War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

BMP-1

2024-04-19T05:51:58Z

U103691029: add manual reloading rate

{{About
| about = Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = BMP-1 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_bmp_1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_BMP-1P.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Object 764) and its upgraded variant, the '''BMP-1P''' (Object 765Sp4), were the first IFV to be mass-produced and the first major modernization of this type of vehicle respectively. They were designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s to give mechanized infantry better mobility, firepower, and protection on the battlefield. The BMP-1 was widely exported and participated in various conflicts around the world, such as the Arab-Israeli wars, the Iran-Iraq war, the Afghan war, and the Chechen wars. The BMP-1P was introduced in the late 1970s and featured enhanced anti-tank capabilities, smoke grenade launchers and additional armour. The BMP-1P was also extensively used by Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces, as well as by some of their allies and adversaries.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]]. The {{PAGENAME}} is more of a shoot-and-scoot type of vehicle as an exposed BMP is a dead BMP, so it avoids being a target at all costs. It can also use its mobility to find reasonable sniping spots (for ATGM) and generally only use the cannon if an enemy is close and unaware of its presence unless it's in arcade mode, where it can land artillery-like shots easily. With the BMP-1 being one of the more affected vehicles after getting a vehicle modification (BMP-1P) it comes with a trade-off: While the BMP-1 has a manual guided missile using WASD, it does come with a 6-second autoloader for its cannon which isn't affected by crew skill/damage/losses, while the BMP-1P comes with a far more sophisticated mouse-guided missile and smoke grenades, but loses its autoloading capability, leading to a potentially slower reload of the cannon, next to reload speed loss on crew skill/damage/losses.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The {{PAGENAME}} has very little to speak of in the conventional armour department. Minimal frontal and nearly non-existent side armour results in the vehicle being vulnerable to almost any incoming fire under many angles. Sides, particularly the left one, are poorly defended and can be penetrated by 12.7 mm or bigger MG, the flatter the angle of attack, the faster will the BMP-1 give in and explode. Front is also weak enough to be penetrated by HMG, but it is very angled and can only be shot through by a tall tank from the top. 14.5 mm will occasionally bounce off, but if its user will actually go to MG sniper mode and fire straight at the tanks weakspots, it will not sustain.

As such, the vehicle's survivability stems from its internal modules, mobility and short profile. Despite the lack of armour, the engine compartment on the right side might block a lot of shots (even ATGM might not break through it sometimes) and it is reasonably difficult to hit closer to the turret, where the shot usually proves fatal.

Where possible, BMP should utilise hills or other cover, only exposing as much of the vehicle as is necessary to engage an unaware target. Ideally, only the small turret must be exposed, which makes attacking BMP back even more difficult or at least user should only demonstrate its right side.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 7-12 mm (80°) ''Front glacis'' 19 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 16 mm (3-18°) ''Top'' 18 + 4 mm ''Bottom'' || 16 mm (12°) ''Top'' 12 mm (48°) ''Bottom'' 12 mm (8-51°) ''Doors'' || 6 mm 5 mm ''Engine exhausts''
|-
| Turret || 23 mm (0-53°) ''Turret front'' 33 + 26 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 13-23 mm (24-37°) || 13 mm (23-26°) || 6 mm
|-
| Cupola || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}

The {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility in RB is reasonably good, although somewhat lacking relative to other IFVs. Despite that, once it gets moving it can travel at a decent pace.

In AB, BMP-1 are very fast, if not the fastest, due to being able to accelerate to average speed of 55-60 km/h offroad very quickly and reaching maximum speed if they do not have to climb, so a determined BMP user can drive straight to a point and expect to meet nobody else, but other fast tanks, like wheeled light tanks or some medium tanks of rank VI (which also have poor armour and generally will not dare to do that).

In RB, be aware when attempting flanking manoeuvres and early pushes, as there are vehicles with better mobility characteristics, and in many cases you'll encounter a vehicle before reaching a desirable position.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|2A28 (73 mm)}}

The 2A28 main cannon, despite being the 'main' armament will more often than not act more as secondary armament, at least once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, due to the 9M113 ATGM proving significantly more controllable and effective at all engagement ranges.

Despite this, the PG-9 HEAT round proves valuable in a pinch, with well-placed shots able to disable critical components on most vehicles the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Keep in mind that the {{PAGENAME}} does not feature any sort of stabilisation at all, and due to its chassis the gun is near impossible to get on target when braking or going cross-country at full speed.

The main cannon's primary drawback is its mediocre ballistic performance, with the HEAT round travelling at only 665 m/s and the HE round travelling at a 290 m/s. The projectiles, however, do not have shell falloff until 3km away and can be aimed using gun scope adjustment. BMP-1 does not have a rangefinder, so it is only reasonable to use HE shell in AB, and the HEAT will be difficult to aim past 900 m in RB. As such, the projectile drop is not the worst in-game.

HE shell is near useless at the BR range, and is extremely difficult to aim in RB. It still does have one very specific use - to attack open topped ATGM tanks without going at them, so at least two can be taken in AB just in case.

At least some care should be taken when firing the HEAT round as it has relatively poor slope characteristics, with the penetration dropping to just 150 mm if it hits an armour plate with more than 60 degrees of slope, which is not a problem at long range, but can become an issue when facing top superheavy tanks head-on, and you happened to run out of ATGM.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A28 (73 mm)|73 mm 2A28]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
!Stock
!Full
!Expert
!Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
| rowspan="2" |6.50
| rowspan="2" |5.75
| rowspan="2" |5.30
| rowspan="2" |5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

'''''The BMP-1 will be manual loading after modify "BMP-1P"'''''.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:2A28 (73 mm)/Ammunition|PG-9, OG-9}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}

The single ammunition rack consists of a shell barillet located around the turret basket.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|9M14|9M113 Konkurs}}

The BMP-1 can use two different ATGMs which are mounted differently and have entirely different playstyles tied to them. Either missile reloads 8 seconds which is one of the fastest (beats most ATGM tanks by at least 2 seconds, other IFV by at least 4), if not the fastest, ATGM reload. Both missiles have poor turn rate at close range.

'''9M14'''
[[File:Unupgraded bmp1 kills it1 camp squad.jpg|thumb|right|An extreme example of 9M14 use in AB against technically superior ATGM tank. May or may not work in RB.]]
The {{PAGENAME}} comes with a rail-mounted manually-guided ATGM as stock. This must be guided using the keyboard, disabling tank movement, and has somewhat mediocre penetration and explosive mass values. While occasionally useful, generally the main gun is easier and more reliable to use. It also has very low starting speed of about 70 m/s.

The 9M14 Malyutka ATGM steers very controllably. When fired, the 9M14 drops just slightly above your aim reticle and is not usable in the first 5 metres. After surpassing 5 metres, the ATGM will fly in a straight line without any oscillation or deviation. When using the hand aiming guidance of the ATGM, it is very accurate and flies with minimal error compared to the SACLOS (aim reticle guided) 9M113 Konkurs, that tends to be unpredictable and quite unstable in-flight. You can easily swap from target-to-target with the hand aiming guidance, as it remains steady and doesn't oscillate. If a target is too close to you, aim slightly below the point you wish to hit. The ATGM will align itself slightly above the aim reticle almost right away, allowing you to hit or eliminate the target at closer range.

In AB, the missile can be directed with the mouse and will not disable the tank's movement. It also can be semi-reliably launched over cover, since it is launched upwards. By pointing a targeting reticle at a tank 200 m away behind a wall or a hill before launch, you are likely to hit them directly, however, sometimes it flinches.

4 x 9M14 ATGM

* Guidance type: MCLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

'''9M113'''

Once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, the rail-mounted 9M14 ATGM is replaced with a spindle-mounted 9M113 ATGM. This ATGM is significantly more powerful and can be easier to use due to its semi-automatic guiding system.

The 9M113 Konkurs ATGM steers rather unpredictably. When fired, the 9M113 drops below your aim reticle in the first 15 metres (due to being at low speed right after launch). After surpassing 15 metres, the ATGM will have accelerated enough to fly up and stabilize itself with your aim reticle. Due to this launch drop, it is suggested to aim slightly up when firing the ATGM: this will avoid having your ATGM hit the ground or any fences as sometimes that tends to happen. When the ATGM is flying, steer it gently and carefully. Instantly snapping to another target can cause it to oscillate from side-to-side and hit something on the way or miss the target entirely.

Improved penetration values and significantly increased explosive mass will also result in far more reliable destructive power. Keep in mind that the ATGM still can only be fired when stopped or at extremely low speeds. Be aware that the new missile launcher is put above the top of a turret and can be a liability, since it is very visible even when the tank hides behind a wall and is a valid target for hostiles. A single ATGM hit to the launcher will obliterate the BMP, and so will HE.

4 x 9M113 ATGM (BMP-1P)

* Guidance type: SACLOS
* Firing range: 3 km

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[9M14|9M14 ATGM]] / [[9M113 Konkurs|9M113 ATGM]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 4 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | -15°/+37° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 8.58 || rowspan="2" | 7.59 || rowspan="2" | 7.00 || rowspan="2" | 6.60
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 ||17.00 ||18.80 ||20.00
|-
|}

Note: The vertical and horizontal traverse depend on the turret position and are only relevant to the 9M113 ATGM.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:9M14/Ammunition|9M14}}
{{:9M113 Konkurs/Ammunition|9M113}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* The missiles are listed from M1 to M4 (see the picture above).
* Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
* It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} comes equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. This is only useful for clearing small obstacles or exposed crew in open-top vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (1,000) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The {{PAGENAME}}'s limitations as a light tank hinders its ability to directly fight enemy vehicles, it will not survive any punishment sent its way. It needs to play with cover and concealment frequently, as any vehicle with a heavy machine gun, be it ground or air, can quite easily shred the {{PAGENAME}} apart if a round hits the left side or roof armour. Considering one of the common enemy nation of the {{PAGENAME}} in RB is the USA, which has a habit of putting a heavy machine gun on any tank, means that the {{PAGENAME}} needs to be extremely careful and aware of their surroundings before moving up, lest it gets torn apart by a barrage of bullets. In AB, the biggest threat to it is its own brethren, as fighting other BMPs is very difficult and relies on difference in your skills a lot (or, at least, on ability to press "aim assist" and "fire" faster).

However, the {{PAGENAME}}'s traits in mobility and firepower makes the vehicle a good scout and ambush vehicle.

; Scouting

The {{PAGENAME}} in War Thunder can't serve as an IFV as it is in real life due to the lack of infantry, but it does have the ability to active scout. This role makes the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility an important factor of the vehicle's success, as getting to places that the enemy is not aware of to scout out can mean a lot to the team's successes. Even in the active scouting's cooldown period, do not be afraid to communicate to the team where the enemy is with the map and chat function.

In this role, the {{PAGENAME}} should avoid contact with the enemy. Utilise useful camouflage and whatever cover is available to make sure the enemy cannot see the {{PAGENAME}} at a first glance (or without switching to any available special optics like thermals). One can also use the amphibious nature of the {{PAGENAME}} to get into areas through paths that the enemy would not expect. Although this role may mean the {{PAGENAME}} is not as active in destroying the enemy, it is an important role for the team overall that the scout continues to observe the enemy so that battlefield information is kept up to date.

The {{PAGENAME}} of course may be spotted during this endeavour, and so an exit strategy should be maintained. Should an enemy round start flying around the {{PAGENAME}}'s direction, or an enemy was observed trying to move onto the {{PAGENAME}}'s position, begin exfiltrating. Utilise smoke for concealment (default with the ESS, but smoke grenades are available with the BMP-1P modification upgrade) if needed.

; Ambushing

Though the {{PAGENAME}} is not good standing up against enemy tanks, the {{PAGENAME}} still has the necessary firepower to deal with most. The 73 mm has decent amount of penetration for a hit, but the low muzzle velocity is detrimental for long-range targets (although, it can be utilised for a parabolic firing arc against enemies beyond hills). The key weapon on the {{PAGENAME}} is the four ATGM mounted on the turret, with either the manual 9M14 or the semi-active 9M113 missile (the latter with the BMP-1P upgrade) as options. Although both have better penetration values than the 73 mm cannon, the 9M113 missile with the BMP-1P upgrade is a much better candidate for this role due to the increased missile velocity and lethality.

Moving around the flanks, the {{PAGENAME}} should try to find a nice, open field of fire against common enemy paths. Try to establish the {{PAGENAME}} around objectives so as teammates fire upon the enemy and force them to take cover, the {{PAGENAME}} can manoeuvre to an ideal angle and hit the enemy thinking they are in cover. The ideal manner of firing on the enemy is, if the target is less than 500 m, to engage first with the 73 mm cannon. If this does not destroy nor critically damage the enemy to disable their movement or firepower, then follow up with a missile into the hull. If the target is at farther ranges, engage first with the missile to ensure the first shot hits the target. Be wary of longer engagements as there are only 4 missiles onboard the {{PAGENAME}}, and more shots will mean the enemy have a better idea of the {{PAGENAME}}'s position.

If ambushing from the sides of an enemy's attack direction is not ideal to the map, a "shoot-and-scoot" tactic of hiding behind cover and exposing the {{PAGENAME}} only long enough to fire a missile or shot can be sufficient too in dealing with the enemy. However, beware of exposing the {{PAGENAME}} by manner of going over hills, as the turret's gun depression is only -4 degrees (-5 degree for the 9M113 missile launcher) and doing so will expose a large portion of the {{PAGENAME}}'s hull to the enemy.

Should the {{PAGENAME}}'s position become compromised, dump smoke and exfiltrate the area.

; Night-fighting

[[File:BMP-1 InfraredSpotlight.jpg|right|x250px|thumb|The BMP-1's with the fixed hull-mounted IR spotlight on in NVD mode. One can observe that the spotlight does not follow the turret.]]

Either of the role above can still be performed at night, but one must utilise the tools available in the {{PAGENAME}} to make the most of the environment.

The {{PAGENAME}} can research the Night Vision Device (NVD) modification, which can help during night battles to help with visibility. NVD is available in commander, gunner, driver and outside view ports. Utilising the NVD can brighten up a hazy horizon due to the night.

Another tool with the NVD modification is an infrared spotlight, which can help illuminate targets if they are hard to see even with the NVD. However, the spotlight is fixed to the hull and does not move with the gun, requiring alignment of the hull towards the target requiring illumination. The infrared spotlight, when on, also marks the {{PAGENAME}} with a giant light that any enemy with the same NVD can spot easily. As such, usage of the infrared spotlight should be minimised, with total reliance on the base NVD by itself or only periodically switching on the spotlight and quickly turning it off once a picture of the battlefield is obtained.

; Fighting people which are aware of BMP-1 position

There are two ways in which you can defeat opponents straight up charging at your position: by corner camping and by abusing scouting.

Corner camping is simple as long as you have both weapons loaded - you take such a position, that does not allow an enemy to fire at {{PAGENAME}} until you shot their front with a gun (which almost guarantees that their driver is gone and causes the tank to continue moving forward and also eventually stop) and "double tap" them for a good measure with an ATGM to the exposed side, destroying the rest of the crew. Usually, even if an enemy tank somehow survives, you can reload faster than their crew replaces the gunner or the driver. Do note, that camping behind destructible cover is a bad idea, since kinetic shells can penetrate them, and your chemical shells cannot.

Against other missile tanks this tactic is a double edged sword. Make sure to hide ATGM launcher from missile tanks, as otherwise they might just fire at it and destroy you. If you see a vertical ATGM tank charging directly at you, that generally means its user knows how to fire over obstacles and the tactic will not work if you don't have a tall wall. Even if you do have a tall wall, some double launcher ATGMs can go as far as straight up demolishing the building you are hiding behind just to get to you.

Using scouting is more difficult and is more fit for the arcade mode - use scouting on enemy tank and fire smoke screens to break direct vision, aim assist and marking, then roll out and fire ATGM in direction the enemy tank is supposed to be in. This is unlikely to work against other light tanks, because they might just spam scouting at everything they see, including you, naturally countering the tactic.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fairly mobile and thus very good at flanking
* Both weapon systems are particularly effective against lightly armoured vehicles, like the [[Leopard I]], [[OF-40]], etc.
* Has a below 4-second reload if it chain fires both weapons
* One of the earliest ATGM vehicles available and the earliest to receive mouse-guided (SACLOS) ATGMs (with the BMP-1P modification)
* Decent 73 mm HEAT penetrating up to 300 mm of armour, effective against last-gen heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]], [[M103]], etc.
* Amphibious ability allows it to reach positions that other vehicles struggle to
* Functional even in uptiers, due to its piercing ATGM and HEAT
* Night Vision allows effectiveness in night battles
* Unless it is hit straight in the turret compartment there is always a chance that it somehow survives

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reverse speed for a light tank, limiting its tactical agility
* Default missiles are manually guided in RB, can be challenging to use
* Poor survivability due to thin armour, minimal crew number and large size
* You can't use the smoke grenades together with the original missiles
* Only has chemical ammunition, struggles to damage vehicles with ERA like [[M60A1 RISE (P)]] or [[Centurion Mk.5 AVRE]], can't fire through light obstacles like fences or bushes, buildings
* Minimal -4° gun depression makes it struggle in hills
* Has no stabiliser, a disadvantage against stabilised/stationary tanks like [[FV4202]]
* Infrared Spotlight mounted to hull, won't rotate with turret when NVD is on
* Can carry only 4 ATGMs

== History ==


'''Development'''

In the 1950s, Soviet armoured personnel carrier (APC) tactics consisted of lightly armoured vehicles that would transport soldiers to combat zones, and then head back behind the lines to safety. During this time, the West German Bundeswehr was using the Schützenpanzer Lang and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) tactics, where the vehicles would work with the infantry and tanks in order to support them, especially against lightly armoured targets. The BMP was a Soviet IFV design created in the late 1950's. Some of the requirements were the ability for all of the infantry carried to be able to fire from within the vehicle, which was unseen before in IFV designs. It was intended to support the infantry and combat enemy light vehicles. The design placed emphasis on speed and manoeuvrability, potent armament, and sufficient armament to protect against 23 mm autocannons over the frontal arc. There was a debate over how the vehicle should be wheeled or tracked, and a number of options were explored including hybrid designs with both. The design that was chosen was a tracked vehicle with the engine in the front and the crew compartment in the rear; it was designated the Object 764. A prototype was created in 1964, and the final design was chosen in 1965 - an improved model called the Object 765. In service the production model was called the BMP-1.

'''Design'''

The BMP-1 features a fully tracked hull, with a sharply angled glacis at the front, a centrally mounted turret, and a crew compartment in the rear of the hull, with doors for the infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle. The hull layout is as follows: the engine was in the front right section of the hull. The driver sat to the front left of the vehicle, the commander sat right behind the driver, and the gunner sat in the right side of the turret. The troop compartment located at the rear of the vehicle could seat 8 infantry soldiers. The ability to fire from inside the vehicle was provided by four firing ports on each side of the hull and one in the left door. There are also four hatches in the roof. The infantry sit on two benches with padding, back to back, facing the outer sides of the vehicle. The armour of the frontal arc is enough to generally protect against 20 mm autocannon fire, the side armour generally protects against 12.7 mm machine gun fire, and the roof and rear armour protects against small arms fire and shell fragments. In addition, the sloped glacis on the front of the hull also increased the chances of shells bouncing, because of the extreme angles. The protection level depended somewhat on the version of the BMP-1 in question, as different nations had differing levels of armour quality. The main armament consisted of a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore semi-automatic cannon, along with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The engine provides 300 hp, and is a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. The suspension system used was a torsion bar suspension system. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious with little preparation. Before entering the water a trim vane has to be raised, which provides additional frontal armour when in the lowered position. It can achieve 65 km/h (40 mph) on road and 8 km/h (5 mph) in water.

'''Production and Service'''

Over 20,000 BMP-1's were produced in the Soviet Union alone, with many more produced in China and Czechoslovakia. The BMP-1 was widely exported and saw significant combat worldwide. BMP-1's participated in the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and many other conflicts. It was well liked for its manoeuvrability, but it was found that the cannon lacked effective range and the 9M14 ATGMs were hard to control. During the Gulf War it was found that the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon found on the M2/M3 Bradley could consistently penetrate the frontal armour of the BMP-1, even at range.

'''BMP-1P Upgrade'''

The BMP-1P was an upgrade to the ATGM systems of the BMP-1. It replaced the 9M14 Malyutka missiles with 9M113 Konkurs or 9M111 missile. This increased the weight of the vehicle, leading to a slight decrease in manoeuvrability.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_bmp_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SKeFUWKudoY|'''The Shooting Range #63''' - ''War Machines'' section at 04:49 discusses the BMP-1.|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:15 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Similar Soviet vehicle

* [[BMP-2]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4909-development-bmp-1-master-of-adaptation-en|[Devblog] BMP-1 - "Master of Adaptation"]]
* [[wikipedia:BMP-1|Wikipedia - BMP-1]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php Tanks Encyclopedia - Soviet BMP-1 IFV]

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{USSR light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

SPz BMP-1

2024-04-19T04:45:29Z

U103691029: add loading rate

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = BMP-1 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_bmp_1_ddr
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_SPz_BMP-1P.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

As part of the Cold War remilitarization, the growing East German National People's Army (NVA) began receiving BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) from both the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Throughout the Cold War, the NVA would receive a total of 1,133 BMP-1s for use in their motorized rifle regiments. Following the reunification of East and West Germany, the Bundeswehr integrated the BMP-1 into its ranks in 1991, upgrading and modifying them into the BMP-1A1 Ost variant to meet Bundeswehr standards. The BMP-1 was eventually retired from service by 1994 and either scrapped or sold to other countries.

The German version of the '''{{Specs|name}}''' (''Schützenpanzer, BMP-1'') was introduced into War Thunder in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]]. As an import, the {{Specs|name}} is similar to the Soviet Union's [[BMP-1|version]] with fast mobility, an assortment of dangerous armament, but paper-thin armour. The armament of a 73 mm HEAT warhead and a missile, either the MCLOS [[9M14]] or SACLOS [[9M113_Konkurs|9M113]], means the BMP-1 has more than enough firepower to take care of any enemy it encounters if it gets the first shot off. The BMP's mobility should allow it to get into places the enemy wouldn't expect it to be early in a match, and frequent repositioning is crucial as any incoming shots, even by autocannons and heavy machine guns, have the potential to penetrate the BMP-1's armour even from the front.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The SPz BMP-1 has very little to speak of in the armour department. Minimal frontal and nearly non-existent side armour results in the vehicle being vulnerable to almost any incoming fire. As such, the vehicle's survivability stems entirely from its mobility and reasonably small profile. Where possible, utilise hills or other cover, only exposing as much of the vehicle as is necessary to engage an unaware target.

Despite the lack of armour, however, the SPz BMP-1 will, on occasion, survive hits unexpectedly - the internals of the vehicle are largely non-critical and many rounds will over-penetrate.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 7-12 mm (80°) ''Front glacis'' 19 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 16 mm (3-18°) ''Top'' 18 + 4 mm ''Bottom'' || 16 mm (12°) ''Top'' 12 mm (48°) ''Bottom'' 12 mm (8-51°) ''Doors'' || 6 mm 5 mm ''Engine exhausts''
|-
| Turret || 23 mm (0-53°) ''Turret front'' 33 + 26 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 13-23 mm (24-37°) || 13 mm (23-26°) || 6 mm
|-
| Cupola || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm || 7 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|2A28 (73 mm)}}

The 2A28 main cannon, despite being the 'main' armament will more often than not act more as secondary armament, at least once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, due to the 9M113 ATGM proving significantly more controllable and effective at all engagement ranges. Despite this, the PG-9 HEAT round proves valuable in a pinch, with well-placed shots able to disable critical components on most vehicles the {{PAGENAME}} will face. Keep in mind that the {{PAGENAME}} does not feature any sort of stabilisation at all, and due to its light weight, the gun is near impossible to get on target at speed.

The main cannon's primary drawback is its mediocre ballistic performance, with the HEAT round travelling at only 665 m/s and the HE round travelling at an abysmal 290 m/s.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A28 (73 mm)|73 mm 2A28]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
!Reloading rate (seconds)|| colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+30° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65
| rowspan="2" |6.00|| rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}
'''''The SPz BMP-1 will be manual loading after modify "BMP-1P"'''''.

==== Ammunition ====
When stock, all available ammunition for the weapon are unlocked - HEAT and HE.

Between the two, HE should be avoided as it only has 11 mm of penetration and 290 m/sec muzzle velocity. While the HEAT round has only 670 m/sec velocity, with some training it can be shot at targets over 1 km reliably.

The HEAT round has 300 mm penetration and very good damage output, single-shot destruction can be achieved quite often when shooting center mass, although larger tanks might give you some headache as they sometimes survive multiple shots.

{{:2A28 (73 mm)/Ammunition|PG-9, OG-9}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''40''' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The single ammunition rack consists of a shell barillet located around the turret basket.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|9M14|9M113 Konkurs}}

'''9M14'''

The {{PAGENAME}} comes with a rail-mounted manually guided ATGM as stock, initially aimed manually and with somewhat mediocre penetration and explosive mass values. While occasionally useful, generally the main gun is easier and more reliable to use. These missiles are first-generation, which means they cannot be aimed with the mouse pointer and are instead aimed with the WASD keys. However, the "BMP-1P" modification, when unlocked, will give the vehicle access to four more lethal 9M113 Konkurs missiles.

The 9M14 Malyutka ATGM steers very controllably. When fired, the 9M14 drops just slightly above your aim reticle and is not usable in the first 5 metres. After surpassing 5 metres, the ATGM will fly in a straight line without any oscillation or deviation. When using the hand aiming guidance of the ATGM, it is very accurate and flies with minimal error compared to the SACLOS (aim reticle guided) 9M113 Konkurs, that tends to be unpredictable and quite unstable in-flight. You can easily swap from target-to-target with the hand aiming guidance, as it remains steady and doesn't oscillate. If a target is too close to you, aim slightly below the point you wish to hit. The ATGM will align itself slightly above the aim reticle almost right away, allowing you to hit or eliminate the target at closer range.

'''9M113'''

Once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, the rail-mounted 9M14 ATGM is replaced with a spindle-mounted 9M113 ATGM. This ATGM is significantly more powerful and easier to use due to its semi-automatic guiding system. Improved penetration values and significantly increased explosive mass will result in far more reliable destructive power. Keep in mind that the ATGM can only be fired when stopped or at extremely low speeds.

The 9M113 has 500 mm of penetration and do very good damage while having good speed. Only their manoeuvrability is a bit lacking, but you can quickly make a follow up shot with your cannon or use smoke if you want to retreat.

The 9M113 Konkurs ATGM steers rather unpredictably. When fired, the 9M113 drops below your aim reticle in the first 15 metres (due to being at low speed right after launch). After surpassing 15 metres, the ATGM will have accelerated enough to fly up and stabilize itself with your aim reticle. Due to this launch drop, it is suggested to aim slightly up when firing the ATGM: this will avoid having your ATGM hit the ground or any fences as sometimes that tends to happen. When the ATGM is flying, steer it gently and carefully. Instantly snapping to another target can cause it to oscillate from side-to-side and hit something on the way or miss the target entirely.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[9M14|9M14 ATGM]] / [[9M113 Konkurs|9M113 ATGM]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 4 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | -15°/+37° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.39 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 ||17.00 ||18.80 ||20.00
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The vertical and horizontal traverse depend on the turret position and are only relevant to the 9M113 ATGM.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:9M14/Ammunition|9M14}}
{{:9M113 Konkurs/Ammunition|9M113}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_BMP-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || 3 ''(+1)'' || 1 ''(+3)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* The missiles are listed from M1 to M4. M2 is the 1st rack. M3-M4 constitutes the 2nd rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} comes equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. This is only useful for clearing small obstacles or exposed crew in open-topped vehicles. The {{PAGENAME}} is only equipped with one PKT machine gun with an ammo reserve of 1,000 rounds.

It's not useful and cannot aim at air targets due to the coaxial mount. As such, it should only be used on vehicles with soft armour like trucks or at exposed crew members, or just annoy enemies with it. In RB and SB, it can be used to throw up dirt in front of an enemy vehicle in order to blind them temporary.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (1,000) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The BMP-1 is quite distinctive due to its oddly-shaped hull. The vehicle is crewed by only three (no commander), but is very spacious, so shots from the side occasionally cause minimal or even no damage. The BMP-1 is equipped with a short-barreled 73 mm gun (an odd calibre) firing exclusively anti-tank grenades. The projectile drop is extreme, albeit not the worst in-game, and it can be used to great effect against many of the vehicles the BMP will face due to the consistent 300 mm of penetration at range. The standard PG-9 ammunition has an explosive mass of about 1.25 kg. The trade-off, in this case, is the low velocity and relatively poor slope characteristics (the penetration drops in half if more than 60 degrees of slope). Finally, as standard, the BMP-1 is equipped with the 9M14 ATGM, capable of penetrating 400 mm and carrying an explosive mass of 2.6 kg. It is WASD guided, and therefore somewhat tricky to use at first (and ''especially'' difficult to use in high packet-loss or high ping matches). An optional modification for the BMP-1 allows it to use turret-mounted smoke grenades as well as a next-generation missile, the mouse-guided 9M113. Not only is the missile nearly twice as fast as the 9M14, but it carries a notably larger explosive payload, and can penetrate up to 600 mm at 90 degrees at any range.

The BMP-1 can also research NVD, which can help during night battles to help with visibility. NVD is available in commander, gunner, driver and outside viewports. Once purchased, the NVD modification also allows the use of a Infrared Spotlight to help illuminate targets if they are hard to see. However, it is mounted to the commander's hatch on the hull; while this allows it to rotate as long as the commander is alive, it will be stuck in place if the commander is knocked out.

Due to its nearly non-existent armour, the BMP-1 shouldn't be played like anything with actual armour. It is best used in a support or ambush role, using cover to ambush opponents, then taking them out with the combination of the autocannon and ATGM. The BMP-1 is quite effective when played this way. When in close-quarters combat, it is important to note that the missile launcher has slightly faster traverse than the turret. This can save it from being killed from the flanks. It can also be used to take out opponents from medium to long range with its missiles, although this strategy will prevent the BMP-1 from using its main gun. The small projectiles lose even more of their already small penetration at long ranges, but the missiles will not be affected by gravity or air resistance until very extreme ranges. Finally, the missiles and sometimes the autocannon can be used to take out slow air targets such as the helicopters that you will start to meet at these BR's.

=== Pros and cons ===


* Fairly mobile, both weapon systems are particularly effective against the lightly armoured vehicles it will encounter often such as the [[Leopard I]], [[OF-40]], etc.
* One of the earliest ATGM vehicles available and the earliest to receive mouse-guided (SACLOS) ATGMs (with the BMP-1P modification)
* Decent main gun HEAT round penetrating up to 300 mm of armour at any range, effective against last-gen heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]], [[M103]], etc.
* Amphibious ability which can allow it to reach positions that other vehicles struggle to
* Functional even in uptiers, due to its piercing ATGM and HEAT
* All ammunition types are default and as such have no cost
* Night Vision allows effectiveness in night battles

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reverse speed, particularly for a light tank
* Default missiles are manually guided, upgraded missiles must be unlocked with the BMP-1P research
* Chemical ammunition only, may struggle to damage vehicles with ERA like the [[M60A1 RISE (P)]]
* All available ammunition is hyper-sensitive and will detonate on hitting light obstacles such as fences or bushes
* Somewhat large silhouette for a light tank. Will get seen and shot at easier
* Minimal gun depression makes it struggle on hills
* Has no stabiliser, accurate shots on the move or in water are often not possible
* Only three crew members, two of whom sit extremely close together, reducing the vehicle's survivability
* Vulnerable to heavy machine gun and light cannon fire, particularly from the sides or top. SPAA like the [[Gepard]] are a big threat
* Very vulnerable to aircraft and helicopters
* Bombs and artillery can deal significant damage, even when at a distance
* Infrared Spotlight mounted to commander's hatch, won't rotate with turret when the commander is knocked out

== History ==

'''Development'''

In the 1950s, Soviet armoured personnel carrier (APC) tactics consisted of lightly armoured vehicles that would transport soldiers to combat zones, and then head back behind the lines to safety. During this time, the West German Bundeswehr was using the Schützenpanzer Lang and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) tactics, where the vehicles would work with the infantry and tanks in order to support them, especially against lightly armoured targets. The BMP was a Soviet IFV design created in the late 1950's. Some of the requirements were the ability for all of the infantry carried to be able to fire from within the vehicle, which was unseen before in IFV designs. It was intended to support the infantry and combat enemy light vehicles. The design placed emphasis on speed and manoeuvrability, potent armament, and sufficient armament to protect against 23 mm autocannons over the frontal arc. There was a debate over how the vehicle should be wheeled or tracked, and a number of options were explored including hybrid designs with both. The design that was chosen was a tracked vehicle with the engine in the front and the crew compartment in the rear; it was designated the Object 764. A prototype was created in 1964, and the final design was chosen in 1965 - an improved model called the Object 765. In service the production model was called the BMP-1.

'''Design'''

The BMP-1 features a fully tracked hull, with a sharply angled glacis at the front, a centrally mounted turret, and a crew compartment in the rear of the hull, with doors for the infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle. The hull layout is as follows: the engine was in the front right section of the hull. The driver sat to the front left of the vehicle, the commander sat right behind the driver, and the gunner sat in the right side of the turret. The troop compartment located at the rear of the vehicle could seat 8 infantry soldiers. The ability to fire from inside the vehicle was provided by four firing ports on each side of the hull and one in the left door. There are also four hatches in the roof. The infantry sit on two benches with padding, back-to-back, facing the outer sides of the vehicle. The armour of the frontal arc is enough to generally protect against 20 mm autocannon fire, the side armour generally protects against 12.7 mm machine gun fire, and the roof and rear armour protects against small arms fire and shell fragments. In addition, the sloped glacis on the front of the hull also increased the chances of shells bouncing, because of the extreme angles. The protection level depended somewhat on the version of the BMP-1 in question, as different nations had differing levels of armour quality. The main armament consisted of a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore semi-automatic cannon, along with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The engine provides 300 hp and is a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. The suspension system used was a torsion bar suspension system. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious with little preparation. Before entering the water, a trim vane has to be raised, which provides additional frontal armour when in the lowered position. It can achieve 65 km/h (40 mph) on road and 8 km/h (5 mph) in water.

'''Production and Service'''

Over 20,000 BMP-1s were produced in the Soviet Union alone, with many more produced in China and Czechoslovakia. The BMP-1 was widely exported and saw significant combat worldwide. BMP-1s participated in the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and many other conflicts. It was well liked for its manoeuvrability, but it was found that the cannon lacked effective range and the 9M14 ATGMs were hard to control. During the Gulf War it was found that the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon found on the M2/M3 Bradley could consistently penetrate the frontal armour of the BMP-1, even at range.

'''BMP-1P Upgrade'''

The BMP-1P was an upgrade to the ATGM systems of the BMP-1. It replaced the 9M14 Malyutka missiles with 9M113 Konkurs or 9M111 missile. This increased the weight of the vehicle, leading to a slight decrease in manoeuvrability.

'''German Service'''

In 1974, East Germany ordered 1,133 BMP-1, and they were delivered between 1973 and 1989. Some of those BMP-1 were produced in Czechoslovakia. About 270 of the East German BMP-1's were of the BMP-1P type, with 950 being BMP-1SP2. The East German BMP-1P were known as the Schützenpanzer BMP-1P, or SPz BMP-1P. After the German reunification in 1990, the Bundeswehr modified 851 BMP-1 to NATO standards, and they entered service with the Bundeswehr as the BMP-1A1 Ost. Most of the vehicles upgraded were of the BMP-1P variant. In 1990, 110 unmodified BMP-1/BMP-1P were sold to Finland. 501 BMP-1A1 Ost. were sold to Greece between 1993 and 1994, and 350 were sold to Sweden in the early 1990's.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_bmp_1_ddr Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:15 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:29 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:BMP-1#Variants_and_modernization|[Wikipedia] BMP-1 - Variants and modernization]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Soviet BMP-1 IFV (1965)]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2015, December 1). BMP-1. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/USSR/soviet_BMP-1.php
* BMP-1. (2020, March 25). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-1&oldid=947316322

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

BMP-3

2024-04-19T02:01:34Z

U103691029: correct ATGM loading rete

{{About
| about = Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_bmp_3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_Sodema.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Object 688M) was a Soviet IFV designed with the intent of fulfilling a dual role of transporting infantry and providing heavy firepower support on the battlefield. Its development began in the 1970s, when engineers at Kurganmashzavod first came up with the idea, and it continued through the 1980s. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1987, becoming an integral part of their armoured units. One of the most notable differences between the {{Specs|name}} and its predecessor, the [[BMP-2]], is the weaponry. While the BMP-2 was armed with a 30 mm 2A42 autocannon and the [[9M113 Konkurs]] ATGM, the {{Specs|name}} boasted much more potent armament. Its 100 mm 2A70 semi-automatic cannon, in combination with a 30 mm 2A72 autocannon, gave it an edge in both anti-armour capabilities and fire support. Throughout its relatively brief service in the Soviet Union, the {{Specs|name}} proved successful in its intended roles. It later served in the Russian military and was exported to a number of other nations.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]] as a high-tier IFV. It uses its main cannon to fire ATGMs, in contrast to earlier BMP variants. However, there is the option to select HE shells for engaging lighter targets and the convenience of a quicker reload time compared to the ATGMs. Apart from that, the {{Specs|name}} still retains the capabilities of earlier variants, notably the BMP-2.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The BMP-3 is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), and has comparable armour to other IFVs. It uses special alloys in its construction, which are not equivalent to Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA, this is the type of armour that ammunition displays penetration against on stat cards). The front of the BMP-3 has about 50 mm of armour with an additional fuel tank behind this armour. This protects it against any machine gun and some small cannon rounds such as 20 mm, but it will be penetrated by any IFV autocannon that it might face. The front turret armour has similar levels of protection. The side armour is even worse, at only about 20 mm RHA effectiveness, it will be penetrated by .50 calibre ammunition.

The survivability of the BMP-3 is very low. It has only 3 crew members who are closely spaced together. This means that most penetrating rounds will destroy the BMP-3 in one shot. Additionally, the BMP-3 is subject to the overpressure mechanic, so it will often be destroyed instantly when a large-calibre HE round detonates next to it. There are some empty spaces in the BMP-3 like the fuel tank in the front or the area in the back above the engine (where infantry would sit), but these would only be hit when directly side on with an enemy.

'''Armour type:'''

* Alloy ABT-102 - Main
* High hardness rolled armour - Trim Vane and Turret Applique

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (31°) + 12 mm + 10 mm ''Upper Glacis'' 60 mm (51°) + 10 mm ''Lower Glacis'' || 60 mm ''Upper Front'' 43 mm ''Upper Rear'' 43 mm ''Lower'' || 43 mm || 15 - 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (47°) - 50 mm (42°) +16 mm ''Turret front'' 70 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50 mm + 16 mm ''Frontal side'' 43 mm ''Rear side'' || 43 mm || 18 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" | 20 mm || 18 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Turret Ring - 43 mm
* Fenders - 4 mm
* Tracks and Suspension - 10 mm
* There is a 100 mm thick log on the left side.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|2A72 (30 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A72 (30 mm)|30 mm 2A72]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 500 (250) || rowspan="2" | 330 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 33.3 || 46.1 || 56.0 || 61.9 || 65.9 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.5 || 29.8 || 32.9 || 35.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''30 mm HE:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APT:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APDS:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}

{{:2A72 (30 mm)/Ammunition|HEF-T*, AP-T, HEF-I*, APDS}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''2''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A70 (100 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[2A70 (100 mm)|100 mm 2A70]]
! Reloading rate '''HE'''(seconds)
!Reloading rate '''ATGM'''(seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Autoloader !! Autoloader
|-
| 48 || N/A || N/A || Two-plane
| 4.00 || 20.00
|-
|}
''The BMP-3 can only take '''8 ATGMs''' in total.''

==== Ammunition ====
{{:2A70 (100 mm)/Ammunition|3OF32, 3OF70, 9M117, 9M117M1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''48''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


'''Stock:'''

When stock the BMP-3 will face many challenges. Many of the strongest tools the BMP-3 has available are locked behind modifications, most importantly, the Thermal sight and APDS 30 mm ammunition belt. Stock BMP-3 commanders have two options available to them: Stay in the back line and use the ATGM or try and brawl up close with the 30 mm. Unfortunately, the 30 mm only has 65 mm of penetration when stock, so up-close brawling is not an ideal strategy. Additionally, the ATGM reload is rather slow. These will be a challenge to overcome when spading this vehicle.

'''Spaded:'''

When spaded the BMP-3 has access to a variety of powerful tools. The tandem warhead ATGM has excellent speed and penetration, although it still has a slow reload. The tandem warhead can easily penetrate even vehicles protected by ERA bricks. The APDS belts on the 30 mm can easily penetrate the sides of most western MBTs. The thermals can even see through the ESS that the BMP-3 can lay down, so this may be used against vehicles without thermals. Despite these advantages, BMP-3 commanders should play carefully, as the ATGM reload still means that engaging more than one target at once will likely end in a quick trip back to the hangar. This is not helped by the fact that the BMP-3 has little in terms of armour and survivability. The two strategies that will be most effective for the BMP-3 are to either try and flank enemies and take them on one by one up close, or use tandem warhead ATGMs to engage at longer ranges. However, long range engagements will not result in many kills, because enemies may have a chance to move to cover before the ATGM has reloaded. Sometimes it would be better to use your better HE shell (3OF70) and fire them at enemy's that are hull down or completely covered by objects like rocks. This works perfect in maps with opposing sniper spots or when see the radar of a SPAA in their safe zone. The low muzzle velocity combined with laser rangefinder allows to make shots that are impossible to do for other vehicles.
The BMP-3 has few upsides to comparable tanks (BMP-2M) and many severe downsides and requires a very passive type playstyle to use effectively.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High manoeuvrability
* Quick follow-up with 30 mm armament
* Amphibious
* Hydropneumatic suspension
* ATGM rounds with tandem warheads
* Generation 2 thermal sight for gunner
* High gun elevation (60°)
* 4 second autoloader when using HE

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile
* HE rounds have little penetration or damage
* HE rounds have low muzzle velocity
* Reload rate for ATGM is slower than HE rounds (23s)
* Lack of commander thermal sights causes tunnel vision
* Poor Survivability

== History ==

'''Development'''

The Object 685 light tank design was created in 1975. It was an amphibious light tank armed with a 100 mm cannon. The Object 685 never received any production orders, but the chassis and engine from the Object 685 would become the basis of the Object 688 infantry fighting vehicle. The Object 688 would become the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle.

