Proposed modification of the T-80U.

Proposed modification of the T-80U.
New reinforced driver's hatch of rectangular shape, boron coating on the turret with increased thickness, and it is fitted with ERA too on the driver's and gunner's hatch covers.
As we can see, the differences between the T-80BVM and the T-80U in which the T-80BVM has superiority are mainly electronic.

That is, they can be relatively easily adaptable, just like the ERA coverage, in the pictures of this post we see in fact a T-80U on a training range a few months ago with ERA of the "Кактус" (like the BVM) system that many confuse with "Relikt

Well, the answer is simple, while between T-80U and its almost twin brother the T-80UD there were barely 1000 units, we have some almost 5,000 units of T-80B/BV manufactured.
For the differences between the T-80B and BV see:https://t.me/the_Right_People/32817

If we count only the T-80U, we do not exceed 450. So simply the T-80BV offered more numerical potential for modernisation, not only in vehicles to be modernised, spare parts and even export potential

As I have said before, the T-80U in general has shortcomings compared to the BVM in electronics.
But talk about the fact that the 2A46M-1, older gun of the T-80U does not allow it to fire 3BM-60 Svinets-2 ("3БМ-60 “Свинец-2”) APFSDS.

This was in fact solved in the improvement proposal Object-291 (pictured), the vehicle has the following changes:

2A46M-4 gun with the loading mechanism modified to accommodate 750 mm long armor-piercing shells like the 3БМ-60 Свинец-2.

The overall dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the T-80U, with the following exceptions: the width along the tracks is increased by 29 mm, the width along the sides by 41 mm. The ground clearance is reduced from 451 to 437 mm compared to the T-80U.

A large number of improvements were also included in other systems, from FCS to thermal sights and even air conditioning.
The price was not much higher than the T-80U and in fact at the exhibition where the Object-291 was demonstrated for the first time, it was shown as ‘T-80U’, meaning that had the T-80U line remained in production it would almost certainly have been the standard instead of the "Объект 219АС" which is the T-80U as we know it.

In the same timeframe (early 90s) there was the Object-292 project, which is notable for the idea of installing a 152mm gun and which we already talked about back in the day: