Russia deploys first upgraded TOS-1A Solntsepyok thermobaric launcher on T-80 tank chassis in Ukraine.

On July 11, 2025, footage shared by Frontline_PVT confirmed for the first time the combat deployment of the TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system mounted on a T-80 tank chassis. Although reports of this configuration dated back to August 2024, no battlefield imagery had surfaced until this date, when video evidence showed the platform moving into position and launching a thermobaric salvo. As reported by Will Knowler, it confirms that Omsktransmash is producing TOS vehicles on both T-72 and T-80 chassis concurrently.
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The T-80 provides 1,250 horsepower via the GTD-1250 engine and achieves a reverse speed of 11 km/h, an improvement over the T-72 chassis that offered 840 horsepower and 4 km/h in reverse. (Picture source: Telegram/Frontline_PVT)

The Russian Ministry of Defense apparently acknowledged the system’s operational use on the Krasnoarmiisk axis by units of the “Center” grouping but did not specify the details of the modification. The observed variant includes passive anti-drone defenses such as lattice screens and active electronic warfare equipment, along with Relikt explosive reactive armor installed on the chassis. During operation, soldiers armed with shotguns were tasked with engaging hostile drones in the immediate vicinity, a method previously tested in combat zones.

The deployment of this upgraded TOS-1A follows a government contract signed at the Army-2024 military forum, which confirmed the decision to mount the TOS-1A launcher on the T-80 chassis. The contract was awarded by Colonel-General Anatoliy Gulyayev of the Russian General Armament Directorate to Deputy Director General Dmitry Semizorov of Uralvagonzavod. The variant shown in the video uses the same Object 634B launcher as the original TOS-1A, now mounted on a gas turbine–powered hull. As noted by T-90K, the T-80 provides 1,250 horsepower via the GTD-1250 engine and achieves a reverse speed of 11 km/h, an improvement over the T-72 chassis that offered 840 horsepower and 4 km/h in reverse. These mobility characteristics enhance the ability to relocate quickly after firing, particularly in environments where counter-battery threats or drone attacks are frequent. The T-80’s modular powerpack also allows for faster field replacement compared to the T-72's more conventional diesel engine and gearbox layout.

Efforts to mount the TOS heavy flamethrower system on the T-80 chassis trace back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, during a period when the Omsk-based KBTM design bureau sought to preserve the relevance of the T-80U platform following the decline of its production. The idea emerged amid the ongoing modernization of the TOS-1 system, initially mounted on the T-72A chassis and designated Object 634. Omsk engineers proposed a variant using the T-80U hull, exploiting its superior mobility and gas turbine engine to improve the system’s responsiveness and survivability. The proposed T-80-based version, never officially adopted, incorporated a 24-tube launcher, and initial plans called for adding a 30 mm automatic cannon and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. Developers also sought to extend the range and lethality of the system by increasing the warhead fill of 220 mm rockets from 73 kg to 90 kg and boosting maximum range from 3 km to up to 7 km.

Although such a prototype was tested, technical difficulties quickly emerged. The T-80U’s suspension system was not optimized for the additional forward weight of a fully loaded launcher, causing overloading of the front road wheels and hydropneumatic absorbers. Attempts to shift the launcher’s center of mass forward for better stability led to balance issues, and engine performance degraded significantly due to rocket exhaust gases being ingested into the turbine during firing, causing a pump stall. Space limitations also prevented effective integration of secondary armament. Additional attempts to expand firepower by introducing 122 mm rockets in a new 80-tube launcher variant on the T-80 chassis were also tested but not pursued beyond the prototype phase.

