TR-85

Main battle tank

TR-85 M1
A TR-85M1 during a multinational exercise in Germany, 2014.
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Romania
Service history
In service	1986–present
Used by	Romanian Land Forces
Wars	Romanian Revolution of 1989
Production history
Designer	Institute 111 Direcția Tancuri și Auto
Designed	1978–1986
Manufacturer	Mechanical Factory Bucharest (part of ROMARM military consortium).
Produced	1986-1990 (TR-85) 1997-2009 (TR-85M1 upgrade)[1]
No. built	617[2]
Variants	TR-85, TR-85 M1, DMT-85 M1
Specifications (TR-85M1 Bizonul)
Mass	50 tonnes (55.12 tons)[3]
Length	9.92 m (32.5 ft) (with gun forward)
Width	3.43 m (11.3 ft)
Height	2.38 m (7.8 ft)[4]
Crew	4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Armor	turret: 320 + 20 mm add-on composite armour (580mm of RHAe) hull: 200 mm composite armour
Main armament	100 mm gun A-308 41 rounds
Secondary armament	7.62 mm coaxial PKT machine gun 4595 rounds 12.7 mm DShK AA machine gun 750 rounds 81 mm smoke grenade launcher (20 grenades) 2 four-barreled flare launchers
Engine	Model 8VS-A2T2M C.N. ROMARM S.A, 8-cyl., turbo charged direct injection diesel 860 hp (640 kW) at 2300 rpm
Power/weight	17.2 hp/tonne
Transmission	THM-5800 hydromechanic (4 fwd, 2 rev gears)
Suspension	Torsion bar with eight telescopic hydro-gas shock absorbers
Operational range	400 km (250 mi)
Maximum speed	60 km/h (37 mph)

The TR-85 is a main battle tank designed for the armed forces of Romania. Based on the TR-77-580, the TR-85 tank was developed from 1978 to 1985 and produced from 1986 until 1990. A modernization program was initiated in March 1994 to upgrade the TR-85 tanks to NATO standards. The result was the TR-85M1 Bizonul ("Bison") third-generation main battle tank, currently the most modern tank in service with the Romanian Land Forces. Although a further development of the T-55, the TR-85M1 uses a T-block powerpack (similar to the one used in the Leopard 1) based on a V8 German 830 hp (620 kW) diesel engine, an improved turret, a locally-designed "Ciclop" fire control system (with cross-wind sensor, laser rangefinder and night vision), new 100 mm BM-412 Sg armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS-T) projectiles and a fully redesigned suspension with 6 road wheels on each side, protected by metal side skirts. Combat weight is 50 tons.