You quite literally quoted my post where I posted the pages talking about this. You’re a prime example of how not to start an argument.
Not even that, you have begun to doubt the validity of the claims made by the author (who, btw, had served in the Bundeswehr for 41 years, beginning in 1979, and was likely present for the trials of the T-80U in Germany) based on delivery and DOI dates because you were simply incapable of believing that Germany had been capable of procuring samples of cutting-edge AFVs; you didn’t ask me what book those pages were from either, nada.
I quoted the post stating the date the tank went into service, I didn’t see the other article just the one about the 2A8. I had never heard about Germany having a T-80U which is still crazy when Britain acquiring one 6 years later such a huge deal was made of it.
Again didn’t realise the T-80 story was from a book, it sounded too fanciful. Imagine the M1A1 had just reached Europe and that year Russia managed to get a brand new one across the border, it’s incredulous. I’m not going to challenge a primary source and it’s interesting to learn about it.
Russia did acquire data on Leopard 2’s B-technology armor only a couple of years after it had entered service (why else do you think the 3BM-32 and 42 were developed on such short notice?). They likely had data on M1s and Challenger 1s armors as well.
1983 units didnt have K-5 nor even K-1 and were still named as T-80A, the name they held all up until getting accepted into service.
Considering the amount of non K5 T-80A on trials, I would say probably even more 1985 part didnt have it fully or had it in testing configuration.
Does the book have any extra information on how they got the T-80U? I’m genuinely interested in the story of how the Germans managed to steal a T-80U from Belarus, it sounds like something out of a movie.
Sadly, I haven’t got the book yet… For such questions, @Drag0oon is your man, as the photos are from him. I imagine, however, that the book doesn’t go too deep into this, as it’s a matter of national secrecy (it seems like that to me at least). The previous iteration of the book had also been co-signed by Frank Lobitz, who is the current Project Manager of the Leopard 2 for the Bundeswehr, meaning he has access to all this information. Wolfgang Schneider, on the other hand, served in the Bundeswehr for 41 years between 1969 and 2010, leaving with a rank of Oberst/Colonel. This current version of the book has Lobitz crossed out or removed, so I reckon he may have asked Schneider to become the only signatory because of information like that about the acquisition of a T-80U.
again read what i wrote 1985 east germany was under russian goverment and allied to belarus pretty much. 1990 was the unification where germany stopped being allied to russia
1990 comes after 1985 do you not understand that?
As a result we can discern that germany wouldnt have needed to do some spy work, but that it rather was a trade /exchange between allied nations