The historical reluctance of the Russian Ministry of Defense to adopt a TOS system on the T-80 platform also came from the fact that the T-80 tanks began to fall out of favor within the Russian Armed Forces following their performance during the First Chechen War in the mid-1990s, particularly during the urban combat operations in Grozny. Combat losses revealed critical vulnerabilities, including the high likelihood of catastrophic ammunition detonation following penetrations, a flaw shared with other Soviet-era tanks but made more pronounced by the T-80’s gas turbine engine and internal layout. These operational shortcomings, combined with its higher fuel consumption and logistical demands compared to diesel-powered T-72 and T-90 platforms, led to a strategic decision to halt further procurement.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Russian engineers proposed a TOS variant using the T-80U hull, exploiting its superior mobility and gas turbine engine to improve the system’s responsiveness and survivability. (Picture source: X/T-90K)

By the early 2000s, the Ministry of Defense had largely withdrawn support for T-80U production, and the tank was excluded from deployments in subsequent conflicts such as the Second Chechen War. Consequently, the T-80 was viewed as a less practical foundation for future combat vehicle adaptations, and the Russian Ministry of Defense chose to produce the TOS-1A on the T-72A chassis, which was considered structurally more rigid and capable of absorbing recoil and weight. The production version, accepted into service in 2003, designated TOS-1A or Object 634B, retained 24 tubes and a T-72-based hull.

The TOS-1A is a short-range multiple rocket launcher designed to fire 220 mm thermobaric rockets. It consists of the BM-1 launcher vehicle and the TZM-T resupply vehicle, both originally mounted on T-72 chassis. The system’s first combat use occurred unofficially in Afghanistan in 1988–1989, followed by operations during the Second Chechen War and later in Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. The TOS is operated by Russia’s NBC Protection Troops (RKhBZ), not artillery units. According to reports, battalions typically field nine launchers, and companies operate three. The minimum firing range is 400 meters, and with MO.1.01.04M rockets, the system reaches up to 6 km. Newer M2 rockets reportedly extend the range to 10 km, with heavier payloads. The thermobaric warheads are designed to incapacitate personnel in fortifications and open terrain through heat, pressure, and blast effects. Ukraine has captured several systems, with at least one deployed by the 67th Mechanized Brigade.

The Russian Army has continued to modernize TOS systems. The TOS-2 “Tosochka” was introduced with a 15 km range and placed on a Ural-63706 wheeled chassis. It includes an automated loading crane and an improved fire control system. A further development, the TOS-3 “Drakon,” was presented in 2024 and features a new launcher with 15 tubes, electronic warfare defenses, and cage armor. It is believed to use TBS-M3 rockets capable of reaching 15 to 20 km. The Drakon launcher’s reduced mass and more powerful munitions are designed to increase the area of effect without needing 30 tubes. Some reports claim that 18 TBS-M3 rockets from the TOS-3 can match or exceed the destructive footprint of older 24-rocket TOS-1A salvos. The current T-80-based TOS-1A has not been assigned a new designation and remains identified as Object 634B, using the same launcher architecture.

After a period of reduced interest in gas turbine–powered tanks, the Ministry of Defense shifted its focus back to the T-80 platform, driven partly by the lack of T-72 hull production at Omsk and a desire to consolidate manufacturing lines. This change aligns with the continued procurement of T-80BVM tanks, which are produced at the same facility. The T-80 offers advantages in battlefield mobility, smoother ride due to hydropneumatic suspension, and higher power-to-weight ratios. However, it also requires more intensive maintenance, consumes more fuel, and operates less efficiently in environments with high dust or poor logistics. These trade-offs were acceptable given the benefits of modularity and the platform’s ability to integrate electronic countermeasures and passive armor enhancements more easily than legacy chassis. The Relikt reactive armor and anti-drone lattice screens are now reportedly installed at the factory level rather than improvised at the front.

According to open-source intelligence data compiled by several analysts, Russia had lost at least 31 TOS-1A systems in the conflict with Ukraine as of March 2025, including both destroyed and captured units. Some were captured intact, and a number have been reused by Ukrainian forces. Prior to the war, the Russian Armed Forces fielded approximately 40 to 45 TOS-1A launchers, with additional systems held in reserve or undergoing modernization. The shift to T-80 hulls suggests both a response to combat attrition and a broader adaptation to production constraints and battlefield requirements. It also reflects a return to earlier concepts that had been previously shelved due to cost or performance issues. The TOS-1A remains a specialized system for close-range destruction of fortified positions, and its adaptation to the T-80 platform reflects evolving operational demands rather than the introduction of a new family of vehicles.