| TR-85 M1 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 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.
- ^ "Romania pursues replacement MBT | Jane's 360". Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ Szajkowski, Bogdan; Gow, James (4 June 1993). Encyclopaedia of Conflicts, Disputes, and Flashpoints in Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Successor States. Longman Group. ISBN 9780582210028 – via Google Books.
- ^ "TR-85-M1 Main Battle Tank" (PDF). romarm.ro. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Tancul TR 85 M1 - Bizonul". forter.ro. Retrieved 5 February 2023.