In 1964, Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil responded with its own turbine-powered tank, Object 167T and its GTD-3T 800hp turbine, developed under N.L.Kartsev. While early Soviet attempts to mount a turbine engine into a tank reach back to the late 1940s, the origins of the T-80 can be traced back to the Kharkov-built T-64T prototype from 1963, equipped with a 700hp GTD-3TL engine. One way to achieve that was to significantly improve tank mobility by introducing a new type of engine to Soviet tank forces – a gas turbine. The Soviets, however, realized that a response from NATO would not be that far away, leading them to develop something even better. No mass-produced western tank could match the armor and firepower of the T-64. In the 1960s, the Soviets were undisputed leaders in tank technology. After all, unlike the T-72, the T-80 was intended for Soviet use only. Even though the two tanks share typical Russian tank looks to the point that they look the same to a layman's eye, they are two different beasts entirely. While not as iconic as the ubiquitous T-72, the T-80 Main Battle Tank was an important part of the Soviet war machine.
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