'''Design'''

The hull has a similar shape to the BMP-1 and BMP-2 but the internal layout is different. The engine was placed at the rear right side of the vehicle, the driver sat at the front center, two infantry behind him, then the two man turret, and then the crew compartment at the rear. To dismount the vehicle, the infantry had to climb over the engine and out the rear doors. The armour protection is against 30 mm autocannon rounds at the front and 12.7 mm machine gun rounds on the sides and rear, when add-on armour kits are added. There are ERA kits that can be equipped as well. Main armament consists of a 2A70 100 mm gun - which can fire ATGMs - and a co-axial 2A72 30 mm autocannon. Secondary armament consists of a co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun. The armament is housed in a round, centrally mounted, turret. Power is provided by a UTD-29 450 hp engine, while later in production it received a UTD-29M 500 hp engine. The BMP-3 is also amphibious, propelled by its spinning tracks.

'''Service and Production'''

Over 2,000 BMP-3's have been produced, seeing combat in several conflicts. The BMP-3 has seen significant export, and has many modifications and variants. It is intended to be replaced by the Kurganets-25 in service.

=== [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 70s, the Kurganmashzavod factory started developing a new infantry fighting vehicle to replace the BMP-1. The vehicle got a new experimental light tank chassis. The first models were supposed to be equipped with a 30 mm cannon as its primary weapon, as well as grenade launchers, machine guns, and ATGM launchers. The military considered the vehicle's armament to be insufficient and said that it offered no real advantage over the BMP-1. In order to correct the situation, the Tula-based engineers suggested a new turret with the following armament: a rifled 100 mm semi-automatic cannon (also an ATGM launcher), a 30 mm automatic cannon, and a PKT machine gun.

The vehicle successfully underwent testing in this state, and in 1987, was accepted into the Soviet Army with the designation BMP-3. Since then, this combat vehicle has been used by the Russian Army and over ten other countries, with especially large quantities being purchased by the United Arab Emirates where the vehicle was chosen over the Bradley and Warrior. The BMP-3 is constantly being upgraded and is still considered one of the best combat vehicles of its class in the world.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_bmp_3 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|25_5geR39Zw|'''BMP Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 06:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|HyNN2mYm1y0|'''Top Tier Potato Launcher - BMP-3''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|wbjuu5lOTPg|'''BMP-3 - BMP-2 IMO Is Better''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|[Development] BMP-3 - Helping hand]]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2017, June 18). BMP-3. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/soviet/bmp-3.php
* BMP-3. (2020, April 19). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-3&oldid=951891576

{{USSR light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

KPz-70

2024-04-19T01:58:56Z

U103691029: add ATGM reloading rate

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_kpz_70
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|KPz-70 WebsiteImage 1.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

In August 1963, an agreement was signed between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) to cooperate on the development of a new main battle tank for both militaries. The tank, designated in the United States as the [[MBT-70]] and in Germany as the [[KPz-70]], was to be produced by General Motors in the US and by Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG) in Germany. As part of the design process, the differentiating factor between the tank and their manufactured location was the allowance for Germany to utilize their own domestic systems in the installed components, though some German-designed components saw use in the American design as well. However, conflicts in the design requirements and expectations of the vehicles led to constant strife and delays, such as Germany's preference for a high-velocity tank cannon over the Shillelagh gun/launcher the Americans wanted to pursue. As development continued, the program came under review due to new complications regarding weight, and after the review in January 1970 determined the additional design and engineering changes would result in a higher program cost and unit price cost, it was decided that to terminate the joint program, allowing Germany and US to continue their design on their own. Free from needing to compromise with American needs, Germany took the experience and components gained from the MBT-70/KPz-70 development and placed them towards their next-generation tank design, which would become the Leopard 2.

Introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]], the KPz-70 shares many characteristics of the American MBT-70. Differences between the two designs are marginal in gameplay, being just in the engine (1,500 hp in the KPz-70 vs. 1,475 hp in the MBT-70) and autoloader performance (6.0 second reload in the KPz-70 vs 7.5 second in the MBT-70). When it comes to combat, both can be expected to get where it needs to be on the battlefield and pick off foes with its 152 mm APFSDS rounds or Shillelagh missiles. Though its armour is not as complex as composite armour seen in Soviet MBT of similar ranks, the KPz-70 can take the initiative with a more aggressive play style and catch the enemy by surprise before they can bring their strongest armour to bear towards the KPz-70's gun.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Unlike the Soviet T-64A (its main rival), the KPz-70 does not utilize composite armour, but an air gap that forces munitions penetrating the initial layers to lose their mass by fragmenting apart before moving to the next layer of armour. This general design concept has been in use as far back as WW2 and is even used to this day on modern fighting vehicles.

Spaced armour works wonderfully well against shaped charge munitions or any other munition with explosive filler provided it is of a stronger protection rating. Proceeding weapons and munitions development has seen this benefit decreased with either more powerful or tandem charge warheads and can be seen in-game against weapons that proceeded different designs of spaced armour. As such, the KPz-70 will find weapons that were designed to defeat spaced armour such as the HOT-K3S ATGM and BAE Swingfire system that will penetrate it. However, the spaced armour in the KPz-70 works exactly as it was designed to do against older anti-tank missiles, HEAT, HE, and HESH munitions.

The tank mounts no external spaced armour. The armour on the side and rear of the tank is not worth mentioning as it will only stop light machine gun fire and some cannon fire on the turret. Adversary SABOT rounds will penetrate clear through the engine and into the crew compartment most likely destroying the tank if engaged from behind.

An unconventional feature at the time the KPz-70 was designed was the housing of all the crew members in the turret. Because of the autoloading system, the need for a loader was eliminated and due to an attempt to further lower the silhouette of the tank, the driver was located to the turret with the gunner and commander. This can have potentially devastating consequences on the battlefield as the crew can easily be injured or incapacitated by penetrating munitions entering the crew compartment.

For defensive countermeasures, the tank is equipped with quad four-barrel externally mounted smoke canister launchers which can provide either a defensive screen for the tank or friendly forces. These launchers can be fired in pairs of two. Keep in mind the smoke grenade launchers are operated by the gunner so should he become incapacitated in a fight, the smokes will become unavailable until the gunner is either replaced by another crew member or the crew replenishment consumable restores them.

Due to its low profile and effective array of camouflage options the KPz-70 scores high marks in the concealability category. It has a total of 4 camouflage options available to it. The standard (a 3 tone NATO CARC camouflage), winter camouflage (requires 700 battles against other players in the tank), a brown camouflage for desert environments, and lastly an olive drab option. The addition of various foliage can further increase the ability to conceal the tank.

'''Armour type:'''

* Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 34* mm (60-61°) ''Front glacis'' 76.2 mm (64°) ''Lower glacis'' || 23 mm (40°) ''Top'' 23-35 mm ''Bottom'' || 30 mm (12°) ''Top'' 13 mm (57°) ''Bottom'' 8 mm (12°) ''Engine exhaust'' || 20 mm ''Front'' 8-12.7 mm ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 50-200 mm (0-75°) || 12.7-38* mm (29-34°) || 12.7* mm (27-80°) || 20-50 mm ''Front'' 12.7 mm ''Rear turret''
|-
| Cupola || 25 mm || 25 mm || 25 mm || 25 mm
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Spaced armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 200 mm ''Kinetic'' 170 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A
|-
| Turret || 320 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 mm ''Chemical'' || '''38 mm sections:''' 320 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 mm ''Chemical'' '''12.7 mm sections:''' 35 mm ''Kinetic'' 40 mm ''Chemical'' || 35 mm ''Kinetic'' 40 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 16 mm thick.
* Gun mantlet ring around the gun barrel is 305 mm thick.
* A 16 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
* Hull spaced armour configuration is 34 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 46 mm RHA.
* Turret spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 130-33 mm RHA.
* Turret rear spaced armour configuration is 13 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 19 mm RHA.

The main weakness of the KPz-70 to take advantage of as an opposing player is the weak armour when compared to other tanks of its rank. If the KPz-70 can be baited to come towards a position, it becomes much easier to fight. Avoid springing a well-placed KPz-70 ambush if at all possible or try to sneak around him to flank and attack his weakest armour. A well-placed shot through the side of the turret is generally ensured destruction as all of the crew is located in the turret along with an ammunition store with rounds being located under the turret basket.

With the proper position or speed, try getting around the KPz-70 and engaging him from where it does not expect. It's important to remember the KPz-70 has the ability to quickly snap the turret around and engage any enemy, so surprising the tank is of the up-most central importance to come out victorious.

Another weakness that can be exploited is its speed. Because of its speed, unskilled players or players unfamiliar with its playstyle will often rush into situations they are not equipped to fight properly and find themselves overwhelmed, allowing a prepared defence to eliminate them.

One last weak spot worth mentioning is the turret ring. High penetrating munitions can completely pierce this section and travel into the crew compartment. SABOT rounds are especially effective at this. Any tank or SPAA with fast firing 30+ mm gun can penetrate it easily.

Do not try to out-shoot the KPz-70 as it has a very rapid reload that in most cases will ensure that unless the tank's ability to fire is disabled, it will recover and continue to fire to disable or destroy its offender.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,325|rbMinHp=1,327}}

The KPz-70 displays impressive mobility, in terms of its ability to pickup and maintain speed over various terrains - albeit it is somewhat lacklustre compared to some of the top tier vehicles such as the [[M1 Abrams]] and [[T-80B]]. Mobility is the best weapon the KPz-70 has.

The KPz-70 is equipped with a diesel-fuelled 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) Daimler Benz V12 engine. This engine pack compared to its American counterpart produces more power, but only slightly so giving the KPz-70 an amazing 29.8 hp/t at 50 - 51.7 tons (depending on upgrade configuration).

A highly advantageous feature is the [[Hydropneumatic suspension|hydropneumatic suspension]] system which not only provides great cross country mobility but allows the crew to position the vehicle in such a way to only expose the strongest armour at an enemy threat. The suspension can also be used to gain further gun depression by raising the rear of the tank and lowering the front thus allowing the gunner to engage from a position that he might not have been able to engage from previously.

The KPz-70 features the standard NATO track and block design that can be found on most NATO vehicles. The rubber track blocks provide great traction off-road and on-road compared to all-metal tracks found on other fighting vehicles as sliding on a short halt or drifting is minimized.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

The recommended research order of modules is Parts, FPE, the XM578E1 APFSDS shell, NVD, mobility modifications, and then any remaining modules.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|XM150E5 (152 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[XM150E5 (152 mm)|152 mm XM150E5]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
!Reloading rate ATGM(seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 48 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
| rowspan="2" |15.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}
The KPz-70 can only take 6 ATGMs in total.

The most important feature that makes a tank is the cannon. In this department, the KPz-70 is no slouch. The 152 mm gun launcher system (the same one used on the [[M551|M551 Sheridan]]), but with a longer barrel and is capable of firing a variety of munition types including an experimental APFSDS round, a traditional HEAT round (with high penetration), an experimental smoke round, and lastly the very capable and proven MGM-51C Shillelagh. This wide range of munition choices gives the operator a variety of options in a pre-combat configuration which can greatly either hinder or enhance the tankers capability on the battlefield. The benefit of a longer barrel compared to its Sheridan counterpart ensures the KPz-70 is much more accurate at range and that the rounds leave the barrel at higher velocities thus increasing their overall damage-dealing capabilities. Additionally, the 152 mm gun launcher gets equipped with an autoloader, greatly reducing its time between follow-up shots on a target.

For targeting, the option to equip an incredibly accurate laser range finder is available. Additionally, the 7.62 mm machine gun mounted in the turret can be used for range finding as well. Because of the elevated engine deck, gun depression is decreased significantly when firing or aiming the gun over the rear of the tank.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:XM150E5 (152 mm)/Ammunition|XM578E1, M409A1, XM410E1, MGM-51C}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''48''' || 44 ''(+4)'' || 33 ''(+15)'' || 25 ''(+23)'' || 13 ''(+35)'' || 1 ''(+47)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* 2nd rack empty: 33 ''(+15)'' shells.
* The KPz-70 can only pack 6 missiles.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The Rheinmetall Rh 202 20 mm autocannon is highly effective at dealing with lightly armoured battlefield threats and on some tanks exposed sides or rears. In some situations, it may be more beneficial to utilize the 20 mm as it will allow the tank to deal damage rapidly while conserving the 152 mm main cannon ammunition. The cannon is also highly effective at shooting down low flying attackers. Note that if the commander is knocked out, the 20 mm will become unusable.

The KPz-70 is one of the few medium tanks (aside from French, [[Leopard 2K]] and [[MBT-70]]) to carry 20 mm coaxial autocannon. This weapon should not be treated lightly or dismissed as "just an anti-aircraft" gun, as it has 57 mm penetration at flat angle, and it will shred anything from light tanks and SPAA, to lightly armoured medium tanks' sides and SPG, if they are not angled. In case that their armour cannot be penetrated, use the autocannon to destroy a hostile tank's gun barrel and make them helpless, then return fire. This is even more effective, considering the main cannon can fire ATGM directly at enemy tank without losing the penetration or accuracy even when its barrel is broken, allowing you to punish people fishing for easy cannon barrel takedowns.

If necessary, the 20 mm can also fire at the sky to take out helicopters and careless jet pilots.

Do note, that this pintle-mounted weapon is not protected by anything - HE hit to the hull (for example, if SAM tank fires at it) will likely obliterate it, forcing it to do pathetic damage and jam or miss a lot. Do not forget to repair it.

7.62 mm machine gun is simply used to make bullet screens against hostile ATGM or to put more pressure on aircrafts, if they can be targeted by it.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 750 (750) || 900 || -9°/+65° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 6,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The tank plays very much like the [[Leopard A1A1]]. Players familiar with the Leopard playstyle will easily adapt to the KPz-70. It has reasonable mobility, especially with full upgrades and aced crew, allowing it to manoeuvre into spots not typically accessible by less mobile tanks. Utilize this to an advantage to set up ambushes as this is how the KPz-70 will get the best of many opponents. It's important to recognize when engagement is not beneficial so that the tank may get a better position or escape from the threat.

Despite the initial appearance of strong frontal armour, it's important to remember when compared to its counterparts at its rank, it is not nearly enough to defeat threats head-on such as the [[T-64A (1971)|T-64A]]. Even ATGM from missile vehicles such as the [[RakJPz 2 (HOT)|Raketenjagdpanzer 2 HOT]] will penetrate the turret and upper glacis plate. Even other Rank V tanks can and will penetrate from the front. Because of the rather condensed placement of crew and ammunition, the KPz-70 will most likely be destroyed. Because of this, it is critical that the KPz-70 gets the first shot off in engagement and ensure it is either eliminated or crippled to such a capacity they either cannot engage or will instinctively panic and try to run to repair or determine the engagement location.

The gun is especially versatile and powerful with a wide range of ammunition selection, but generally, the cannon launched ATGMs and sabot rounds will get the job done in most situations. The 20 mm turret roof-mounted cannon is great for taking out lightly armoured targets (to include some tanks, ATGM vehicles, etc), anti-air, and aircraft.

Essentially, if this tank is treated like a Leopard, the survivability rate will increase dramatically. The hydropneumatic suspension allows the tank to position in such ways that it can engage from non-conventional spots while exposing only the strongest armour towards the threat. The low silhouette makes the tank especially difficult to hit at longer ranges and this can be further enhanced (situation dependent) by the adjustable suspension. Because of the accurate cannon, it will also find be easy to engage at longer ranges which will maximize the KPz-70's strengths while reducing the targets.

In summary, the KPz-70 is a great addition to any end game lineup as it provides great flexibility in almost all engagements and is well worth the time and investment to acquire.

===Tactics===
Ambushing is the tank's strength. As covered previously, utilize the speed to get into firing positions quickly and cause chaos and confusion among the enemy.

The KPz-70 can also quickly capture objective points and when used properly hold positions so long as it does not stay in any one place too long.

Scoot and shoot tactics will benefit the KPz-70 playstyle as well as terrain masking techniques.

Should the tank have to fight in closer engagement ranges or in close quarters, it's critical to always remember the armour will not protect the tank reliably. However, the speed, fast-rotating turret, and manoeuvrability will. Provided the player utilizes these to their advantage, the KPz-70 will be able to control the fight. Recognize when the enemy is baiting the tank into an ambush and avoid them as the KPz-70 doesn't stand a great chance of conducting a counter-ambush due to the weak armour.

If the KPz-70 does find itself a victim of an ambush, launch a smokescreen, escape, and reassess for a counter-ambush.

The KPz-70 benefits greatly from squad play. A skilled lone KPz-70 is most certainly a threat on the battlefield but 2 or even 3 KPz-70's working in conjunction with each other in a squad is an extreme danger to the opposing team as the use of squad tactics in combination with the great strengths of the tank can almost completely control the momentum of the conflict.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great mobility, although out-stripped by some vehicles that utilize turbine engines
* Extremely fast in both forwards and reverse
* Fast reload at 6 seconds with autoloader
* Great gun, with access to various types of ammunition, ATGMs included
* 20 mm anti-aircraft autocannon on the top of the tank will shred apart any aircraft, especially helicopters
* Low profile for visibility
* Armor may be reliable against chemical shells
* The missile has a very short propulsion phase (about 2 secs), after its engine shuts off it's almost impossible to spot until it is too close, as it leaves no smoke trail like a TOW, or a small red spot like Shturm. It looks like a slow cannon shell.
* Has a hydropneumatic suspension system
* The fuel tanks in the hull can absorb HEATFS shells

'''Cons:'''

* Unimpressive frontal plate armour, the turret ring is also exposed, allowing SPAA and light tanks to destroy it frontally
* Vulnerable to the rear, if the hydropneumatic suspension is not used
* Optics are vulnerable and can cause ATGMs and HE to explode downwards into the crew compartment
* Very easy to one shot because of 3 crew cramped in the turret
* Cannot aim backwards due to engine room
* Giant engine room is very easy to get shot and destroyed

== History ==


Being threatened by the Soviet T-64 tank, Germany and the United States joined together to develop a new main battle tank in the mid-1960s. This became the MBT/KPz-70 project. The new main battle tank would use advanced technology of the time, including hydropneumatic suspension, 152mm gun/launcher capable firing tank shell and ATGM, autoloading system, spaced armour, 1500 horsepower diesel engine and remote-controlled weapon station. Everything looks perfect on paper, but in reality, there were many problems. The autoloading system could load Shillelagh missile quite easily, but it would jam the tank shell. The housing of the driver in a rotating cupola inside the turret would cause an unanticipated problems to the driver. The caseless ammunition would also become unusable if the humidity is high.

With such design problems and over budget, MBT/KPz-70 project was officially cancelled in 1971. Though the MBT/KPz-70 never entered service, many of its design and technology had been passed on to its successor: M1 Abrams and Keiler, the latter of which became the Leopard 2.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_kpz_70 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uQCn8UpVtDc|'''MBT-70: Tank from the Future''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ly9JS6errQQ|'''Best secondary armaments''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 6:03 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[MBT-70]]
* [[VT1-2]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4923-gamescom-kpz-70-mbt-70-a-warrior-of-two-armies-en|[Devblog] KPz-70 & MBT-70 - A Warrior of Two Armies]]

{{Template:TankManufacturer KMW}}
{{Germany medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

MBT-70

2024-04-19T01:53:57Z

U103691029: add ATGM Reloading rate

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_mbt_70
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''152-mm Gun-Launcher Main Battle Tank 70''' (MBT-70), also known as the [[KPz-70]] in Germany, was a collaborative U.S. and West German initiative to develop a new main battle tank to replace the existing [[M60 (Family)|M60 family of MBT]] during the 1960s. This was intended to combat the new generation of tanks designed by the Soviet Union for the Warsaw Pact. The new tank was planned to have sophisticated features like newly designed hydropneumatic suspension, dual-layer spaced armour, and a 152 mm XM150E5 gun/launcher that could fire both conventional ammunition and the Shillelagh missile for long-range engagement. The tank additionally featured a remotely controlled 20 mm weapon station on the turret roof. Overall, the tank provided nuclear, biological, and chemical protection for the tank crews (NBC protection capability). The tank was anticipated to remain in service into the 1990s, however the program experienced significant challenges from the start, with the United States Army and the German Bundeswehr having diverging doctrines that were not coordinated and were not resolved before the project was too far along to be modified. The Germans were sceptical of the combined gun and missile launcher, and the U.S. Congress was frustrated by the program's increasing budget without results. By the late 1960s, the MBT-70's development had gone far over the allocated funds, prompting West Germany to abandon the project in 1969. The U.S. continued development of the MBT-70 with the [[XM-803]], a project intended to cut down on the costs of the MBT-70 by only utilising American components; however, this was also finally abandoned in 1971. Data and technology from the MBT-70/XM-803 project transferred to the development of the [[M1 Abrams]], while West Germany built the [[Leopard 2 (Family)|Leopard 2]] as its main battle tank.

Introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]], the MBT-70 offers players unique insights into the collaboration of tank development efforts by both the U.S. and West Germany. Despite the program's eventual demise, the MBT-70 gives several unique capabilities for Cold War U.S. Army ground forces players, particularly the capacity to launch anti-tank guided missiles from the gun barrel, which is unusual in Western MBTs but prevalent in Soviet MBTs. Overall, the MBT strikes a good balance between protection, speed, and firepower, allowing players to easily engage most threats.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Unlike the Soviet T-64A (its main rival), the MBT-70 does not utilise composite armour, but an air gap that forces munitions penetrating the initial layers to lose their mass by fragmenting apart before moving to the next layer of armour. This general design concept has been in use as far back as World War II and is even used to this day on modern fighting vehicles.

[[Armour#Sloped_armour|Spaced armour]] works wonderfully well against shaped charge munitions or any other munition with explosive filler provided it is of a stronger protection rating. Proceeding weapons and munitions development has seen this benefit decreased with either more powerful or tandem-charge warheads and can be seen in-game against weapons that proceeded different designs of spaced armour. As such, the MBT-70 will find itself against weapons that were designed to defeat spaced armour such as the HOT-K3S ATGM and [[Swingfire|BAE Swingfire]] system that will penetrate it. However, the spaced armour in the MBT-70 works exactly as it was designed to do against older anti-tank missiles, HEAT, HE, and HESH munitions.

The tank mounts no external spaced armour. The armour on the side and rear of the tank is not worth mentioning as it will only stop light machine gun fire and some cannon fire on the turret. Adversary sabot rounds will penetrate clear through the engine and into the crew compartment most likely destroying the MBT-70 if engaged from behind.

An unconventional feature at the time was that the MBT-70 was designed to house all the crew members in the turret. Because of the autoloading system, the need for a loader was eliminated and due to an attempt to further lower the tanks silhouette, the driver was located to the turret with the gunner and commander. This can have potentially devastating consequences on the battlefield as the crew can easily be injured or knocked out by penetrating munitions entering the crew compartment.

For defensive countermeasures, the tank is equipped with two quad barrel externally mounted smoke canister launchers on both sides of the turret, which can provide either a defensive screen for itself or friendly forces. These launchers can be fired in pairs of two. Keep in mind the smoke grenade launchers are operated by the gunner so should the gunner become incapacitated in a fight, the smoke will be unlaunchable until the gunner is replaced by another crew member or by the crew replenishment consumable.

Due to its low profile and effective array of camouflage options, the MBT-70 scores high marks in the concealability category. The addition of various foliage can further increase the ability to conceal the tank.

'''Armour type:'''

* Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 34* mm (57°) ''Front glacis'' 76.2 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis'' || 23-34 mm (0-55°) ''Top'' 23-35 mm ''Bottom'' || 25.4 mm (12°) ''Top'' 25 mm (60°) ''Bottom'' 12.7 mm (29-45°) ''Engine exhaust'' || 20 mm ''Front'' 12.7 mm ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 50-200 mm (0-75°) || 12.7-38* mm (29-34°) || 12.7* mm (27-80°) || 20-50 mm ''Front'' 12.7 mm ''Rear turret''
|-
| Cupola || 25 mm || 25 mm || 25 mm || 25 mm
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Spaced armour* !! Front !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 200 mm ''Kinetic'' 170 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A
|-
| Turret || 320 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 mm ''Chemical'' || '''38 mm sections:''' 320 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 mm ''Chemical'' '''12.7 mm sections:''' 35 mm ''Kinetic'' 40 mm ''Chemical'' || 35 mm ''Kinetic'' 40 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 16 mm thick.
* Gun mantlet ring around the gun barrel is 305 mm thick.
* A 16 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
* Hull spaced armour configuration is 34 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 46 mm RHA.
* Turret spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 130-33 mm RHA.
* Turret rear spaced armour configuration is 13 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 19 mm RHA.

The MBT-70 is still an average medium tank with weak side armour. Thus, flanking is a good strategy to take for a shot at the weak spots. Go for the ammo, which is located in front of the engine, or in the protruding end of the turret. If in a head on engagement, shoot it directly below the gun, but above the upper glacis. This spot has 250 mm of armour with no composite armour. This shot, if successful, should knock out most of the crew, and maybe even the horizontal drive, allowing for a flank in a fast vehicle.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,286|rbMinHp=1,305}}

The MBT-70 handles like virtually no other vehicle (barring the [[KPz-70]], its German twin) in the game in terms of its ability to pick up and maintain speed over various terrains. Its cross-country mobility is arguably the best currently available in the game, and is one of the many traits that makes the MBT-70 stand out.

The MBT-70 is equipped with a 1,470 horsepower air-cooled Continental V-12 diesel engine. This engine pack produces slightly less power compared to its German counterpart, but both vehicles handle essentially the same.

A highly advantageous feature is the hydropneumatic suspension system which not only provides great cross country mobility but allows the crew to position the vehicle in such a way to only expose the strongest armour at an enemy threat. The suspension can also be used to gain further gun depression by raising the rear of the tank and lowering the front, improving the tank's performance in hull-down scenarios.

The MBT-70 features the standard NATO track and rubber block design. The rubber track blocks provide great traction both off-road and on-road, and minimize sliding during a short halt or drifting.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

'''<big>Unlock order recommendations</big>'''

'''Tier 1'''

The first modification you should research is Parts, as only one module is needed to unlock Tier 2, and the other Tier 1 modules aren't needed immediately.

'''Tier 2'''

The first Tier 2 modifications you should research are FPE and the XM578A1 APFSDS shell. The MBT-70 catches fire often when hit, and even though teammates can assist you in extingushing it, playing without FPE is still painful. The other important module is the XM578E1 APFSDS shell. While the stock HEAT round may have more penetration, the APFSDS is more consistent damage-wise and doesn't catch on bushes, trees, and fences.

'''Tier 3'''

Three modifications are required to unlock Tier 4, and none of the Tier 3 modules are super important, so the order in which you research them doesn't matter as much. The recommended modules are Crew Repenishment, Smoke Grenades, and Elevation Mechanism. Filters can be swapped in for Elevation Mechanism, but doesn't add much and can be researched later.

'''Tier 4'''

Tier 4 contains the last two essential modifications, the Laser Rangefinder and NVD, which should be researched in that order. The MBT-70 unfortunately does not get access to a thermal imager, making the NVD module less important but still useful. Artillery Support is also helpful but doesn't affect the tank's performance much, so don't go straight for it.

'''Finishing Up'''

The rest of the modifications can be researched in any order, as none of the remaining modules are particularly influential. The least helpful modules, XM410E1, Brake System and Suspension can be left for last.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|XM150E5 (152 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[XM150E5 (152 mm)|152 mm XM150E5]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
!Reloading rate ATGM(seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 48 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
| rowspan="2" |10.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}
One of the most important facets of a tank is its firepower. In this department, the MBT-70 is no slouch. The 152 mm gun launcher system is very similar to the one used on the [[M551|M551 Sheridan]], the main difference being a longer barrel. This change increases the MBT-70's accuracy at range and allows rounds to leave the barrel at higher velocities, thus improving their penetration and overall damage when compared to the Sheridan. The MBT-70 also has access to two experimental rounds unavailable to the Sheridan, which are an APFSDS round and a [[Smoke screen|smoke]] round, as well as the M409A1 HEAT shell and MGM-51C Shillelagh ATGM shared with the Sheridan and [[M60A2|M60A2 Starship]]. This wide range of munition choices gives the operator many options in pre-combat configuration which can either hinder or enhance the tanker's capability on the battlefield.

Additionally, the 152 mm gun launcher is auto-loaded, greatly reducing its time between followup shots on a target.
For targeting, the option to equip a laser range finder is available. Additionally the 7.62 mm machine gun mounted in the turret can be used for range finding as well.

Because of the elevated engine deck, gun depression is significantly worse when firing or aiming the gun over the rear of the tank, but can be counteracted by raising the front of the tank using the hydropneumatic suspension.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:XM150E5 (152 mm)/Ammunition|XM578E1, M409A1, XM410E1, MGM-51C}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''48''' || 44 ''(+4)'' || 33 ''(+15)'' || 25 ''(+23)'' || 7 ''(+41)'' || 1 ''(+47)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Hull empty: 25 ''(+23)'' shells.
* Racks 4 and 5 deplete top row together first before emptying in the second row.
* The MBT-70 can carry only 6 missiles.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)|M73 (7.62 mm)}}

The Rheinmetall Rh 202 20 mm auto cannon is highly effective at dealing with light armoured battlefield threats and on some tanks exposed sides or rears. In some situations, it may be more beneficial to utilise the 20 mm as it will allow the tank to deal damage rapidly while conserving the main cannon ammunition. The cannon is also highly effective at shooting down low flying attackers. Note that if the commander is knocked out, the 20 mm will be unable to be used.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 750 (750) || 900 || -9°/+65° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M73 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M73]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 6,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The tank plays very much like the [[M41A1|M41A1 Walker Bulldog]]. Players familiar with the hit and run play style will easily adapt to the MBT-70. Its fast speed, especially with full upgrades and aced crew, allows it to manoeuvre into spots not typically accessible by less mobile tanks. Utilize this to an advantage to set up ambushes as this is how the MBT-70 will get most victories. It's important to recognize when an engagement is not beneficial to the tank so that it can re-position itself or escape from the threat.

Despite the initial appearance of strong frontal armour, it's important to remember when compared to its counterparts at its rank, it is not nearly enough to defeat threats head on such as the [[T-64A (1971)|T-64A]]. Even ATGM from missile vehicles such as the [[RakJPz 2 (HOT)|Raketenjagdpanzer 2 HOT]] will penetrate the turret and upper glacis plate. Even other Rank V tanks can and will penetrate from the front. Because of the rather condensed placement of crew and ammunition, the MBT-70 will most likely be destroyed with one shot. Because of this, it is critical to get the first shot off in an engagement and ensure it is either an eliminating shot or one that cripples the threat to such a capacity that they either cannot engage, will instinctively panic and try to run to repair or determine the engagement location and direction.

The gun is especially versatile and powerful with a wide range of ammunition selection, but the cannon-launched ATGM's and sabot rounds will generally be able to get the job done in most situations. The 20 mm turret roof mounted cannon is great for taking out lightly armoured targets (to include some tanks, ATGM vehicles, etc), anti-air, and aircraft.

Essentially if this tanks is treated like a light tank or fast medium tank, the survivability will increase dramatically. The hydropneumatic suspension allows for positioning the tank in such ways that it can engage from non-conventional spots while exposing only the strongest armour at the threat. The low silhouette makes the tank especially difficult to hit at longer ranges and this can be further enhanced by the adjustable suspension depending on the situation. Because of the accurate cannon, the MBT-70 will also find it to be easy to engage at longer ranges, which will maximize the strengths while reducing the targets.

In summary, the MBT-70 is a great addition to any end game lineup as it provides great flexibility in almost all engagements and is well worth the time and investment to acquire.

===Tactics===
Ambushing is the MBT-70's strength. As covered previously, utilize the speed to get into firing positions quickly and cause chaos and confusion among the enemy. In arcade battles, an MBT-70 can usually reach key positions quicker than even some 10.0 BR main battle tanks. This is only provided if it consistently drives in a linear format.

The MBT-70 can also quickly capture objective points and when used properly, it can hold these positions so long as it does not stay in them for too long.

Scoot and shoot tactics will benefit the MBT-70, as well as terrain masking techniques.

Should the MBT-70 have to fight in closer engagement ranges or in close quarters, it is critical to always remember that the armour will not protect the tank reliably; however, the speed, fast rotating turret, and manoeuvrability will. Provided the player utilise these traits to its advantage, the MBT-70 will be able to control the fight. Recognise when the MBT-70 is being baited into an ambush and avoid them as the MBT-70 doesn't stand a great chance of conducting a counter ambush due to the weak armour, which will allow the MBT-70 to be destroyed easily at close range.

If the MBT-70 finds itself a victim of an ambush from an opponent, launch a smokescreen, escape, and reassess for a counter ambush.

The MBT-70 benefits greatly from squad play. A skilled lone MBT-70 is most certainly a threat on the battlefield, but two or even three MBT-70's working in conjunction with each other in a squad is an extreme danger to the opposing team as the use of squad tactics in combination with the great strengths of the tank can almost completely control the momentum of the conflict.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Composite armour greatly enhances its survivability on the battlefield
* Stock ammunition consists of the good MGM-51C "Shillelagh" guided missile, means no ammo costs for using it, plus a decent but inferior HEAT shell.
* Has access to APFSDS shells with great close-range penetrating power.
* Has a top mounted 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon installed which can also be used to defeat lightly armoured vehicles reliably with its 44 mm of penetration.
* Has access to hydropneumatic suspension, useful for hull down engagements.
* Extremely fast in both forwards and reverse.
* Fast acceleration.
* Autoloader means a consistent load rate of 7.5 seconds.

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reload rate of 7.5 seconds, lower than that of the equal-tiered KPz-70.
* Generally less protection from composite armour, relative to other Rank 6 tanks.
* Weak side armour and LFP.
* 20 mm AA gun overheats rather quickly with sustained firing.
* Ammo racks are easy targets and are not entirely covered by its composite armour.
* Vulnerable to the rear due to raised engine deck, it can be solved if hydropneumatic suspension are used.
* Cramped interior, loss of more than one crew member more likely when penetrated.

== History ==

In the early 1960s, West Germany and the United States began work on a joint project to create a standardized new MBT design that would meet specific requirements set by both nations. The cause for this, was the introduction of the powerful Soviet 115mm smoothbore cannon, mounted on the [[T-62]]. The new cannon presented a serious issue for the respective primary fighting vehicles of the two nations - the [[Leopard I|Leopard 1]] and [[M60]]. Thus, work on the joint project, designated MBT-70 in the US and KPz-70 in West Germany, began in 1964. Right from the start, development was plagued by disagreements between the numerous design team members, due to the differing engineering practices of the two sides. By the time the disagreements were settled, the project has already suffered from several delays, which in addition to other things, inflated the project's budget early on in its development life.

Nevertheless, the result of the combined effort of engineers from both sides was first put to the test in the mid '60s, after the first prototypes were manufactured. The KPz-70 MBT received an innovative design like no other tank before it, in addition to being equipped with some of the latest military equipment of the time, such as hydropneumatic suspension, an autoloading system and laser rangefinding, just to name a few.

However, whilst the MBT/KPz-70 did come equipped with some of the most high-tech equipment of its time, the vehicle did also come with its own set of unique problems. Considered to be way ahead of its time, the designers often faced challenges that neither the German or American side of the team was able to effectively address, making the vehicle quickly exceed both weight limitations as well as budget restrictions. Spiraling development costs and design disagreements eventually lead to the Germans backing out of the project in 1969 to continue work on one of their own designs, before the Americans also abandoned the project a couple years later in 1971, leaving a total of 14 prototypes built.

''- From [[wt:en/news/4923-development-kpz-70-mbt-70-a-warrior-of-two-armies-en/|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_mbt_70 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uQCn8UpVtDc|'''MBT-70: Tank from the Future''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|POgsyKommVk|'''T-64A versus MBT-70''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ly9JS6errQQ|'''Best secondary armaments''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 6:03 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[KPz-70]] - German counterpart of the same vehicle.
* [[XM-803]] - An American "budget" version of the vehicle.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4923-gamescom-kpz-70-mbt-70-a-warrior-of-two-armies-en|[Devblog] KPz-70 & MBT-70 - A Warrior of Two Armies]]

{{TankManufacturer GM}}
{{USA medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

XM803

2024-04-19T01:51:35Z

U103691029: add ATGM reloading rate (I found that stock crew have the same loading rate of ATGM as expert one, although it write different time in modification, so is MBT/KPZ70&BMP3, so I think ATGM is also Autoloader)

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_xm_803
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Tank, Combat, Full-Tracked, 152 mm Gun/Launcher XM-803''', developed from the [[MBT-70]], was part of the abandoned collaborative U.S. and West German initiative to develop a new main battle tank to replace the existing [[M60 (Family)|M60 family of MBT]] during the 1960s. The program experienced significant challenges from the start, with the United States Army and the German Bundeswehr having diverging doctrines that were not coordinated and were not resolved before the project was too far along to be modified. By the late 1960s, West Germany abandoned the project and the U.S. solely funded the project for the next few years. The MBT-70 was redesigned and designated the XM-803, as an attempt to modify the MBT-70 design into a low-cost substitution using entirely U.S.-made components, resulting in the strikingly similar XM-803 prototype. The biggest cost savings came from switching to less expensive steel armour plates. Costs were also decreased by using an engine built in the U.S. instead of West Germany. The prototype was a little heavier and a little slower compared to the original MBT-70. Despite these savings, the XM-803 design began to match the MBT-70 in sophistication as development progressed and was ultimately terminated. The XM-803 program was cancelled by Congress in December 1971, and work on a new tank program began, the XM-1, which ultimately resulted in the production-model [[M1 Abrams]] MBT.

Introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]], the XM-803 offers players unique insights into the pathway of U.S. tank development that ultimately leads to the current-day M1 Abrams MBT. Despite the program's eventual demise, the XM-803 gives several unique capabilities for Cold War U.S. Army ground forces players, particularly the capacity to launch anti-tank guided missiles from the gun barrel, which is unusual in Western MBTs but prevalent in Soviet MBTs. The XM-803 performs very similarly to its ancestor, the MBT-70; however, it suffers from a slightly lower top speed and lacks the original 20 mm cannon mounted on the turret roof. Overall, the MBT strikes a good balance between protection, speed, and firepower, allowing players to easily engage most threats.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The XM-803's frontal armour is only effective versus full-calibre AP and APHE rounds and certain APDS rounds. Almost all large calibre (76 mm and up) have no trouble slicing through it, even when hitting the frontal armour at an angle. Large calibre HEAT-FS too has no problem going through, although the large fuel tank behind the frontal hull armour can sometimes absorb most damage. The fuel tank is also completely separate from the rest of the tank, and as a result often burns out without damaging the rest of the vehicle. Because the armour has a layer of air in it, it is very effective against HESH rounds. All the spalling generated by the HESH round when it hits the first plate will get absorbed by the plate behind it. One big weak spot on the turret it the left (when facing it) turret cheek. This is because this part of the turret is not protected by spaced armour and only consists of 177.8 mm thick CHA plate, which most chemical and kinetic energy projectiles can penetrate with ease.

'''Armour type:'''

* Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1 mm (64°) ''Front glacis'' 76 mm (63°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm ''Top'' 25.4 mm ''Bottom'' || 25.4 mm (12°) ''Top'' 25.4 mm (67°) ''Bottom'' 5 mm (13°) ''Engine exhaust'' || 25.4 mm ''Front'' 5-12.7 mm ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 38.1-203 mm (0-75°) || 12.7-38.1* mm (29-34°) || 12.7* mm (27-84°) || 25.4-76 mm ''Front'' 12.7 mm ''Rear turret''
|-
| Cupola || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Spaced armour* !! Front !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 250 mm ''Kinetic'' 240 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A
|-
| Turret || 270-300 mm ''Kinetic'' 220-350 mm ''Chemical'' || '''38 mm sections:''' 200 mm ''Kinetic'' 220 mm ''Chemical'' '''12.7 mm sections:''' 50 mm ''Kinetic'' 60 mm ''Chemical'' || 30 mm ''Kinetic'' 40 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Road wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* A 6.35 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
* The crew is protected by a 6.35mm thick turret basket
* Hull spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 51 mm RHA.
* Turret spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 127 mm CHA.
* Turret rear side spaced armour configuration is 12.7 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 25.4 mm RHA
* Turret rear spaced armour configuration is 12.7 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 12.7 mm RHA.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,937|rbMinHp=1,106}}

The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is worse than that of the MBT-70. In its stock configuration, it has a horsepower/ton ratio of 21.39, while with all upgrades this increases to 24.08 HP/t. The top speed (both forward and reverse) is 64 km/h (40 mph) with 8 gears for both directions. The tank can reach its top speed quickly on flat roads, while on more difficult terrain the top speed drops by around 20 km/h. The tank has neutral steering and good turning ability on all terrains.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[XM150E5 (152 mm)|152 mm XM150E5]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
!Reloading rate ATGM(seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 53 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 40.0 || 55.4 || 67.2 || 74.3 || 79.1 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
| rowspan="2" |10.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 25.0 || 29.4 || 35.7 || 39.5 || 42.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:XM150E5 (152 mm)/Ammunition|XM578E1, M409A1, XM410E1, MGM-51C}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|right|thumb|x200px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''53''' || 48 ''(+5)'' || 46 ''(+7)'' || 34 ''(+19)'' || 27 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+52)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Rack 5 is a first-stage ammo rack, meaning it depletes first but refills from the other racks in the order they are listed. As such, it is the last rack to deplete.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M85 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M85]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,080 (180) || 626 || -15°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M73 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M73]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 6,000 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The XM-803, like the MBT-70, is a very good flanker. To get the most out of this tank you must use its high speed and acceleration to flank the enemy or set up ambushes. Its gun and ammunition are good enough to penetrate most lower BR tanks with ease, although when up-tiered you will have to resort to aiming for the weak spots of opponents. The HEAT round you get is free, and will easily penetrate tanks with plain steel armour, but it's lacking when facing tanks with composite armour, and it has a rather mediocre muzzle velocity, making aiming and leading at longer ranges more difficult. The APFSDS round has decent penetration and will penetrate most opponents with relative ease. It also has very high muzzle velocity, almost 1,500 m/s, making aiming even at longer ranges easy. The ATGM is very useful and free, it's very good at long ranges, and is very effective against stationary or slow-moving helicopters.

