T-80U vs T-84 Oplot: how to tell them apart

Two main battle tanks that are easy to mix up at a glance. Here is what tells them apart.

T-80U

Main battle tank, Soviet Union. In service since 1985

What gives it away

Six rubber-tyred road wheels with return rollers, Kontakt-5 explosive armour giving the turret a blocky, flat-faced front, and a gas-turbine exhaust at the rear.

Used by

Russia, Cyprus and others

T-84 Oplot

Main battle tank, Ukraine. In service since 1999

What gives it away

T-80UD-style hull with six road wheels and a welded, angular turret with a large rear bustle, covered in explosive reactive armour blocks.

Used by

Ukraine, Thailand

Where they differ

What they share

These won’t tell them apart.

• Tracked
• 6 road wheels
• Turret
• 125 mm gun
• Engine at the rear
• Turret in the middle
• Reactive armour blocks
• Short side skirts
• Smoke dischargers on the turret
• Return rollers
• Fume extractor on the gun

T-80U · T-84 Oplot · All guides