History[]
The PTZ-89 is a Chinese tank destroyer that entered service in 1988. Armed with an 120 millimeter smoothbore gun, it was intended to combat newer generations of Western and Russian main battle tanks that were equipped with composite armor and 120 and 125 millimeter caliber guns. Despite a successful development process, with the end of the Cold War it became apparent that the weapon was no longer needed. Production was halted with around 100 examples built.
The Type 89 entered service with the Chinese Army in late 1980s. Only a small number of these vehicles was delivered. It is estimated that over 100 of these tank destroyers were built before production ceased in the mid 1990s. It was a successful design, however the end of Cold War demanded new generation of lighter, smarter and more mobile weapon systems.
In-game[]
The PTZ-89 is a underused vehicle and is rarely seen in battle. This is due to the PTZ-89 not leading to anything and that most players grind to the Type 99. The PTZ-89 is a low profile tank with a good mobility. Using the low profile and high speed. However, a biggest con is the low armor, the quite poor damage which does not make up the poor survivability despite mounting a 120mm gun. The armor level of 38 is easy to penetrate with HEAT and APDS. The armor won't repel shots frequently as well either.
Pros and Cons:[]
Pros:[]
- Good mobility
- Good gun
- Low profile
- Access to smoke grenades
Cons:[]
- Paper for armor, only one tier of spaced armor, easily damaged by high explosive
- Underwhelming damage.