When faced with an enemy around a corner, one can attempt to bait shots by only exposing the frontal hull - opponents will often shoot this, only to find, much to their dismay, that there is nothing of value inside and you may not even have to use your fire extinguisher to put it out due to the fact that it is separate from the rest of the tank.

While the armour may seem impressive at first, it won't protect you against most guns at and around its battle rating. Most tanks at this rank have access to powerful APFSDS and HEATFS rounds, which have no trouble penetrating you. Knowing this, you mustn't rely on your armour to protect you.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Effective ammunition choice (Stock ATGM, stock HEAT shell, powerful APFSDS)
* Can fire ATGMs without restriction, even when moving at full speed
* Good mobility and acceleration, high speed both forwards and backwards
* Top mounted .50 cal can allow you to damage low-flying aircraft
* Frontal Fuel tank behind the spaced armour which can sometimes absorb enemy chemical energy rounds
* Steady reload time thanks to the autoloader: losing a crew member will not impact the reload speed, and it still functions when putting out a fire
* Has smoke grenade launchers
* Turret mantlet is strong, can resist even certain APFSDS rounds
* Has hydropneumatic suspension
* Excellent dual zoom of 8x and 12x

'''Cons:'''

* The spaced armour is not composite armour and cannot provide adequate protection against most guns of its rank
* Frontal armour can be penetrated even by some APHE rounds
* Weak sides and LFP
* Hydropneumatic suspension only works for up and down
* Ammo racks are large, can be easily hit, and do not have blowout panels
* Vulnerable to the rear due to raised engine deck
* Cramped interior, loss of more than one crew member more likely when penetrated
* Poor roof armour protection on the ammo and engine section
* Chemical projectiles (HEAT and ATGM) will struggle a lot at this battle rating as vehicles with ERA protection are common, especially on Soviet vehicles.

== History ==

Once it became apparent that the MBT-70 project was doomed to fail in the early '70s due to high costs and reliability issues, the U.S. Congress decided to cut their losses on the project by cancelling the MBT-70, and instead, diverted funding to the development of a new project called XM803.

The XM803 was, in essence, envisioned to be a "budget version" of the MBT-70. Although the new vehicle would heavily be based on the MBT-70, inheriting many of its design solutions, it would also try to drastically reduce production costs by using more conventional and only American-made parts. Although this meant that the XM803 had to give up some of its high-tech equipment in favour of lower production costs, it was projected that the influence of these changes on the XM803's combat performance would be minimal.

Despite showing favourable performance and being seen as a promising design by the Army, the XM803 still remained a comparably expensive tank to produce even with the applied changes over the MBT-70. Moreover, neither the MBT-70 nor the XM803 seemed to offer any substantial increase in combat performance over the already in service M60 Patton to justify the high production cost. This ultimately led to the Congress cancelling work on the XM803 only a short while after the cancellation of the MBT-70. In the late 1970s, some funding of the two failed projects would, later on, find its way to support the development of an entirely new, but this time around, more conventional tank project. That tank, of course, being the legendary M1 Abrams itself.

''- From [[wt:en/news/5536-development-xm803-the-second-chance-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_xm_803 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|yxrFP5uW_J8|'''The Shooting Range #104''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the XM-803.|ryfyneZ7390|'''The Shooting Range #106''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 12:39 discusses the XM-803.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[MBT-70]]
* [[KPz-70]]

;<nowiki>Similar vehicles with large-calibre gun/launcher systems:</nowiki>

* [[M551]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5536-development-xm803-the-second-chance-en|[Devblog] XM803: The Second Chance]]

{{TankManufacturer GM}}
{{USA medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

MBT-70

2024-04-19T01:35:16Z

U103691029: add ATGM Reloading rate

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_mbt_70
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''152-mm Gun-Launcher Main Battle Tank 70''' (MBT-70), also known as the [[KPz-70]] in Germany, was a collaborative U.S. and West German initiative to develop a new main battle tank to replace the existing [[M60 (Family)|M60 family of MBT]] during the 1960s. This was intended to combat the new generation of tanks designed by the Soviet Union for the Warsaw Pact. The new tank was planned to have sophisticated features like newly designed hydropneumatic suspension, dual-layer spaced armour, and a 152 mm XM150E5 gun/launcher that could fire both conventional ammunition and the Shillelagh missile for long-range engagement. The tank additionally featured a remotely controlled 20 mm weapon station on the turret roof. Overall, the tank provided nuclear, biological, and chemical protection for the tank crews (NBC protection capability). The tank was anticipated to remain in service into the 1990s, however the program experienced significant challenges from the start, with the United States Army and the German Bundeswehr having diverging doctrines that were not coordinated and were not resolved before the project was too far along to be modified. The Germans were sceptical of the combined gun and missile launcher, and the U.S. Congress was frustrated by the program's increasing budget without results. By the late 1960s, the MBT-70's development had gone far over the allocated funds, prompting West Germany to abandon the project in 1969. The U.S. continued development of the MBT-70 with the [[XM-803]], a project intended to cut down on the costs of the MBT-70 by only utilising American components; however, this was also finally abandoned in 1971. Data and technology from the MBT-70/XM-803 project transferred to the development of the [[M1 Abrams]], while West Germany built the [[Leopard 2 (Family)|Leopard 2]] as its main battle tank.

Introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]], the MBT-70 offers players unique insights into the collaboration of tank development efforts by both the U.S. and West Germany. Despite the program's eventual demise, the MBT-70 gives several unique capabilities for Cold War U.S. Army ground forces players, particularly the capacity to launch anti-tank guided missiles from the gun barrel, which is unusual in Western MBTs but prevalent in Soviet MBTs. Overall, the MBT strikes a good balance between protection, speed, and firepower, allowing players to easily engage most threats.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Unlike the Soviet T-64A (its main rival), the MBT-70 does not utilise composite armour, but an air gap that forces munitions penetrating the initial layers to lose their mass by fragmenting apart before moving to the next layer of armour. This general design concept has been in use as far back as World War II and is even used to this day on modern fighting vehicles.

[[Armour#Sloped_armour|Spaced armour]] works wonderfully well against shaped charge munitions or any other munition with explosive filler provided it is of a stronger protection rating. Proceeding weapons and munitions development has seen this benefit decreased with either more powerful or tandem-charge warheads and can be seen in-game against weapons that proceeded different designs of spaced armour. As such, the MBT-70 will find itself against weapons that were designed to defeat spaced armour such as the HOT-K3S ATGM and [[Swingfire|BAE Swingfire]] system that will penetrate it. However, the spaced armour in the MBT-70 works exactly as it was designed to do against older anti-tank missiles, HEAT, HE, and HESH munitions.

The tank mounts no external spaced armour. The armour on the side and rear of the tank is not worth mentioning as it will only stop light machine gun fire and some cannon fire on the turret. Adversary sabot rounds will penetrate clear through the engine and into the crew compartment most likely destroying the MBT-70 if engaged from behind.

An unconventional feature at the time was that the MBT-70 was designed to house all the crew members in the turret. Because of the autoloading system, the need for a loader was eliminated and due to an attempt to further lower the tanks silhouette, the driver was located to the turret with the gunner and commander. This can have potentially devastating consequences on the battlefield as the crew can easily be injured or knocked out by penetrating munitions entering the crew compartment.

For defensive countermeasures, the tank is equipped with two quad barrel externally mounted smoke canister launchers on both sides of the turret, which can provide either a defensive screen for itself or friendly forces. These launchers can be fired in pairs of two. Keep in mind the smoke grenade launchers are operated by the gunner so should the gunner become incapacitated in a fight, the smoke will be unlaunchable until the gunner is replaced by another crew member or by the crew replenishment consumable.

Due to its low profile and effective array of camouflage options, the MBT-70 scores high marks in the concealability category. The addition of various foliage can further increase the ability to conceal the tank.

'''Armour type:'''

* Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 34* mm (57°) ''Front glacis'' 76.2 mm (65°) ''Lower glacis'' || 23-34 mm (0-55°) ''Top'' 23-35 mm ''Bottom'' || 25.4 mm (12°) ''Top'' 25 mm (60°) ''Bottom'' 12.7 mm (29-45°) ''Engine exhaust'' || 20 mm ''Front'' 12.7 mm ''Engine deck''
|-
| Turret || 50-200 mm (0-75°) || 12.7-38* mm (29-34°) || 12.7* mm (27-80°) || 20-50 mm ''Front'' 12.7 mm ''Rear turret''
|-
| Cupola || 25 mm || 25 mm || 25 mm || 25 mm
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Spaced armour* !! Front !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 200 mm ''Kinetic'' 170 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A
|-
| Turret || 320 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 mm ''Chemical'' || '''38 mm sections:''' 320 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 mm ''Chemical'' '''12.7 mm sections:''' 35 mm ''Kinetic'' 40 mm ''Chemical'' || 35 mm ''Kinetic'' 40 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 16 mm thick.
* Gun mantlet ring around the gun barrel is 305 mm thick.
* A 16 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
* Hull spaced armour configuration is 34 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 46 mm RHA.
* Turret spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 130-33 mm RHA.
* Turret rear spaced armour configuration is 13 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 19 mm RHA.

The MBT-70 is still an average medium tank with weak side armour. Thus, flanking is a good strategy to take for a shot at the weak spots. Go for the ammo, which is located in front of the engine, or in the protruding end of the turret. If in a head on engagement, shoot it directly below the gun, but above the upper glacis. This spot has 250 mm of armour with no composite armour. This shot, if successful, should knock out most of the crew, and maybe even the horizontal drive, allowing for a flank in a fast vehicle.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,286|rbMinHp=1,305}}

The MBT-70 handles like virtually no other vehicle (barring the [[KPz-70]], its German twin) in the game in terms of its ability to pick up and maintain speed over various terrains. Its cross-country mobility is arguably the best currently available in the game, and is one of the many traits that makes the MBT-70 stand out.

The MBT-70 is equipped with a 1,470 horsepower air-cooled Continental V-12 diesel engine. This engine pack produces slightly less power compared to its German counterpart, but both vehicles handle essentially the same.

A highly advantageous feature is the hydropneumatic suspension system which not only provides great cross country mobility but allows the crew to position the vehicle in such a way to only expose the strongest armour at an enemy threat. The suspension can also be used to gain further gun depression by raising the rear of the tank and lowering the front, improving the tank's performance in hull-down scenarios.

The MBT-70 features the standard NATO track and rubber block design. The rubber track blocks provide great traction both off-road and on-road, and minimize sliding during a short halt or drifting.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

'''<big>Unlock order recommendations</big>'''

'''Tier 1'''

The first modification you should research is Parts, as only one module is needed to unlock Tier 2, and the other Tier 1 modules aren't needed immediately.

'''Tier 2'''

The first Tier 2 modifications you should research are FPE and the XM578A1 APFSDS shell. The MBT-70 catches fire often when hit, and even though teammates can assist you in extingushing it, playing without FPE is still painful. The other important module is the XM578E1 APFSDS shell. While the stock HEAT round may have more penetration, the APFSDS is more consistent damage-wise and doesn't catch on bushes, trees, and fences.

'''Tier 3'''

Three modifications are required to unlock Tier 4, and none of the Tier 3 modules are super important, so the order in which you research them doesn't matter as much. The recommended modules are Crew Repenishment, Smoke Grenades, and Elevation Mechanism. Filters can be swapped in for Elevation Mechanism, but doesn't add much and can be researched later.

'''Tier 4'''

Tier 4 contains the last two essential modifications, the Laser Rangefinder and NVD, which should be researched in that order. The MBT-70 unfortunately does not get access to a thermal imager, making the NVD module less important but still useful. Artillery Support is also helpful but doesn't affect the tank's performance much, so don't go straight for it.

'''Finishing Up'''

The rest of the modifications can be researched in any order, as none of the remaining modules are particularly influential. The least helpful modules, XM410E1, Brake System and Suspension can be left for last.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|XM150E5 (152 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[XM150E5 (152 mm)|152 mm XM150E5]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate ATGM(seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
!Stock
!Full
!Expert
!Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 48 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
| rowspan="2" |13.00
| rowspan="2" |11.50
| rowspan="2" |10.60
| rowspan="2" |10.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}

One of the most important facets of a tank is its firepower. In this department, the MBT-70 is no slouch. The 152 mm gun launcher system is very similar to the one used on the [[M551|M551 Sheridan]], the main difference being a longer barrel. This change increases the MBT-70's accuracy at range and allows rounds to leave the barrel at higher velocities, thus improving their penetration and overall damage when compared to the Sheridan. The MBT-70 also has access to two experimental rounds unavailable to the Sheridan, which are an APFSDS round and a [[Smoke screen|smoke]] round, as well as the M409A1 HEAT shell and MGM-51C Shillelagh ATGM shared with the Sheridan and [[M60A2|M60A2 Starship]]. This wide range of munition choices gives the operator many options in pre-combat configuration which can either hinder or enhance the tanker's capability on the battlefield.

Additionally, the 152 mm gun launcher is auto-loaded, greatly reducing its time between followup shots on a target.
For targeting, the option to equip a laser range finder is available. Additionally the 7.62 mm machine gun mounted in the turret can be used for range finding as well.

Because of the elevated engine deck, gun depression is significantly worse when firing or aiming the gun over the rear of the tank, but can be counteracted by raising the front of the tank using the hydropneumatic suspension.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:XM150E5 (152 mm)/Ammunition|XM578E1, M409A1, XM410E1, MGM-51C}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''48''' || 44 ''(+4)'' || 33 ''(+15)'' || 25 ''(+23)'' || 7 ''(+41)'' || 1 ''(+47)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Hull empty: 25 ''(+23)'' shells.
* Racks 4 and 5 deplete top row together first before emptying in the second row.
* The MBT-70 can carry only 6 missiles.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)|M73 (7.62 mm)}}

The Rheinmetall Rh 202 20 mm auto cannon is highly effective at dealing with light armoured battlefield threats and on some tanks exposed sides or rears. In some situations, it may be more beneficial to utilise the 20 mm as it will allow the tank to deal damage rapidly while conserving the main cannon ammunition. The cannon is also highly effective at shooting down low flying attackers. Note that if the commander is knocked out, the 20 mm will be unable to be used.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 750 (750) || 900 || -9°/+65° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M73 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M73]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 6,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The tank plays very much like the [[M41A1|M41A1 Walker Bulldog]]. Players familiar with the hit and run play style will easily adapt to the MBT-70. Its fast speed, especially with full upgrades and aced crew, allows it to manoeuvre into spots not typically accessible by less mobile tanks. Utilize this to an advantage to set up ambushes as this is how the MBT-70 will get most victories. It's important to recognize when an engagement is not beneficial to the tank so that it can re-position itself or escape from the threat.

Despite the initial appearance of strong frontal armour, it's important to remember when compared to its counterparts at its rank, it is not nearly enough to defeat threats head on such as the [[T-64A (1971)|T-64A]]. Even ATGM from missile vehicles such as the [[RakJPz 2 (HOT)|Raketenjagdpanzer 2 HOT]] will penetrate the turret and upper glacis plate. Even other Rank V tanks can and will penetrate from the front. Because of the rather condensed placement of crew and ammunition, the MBT-70 will most likely be destroyed with one shot. Because of this, it is critical to get the first shot off in an engagement and ensure it is either an eliminating shot or one that cripples the threat to such a capacity that they either cannot engage, will instinctively panic and try to run to repair or determine the engagement location and direction.

The gun is especially versatile and powerful with a wide range of ammunition selection, but the cannon-launched ATGM's and sabot rounds will generally be able to get the job done in most situations. The 20 mm turret roof mounted cannon is great for taking out lightly armoured targets (to include some tanks, ATGM vehicles, etc), anti-air, and aircraft.

Essentially if this tanks is treated like a light tank or fast medium tank, the survivability will increase dramatically. The hydropneumatic suspension allows for positioning the tank in such ways that it can engage from non-conventional spots while exposing only the strongest armour at the threat. The low silhouette makes the tank especially difficult to hit at longer ranges and this can be further enhanced by the adjustable suspension depending on the situation. Because of the accurate cannon, the MBT-70 will also find it to be easy to engage at longer ranges, which will maximize the strengths while reducing the targets.

In summary, the MBT-70 is a great addition to any end game lineup as it provides great flexibility in almost all engagements and is well worth the time and investment to acquire.

===Tactics===
Ambushing is the MBT-70's strength. As covered previously, utilize the speed to get into firing positions quickly and cause chaos and confusion among the enemy. In arcade battles, an MBT-70 can usually reach key positions quicker than even some 10.0 BR main battle tanks. This is only provided if it consistently drives in a linear format.

The MBT-70 can also quickly capture objective points and when used properly, it can hold these positions so long as it does not stay in them for too long.

Scoot and shoot tactics will benefit the MBT-70, as well as terrain masking techniques.

Should the MBT-70 have to fight in closer engagement ranges or in close quarters, it is critical to always remember that the armour will not protect the tank reliably; however, the speed, fast rotating turret, and manoeuvrability will. Provided the player utilise these traits to its advantage, the MBT-70 will be able to control the fight. Recognise when the MBT-70 is being baited into an ambush and avoid them as the MBT-70 doesn't stand a great chance of conducting a counter ambush due to the weak armour, which will allow the MBT-70 to be destroyed easily at close range.

If the MBT-70 finds itself a victim of an ambush from an opponent, launch a smokescreen, escape, and reassess for a counter ambush.

The MBT-70 benefits greatly from squad play. A skilled lone MBT-70 is most certainly a threat on the battlefield, but two or even three MBT-70's working in conjunction with each other in a squad is an extreme danger to the opposing team as the use of squad tactics in combination with the great strengths of the tank can almost completely control the momentum of the conflict.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Composite armour greatly enhances its survivability on the battlefield
* Stock ammunition consists of the good MGM-51C "Shillelagh" guided missile, means no ammo costs for using it, plus a decent but inferior HEAT shell.
* Has access to APFSDS shells with great close-range penetrating power.
* Has a top mounted 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon installed which can also be used to defeat lightly armoured vehicles reliably with its 44 mm of penetration.
* Has access to hydropneumatic suspension, useful for hull down engagements.
* Extremely fast in both forwards and reverse.
* Fast acceleration.
* Autoloader means a consistent load rate of 7.5 seconds.

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre reload rate of 7.5 seconds, lower than that of the equal-tiered KPz-70.
* Generally less protection from composite armour, relative to other Rank 6 tanks.
* Weak side armour and LFP.
* 20 mm AA gun overheats rather quickly with sustained firing.
* Ammo racks are easy targets and are not entirely covered by its composite armour.
* Vulnerable to the rear due to raised engine deck, it can be solved if hydropneumatic suspension are used.
* Cramped interior, loss of more than one crew member more likely when penetrated.

== History ==

In the early 1960s, West Germany and the United States began work on a joint project to create a standardized new MBT design that would meet specific requirements set by both nations. The cause for this, was the introduction of the powerful Soviet 115mm smoothbore cannon, mounted on the [[T-62]]. The new cannon presented a serious issue for the respective primary fighting vehicles of the two nations - the [[Leopard I|Leopard 1]] and [[M60]]. Thus, work on the joint project, designated MBT-70 in the US and KPz-70 in West Germany, began in 1964. Right from the start, development was plagued by disagreements between the numerous design team members, due to the differing engineering practices of the two sides. By the time the disagreements were settled, the project has already suffered from several delays, which in addition to other things, inflated the project's budget early on in its development life.

Nevertheless, the result of the combined effort of engineers from both sides was first put to the test in the mid '60s, after the first prototypes were manufactured. The KPz-70 MBT received an innovative design like no other tank before it, in addition to being equipped with some of the latest military equipment of the time, such as hydropneumatic suspension, an autoloading system and laser rangefinding, just to name a few.

However, whilst the MBT/KPz-70 did come equipped with some of the most high-tech equipment of its time, the vehicle did also come with its own set of unique problems. Considered to be way ahead of its time, the designers often faced challenges that neither the German or American side of the team was able to effectively address, making the vehicle quickly exceed both weight limitations as well as budget restrictions. Spiraling development costs and design disagreements eventually lead to the Germans backing out of the project in 1969 to continue work on one of their own designs, before the Americans also abandoned the project a couple years later in 1971, leaving a total of 14 prototypes built.

''- From [[wt:en/news/4923-development-kpz-70-mbt-70-a-warrior-of-two-armies-en/|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_mbt_70 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uQCn8UpVtDc|'''MBT-70: Tank from the Future''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|POgsyKommVk|'''T-64A versus MBT-70''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ly9JS6errQQ|'''Best secondary armaments''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 6:03 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[KPz-70]] - German counterpart of the same vehicle.
* [[XM-803]] - An American "budget" version of the vehicle.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4923-gamescom-kpz-70-mbt-70-a-warrior-of-two-armies-en|[Devblog] KPz-70 & MBT-70 - A Warrior of Two Armies]]

{{TankManufacturer GM}}
{{USA medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

BMP-3

2024-04-18T01:23:54Z

U103691029: grammatical-mistake

{{About
| about = Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_bmp_3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_Sodema.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Object 688M) was a Soviet IFV designed with the intent of fulfilling a dual role of transporting infantry and providing heavy firepower support on the battlefield. Its development began in the 1970s, when engineers at Kurganmashzavod first came up with the idea, and it continued through the 1980s. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1987, becoming an integral part of their armoured units. One of the most notable differences between the {{Specs|name}} and its predecessor, the [[BMP-2]], is the weaponry. While the BMP-2 was armed with a 30 mm 2A42 autocannon and the [[9M113 Konkurs]] ATGM, the {{Specs|name}} boasted much more potent armament. Its 100 mm 2A70 semi-automatic cannon, in combination with a 30 mm 2A72 autocannon, gave it an edge in both anti-armour capabilities and fire support. Throughout its relatively brief service in the Soviet Union, the {{Specs|name}} proved successful in its intended roles. It later served in the Russian military and was exported to a number of other nations.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]] as a high-tier IFV. It uses its main cannon to fire ATGMs, in contrast to earlier BMP variants. However, there is the option to select HE shells for engaging lighter targets and the convenience of a quicker reload time compared to the ATGMs. Apart from that, the {{Specs|name}} still retains the capabilities of earlier variants, notably the BMP-2.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The BMP-3 is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), and has comparable armour to other IFVs. It uses special alloys in its construction, which are not equivalent to Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA, this is the type of armour that ammunition displays penetration against on stat cards). The front of the BMP-3 has about 50 mm of armour with an additional fuel tank behind this armour. This protects it against any machine gun and some small cannon rounds such as 20 mm, but it will be penetrated by any IFV autocannon that it might face. The front turret armour has similar levels of protection. The side armour is even worse, at only about 20 mm RHA effectiveness, it will be penetrated by .50 calibre ammunition.

The survivability of the BMP-3 is very low. It has only 3 crew members who are closely spaced together. This means that most penetrating rounds will destroy the BMP-3 in one shot. Additionally, the BMP-3 is subject to the overpressure mechanic, so it will often be destroyed instantly when a large-calibre HE round detonates next to it. There are some empty spaces in the BMP-3 like the fuel tank in the front or the area in the back above the engine (where infantry would sit), but these would only be hit when directly side on with an enemy.

'''Armour type:'''

* Alloy ABT-102 - Main
* High hardness rolled armour - Trim Vane and Turret Applique

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (31°) + 12 mm + 10 mm ''Upper Glacis'' 60 mm (51°) + 10 mm ''Lower Glacis'' || 60 mm ''Upper Front'' 43 mm ''Upper Rear'' 43 mm ''Lower'' || 43 mm || 15 - 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (47°) - 50 mm (42°) +16 mm ''Turret front'' 70 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50 mm + 16 mm ''Frontal side'' 43 mm ''Rear side'' || 43 mm || 18 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" | 20 mm || 18 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Turret Ring - 43 mm
* Fenders - 4 mm
* Tracks and Suspension - 10 mm
* There is a 100 mm thick log on the left side.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|2A72 (30 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A72 (30 mm)|30 mm 2A72]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 500 (250) || rowspan="2" | 330 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 33.3 || 46.1 || 56.0 || 61.9 || 65.9 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.5 || 29.8 || 32.9 || 35.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''30 mm HE:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APT:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APDS:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}

{{:2A72 (30 mm)/Ammunition|HEF-T*, AP-T, HEF-I*, APDS}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''2''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A70 (100 mm)}}'''Can only take 8 ATGMs in total.'''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[2A70 (100 mm)|100 mm 2A70]]
!Reloading rate of '''HE'''(seconds)
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate of '''ATGM'''(seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
!Autoloader!! Stock
!Full
!Expert
!Aced
|-
| 48 || N/A || N/A || Two-plane
|4.00|| 26.00
|23.00
|21.00
|20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:2A70 (100 mm)/Ammunition|3OF32, 3OF70, 9M117, 9M117M1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''48''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


'''Stock:'''

When stock the BMP-3 will face many challenges. Many of the strongest tools the BMP-3 has available are locked behind modifications, most importantly, the Thermal sight and APDS 30 mm ammunition belt. Stock BMP-3 commanders have two options available to them: Stay in the back line and use the ATGM or try and brawl up close with the 30 mm. Unfortunately, the 30 mm only has 65 mm of penetration when stock, so up-close brawling is not an ideal strategy. Additionally, the ATGM reload is rather slow. These will be a challenge to overcome when spading this vehicle.

'''Spaded:'''

When spaded the BMP-3 has access to a variety of powerful tools. The tandem warhead ATGM has excellent speed and penetration, although it still has a slow reload. The tandem warhead can easily penetrate even vehicles protected by ERA bricks. The APDS belts on the 30 mm can easily penetrate the sides of most western MBTs. The thermals can even see through the ESS that the BMP-3 can lay down, so this may be used against vehicles without thermals. Despite these advantages, BMP-3 commanders should play carefully, as the ATGM reload still means that engaging more than one target at once will likely end in a quick trip back to the hangar. This is not helped by the fact that the BMP-3 has little in terms of armour and survivability. The two strategies that will be most effective for the BMP-3 are to either try and flank enemies and take them on one by one up close, or use tandem warhead ATGMs to engage at longer ranges. However, long range engagements will not result in many kills, because enemies may have a chance to move to cover before the ATGM has reloaded. Sometimes it would be better to use your better HE shell (3OF70) and fire them at enemy's that are hull down or completely covered by objects like rocks. This works perfect in maps with opposing sniper spots or when see the radar of a SPAA in their safe zone. The low muzzle velocity combined with laser rangefinder allows to make shots that are impossible to do for other vehicles.
The BMP-3 has few upsides to comparable tanks (BMP-2M) and many severe downsides and requires a very passive type playstyle to use effectively.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High manoeuvrability
* Quick follow-up with 30 mm armament
* Amphibious
* Hydropneumatic suspension
* ATGM rounds with tandem warheads
* Generation 2 thermal sight for gunner
* High gun elevation (60°)
* 4 second autoloader when using HE

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile
* HE rounds have little penetration or damage
* HE rounds have low muzzle velocity
* Reload rate for ATGM is slower than HE rounds (23s)
* Lack of commander thermal sights causes tunnel vision
* Poor Survivability

== History ==

'''Development'''

The Object 685 light tank design was created in 1975. It was an amphibious light tank armed with a 100 mm cannon. The Object 685 never received any production orders, but the chassis and engine from the Object 685 would become the basis of the Object 688 infantry fighting vehicle. The Object 688 would become the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle.

'''Design'''

The hull has a similar shape to the BMP-1 and BMP-2 but the internal layout is different. The engine was placed at the rear right side of the vehicle, the driver sat at the front center, two infantry behind him, then the two man turret, and then the crew compartment at the rear. To dismount the vehicle, the infantry had to climb over the engine and out the rear doors. The armour protection is against 30 mm autocannon rounds at the front and 12.7 mm machine gun rounds on the sides and rear, when add-on armour kits are added. There are ERA kits that can be equipped as well. Main armament consists of a 2A70 100 mm gun - which can fire ATGMs - and a co-axial 2A72 30 mm autocannon. Secondary armament consists of a co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun. The armament is housed in a round, centrally mounted, turret. Power is provided by a UTD-29 450 hp engine, while later in production it received a UTD-29M 500 hp engine. The BMP-3 is also amphibious, propelled by its spinning tracks.

'''Service and Production'''

Over 2,000 BMP-3's have been produced, seeing combat in several conflicts. The BMP-3 has seen significant export, and has many modifications and variants. It is intended to be replaced by the Kurganets-25 in service.

=== [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 70s, the Kurganmashzavod factory started developing a new infantry fighting vehicle to replace the BMP-1. The vehicle got a new experimental light tank chassis. The first models were supposed to be equipped with a 30 mm cannon as its primary weapon, as well as grenade launchers, machine guns, and ATGM launchers. The military considered the vehicle's armament to be insufficient and said that it offered no real advantage over the BMP-1. In order to correct the situation, the Tula-based engineers suggested a new turret with the following armament: a rifled 100 mm semi-automatic cannon (also an ATGM launcher), a 30 mm automatic cannon, and a PKT machine gun.

The vehicle successfully underwent testing in this state, and in 1987, was accepted into the Soviet Army with the designation BMP-3. Since then, this combat vehicle has been used by the Russian Army and over ten other countries, with especially large quantities being purchased by the United Arab Emirates where the vehicle was chosen over the Bradley and Warrior. The BMP-3 is constantly being upgraded and is still considered one of the best combat vehicles of its class in the world.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_bmp_3 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|25_5geR39Zw|'''BMP Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 06:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|HyNN2mYm1y0|'''Top Tier Potato Launcher - BMP-3''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|wbjuu5lOTPg|'''BMP-3 - BMP-2 IMO Is Better''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|[Development] BMP-3 - Helping hand]]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2017, June 18). BMP-3. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/soviet/bmp-3.php
* BMP-3. (2020, April 19). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-3&oldid=951891576

{{USSR light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

BMP-3

2024-04-17T09:59:10Z

U103691029: /* Additional armament */ add reloading rate of ATGM

{{About
| about = Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_bmp_3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_Sodema.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Object 688M) was a Soviet IFV designed with the intent of fulfilling a dual role of transporting infantry and providing heavy firepower support on the battlefield. Its development began in the 1970s, when engineers at Kurganmashzavod first came up with the idea, and it continued through the 1980s. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1987, becoming an integral part of their armoured units. One of the most notable differences between the {{Specs|name}} and its predecessor, the [[BMP-2]], is the weaponry. While the BMP-2 was armed with a 30 mm 2A42 autocannon and the [[9M113 Konkurs]] ATGM, the {{Specs|name}} boasted much more potent armament. Its 100 mm 2A70 semi-automatic cannon, in combination with a 30 mm 2A72 autocannon, gave it an edge in both anti-armour capabilities and fire support. Throughout its relatively brief service in the Soviet Union, the {{Specs|name}} proved successful in its intended roles. It later served in the Russian military and was exported to a number of other nations.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]] as a high-tier IFV. It uses its main cannon to fire ATGMs, in contrast to earlier BMP variants. However, there is the option to select HE shells for engaging lighter targets and the convenience of a quicker reload time compared to the ATGMs. Apart from that, the {{Specs|name}} still retains the capabilities of earlier variants, notably the BMP-2.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The BMP-3 is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), and has comparable armour to other IFVs. It uses special alloys in its construction, which are not equivalent to Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA, this is the type of armour that ammunition displays penetration against on stat cards). The front of the BMP-3 has about 50 mm of armour with an additional fuel tank behind this armour. This protects it against any machine gun and some small cannon rounds such as 20 mm, but it will be penetrated by any IFV autocannon that it might face. The front turret armour has similar levels of protection. The side armour is even worse, at only about 20 mm RHA effectiveness, it will be penetrated by .50 calibre ammunition.

The survivability of the BMP-3 is very low. It has only 3 crew members who are closely spaced together. This means that most penetrating rounds will destroy the BMP-3 in one shot. Additionally, the BMP-3 is subject to the overpressure mechanic, so it will often be destroyed instantly when a large-calibre HE round detonates next to it. There are some empty spaces in the BMP-3 like the fuel tank in the front or the area in the back above the engine (where infantry would sit), but these would only be hit when directly side on with an enemy.

'''Armour type:'''

* Alloy ABT-102 - Main
* High hardness rolled armour - Trim Vane and Turret Applique

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (31°) + 12 mm + 10 mm ''Upper Glacis'' 60 mm (51°) + 10 mm ''Lower Glacis'' || 60 mm ''Upper Front'' 43 mm ''Upper Rear'' 43 mm ''Lower'' || 43 mm || 15 - 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (47°) - 50 mm (42°) +16 mm ''Turret front'' 70 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50 mm + 16 mm ''Frontal side'' 43 mm ''Rear side'' || 43 mm || 18 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" | 20 mm || 18 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Turret Ring - 43 mm
* Fenders - 4 mm
* Tracks and Suspension - 10 mm
* There is a 100 mm thick log on the left side.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|2A72 (30 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A72 (30 mm)|30 mm 2A72]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 500 (250) || rowspan="2" | 330 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 33.3 || 46.1 || 56.0 || 61.9 || 65.9 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.5 || 29.8 || 32.9 || 35.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''30 mm HE:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APT:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APDS:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}

{{:2A72 (30 mm)/Ammunition|HEF-T*, AP-T, HEF-I*, APDS}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''2''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A70 (100 mm)}}'''Can only take 8 ATGMs in total.'''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[2A70 (100 mm)|100 mm 2A70]]
!Reloading rate for '''HE'''(seconds)
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate for '''ATGM'''(seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
!Autoloader!! Stock
!Full
!Expert
!Aced
|-
| 48 || N/A || N/A || Two-plane
|4.00|| 26.00
|23.00
|21.00
|20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:2A70 (100 mm)/Ammunition|3OF32, 3OF70, 9M117, 9M117M1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''48''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


'''Stock:'''

When stock the BMP-3 will face many challenges. Many of the strongest tools the BMP-3 has available are locked behind modifications, most importantly, the Thermal sight and APDS 30 mm ammunition belt. Stock BMP-3 commanders have two options available to them: Stay in the back line and use the ATGM or try and brawl up close with the 30 mm. Unfortunately, the 30 mm only has 65 mm of penetration when stock, so up-close brawling is not an ideal strategy. Additionally, the ATGM reload is rather slow. These will be a challenge to overcome when spading this vehicle.

'''Spaded:'''

When spaded the BMP-3 has access to a variety of powerful tools. The tandem warhead ATGM has excellent speed and penetration, although it still has a slow reload. The tandem warhead can easily penetrate even vehicles protected by ERA bricks. The APDS belts on the 30 mm can easily penetrate the sides of most western MBTs. The thermals can even see through the ESS that the BMP-3 can lay down, so this may be used against vehicles without thermals. Despite these advantages, BMP-3 commanders should play carefully, as the ATGM reload still means that engaging more than one target at once will likely end in a quick trip back to the hangar. This is not helped by the fact that the BMP-3 has little in terms of armour and survivability. The two strategies that will be most effective for the BMP-3 are to either try and flank enemies and take them on one by one up close, or use tandem warhead ATGMs to engage at longer ranges. However, long range engagements will not result in many kills, because enemies may have a chance to move to cover before the ATGM has reloaded. Sometimes it would be better to use your better HE shell (3OF70) and fire them at enemy's that are hull down or completely covered by objects like rocks. This works perfect in maps with opposing sniper spots or when see the radar of a SPAA in their safe zone. The low muzzle velocity combined with laser rangefinder allows to make shots that are impossible to do for other vehicles.
The BMP-3 has few upsides to comparable tanks (BMP-2M) and many severe downsides and requires a very passive type playstyle to use effectively.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High manoeuvrability
* Quick follow-up with 30 mm armament
* Amphibious
* Hydropneumatic suspension
* ATGM rounds with tandem warheads
* Generation 2 thermal sight for gunner
* High gun elevation (60°)
* 4 second autoloader when using HE

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile
* HE rounds have little penetration or damage
* HE rounds have low muzzle velocity
* Reload rate for ATGM is slower than HE rounds (23s)
* Lack of commander thermal sights causes tunnel vision
* Poor Survivability

== History ==

'''Development'''

The Object 685 light tank design was created in 1975. It was an amphibious light tank armed with a 100 mm cannon. The Object 685 never received any production orders, but the chassis and engine from the Object 685 would become the basis of the Object 688 infantry fighting vehicle. The Object 688 would become the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle.

'''Design'''

The hull has a similar shape to the BMP-1 and BMP-2 but the internal layout is different. The engine was placed at the rear right side of the vehicle, the driver sat at the front center, two infantry behind him, then the two man turret, and then the crew compartment at the rear. To dismount the vehicle, the infantry had to climb over the engine and out the rear doors. The armour protection is against 30 mm autocannon rounds at the front and 12.7 mm machine gun rounds on the sides and rear, when add-on armour kits are added. There are ERA kits that can be equipped as well. Main armament consists of a 2A70 100 mm gun - which can fire ATGMs - and a co-axial 2A72 30 mm autocannon. Secondary armament consists of a co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun. The armament is housed in a round, centrally mounted, turret. Power is provided by a UTD-29 450 hp engine, while later in production it received a UTD-29M 500 hp engine. The BMP-3 is also amphibious, propelled by its spinning tracks.

'''Service and Production'''

Over 2,000 BMP-3's have been produced, seeing combat in several conflicts. The BMP-3 has seen significant export, and has many modifications and variants. It is intended to be replaced by the Kurganets-25 in service.

=== [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 70s, the Kurganmashzavod factory started developing a new infantry fighting vehicle to replace the BMP-1. The vehicle got a new experimental light tank chassis. The first models were supposed to be equipped with a 30 mm cannon as its primary weapon, as well as grenade launchers, machine guns, and ATGM launchers. The military considered the vehicle's armament to be insufficient and said that it offered no real advantage over the BMP-1. In order to correct the situation, the Tula-based engineers suggested a new turret with the following armament: a rifled 100 mm semi-automatic cannon (also an ATGM launcher), a 30 mm automatic cannon, and a PKT machine gun.

The vehicle successfully underwent testing in this state, and in 1987, was accepted into the Soviet Army with the designation BMP-3. Since then, this combat vehicle has been used by the Russian Army and over ten other countries, with especially large quantities being purchased by the United Arab Emirates where the vehicle was chosen over the Bradley and Warrior. The BMP-3 is constantly being upgraded and is still considered one of the best combat vehicles of its class in the world.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_bmp_3 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|25_5geR39Zw|'''BMP Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 06:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|HyNN2mYm1y0|'''Top Tier Potato Launcher - BMP-3''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|wbjuu5lOTPg|'''BMP-3 - BMP-2 IMO Is Better''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|[Development] BMP-3 - Helping hand]]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2017, June 18). BMP-3. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/soviet/bmp-3.php
* BMP-3. (2020, April 19). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-3&oldid=951891576

{{USSR light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

BMD-4

2024-04-17T09:33:46Z

U103691029: /* Ammo racks */

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_bmd_4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|market=id50148_bmd_4_ussr
}}

== Description ==

The BMD-4 is a Russian airborne infantry fighting vehicle developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union as a new entrant in the long-running BMD series. It uses the hull of the BMD-3, a limited production vehicle with a new chassis superior to the vintage [[BTR-ZD|BMD-1 chassis]], and a new Bakcha-U turret with the same 100 mm + 30 mm cannon armament used by the full-size [[BMP-3]] IFV, giving it an exceptionally heavy armament for its weight and role. Accepted into Russian service in 2004, BMD-4 production was stopped after a short initial production run due to economic difficulties. Years later, the streamlined BMD-4M with increased BMP-3 part commonality reentered production and service.

The BMD-4 was introduced during [[Update "Red Skies"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/7267-event-summer-landing-en|2021 Summer Landing event]]. In a simple comparison to its non-airborne relative with the same guns, the [[BMP-3]], the {{PAGENAME}} has less armour, higher mobility, and a faster ATGM reload. It is extremely speedy in both forward and reverse and can easily make it to lucrative flank or overwatch positions, splashing multiple targets with its tandem ATGMs or hosing them down with its autocannon, but suffers from incredibly light protection: while the BMP-3 can often shrug off autocannon fire from the front, the BMD-4's front armour is not even proof to heavy machine guns. As such, it's best reserved for fearsome ambush attacks against unaware or distracted enemies.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The BMD-4 is very poorly armoured. The front has an adequate armour thickness, but the upper front plate of the hull is more vulnerable than the turret or the lower front plate and allow for penetrations with 12.7 mm MG, even from afar. Autocannons are very likely to just shred this tank instantly, but how soon this happens depends on enemy attention span, autocannon rate of fire and where an enemy aims first.

