Why was 1985 chosen for GHPC?

1985 is a great year because it showcases all of the major armored vehicles of the Cold War. Not so late that the Cold War was ending, but not so early that M1's/M2's/T-80's/BMP-2's hadn't been introduced.

But why '85? Was there more data available? Does a dev have a particular fondness for something introduced that year?

The Cold War had a remarkable 'close call' in 1983 with Able Archer 83 (Wikipedia), when a NATO exercise was perceived by the PACT as a masked first-strike. Wouldn't be the first occasion for sure a ruse. This hypothetical spark could have been a part of a campaign if it was set in '83.

Does anyone know? I've been wondering since my first SABOT round.