NORINCO Type 80/Type 8 5/Type 90 The Type 80 MBT is a further development of the Type 69-11 design but with a 105 mm rifled main gun armament and matching NORINCO ISFCS-212 computerised fire control system. Rounds types carried include HEAT-T, HESH, APFSDS-T and HE ammunition types. A NBC protection system is fitted, In the late eighties the Type 85 MBT is believed to have entered low rate production. This is based on the Type 80 chassis but with the first Chinese all welded turret instead of the normal cast steel type. In 1991 the Type 90-11 tank prototype was revealed. This in effect is the first
new generation Chinese tank not drawing on the Type 59 design. It is armed with a Chinese version of the Russian 125 mm smoothbore gun design and autoloader assembly. The variants identified to-date include the following: Type 80-1 - first production model. Type 80-II - as Type 80-1 but with new transmission, internal communications fit and a collective type instead of individual NBC defence system. Type 85-11 - essentially a Type 80-11 but with new welded turret, 46 main gun rounds and different communications fit. Additional composite armour packages
PRO can be fitted to the hull and turret systems. Type 85-IIA - as for Type 80-11 but with only 44 rounds main gun ammunition and slightly different internal arrangement of turret systems. Co-produced in Pakistan as Type 85-IIAP Type 85IIM - Entered production in!992, Weighs 41 000 kg and is armed with a Chinese 125 mm rifled gun-4 rounds. Type 85-111 - Revealed in 1995, weighs 41,700 kg and is armed with a 125 mm smooth bore gun-42 rounds. Type 90-11 - new generation tank, at prototype stage, with 125 mm gun, replaceable composite armour packages and fully computerised fire control system,