Researching mobility modules adds some of them to the front of the tank, which reduces likelihood of taking overpressure damage from ATGMs and increases chances of blocking autocannon rounds when they hit the hull.

The roof is vulnerable to even HEAT overpressure and turret hits with chemical shells are very dangerous for this tank. It is easy for planes to strafe the BMD-4 from above for the same reason.

There are 3 crew members, both turret crew members can fire all weapons, so it is not enough to take out the gunner to stop BMD-4 and it will not just explode upon being hit like [[Shturm-S]], so at the very least it can return fire after being hit.

'''Armour type:'''

* Alloy ABT-102 (hull, turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (62°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis - Top'' 23 mm (64°) ''Lower glacis - Bottom'' || 40 mm ''Top - Front'' 20 mm ''Top - Centre'' 10 mm ''Top - Rear'' 20 mm ''Bottom'' 20 mm (46°) ''Bottom - Belly junction'' || 10 mm || 10 - 12 mm
|-
| Turret || 40 mm (30-44°) ''Turret front'' 40 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 20 mm || 20 mm || 10-12 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


The BMD-4 somewhat resembles [[BMP-2]] in terms of mobility, but can drive equally fast in either direction and accelerates much faster.

It is possible to control the suspension on the BMD-4, but only a bit. Suspension controls allow to slightly tilt the BMD-4 forward or backwards or lower/raise the hull a bit. Tilting is mostly important for RB, where it helps the tank to gain more gun depression on a hill, but can also be used in AB to either hide the UFP or to prevent the gun from bouncing too high up while charging.

It also can swim, like other Soviet light tanks.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=697|rbMinHp=398}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|2A72 (30 mm)}}

The 30 mm fires the same shells as the [[BMP-2]] autocannon does and is identical to the one on the [[BMP-3]]. There is only one rate of fire option for the cannon - which is relatively slow at 300 rounds per minute. Despite the low fire rate, it still fires faster than the one on the [[Warrior]] and if the player fires first, it can neutralize many light tanks at close to medium range before the BMD-4 is knocked out from their retaliatory fire.

The autocannon counts as the main weapon and 100 mm is fired with the "additional weapon" keybind. The aim assist and scope is, therefore, displayed for the 30 mm gun. While this is fine if the BMD-4 user uses an ATGM, but the only way to swap scope to acquire aim assist for the 100 mm gun to land precise hits with HE shells is to switch from the main weapon view to the secondary weapon view . This, unfortunately, breaks the weapon layout, and the 30 mm becomes unusable until the control scheme is reset.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A72 (30 mm)|30 mm 2A72]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 500 (250) || rowspan="2" | 330 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 57.1 || 79.1 || 96.0 || 106.2 || 112.9 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''30 mm HE:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APT:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APDS:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}

{{:2A72 (30 mm)/Ammunition|HEF-T*, HEF-I*, AP-T, APDS}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''2''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A70 (100 mm)}}

The 100 mm of this tank is near identical to the one on the [[BMP-3]]. However, its autoloader can load ATGMs as well, removing the 28-second reload penalty which makes the BMP-3 unsuitable for skirmish, at a cost of 1 second of reload time overall.

While the gun is stabilized, it is not a very good idea to rush uphill at full speed until gun drives were upgraded as the gun has poor depression and kicks upwards when the tank drives uphill. Without upgrades, it will not put itself back on target in time, and the tank can't sustain even accidental hits unlike the BMP-3.

Gun itself can bring two different ammunition types into battle, although the choice are limited to chemical energy shells. The ammunition choices are: Slow HE (3OF70) , super slow HE (3OF32) and Tandem HEAT ATGM (9M117M1). It is only possible to take 4 ATGMs. Overall, it is similar to the BMP-3.

HE shells are mostly designed to be fired in a mortar fashion and for comfortable use it is necessary to install laser rangefinder or to play in AB mode. Just like the BMP-3, it is also need to swap primary weapon to "secondary weapon" to be able to aim HE precisely. The projectiles fall very slowly, but they are also very small and will often squeeze in-between ERA bricks and hit the enemy tank roof, causing overpressure damage and destroying the target. Overall, they can be used to harass other tanks out of cover (including ATGM carriers) or fired along with the autocannon to blow up light tanks in general melee range (although it is very awkward and slower than with the BMP-3).

The missiles are launched at near maximum speed from the get go, which makes them ones of the deadliest at the rank (as many missiles at the BR start at around 250 m/s at best), but also make them mostly unsuitable for trick shots of any kind and require direct launch. Tandem missiles usually do not even require user to aim any more than in the enemy tanks direction. Missiles also have huge area of the blast wave, but BMD-4 cannot just destroy all of the surrounding cover as it itself is fragile and needs it to survive, so some restraint should be kept, at least until you are sure that it's possible to get away with such behaviour.

Ammunition rearm for 100 mm on a capture point takes about 6 seconds, which means that this tank can almost indefinitely spam ATGM at incoming enemies if its user can hold the line. Make sure to choose ATGM as the top ammunition in ammo distribution UI, as otherwise HE will be rearmed first.

Weapons are not rearmed outside of the capture point in AB, even if it only uses ATGMs, so the tank cannot be used as a standoff sniper in AB for long, but is rather to be sacrificed in a deep flank.

In terms of what types of ammunition to bring in, two types of combination can be made between the standard HE shells and the ATGM, as {{PAGENAME}} can only bring two selected ammo into battle:

* ATGM + HE = the player can default to ATGM to react to armoured threats in a pinch, but switch over to HE shells to bombard the enemy from a distance if they are behind cover or in other similar situations. The HE shells can also be used to fight light tanks at close range, even if the BMD-4 runs out of ATGM. Slower HE can fire vertically at ranges as close as 400 m, but may fail to penetrate medium tanks and it is easier to see for moving targets, so the faster 3OF70 HE shell might be a better choice sometimes.
* HE + HE = Not recommended, as neither of the 100 mm HE shells could deal with most medium tanks directly. Enemies in general will show no mercy to a BMD-4 since they will always assume the BMD-4 is carrying a ATGM, so its best to respond to this threat with an ATGM rather than HE shells.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[2A70 (100 mm)|100 mm 2A70]] || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
!Autoloader
|-
| 38 || -6°/+60° || ±180° || Two-plane || 5.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:2A70 (100 mm)/Ammunition|3OF32, 3OF70, 9M117M1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''38''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


'''Ground AB''':

There are two main ways to use BMD-4 efficiently, both involve using its high movement speed.

First way is to attack into a capture point by using ATGM based loadout. BMD-4 cannot sustain frontal damage and can only take one hit before exploding. It is necessary to have high reaction time, good crew and the element of surprise. Try to arrive at the fighting location first and take cover at a suitable fighting position. If you want to do something extra, it is possible to tinker with suspension to lower BMD-4 hull even more to hide as much of the hull as possible.

There is also an option of attacking not the capture point itself, but to rush past it and to attack the first encounter group, preferably from a side. If you manage to pounce on them, it is possible to take out three tanks before other enemy tanks notice that something is wrong and destroy the BMD-4.

The reason why rushing in such a fragile tank is even a viable option is because that way BMD-4 can quickly rearm after fighting and either attack by spamming ATGMs from the cap or continue its conquest elsewhere.

Second way is to deliberately give up working on a capture point and instead to do a deep flank around enemy team and unload BMD-4s entire arsenal onto enemy snipers. This works because BMD-4 moves insanely fast for a Soviet light tank and has ATGM which reloads almost as fast as the gun on the [[Object 906]], while being absolutely lethal regardless of the enemy tank armour level. If the range between your firing position and an enemy is more than 400 m, it is also possible to continue annoying them by launching 3OF32 at them over cover (swap main weapon towards 100 mm to acquire proper aim assist on the HE).

'''Ground RB'''

The BMD-4 is quite similar to the BMP-3 in terms of armament, but its ATGM autoloader and lightweight chassis lend it to more aggressive playstyles. 33 hp/ton and 70 km/h top speed in forward and reverse allow it to outrun almost any other tracked vehicle and it is not uncommon to be nearly halfway across the map by the time other vehicles have left their spawn zones. The best situation is to launch a surprise attack against enemies who are distracted by teammates and looking in other directions. Powerful, rapid-fire ATGMs and good optics allow the BMD-4 to clean up multiple targets before they understand what is happening and the BMD-4 can reverse out of trouble just as fast as it came the moment it attracts any attention. The reliable 30 mm autocannon is an effective supplement for side shots and light targets and should not be disregarded, especially as self protection when the ATGM is reloading. Knocking out a MBT's tracks, damaging its barrel, and destroying pintle-mounted HMGs will allow the BMD-4 to take its time with a follow up shot.

Avoid incoming fire at all costs. This is common advice for IFVs but even more so for the BMD-4, whose armour is not even completely immune to rifle-caliber machine guns. Just about any vehicle with an autocannon or HEAT rounds can knock out the BMD-4 instantly. This makes it less suitable for defensive roles than the BMP-3, whose decent frontal armour allows it to more comfortably engage targets aware of its presence.

Another factor to note is that the BMD-4 only carries four ATGMs total, compared to the capacity of eight for the BMP-3, and these can be depleted in potentially no time at all. Make every shot count, as the BMD-4 is much less formidable without its 9M117M1s, and head back to a capture point to reload before engaging in heated combat again.

Like the BMP-3, the BMD-4 can also be used as an ad-hoc mortar vehicle by using its HE shells for long-range indirect fire with the assistance of the scout UAV. When controlling the UAV, use the squad marker or drone target designation UI features to point at a static target of interest, then switch back to controlling the BMD-4 to line up the crosshairs with the bearing of the marker. Obtain an estimate of the distance by studying the game map or comparing the target position relative to the objective markers, then fire off a few HE rounds (typically 3OF70 due to its higher muzzle velocity and explosive yield) and return to the drone view to observe the impacts; make corrections for the next salvo as needed. Use cases where this method could be worth the effort include taking down SPAA vehicles hiding in the enemy spawn and light tanks/ATGM carriers that are entrenched in tricky positions. It may also be cathartic to rain shells on contested or occupied objective points because most of the distance is already known. The BMP-3 is slightly more effective for bombardment because its autoloader can reload HE shells in just 4 seconds compared to the BMD-4's 5 seconds, but the BMD could use its enhanced mobility to sneak into better or closer positions.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Moves quite fast even when stock, can drive equally fast in either direction unlike BMPs
* Autoloader with a speedy 5 second ATGM reload, faster than most conventional tank cannons as well
* ATGMs are quick, powerful, and can be fired on the move
* HE rounds can overpressure turret roofs or be used to bombard static targets with indirect fire
* Commander has CITV with thermal optics, can still fire weapons even if the gunner was shot
* Amphibious, safe if not particularly fast travel over waterways

'''Cons:'''

* Low armour protection, hull upper front plate can be penetrated even by a 12.7 MG until movement modules are researched, which will protect BMD-4 from some frontal shots or even block overpressure
* Autoloader HE reload is slightly slower than BMP-3
* Only 3 crew members
* In AB, ATGM cannot be rearmed outside of a capture point, as BMD-4 counts as a normal tank

== History ==

===[[wt:en/news/7262-development-summer-marathon-vehicles-bmd-4-en|Devblog]]===
A complex of research aimed at increasing the combat effectiveness of the Soviet airborne combat vehicle named "Bakhcha-U" was carried out in the Tula Instrument Design Bureau in the second half of the 90's. As a result of the research, the Volgograd Tractor Plant presented an experimental BMD-4 combat vehicle with the Bakhcha-U module, which was put into service on the last day of 2004. An experimental batch of 60 vehicles was delivered to the 137th Guard Paratrooper Regiment for testing. Compared to the BMD-3, the new vehicle significantly surpassed it in terms of combat effectiveness and technical characteristics.

Much attention was paid to the complex of anti-tank armament - a 100 mm cannon-launcher could use guided missiles, including missiles with a tandem warhead. During the tests of the pilot batch, the manufacturer went bankrupt and Kurganmashzavod continued work on the vehicle. During the modernization, an improved version of the IFV was created, which entered service with the Russian army under the name BMD-4M.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_bmd_4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7262-development-summer-marathon-vehicles-bmd-4-en|[Devblog] Summer marathon vehicles: BMD-4]]

{{USSR light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

AuF1

2024-04-17T03:27:58Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Stabilizer N/A

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_30_auf_1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''AMX-30 AuF1 Canon Automoteur de 155 GCT''' is the first variant of the AMX-30 AuF1 self-propelled guns family. Although it is an entirely new family, it is closely related to the [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30 main battle tank family]], particularly the [[AMX-30 (1972)|AMX-30B]] and [[AMX-30B2]] variants. The vehicle was built on the AMX-30 main battle tank chassis to offer tactical artillery support to units in the French Army, who designated it the AMX-30 AuF1. The vehicle is mounted with a 155 mm CN 155 AuF1 howitzer and an autoloader, with a maximum range of 30 kilometres and a rate of fire of eight rounds per minute. The vehicle is equipped with 42 rounds of ammunition in combustible cartridge casings. The decision to develop a self-propelled howitzer dates back to 1969, with the first prototype produced in 1972. By 1979, seven prototypes and six pre-series vehicles had been built, followed by the manufacture of 110 vehicles. This order was later raised to a total of 190 units.

Introduced in [[Update "La Royale"]], the AMX-30 AuF1 is a robust and powerful vehicle with extremely effective shells, but it is not without cost. Owing to its low muzzle velocity, this vehicle excels in close and medium-range engagements but struggles with long-range targets. Furthermore, due to its incredibly thin armour, even heavy machine guns can destroy it, thus it is important that players have keen tactical awareness when playing such a vehicle. When utilized appropriately, this vehicle can instantly knock out even the most strongly armoured targets, and its proximity fuse shell has the potential to take out a lightly armoured vehicle even behind the cover.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The AMX-30 AuF1 has very thin armour that offers little protection against anti-tank weapons. It can only resist small arms fire such as 7.62 mm machine guns and shrapnel. The turret armour is only 20 mm thick, which makes it vulnerable to heavy machine gun fire that can easily knock out the gunner and other crew members. The engine in the rear of the hull may sometimes absorb some shots, but it is not a reliable defence.

On the other hand, the AuF1's weak armour may sometimes survive solid shot shells such as AP, APCR and APDS, but be careful - these shells may damage the vertical aiming drive even if they don't knock out the gunner, making the tank unable to fire back. Therefore, avoid getting hit and use the tank's excellent mobility to disengage.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30+8 mm (68°-76°) ''Upper'' 30 mm (45°) ''Lower'' || 20+4-20 mm ''Top'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 30 mm || 10 - 15 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (35°) ''Turret front'' 20-30 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm (79°-90°)
|-
| Cupola || 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

The AuF1 is a fast tank for its battle rating, based on the AMX-30 chassis. It has a great reverse gearbox that helps it escape from danger, and it can use smoke grenades to cover its retreat. However, it is not as fast as light tanks, and it does not accelerate as well as a [[Leopard (Family)|Leopard]] or [[STB-1]]. Therefore, it is not a good idea to rush to capture points at the beginning of the map.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,022|rbMinHp=637}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|GCT F1 (155 mm)}}

The AMX-30 AuF1 is a self-propelled howitzer that features the 155 mm CN 155 AUF1 gun, which has a high rate of fire and a long range, but lacks some options. The gun can fire three types of rounds in-game, namely:

* OE 155 56 - A standard high-explosive shell
* M107 (PF) - A high-explosive shell with a proximity fuse
* M110 - A smoke shell

The gun is mounted on a fully traversable turret with an autoloader, which enables the AMX-30 AuF1 to fire 8 rounds per minute.

The howitzer performs well, with the second fastest reload time among the cannons of its calibre and a decent muzzle velocity, faster than both the [[Type 75 SPH]] and the [[2S3M]]. However, the main HE shell is slower than both the [[G6|G6 'Rhino']] and [[Bkan 1C]], and also has less explosive filler. It can still destroy any lightly armoured vehicle with a direct hit and severely damage or destroy heavily armoured vehicles with proper aiming. For heavy targets, remember to aim at exposed positions such as the cupola or the turret cheek to destroy the tank, and if at the side, aim at the roadwheels of a the tank to finish it off.

The AuF1 also has access to the M107 (PF) shell, which is a high-explosive shell that detonates automatically when it gets close to a tank or plane, creating an explosion above the roof of the enemy vehicle, similar to a top attack missile. However, it will also detonate on any terrain feature, such as a rock, a hill, or even the ground. This, along with its 3 m trigger radius, makes it ineffective against vehicles hiding behind cover, but effective against planes. The proximity fuse only works past 300 m, so against closer targets, the shell acts like a standard HE shell, but with more explosives and a lower velocity. In these situations, it might be better to use the HE-VT shells to ensure destruction.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[GCT F1 (155 mm)|155 mm GCT F1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+66° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 8.8 || 12.2 || 14.8 || 16.4 || 17.4 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 6.0 || 7.0 || 8.5 || 9.4 || 10.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:GCT F1 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M110, OE 155 56, M107 (PF)}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 800 (200) || 575 || -10°/+45° || ±41°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

This vehicle is quite versatile and powerful with its high explosive and fuze shells, however it comes at a cost. The AuF1 is the very definition of a glass cannon: this vehicle is incredible at close and medium range engagements, but has troubles sniping long distances on account for its subpar muzzle velocity. Awareness of the battlefield is required while playing this vehicle, as it has such little armour that heavy machine guns can easily penetrate. Used right, this vehicle can be a significant asset to the battlefield as a well aimed shot can instantly take down even the most armoured of targets, and its proximity fuze shell has a chance of taking out a lightly armoured vehicle even behind cover.

On the chance that its HE shell does not incapacitate the enemy target, the fast reload speed of 7.5 seconds allows you to lob another shell to finish them off, and your speedy reverse allows you to disengage if the enemy tank starts to target you.

It is highly recommended to become familiar with large maps, as at this tank's battle rating they become far more common. Experiment on large maps using some landmarks to help with long distance aiming, and do not forget to make use of your rangefinder. However, remember that the tank possesses a subpar depression of -4 degrees, which reduces your capability to fight in hilly maps and means that you will have to expose a significant portion of your tank before you can engage an enemy.

The AuF1 has an almost unique ability to annihilate lightly armoured tanks that are hiding behind cover completely, which is usually something only an ATGM carrier can do. The HE-VT can explode over the light vehicle thanks to its proximity fuze, if it is more than 3 m above the ground and it does not detonate on a rock or other feature of the map. Additionally, the shell must still fly at least 300 m away from your tank to activate, so it will not work at close range. Additionally, these proximity fuze shells can also be used to take down aircraft in conjunction with your 12.7 mm machine gun, meaning you are not helpless against aerial threats.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Speedy 7.5 s auto-loader, reloads faster than all Soviet that you will encounter such as the T-44-100 and T-54 and most other tanks
* Unlimited ready rack, the total ammo load (42 shells) is part of the first-stage auto-loaded ammo stowage
* Relatively great mobility for an SPH with the same forward and reverse speed, thanks to a reversible gearbox
* Possess modern smoke grenades that explode in the air, allowing to disengage a sticky situation quickly
* Crew is relatively spaced out
* High-explosive shell usually one shots any tank regardless of armour, and HE-VT shell can kill planes relatively easily

'''Cons:'''

* Very large target, you will likely be targeted first
* The whole back end of the turret is an ammo rack
* Horizontal and vertical drives are very often knocked out
* Slow targeting speeds for the turret/gun
* High-explosive shell can be sometimes inconsistent, careful aiming is required at weak spots such as cupola

== History ==

The AMX-30 AuF1 is a French self-propelled gun that was developed in 1969 by Giat Industries (now Nexter) and entered service in the late 1970s. It is based on the [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30]] main battle tank chassis, and was originally designed as a replacement for the ageing Mk F3 155 mm, which lacked features such as a traversable turret and NBC protection for its crew. Additionally, the Mk F3 155 mm could also carry only two of the four crew members needed to operate it, while the other two had to be transported in support vehicles, qualities the French Government deemed unsuitable by the 1960s.

After a 9-year development period, the AMX-30 AuF1 was first delivered to the Saudi Arabian Army in 1978, which used it in the Iran–Iraq War. The French Army received its first units later, in 1980, and deployed them in regiments of 18 guns each. The AMX-30 AuF1 also saw combat with the Iraqi Army, which acquired some variants from France in July 1979.

The AMX-30 AuF1 has been upgraded several times, with improvements such as a new engine, a new transmission, and a new kinetic energy penetrator. The latest version, the AuF2, has a longer 52-calibre gun and a thermal sight.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_30_auf_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|XeURzre6VU0|'''The Shooting Range #357''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:24 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/8265-development-au-f-1-fire-fire-fire-en|[Devblog] Au F.1: Fire! Fire! Fire!]]
* [http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product574.html Army Guide- AMX 30 AuF1]

{{France tank destroyers}}

Char 25t

2024-04-17T03:27:41Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Stabilizer N/A

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_bat_chat_25t
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Batignolles-Chatillon Char 25t''' was a French early Cold War tank developed by the Batignolles-Chatillon company in 1954. The vehicle was never developed further than the two prototypes. It was built for a weight class of 25 tons, which is approximately double the weight of the AMX-13 light tanks. It was armed with a 90 mm D.911 APX tank gun and was manned by four crew members. Its top speed is 65 km/h. Despite the project being abandoned, several of the design ideas and technology were applied to subsequent French armoured vehicles. It never saw duty with the French Army.

Introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]], the Char 25t is a fast tank with minimal armour, so it is important not to engage enemy tanks in frontal combat. It is strongly encouraged to take full advantage of its superb mobility for flanking manoeuvres during battle. The tank also has an acceptable reverse speed, allowing it to quickly disengage after firing. The Char 25t can engage all but the heaviest targets at close range, while at range, it can successfully hit targets from the flank. Players using the Char 25t should always stay out of the enemy's direct line of fire. The Char 25t, like other French light tanks, has a low-profile tank with a tiny autoloader turret in the back.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The {{PAGENAME}} has more armour than other French light tanks, at steeper angles. With distance, it may be able to bounce the 40 mm Bofors, though it will be rare. The top of the tank is well armoured and will easily defeat .50 cal (12.7 mm) rounds from airborne enemies though anything bigger will go through. The sides and rear are nonexistent comparatively and anything "antitank" will go through with ease. Most APHE shells fired at thinner parts of the tank may fail to detonate inside, it may save your life once or twice but don't rely on it. The driver has a 50 mm plate in front of him so that will help once or twice. The engine may also block poorly-aimed shots.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (hull cheeks, turret base, turret, cupola)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (64°) ''Front glacis - Left'' 50 mm (64°) ''Front glacis - Right'' 50 mm (36°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm || 30 mm ''Top'' (53°) 20 mm ''Fuel Cover'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' (24°) || 30-50 mm (26°) ''Front glacis'' 20 mm ''Centre and rear'' 15 mm ''Driver's hatch''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (53-56°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (20-59°) ''Turret base'' 50 mm ''Barrel shroud'' || 25 mm ''Turret'' 30 mm (0-22°) ''Turret base'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (11-21°) ''Pivot ball'' 15 mm ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 20 mm (conical) || 20 mm (conical) ''Outer ring'' 20 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 442}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is very fast, both in top speed (even in reverse) and acceleration. With a top speed of 65 km/h and great horsepower to weight ratio, it will conquer most terrain you put it through. The wide tracks compared to its low weight are just another cherry on top. The transmission has 12 gears, 6 forward and 6 backward, and then a neutral. The reverse gears are identical to the forward gears, so driving in reverse is no problem (except for the more exposed crew). Also, the {{PAGENAME}} can neutral steer and does so rather quickly.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|D.911 APX (90 mm)}}

The gun is decent for its BR and role. Although it lacks a HEATFS shell like another vehicle near its BR, the AMX-13-90, the Char 25t carries the M82 APCBC and T33 APBC rounds.

The reload time is short, 4 seconds between shots (even with a knocked out loader). It carries 12 shots in the drum, like the AMX M4, allowing for a sustained fire at multiple enemies. Although great at post-penetration damage, the M82 round used by the Char 25t has mediocre penetration for its BR, especially when taking into account the presence of HEATFS and APDS rounds.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D.911 APX (90 mm)|90 mm D.911 APX]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 52 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+11° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:D.911 APX (90 mm)/Ammunition|T33 shot, M71A1 shell, M82 shot}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''52''' || 49 ''(+3)'' || 40 ''(+12)'' || 31 ''(+21)'' || 22 ''(+30)'' || 13 ''(+39)'' || 1 ''(+51)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 12 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As it is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 1,200 (150) || 551 || -5°/+80° || ±180°
|-
|}

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine guns makes them largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. They still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

The Char 25t is a very fast tank with little protection so engaging enemy tanks frontally is ill-advised. Thanks to its good mobility and a reversible gearbox that enables to disengage just as swiftly, it can resort to flanking to perform in combat. The Char 25t can engage all but the heaviest (e.g. IS-3) targets at close range and it can reliably engage targets from the side at range. However, remember that you are in a light tank so make sure not to be in the enemy's direct line of fire. Your engine may absorb a hit or two, but do not rely on it for survival.

The following tactics could be used proficiently with the Char 25t:

'''Long range sniper/flanker'''

Start off the match by heading for one of the flanks. If it's an open map, hide behind hills and passively scout as you drive or head for the outermost capture point. Be wary of the speedy M18 tank destroyers, any of the Sd.Kfz. 234 series, or any other quick tanks that may be trying the same thing as you. Once in a nice position (shadow cover, somewhere to retreat, nice sight lanes), sit and wait for someone to pass by. Don't stay tunnel visioned! Slower tanks may be approaching and they will be able to instantly destroy the Char 25t if it gets the chance. If you notice enemies at a far distance, first scout them using the scout key so your team knows where they are in case you miss or are destroyed. Next, either range-find, or just go for the shot if they are close enough. Neutralize the target, and either change position and then rinse and repeat.

'''Brawler'''

Surprisingly, this tank makes a decent brawler with its compact size, incredible speed, and great reload rate. Keep near the outer flanks of any main road or capture point, and drive around looking to shoot out engines/turrets. Try not to engage any heavier tank frontally, as you will be wiped out quite quickly, and you will rarely penetrate through their frontal armour. If you manage to get the first shot, you will have the superior reload for the follow-up shot, especially if their gunner is knocked out from the first shot. Be wary though, and assume the enemy always has a shot loaded, so either be prepared to go back into cover if they're gunner gets replaced.

'''Support'''

With light tanks repair mechanics, the Char 25t can help repair teammates if a friendly repair has been initiated. Stick with your teammates, especially heavier ones like the T95 or Maus which may occasionally meet. When they engage in a firefight, either flank around the enemy to disable their gun/movement, or if your teammate already finished off the enemy and is repairing, help them. Go around and help your teammates repair and disable/destroy enemies.

'''Mixed'''

Mix and match the tactics above and of other French lights. Try to flank and don't get destroyed. The roof machine gun can allow the Char 25t to harass planes trying for a ground strike at the team, so there's always a role that the Char 25t can play as.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Low profile.
* Thin armour will sometimes cause APHE to penetrate straight through without detonating.
* Frontally-placed engine may absorb some shots
* Has smoke launchers (high arc of fire).
* Can reach its top speed quite fast.
* Reversible gearbox (same speed in both directions)
* The addition of the M82 round increases the tank's effectiveness.
* Fast turret rotation.
* Good gun depression value: high gun placement make hull-down positions very efficient.
* Short reload time thanks to the 12-round autoloader: 1 shot every 4 seconds, comparable to reload times at low ranks.
* Has scouting ability and teammate repair/firefighting function.

'''Cons:'''

* Thin sides will get shredded easily by nearby SPAAs.
* Bad at stop-and-shoot due to oscillating turret design.
* Gun penetration rates are subpar at longer ranges: relies heavily on flanking manoeuvres.
* Poor gun elevation angle of 11 degrees.
* Ammo is stored everywhere, a single penetrating shot can easily cause an ammo rack detonation.
* Restocking the autoloader is very slow once it has been depleted and severely degrades combat performance.

== History ==


===Design===
The Batignolles-Châtillon 25t or project Super AMX-13 was designed in the 1950s for a weight class twice bigger than the AMX-13. It reused many parts from the AMX-13 like the oscillating turret and the autoloader. Its primary armament was a 90mm cannon capable of shooting the same ammunition as US M47 and M48 tanks. It was equipped with a 500 HP engine and could reach 65 km/h. It was operated by 4 crew members.

===Development===
Two prototypes were made in 1954 before the project was abandoned. The hurdles of the concept were the impossibility to guarantee NBC protection on the oscillating turret, the external reload of the autoloader exposing the crew during combat, an unreliable hydraulic suspension and external shot traps on the turret. Proofs of concept and technologies developed in this program were however later reused on other French tank projects, especially the AMX-30 (transmission).

===Combat usage===
As a prototype vehicle, Char 25t never saw service or combat action in the French Army.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_bat_chat_25t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ryx7Uxo_3X0|'''The Shooting Range #250''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:25 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:00 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|gI20EyYU4-M|'''Char 25t - Stock vs Spaded - First Impressions''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[AMX-13 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5713-development-char-25t-and-t-80b-en|[Devblog] Char 25t and T-80B]]
* [[wikipedia:Batignolles-Chatillon_Char_25T|[Wikipedia] Batignolles-Chatillon Char 25T]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/batignolles-chatillon-char-25t.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Bâtignolles-Chatillon Char 25 tonnes]

{{France light tanks}}

Type 99

2024-04-17T03:27:05Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ add stock turret rotation speed

{{About
| about = Japanese tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Type 99 (Disambiguation)
}}

{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_99
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Type 99 155 mm {{Annotation|SPH|Self Propelled Howitzer}}''' (99式自走155mmりゅう弾砲) is currently one of the 155 mm howitzers in JGSDF service as the direct replacement of the obsolete, shorter-barreled [[Type 75 SPH|Type 75 155 mm SPH]]. The JGSDF had already planned for a replacement of the Type 75 SPH as early as 1985; development began in 1987, with {{Annotation|MHI|Mitsubishi Heavy Industries}} responsible for the extended hull based on the chassis of what would become the [[Type 89 IFV]], while {{Annotation|JSW|Japan Steel Works}} developed the weapon systems with a domestic 155 mm L/52 howitzer. The new SPH was ready for trials in 1996, and tests were conducted in 1998, with the first four SPH units delivered to the training corps. However, due to the high unit price, the complete replacement of all Type 75 SPHs will be fulfilled by the Type 99 SPH alongside a new, wheeled Type 19 155 mm SPH.

Introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]] as the second SPH of JGSDF, the Type 99 is equipped with a Japanese NATO standard 155 mm howitzer and shares similar shells, but due to the increased length, it offers a whopping 940 m/s shell velocity. The new gun system retains the relatively fast gun traverse speed and new autoloader for faster reload; meanwhile, tank crews have to beware of the rather underpowered engine and huge size; enemy commanders can easily spot this long-nosed "lying Pinocchio" from afar.

;Nicknames

* JGSDF Abbreviation: 99HSP / SP - (Howitzer) Self-Propelled
* Public nickname: {{Annotation|ロングノーズ|Rongu Nōzu}} - Lit. "Long Nose"

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Instead of opting for NATO SPHs, the JGSDF initiated plans to develop a domestic SPH, resulting in the creation of the Type 99. The most distinctive feature of the Type 99 is its notably long 155 mm L/52 howitzer, contrasting with the short chassis based on the Type 89 IFV. This characteristic earned it the nickname "Long Nose." However, this length poses a challenge as it makes the Type 99 easily identifiable on the battlefield. With an overall length, including the barrel, measuring 11.3 m, it cannot move unnoticed unless enemies are overly focused on a specific area. The overall protection comprises 20 mm RHA plates for both the chassis and turret. This means that any .50 calibre heavy machine gun won't struggle to target the crews within 300 m, let alone autocannons at even longer ranges. Taking cover and staying behind the frontline is advisable to prolong its survival. Extra caution is needed to conceal the rear of the turret, as the last thing commanders want is to witness the detonation of the 30 shells and charges located directly behind it, creating a significant explosion.

Equipped with a mechanized loader, the Type 99 operates with a smaller crew than NATO/Warsaw Pact SPHs, numbering only four individuals. While the SPH is rather spacious, the driver and assistant loader are rather spread out while the gunner and commander are squeezed together, making for an easy collateral. This crew composition will usually result in needing at least two well-placed AP shots frontally, or one side-on hitting all three turret crew in a single shot. Other possibilities of one-shots are by overpressure, a sensitive APHE fused shell into the turret or the ammo rack.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm UFP (80°)
20 mm LFP
| 20 mm ''Top'' 20 mm ''Bottom'' ||20 mm
|20 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm ''Turret front'' 20 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 20 mm ||20 mm
|20 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

As the hull was developed from Mitsubishi's [[Type 89 IFV]] with an extended length, the Type 99 retained the identical 6SY31WA V8 engine and transmission. While the 50 km/h speed and its 12.1 hp/t ratio might not seem particularly impressive, it does offer a -30 km/h reverse speed for a quick retreat.

{{tankMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|JSW L/52 (155 mm)}}

To align with the late Cold War trend of self-propelled howitzers featuring long barrels, the Type 99 is equipped with a domestic 155 mm L/52 howitzer by JSW. The gun system boasts 30 shells in storage with an autoloader, enabling a firing rate of one shot every 7.5 seconds. Although not as rapid as the [[Bkan 1C]] at 3.2 seconds, this rate is more than sufficient for engaging tanks at its tier, which typically have longer reload times. The ballistics remain relatively straight due to its impressive 940 m/s velocity, facilitating easier long-range engagements. An area where the Type 99 excels is a supporting role.

However, caution is advised to avoid overextension, especially with the barrel exposed behind cover, as this may lead to the gun's disablement and, eventually, the Type 99 itself.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[JSW L/52 (155 mm)|155 mm JSW L/52]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 30 || rowspan="2" | -2°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 10.6 || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | 7.5
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.1 || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* M107: NATO standard 155 mm HE shell, providing a reasonable 9.1 kg TNTe explosive mass.
* M107(PF): M107, but equipped with a proximity fuse. The excellent velocity of the L/52, coupled with the proximity fuse, makes it a versatile ad-hoc AA shell.
* L15A2: The pinnacle of NATO 155 mm shells, it offers an impressive 14.8 kg TNTe explosive mass. It has the potential to obliterate even the most heavily armoured vehicles.
* M110: NATO Standard 155 mm Smoke shell.

{{:JSW L/52 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), L15A2, M110}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''30''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle
| 600 (200) || 575 || -6°/+50° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


With a very high shell velocity of 940 m/s but low armor and a high profile, the Type 99 155 mm should be played as either a sniping vehicle or an anti-air vehicle. With the L15A2 high explosive shells, which have an explosive mass of 14.8 kg of TNT, it can destroy every vehicle at its rank and higher with a well-placed shot between the hull and the turret (Even the [[Maus]] or the [[Object 279]] heavy tank). The hull of the Type 99 155 mm also has a large empty spot without any important modules, meaning that some enemy shells will just go through the hull without activating the explosive fuse, creating little to no damage. Your most problematic enemies you have to keep an eye of are other vehicles with large caliber cannons or vehicles with autocannons. Avoid artillery at any cost, since the chance of getting hit by the artillery is much higher than other tanks due to its very large profile of the Type 99 155 mm.

Since the HE shells don't have a tracer mark while firing, shooting at an enemy group from a long distance while staying near cover is the best way to go to not be seen. The Type 99’s engine has very good backward speed of 31 km/h (RB). Meaning that if a situation becomes too hot, shooting a smoke shell on the ground while driving backwards is the safest way to retreat out of a dangerous situation. Alternately, the Type 99 can be played as an excellent anti-air vehicle to shoot down planes or helicopters nearby or from long distance. The even faster reload of only 7.5 seconds (from its predecessor [[Type 75 SPH]] with its 10 seconds reload), which also stays the same when its loader gets knocked out thanks to its autoloader and a very fast shell velocity for a caliber of 155 mm can make it very deadly for enemies in the sky. But make sure to equip the M107 (PF) HE shells when doing so. The engine compartment is also frontally placed and separated by a 5 mm steel plate from the rest of the crew. Which means, that when the frontal hull gets hit, the engine can soak up the entire amount of potential damage the shell was about to unleash. Leaving the rest of the components and the crew itself unharmed. One of the major downsides of the Type 99 is the very little amount of gun depression of only -2 degrees, which can be difficult on rural and hilly maps.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Excellent shell velocity of 940 m/s (for a SPH)
** Can make the M107 (PF) a reliable AA shell
* 7.5-second auto-loader
* 30 shells in the ready rack
* 20 mm RHA armour offers a balance of protection without excessive weight
** Thin enough to avoid triggering most APHE fuses
** Effective protection against HMGs at longer ranges
* Moderate mobility with a respectable -30 km/h reverse speed
* Large and spacious
** Requires more than one penetration

'''Cons:'''

* Limited protection with 20 mm RHA armour
** Minimal defense against shell penetration
** In close-quarter combat, vulnerable to heavy machine guns
* Relatively small crew size
* Large and easily recognizable target
** Very long barrel can be exposed when positioned behind cover
** only -2 degrees of gun depression can be very difficult on maps with hills

== History ==

=== Development ===
The previous [[Type 75 SPH|Type 75 self-propelled 155 mm howitzer]], which was formalized in 1975, has a maximum range of only 19 km even when using specially developed long-range ammo. On the other hand, the towed 155 mm howitzer FH-70 (jointly developed by Britain, West Germany and Italy), which began licensed production in 1983, has a maximum range of 30 km when using base-bleed ammunition. Even the French-made 120 mm towed mortar RT, which is deployed in infantry units, reaches a maximum range of 13 km when using rocket-assisted propellant. Maximum range stands as one of the most pivotal characteristics of artillery; thus, the maximum range of the Type 75 self-propelled howitzer fell short of contemporary standards, irrespective of its developmental era.

Consequently, development on the soon-to-be Type 99 SPH commenced in 1985. Initially, the sole consideration for the upgrade was to replace the Type 75's 155 mm L/30 with a longer L/39 calibre gun. However, as project requirements evolved, including the integration of a new fire control system and systematically newer features, the entire project underwent redevelopment in 1987, utilizing an adapted hull from a prototype [[Type 89 IFV]].

{{Annotation|JSW|Japan Steel Works}}, serving as the main contractor, spearheaded the development of the turret and cannon, collaborating with Mitsubishi overseeing the hull, Asahi Kasei for the entire shell, Nippon Yushi for the inner cylinder of the shell, and Hitachi for the ammunition carrier/loader. By 1996, the design phase of the vehicle concluded, with over 5 billion yen invested. Subsequently, technical and practical tests ensued with four proto-production vehicles. Upon the completion of all testing by 1998, the 4 vehicles were allocated to training divisions in 1999, officially marking the adoption of the "Type 99 self-propelled 155 mm howitzer".

=== Usage ===
The Type 99 SPH boasts a maximum firing range of approximately 30 km, surpassing that of the Type 75 SPH by more than 1.5 times. When equipped with the Type 93 Long-Range shell (base-bleed), the maximum range extends to approximately 40 km. Notably, a Type 03 Multi-Purpose shell (Cluster) was once developed and deployed, featuring submunitions with explosive charges capable of eliminating lightly armoured vehicles within a radius of approximately 100 m. However, this ammunition type was discontinued due to its violation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Despite using an auto-loader, the Type 99 SPH offers enhanced flexibility, allowing loading at any angle. This results in faster loading compared to the Type 75, which required the main gun to be returned to a fixed angle for loading. Additionally, unlike the Type 75, which exclusively automatically loaded warheads, with charges manually loaded afterwards, the Type 99 is automatically loaded with uni-charged shells. With a maximum firing rate exceeding 6 rounds per minute and over 18 rounds per 3 minutes, it showcases a significant improvement in firepower.

Furthermore, the Type 99 ammunition feeder, exclusively developed for this vehicle, can be connected behind the hatch on the right rear of the turret. This configuration enables the automatic replenishment of ammunition, further enhancing the continuous rate of fire.

=== Replacement ===
While the initial objective of the Type 99 SPH was to replace the earlier [[Type 75 SPH]], the unit cost, reaching the extremely high approximate 960 million yen per unit, has limited manufacturing and procurement to a range of 6 to 8 vehicles annually. Failing on the complete replacement, a more cost-effective alternative emerged in the form of the Type 19 self-propelled 155 mm howitzer. Designed to replace the Japanese inventory of FH-70 towed howitzers, it shares the same advanced gun technology as the Type 99.

The Type 19, however, is not a direct replacement for its mechanized counterpart but serves as a supplement. Its primary role is to replace motorized artillery. Since its assignment to training corps in 2019, deployment to active units commenced in 2023.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_99 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|a4pkpdAORXw|Type 99 SPH - Testing|8fzbY512SUo|Type 99 SPH - Auto-Loader|M6b8-pzq4cM|Type 99 SPH - Fuji Firing Range, 2013}}

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[Type 75 SPH]]
* [[Type 89 IFV]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[VIDAR]]
* [[AuF1|AMX-30 AuF1]]
* [[Bkan 1C]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Japan tank destroyers}}

BMP-3

2024-04-17T03:11:34Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ correct reloading rate

{{About
| about = Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_bmp_3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_Sodema.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (Object 688M) was a Soviet IFV designed with the intent of fulfilling a dual role of transporting infantry and providing heavy firepower support on the battlefield. Its development began in the 1970s, when engineers at Kurganmashzavod first came up with the idea, and it continued through the 1980s. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1987, becoming an integral part of their armoured units. One of the most notable differences between the {{Specs|name}} and its predecessor, the [[BMP-2]], is the weaponry. While the BMP-2 was armed with a 30 mm 2A42 autocannon and the [[9M113 Konkurs]] ATGM, the {{Specs|name}} boasted much more potent armament. Its 100 mm 2A70 semi-automatic cannon, in combination with a 30 mm 2A72 autocannon, gave it an edge in both anti-armour capabilities and fire support. Throughout its relatively brief service in the Soviet Union, the {{Specs|name}} proved successful in its intended roles. It later served in the Russian military and was exported to a number of other nations.

