Upgraded T-80U MBT with a hard-kill active protection system will be the main tank prize of the upcoming special winter event!

T-80UM-2, main battle tank, USSR, rank VII. Event vehicle

Features:

• Drozd hard-kill APS
• Decent armor-piercing rounds

• Good max speed
• Lacks thermal vision

The main prize of the upcoming winter event for War Thunder tankers will be the Soviet experimental main battle tank T-80UM-2 with the Drozd hard-kill active protection system. The very high combat characteristics of the nimble Soviet top-tier MBT are complemented by an ability of destroying guided anti-tank missiles on approach! Neat!

The T-80UM-2 is a modified T-80U main battle tank already familiar to the weathered commanders of Russian armored vehicles. An oft picked vehicle for high-ranking battles in War Thunder, this tank is distinguished by high speed and mobility, has an automatic loader, capable of firing ATGMs directly from the gun, and is armed with a punchy AP round capable of penetrating over 500 mm armor at all firing distances. In addition, the T-80U is quite well protected, especially at the front, where multilayer combined armor are supplemented by the ERA modules. All these advantages are raised by the T-80UM-2 that offers additional hard-kill APS protection.

The Drozd active protection system is also known to the players in the T-55AMD-1 tank. Unlike the Iron Fist system of the British Challenger Black Night tank, the Russian Drozd only protects the front of the tank’s turret, albeit in a rather wide sector. On the other hand, the Russian APS has twice as many shots as the British. The Drozd is effective against anti-tank guided missiles, which are the main weapon of the light ATGM carriers and helicopters. With some probability, the hard-kill APS is also able to counteract HEAT rounds at the end of the trajectory, but it still remains powerless against kinetic rounds.

A fly in the ointment is the lack of thermal vision devices in the crew sights. Since the tank was built as a prototype, the old fire control system remained from the original T-80U. In night battles, the T-80UM-2 relies on night vision devices and an IR searchlight.

The T-80UM-2 will become a rank VII event vehicle of the Soviet tech tree, which will go to the most stubborn participants of the special winter event in War Thunder. We will soon announce more information about other prizes and rules of the event here, in the Development Diaries series. Stay tuned friends!

Learn more on Winter Quest