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TR-580 (580 kai-power) is a tank designed and manufactured in Romania during the Cold War. About 400 tanks were built for the Romanian Army, and 150 of them were exported. The TR- 580 tank was manufactured between 1979 and 1985, being the predecessor of the TR- 800 model.

Design

After the events known as "Spring in Prague," the Socialist Republic of Romania adopted a new national defence doctrine: "the defence of the country by the whole people." The new strategy requires a weapons industry of its own. In April 1968, a report on tank manufacturing in Romania was presented to the Defence Council of the country. On 13 October 1972, this report was approved. The programme of manufacturing a Romanian medium tank was started on 13 May 1974. The tank would weigh approximately 40 tonnes, a 100 mm caliber cannon and a 800-cai-power engine.

The tank was originally named TR- 77 (Romanian model 1977), and was designed between 1974 and 1980. A prototype and zero series (10 tanks) were made in this configuration to be equipped with a 800-cai- power engine, similar to that used by the German Leopard 1 tank. To be delivered on time, the tank was finally equipped with the V2 engine of the T- 55 tank, assimilated by the domestic industry. The final version was named TR-77-580 (Romanian model 1977 tank with 580 horsepower engine).

The TR- 580 tank was designed at the Marsha Mechanical Plant, by its own means, by the 111 Institute, with the help of the Tanks and Auto Directorate and more than 141 collaborative enterprises. Romania did not acquire the license for the T- 55 tank, with Romanian engineers having to use the documentation of operation, maintenance and repair of the T- 55 tanks already in the army's endowment to make the Romanian tank. The first prototype was manufactured in 1974 at the Mizil Mechanical Plant. In October 1976, the tank was tested for 6 months. In mid-1977, production was fully transferred to the Mirsa Mechanical Plant. A year later, the factory was moved to the 23 August Plant in Bucharest, where the Heavy Machine Factory was founded. TR- 580 was to be equipped with a Swedish fire management system, manufactured under license. For lack of funds, the Swedish system was no longer acquired and a Romanian system was developed. TR- 580 wanted to be a small tank, so that specialists and the local arms industry could gain experience in the manufacture of heavy-duty armoured vehicles.

Name

TR- 77 was the name used for export. Western countries used the name M77 or Model 1977 (abbreviated M1977). The tank is known in Romania as TR- 580 or TR- 77- 580.

Production

TR- 580 was the first tank manufactured in Romania. With no experience in the field, Romanian specialists visited a tank factory d