The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]] as a high-tier IFV. It uses its main cannon to fire ATGMs, in contrast to earlier BMP variants. However, there is the option to select HE shells for engaging lighter targets and the convenience of a quicker reload time compared to the ATGMs. Apart from that, the {{Specs|name}} still retains the capabilities of earlier variants, notably the BMP-2.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The BMP-3 is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), and has comparable armour to other IFVs. It uses special alloys in its construction, which are not equivalent to Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA, this is the type of armour that ammunition displays penetration against on stat cards). The front of the BMP-3 has about 50 mm of armour with an additional fuel tank behind this armour. This protects it against any machine gun and some small cannon rounds such as 20 mm, but it will be penetrated by any IFV autocannon that it might face. The front turret armour has similar levels of protection. The side armour is even worse, at only about 20 mm RHA effectiveness, it will be penetrated by .50 calibre ammunition.

The survivability of the BMP-3 is very low. It has only 3 crew members who are closely spaced together. This means that most penetrating rounds will destroy the BMP-3 in one shot. Additionally, the BMP-3 is subject to the overpressure mechanic, so it will often be destroyed instantly when a large-calibre HE round detonates next to it. There are some empty spaces in the BMP-3 like the fuel tank in the front or the area in the back above the engine (where infantry would sit), but these would only be hit when directly side on with an enemy.

'''Armour type:'''

* Alloy ABT-102 - Main
* High hardness rolled armour - Trim Vane and Turret Applique

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (31°) + 12 mm + 10 mm ''Upper Glacis'' 60 mm (51°) + 10 mm ''Lower Glacis'' || 60 mm ''Upper Front'' 43 mm ''Upper Rear'' 43 mm ''Lower'' || 43 mm || 15 - 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (47°) - 50 mm (42°) +16 mm ''Turret front'' 70 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50 mm + 16 mm ''Frontal side'' 43 mm ''Rear side'' || 43 mm || 18 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" | 20 mm || 18 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Turret Ring - 43 mm
* Fenders - 4 mm
* Tracks and Suspension - 10 mm
* There is a 100 mm thick log on the left side.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|2A72 (30 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A72 (30 mm)|30 mm 2A72]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 500 (250) || rowspan="2" | 330 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 33.3 || 46.1 || 56.0 || 61.9 || 65.9 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.5 || 29.8 || 32.9 || 35.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''30 mm HE:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APT:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}
* '''30 mm APDS:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}

{{:2A72 (30 mm)/Ammunition|HEF-T*, AP-T, HEF-I*, APDS}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''2''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A70 (100 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[2A70 (100 mm)|100 mm 2A70]] || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 48 || N/A || N/A || Two-plane || 4.00 || 4.00 || 4.00 || 4.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:2A70 (100 mm)/Ammunition|3OF32, 3OF70, 9M117, 9M117M1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''48''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


'''Stock:'''

When stock the BMP-3 will face many challenges. Many of the strongest tools the BMP-3 has available are locked behind modifications, most importantly, the Thermal sight and APDS 30 mm ammunition belt. Stock BMP-3 commanders have two options available to them: Stay in the back line and use the ATGM or try and brawl up close with the 30 mm. Unfortunately, the 30 mm only has 65 mm of penetration when stock, so up-close brawling is not an ideal strategy. Additionally, the ATGM reload is rather slow. These will be a challenge to overcome when spading this vehicle.

'''Spaded:'''

When spaded the BMP-3 has access to a variety of powerful tools. The tandem warhead ATGM has excellent speed and penetration, although it still has a slow reload. The tandem warhead can easily penetrate even vehicles protected by ERA bricks. The APDS belts on the 30 mm can easily penetrate the sides of most western MBTs. The thermals can even see through the ESS that the BMP-3 can lay down, so this may be used against vehicles without thermals. Despite these advantages, BMP-3 commanders should play carefully, as the ATGM reload still means that engaging more than one target at once will likely end in a quick trip back to the hangar. This is not helped by the fact that the BMP-3 has little in terms of armour and survivability. The two strategies that will be most effective for the BMP-3 are to either try and flank enemies and take them on one by one up close, or use tandem warhead ATGMs to engage at longer ranges. However, long range engagements will not result in many kills, because enemies may have a chance to move to cover before the ATGM has reloaded. Sometimes it would be better to use your better HE shell (3OF70) and fire them at enemy's that are hull down or completely covered by objects like rocks. This works perfect in maps with opposing sniper spots or when see the radar of a SPAA in their safe zone. The low muzzle velocity combined with laser rangefinder allows to make shots that are impossible to do for other vehicles.
The BMP-3 has few upsides to comparable tanks (BMP-2M) and many severe downsides and requires a very passive type playstyle to use effectively.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High manoeuvrability
* Quick follow-up with 30 mm armament
* Amphibious
* Hydropneumatic suspension
* ATGM rounds with tandem warheads
* Generation 2 thermal sight for gunner
* High gun elevation (60°)
* 4 second autoloader when using HE

'''Cons:'''

* Large profile
* HE rounds have little penetration or damage
* HE rounds have low muzzle velocity
* Reload rate for ATGM is slower than HE rounds (23s)
* Lack of commander thermal sights causes tunnel vision
* Poor Survivability

== History ==

'''Development'''

The Object 685 light tank design was created in 1975. It was an amphibious light tank armed with a 100 mm cannon. The Object 685 never received any production orders, but the chassis and engine from the Object 685 would become the basis of the Object 688 infantry fighting vehicle. The Object 688 would become the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle.

'''Design'''

The hull has a similar shape to the BMP-1 and BMP-2 but the internal layout is different. The engine was placed at the rear right side of the vehicle, the driver sat at the front center, two infantry behind him, then the two man turret, and then the crew compartment at the rear. To dismount the vehicle, the infantry had to climb over the engine and out the rear doors. The armour protection is against 30 mm autocannon rounds at the front and 12.7 mm machine gun rounds on the sides and rear, when add-on armour kits are added. There are ERA kits that can be equipped as well. Main armament consists of a 2A70 100 mm gun - which can fire ATGMs - and a co-axial 2A72 30 mm autocannon. Secondary armament consists of a co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun. The armament is housed in a round, centrally mounted, turret. Power is provided by a UTD-29 450 hp engine, while later in production it received a UTD-29M 500 hp engine. The BMP-3 is also amphibious, propelled by its spinning tracks.

'''Service and Production'''

Over 2,000 BMP-3's have been produced, seeing combat in several conflicts. The BMP-3 has seen significant export, and has many modifications and variants. It is intended to be replaced by the Kurganets-25 in service.

=== [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|Devblog]] ===
In the late 70s, the Kurganmashzavod factory started developing a new infantry fighting vehicle to replace the BMP-1. The vehicle got a new experimental light tank chassis. The first models were supposed to be equipped with a 30 mm cannon as its primary weapon, as well as grenade launchers, machine guns, and ATGM launchers. The military considered the vehicle's armament to be insufficient and said that it offered no real advantage over the BMP-1. In order to correct the situation, the Tula-based engineers suggested a new turret with the following armament: a rifled 100 mm semi-automatic cannon (also an ATGM launcher), a 30 mm automatic cannon, and a PKT machine gun.

The vehicle successfully underwent testing in this state, and in 1987, was accepted into the Soviet Army with the designation BMP-3. Since then, this combat vehicle has been used by the Russian Army and over ten other countries, with especially large quantities being purchased by the United Arab Emirates where the vehicle was chosen over the Bradley and Warrior. The BMP-3 is constantly being upgraded and is still considered one of the best combat vehicles of its class in the world.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_bmp_3 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|25_5geR39Zw|'''BMP Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 06:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|HyNN2mYm1y0|'''Top Tier Potato Launcher - BMP-3''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|wbjuu5lOTPg|'''BMP-3 - BMP-2 IMO Is Better''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6428-development-bmp-3-helping-hand-en|[Development] BMP-3 - Helping hand]]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* David B. (2017, June 18). BMP-3. Tank Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/soviet/bmp-3.php
* BMP-3. (2020, April 19). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMP-3&oldid=951891576

{{USSR light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

Strf 9040B

2024-04-17T02:45:01Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Swedish light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = CV90 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strf_90b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Ground Breaking"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=852|rbMinHp=486}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|akan m/70B (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[akan m/70B (40 mm)|40 mm akan m/70B]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 234 || rowspan="2" | 300 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+27° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 33.2 || 46.0 || 55.8 || 61.7 || 65.7 || rowspan="2" | 0.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.4 || 29.7 || 32.8 || 34.9
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:akan m/70B (40 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/90, slsgr m/90, kulsgr m/90}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''234''' || 186 ''(+48)'' || 138 ''(+96)'' || 90 ''(+144)'' || 72 ''(+162)'' || 24 ''(+210)'' || 0 ''(+234)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|ksp 39 C (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 39 C (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 39 C]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,000 (250) || 500 || -5°/+10° || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great manoeuvrability
* Adequate rapid-fire automatic 40 mm cannon
* Low profile

'''Cons:'''

* Lacking better APFDS slpprj m/01 rounds
* Little protection
* 24-round fast-loading magazine

== History ==

The Strf 9040B was an updated version of the 9040A, it was updated to meet modern standards at the time installing such things as a fully stabilized gun as well as incorporating new electronic systems. They also made the suspension better as to improve accuracy on the move as well as crew confort. The gun was also upgraded going from the Bofors automatkanon m/70Bb to the Bofors automatkanon m/70Bc that added an electronic firing pin to improve the accuracy of shots. The model was introduced October 1999 and the Swedish armed forces bought about 44 of the 9040B model.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strf_90b Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|u71UwetDO30|'''The Shooting Range #282''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;[[CV90 (Family)|Related Development]]

* [[Strf 9040 BILL]]
* [[Lvkv 9040C]]
* [[Strf 9040C]]

;Similar roles

*[[Type 89 IFV]]
*[[BMP-2]]
*[[Warrior]]
*[[M3 Bradley]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer BAE Systems AB}}
{{Sweden light tanks}}

CV 90120

2024-04-17T02:44:22Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Swedish light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = CV90 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_cv_90120
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

After the successful development of the CV 90105, its manufacturer decided to start the development of its successor, still working with the CV 90 chassis as a basis but with a 120 mm cannon designed by SW Swiss Ordnance Enterprise Corporation to increase the tank's firepower to MBT levels. The design remained focused on reducing weight and increasing speed, considering the tank relied on its speed and good fire control systems to survive. The vehicle is still in development and being improved, even after the design was finished, its final version was shown at an arms exhibition in 2011.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. The '''{{Specs|name}}''' builds upon the legacy of the CV 90105, with a more powerful cannon, a very quick reload rate thanks to its autoloader and barely enough armour to hold itself against HMG AP shots from the front. The tank is thus vulnerable to autocannon fire and 12.7 mm HMGs can penetrate the side armour. However, it does feature one of the best fire control systems in the game, with excellent third generation optics for both gunner and commander, and the commander's CITV having a very good zoom, up to 24.0x magnification.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The CV 90120 combines the Combat Vehicle 90's chassis with a new turret with a 120 mm CTG cannon. As a result, armour is barely present and can only withstand heavy machine gun from the front. Even autocannons can penetrate its turret and 12.7 mm machine guns can cut clean through its side armour. Also be aware, your main goal should be to not receive any enemy fire.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, underbody)
* Composite armour (applique armour on hull)
* Rubber-fabric screens (side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (78°) ''Upper glacis'' 20 + 20 mm (29°) ''Middle'' 20 mm (41-52°) ''Lower glacis'' 20 mm (38°) ''Driver hatch'' || 6 + 20 mm ''Top'' 10 + 5 mm ''Bottom'' || 20 mm (16°) || 20 mm (88°)
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (2-74°) ''Cheeks'' 35 mm (28-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' 10 mm (9°) ''Gunner optics'' || 20 mm (12°, 42°) || 20 mm (8-15°) || 20 mm (82-88°)
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Side skirts are 5 mm thick, and the underbody is 9 mm thick.
* Additional composite armour plates on the hull are 20 mm thick.
* Engine, radiator and external fuel tank are separated from the crew compartment by several 10 mm thick of internal RHA screens.
* A 10 mm thick of internal RHA screen is set in front of the driver to protect it from small fragments.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,240|rbMinHp=708}}

Despite beating other top-tier vehicles with incredible mobility, the {{PAGENAME}} achieves comparatively fast speeds on all types of terrain, even when stock. This makes it a lot easier to grind the vehicle, as most priority goes into getting the powerful m/95 round. The {{PAGENAME}} reaches speeds of just around 50 km/h quite often, and finds little to no trouble manoeuvring. Another upside is the gearbox, which allows the {{PAGENAME}} to move almost equally as fast in reverse. The vehicle is fast, and due to the lack of add-on-armour compared to the prior [[Strf 9040C]], the {{PAGENAME}} is actually lighter than the 40 mm variant before it. In addition, it gets an upgraded DI16 engine with 120 more horsepower, which results in improved power and torque. Although not comparable to tanks such as the [[Strv 121]] in terms of acceleration, the {{PAGENAME}} can definitively stand its own ground in poor conditions.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|CTG (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[CTG (120 mm)|120 mm CTG]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 45 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:CTG (120 mm)/Ammunition|DM12A1, DM23, slsgr m/95, slpprj m/95}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''45''' || 26 ''(+19)'' || 13 ''(+32)'' || 7 ''(+38)'' || 1 ''(+44)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note:'''

* The autoloader magazine contains 12 rounds.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|ksp 88 (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 88 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm ksp 88]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The CV 90120 has minimal armour only meant to withstand small arms fire and indirect shrapnel. Despite this, it's rather versatile due to its mobility, reload, and the powerful slpprj m/95 round. Your playstyle can make use of the autoloader, the m/95 round, 3rd gen thermals, and LWS (laser warning system) to snipe at long ranges (along with the added benefit of the CV 90120's mobility to reposition or get to sniping spots quicker), or you can make aggressive flanks to utilize the 5-second reload and take out or disable enemies before they can even react. Try to stay away from the frontline as your armour is effectively useless no matter the range. Its incredible reverse speed and acceleration will always make it easy to dip in and out of cover, retreat when damaged, or to simply reposition yourself, and with its autoloader, you can afford to lose a crewmember (during a firefight) while retaining all combat efficiency. With the slpprj m/95 round, you can penetrate almost all vehicle in the game from the front at any range (excluding areas such as the turret cheeks on the Leopard 2A5 series and M1A2, and some areas of Russian MBTs). The stock shell is a HEAT-FS shell and the DM23 APFSDS round is a tier I modification. Although entirely usable, it is subpar compared to m/95 round, but holds its own against tanks at its BR until a better round is available. You will just have to play more passively and know how to hit weak spots at longer ranges. Use your mobility to flank on large maps such as Maginot Line and (if you have them researched) use your powerful thermal optics to acquire and destroy a target. If the enemy is looking at you and you are too close, reposition and try to make them lose focus on you. By playing more to your strengths and keeping your weaknesses in mind more than you would a normal MBT, you can make the most of this vehicle.

With a reload of 5 seconds, it shares a quick reload with the aced [[Challenger 2]] and the aced [[IPM1|105 mm Abrams]], beating the [[Leclerc]] and any other tank's aced crew. Only the [[Type 90]] and [[Type 10]] beat its reload. This means that if you get the first shot off, and either their return shot misses or you disable their cannon, you can quickly take them out before they have a chance to fire again. Once spaded, it packs an insane amount of firepower for a light tank, dishing out 600 mm of penetration downrange every five seconds, and can cripple distracted players.

The CV 90120 has the commander sight feature with a powerful zoom (24x). With the laser rangefinder and thermals, this enables players to swiftly acquire and fire at enemy players and thus enhances the CV 90120's potential in long-range engagements.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun and reload, with access to the slpprj m/95 round, the Swedish designation of the CL3143/M322
* Adequate mobility enabling you to get to an early game position and quickly change positions if spotted or injured
* The weak armour may reduce the amount of spalling caused by being hit by enemy shells
* Being a light tank, it has access to scouting and the "Airstrike" modification (reduced spawn cost for friendlies destroying enemy tanks you've scouted)
* Equipped with an autoloader: reload takes place even while extinguishing a fire or if a crew member gets knocked out
* Short reload time, at 5 seconds
* Insane firepower for a light tank - no other light tank has access to a 120 mm gun that can penetrate over 600 mm of armour
* Outstanding optics: 24x zoom for commander, great FOV, with third generation thermals for both gunner and commander
* If you only bring 13 shells, the hull space directly under the turret will be empty, which could render poorly placed shots meaningless (though it would be somewhat inadvisable due to the 5 second reload, potentially starving you of ammo).

'''Cons:'''

* Nonexistent armour, can be penetrated by heavy machine guns on the side and autocannons in the front
* Vulnerable to overpressure damage
* No top machine gun for anti-helicopter and aircraft defence
* The slpprj m/95 round is a tier IV modification and will take some time to get access to it
* Difficult to hide due to the doorknob-shaped commander's optic on the roof of the turret
* Taller and longer profile compared to all other tanks with the CV90 chassis
* Turret is mounted far back on the hull: it can be a little awkward peeking backwards, but exposing the entire hull can be dangerous
* Its speed, combined with its somewhat slow vertical turret-traverse rate, can make firing on the move over rough terrain difficult.

== History ==

'''Background'''

After the [[CV 90105 TML]] project, Hägglunds began their own private venture to develop the light tank of the future. Working from their CV 90 chassis, they began tinkering with the Swiss Ordnance 120 mm Smoothbore cannon, to achieve MBT grade firepower. The design principle behind the project was that the vehicle wouldn't require armour if it had the capability to destroy targets before being fired upon. The tank was revealed in the summer of 1998 at the EUROSATORY defence exhibition in Paris. This version was a prototype however, as it took Hägglunds 3 more years to finalize the design. The vehicle would be known as the CV 90120, and is one of the most passionate projects launched by Hägglunds.
[[File:CV 90120-T.jpg|thumb|CV 90120-T in low visibility summer camouflage.]]
'''Design'''

The CV 90120 is incredibly light for its weaponry, coming in at just below 20 tonnes excluding the weaponry. The challenge when designing the tank was transferring the recoil from a gun that size, into the chassis, without damaging the tank. The gun was specifically modified and picked for this problem. the CTG (Compact Tank Gun) 120/L50 Smoothbore managed to solve this issue thanks to the lightweight design and strong structure. The gun is semi auto-loaded from the rear of the turret, with reserve ammunition stored in the rear of the chassis, which was previously used as troop transport in the prior CV 90. Later variants, such as the CV 90120-T, the variant reflected in game, would see novel features such as generation 3 thermal imaging, along with smoke grenades, and commanders thermals provided by SAAB.

'''Future development'''

Hägglunds was bought by Alvis Ltd. in 1997, and later by BAE Systems in 2004. Despite this, the project has continued development. The latest version was revealed in 2011, known as the CV 90120 Ghost. This version is still being worked on, despite lacking any sort of customers. No matter the fate of the vehicle, Hägglunds seem convinced that the future of tank combat isn't survivability, but rather visibility. The CV 90120 Ghost has side-skirts capable of adapting its thermal imaging to look like something else, and the chassis is shaped to reflect radar signature. Hägglunds has made it perfectly clear what their vision on the future is, and along with the Polish PL-01 based on the same chassis, the vehicle remains a concept waiting to prove itself right.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_cv_90120 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|48cZtb2k40s|'''Should You Grind The CV 90 120?''' - ''Sako Sniper''|Xme5HO8098Q|'''Swedish Doom Cannon! - CV90120''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|YVbmeJ4HGVY|'''CV 90120 - Deadliest Light Tank In WT ATM - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|YIPHzv54GQw|'''The Shooting Range #197''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:33 discusses the CV 90120.|x4MI7OsUYsQ|'''CV 90120 The True Glass Cannon!''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer BAE Systems AB}}
{{Sweden light tanks}}

Strf 9040C

2024-04-17T02:44:06Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Swedish light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = CV90 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strf_90c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a modernized version of the Strf 9040, developed by BAE Systems Hägglunds in Sweden. Compared to the A and B versions, the {{PAGENAME}} comes with a new turret with improved protection, enhancing the survivability and situational awareness of the crew. It was also equipped with air conditioning that made it more comfortable for the crew to be deployed in warmer climates and for more international usage.

The {{PAGENAME}} was introduced along with the initial Swedish ground tree in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. Having high mobility in all terrains and a fast-firing autocannon, it is an excellent nimble and hard-hitting light tank for the Swedish line-up. Compared to most IFVs found in the game, the {{PAGENAME}} is quite different to its peers. The tank has no anti-tank missiles, and sits at the highest ranks, facing vehicles other IFVs never get to experience. This is due to the design of the vehicle, as the {{PAGENAME}} features a reliable 40 mm Bofors cannon which should be familiar to most players. However, this cannon fires APFSDS, capable of shredding any opponent from the side, even frontally in some cases. This compensates for the lack of missiles, and results in a highly versatile vehicle capable of disposing of several opponents at once, as it can fire up to 24 shells in the span of 12 seconds.

If the anti-tank capabilities weren't enough, the cannon features proximity-fused HE shells, capable of tearing apart any unsuspecting aerial opponent. This feature is incredibly useful in higher tiers, as close-range helicopters and attacking planes are incredibly common. Despite the {{PAGENAME}} lacking any form of radar equipment compared to its SPAA counterpart, the [[Lvkv 9040C]], the tank can still effectively deal with aerial targets, especially at closer ranges.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The tank has a decent amount of armour for a light Tank. The tank is nearly completely covered with composite screens effective against chemical rounds.

The upper front hull is a heavily sloped 20 mm thick plate covered with composite screens. The lower plate is 20 mm thick and only covered on the upper half with a composite screen. In the front of the vehicle is located the engine and transmission that can absorb any round that may go through the composite screen. Between the engine and the crew compartment stands a 10 mm thick inner plate that stops most shrapnel that could come from a penetrating shell. The upper side has an outer 6 mm plate and an inner 10 mm plate, both behind a 160 mm composite screen. The lower side has only a 10 mm thick plate that is partly behind the sprocket system that adds another 30 mm and also behind an 80 mm thick composite screen. The rear of the hull is only a 20 mm thick plate.

The turret is completely covered in 20 mm RHA plates except for the gun mantlet which is 35 mm thick. The Turret is covered from the front to 2/3 of the sides with composite screens. The turret roof is only 20 mm thick.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Structural steel (storage boxes)
* Composite screen (external armour)
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 + 85** mm (78°) ''Upper glacis'' 20 mm (29°) + (100-500)$** mm (58-67°) ''Junction of glacis'' 20 mm (46-71°) ''Lower glacis'' 20 mm (39°) ''Driver hatch'' || 6 + 160** mm ''Top'' 10 + 80** mm ''Bottom''|| 20 mm (16°) || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (50°) + (100-380)$** mm (10-75°) ''Cheeks'' 35 mm (0-5°) ''Gun mantlet'' 20 mm (7°, 22°) + (500-800)$** mm (1°, 59°) ''Edge'' || 20 mm (8°) + (160-260)$** mm (10-26°) || 20 mm (10°) || 20 mm
|-
|Cupola || colspan="4" |30 mm ''(Cylindrical)''
|-
|}
<nowiki>**</nowiki> Composite screens <nowiki>$</nowiki> Variable thickness armour

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* There are several 10 mm thick internal RHA screens around the engine compartment and in front of the driver which can protect them from small fragments. There is also a 10 mm thick internal RHA screen at each upper section of the hull sides.
* There are several plates of spall liner around the driver compartment and at the sides, rear and the top of the hull.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=852|rbMinHp=486}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|akan m/70B (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[akan m/70B (40 mm)|40 mm akan m/70B]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 234 || rowspan="2" | 300 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+27° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 33.2 || 46.0 || 55.8 || 61.7 || 65.7 || rowspan="2" | 0.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.4 || 29.7 || 32.8 || 34.9
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:akan m/70B (40 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/90, slsgr m/90, kulsgr m/90, slpprj m/01}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''234''' || 186 ''(+48)'' || 138 ''(+96)'' || 90 ''(+144)'' || 72 ''(+162)'' || 24 ''(+210)'' || 0 ''(+234)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 6* (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 24 shells.
** This racks get filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader with at least 1 shell.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 6*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
** The first-stage ammo stowage needs 3 second to start reloading, then 3 seconds to reload one bullet, then more 3 seconds to start reloading the first-stage again, taking more than 1 minute between the last shot and being full again so trigger discipline is a must.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|ksp 58 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 58]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (250) || 600 || -8°/+20° || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Flanking or very carefully aimed shots are key as none of the 9040C's ammo types can penetrate the frontal armour of most MBTs found at the BR, but its high rate of fire means that penetrations are quickly lethal. Since the magazine carries 24 rounds, it is advisable to fire the weapon in burst of either four or eight rounds with an interval of 2 - 4 seconds in between, especially at range.

However, the vehicle's low armour and relatively average speed mean that patience and caution will be what keep you alive long enough to actually ''get'' those kills.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Rapid-fire 40 mm gun with APFSDS
* Shreds enemy tanks from the sides
* HE-VT useful against helicopters
* Very mobile
* Low profile
* Deadly in flanking manoeuvres

'''Cons:'''

* Susceptible to overpressure
* Speed is not too impressive when compared to other top-tier tanks
* Slpprj m/01 modification with a rather expensive ammo cost per round that will add up
* The restocking time of the autoloader magazine is very slow, taking about a minute to be at full capacity again
* Most MBTs' barrels still take 3-5 shots to break completely, leaving more than enough time for the enemy to react, so you need to plan your shoots carefully

== History ==


In 1983, the Combat Vehicle 90 group was created by representatives from many Swedish producers for high mobility vehicles with air defence and anti-tank capabilities in mind. In 1985, the chassis saw development and the first orders for the 40 mm Bofors cannons were done. A year later, in 1986 the prototypes for the Strf 9040 and Strf 9025 were ordered. The prototypes arrived in 1988. The vehicle entered full production in 1993 and is still produced to the present day.<ref name="fmv" />

In 2002 Stridsfordon 9040 "Ceasar" were deployed to the army, "Ceasar" version came with improvements by adding a new machinegun the [[Ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|Ksp 58]] compared to the previous versions that used the [[Ksp 39 C (7.62 mm)|Ksp 39]] over the machine gun the Strf 9040C also got an air conditioner built in for more international use where it could be deployed to warmer climates than used to in Sweden.

One of the Major differences between the "Bertil" version and the "Ceasar" version is the difference in overall protection for the vehicle, "Bertil" version on its 23,1 tonnage compared to the "Ceasar" version landed on 28 tonnage, this is due to the improvements of survivability by adding mine protection under the hull, splinter protection for the crew inside, Add-on armour on the outside with modules that heightens the protection of the chassis itself. all the periscopes also got upgraded with laser filtering. Due to the additional weight of the modifications of Strf 9040C, it decreased the troop carrying capabilities limiting it from 8 to 6 soldiers only.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strf_90c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:19 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;[[CV90 (Family)|Related Development]]

* [[Strf 9040 BILL]]
* [[Strf 9040B]]
* [[Lvkv 9040C]]

;Similar role

* [[M3 Bradley]]
* [[BMP-2]]
* [[Warrior]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Combat_Vehicle_90|[Wikipedia] Combat Vehicle 90]]

=== References ===

;Citations
<references>
<ref name="fmv">https://web.archive.org/web/20131016061332/http://www.fmv.se/sv/Projekt/Stridsfordon-90/Milstolpar/</ref>
</references>

{{TankManufacturer BAE Systems AB}}
{{Sweden light tanks}}

Lvkv 9040C

2024-04-17T02:43:41Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Swedish SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = CV90 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_lvkv_90c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==


The '''Luftvärnskanonvagn (Lvkv) 9040C''' is one of the many variations of the CV90, designed mainly to combat enemy aircraft and attack helicopters. Delivered in 1997 to the army, giving them a vehicle that can keep up with other units during an advance where they can be deployed fast to provide to infantry and other combat units with cover from hostile air units. The Swedish army ordered 30 of the Lvkv 90 variant, only 3 of them were upgraded to the "Cesar" standard for international use.

Introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]], the '''{{Specs|name}}''' has very similar performance to other Strf 90 IFVs. It's capable of engaging both air and ground targets effectively. Its 40 mm cannon has a slow rate of fire, and a small magazine with only 24 shots, so shots need to be precise in order to save ammo and guarantee a kill. However, it could be considered quite poor as an SPAA and a light tank, since it lacks the mobility and ATGMs found in other light tanks like the BMP-2M and Bradley IFV. And as an SPAA, it has no access to anti-air missiles, it does have access to HE-VT shells, but those are not available stock, and attacking aircraft with regular HE shells may prove challenging.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The armour of the {{PAGENAME}} is best considered to be non-existent. This turns out to work to its benefit however, as the lack of armour can often prevent the vehicle from being outright destroyed upon a first strike, leaving the player a few seconds to retaliate. The turret, hull, and front upper plate all boast a few mm of composite armour which does help against smaller caliber machine guns, however you are still very vulnerable to enemy CAS, IFVs, and MBTs.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola roof)
* Composite screen (Hull front, Hull sides, Turret front)
* Fibre-glass (Radome)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || (75-85)*+20+10 mm (78°) ''Front glacis'' 485*+20 mm (29-52°) ''Lower glacis'' || 160*+6+10 mm ''Top'' 80*+10 mm ''Bottom'' || 20 mm (16-17°) 10 mm ''Sponsons'' || 20 mm 6 mm ''Sponsons''
|-
| Turret || 495*+20 mm (1-52°) ''Turret front'' 35 mm (1-89°) ''Gun mantlet'' || (200-280)*+20 mm (7-21°) || 20 mm (9°) || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Composite screens
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* There are several 10 mm thick internal RHA screens around the engine compartment and in front of the driver which can protect them from small fragments. There is also a 10 mm thick internal RHA screen at each upper section of the hull sides.
* The fibre-glass radome is 5 mm thick.
* There are several plates of spall liner in front of the driver and at the sides, rear and the top of the hull.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=781|rbMinHp=486}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|akan m/70B (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[akan m/70B (40 mm)|40 mm akan m/70B]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 234 || rowspan="2" | 300 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+50° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 30.7 || 42.5 || 51.7 || 57.1 || 60.8 || rowspan="2" | 0.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.4 || 29.7 || 32.8 || 34.9
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:akan m/70B (40 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/90, slsgr m/90, kulsgr m/90}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Strf_9040C.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the [[Strf 9040C]] (identical)]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''234''' || 186 ''(+48)'' || 138 ''(+96)'' || 90 ''(+144)'' || 72 ''(+162)'' || 24 ''(+210)'' || 0 ''(+234)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|ksp 58 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 58]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (250) || 600 || -8°/+20° || -
|-
|}

=== Radar ===
The {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with a search radar and a tracking IRST. The search radar can switch its scope scale from 7 km to 15 km. It uses an electro-optical targeting system to help itself fight the locked hostile aircraft without triggering their LWS.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="5" | Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Detection Range|The range, below which, a target cannot be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum relative speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be detectable by the radar}}
|-
| __ m || __ m || 360° || 18° || __ m/s (__ km/h)
|-
! colspan="5" | UTAAS - Target Tracking IRST
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum target speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be tracked by the radar}}
|-
| 8,000 m || __ m || ±__ || -8°/+80° || __ m/s (__ km/h)
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Capable at destroying jets with its fused HE and tanks with its APFSDS
* A [[Strf 9040C|Stridsfordon 90C]] with radar and lock-on ability to engage jets and helicopters at longer distances
* Very well protected SPAA
* Not limited to AA role and can flank and destroy tanks easily thanks to its 40 mm APFSDS
* Good mobility
* Low profile unlike other SPAAs
* Access to second generation thermals for the gunner
* Good gun elevation, higher than the [[Lvrbv 701]]

'''Cons:'''

* Due to its limited magazine (only 24 shells) it can not engage multiple targets without emptying the magazine
* When the magazine is emptied, it takes time to reload - holding down the trigger is not recommended. Fire in short bursts to avoid spooking the pilot/tanker and conserve ammunition
* While reloading the magazine it will be an easy prey for enemy air units
* The HE-VT shell is a tier II modification
* The stock HE shell needs a direct hit on an aerial vehicle to destroy it - smart pilots know not to fly in a straight line, making it very difficult to take them down
* Doesn't have SAMs so can't engage helicopters at long ranges
* An easy target for enemy helicopters with long range Vikhr and Hellfire ATGMs
* Does not get access to the scouting abilities the Strf 9040C and [[Strf 9040 BILL]] have
* Rather slow turret traverse
* No CITV
* 40 mm HE-VT is rather weak - multiple hits are required to down an enemy aircraft
* 40 mm HE-VT needs to travel a certain distance to activate the fuse - helicopters at close range require a direct hit to take down

== History ==


'''Lvkv 9040C''' is upgraded version of the '''Lvkv 9040''' which Sweden ordered 30 of, the first Lvkv's arrived in 1997 and would be based on the Strf9040A, 3 of these 30 Lvkv 90s that were delivered would get upgraded to the Ceasar-standard where they got designation Lvkv 9040C. These 3 '''Lvkv 9040C''''s were designed for international usage.

The swedish army wanted an Strf90 which could support allies against enemy air support and attack helicopters, so they wanted to convert some of the Strf9040A's into an platform for a more mobile anti-air support. Compared to the Strf 90 the Lvkv 90 have a higher elevation of the gun for better combating enemy aerial units, moving the ammunition feeding part to below the gun, giving it a higher elevation movement compared to the normal Strf 90's.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_lvkv_90c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|MDkMK5BdD_Y|'''Should You Grind the Swedish Light Tanks (Strf 9040c, Strf 9056, and Lvkv 9040c)''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 11:09 - ''SAKO SNIPER''}}

== See also ==


;[[CV90 (Family)|Related Development]]

* [[Strf 9040 BILL]]
* [[Strf 9040B]]
* [[Strf 9040C]]

;Similar roles

* [[VEAK 40]]
* [[M247]]
* [[ZSU-37-2]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer BAE Systems AB}}
{{Sweden anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Strf 9040 BILL

2024-04-17T02:43:21Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Swedish light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = CV90 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strf_9056
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

Since its introduction in early 1998, the Strf 9040 was criticized for its lack of guided munitions against tanks; most IFVs like the Marder, the BMP-2, and the Bradley used ATGMs to engage heavily armoured targets. Thus, a demonstrator was ordered, using the Strf 9040A as a basis. The vehicle was heavily modified to use the Rbs 56 BILL II ATGM launcher, the launch mechanism was actually very similar to the one used by the Bradley, the launcher could fold itself, and be used from inside the vehicle, while the reload required manual loading from the outside. The system was promising, but issues in development cancelled the project.

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]] (then as '''strf 9056'''). It is a very versatile IFV, one of the most critical aspects about Swedish IFVs is the lack of ATGMs like the ones found in other IFVs. However, this has access to both the powerful 40 mm cannon of other Strf 9040s and the Rbs 56 ATGM. Unlike other missiles, the Rbs 56 does not have a conventional HEAT warhead; instead of exploding on impact, it has a proximity fuze and explodes on the top of enemy tanks, this means that it should be aimed 2-3 metres above the enemy tank. This is a dangerous process since it requires precision, it's a good idea to disable the enemy tank's gun and tracks using the 40 mm cannon, and then use the ATGM.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The Strf 9040 BILL does not have the MEXAS armour package of the Strf 9040C and Lvkv 9040C, and as such, the protection is very limited. The frontal arc of the vehicle can protect against heavy machine guns but the sides and rear of both the hull and turret are vulnerable even to .50 calibre (12.7 mm) heavy machine guns. The frontal arc can not protect against cannons of even 20 mm in calibre, except on the upper glacis which has a shallow enough angle to cause armour piercing rounds of types other than APDS and APFSDS to ricochet. The turret front and lower glacis on the other hand do not have such angles and can not cause ricochets in the same way, allowing low calibre cannons to penetrate. HEAT and HESH rounds will penetrate the frontal armour without a problem.

The crew placement of the Strf 9040 BILL is both potentially helpful and harmful. A shot to the front left side of the hull would result in the knocking out of the driver, commander, and loader. This is potentially devastating as that is three out of five crew members taken out in one shot, with only one more lost resulting in a vehicle knockout. A shot to the right side of the vehicle's front would knock out the engine and if it had enough penetration would go through and take out the gunner and loader, two out of five crew members but also causing the vehicle to be immobilized. As before stated, the engine can absorb projectiles, preventing them from passing into the crew compartment if they don't have high enough penetration, but it does immobilize the vehicle and potentially allow the enemy to get another shot off immediately afterwards. In terms of ammunition stowage, all 40 mm ammunition is stowed in the base of the turret basket and the hull underneath the turret basket. This prevents most hits from causing a cook-off of 40 mm ammunition except for particularly low hits. On the other hand, the missile stowage is at the rear of the hull and takes up a significant volume, making the missile ammunition a large target. Additionally, the missile launcher has missiles in it which can also be detonated by incoming rounds.

Overall, the Strf 9040 BILL has very light armour and insufficient protection meaning nearly all weapons larger than machine guns can penetrate it. Sometimes the internal arrangement will save from knocking out the vehicle, but most hits will likely be destructive. The upper glacis can block some shots because of the high angle, but this can not be relied upon. Finally, the ammunition stowage - particularly the missile stowage - takes up a large volume of the vehicle and can be set off very easily.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour - hull, turret sides/rear
* Cast homogeneous armour - turret front

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (78°) Upper glacis 20 mm (29°-41°-52°) Lower glacis || 6 + 10 mm (Spaced) ''Upper'' 10 mm ''Lower'' || 20 mm || 20 mm ''Roof'' 6 mm ''Rear roof crew hatch''
|-
| Turret || 20 mm (35°) - 20 mm (50°) ''Turret front'' 35 mm (Various Angles) ''Gun mantlet'' || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" style="text-align:center" | 20 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* There is a 10 mm RHA plate between the front of the vehicle and the driver and also between the engine and crew compartments
* Tracks, suspension - 20 mm
* Sideskirts, turret rear stowage boxes - 5 mm

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=852|rbMinHp=486}}

As the Strf 9040 BILL lacks the add-on modular armour of the 90C variants, it has a noticeably lighter feel on the move. The low weight combined with high-output Scania engine leads to an agile and swift moving vehicle, able to do sneaky flanking manoeuvres and capable of climbing steep hills to get into ambush positions. When played right, the Strf 9040 BILL is quicker than the Strf 90C, and is able to surprise enemies by showing up in unexpected places.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}


The Strf 9040 BILL, like the two other Strf 9040 variants (the Strf 90C and Lvkv 90C), is armed with a Bofors L/70 40 mm anti-aircraft gun repurposed as an omnipurpose (anti-tank, anti-aircraft) gun. The automatic cannon boasts a rapid fire rate, a magazine holding 24 shells, and a complete maximum load of 234 shells. The gun's internal 24-shell magazine is quickly replenished, and is usually enough to deal with both enemy armour, helicopters, and airplanes. It does however carry a risk of surprising the player by running empty - thanks to its high rate of fire. The shells carried are the same as on the Lvkv 90C - the spårljuspansarprojektil m/90 (APFSDS-T), spårljusspränggranat m/90 (HE-T), and kulspränggranat m/90 (HE-VT). The former two are stock shells - the latter is unlocked through research, on the 2nd tier, and has a proximity fuse, very helpful against air targets.

The Strf 9040 BILL also carries a 7.62 mm Ksp 39C, coaxial to the main gun, placed in its turret cheek. The most unusual armament is however the Robot 56 "BILL 2 - Bofors, Infantry, Light & Lethal". The dual-missile launcher, mounted on the right side of the turret, can be devastating to enemy armour behind cover. Its missiles fly above the point of aim, detonating above the vehicle, firing its explosively formed penetrator through the turret roof or engine deck, thus hitting areas with the lowest armour protection. A well-aimed hit can destroy a target in a single hit by igniting ammunition, igniting fuel tanks, or knocking out crew. The missiles do however have a limited range of only 2,200 m, and a relatively low speed of 250 m/s. Used carefully, the vehicle's load of 8 missiles can easily knock out 8 enemy tanks!

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[akan m/70B (40 mm)|40 mm akan m/70B]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 234 || rowspan="2" | 300 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+35° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Two-plane|up to 30 km/h}} || 33.2 || 46.0 || 55.8 || 61.7 || 65.7 || rowspan="2" | 0.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.8 || 24.4 || 29.7 || 32.8 || 34.9
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:akan m/70B (40 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/90, slsgr m/90, kulsgr m/90}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
|-
| '''234''' || 186 ''(+48)'' || 138 ''(+96)'' || 90 ''(+144)''
|-
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 42 ''(+192)'' || 24 ''(+210)'' || 0 ''(+234)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Rbs 56]] missile || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 8 (2) || -19°/+29° || N/A || N/A || 20.00 || 20.00 || 20.00 || 20.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Rbs 56/Ammunition|RB 56 BILL II}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}_(secondary).png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''8''' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
* It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 39 C (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 39 C]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Strf 9040 BILL is a highly agile fighting machine, it offers great speed and handling. Its relatively small size compared to other tanks on the battlefield allows it to hide and sneak up upon its prey, and equipped with gunner thermal sights the Strf 9040 BILL can easily take advantage and pounce on unsuspecting tankers with the 40 mm Bofors cannon which offers up to 143 mm of penetration per round.

Unfortunately, the 143 mm is not able to penetrate every tank from the front; to overcome this, it is important to disorientate/surprise the enemy tanker. Blind their sights with the rapid-fire from the 40 mm Bofors, then target their cannon so they cannot knock out the Strf 9040 BILL in one hit like a pen going through a piece of paper.

