Russian 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade receives modernized T-80BVM tanks.

As the press service of the Russian Eastern Military District reported on April 7, 2021, modern T-80BVM tanks entered service for the first time with the Motorized Rifle unit of the Eastern Military District. The day before, several dozen tanks arrived by railway in Khabarovsk, BMPD/Live Journal reports.
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Upgraded T-80BVM tank received for re-equipment of the Tank Battalion of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined-Arms Army of the Eastern Military District in the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory), April 2021 (Picture source: Russian MoD)

Earlier, the personnel of the tank divisions of the motorized rifle formation passed specialized courses on training for their new tanks. The training of specialists included the latest computerized simulators and allowed servicemen to learn the operation and combat use of modern equipment and weapons. Further training with T-80BVM tanks is scheduled.

T-80BVM is a modernization of the T-80BV tank developed by Omsktransmash. The modernization includes the installation of the Sosna-U multi-channel gunner's sight, which includes sighting, thermal imaging, rangefinder channels, as well as a missile control channel. The tank is equipped with a 125mm cannon, a modified GTD-1250 gas turbine engine, a gun stabilizer, and a TVN-5 driver's observation device. Improving the command controllability of the tank is provided by the VHF radio station "Aqueduct" and measures have been introduced to reduce fuel consumption. To protect the tank against enemy fire, the vehicle is equipped with anti-cumulative lattice screens, a system of modular dynamic protection "Relic" and active protection "Arena-M". The combat weight is 46 tons.

Upgraded T-80BVM tanks received by railway for re-equipment of the Tank Battalion of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined-Arms Army of the Eastern Military District in the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory), April 2021 (Picture source: Russian MoD)

JSC Scientific and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod on August 24, 2017, signed the first contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense for serial modernization of 62 T-80B tanks to the T-80BVM standard (with the delivery of 31 units in 2018 and 2019). The upgrading of T-80B to the level of T-80BVM is implemented at JSC Omsk Transport Engineering Plant (Omsktransmash, part of NPK Uralvagonzavod JSC of Rostec State Corporation).

Subsequently, BMPD/Live Journal comments, according to known data, in 2019 and 2020, NPK Uralvagonzavod signed at least two more contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense for the modernization, estimated, up to 140 T-80B tanks to the T-80BVM level. In fact, the first battalion set of modernized T-80BVM tanks (31 tanks) under the first contract of 2017 entered only in 2019 for the rearmament of the tank battalion of the 200th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Northern Fleet.

Of the remaining T-80BVM tanks concerned by the first contract of 2017, about 20 units were received in two batches in August and December 2020 by the tank battalion of the 423rd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the Western Military District. In November 2020, another batch of T-80BVM tanks was delivered to the Kazan Tank School.

The present delivery of T-80BVM tanks to the tank battalion of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade indicates the beginning of the implementation of the following modernization contracts for the T-80BVM variant. Earlier it was reported that in 2021 the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to receive about 80 modernized T-80BVM tanks, BMPD/Live Journal reports.

Upgraded T-80BVM tank received by railway for re-equipment of the Tank Battalion of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined-Arms Army of the Eastern Military District in the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory), April 2021 (Picture source: Russian MoD)

Upgraded T-80BVM tank received for re-equipment of the tank battalion of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Combined-Arms Army of the Eastern Military District in the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory), April 2021 (Picture source: Russian MoD)