T-80 is accepted on arms in a 1976. For the first time in the world it(he) is equipped with gasturbodrive. On the first series T-80 there was GTD-1000 by power 1000 hp. Seconds, on T-80B - GTD- 1000TF of the same power, and on T-80U - GTD- 1250. The high battle(dashing) qualities T-80 for want of practically to lowest battle(dashing) mass in main are reached due to dense arrangement. The branch of management is in a forward part of tank, battle(dashing) with a tower - in the middle, motor-transmission - in a forage. T-80 is armed with 125-mm smoothbor gun, D-81 or 2A46M-1 gun, stabilized in two planes, (on T-80U and T-80B) with coupled 7.62-mm machine gun PKT; 12.7-mm AD machine-gun complex «Rock» on commanders sight, complex of a guard from controlled arms and system of start-up smoke grenades «Cloud». The complex of arms also includes a sight - range finder, night sight and loading mechanism. The tanks T-80B have received a guided missiles complex «Kobra», and T-80U - complex «Reflex». The loading mechanism is borrowed at T-64. Into a control system of a light T-80B enter a laser sight - range finder, ballistic calculator, stabilizer of arms, package of gauges inspecting all important information (a velocity of a wind, roll and velocity of the tank, course angle of the purpose etc.). The management of a fire on T-80U is duplicated. The guns 2A46M and A-1 (T-80B and U) are made with more rigid requests to a trunk, which is supplied with a metal heat-shielding casing(cover) defending it from external effects (solar rays, rain) and reducing a sag for want of heat. The greatest aim distances of shooting for T-80B underbarrel and cumulative shells - 4000 m, demolition - 5000 (with the help of of side level - 10000 m). With a night sight TPNK-49 in a foreground they reach(achieve) 1300 and in passive - 850 m. The complex «Reflex» with induction of rockets on a laser ray allows to start them on any velocities of the tank. T-80 is equipped with gears of night vision.

For orientation for want of of bad visibility and under water is present gyroscopic coursefinder. The tank T-80 is protected by the combined multilayer reservation, and also as T-80BV, and built-in complex of a dynamic guard. The securities of the tank from cumulative shells promote screens on sides of tank (steel sheets on a rubber apron), tower and before a nose. T-80 has a system of a collective guard from the weapon of a mass defeat and automatic fire-prevention equipment. The power plant of the tank consists from GTD-1000TF with the two-cascade compressor, force turbine and adjusted(adjustable) by a means of the force turbine. The suspension is torsional with hydroshock-absorbers on 1 -, 2- and 6-m knots of the suspension roles. Track with rubbermetal hinge.