Once their cannon has been taken out, the enemy tank will retire either using smoke to cover their withdrawal or immediately going to reverse. If they go into reverse without using smoke, knock out their tracks and flank them so their rear compartments can be shot at. The rear compartments (engine bay and further towards the end of the tank) are the weakest. Shooting the engine will cause the engine to catch on fire, then shooting rounds along the side will knock out the crew.

If the enemy tanker reverses, goes over an object in its path and ends up exposing the underside (belly) of the tank, a few rounds targeted in this area from the 40 mm Bofors will knock it out.

One of the key strategic advantages which the Strf 9040 BILL has over its competitors is its [[Rbs 56]] ATGMs. These ATGMs are not like normal ATGMs. Instead, these explode above the target, allowing the blast to penetrate the roof of the enemy tank and knock the crew out. This means when any tank tries to use the terrain or an object to hide, fire the Rbs 56 ATGM towards the target but make sure it's not too high, about 3-5 feet above it, for the best results. If the ATGM is too high when it explodes, the energy from the blast will be reduced and less damage will occur. The missile is already flying above the aiming point in the gunner's sight, so it is not needed to aim above the enemy target except to go over the terrain and cover.

'''Air Threats'''

One of the major weaknesses of the Strf 9040 BILL is its weak armour, this means almost any round can penetrate the tank and knock it out. While it has great mobility, the armour is weak which means air threats can easily destroy this tank. However, it does not mean it's game over. Instead, it's critical to find cover behind buildings to pop out, when the enemy aircraft fires at the Strf 9040 BILL, withdraw behind it. When in the open, pop smoke and stay in the smoke until the threat has gone. It's important to time smoke correctly, the Strf 9040 BILL only has one shot at using it.

* '''Helicopters''' - The best way to find an enemy helicopter is to use thermal sights and scan the air. Once spotted they can then be destroyed with the ATGMs or the 40 mm autocannon with ease. To knock down the helicopter, aim for the cockpit: a few shots will destroy the helicopter. Using the ATGM, either directly hit the helicopter or aim the ATGM slightly above it, utilising the top-attack capabilities of the missile.

* '''Aircraft''' - These are fast, sneaky, and powerful. The easiest time to shoot them down is when they come towards the vehicle or when they overshoot it. However, most of the time it is incredibly unlikely that the Strf 9040 BILL will shoot them down. Instead, it is important to stay alive and not get knocked out. To do this, use the terrain to hide and if that does not work, fire a few shots from the 40 mm Bofors towards them, this will deter them from engaging the vehicle.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Lovely mobility
* Access to deadly top attack missiles, able to destroy enemy tanks hiding behind cover
* Multipurpose 40 mm shells, great for tank side armour and air vehicles
* Access to generation 2 thermals for both gunner and commander - Along with the [[CV 90105 TML]], the BILL is the only Strf 90 that has CITV
* Two-plane stabilizer
* Access to the scouting mechanic
* Wide FOV for the gunner
* Able to fire missiles on the move (albeit at the very slow speed of 5 km/h)
* Missile launchers do not explode when hit by enemy APFSDS shells
* Missiles are immune to IR jamming
* Missile penetrates over 500 mm of steel - no roof of any armoured vehicle can withstand this

'''Cons:'''

* Stabilizer only works up to 30km/h
* Tanks with ERA on top of the turret (especially Russian tanks) renders the missiles less effective
* Does not have access to the improved Slpprj m/01 APFSDS shell with 170 mm of penetration the [[Strf 9040C]] has
* Unreliable armour
* It takes time to deploy the missile launcher before the missiles can be fired
* The 40 mm gun chews through ammo very quickly, and replenishing the first stage ammo rack takes time; also only 6 missiles
* Aiming too high above the enemy vehicle ensures the missile does next to no damage to said enemy vehicle
* Missiles are not as effective versus helicopters or spacious tank fighting compartments (like on [[M1A1 Abrams|M1A1]] and [[M1A2 Abrams]])
* Low zoom in the gunsight

== History ==

'''Testing'''

As the Strf 9040 began deliveries in 1998 serious questions were being raised regarding the lethality towards heavily armoured vehicles. Systems like the Bradley IFV and BMP-2 already utilized guided munitions early in their life cycle to combat armoured threats more effectively, something the Swedish IFV had yet to mount. To test the lethality of such weaponry, a demonstrator was ordered in 1999 of the then-current production variant, the Strf 9040A. This vehicle was extensively modified in the fire control system and turret to fit the Rbs 56 BILL II ATGM launcher. The system could fold outwards when engaged and smoothly fold back down when moving, similar to the Bradley. This could all be done from the turret, while reloading had to be done externally by climbing the rear of the vehicle and opening the specialized hatch on the top.

'''Results'''

The Strf 9040 BILL's trials seemed promising as its lethality was increased. Though issues with sightline visibility plagued the design from the start, forcing a cancellation of the project shortly after. Sweden continued using both systems, although now separate from each other. Both of these systems have seen a lengthy lifespan as the Rbs 56 was retired in 2013, while the Strf 9040 continues being used far into the future.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strf_9056 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|IcPytp_BTLg|'''The Strf 9056 Light Tank''' - ''Orangefan''|vkfXXJ_o4ZU|'''Strf 9056 - Good News From Above''' - ''Napalmratte''|tcIeR_s6fp8|'''The Shooting Range #204''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the Strf 9056.}}

== See also ==


; Other members of the CV90 family

* [[Strf 9040C]] - Base variant with a 40 mm autocannon.
* [[CV 90105 TML]] - Premium variant equipped with a 105 mm cannon.
* [[Lvkv 9040C]] - Self-propelled anti-aircraft variant with a higher elevation range for 40 mm cannon.
* [[CV 90120]] - A variant with a 120 mm cannon.

== External links ==


* [http://fighting-vehicles.com/strf-904056/ <nowiki>[Fighting-Vehicles.com]</nowiki> Strf 9040/56]

{{TankManufacturer BAE Systems AB}}
{{Sweden light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

T 80 U (Sweden)

2024-04-17T02:42:39Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-80 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_t_80u
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_TVD.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

Following the end of the Cold War, and a subsequent de-escalation of the hostilities, Sweden planned to modernize its tank battalions. Trials were undertaken between 1991 and 1994. The T-80U, alongside the T-72M1, and other NATO tanks such as the M1A1, the Leclerc, and the Leopard 2A4, participated in these trials. The T-80U however joined very late to the trials, and was not properly evaluated unlike the other designs. The tank suffered from poor visibility and mobility, specially during night time where its optics were deemed much inferior to those fitted by western designs. However, the tank did have excellent protection, it was relatively easy to operate, it had a very powerful engine, and a good transmission that allowed very high top speeds without much crew discomfort. But in the end, the tank was not incorporated; instead, the Leopard 2A4 was adopted as the [[Strv 121]].

Introduced in [[Update "Fire and Ice"]], the '''{{Specs|name}}''' was a contender in Swedish trials for a possible adoption of new tank in the 1990s, the T-80U is not too dissimilar from the Soviet [[T-80U]]. The most significant difference is the lack of 3BM46 APFSDS round for the cannon. While it lacks the most powerful kinetic round, it still has the same armour and mobility performance for players used to the T-80U playstyle to quickly acclimate to. It has also the same vulnerabilities: weak ammo racks, and a poor mobility at least compared to western designs. It uses a carousel autoloader, which means that the rounds are very exposed inside the vehicle.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Just like any other Russian MBT, the ammunition is in the turret basket, the middle of the hull. Therefore ammo hits are extremly critical. The gunner and commander are inside the turret which is autoloaded. The commander can take over gun controls if the gunner is taken out. The driver is surrounded by fuel tanks as well as the engine and a part of the ammo stowage. Due to it's bad reverse speed it is relatively restricted when it comes to retreat.

'''Armour type:''' The whole Hull: High Hardness Armor, Inside armor: Front: Contact-5 ERA and composite armor | Turret: Cast Homogenous Armor, Contact-5 ERA on the turret face and upper back side of the turret, inside: composite armor | Sideskirts: High Hardness Armor (17 mm), Contact-5 ERA | Rubber sideskirts (10mm) | Some (not necessary) parts made of construction steel


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 105 mm || 80 mm ''Top'' 20 mm ''Bottom'' || 50 mm || 20-50 mm
|-
| Turret || 300 -1660 mm ''Turret front'' 20-250 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 150 -900 mm || 65 - 1500 mm || 45 - 650 mm
|-
| Cupola || 45 mm || 45 mm || 45 mm || 45 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' The armor thickness varies a lot. The effective armor values are often higher than the actual part(steel) is thick.

'''Suspension:''' Suspension wheels are 20 mm; the tracks are 20 mm, the suspension itself is also 20 mm


=== Mobility ===
Motor: Klimov GTD-1250, Gas turbine | Power: 1106 horsepowers, 3154 rotations per minute

Gearbox: 9 gears forward, 1 gear backwards | Max speed forward: 70 km/h ( 43.5 mph) | max speed backwards: 11 km/h (6.8 mph){{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,937|rbMinHp=1,106}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A46M-1 (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A46M-1 (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M-1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 45 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:2A46M-1 (125 mm)/Ammunition|3BK18M, 3OF26, 3BM42, 9M119 (T-80)}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_T-80U.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
|-
| '''45''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 45 ''(+0)'' 45 ''(+0)'' || 44 ''(+1)'' 44 ''(+1)'' || 43 ''(+2)'' 43 ''(+2)'' || 38 ''(+7)'' 41 ''(+4)'' || 37 ''(+8)'' 39 ''(+6)''
|-
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty*
! Visual discrepancy
!
|-
| 34 ''(+11)'' 38 ''(+7)'' || 31 ''(+14)'' 37 ''(+8)'' || 30 ''(+15)'' 30 ''(+15)'' || 29 ''(+16)'' 29 ''(+16)'' || 1 ''(+44)'' 1 ''(+44)'' || No
!
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
* Projectiles and charges are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The T 80 U's first stage ammo rack consists of a mechanized carousel at the bottom of the turret which carries 28 propellants and 28 projectiles.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 500 (100) || 700 || -5°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,250 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Swedish T 80 U plays just like its counterparts in the Russian tree, albeit without access to the more powerful 3BM46 APFSDS round. It is mobile and can fulfill the role of a good all-round MBT, and can serve as a good backup to the Strv 122s at top tier. It is worth noting that top APFSDS rounds that have close to 600mm of penetration can penetrate its front plate.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Ability to use ATGMs
* Has access to 1st generation thermal sights and a laser rangefinder for spotting and sniping
* Effective armour at its BR, protected by ERA effective against non-tandem ATGMs and some APFSDS rounds
* Effective acceleration in muddy terrain
* Consistent 6.5 second reload rate regardless of remaining crew and crew skill
* Lower BR gives it more favorable matchmaking

'''Cons'''

* Does not have access to 3BM46 unlike its Russian counterparts
* Slow reverse speed compared to its contemporaries in the Swedish tech tree
* Sluggish vertical targeting speed
* Frontal armour on the underbody of the vehicle does not protect against APFSDS projectiles at all
* Thermals are a separate mod from NVDs like its Russian counterparts

== History ==


At the end of 1993, following the de-escalation after the end of the Cold War, the Swedish army created a programme for the procurement of new MBTs, and held a competition between different tanks. Both NATO and Russia participated, Russia was specially interested in securing a contract with the Swedish Army, since it had been forced to reduce its military spending after the Cold War.

The T-80U arrived late to the competition and was not able to directly compete with the M1A1 Abrams presented by the USA, the Leclerc by France, and the Leopard 2 by Germany. At the end of the competition, the government announced that the Leopard 2 would be acquired and would serve as Sweden's main battle tank during the following years. Thus the Leopard 2A4 was adopted (and later more modern versions) with some Swedish modifications and entered service as the [[Strv 121]].

While some reports remain classified, some information about the reports was made available for the public.

* The results concluded that the T-80U was easy and quick to prepare for shallow fording.
* Its ability to reposition was severely limited thanks to its low reverse speed compared to NATO MBTs.
* The crew had good visibility during daytime but the driver struggled a lot when driving in darkness.
* Compared to the Strv 104, it was much faster to accelerate and had a much higher top speed. Its suspension was also very good and allowed high speed movement without much crew discomfort.
* Performance against obstacles was good, although limited by the lack of self-cleaning tracks, so it tended to lose traction.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_t_80u Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[T-80UK]]
* [[T-80U]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:T-80|[Wikipedia] T-80]]
* [https://tanks.mod16.org/2015/04/09/report-from-terrain-trials-with-t-80u/ <nowiki>[Swedish Tank Archives] - Report from terrain trials with T-80U</nowiki>]
* [https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/why_t_72m1_and_t_80u_tanks_lost_to_leopard_2a4_during_1994_tests_in_sweden-6645.html <nowiki>[Defense Express] - Why T-72M1 and T-80U Tanks Lost to Leopard 2A4 during 1994 Tests in Sweden</nowiki>]

{{Sweden medium tanks}}
{{Squadron ground vehicles}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

Strv 103C

2024-04-17T02:42:03Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About|about=Swedish medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''|usage=other versions|link=Strv 103 (Family)}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strv_103c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was the final production variant of the S-tank family. In defense decision 1982, it was planned to withhold acquiring new tanks, which meant the existing tanks and the [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103]]s had to undergo renovations. The vehicles were improved with a better Detroit Diesel engine for better manoeuvrability, a laser rangefinder integrated with the gunner sight for better distance accuracy, and built-in dozer blade on all Strv 103Cs for better protection of the lower front of the hull, as well as side skirt protection to improve the overall survivability of the vehicle.

The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. An improved version over the [[Strv 103A]] with better manoeuvrability, better and modern shells, and lastly improved survivability with a fence at the front to protect the hull from HEAT and HEAT-FS rounds, side skirts were added to improve side protection as well. Being a hull-aim based vehicle makes its low silhouette easy to hide behind low cover, also able to use the hydraulics to peek over small hills without exposing too much of itself and take a quick shot then go back into hiding and either manoeuvre to a new position or hope the enemy vehicle did not notice from where the {{PAGENAME}} fired from so it can take another peek and fire again. The {{PAGENAME}}, like the preceding [[Strv 103A]], has a fast reloading 105 mm gun and can fire every four seconds to hit with a rapid devastating fire on unaware enemies.

== General info ==
The {{PAGENAME}} is a Swedish MBT with a unique design compared to all other tanks of the same era. The S-tank, as it is more commonly known, makes use of the hull to direct fire at various targets. This feature requires the unique "Enable Hull aiming" key, which turns the tank from its regular cruising mode, into a fixed turret, capable of aiming wherever the player points their cursor. The reason the {{PAGENAME}} made use of hull-aimed weaponry becomes apparent when looking at the armour. The {{PAGENAME}} has armour sloped back more than 75 degrees, giving it strong frontal protection, with a high likelihood of causing enemy shells to ricochet. Another luxury a hull-fixed gun offers is the use of an automatic loading system. The {{PAGENAME}} can fire its main 105 mm cannon every four seconds, no matter the amount of crewmen left. Paired with high mobility, and the {{PAGENAME}} becomes one of the most unique main-battle tanks in the game. With a bit of ingenuity and patience, the {{PAGENAME}} works at all ranges, in almost all conditions imaginable.

This isn't to say the {{PAGENAME}} is without flaws. The tank is incredibly vulnerable to flanking manoeuvres, as the side and rear have a thickness of 30 mm. It usually doesn't matter what kind of vehicle gets behind the {{PAGENAME}}, as even SPAA has no issues penetrating the tank. The gun is also filled with drawbacks, especially relating to the aiming. Due to hull-aiming relying on the ground below it, aiming becomes increasingly difficult on uneven terrain as the tank tries to compensate for things in the way. This results in shaky, and highly inaccurate aiming at longer ranges. The tracking is also bad, as the tank finds it difficult to adjust the speed at which it steers neutrally. This requires a {{PAGENAME}} tanker to wait for the target to cross its line of sight, instead of following it along its path. The armour is incredibly weak against APFSDS rounds and ATGM missiles. These usually have enough penetration to knock the tank out in a single blow, exploding the ammunition in the rear as a final touch. As these types of munitions are quite common at this tier, the {{PAGENAME}} can't rely on armour against most opponents on the battlefield. A positive is that weaker types of munitions usually can't reach the crew compartment, resulting in the {{PAGENAME}} surviving 3-5 shells before dying from engine fires.

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''External survivability'''

The {{PAGENAME}} is outfitted with incredible frontal protection. This strong impenetrability isn't thanks to composite, but rather sloping. The {{PAGENAME}} has an incredible frontal slope of over 75 degrees. This results in a lot of ricochets from outdated types of munition, which lack significant velocity to damage the tank. Chemical rounds, which penetrate high amounts independent of velocity, have a higher likelihood of penetrating the vehicle. These shells don't bounce off as easily, while still carrying large penetration values. In order to counter this, the {{PAGENAME}} was outfitted with a unique external armour package. Commonly referred to as a "HEAT fence", the {{PAGENAME}} is able to counter upper-plate detonations by fusing them ahead of the armour itself. This hinders chemical rounds from causing heavy post-penetration damages, which increases frontal impenetrability. The lower plate has also been strengthened by the introduction of a dozer blade. This adds an extra 20 mm of angled armour, which comes handy against stronger types of munition. The sides have also been slightly enhanced by the introduction of 5mm fuel-canisters acting as side skirts.

'''Internal survivability'''

Once a shell penetrates the vehicle, the {{PAGENAME}} has to rely on its layout. Since the S-tank is entirely hull-designed, everything is incredibly compact to accommodate its varying features. The engine is placed at the front of the vehicle, followed by the crew compartment and lastly ammunition storage. When a frontal penetration occurs, a tanker can consider these compartments as varying grades of damage. Engine penetrations are usually fine, as the only way to take the tank out is by igniting it several times. Shells reaching the crew compartment can be severe, as the tank only has 3 members. Thanks to the last-stand feature, only one member needs to be alive. This can result in a lot of tanked hits, since it's difficult for the enemy to locate which member is still left. Finally, the {{PAGENAME}} is usually destroyed in a single hit if the post-penetration is strong enough to reach the rear ammunition storage. A tanker can still luck out if the shell penetrates the left-side when carrying 26 rounds, as only the right side will be filled.

A universal strength is the upper ribbed armour package. Previously introduced on the [[Strv 103A]], this package allows the {{PAGENAME}} to "shred" incoming projectiles. Thanks to the introduction of volumetric shells, no subcalibre round can currently sneak through this package. Due to heavy angling, and being placed behind the fence itself, it reaches thickness levels of between 500 and 1200mm, making it one of the strongest armour layouts in the game.

A universal weakness is slightly above and below the sharp edge where the upper and lower plate meets. This area can be easily penetrated by both chemical and conventional rounds. With varying damage depending on post-penetration effect. Aiming below the gun-barrel can also knock it out in the process, leaving the {{PAGENAME}} incredibly vulnerable.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* High hardness rolled armour - Slat

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (77°) ''Upper Glacis'' 40 mm (74°) + 20 mm ''Lower Glacis'' || 30 mm +10-20 mm ''Upper'' 30 mm ''Lower'' || 30 mm || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 35 mm || 35 mm || 35 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Tracks are 20 mm thick while the suspension is 15 mm thick.
* Slat armour is 50 mm thick.
* Sideskirts are 4 mm thick.
* The crew compartment is lined with 10 mm RHA.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1057|rbMinHp= 690}}

When glancing over the stat-card of the {{PAGENAME}}, it can be easy to assume the tank has inferior mobility to the earlier variants. But thanks to the tank utilizing the turbine in tandem with the more powerful diesel engine, it ends up being one of the most powerful engines at its BR. This catches a lot of opponents off-guard, as they generally don't expect the {{PAGENAME}} to be able to change positions quickly. This can also surprise wounded opponents, as they usually think they're safe hiding behind smaller obstacles without the {{PAGENAME}} coming towards them. And when facing opponents lacking any form of subcalibre munitions to deal with the {{PAGENAME}}, a tanker can find enjoyment scaring them by simply charging at their position.

The {{PAGENAME}} suffers from a severe lack of turrets, which makes it vulnerable to bad positioning. Turreted tanks can easily deal with enemies coming from the sides, without exposing a lot of weak spots. The {{PAGENAME}} needs to turn the entire vehicle, which often proves fatal. To avoid this, it's important to practice driving in reverse. The {{PAGENAME}} goes almost top-speed in both directions, making it viable to drive in reverse if the tank requires immediate repositioning. Combining this with smoke-grenades makes it impossible for the enemy to predict where the vehicle currently is.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|L74 (105 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is outfitted with the Bofors L74 105 mm cannon. This cannon is identical to the earlier versions of the S-tank. There is some slight visual differences, as the cannon is now welded to the chassis, rather than just drilled through on the earlier variants. But the main difference lies in the ammunition. The {{PAGENAME}} gets access to the DM23 subcalibre shell. This is a treat at its BR, as not all tanks get access to it. The {{PAGENAME}} benefits greatly from this upgrade, as shots don't require the same amount of precision as before to land a devastating hit. This makes it more forgiving to aim, which is especially helpful with the sometimes janky hull-aiming a tanker may experience. But to compensate even further, the {{PAGENAME}} features the same autoloader as any other S-tank, allowing it to fire up to 50 shells with a mere 4-second interval between each round. This makes the {{PAGENAME}} the fastest firing DM23 tank in the game, allowing for some incredible killing sprees when positioned correctly.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L74 (105 mm)|105 mm L74]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+12° || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || 33.6 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.0 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:L74 (105 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/62, slpprj m/80, slsgr m/61A, rökgr m/61, Shell L35}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
|-
| '''50''' || 46 ''(+4)'' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 36 ''(+14)'' || 31 ''(+19)'' || 26 ''(+24)''
|-
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 21 ''(+29)'' || 16 ''(+34)'' || 11 ''(+39)'' || 6 ''(+44)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|ksp 58 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 58]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 1,500 (250) || 600 || -10°/+30° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Long-range Maps'''

A natural fit for the {{PAGENAME}} is long distance engagements. With its high fire-rate and fast shell, paired with unmatched optics and laser rangefinder, it has all the tools to dominate opponents at longer distances. The {{PAGENAME}} should be spawned as early as possible, swiftly positioned far ahead of the team, with plentiful amounts of cover to compensate for its lacklustre survivability against subcalibre munitions. Since the tank has incredible mobility, and almost impenetrable frontal protection in hull-down positions, the S-tank creates hell for the enemy team, forcing them to strategically flank the vehicle, or attack it with guided missiles. The gun barrel can still get knocked out, forcing the {{PAGENAME}} to back away for a few seconds to repair. This can prove costly however, as this window of opportunity can be wide enough to allow a flanking manoeuvre by the enemy team.

Having teammates substantially increases the tank's survivability against flanking opponents, as a turreted teammate can easily engage enemies trying to sneak a final shot in.

'''Close-range Maps.'''

Realizing the upsides and downsides of the {{PAGENAME}} makes it clear the vehicle was never designed for close-range engagements. This downside does show its truth as the vehicle can't fire on the move effectively, and is forced to take it slow in order to not get blasted from the side in a single shot. Either way, these maps can't be ignored when spading the vehicle, or when trying to research its more conventional brother, the [[Strv 104]]. Despite its flaws, the many upsides still have a lot of usage in closer engagements, and can result in high kill games, despite the uncomfortable surroundings. At the start of a match, the mobility should still be used to its limits. The {{PAGENAME}} only really gets to move freely without any form of danger at the beginning of the match where opponents haven't yet secured any areas of the map, so it's important to take a good position as early as possible. Hiding behind buildings and corners is highly effective, as getting flanked won't occur as often. The tank can very effectively fight off one enemy at a time, but struggles to focus on several opponents at once, due to the lack of a conventional turret. This forces the {{PAGENAME}} to pick off targets when they're busy with something else. Alternatively, if the {{PAGENAME}} sees opponents incapable of effectively penetrating its frontal protection, it can calmly peek out of cover to attack, without any danger, as even if the barrel gets damaged, the tank can swiftly reverse back at max speed.

Having a coordinated teammate can prove devastating for the enemy team, as a turreted teammate can easily fend off opponents from directions the {{PAGENAME}} can't handle. Thanks to the tanks amazing survivability, the {{PAGENAME}} can coordinate with a lesser armoured teammate, to work as a spearhead against incoming shells. As soon as the {{PAGENAME}} gets crippled, a teammate can easily jump in to deal with the distracted opponents. Since the {{PAGENAME}} needs to repair a lot due to commonly sustaining damage, having a teammate that can lower repair times is incredibly helpful.

{{Notice
|Always smoke when you get immobilized in the {{PAGENAME}}! After smoking you can angle the tank vertically with the use of hull-aiming, making it difficult for the enemy to deal more damage.|!
}}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High penetration shells - Access to Swedish DM23 rounds
* High survivability - Able to tank most rounds from the front
* New HEAT "fence" - Counters most Chemical rounds
* Strong turbine engine - Gives the tank high mobility & good off-road performance
* Low silhouette - Capable of hiding behind walls and small hills
* Excellent optics - 18X zoom
* Dozer blade can create cover if none is readily available
* Can be alive with only 1 crew

'''Cons:'''

* Weak to subcalibre shells - Compact design results in high post-penetration damage
* Weak side & rear protection - Unable to survive against any high-calibre round
* Unable to fire while moving
* Poor stock performance - Weak stock rounds and slow acceleration
* Loud turbine & diesel engine - Difficult to silently hide
* Hull aiming is hard to use

== History ==


Strv 103C is the last official series of the S tank, in the army decision 1972 and 1982 it was decided that getting a new tank for the army was going to be postponed to the 1990s and the Swedish army at time would focus on lighter combat vehicles. So to modernize the S tanks, the Strv 103Bs had to go through a renovation with upgrading the systems and improve the vehicles in a so called REMO (Renovation and Modification) process and it was not until 1986 the first Strv 103B got its REMO done and was designated Strv 103C.

In the Renovation and Modification process the Strv 103Bs got upgraded from a Rolls Royce piston engine to a Detroit Diesel engine, dozer blade on all "S" Tanks that used to be only 1 of 3 Strv 103s equipped with that, new tracks, new external fuel tanks in the form of 22 litre jerry cans that were attached on the sides that also worked as extra protection to the side armour, laser rangefinder that was integrated with the aimsight for the gunner, Lyran 71mm illuminating mortar and new gearbox.

It was not until 1988 that all 290 Strv 103Bs had been renovated to Strv 103C where they stayed in service until 1997 the Strv 103 saw the last of its service in the armed forces.

=== [[wt:en/news/6505-development-strv-103-0-last-man-standing-en|Devblog]] ===
In the immediate postwar years, Sweden began looking for a replacement to the Centurion tanks, then in service with its army. The most straightforward solution was to once again look into the export market for potential candidates, although engineers were already working on a domestic design - the Kranvagn. While this process was ongoing, an engineer by the name of Sven Berge came up with a radical new tank design in 1956.

This new vehicle featured a turretless design with a cannon fixed to the hull, which would be trained onto its targets with the precise use of an adjustable suspension system. The design was based on results from a study on tank crew casualties during WWII and the Korean War, which showed a correlation between tank height and hit probability. As such, the 'S-Tank' was kept very small in dimensions and low in profile, while also utilizing some innovative new engineering solutions, such as a mixed power plant consisting of a diesel engine and a gas turbine.

In 1959, the Swedish government approved the construction and testing of two prototypes. In 1960, a pre-production batch of 10 vehicles of the '0-serie' was ordered for field trials, which went on into the mid '60s. Generating more than favorable test results, the vehicle was formally ordered into production and procured as the 'Stridsvagn 103'.

Despite its original purpose being to replace the Centurion tanks in the Swedish Army, the Strv 103 ended up serving alongside it for a number of decades, until it was ultimately decommissioned in the late 1990s. By that time, 290 Strv 103s were built, spanning over five variants.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strv_103c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200px">
File:Strv 103C 1.png|thumb|Strv 103C after firing main gun
File:Strv 103C 2.png|thumb|Strv 103C in forest
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|5PAkCJChYNI|'''Maximum Swedish Frustration - Strv 103c''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|uQVze1fZYw4|'''The {{PAGENAME}} Main Battle Tank''' - ''Orangefan''|C7cb7GlOnSY|'''Tank Chats #117 - Stridsvagn 103''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/Sweden/Stridsvagn-103.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Strivsvagn-103 (1956)]

{{TankManufacturer AB Bofors}}
{{Sweden medium tanks}}

Strv 103A

2024-04-17T02:41:49Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About|about=Swedish medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''|usage=other versions|link=Strv 103 (Family)}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strv_103a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Strv 103A''' was the first production variant of the [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103 family]]. It was delivered after the trials of the [[Strv 103-0|"zero series"]] provided satisfactory results. An order of 70 units was placed by the Army with a cost of 500 million kr (SEK). The first batch was delivered in 1964, and was a liked vehicle by their crews. However it also came with some problems, like the engine, that was unreliable, specifically, it was a 300hk gas turbine engine that was underpowered and unneficient, thus it needed to be replaced for a more capable engine in the Strv 103B.

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. It is a unique tank in the Swedish tree which is a MBT, although by its appearance it would seem to instead be a tank destroyer. It plays the same as the Strv 103-0. Its armour depends on how angled it is, and while it is able to bounce most conventional shells, HEAT warheads are a big threat, since even if the crew survives, they will destroy or damage the transmission and the engine, disabling movement of both the hull and gun. The Strv 103 needs to be played calmly, as a sniper behind your team, using your variable suspension to peek over hills, attacking unsuspected enemies and changing position if you find yourself targeted by enemy vehicles.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


With a superbly sloped upper front hull armour, incoming kinetic rounds are nearly guaranteed to harmlessly bounce off, even at point blank ranges, though chemical rounds will typically do at least some damage, particularly HEAT. Overall, unless the enemy tank is very tall, STRV 103A can simply mock kinetic tanks by rocking down and up between shots. This is done to ensure that the fragile LFP never gets targeted - the tank nose should always point down when reloading and preferably when moving around as well. The sloped armour is not nearly as effective against APFSDS, so late rank VI and VII will cut through it without any issue.

Front has a fuel tank near transmission, the very first penetrating hit taken always destroys it and sets the vehicle on fire, but this only happens once per spawn, making FPE a mandatory upgrade to actually use the tank to its full potential. After the fuel tank is gone, the transmission and additional RHA screens will prevent most enemy shells (except for the HEAT) from doing practically anything to the tank as long as LFP was not hit directly and penetrated. Not even G6 HE or FV4005 HESH can do anything, as long as they hit low enough to only hit the frontal part of the tank. In that regard, the tank is effectively superior to [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54/55]], which is a feat unheard of.

Unfortunately, there is a single weak spot on the Strv 103A front - the commander cupola. It can be easily penetrated by nearly anything on the battlefield, and while it is very small and can be concealed with bushes, it still can be hit with explosives to decimate the entirety of the crew. Airburst HE-VT will also likely penetrate it.

Side, rear and top armour of the vehicle are very weak. Most aircraft can also penetrate the roof, especially if they have 20 mm rounds or larger. Therefore, it is necessary to control surroundings of the tank - as long as enemy cannot hit the very back, or at least land a clean shot into the middle (where the crew resides), it will take a long time for them to figure out where to shoot, probably long enough for the crew to repair tracks and/or transmission and turn the vehicle around.

Taking only half the ammunition can prevent shots from the right from destroying the tank, taking only a quarter of ammunition can prevent overhead HEAT shots and LFP hits from hitting the ammo rack on the left, but this is not efficient, considering how survivable the tank is already and how fast it can run out of ammunition.

With a total of three crew members, survivability after taking hits tend to be slim. However, the Strv 103 series are the only tanks that can operate with only one crew member in RB!

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (77°) ''Upper Glacis'' 40 mm (74°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 30 mm +10 mm ''Upper'' 30 mm ''Lower'' || 30 mm || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 35 mm || 35 mm || 35 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Tracks are 20 mm thick while the suspension is 15 mm thick.
* The crew compartment is lined with 10 mm RHA.
* Storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


When "hull aim" mode is activated the tank automatically turns and adjusts suspension to actually aim the gun where the mouse pointer is. This persists even when the player attempts to turn the tank left or right manually while driving, so driving should preferably be done entirely with the mouse instead while the mode is activated.

There is a significant delay after letting the movement buttons go (about 0.7 seconds) before the gunner takes control of the tank instead of the driver and starts actually aiming. The lower the nose of the tank was before stopping, the faster the tank will start aiming, but this might not allow the tank to fire on the move, so a choice must be made depending on the situation.

Mobility upgrades are extremely important for this tank, as additional stability allows it to snipe when tilted horizontally (which is otherwise impossible) and to turn around smoothly without awkward delays.

The tank climbs better when the nose is pulled up, but is also extremely vulnerable when it does so.

A major drawback of the tank is that without transmission/engine the tank can no longer manoeuvre the hull to aim left or right, so it is important to try and turn the tank onto enemy before they fire. The tank still can rock up and down until the enemy destroyed both tracks, so it is possible to "hull down" when suddenly shot or "pike up" and retaliate against high ground.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=732|rbMinHp=478}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|L74 (105 mm)}}

The gun is exceptionally accurate even without any upgrades, but the drawback is that it is bound to the hull - any explosions nearby, any erratic movement of "hull aim" (especially when tilted horizontally) and any unaware teammate pushing the platform from behind will cause the hull to rock until it settles down, requiring extra patience to aim. It is best to just embrace this situation as a fact instead of sacrificing defences to reduce the wobble of the hull and just time the shots with it.

The reload takes only 4 seconds, making Strv 103A the fastest reloading "medium tank". This is further supported by extremely powerful ammunition.

The tank has access to laser rangefinder, which allows to instantly measure the range at any distance and take aim nearly automatically.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L74 (105 mm)|105 mm L74]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+12° || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || 33.6 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.0 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

The ammunition echoes previous Strv 101, but with addition of Slpprj m/62 which can cut through almost any tank within BR range. Coupled with extremely low profile of the tank, the gun can penetrate any LFP of any tank on the field and will often easily cut through the turrets of most heavy tanks.

Slpprh M/61 has better penetration against flat surfaces (like the turrets of some American heavy tanks), but has much worse angled penetration than M/62. Angled penetration is much more important at the rank VI, even more so when the enemy has high ground, so prioritize upgraded ammunition over the standard one.

Since the tank is super short, it makes sense to use HESH to shoot above destroyed enemies once it becomes impossible to shoot the remaining opponents directly with APDS. Remember to immediately pull the hull down to the ground, as HESH trajectory forces the tank to expose its LFP completely.

{{:L74 (105 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/61, slpprj m/62, slsgr m/61A, rökgr m/61, slspgr m/61}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
|-
| '''50''' || 46 ''(+4)'' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 36 ''(+14)'' || 31 ''(+19)'' || 26 ''(+24)''
|-
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 21 ''(+29)'' || 16 ''(+34)'' || 11 ''(+39)'' || 6 ''(+44)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|ksp 58 (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has 3 x 7.62 mm ksp 58 machine guns, 2 on the left side in their own mount and one on top of the commander's cupola.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 58]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Hull || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Hull || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 1,500 (250) || 600 || ±10° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Strv 103A is an amazing tank to take in defensive positions and snipe with. Although it's mainly used for the sniping role, it can also do close quarters combat quite well if one needs to push out to a capture point. Due to the armour design of the Strv 103, surviving conventional shells that can be found on the early Cold War-era Soviet tanks is easy. The only challenges with the tank is to learn key positions to lock down with the rapid firing 105 mm [[L74 (105 mm)|L7-derived cannon]] and learning the shooting mechanics of hull-aim. It is important to stay on flat ground when playing this tank, as slopes can cause issues with the hull-aim.

While the Strv 103 can easily hold its own against conventional shells, against chemical and more modern kinetic rounds it starts to lose its points. HEATFS shells can easily penetrate the frontal armour, going through both the armour and engine, knocking out the crew behind it (this gets remedied with the later [[Strv 103C|103C]], which has slat armour at the front to prematurely detonate the shell). In full uptiers, it's also highly likely to get shot at by APFSDS shells, which ignore the armour completely. That's why when facing these vehicles, one should take full utility of the smoke launchers and smoke rounds to create a quick escape out and avoid getting shot at.

If the tank does get shot at, the survivability is quite high due to the crew all being located behind the transmission and the engine. And since the tank can be operated by only one crew member, the tank is mostly only destroyed by being set afire by the fuel tank and engine in the front of the tank, or by HEAT shells from tanks like the [[DF105]].

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Low profile
* Very short reload time
* Extremely survivable
** Effectively sloped front armour
** Can be controlled by one crew member
* Gunner and Commander perform the same roles, so there is no crew switch if either is knocked out

'''Cons:'''

* Slow aiming, significant delay between "travel" mode and "aiming" mode
* Vulnerable to flanking
* Only three crew members
* Gun is prone to damage
* Catches fire often when shot from the side and sometimes from the front, FPE is mandatory for survival
* Any detonation next to the hull can cause the tank (and, subsequently, the gun) to violently rock

== History ==


After 6 months of trial with the Strv 103-0 and the goal settings for requirements that the tank needed to pass were done in 1963 it was not till Autumn 1964 that the first order for the Strv 103 came in to AB Bofors. 1967 the Strv 103A started to deliver to the army, a total of 70 Strv 103As were ordered to the army as the first series production. Strv 103A had a 300hk powered gasturbine that during delivery proved to be not quite effective and would be required a change in the upcoming version of the Strv 103. Directly when the S tank got delivered instructor courses began and it was not till 1968 that the first conscripts go the education on the Strv 103 "S" systems.

=== [[wt:en/news/6505-development-strv-103-0-last-man-standing-en|Devblog]] ===
In the immediate postwar years, Sweden began looking for a replacement to the Centurion tanks, then in service with its army. The most straightforward solution was to once again look into the export market for potential candidates, although engineers were already working on a domestic design - the Kranvagn. While this process was ongoing, an engineer by the name of Sven Berge came up with a radical new tank design in 1956.

This new vehicle featured a turretless design with a cannon fixed to the hull, which would be trained onto its targets with the precise use of an adjustable suspension system. The design was based on results from a study on tank crew casualties during WWII and the Korean War, which showed a correlation between tank height and hit probability. As such, the 'S-Tank' was kept very small in dimensions and low in profile, while also utilizing some innovative new engineering solutions, such as a mixed power plant consisting of a diesel engine and a gas turbine.

In 1959, the Swedish government approved the construction and testing of two prototypes. In 1960, a pre-production batch of 10 vehicles of the '0-serie' was ordered for field trials, which went on into the mid '60s. Generating more than favorable test results, the vehicle was formally ordered into production and procured as the 'Stridsvagn 103'.

Despite its original purpose being to replace the Centurion tanks in the Swedish Army, the Strv 103 ended up serving alongside it for a number of decades, until it was ultimately decommissioned in the late 1990s. By that time, 290 Strv 103s were built, spanning over five variants.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strv_103a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|LufGqZTfvoI|'''MBTs with Best Armor''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 02:54 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer AB Bofors}}
{{Sweden medium tanks}}

Strv 103-0

2024-04-17T02:41:28Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
|about= premium Swedish medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= Strv 103 (Family)}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_strv_103_0
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Strv 103 "zero series"''' was a preproduction order for the army after the successful display of the S1 and S2 prototypes. 10 units of these series were built, and they were used to test how the Strv 103 would perform in Swedish defense doctrine. The tanks were also tested in order to evaluate logistics, organization, their compatibility with other tank units, and crew training. These trials ended in 1966, following an order placed by the Swedish Army for 70 Strv 103As in 1964. The first batch of these new tanks was delivered in 1967, a year after the "zero series" trials ended.

It was introduced as a [[wt:en/news/6505-development-strv-103-0-last-man-standing-en|pack vehicle]] in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]]. The '''Strv 103''' is a heavily angled tank, with relatively thin armour but a 77-degree slope. This allows the tank bounce most conventional shells like APCBC and even APDS, however it is very vulnerable to HEAT and HEAT-FS projectiles, since those are able to penetrate the tank with ease, and even if the crew is not injured, disabling the engine or transmission immobilizes the tank, and gun, since this is fixed to the hull. So it's better used as a sniper, using its variable suspension to peek over hills and retain a low profile.

The Strv 103-0 was removed from the store after the [[wt:en/news/7154-shop-may-sale-in-the-gaijin-store-en|May 2021 sale]] but was reintroduced in [[Update "Direct Hit"]] as a premium vehicle [[wt:en/news/7332-video-wiki-wiki-review-strv-103-0-now-for-golden-eagles-en|purchasable in-game for Golden Eagles]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

{{Notice|With a superbly sloped front hull armour, incoming kinetic rounds are prone to harmlessly bounce off, though chemical rounds will typically do some damage. Side, rear and top armour of the vehicle are weak, most aircraft can penetrate the roof, especially if they have 20 mm rounds or larger. With a total of three crew members, survivability after taking hits tend to be slim. However, the Strv 103 series are the only tanks that can operate with only one crew member! A major drawback is without transmission/engine you can no longer manoeuvre the hull to aim left or right. '''[[Strv_103_(Family)|Check out the Strv 103 Family here!]]'''}}
{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (77°) ''Upper Glacis'' 40 mm (74°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 30 mm +10 mm ''Upper'' 30 mm ''Lower'' || 30 mm || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 35 mm || 35 mm || 35 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The crew compartment is lined with an internal 10 mm RHA plate.
* Storage boxes are 10 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 732|rbMinHp= 478}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|L74 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L74 (105 mm)|105 mm L74]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+12° || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || 33.6 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.0 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:L74 (105 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/61, slpprj m/62, slsgr m/61A, rökgr m/61, slspgr m/61}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
|-
| '''50''' || 46 ''(+4)'' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 36 ''(+14)'' || 31 ''(+19)'' || 26 ''(+24)''
|-
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 21 ''(+29)'' || 16 ''(+34)'' || 11 ''(+39)'' || 6 ''(+44)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|ksp 58 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ksp 58 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm ksp 58]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial || 500 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Strv 103-0 is a heavily angled tank offering 40 mm armour sloped at 77 degrees able to bounce almost any kinetic round in the game from the front. However a HEAT-FS round will penetrate right though the armour. It also lacks any ERA or composite protection, its rear armour is 30 mm thick, the flat sides have an additional 10 mm plate bringing their total thickness to 40 mm, and the roof is a measly 20 mm thick.

