There is a lot of speculation about companies and factories.
While my knowledge about T-80 and T-72 is not extensive, I'd like to point out that manufacturing in the USSR was based on industrial complexes. Exempli gratia, there could be a huge industrial complex, with one section of the complex manufacturing fighter planes and another section right next to it manufacturing washing machines.
Tanks were manufactured at St. Petersburg/Leningrad as well as Nizhny Tagil at complexes that not only made tanks, but also railway vehicles and other mechanical equipment which may or may not be at all related to military use.
Therefore, if one industrial complex closes down due to economic downturn, or is purchased by some company, this does not necessarily imply that any particular tank that was being researched there is closed down forever. One fact to cite would be the Ilyushin-76 family of planes are also made by Beriev under the Beriev nomenclature, simply because the design and manufacturing was relocated there. Another fact to cite here would be the MiG-29 and Sukhoi-30 fighter planes. All the aerodynamic research, design of the wings, airframe and fuselage, wind-tunnel tests were done by TsAGI, the design perfected and handed down to MiG and Sukhoi bureaux. The former built a smaller plane while the latter a larger.
Therefore, the current status of UralVagonZavod, whatever be it, does not imply that the erstwhile production from this plant will not be relocated elsewhere. We all know that Mil helicopters are built in Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. Yet, many Mil helicopters are also built at Ulan Ude Aviation Plant. Similarly, any lorry sporting the UralAZ or Ural insignia would indicate that it was built in UralAZ factory in Miass right? Nope. It could have also been built in Haldia, West Bengal, India.
Hence fellers, take it easy with all the speculation.
A.V., if you come across this post, kindly correct me if I am wrong anywhere.
