Type 85 Main Battle Tank
The Type 85 tank is a modifications of the Type 80, which was in turn based on the Soviet T-54, with an improved turret, changed from a cast design to a welded design. It was formally revealed by NORINCO in 1989. Firing trials were conducted sometime in mid-1989 according to Jane's Armour and Artillery 1994-95.
The Type 85-II and Type 85-IIA were developed with a welded turret that could be fitted with additional armor protection. Exact differences between the Type 85 and Type 85-II are unknown. The Type 85-II is slightly heavier and shorter in length. Armament is the same as in the Type 80 except that the Type 85-II can carry 46 rounds of 105-mm ammunition, while the Type 85-IIA can carry 44 rounds.
The layout of the Type 85 is conventional, like other Chinese tanks, with the driver in the front, combat compartment in the center, and engine in the rear. The driver's seat is located on the left and is accessible through a hatch. There are two periscopes at the driver's station that allow a forward view, one of these periscopes may be replaced by a passive periscope when having to drive at night.
The commander's station is on the right side of the turret and is equipped with a cupola and a periscope that can be rotated 360 degrees.
The gunner's position is on the left side of the turret and has a single piece hatch that can allow a periscope or a snorkel to be installed for fording. The gunner's sight is located on the turret roof and is forward of the hatch.
The most advanced model, the Type 85-III or Type 85-IIM, incorporated features also found in the newer Type 90 tank, including a larger 120mm smooth bore main gun capable of firing APFSDS, HEAT, and HEAT-FRAG. The more recent BK-27 HEAT round offers a triple-shaped charge warhead and increased penetration against conventional armors and ERA. The BK-29 round, with a hard penetrator in the nose is designed for use against reactive armor, and as an MP round has fragmentation effects.
If the BK-29 HEAT-MP is used, it may substitute for Frag-HE (as with NATO countries) or complement Frag-HE. With three round natures (APFSDS-T, HEAT-MP, ATGMs) in the autoloader versus four, more antitank rounds would available for the higher rate of fire. A stabilized image intensification sights allows it to engage moving targets while in motion. A GEC-Marconi Centaur fire control system is available. British Barr and Stroud thermal based FCS could also be fitted. The Type 85-III used modular composite armor, and some reports suggest the incorporation of Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA).
The Military Balance did not identify a Type 85 MBT despite references to the tank by the Taiwanese government and Jane's, so it was difficult to attest the number of deployed Type 85s. The January-May 2001 edition of Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment: China and Northeast Asia stated that had 450 Type 85s in service. Later reports also suggested that the Type 85-II had not entered production because of a lack of PLA interest or foreign orders.
This lack of interest led to the development of the Type 85-IIM, a combination of the Type 80-II chassis and a modified Type 85-II turret with 125mm smooth bore gun. The autoloader for the main gun reduced the crew to 3, from 4 in the Type 85-II. Pakistan aquired a number of Type 85-IIM tanks, with minor specific modifications, referred to as Type 85-IIAP. These vehicles were also reportedly assembled in Pakistan combining Type 85-IIM turrets with Pakistani Type 59 and Type 69-II chassis.
A variant, the Type 85-III with an upgraded 1,000 hp diesel engine was introduced in 1995. Though primarily designed for export, the Type 85-III was further developed following design finalization in 1997 into the Type 96 series. This tank was also sometimes referred to as Type 88C
