UPDATE: I originally posted this on my other Substack in 2024
Now for the Russian side.
These pictures are of my 6 mm scale T-80U tanks.
The T-80 Main Battle Tank, when the initial pre-production models rolled out in 1976, was a considerable upgrade on previous models. Built with composite armour which was then further layered in Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) around both the turret front and hull, it was fitted with a Gas-turbine engine, that allowed the 42 ton machine to reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. This makes the T-80 a very fast tank, though the use of a Gas turbine engine complicates maintenance and logistics (the engine is more complicated than a diesel engine and uses different fuel).
As well as this it’s main armament, a 125 mm smoothbore 2A46 cannon, could fire not just tank shells (up to 3000 metres) but also Anti-tank guided missiles (up to 5000 metres) helping it to mitigate the at-the-time advantage that western gun systems had regards range (comparable Western tank guns could outrange Russian cannons).
The T-80U variant shown, was a particular upgrade, introducing a new turret with Kontakt-5 ERA, as well as a new missile for the main gun.
I have attempted to paint these variants in the style of several captured T-80U’s photographed in Ukraine. Their crews had attempted to partially camouflage them with white paint in the winter conditions of early 2022, painting the front hull and turret.
Sources:
https://murtiedjokobayu.medium.com/the-essential-guide-to-vehicles-t-80-main-battle-tank-11e2769db802#:~:text=The%20tank%20of%20this%20variant,most%20of%20them%20are%20not.
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment.html?m=1
https://www.army-technology.com/projects/t80/
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/here-ultimate-way-tell-one-russian-tank-another-66807?amp
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russias-t-80-tank-one-giant-mistake-or-real-ki
ller-135207