceramic. On the other hand, the vehicle still lacked an ERA kit, something that would prove very problematic in the future. The biggest change was the armament. The modified 125mm 2A46-2 gun could now launch guided missiles using the 9K112-1 Kobra system. The Fire Control System was also upgraded to the 1A33 model, which significantly improved the accuracy of the vehicle on the move. The 1978 pattern T-80B was powered by the same 1000hp turbine as the T-80 but a more powerful 1100hp GTD-1100F engine was introduced in 1980. In 1985, T-80Bs received new Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor, producing the T-80BV variant with significantly increased protection against HEAT warheads. A number of the older T-80Bs was converted to T-80BV standard. The new T-80BVs also used yet another turret composite armor inlay, similar to that of the T-72A. In 1985, the production of the T-80B was replaced by an improved variant, the T-80U. It is unclear how many T-80s and T-80B/BV vehicles were built in total between 1976 and 1985, the most likely number is somewhere between two to three thousand. Considering that the T-80 was essentially an internal Soviet use only tank and was generally not exported until after the fall of the Soviet Union. Apart from some minor engagements during the breakup of the Soviet Union, the only major combat use of the T-80 and T-80B tanks happened during the First Chechen War and the ill-fated Siege of Grozny. However, the T-80BV model has seen some fighting during the recent civil war in Yemen. The T-80BVM model, recently unveiled in Russia, is also a heavily modernized T-80BV MBT, although the extent of upgrades in this case is such that compared to the older T-80B models, it is almost an entirely separate vehicle.