In order to stay alive, it is important to always have your front pointing towards the enemy. Its 105 mm L74 cannon is able to offer a maximum penetration of 303 mm. It may seem low compared to other tanks in-game, however with a skilled commander who utilise the map and who can stay stealthy is able to become the tanker version of the legendary Viking called Erik the Red.

One of the great advantages of this tank is its pure survivability, its crew is all located behind the engine and transmission. However one of the weaknesses is also this crew survivability, any shot that is able to penetrate from the side will knockout the engine and transmission, worse case causing fires or disabling the tank in combat allowing the enemy tanker to flank to the rear or sides and fire a single shot into the Strv 103-0 ammo racks or crew compartments.

The ideal playstyle is to play the tank as an ambusher, stay in the bushes then pop out and fire, reverse and then move to another location, with the idea being to press the attack from their rear and cause mayhem, however if you stay at range, it can function well as a sniper thanks to its good gun depression, rangefinder, small profile and good reverse speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Operational with only 1 crew member remaining
* The gun has good penetration and damage
* Four second reload time makes it much easier to knock out enemy tanks
* The frontal armour is heavily sloped
* Has a tiny profile, making it much easier to hide in realistic and simulator battles
* Because the engine is located at the front most shots will not go through the whole tank if they penetrate and will simply be absorbed
* Has a 10 mm gun shield that will block most shrapnel.
* Ammo rarely explodes because it is located far in the back

'''Cons:'''

* The sloped frontal armour becomes pointless if angled incorrectly
* Very thin side and rear armour, any gun larger than a machine gun can go through
* The turret is fixed to the hull and cannot swivel
* APFSDS, HEAT, APDS and ATGM projectiles will go straight through the lower front plate, most of the time no matter the angle
* Very vulnerable front lower glacis plate
* HE can very quickly destroy the tank if they can penetrate the base thickness of the armour

== History ==

Strv 103-0 is the prototype series before the head series with Strv 103A was delivered to the Swedish army. After the trial of the two trial vehicles S1 and S2 in 1961, Sweden ordered 10 pre-series Strv 103 which would become the 0-series. They were not finished until 1963, where they were put on trial to be combined with different vehicles to see how to efficiently utilize the tank system in squad and organization attempts. These attempts would have a great impact on how the Strv 103 would be shaped and molded and so the evaluation of the Strv 103 began that would last from 1963 till 1966. It only took half a year before it was decided that the Strv 103 "S" would become Sweden's new tank.

The trials with the 0-series worked well, the test results from the field testings, squad and organization attempts were favourable for the Strv 103-0 and it was not until 1964 that Sweden placed an order in a total value of around 500 million kr (SEK) which would total in 70 Strv 103 being produced to the first main series Strv 103 which would be designated [[Strv 103A]]. The main series tank order delivery started by 1967 giving the 0-series to be put to trials until the end of 1966.

=== [[wt:en/news/6505-development-strv-103-0-last-man-standing-en|Devblog]] ===
In the immediate postwar years, Sweden began looking for a replacement to the Centurion tanks, then in service with its army. The most straightforward solution was to once again look into the export market for potential candidates, although engineers were already working on a domestic design - the Kranvagn. While this process was ongoing, an engineer by the name of Sven Berge came up with a radical new tank design in 1956.

This new vehicle featured a turretless design with a cannon fixed to the hull, which would be trained onto its targets with the precise use of an adjustable suspension system. The design was based on results from a study on tank crew casualties during WWII and the Korean War, which showed a correlation between tank height and hit probability. As such, the 'S-Tank' was kept very small in dimensions and low in profile, while also utilizing some innovative new engineering solutions, such as a mixed power plant consisting of a diesel engine and a gas turbine.

In 1959, the Swedish government approved the construction and testing of two prototypes. In 1960, a pre-production batch of 10 vehicles of the '0-serie' was ordered for field trials, which went on into the mid '60s. Generating more than favorable test results, the vehicle was formally ordered into production and procured as the 'Stridsvagn 103'.

Despite its original purpose being to replace the Centurion tanks in the Swedish Army, the Strv 103 ended up serving alongside it for a number of decades, until it was ultimately decommissioned in the late 1990s. By that time, 290 Strv 103s were built, spanning over five variants.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strv_103_0 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 02.jpg|
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 03.jpg|
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 04.jpg|
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 05.jpg|
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 06.jpg|
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 07.jpg|
File:Strv 103-0 WTWallpaper 08.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WO_5EKz_Ztg|'''Premium Vehicles: Stridsvagn 103–0''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''|s0Gh3g96Zeg|'''Should You Buy: {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''ConeOfArc''|qoprhFB5S7I|'''The Shooting Range #179''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:25 discusses the Strv 103.}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6505-development-strv-103-0-last-man-standing-en|[Devblog] Strv 103-0: Last Man Standing]]

{{TankManufacturer AB Bofors}}
{{Sweden medium tanks}}
{{Sweden premium ground vehicles}}

SAV 20.12.48

2024-04-17T02:40:55Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_sav_fm48
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

[[File:SAV 20.12.48 firing POV.png|thumb|300px|A SAV 20.12.48 firing]]

The {{PAGENAME}} was a private venture by Bofors to design a next generation assault gun for both export purposes and indigenous use following WWII. The main goal was to make a light and manoeuvrable armoured vehicle with a 12 cm autocannon, capable of dealing with both soft targets and enemy tanks. A prototype was built during the late 1940s but no one was willing to buy it in a world that was littered in cheap surplus military vehicles and the project was scrapped.

Introduced in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]] as a [[wt:en/news/6510-development-sav-20-12-48-nordic-sledgehammer-en|premium pack]] in the Gaijin store, the '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a very fast vehicle with a low silhouette that can easily manoeuvre around the map and flank enemies. It is armed with the aforementioned 12 cm autocannon of Bofors design and has a fire rate of 50 rounds per minute, meaning a reload speed of 1.2 seconds between shots, which is the highest in the game for its calibre. The gun's velocity however is subpar and requires good aim and close quarters combat to be effective. Another result of the low velocity is subpar penetration, but because of the vehicle's high mobility, coupled with the gun's high rate of fire and powerful ammunition, it has no trouble taking on any type of vehicle that it may come across during conventional matches.

The {{PAGENAME}} was removed from sale after the [[wt:en/news/7674-shop-may-sale-en|2022 May sale]]. It was briefly made available for purchase with Golden Eagles {{ge}} during the [[wt:en/news/8056-special-swedish-armed-forces-day-en|2023 "Swedish Armed Forces Day"]], [[wt:en/news/8274-special-legendary-spg-for-the-swedish-home-guard-day-en|2023 "Swedish Home Guards Day"]] mini-events, and was brought back as a GE Premium in the [[wt:en/news/8691-special-swedish-armed-forces-day-the-sav-201248-and-a-decal-en|2024 "Swedish Armed Forces Day"]] mini-event.

== General info ==
[[File:Destroyed SAV 20.12.48.png|thumb|300px|A destroyed SAV 20.12.48]]

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The SAV 20.12.48 is very lightly armoured, sacrificing protection for mobility. The highly sloped glacis is 30 mm thick, and can sometimes cause rounds to ricochet, but it is not reliable in any sense of the word. The rest of the tank is vulnerable to even heavy machine guns, and the open top is extremely vulnerable to strafing aircraft. Ammunition is stored in two primary deposits at the back of the crew compartment and is easily hit if the vehicle is penetrated.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
[[File:SAV 20.12.48 moving.png|thumb|300px|A SAV 20.12.48 on its way]]
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=568|rbMinHp=354}}

The SAV 20.12.48 has excellent mobility for a tank destroyer, featuring a high top speed as well as a fast reverse. The result is a highly agile tank destroyer that is capable of taking positions or retreating into cover quickly.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
[[File:SAV 20.12.48 top view.png|thumb|300px|Top view of the SAV 20.12.48]]

=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|automatkanon (120 mm)}}

The 120 mm automatkanon is a potentially devastating weapon. It is fitted with an automatic loader that is fed by a six-round clip, for a total of seven shots ready to go once fully loaded (including one in the gun barrel). The autoloader has an extremely fast reload of only 1.2 s, allowing the SAV 20.12.48 to engage up to seven targets in under 10 s. Once the clip has been expended, a new round must be loaded into the clip before the autoloader may be cycled and the gun made ready to fire. However, this process only takes a few seconds. The gun also has a good amount of gun depression, allowing the Sav 20.12.48 to abuse hills when combined with the high reverse speed.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[automatkanon (120 mm)|120 mm automatkanon]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 62 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 13.2 || 18.3 || 22.2 || 24.6 || 26.1 || rowspan="2" | 1.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.9 || 10.5 || 12.8 || 14.1 || 15.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The primary shell is the '''hpgr m/50''' APCBC round. With nearly 1 kg of explosive filler, it is extremely deadly and almost guaranteed to knock out anything with a single shot if it penetrates the crew compartment. Its penetration is quite respectable; although not quite enough to frontally penetrate everything the Sav 20.12.48 can encounter, it has more than enough penetration to kill most tanks from the side. It has a relatively low muzzle velocity, however, and is thus hard to hit with at long range.

The SAV 20.12.48 also has a capable HE shell; '''sgr M/50Z''', with over 2 kg of explosive filler. This shell is capable of penetrating and overpressuring the roofs of most of the vehicles and is a great alternative if the APCBC doesn't cut it. It is especially effective at taking out hull-down opponents who attempt to hide their hull's weak spots.

{{:automatkanon (120 mm)/Ammunition|hpgr M/50, sgr M/50Z}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''62''' || 35 ''(+27)'' || 7 ''(+55)'' || 1 ''(+61)'' || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:SAV 20.12.48 ambush.png|thumb|300px|A SAV 20.12.48 ready to ambush]]
The combination of high mobility, powerful explosive filler APCBC shells, and autoloader make the Sav 20.12.48 an extremely dangerous tank destroyer to face. It is fast enough to quickly setup ambush positions near where the enemy team is likely to pass by, and a careless team can quickly find itself losing up to seven tanks in less than 10 s to the Sav 20.12.48 lying in ambush. Ideally, the Sav 20.12.48 would also be in a hull down position, where most of the tank can be hidden since the gun is mounted near the top of the vehicle and the high reverse speed allows it to back into cover quickly.

The vehicle itself is very fragile, however, and if it is caught out of position it is very easily destroyed. It is also very vulnerable to aircraft due to the open top, and has no means of defending itself from aircraft.

It can also be very tempting to fire off all seven rounds at once, but as with all autoloaders, trigger discipline is a very important skill to develop in order to use the vehicle to its full potential.

Most of the heavy tanks that the SAV 20.12.48 is able to face are largely resistant to your shells, especially if they're angled. If you see a KV-1 or Churchill, disengage and let your allies with better firepower take these out.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Highly lethal APCBC explosive filler shells
* Good mobility and high reverse speed
* Can fire seven rounds within 9 s using the autoloader
* Excellent gun depression
* Small silhouette, especially when hull down
* High hp/ton ratio - not many enemy or allied vehicles are as quick to accelerate or able to reach high speeds as quickly
* Penetration usually is a one-shot due to the high amount of explosive filler in the APCBC shells
* Extremely effective in an ambush role - an SAV 20.12.48 left unchecked can destroy an entire flank in rapid succession

'''Cons:'''

* Very thin armour
* Open crew compartment, highly vulnerable to strafing aircraft
* Must reload at least one round into clip before the gun can be fired
* Low shell velocity
* Sustained firing decreases accuracy
* Struggles to penetrate heavy tanks like the KV-1 and Churchill series of tanks, even at close range or from the sides
* Magazine can quickly be depleted - replenishing the entire magazine takes up a lot of time
* Only 3 crew members - low survivability

== History ==

[[File:SAV 20.12.48 firing.png|thumb|300px|A SAV 20.12.48 firing]]
=== [[wt:en/news/6510-development-sav-20-12-48-nordic-sledgehammer-en|Devblog]] ===
In 1948, Bofors began work on developing a new self-propelled gun as part of a private venture in an effort to realize a long-lasting goal of establishing itself as a manufacturer of armoured fighting vehicles, alongside its already proven reputation in arms production.

To do so, Bofors came up with a design for a new SPG, which incorporated a 12cm cannon, whose design was heavily inspired by those used on destroyer vessels, along with a highly effective autoloading mechanism. The design was ready by the end of 1948 and a single prototype was constructed in the following year.

However, while test results didn't seem to impress the Swedish military enough to consider placing an order for the vehicle, the factor that certainly sealed the vehicle's fate for good was its price. Namely, being developed with the use of its own funding, Bofors had to demand a high production price for the vehicle, a price deemed too high by the Swedish military considering the vehicle's most probable role being an infantry support vehicle.

As a result of the lacking interest, the SAV 20.12.48 never went into production. Despite its failure, the project wasn't a complete loss for Bofors, as some of the experiences gained during its development later found application in other vehicles, such as the far more successful Strv 103.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_sav_fm48 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:SAV 20.12.48 WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
File:SAV 20.12.48 WTWallpaper 02.jpg|
File:SAV 20.12.48 WTWallpaper 03.jpg|
File:SAV 20.12.48 WTWallpaper 04.jpg|
File:SAV 20.12.48 WTWallpaper 05.jpg|
File:SAV 20.12.48 WTWallpaper 06.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1Wx-xUnIqyI|'''The Shooting Range #182''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|xF4-TcnyWw0|'''Best tank destroyers''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:17 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 7:08 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6510-development-sav-20-12-48-nordic-sledgehammer-en|[Devblog] SAV 20.12.48: Nordic Sledgehammer]]

{{TankManufacturer AB Bofors}}
{{Sweden tank destroyers}}
{{Sweden premium ground vehicles}}

SK-105A2

2024-04-17T02:39:33Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_sk105_a2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''SK-105 Kürassier A2''' is the third variant of the SK-105 Kürassier light tank family. The initial prototype, developed by Saurer-Werk (now Steyr-Daimler-Puch) to fulfil the Austrian Army's operational needs for a light, mobile anti-tank vehicle, was completed in 1967, and deliveries of pre-production vehicles began in 1971. Over 700 units are estimated to have been produced. The SK-105 Kürassier A2 is based on the chassis of a heavily modified Saurer armoured personal carrier (APC). The hull is constructed of welded steel and is separated into three compartments: the driver sits in the front, the combat compartment is in the middle, and the engine is in the back. Given its light weight, the SK-105 can be airdropped to support paratroopers. The SK-105 Kürassier A2 is an improved variant of the SK-105 Kürassier A1. It has a modern fire control system and an automatic electrical loading system.

Introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]], the SK-105 Kürassier A2 shines as a long-range sniper due to its powerful 105 mm CN105G1 tank gun, low profile, and high mobility. Players ought to constantly check their surroundings for potential danger. An excellent strategy is to find an elevated position with a cover nearby. Rushing to the major battle zones should be avoided in general, and tactics such as flanking or sniping should be prioritized, as the SK-105 Kürassier A2 has little chance of winning in direct confrontations or close-quarter engagements. Along with its powerful primary armament, the 4-second autoloader will be an enormous advantage that should be exploited during combat.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


[[File:Armour heatmap of the SK-105.png|thumb|Heatmap of the SK105's armour]]

The hull armour of the SK-105A2, even though it is angled at 62°, is relatively weak. In most cases, it will stop 20 mm cannons but cannons with a bigger calibre will have no problems punching right trough the hull armour which in most cases leads to an instant death, as the crew is sitting tightly packed together. Rapid firing autocannons such as the ones mounted on the [[Gepard]] or the [[ZSU-37-2]] will have no problems shredding the SK-105 in less than a second. It is highly recommend to not take more than 24 shells due to the fact that reserve shells pile up in the front most part of the tank, which might lead to even more frequent instant deaths. If the user can manage their rounds effectively, the safest ammo count would be 16. This way, only 4 extra rounds are placed into the turret and no rounds are in the front of the tank.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Front of the turret, Gun mantlet)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (62°) ''Front Glacis'' 20 mm (49°) ''Bottom Glacis'' || 14 mm ''Top'' ''hull side'' 14 mm ''Bottom hull side'' || 12 (1°) mm || 5-10 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 - 40 (16-69°) mm ''Turret front'' 40 mm (0-90°) ''Gun Mantlet'' || 20-40 mm || 10-20 mm || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 10 mm (60°) || 10 mm || 10 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 15 mm thick
* Tracks are 20 mm thick

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=496|rbMinHp=283}}

The SK-105 has an exceptional speed of about 59 km/h forwards on roads, and around -9 km/h in reverse while also being relatively manoeuvrable, as it is very similar to the [[AMX-13]] light tank. It is powered by the Steyr 7FA/6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, which provides 320 hp (238 kW) for a power-to-weight ratio of 18 hp/ton. While it can go as fast as 59 km/h, one should expect to move at about 40 km/h off-road, however the reserve speed still stays at -9 km/h, and it takes roughly 12 seconds for the SK-105 to rotate 360° in neutral steering.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|PzK M57 (105 mm)}}

In terms of weaponry, the SK-105 carries the 105 mm PzK M57, which is very effective at dispatching almost every enemy tank with a well-placed shot. It possesses a 4-second autoloader with a magazine size of 12 rounds. After the 12 rounds were depleted, the user has to wait until the magazine houses at least one round. This can be quite problematic if one is too trigger-happy.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PzK M57 (105 mm)|105 mm PzK M57]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 38 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:PzK M57 (105 mm)/Ammunition|OCC 105 F1, OE 105 F1 Mle.60, OFPH 105 F1, OFL 105 G1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_JaPz.K_A2.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the JaPz.K A2 (identical).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''38''' || 38 ''(+0)'' || 13 ''(+25)'' || 7 ''(+31)'' || 1 ''(+37)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modelled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of rounds: 42 shells are modelled, but only 38 shells can be fired. Rack 1 is therefore always empty.
* Rack 3 and 4 (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
** These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 2 into rack 4 then 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 2.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The SK-105 has access to the [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)]] machine gun. While it lacks any some sort of effective penetration, its high rate of fire can dispatch exposed crew members easily. The one, and only, belt houses 1,000 rounds with average velocity. It is largely inadequate against armour and should be used exclusively to dispatch exposed crew members or to destroy environmental objects such as fences with ease.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The SK-105A2 excels at filling the spot as a sniper, due to its very powerful 105 mm cannon, low profile and high mobility. This is all balanced out however by the fact that the SK-105 possesses little to no armour, so any kind of hit from a cannon more powerful than 20 mm, will dispatch the SK-105 quite easily. The user should always check their surrounding as much they can, and as frequently as they can. Finding a vantage point with cover nearby is an effective strategy. Brawls and rushes should generally be avoided and tactics like flanking or sniping should be focused upon, as the SK-105 will stand no chance in direct engagements or close quarter fights. However, if one does stumble into a brawl, the 4-second autoloader will prove to be a major benefit coupled with the amazing 105 mm cannon; although one should pay attention to their magazine as the user will not be able to shoot at all if the magazine runs dry completely. It is because of this reason that at least 2 spare rounds should be carried in the magazine in case of an ambush. One big thing to note is that the user also lacks a stabilizer, which may be a problem due to the light size of the tank and fast speed; as these properties will make the gun harder to stabilize on its own if the user decides to brake spontaneously.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 12-round autoloader with a 4-second reload time
* Strong APFSDS shells
* Has a smoke grenade launcher with 2 salvos
* Has access to night vision device and 2nd generation thermal imager on gunner optics
* Has access to a laser rangefinder with automatic sight adjustment
* Commander gun controls, able to shoot back with an unconscious gunner

'''Cons:'''

* Has thin armour that can be penetrated even by .50 cal machine guns
* Lacks a stabilizer
* No roof-mounted MG for anti-air purposes
* Has only 3 crew members sitting close to each other
* Very unstable gun: high recoil and low accuracy while moving
* APFSDS is unlocked only at tier III
* Mediocre mobility for a light tank
* If the magazine runs out of rounds, the user has to wait until it is refilled to engage

== History ==

[[File:Patagon1.jpg|thumb|A Patagón tank next to an SK-105 A1.]]

The SK-105 was developed by the company named Saurer-Werk, as the Austrian Army needed a reliable tank destroyer. The very first prototype was built in the year 1967 and the pre-production began in the year 1971. Around 286 were made for the Austrian Army and were in service until the 1990s, while the rest of the SK-105s were exported.

The hull of the SK-105 was based on the heavily armoured car, Saurer APC, which was used alongside Austrian units. This allowed the tank destroyer to be light and have above average mobility, something the Austrian Army wanted. While the hull of the tank was an easy choice to make, as the Saurer APC hull required just a few modifications to be adequate for the standards set by the Austrian Army, the debate now was which turret should the SK-105 use. Since the Austrian Army wanted a cannon that was light, reliable yet still powerful enough to fulfil its role of a tank destroyer, they turned their eyes towards France. Because of their massive success and mass production of AMX-13 light tank, the Austrian army decided to contact France in the hopes of designing a new turret. In the end, France agreed and came up with an oscillating turret that was light yet powerful enough to be used in an anti-tank role.

While Austria retired the SK-105, a substantial amount is still in service today in other countries: mainly in Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina. Argentina created the "Patagón" variant by merging a brand-new hull with surplus AMX-13 (105) turrets, the result was a vehicle comparable to the SK-105 A1.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=light_tank&vehicle=fr_sk105_a2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150">
File:SK-105A2 Garage Photo.png|SK-105A2 in the garage
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|G6enBS8bPrU|'''The Shooting Range #267''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


* [[AMX-13]] - Another tank which uses the oscillating turret system that the SK-105 uses
* [[JaPz.K A2]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:SK-105_Kürassier|[Wikipedia] SK-105 Kürassier]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/Austria/SK-105_Kurassier.php <nowiki>[tanks-encyclopedia] SK-105 Kurassier</nowiki>]

{{France light tanks}}

AMX-13 (HOT)

2024-04-17T02:39:14Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
|about=French light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other versions
|link=AMX-13 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_13_hot
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''AMX-13/75 FL-10 (HOT)''' is the fourth subvariant of the [[AMX-13|AMX-13/75 FL-10]], which is the first variant of the [[AMX-13 (Family)|AMX-13 light tank family]]. Except for the six HOT anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) installed on two launchers next to the turret, it is similar to the standard AMX-13/75 FL-10. The HOT (Haut subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube) is a second-generation long-range ATGM. It was designed to replace the older SS.11 wire-guided ATGMs used in French and West German service. The design was created in partnership with the German company Bölkow and the French company Nord. HOT ATGMs have a greater range, higher flight speed, and are semi-automatically guided rather than manually guided like SS.11 ATGMs. It has become one of the most successful missiles in its class, with tens of thousands of missiles manufactured, utilized by more than a dozen countries throughout the world, and deployed in several wars.

Introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]], the AMX-13/75 FL-10 (HOT) features the same playstyle as the standard AMX-13/75 FL-10. This light tank is exceptionally fast and agile, but it does it at the expense of its armour. However, this light tank encounters far more advanced opponents than its predecessor, the [[AMX-13 (SS.11)|AMX-13/75 FL-10 (Char Lance SS.11)]]. As a result, despite being a light tank with a powerful main gun, it struggles to penetrate most adversaries in combat. Instead, it must rely on the six HOT ATGMs to eliminate foes at great ranges. The HOT ATGMs are incredibly effective against even the most protected opponents. It is recommended that it be used as a long-range tank destroyer, with its superior ATGMs picking off enemies over great distances. The primary armament should be used only when the enemy is revealing its sides without paying attention.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret base, Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (67°) ''Front glacis'' 20-40 mm (5-50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm || 15 mm ''Top'' 15 mm (45°) ''Bottom'' || 10 mm 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm (32-47°) ''Turret front'' 40 mm (12-41°) ''Turret base'' 40 mm (15-75°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 20 mm (0-30°) ''Turret'' 20 mm (12-14°) ''Turret base'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (17-22°) ''Pivot ball'' 10 mm (77-90°) ''Turret underside'' || 10 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 20 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
* 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.
* The track and wheel on the front glacis offer about 15 mm structural steel thickness.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=418|rbMinHp=239}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|SA50 L/57 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA50 L/57 (75 mm)|75 mm SA50 L/57]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 36 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA50 L/57 (75 mm)/Ammunition|POT-51A, OE Mle 1951, PCOT-51P}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_AMX-13.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the AMX-13 (identical).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''36''' || 32 ''(+4)'' || 28 ''(+8)'' || 23 ''(+13)'' || 18 ''(+18)'' || 13 ''(+23)'' || 7 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+35)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6* and 7* (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
* These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
* As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
* Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun (about 15 seconds). Take this into account when playing.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 7* then 6*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* The depletion order at full capacity is: 6* - 7* - 1 - 2 up to 5.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|HOT}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[HOT]] ATGM
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
|-
| 6 || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:HOT/Ammunition|HOT}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''6''' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* The missiles are fired from 1 to 6.
* It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The AMX-13 HOT cannot be played as the standard AMX-13 due to the increased battle rating. This particular modification should be used always as a support vehicle. The commander should always keep this in mind:

* ATGM: frontal engagements at 100 m (the ATGM has to fly up a couple of metres to be able to follow the crosshair due to the launcher placement). Distance engagements past 200-300 m.

* 75 mm gun: Side shots at distances between 0-200 m

It should be noted that the AMX-13 HOT can face [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1s]], meaning the main gun is capable of destroying the tank from all sides. Enemy targets like [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54/55]] will only be able to be penetrated frontally with the ATGM and from the sides with the 75 mm gun. The [[T-55AM-1]] can be one of the toughest enemies it will face as the ATGM will not be able to penetrate the turret mantlet when seen directly from the front, aim for centre-mass with the ATGM.

Do not stay alone with this tank unless you are being a scout vehicle (as it has that capacity).

'''When in urban combat:'''

The AMX-13 should be played as a flanker or as a "medic" vehicle thanks to being able to repair friendlies due to being a light tank. It should be noted that the ATGM use is reduced considerably when in urban combat due to the way the launchers are placed. Use your mobility, scouting capabilities and autoloader to mark, disable and support allies in killing enemy vehicles. When facing Russian tanks, always try to get side shots. When facing NATO tanks (excluding heavy tanks and WW2 tanks), side shots might not be required depending on the armour the AMX-13 is facing.

'''When in rural combat:'''

The AMX-13 should be played as a scout or as an ATGM sniper. Be aware of your zoom sights as the AMX-13 lacks potent zoom. Use ATGMs when engaging far targets as your main gun will lose penetration at ranges longer than 300 m, reducing spalling or not penetrating enemy armour at all. Use your scout ability to mark targets for teammates and let them engage them. Using your speed, you are able to flank the enemy as you are able to cross the map side to side with relative ease and speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Mouse-guided HOT missiles, capable of breaching some ERA screens on direct hit
* Can annihilate a lot of tanks in quick succession since all 6 ATGM are always armed and ready to fire
* Reasonably fast turret rotation speed

'''Cons:'''

* Since ATGMs are stored outside the tank turret, stray artillery shells can hit and detonate ammo
* Horrendous gun performance at top tier, you will be unable to penetrate almost all enemies frontally
* Long replenishment time for the autoloader after the 12 shots have been spent
* Only 6 ATGMs
* Oscillating turret causes up and down bobbing of the gunsight when coming to a stop
* Mediocre mobility for a light tank

== History ==

'''Development'''

Development of the AMX-13 began in 1946 in response to a requirement by the French Army for a light tank to support paratroopers. It was designed at Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX). A long line of prototypes lead to the production model. The first prototype was the AMX-13 2A in 1948, with four road wheels. Next came the 2B with five road wheels and a raised idler wheel, and the 2C with the FL-10 turret and two return rollers. The 2D introduced an arrangement with four return rollers.

'''Design'''

The turret held the commander and gunner, and was set to the rear of the vehicle. The hull was very compact and low profile, with the engine on the right side and the driver in the front, left side.

The main feature of the AMX-13 was the FL-10 oscillating turret, armed with a 75 mm gun with an automatic loader system fed by two six-round magazines, for a total of 12 rounds in the autoloading mechanism. The gun could depress 8° and elevate 12°, with 5° per second of elevation speed. The turret could rotate 360° with 30° per second of traverse speed. A TCV 107 laser rangefinder was provided to the gunner. 6 smoke grenade launchers were fitted on the turret, with 6 more grenades stored in the vehicle. One coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun was fitted, with 1,800 rounds in belts of 200. Another 7.62 mm machine gun could be fitted on an anti-aircraft mount with 1,800 rounds.

The gasoline engine produced 250 horsepower, and the manual transmission had five forward and one reverse gear. The suspension was of the torsion bar type. The drive sprockets were in the front, return rollers in the back, and there were five road wheels and four return rollers. The AMX-13 could reach a speed of 60 km/h, and it had a range of 400 km.

The protection of the AMX-13, it being a light tank, was not great. It could withstand heavy machine gun and low-calibre autocannon rounds from the front, but the sides could not even withstand heavy machine gun fire. An appliqué armour package was developed to increase protection at the choice of the user.

'''Production'''

Production began in 1952, at Atelier de Construction Roanne (ARE). Over 7,000 AMX-13s of all variants were produced, seeing export to a number of nations as well as seeing service with the French Army. Production shifted to Creusot-Loire at Chalon-sur-Saône in 1964, since ARE began producing the AMX-30 in that year.

'''Service'''

The French Army received most of the original 75 mm-armed version, with about 3,000 entering service. They were assigned to the regular armoured units, which were mostly filled with M47 and M48 Patton medium tanks at the time. AMX-13 squadrons had four tanks, and were split into two sections of one infantry section and one light tank section each, along with an ammunition truck and command vehicle. These squadrons were used for screening and reconnaissance, locating enemy forces and engaging them. After the first section had engaged the enemy and was reloading, the second section engaged the enemy. The process of alternating reloading and firing between the sections allowed the tanks to hold off the enemy until medium tanks arrived.

In the 1960's, the AMX-30 entered service. AMX-13s were used during the decolonization war in Algeria (1954-1962), although they saw little combat due to the lack of opposition and the terrain. After the French AMX-13s were up-gunned with the 90 mm gun, they often saw service in foreign theaters of operation due to their relative inexpensiveness. The AMX-13s were decommissioned and put into reserve starting in 1985.

'''HOT variant'''

The AMX-13 HOT was a prototype made by AMX featuring HOT launchers and ATGM as an intent to upgrade the AMX-13 SS.11

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_13_hot Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|G-sMfeWsEq0|'''The Shooting Range #148''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 04:54 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|uhgodizubC4|'''The Shooting Range #77''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:19 discusses the AMX-13.|MmHV4ddBtik|'''AMX-13 (HOT) - Not Good For BR 9.0''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same missile

* [[RakJPz 2 (HOT)]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:AMX-13|[Wikipedia] AMX-13]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/AMX-13.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> AMX-13]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

AMX-13-90

2024-04-17T02:39:00Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
|about=French light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other variants
|link=AMX-13 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_13_90
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''AMX-13/90 C90''' is the second variant of the [[AMX-13 (Family)|AMX-13 light tank family]]. The AMX-13/90 C90 uses a bigger, low-pressure 90 mm CN 90 F2 tank gun, similar to how the [[E.B.R. (1951)|Panhard Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance (E.B.R.) Modèle 1951]] was modified to become the [[E.B.R. (1963)|Modèle 1963 Revalorisé]]. It was designed to compensate for the French Army's lack of anti-tank capabilities at the time.

Introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]], the AMX-13/90 C90 is an excellent scout and flanking vehicle due to its good speed and excellent handling. Due to the low muzzle velocity and lack of an autoloader, the AMX-13/90 C90 is difficult to operate at range. To perform successfully on this vehicle, you must target weak points, ammunition racks, and crew members while maintaining an active awareness of your surroundings and excellent map knowledge. Finally, as aircraft weapons advance, threats from hostile aircraft become more common; thus, strafing from enemy aircraft will commonly result in vehicle damage or annihilation. The AMX-13 is inappropriate for close combat and should only be used in open spaces due to the lack of a stabilizer. With its fast reload, you may easily dispatch a large number of enemies.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret base, Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (67°) ''Front glacis'' 20-40 mm (5-50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm || 15 mm ''Top'' 15 mm (45°) ''Bottom'' || 10 mm 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm (32-45°) ''Turret front'' 40 mm (12-41°) ''Turret base'' 40 mm (15-75°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 20 mm (0-30°) ''Turret'' 20 mm (12-14°) ''Turret base'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (17-22°) ''Pivot ball'' 10 mm (77-90°) ''Turret underside'' || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
* 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.
* The track and wheel on the front glacis offer about 15 mm structural steel thickness.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=418|rbMinHp=239}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|CN90 F3 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[CN90 F3 (90 mm)|90 mm CN90 F3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 34 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:CN90 F3 (90 mm)/Ammunition|OCC 60-62, OE 90 F1, OFUM PH90-F2}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''34''' || 32 ''(+2)'' || 28 ''(+6)'' || 23 ''(+11)'' || 18 ''(+16)'' || 13 ''(+21)'' || 7 ''(+27)'' || 1 ''(+33)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Visual discrepancy concerns rack 1 (5 shells are modeled but it contains 3 shells) and rack 5 (3 shells are modeled but it contains 5 shells).
* Rack 6* and 7* (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
* These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
* As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
* Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun (about 15 seconds). Take this into account when playing.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 7* then 6*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* The depletion order at full capacity is: 6* - 7* - 1 - 2 up to 5.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The AMX-13-90 is a light tank with good firepower. Its 90 mm cannon equipped with HEAT-FS rounds is enough to destroy any tank at its BR (still be aware of uptiers mostly because of the [[T-55AMD-1]] and [[T-55AM-1]] which have composite armour). The lack of stabilizer makes it bad for close and urban engagements, it should be used in open areas. With its fast reload you can snipe multiple enemies easily. Be aware of the bad post-penetration damage: on heavier tanks you should aim for critical components.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has HEATFS with 320 mm of penetration
* Small profile
* Great top speed
* Great acceleration
* Has a fast 5s reload time
* The engine and transmission can absorb some rounds giving you the time to fight back

'''Cons:'''

* HEATFS ammunition has poor post-penetration damage
* Lacks armour
* With the oscillating turret, the lack of stabilizer came with it
* Hights antennas ruin the stealthy approach
* Slow reverse speed

== History ==


'''Development'''

The AMX-13-90 was an up-gunned version of the French AMX-13 light tank. In 1964, a prototype for a modernized AMX-13, called the 2E, introduced a 90 mm gun and also reduced the amount of return rollers from four to three. A second prototype with the 90 mm gun was built, called the 2F, introduced a thermal sleeve and reduced the return rollers to only two.

The AMX-30 was planned in 1962 to replace the M47 and M48 Patton tanks of the French Army. As such, it was decided to modernize the AMX-13 fleet, as well as to produce new vehicles. The modernization began in 1964, and it included the 90 mm DEFA D921/F1 gun and many vehicles also received SS-11 wire-guided anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) mounted on racks above the gun base.

'''Design'''

The 2E and 2F prototypes led to the introduction of the production version, the AMX-13-90. The only significant change from the AMX-13 to the AMX-13-90 was the 90 mm F3 gun in a modified turret. The F3 was similar to the 90 mm DEFA D921/F1 gun of the AML-90, but the barrel was much longer. It therefore had a much higher muzzle velocity even though it used the same ammunition as the AML-90.

'''Service'''

The French Army received most of the original 75 mm-armed version, with about 3,000 entering service. They were assigned to the regular armoured units, which were mostly filled with M47 and M48 Patton medium tanks at the time. AMX-13 squadrons had four tanks, and were split into two sections of one infantry section and one light tank section each, along with an ammunition truck and command vehicle. These squadrons were used for screening and reconnaissance, locating enemy forces and engaging them. After the first section had engaged the enemy and was reloading, the second section engaged the enemy. The process of alternating reloading and firing between the sections allowed the tanks to hold off the enemy until medium tanks arrived.

In the 1960's, the AMX-30 entered service. AMX-13s were used during the decolonization war in Algeria (1954-1962), although they saw little combat due to the lack of opposition and the terrain. After the French AMX-13s were up-gunned with the 90 mm gun, they often saw service in foreign theaters of operation due to their relative inexpensiveness. The AMX-13s were decommissioned and put into reserve starting in 1985.

=== From [[wt:en/news/5285-vehicle-amx-13-90-new-toy-to-play-en|Devblog]]: ===
During the '50s and '60s, the AMX-13 light tank was considered to have underwhelming firepower when compared to certain other tanks fielded by other nations. To remedy this, several modernization and upgrade efforts were launched which focused primarily on improving the killing potential of the AMX-13. Some AMX-13s were equipped with different types of ATGMs, whilst others, like the AMX-13-90, received a larger calibre cannon with improved ballistic properties. In case of the AMX-13-90, the tank received, as the name already suggests, a 90 mm CN 90 F3 cannon, which boasted increased penetrating power and allowed the AMX-13 to engage targets at longer distances too.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_13_90 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uhgodizubC4|'''The Shooting Range #77''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:19 discusses the AMX-13.|G-sMfeWsEq0|'''The Shooting Range #148''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 01:03 discusses the AMX-13-90.}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5285-vehicle-amx-13-90-new-toy-to-play-en|[Vehicle] AMX-13-90: New Toy to Play]]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France light tanks}}

Lorraine 40t

2024-04-17T02:38:33Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_lorraine_40t
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

In the late 1940s, French engineers initiated the development of the Lorraine 40t, a lighter tank project intended to complement the AMX-50 heavy tank. Mounted on the chassis of the Canon d'Assaut Lorraine, the tank featured an oscillating turret and utilized advanced technologies from previous experimental projects like the CA Lorraine and the AMX-50 prototype, including the revolver autoloader. Despite its maximum 45 mm armour thickness, the Lorraine 40t compensated with cleverly angled armour and a distinctive chevron-shaped front hull design that effectively provided the equivalent protection of 90 mm armour. The strategic use of lighter armour facilitated increased speed and manoeuvrability, paired with steel roller wheels and bulletproof tires powered by an 850 horsepower German Maybach engine, enabling the tank to reach speeds of 60 km/h. Although two prototypes were completed in 1952, the Lorraine 40t never entered production due to geopolitical shifts linked to the formation of NATO, France's integration into the alliance, and the supply of M47 Patton tanks by the US during the Korean War.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. The Lorraine is one of the best representative of rank IV French medium tanks: it has good mobility, an oscillating turret (fitted with an autoloader), sloped armour in front and back, high hull, high gun placement, good gun depression, 4 crew member, a coaxial MAC 31 machine gun and large tracks. The Lorraine distinguishes itself by having a pike nose, similar to that of an [[IS-3]], road wheels instead of metal ones and it is the first French vehicle to be able to consistently pierce more than 200 mm of armour at standard combat ranges and it can do it seven times a minute. This tank offers high top speed and acceleration, good turning rate (neutral steering) and awesome hill climbing capacity. Use its mobility to follow light tanks into large flanking manoeuvres, providing them an extra punch for scouted targets. In a more passive playstyle, its good reverse speed should get it fast enough into cover and out of bad situations if required.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Casemate hull)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Driver's hatch)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (57-69°) ''Front glacis'' 35 mm (59°) ''Lower glacis'' 40 mm (69°) ''Driver's hatch'' || 30 mm (30°) ''Top'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 25 mm (31°) || 20 mm 8 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 45 mm (52-64°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (20-53°) ''Turret base'' 50 mm (9-83°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 30 mm (0-56°) ''Turret'' 30 mm (0-28°) ''Turret base'' || 30 mm (1-29°) ''Turret bustle'' 30 mm (6-22°) ''Pivot ball'' 20 mm (72-89°) ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,317|rbMinHp=752}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA47 L/58 (100 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA47 L/58 (100 mm)|100 mm SA47 L/58]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 49 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 ||39.5||48.0||53.1||56.5|| rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 ||21.0||25.5||28.2||30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA47 L/58 (100 mm)/Ammunition|100 mm Obus de rupture, 100 mm Obus explosif}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''49''' || 46 ''(+3)'' || 41 ''(+8)'' || 35 ''(+14)'' || 29 ''(+20)'' || 24 ''(+25)'' || 19 ''(+30)'' || 14 ''(+35)'' || 7 ''(+42)'' || 1 ''(+48)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,800 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Lorraine 40t can be used in a lot of combat roles as it has great mobility, weapon, silhouette and has an autoloader. When it comes to medium tanks at the battle rating, it is one of the tanks which has a relative low armour penetration, but this does not stop the Lorraine from performing excellently at some roles.

'''Urban combat:'''

The Lorraine just lacks stabilizer to be one of the best tanks in urban combat. It is capable of doing everything but being an assault tank when it comes to urban maps. The Lorraine should be used as a support vehicle for heavier vehicles, flanker or sniper (in maps like Eastern Europe). Thanks to the 4.0 second reload with autoloader, the Lorraine is able of engaging multiple targets at a time with its turret rotation speed of 21.0°/s, be aware that the autoloader is a revolver autoloader, meaning the barrel has to be replenished after all the rounds have been fired. You can also use your quick reload as bait, meaning you can fire a single round at the air to make enemies push as they will think you will be reloading slowly but by the time they have sight on you you will be able to fire them multiple times and incapacitate or destroy them. It also should be noted that the autoloader will reload regardless of if you are on fire or the loader is has been knocked, only 1 crew member needs to be alive in the turret in order to reload. Thanks to its speed and agility, the Lorraine is able to "Hit N' Run" when flanking and engaging multiple targets at a time.

