Type 80-II

The Type 80-II is a tier 4 Main Battle Tank originating from China, and is sold by Zhang Feng. It can be unlocked from the Type 79, and leads to the Type 85-IIM.

Features

 * Heavy armor: this vehicle's armor bounces more shots and takes more hits.
 * HESH: can even penetrate armor with large hit angles.

Player Recommendations
The Type 80-II is very much a jack of all trades vehicle, being average in many categories and only superior in a few. With one of the best accuracy values at its tier and a turret that when upgraded allows for hull down gameplay, this vehicle is best played as a mobile armored sniper, possibly being used to flank slower and less accurate MBTs or apply its firepower at a distance other MBTs cannot sustain accuracy from.

Pros

 * Excellent accuracy
 * Excellent view range for an MBT
 * Relatively mobile
 * Slat armor

Cons

 * Below average alpha
 * Weak hull armor
 * Mediocre stock acceleration

Upgrade Suggestions
Upgrading to the 12150ZL Diesel Engine will largely improve both acceleration and top speed, increasing flanking ability. Purchasing the Appliqué armor allows the turret to withstand much more punishment, and firepower upgrades will allow the vehicle to punch well above its stock weight.

Retrofit Suggestions

 * Augmented Optics
 * Improved Gun Breech
 * Improved Pioneer Tool Kit
 * Improved Spall Liner
 * Improved Filter Systems

Commander and Crew Skill Suggestions

 * Commander: Philipp Holzklau, for improved crew stats, larger view range, and improved camo factor
 * Driver: Smooth Ride, Off-Road Driving
 * Gunner: Sharpshooter, Do the Twist
 * Loader: Rapid Fire, Explosive Shells/Preparation

History
Class: Main Battle Tank Developed: 1981-1987 Service: 1988-1995 Vehicles Built: cca 500-700 Operators: China, Sudan (allegedly) The Type 80-II Main Battle Tank is an advanced of the first indigenous Chinese MBT, the Type 80. In the early 1980s, it became more and more obvious to the commanders of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army that the tanks they had on hand became obsolete. The models in active service were all basically just heavily upgraded Type 59s and despite numerous attempts to improve them further, the upgrade potential of the platform was limited. Starting from the early 1980s, China sold a number of Type 69 MBTs to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. These didn’t perform well even against such a disorganized opponent as Iran was and Type 69’s performance came as an unpleasant surprise to the Chinese. They did have access to the T-62 technology, but by then, the T-62 was old news. Furthermore, back then, the Chinese couldn’t get their hands on more advanced Soviet equipment directly, but their involvement in the Iran-Iraq side gave them some opportunity to study the T-72. Despite these obstacles, the Chinese managed to study enough foreign design elements to come up with a new program to build a second generation Main Battle Tank in 1978 with the intention of replacing the aging Type 59-based fleet of domestic tanks. In 1981, this program received the designation of WZ-122 with NORINCO being the primary developer. As usual with the Chinese tanks, it is difficult to find any information on the development of the tank and much of what is available are western speculations. We do know, however, that it ran from 1981 to 1987. The resulting vehicle was deemed superior to any Type 59 variant and was officially accepted in service under the designation of Type 80 on February 4 1988. The original Type 80 was a classic design, resembling the Soviet vehicles with its round, cast turret. It had a crew of four and was actually really light, as it weighed only 38 tons. What makes it instantly recognizable and distinctive from the earlier Type 59 variants is the new suspension, using dual, rubber-banded roadwheels with torsion bars. The tank still had steel armor only. Overall, the protection level of the vehicle was inferior to the one of T-72, despite both being second generation MBTs. It was powered by a 730hp diesel and armed with the manually loaded 105mm Type 83 gun (a copy of the NATO L7). The Type 80 MBT was never really used in mass service but it was upgraded over the years that followed. The first upgrade called Type 80-I featured a new FCS co-developed by Marconi. The second variant called Type 80-II featured multiple other upgrades such as a 790hp engine, improved gun optics, smoke generator, NBC equipment and more. Domestically, the Type 80-II was accepted in Chinese service as the Type 88 Main Battle Tank and saw limited production with perhaps around 500 built (and all stationed around the Beijing region) between 1989 and 1995. The Type 80-II MBT was also allegedly exported in limited numbers to Sudan. This export batch is however unclear, other sources claim it did not happen at all.