This is the Chinese equivalent of the Soviet-designed ZSU-57-2 twin 57 mm SPAAG based on a modified T-54 tank chassis. The Type 80 is a modified Type 69-II MBT chassis fitted with an open-topped turret armed with twin 57 mm cannon for which a total of 300 rounds of ammunition is carried.

The Type 80 twin-57mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery (SPAAA) was developed in the 1980s for the export market, and the weapon did not enter the PLA service. The Type 80 is generally similar to the Soviet ZSU-57-2, which were developed from the S-60 towed single-barrel 57mm AAA gun. The Chinese copy of the S-60 is designated Type 59, though the PRC never imported any ZSU-57-2 directly from the Soviet Union.

The PRC was approached by Iraq in the early 1980s to develop a copy of the ZSU-57-2 system, and few examples were delivered to the PRC for reverse-engineering. This later led to the introduction of the Type 80, which is essentially a twin-barrel Type 59 AAA gun mounted on a Type 69-II tank chassis. The SPAAA has no fire-control system and can only be used in clear weather. The weapon system saw some limited service with the Iraqi Army during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the 1990s Gulf War.

The main armament is a twin-barrel, recoil-operated, air-cooled 57mm cannon mounted on a large open-topped, box type turret. The gun is operated manually by a crew of six men, with a sustained rate of fire of 50~60 rounds/min per barrel. The rounds are fed to the cannon in ammunition clips, each holding 5 rounds. No fire-control is provided and the weapon can only be used in clear weather.