'''Rural combat:'''

The Lorraine has almost the mobility of an M18 but with greater firepower. The relatively high muzzle velocity of the gun makes the Lorraine capable of doing sniping attacks and hit them continuously thanks to the autoloader. Thanks to its mobility, it is able to travel with great speed to one side of the map to another in little time. When sniping, always stay on the move after firing. Fire and move, hence and repeat. This is to maintain the Lorraine's reduced profile when enemy players try to take revenge with tanks or aircraft. Do not stray too far from friendly tanks as they will be your main line of defence as you do not have great armour. Always stay aware of your surroundings.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* One of the fastest and most agile medium tank in the game. Can legitimately outrun and outmanoeuvre many of the light tanks at the BR
* Excellent 100 mm gun that has great penetration and damage potential
* Equipped with an 8-shot autoloader, giving this tank an outstanding 4 second reload
* The excellent speed and manoeuvrability coupled with the 8-shot autoloader makes the Lorraine one of the most dangerous flankers/ambushers in the game. Can single-handedly decimate half a dozen enemies in seconds
* The high reverse speed coupled with the 8 degrees of gun depression makes cresting ridgelines a viable tactic
* 6x magnification on the gunners optics. Good for both close and long range engagements

'''Cons:'''

* Abysmal levels of frontal armour and absolutely terrible side armour. Tanking shots will lead to a quick death
* Bad roof armour too. Attackers and artillery is extremely hazardous to the Lorraine
* The Lorraine has a rather large and long silhouette. Not that easy to find proper concealment
* Like most French tanks, doesn't have access to any APHE shells
* Conical fragmentation makes side shots less effective
* Due to the nature of oscillating turrets, the tank has bad turret elevation
* Despite the length of the barrel, the 100 mm gun has sub-par levels of accuracy. Sniping at weak points past 500 m is not that easy

== History ==

At the end of the 1940s, during development of the AMX-50 heavy tank project, French engineers also decided to try creating a lighter tank that could serve the same role as the AMX-50.

The project was initially designated "40 ton battle tank" with an oscillating turret on the Cannon D'assaut Lorraine's chassis. Later, the vehicle was called the Lorraine 40t, based upon the name of the company that developed it : Lorraine-Dietrich. The tank used many of the same technological developments of the experimental, specially the CA Lorraine but sharing also technology with the AMX-50 prototype, specifically the revolver autoloader.

With armour plating at a maximum thickness of 45 mm, the Lorraine 40t isn't as well armoured as the AMX-50. The designers, however, set the armour plates on the Lorraine 40t at clever angles and implemented a chevron shape for the front of the hull (for which the tank is known). This effectively armoured the most vulnerable parts of the front projection and effectively exceeded the equivalent of 90 mm armour.

In addition, the Lorraine 40t's lighter armour significantly reduced its weight, thereby increasing its speed and allowing the use of steel paired roller wheels with bulletproof tires. Combined with the 850 horsepower German Maybach engine, the Lorraine 40t could reach 60 km/h, move smoothly and fire effectively at low speeds.<ref>From [[wt:en/news/5181-development-lorraine-40t-sports-heavy-en|Devblog]]</ref>

Two prototypes of the Lorraine 40t were completed in 1952. But the tank never reached production due to the creation of NATO, France invitation to NATO and the US supplying M47 Patton to France due to the Korean War outbreak.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_lorraine_40t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:51 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|l86ZcvMuihQ|'''What defines repair cost? The most expensive tank to play: Lorraine 40t''' - ''HowToPlay1337''|oa26g25qqP4|'''Best medium tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:01 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:31 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|HreZgJwCMzM|'''The Shooting Range #79''' - ''War Machines'' section at 00:42 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|B1t4LwEWxy4|'''Lorraine 40t - Feels Rigged''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[AMX M4]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5181-development-lorraine-40t-sports-heavy-en|[Devblog] Lorraine 40t: Sports Heavy]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/lorraine-40t <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Lorraine 40t]

===References===
<references />

{{TankManufacturer Lorraine}}
{{France medium tanks}}

AMX-50 (TOA100)

2024-04-17T02:38:19Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = French medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = AMX-50 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_50
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==


The AMX-50 project started life as a 30-ton weight class project requirement as NOM 141 (Project 141) in 1945, as the prospective next generation domestic French tank after the [[ARL-44]]. The familiar oscillating turret on all AMX-50s was introduced in 1949, equipped with a 90 mm gun ([[AMX M4]]) - however, at this stage, the French Army was no longer content with the 90 mm gun, and the AMX M4 was canceled to make way for a new turret that housed a 100 mm cannon instead. Two prototypes of this new standard were produced, one which was modified from an AMX M4 and one which was built from the ground up as an AMX-50 (TOA100). Unfortunately for the AMX-50 (TOA100), the tank's protracted development meant the Army now wanted a 120 mm cannon instead of the 100 mm, and as at this point the hull was grossly underarmoured and was lacking in many other technical areas as well, development of the AMX-50 shifted to what would now be known as the [[AMX-50 Surblinde]] instead.

Introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]], the '''{{Specs|name}}''' features the same armament and turret as the [[Lorraine 40t]] on a more robust chassis, similar to that of the [[AMX M4]]. The AMX-50 (TOA100) is functionally not too different from the [[Lorraine 40t]] in terms of gameplay - it's a mobile hull with a fast-reloading gun, which doesn't fire APHE but still spalls adequately due to the French AP shell cap. The vehicle, as it is an oscillating turret design with a drum-feed autoloader, cannot fire when it runs out of ammo in the ready rack, and also cannot elevate too high due to how the turret is placed on its oscillating hinge. Armour-wise, the vehicle isn't particularly well protected, with thin armour all around, but you may be able to survive some lower calibre shots or autocannon fire if you're lucky. Play around the flanks, preferably around slight hills or ridges you can peek around sideways, and you can penetrate most enemies without issue. If you see an enemy you can't penetrate frontally or aren't confident, you can always shoot the barrel then use the extra time to shoot a very specific weakspot. A good example would be seeing something like an [[IS-3]] or [[IS-6]], while you could simply shoot the weakspots such as the front armour weld on the IS-3 or the mantlet/unangled upper plate of the IS-6, you could shoot their barrels out then take a careful shot if you're not feeling it then.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 35 mm (61°) ''Lower glacis'' 60 mm (39°) ''Front cheeks'' || 40 mm (24°) ''Top'' 40 mm ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (0-30°) 30 mm (30°) ''Transmission hatch'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 45 mm (39-56°) ''Turret front'' 30 mm (9-26°) ''Turret base'' 50 mm (7-82°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 30 mm (0-55°) ''Turret'' 30 mm (0-25°) ''Turret base'' || 30 mm (0-30°) ''Turret bustle'' 30 mm (6-22°) ''Pivot ball'' 20 mm (69-90°) ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm (45°) || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | 30 mm (conical) || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick. Suspension wheels are interleaved and thus overlap in some areas.
* Add-on tracks hang on the hull sides in the crew compartment area.
* Hull undersides above tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* There is a 20 mm plate separating the crew compartment from the engine bay at the top of the hull.
* There is a 5 mm plate separating the crew compartment from the engine bay at the bottom of the hull.
* Overlapping wheels provide extra 20 mm to the hull's lower side.

The {{PAGENAME}}'s hull is very similar to that of the famous German medium tank, even in armour values. It is only slightly weak from the side, making angling quite ineffective. This armour should be able to deflect incoming shots from the weaker tanks it may encounter at its BR spread, notably the famous Soviet [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]]. With its good slope, it can easily deflect APCR shots. The only negative point is the turret: it is very weak to incoming shots: with only 45 mm sloped at 52°, it is weaker than a [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]]'s hull. The turret armour is a noticeable downgrade from the [[AMX M4]], so you will need to be more careful about taking hits. The only way to avoid being taken down too easily is to increase distance between the AMX-50 position and the enemy. Don't worry about that: the 100 mm gun is suited for that purpose.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,550|rbMinHp=884}}

While not the fastest tank, the {{PAGENAME}} certainly is capable of many feats of agility. This tank may be the slowest French rank IV tank, which is not a bad thing considering French tank's general dynamic gameplay at this BR. "Don't put the tank in nasty front-line situations" is the best advice to follow with this tank. As it is, this 800+ HP engine should be able to carry the tank to any location in good time.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA47 L/58 (100 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA47 L/58 (100 mm)|100 mm SA47 L/58]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

The SA47 L/58 is a very potent gun for a rank IV tank: it performs in a similar way to the Soviet [[D-10T (100 mm)|100 mm D-10T]] equipped on the [[T-54/55 (Family)]] series. While not having any HE filler in their AP rounds, the French engineers somehow managed to optimize armour spalling on penetrating shots and muzzle velocity, making these shells very good at long-range engagements. This gun is also mounted with an autoloader, which provides it with a solid 4 seconds reload time. It has good gun depression and a fast turret traverse, which enables this tank to react quickly to flankers and take solid hulled-down position, its high gun placement minimizes the tank's silhouette behind hills.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA47 L/58 (100 mm)/Ammunition|100 mm Obus de rupture, 100 mm Obus explosif}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
|-
| '''50''' || 49 ''(+1)'' || 44 ''(+6)'' || 37 ''(+13)'' || 30 ''(+20)'' || 23 ''(+27)''
|-
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
!
|-
| 16 ''(+34)'' || 12 ''(+38)'' || 7 ''(+43)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
!
|-
|}
This tank features an auto-loading system that removes the need for a crew member to reload the main gun, although a loader is present to restock the autoloader. A large drum of seven rounds is found underneath the gun breech for rapid use. Once this drum is empty, rounds in the hull will need to be placed in the autoloader rack before it can be used by the autoloader, which takes about 14 seconds to perform for one round. Nine rounds are found in three racks near the bottom of the hull behind the driver and machine-gunner while the rest of the stowage is found in the side sponsons above the tracks, aside from a small rack of 5 rounds near the rear of the turret.

'''Notes''':

* Ammo rack 9 is the autoloader drum and takes priority in being filled at the beginning of the battle, then fills racks 8 through 1.
* If the autoloader drum is empty, the main gun cannot fire until ammo is loaded into the autoloader drum.
* Simply not firing when the main gun is loaded will load ammo from racks 1-8 into the ready rack, as long as there is ammo present in racks 1-8. Firing the main gun will interrupt the loading of the ready racks.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,800 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

This medium tank performs good in its role, being versatile enough to take many battlefield roles: flanker, sniper and ambusher. The only thing it is insufficient at is absorbing damaging shots: there are too many weak spots on this tank to take anything bigger than HMG to the front. Don't stay too close to the front line since the reverse speed will not allow the tank to escape sufficiently fast and flanking manoeuvres will make the weak sides vulnerable.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Impressive top speed, allowing for rapid movement across the battlefield
* Highly manoeuvrable, enabling quick and agile responses to changing situations
* Wide tracks provide excellent mobility on various types of terrain, maintaining good speed
* Equipped with a crew of 5 members, enhancing operational efficiency and allowing more hits to be taken
* Powerful 100 mm main gun with an autoloader, delivering high penetration capabilities and relatively fast reload
* Stock APCBC shells offer exceptional conical spread, ensuring deadly frontal hits
* Fast turret rotation speed, enabling swift target acquisition and engagement
* Sloped frontal armour has the potential to ricochet lower rank guns and APCR rounds
* Higher muzzle velocity than the Soviet [[D-10T (100 mm)|100 mm D-10T]] gun, easier to aim at range
* Well-suited for flanking manoeuvres, offering tactical advantages

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is insufficient to protect against higher rank guns
* Weak lower front plate (LFP), vulnerable to enemy fire
* Turret shares the same lightly-armoured design as the [[Lorraine 40t]], posing a potential vulnerability
* Large, [[Panther D|Panther]]-like hull, making it challenging to conceal and minimize exposure
* Limited shell choices, lacking APHE, HEAT, APDS, or APFSDS rounds
* Shells lack explosive filler, resulting in rare one-hit knockouts from the side
* Lower penetration compared to the Soviet 100 mm APCBC rounds, with reduced post-penetration damage
* Gun elevation speed is slow due to oscillating turret design
* Incapacitated loader hampers the tank's ability to utilize its coaxial MG

== History ==


===Design===
In the late 1940s, the French Army was looking to replace the medium tanks Panther and ARL 44 that were becoming obsolete with a new 50t medium tank. The new tank was to be the future spearhead of French armoured divisions. The French company AMX started working on a proposal which was essentially an improved Tiger II on the drawing board. The project evolved and later resulted in the AMX-50 tank. The AMX-50 present in the game is the second prototype of the project.

===Development===
In order to save weight from the Tiger II's initial weight of 70 tons, the first AMX proposal was an underarmoured version of the Tiger II with only 30 mm armour plates. The French Army quickly indicated that such a thickness was too weak for the intended purpose. The armour of the hull was increased to 80 mm frontally and 40 mm for the sides and the weight-saving measures were then applied to other components. The original turret was changed for an oscillating turret whose design was already available and the suspension wheels were redesigned to get rid of the interleaving wheels. The new version was approved and a first prototype dubbed M4 was produced at the end of 1949 with a 90 mm SA 45 gun and a weight slightly above 50 tons. The second prototype called AMX-50/100 was produced 1 year later with the 100 mm SA 47 L/50 gun, a slightly modified turret and a weight close to 55 tons. After testing in 1952 and 1953, the French Army reclassified the AMX-50 as heavy tank as it could not reach more than 50 km/h on roads and 20 km/h off-road due to an insufficient output of the powerplant. The tank had a ratio of 15 hp/ton against the 20 expected. The availability of the more modern M47 medium tank through NATO cooperation made the need for the AMX-50 obsolete. Following its reclassification, there were several attempts to transform the AMX-50 in a real heavy tank like the AMX-50 Surbaissé or the AMX-50 Surblindé. But the need for heavy tanks would gradually disappear with the appearance of shaped charges (HEAT projectiles and missiles).

===Combat usage===
The AMX-50 never saw either service or combat action with the French Army.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_50 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:38 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|4hSjkacg4CQ|'''The Shooting Range #98''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:24 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[AMX-50 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:AMX-50|[Wikipedia] AMX-50]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/AMX-50.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> AMX-50]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France medium tanks}}

AMX-50 Surbaisse

2024-04-17T02:38:07Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
|about= French heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= AMX-50 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_50_surbaisse
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|display_name=AMX-50 Surbaissé
}}

== Description ==

In the early 1950s, France started the development of a 120 mm-armed AMX-50 in response to the perceived Soviet threat of heavy tanks like the IS-3 and T-10. The vehicles was heavily armoured, with armour increased to 90 mm in the front, and equipped with a 120 mm gun. The project faced challenges with weight and mechanical reliability, leading to adjustments in design (from 59.2 metric tons to 57.8 metric tons). Additionally, a tank destroyer variant named [[AMX-50 Foch]] was developed. The project eventually resulted in the construction of five complete AMX 50 prototypes. Recognizing the weight issues, a parallel medium tank project called [[Lorraine 40t]] was started in 1952. The same 120 mm cannon was later used in the development of the AMX-50 Foch, a heavy tank destroyer intended to support the medium tanks from long ranges.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. On the battlefield, the vehicle is very easy to recognize due to its shape which simply cannot be mistaken for another French tank. The AMX-50 Surbaissé differs from every heavy tank in its general playstyle. Since it has rather thin armour which will not protect it against incoming enemy fire, you have to use its medium tank-like mobility to perform deadly flank attacks which will often prove very catastrophic for the enemy team. Indeed, since you can keep up with most medium tanks and even outpace some, especially the British medium tanks, many enemies will find themselves completely caught off guard and at the mercy of your autoloading 120 mm gun which will allow you to fire one shot every 6 seconds. The tank is also a great long-range sniper (1,500 m and beyond) as it comes equipped with a rangefinder that will allow you to quickly range very distant targets and deliver accurate shots upon them. At such distances, your armour will start to become difficult to penetrate for most lower rank guns you'll encounter. Overall this tank, while being a heavy tank, is not meant to be played like one. You must use your mobility and your accurate fast-firing armament to prove effective against the enemies you'll come across.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, Hull rear, Hull roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (30-85°) ''Front glacis'' 100 mm (8-57°) ''Joint plate'' 60 mm (21-74°) ''Bottom glacis''|| 30-60 mm (0-23°) ''Top'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 30 mm (0-50°) || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || - || 60 mm ''Turret'' 40-60 mm (0-12°) ''Turret base'' || 40 mm (0-30°) ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (21-31°) ''Pivot ball'' 10 mm (69-76°) ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || 60 mm || 60 mm || 60 mm || 20 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Wheels are interleaved to offer stacked protection values.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,097|rbMinHp=752}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA46 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA46 (120 mm)|120 mm SA46]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 38 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+14° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 24.3 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA46 (120 mm)/Ammunition|120 mm Obus explosif, 120 mm Obus de rupture}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''38''' || 36 ''(+2)'' || 34 ''(+4)'' || 32 ''(+6)'' || 30 ''(+8)'' || 25 ''(+13)'' || 20 ''(+18)'' || 1 ''(+37)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the crossed out racks: they are modeled but always empty.
* Rack 7 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 19 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 6 into rack 7. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 7 - 1 - 2 up to 6.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|AAT-52 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[AAT-52 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm AAT-52]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (200) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Playing the AMX 50 Surbaissé requires 2 things:

* Good map knowledge
* Gunnery discipline

As mentioned previously, the AMX 50 Surbaissé is not heavy, that probably is something you'll learn the hard way while playing your first matches in this tank. You have to play it like a medium tank and you always should try to look for a good flanking route that will eventually get you to a spot where you'll be able to decimate several tanks of the enemy team from the side of from behind. As a result, this tank requires a lot of forethinking before deciding which way to go and this decision must be taken in accordance with the map but also in accordance with what nation you face. The tank can also be used as a very effective long-range sniper especially in down tiers. The combination of fast-firing 120 mm gun and rangefinder can prove very effective especially at a range over 1,500 m where your armour will start to matter especially against a lower-ranked opponent such as Tiger IIs. To turn this vehicle into a deadly sniping machine, it is very much advised to bind rangefinding keys and sight adjustment that are intuitive to you. In this way you will be able to range targets and adjust the gun very accurately in such a way that, with practice and discipline will grant you the ability to deliver shots in a "Point aimed, Point hit" fashion.

Every enemy you can encounter which do not result from deliberate up tiers from the enemy can and will easily get through your armour. The tank's armour cannot withstand guns that are more powerful than the German 7.5 cm KwK 42 or the US 90 mm M3 gun

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful 120 mm gun
* Reload of just 6 seconds
* Large autoloader magazine (19 shots)
* Very good AP round with high penetration power
* Extremely fast turret rotation speed when upgraded, especially for a heavy tank (characteristic of oscillating turrets)
* Good acceleration
* Average top speed of about 48 km/h
* 4 Smoke Grenades

'''Cons:'''

* Gun elevation & depression angles are poor
* Ammunition rack in the back of the turret is a weak spot from any angle
* Armour values are inadequate against expected opponents
* Smoke grenades will often leave a gap in the smoke screen

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_50_surbaisse Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|wpm0DcBWhIA|'''The Shooting Range #126''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the AMX-50 Surbaissé.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[AMX-50 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5274-vehicle-amx-50-surbaiss%C3%A9-en|[Vehicles] AMX-50 Surbaissé]]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France heavy tanks}}

Roland 1

2024-04-17T02:37:52Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_30_roland
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The Roland 1 is a Franco-German designed anti-aircraft missile system, serving primarily with the German and French armies. Designed in the late 1960s, the Roland 1 was accepted for service in the late 1970s and served with the French Army. An improved version, the [[FlaRakPz 1|Roland 2]], was accepted for service a short time later, with improved capability including all-weather operations. The Roland system has been widely exported to a variety of nations, and has been used during the Falklands Conflict and Iran-Iraq war.

Introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]], the '''{{Specs|name}}''' plays like many other SPAAs around its BR, which means it has a hard time surviving encounters with any kind of vehicle, be that lighter IFVs or heavier MBTs. The vehicle only has access to air-to-air missiles, which makes it difficult for the vehicle to defend itself against ground targets, even light vehicles. The radar is competent, but it suffers from ground clutter when operating around trees, so in order to maintain your lock with more ease, you have to put yourself in an open area, which is more dangerous.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The armour of the Roland 1 is average compared to other SPAAGs of the same battle rating, such as the [[FlaRakPz 1]] or the [[FlaRakRad]], which still means that the user will have a hard time surviving an encounter against an MBT or other SPAAGs equipped with cannons with at least 30 mm of penetration, such as the [[SIDAM 25 (Mistral)|SIDAM 25]] if they are using an APDS belt. In this SPAA, it will be very common for the user to face against top-tier jets such as the [[MiG-21bis]] or the [[MiG-21MF (Germany)|MiG-21MF]]. These jets (and many more) have no problem shredding through the top of the tank with ease.

Almost every MBT in the game will have absolutely no difficulty destroying you with a single shot into the front of the tank, as the 30 mm thick front plate is inadequate for protection and the spall created from APFSDS shells will be more than enough to wipe out your crew. However, due to the large interior of the tank and the spacing of the crew, one might survive an APFSDS shot to the side provided it does not hit the munitions, a fuel tank, or the driver and the commander at the same time. Due to the tank being larger, the modules such as the engine or the transmission won't be enough to stop a shot from the back. Because of this, one should avoid direct confrontation with a hostile MBT at any given time.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (30°) ''Upper glacis'' 30 mm (40°) ''Lower glacis'' 15 mm (75°) ''Driver's port''
| 15 mm || 15 mm || 10 mm 5 mm ''Radiator''
|-
| Turret || 15 (0° - 30°) mm ''Turret front'' 10 mm ''Optics'' || 10 - 15 mm || 15 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Tracks are 20 mm thick
* Suspension wheels are made from structural steel and are 15 mm thick
* Additional armour in the front of the hull, consists of spare tracks 20 mm thick and a single structural steel block 4 mm thick
** There is also additional armour placed on the rear of the vehicle, albeit only 4 extra millimetres in the form of structural steel

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,023|rbMinHp=637}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Roland}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Roland|Roland SAM]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 10 (2) || rowspan="2" | -10°/+35° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 74.9 || 103.6 || 125.8 || 139.1 || 148.0 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 50.6 || 59.5 || 72.3 || 79.9 || 85.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Roland/Ammunition|Roland 1, Roland 3}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_XM975.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the [[XM975]] (identical).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''5''' || 4 ''(+1)'' || 3 ''(+2)'' || 2 ''(+3)'' || 1 ''(+4)'' || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Always scan the clouds for enemy jets. Since you cannot engage hostile MBTs, there is no point trying to get into positions where MBTs may be lurking. Your best bet would be to stick to cover from where you can constantly scan the sky for enemy jets while also being safe from hostile MBTs. Due to your size, you won't be able to find cover all that easily, so if needed, you can stay behind a hill and wait until your team advances so that you can reposition and find new cover that is way more effective.

Your missiles have no problem catching even the fastest of the jets, but speed is not everything. Try to strike down jets which are crippled or in the middle of a manoeuvre. There is no point in wasting a missile on a jet that has plenty of energy and time to react and dodge your missile. This plays a major factor in your performance because you can only carry 10 missiles and getting to a capture point to refill your missiles might not be an easy task to accomplish in some maps.

If you encounter helicopters, they are an easy target, as long as you manage to spot them first. If they spot you first, and you do not notice it, it is very likely your tank is going to get hit by an AGM, which due to Roland's thin armour, results in an instant KO. If you are not sure if the hostile team has a helicopter, wait behind cover that protects you from the spawning helicopters and scout around or wait till your teammates call out the enemy helicopter. You should also bear in mind that the range of your missiles is roughly 6,300 m, which might not be enough against certain helicopters in some cases, such as the [[Ka-52]]/[[Ka-50|50]] or the [[EC-665 Tiger UHT]].

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Roland 1 and Roland 3 SAM are more than enough to take down any aircraft if they hit centre mass
* Fast turret rotation coupled with the 2 missiles per reload (which is only 5 seconds long) allows the user to take down jets in quick succession
* Radar can be used to guide the missile towards the target
* Pretty fast, allows for quick repositioning

'''Cons:'''

* Pretty large, it is a big target for enemy jets and MBTs alike
* Radar lock can be broken fairly easily if one is positioned near trees
* Lacks any sort of weaponry against MBTs, Roland missiles will only damage tracks/cannons if used against MBTs
* Crew members are positioned in a row, allows for easy one shot kills from the front and the back
* Reloading process can't start until all missiles have blown up
* Low elevation angle
* Missiles have a very low speed compared to most SPAAs at its BR

== History ==
=== Design and development ===
[[File:AMX-30R Roland.jpg|thumb|500x500px|AMX-30R 'Roland' formerly of the 401e Régiment d'Artillerie (401e RA) on external display at the Musée des Blindés, Saumur.]]
In the late 1960s, the first surface-to-air missile systems began to emerge as potent anti-aircraft defence systems. As a result, in 1964, representatives of the French and German governments signed an agreement to jointly develop a new self-propelled anti-aircraft missile launcher system (SPAAML), named Roland. The work was conducted by Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) on the German side, and Aerospatiale-Matra on the French side. The first prototype for the system was rolled out in 1967, and in 1977, the French government accepted the first Roland 1 SAM system into service.

The French Roland 1 SPAAML was based off of the [[AMX-30]] Chassis. It was operated by 3 crew members, and was fitted with a large central turret carrying two Roland SAMs, along with the corresponding search radar. The Roland 1 was limited to clear-weather operations, and was semi-automatic, unlike the fully-automatic Roland 2 and Roland 3 systems. The Roland 1 missiles themselves had a maximum firing range of 6.5 kilometres, with a top speed of 900 m/s (Mach 2.5).

=== Operational History ===
The Roland 1 first entered service with the French Army in 1977, with a total of 83 Roland 1 missile batteries being produced. These served as the primary French SPAA system, though they were quickly supplemented by more advanced Roland 2 and Roland 3 systems. The Roland missile system has now been removed from French service, being replaced by more advanced, modern missile systems such as the Mistral.

The Roland missile system was widely exported, serving with multiple nations including Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, Spain, Nigeria, and Venezuela. As well, it was one of the few foreign missile systems used by the United States. Roland missiles were used during the Falklands conflict of 1982, and reportedly shot down four British Sea Harriers. However, there is conflicting data on this claim, which cannot be confirmed. Iraq also used the Roland system during the Iran-Iraq war, shooting down an [[F-4E Phantom II|F-4E]] Phantom and an F-5 Tiger. Most Roland SAM batteries have now been phased out, replaced by more modern weapons.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_30_roland Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|luvhoX8Ht1I|'''New anti-air defence''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:44 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same missile

* [[FlaRakPz 1]]
* [[FlaRakRad]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:AMX-30#Variants|[Wikipedia] AMX-30 - Variants]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/AMX-30-Roland-SAM.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> AMX-30 Roland]

=== References ===

* Missilery Missile Database. (2006). Roland-1 anti-aircraft missile system. Retrieved January 02, 2021, from https://en.missilery.info/missile/roland-1
* Tanks Encyclopedia. (2011). AMX-30 Roland. Retrieved January 02, 2021.

{{France anti-aircraft vehicles}}

MEPHISTO

2024-04-17T02:37:37Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_vcac_mephisto
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The Véhicule de Combat Anti-Char, or MEPHISTO ({{Annotation|Module Élévateur Panoramique Hot Installé Sur Tourelle Orientable|elevated panoramic HOT launch module on rotating turret}}) was a pivotal chapter in the French military's anti-tank capabilities. Developed and introduced in the 1970s, with the first prototypes emerging around 1978, the MEPHISTO represents a significant leap forward in anti-armour warfare. Armed with the formidable HOT (Haut Subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube) anti-tank missile, the MEPHISTO serves as a versatile and potent anti-tank armoured platform. The integration of the HOT missile system onto the turret provides precise and long-range engagement capabilities against armoured threats, ensuring the protection of the platform. This historical timeline showcases France's commitment to arming its military with cutting-edge technologies, enabling it to effectively counter armoured adversaries and adapt to evolving battlefield dynamics.

It was introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]]. The MEPHISTO is a powerful combat asset with advanced capabilities tailored for anti-armour warfare. Armed with the potent HOT anti-tank missile system, it possesses a long-range precision-strike capability against armoured targets, neutralizing threats from a safe distance. The platform's elevated panoramic observation system grants unmatched situational awareness through advanced targeting equipment, facilitating precise target identification even in challenging conditions. With a fully rotatable turret, the MEPHISTO adapts to dynamic combat scenarios by engaging threats from various angles. The synergy of the HOT missile system and panoramic observation ensures accurate engagement. Its modular design allows integration onto diverse armoured vehicles (such as the [[SANTAL]]), this version enhancing anti-armour capabilities while prioritizing crew safety with unmanned weapon systems. In combat, the MEPHISTO empowers the commander to confidently engage enemy armour, maintaining a tactical edge through its combined range, flexibility, and precision. This comprehensive system embodies France's dedication to sophisticated anti-armour platforms, bolstering the success of modern warfare operations.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

As with all French wheeled vehicles, the armour is little to none, and the MEPHISTO is no an exception. The hull barely has the armour to survive hits from 12.7 mm machine guns and in some places even 7.62 mm. The armour is not to be relied on due to the fact that even artillery fragmentation can pose a significant threat to the platform. However, due to the crew spacing, the first half of the crew being at the front and the other half far behind, both pairs being separated by the engine block, makes the MEPHISTO capable of surviving more than one hit from the side as long as the shot is not placed in the centre of mass with explosive filler. However, the best armour is to not be seen in the first place.

The optics are located on top of a pole in the middle, the turret shifts and turns around it. Although the launcher itself is a bit curvy and may bounce extremely inaccurate shots, the pole isn't. The sheer size of the launcher provokes many enemies to use HE shells on it. During reload, the optics remain exposed, so the MEPHISTO requires tall cover at all the times to avoid being annihilated by chemical shells.

The smoke launchers on the MEPHISTO fire in every direction and the grenades explode mid-air, effectively hiding it from anything immediately, allowing the operator to use them as a panic button. They can be used twice.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 8 mm (27°) ''Top'' 8 mm (74°) ''Upper glacis'' 8 mm (45°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (28°) ''Top'' 8 mm (12°) ''Bottom'' || 8 mm (7°) || 8 mm
|-
| Turret || 5 mm ''Turret front'' || 5 mm || 5 mm || 5 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" | 8 mm (cylindrical)
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

Mobility-wise, the MEPHISTO leaves nothing to be desired. It is a fast and agile platform with a very high top speed. However, like other wheeled vehicles, it lacks traction in muddy and snowy terrain, draining the speed significantly. It can reach up to -14 km/h in reverse. It holds a significantly amazing acceleration and an amazing turn rate as the short length and both axle turn make it capable to do a full 360° turn in ~4-8 seconds depending on terrain. The MEPHISTO is also fully amphibious, meaning it can cross and reach specific places in the maps inaccessible to other vehicles.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=312|rbMinHp=195}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|HOT}}

The MEPHISTO ('Module Élévateur Panoramique Hot Installé Sur Tourelle Orientable', French for "elevated panoramic HOT launch module on rotating turret") is the primary weapon mount. It is able to fire four HOT or HOT-2 missiles in a rapid succession. HOT missiles are nothing new to French commanders, and they have proven to be very capable in combat. It is a similar system as the TUA ('TOW Under Armour') seen in the [[M901]] but with differences. While it is able to hold double the amount of much more capable missiles, the reload rate can be considerably slower due to the slower turret traverse and reload rate. However, the turret will start reloading immediately after launching the last ATGM (preventing it from being a liability as well), as the optics are not bound to it, so it balances out at a long range. Unfortunately, it's impossible to guide multiple missiles at once with this carrier, so it is preferable to hide the launcher behind something during combat.

The HOT-2 is significantly stronger than missiles of light tanks when it comes to penetration, but lacks tandem charge or utility. It will likely still fail to penetrate the turrets of NERA or ERA protected tanks, unless angled into them at the last moment, but anything else has a significantly lesser chance of miraculously surviving a direct hit.

The MEPHISTO has an advantage over some missile carriers, as the missile launcher does not have to be deployed before firing and it, as well as the optics, is two-plane stabilized, meaning it is possible to quickly brake and engage a target without the need of reacquiring the target, or to threaten enemy tank with a missile launch and to continue moving while guiding the shot, unlike with the [[AMX-30 ACRA]]. The stabilizer also proves to be beneficial when on water, as the waves can make the launcher bounce.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[HOT]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 12 (4) || rowspan="2" | ±10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 26.4 || 36.5 || 44.4 || 49.1 || 52.2 || rowspan="2" | 15.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The HOT-2 has a larger warhead and a higher penetration than the HOT. It should be the preferred ammunition as soon as it has been unlocked.

{{:HOT/Ammunition|HOT, HOT-2}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''3''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The only reliable playstyle for the MEPHISTO is hull-down. In a battle, this vehicle is best played behind a rock, so that rounds won't dip and hit the main chassis. If this is not possible, try to find a ridge to hide behind or a depression in the terrain. Since your launcher is the only thing exposed, expect for your launcher to get hit and receive a 10-second repair. (Note for stock vehicles, you will still be able to fire). Some players will be smarter and will shoot HESH rounds at you, the splash damage will be enough to either overpressure or knock out the rest of the tank. Since you only have 12 missiles (4 in the launcher, 8 stowed away) you will have to be patient and skilled at using this missile. If in the right hands, it is incredibly strong and can hold an important spot and single-handedly deny the enemy any chance of taking an area. This will reward you numerous targets destroyed, as well as gaining numerous points from people shooting at the launcher.

However, there are a couple of issues. The missile can only be fired when stationary, though the launcher remains deployed even if moving at very high speeds. The reload also requires the launcher to traverse round towards the rear of the vehicle and further lengthening the reload. One way to combat this is to have the rear end of the vehicle towards the target, therefore reducing the time taken to traverse the launcher back to the firing position.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Amazing mobility and handling
* Stronger than average ATGMs
* 4 shots per reload
* Gen 2 thermals
* Amphibious capabilities
* 360 degrees aerosol smoke protection with two uses

'''Cons:'''

* Long reload, can only reload after spending all 4 missiles (but reloads all of them at once)
* Paper-thin armour, very tall and is always exposed to explosive shells
* Can be jammed by IRCM
* The HOT-2 is just a bit short of power to penetrate turrets of tanks like [[IPM1]] reliably

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_vcac_mephisto Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|CNhW947CCPU|'''The Shooting Range #310''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:24 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


* [[AFT09]] - a very similar missile carrier from China

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7684-development-vcac-mephisto-hell-hath-no-limits-en|[Devblog] VCAC MEPHISTO: Hell hath no limits]]

{{France tank destroyers}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

AMX-50 Surblinde

2024-04-17T02:36:21Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
|about= French heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= AMX-50 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_50_surblinde
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|market=AMX 50 Surblindé (France)
|display_name=AMX-50 Surblindé
}}

== Description ==

At the end of WWII, France found itself dependant on foreign military aid, and rushed to develop its military with domestic aircraft, tanks, and other weaponry. One of these systems was a heavy tank comparable to existing tanks such as the Tiger II and IS-2, but with greater mobility and more reliability. The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was thus presented in 1955, a variant of the AMX-50 with increased armour. The project however was abandoned due to lack of funding and cooperation with the United States and West Germany, as well as the accelerated development of deadlier anti-tank weaponry.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]] as a reward for the World War [[Season 1: Recon under fire]]. As a member of the French AMX-50 family of tanks, it is very similar to the [[AMX-50 Surbaisse|AMX-50 Surbaissé]]. Compared to the Surbaissé, it is lower, has a much better protected turret and hull, and a 20 mm MG 151 cannon on top, which is very efficient against aircraft and lightly armoured vehicles. It is also heavier and doesn't have smoke grenade launchers compared to the Surbaissé. The tank has an armour layout comparable to that of the IS-3, and features a very powerful cannon and decent mobility for a heavy tank, however it does not have access to APHE shells which are common in most tanks around its BR.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, suspended part of the turret, turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret base and front, gun mantlet, driver's hatch, cupola, exhaust pipe cover)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 110 mm (48°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (71°) ''Driver's hatch'' 100 mm (59°) ''Lower glacis'' 100 mm (40°) ''Front cheeks'' || 75 mm (12°) ''Top'' 60 mm ''Bottom'' || 60 mm (1°) ''Upper plate'' 60 mm (31°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm 5 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 85 mm (47-52°) ''Turret front'' 100 mm (cylindrical) ''Turret base'' 300 mm ''Barrel base'' || 100 mm (cylindrical) ''Turret base'' 85 mm (cylindrical) ''Barrel base'' 60 mm ''Turret pivot link'' 40 mm (cylindrical) ''Turret pivot underside'' 40 mm ''Suspended part'' 30 mm (72°) ''Suspended part underside'' || 20 mm (1-34°) ''Suspended part'' 40 mm (cylindrical) ''Turret pivot underside'' 30 mm (78°) ''Suspended part underside'' || 20 mm
|-
| Commander cupola || 110 mm (cylindrical) ''Base'' 40 mm (spherical) ''Dome'' || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | 40 mm (7-12°) || 40 mm (11-20°) 40 mm (spherical) ''Dome''
|-
| MG cupola || 40 mm (58-61°) || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | 40 mm (spherical) || 40 mm (2-32°)
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick. Suspension wheels are interleaved and thus overlap in some areas.
* Hull undersides above tracks are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,291|rbMinHp=884}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has a very good speed (around 40 km/h on flat land when fully upgraded) for a super heavy tank, which allows a fast deployment on the battlefield aside medium and modern tanks. The manoeuvrability is also good and allows the player to drive easily in an urban environment.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA46 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA46 (120 mm)|120 mm SA46]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.4 || 26.9 || 32.6 || 36.1 || 38.4 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA46 (120 mm)/Ammunition|120 mm Obus de rupture, 120 mm Obus explosif}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 47 ''(+3)'' || 43 ''(+7)'' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 34 ''(+16)'' || 29 ''(+21)'' || 23 ''(+27)'' || 19 ''(+31)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the crossed out shell: it is modeled but can't be fired.
* Rack 8 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 18 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 7 into rack 8. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 8 - 1 - 2 up to 7.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MG 151 (20 mm)|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG 151 (20 mm)|20 mm MG 151]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 500 (250) || 700 || -5°/+80° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful 120 mm gun, a shot can penetrate a target protected by 300 mm of armour
* Loading time is short and steady, thanks to the autoloader
* Very mobile for a super-heavy tank, being able to reach to 51 km/h on flat terrain
* 20 mm cannon to ward off low-flying aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* One shot in the turret can make the tank explode: up to 18 shells are stored at the back of the turret
* No smoke grenades
* Shells lack explosive filler, one-hit knock-outs from the side are rare

== History ==


=== Start of the project ===
In July 1945, in the aftermath of liberation, the general staff of the French armed forces expressed the need for a heavy tank of national design. In view of the rise of tensions with the USSR and with the balance sheets drawn from the last world conflict, the French Army presented a precise specification of what was to be the future main tank of the army. The tank was to be comparable on several points to already existing machines. Indeed, it was requested armament of a minimum power equivalent to the gun of 88 mm German Tiger II. It was also asked for a shield equivalent to that of the Panther and mobility close to that of the T-34.

=== The AMX-50 Surblindé ===
In 1955, an AMX 50 Surblindé (over-armoured) is produced, able to measure itself against the most powerful machines then in service. A variant of the [[AMX-50 Surbaissé]] with a reinforced armour, the front armour shape is inspired by Soviet tanks IS-3 or T10. The weight of this prototype reached about 60 tons.

=== Abandonment of the project ===
The tests carried out indicated a tank superior to its American and Soviet counterparts that were M26 Pershing and IS-3 respectively. But the Americans did not want to finance a project that would not be adopted. It was, therefore, necessary that the two countries, France and West Germany, adopt the tank so that its development continues. If France seemed ready to accept the project, it was not the case of West Germany which was inspired by the doctrines of the former general Heinz Guderian, a supporter of lighter and faster tanks. In addition, the development of new technologies and capabilities in the field of missiles and hollow-shell shells would render the massive tank armour obsolete and unsuitable for future large-scale conflict.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_50_surblinde Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[AMX-50 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6186-development-amx-50-surblind%C3%A9-french-powerlifter-en|[Devblog] AMX-50 Surblindé: French Powerlifter]]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France heavy tanks}}

Somua SM

2024-04-17T02:36:06Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_somua_sm
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_001.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_005.jpg}}
|store=9313
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was originally developed as part of a competition between AMX and SOMUA to produce a heavily armoured tank that shared similar components and parts, due to the French army forcing both companies to work under identical specifications. The order to build a prototype was given in 1946, but the vehicle was only delivered in October 1951, weighing 56 tonnes but still lacking an engine. In contrast, the [[AMX-50 (Family)|AMX-50]], the SOMUA SM's direct competitor, had already been tested, and a variant of the AMX-50 with a 120 mm cannon was already being designed. Ultimately, the SOMUA SM was not tested until 1953, by which point the [[AMX-50 Surbaissé]] had already been delivered for testing, and the [[AMX-50 (TOA100)]] had been deemed insufficient due to its armament. These delays would doom the project, leading to eventual cancellation of the project and scrapping of the only constructed prototype.

Introduced in [[Update "Raining Fire"]] as a [[wt:en/news/6852-news-meet-major-update-raining-fire-en|premium pack]] in the Gaijin store, the '''{{Specs|name}}''' will be a familiar tank to French players; it possesses the excellent [[SA47 L/58 (100 mm)|100 mm SA47 L/58]] autoloaded cannon that is equipped on both the [[Lorraine 40t]] and [[AMX-50 (TOA100)]], while featuring similar mobility. Unlike the tanks previously mentioned, however, the Somua SM possesses decent armour, capable of bouncing almost all APCBC and even some APDS rounds aimed to its hull and upper turret front. The armour on the Souma SM, combined with the slightly larger ready rack for the gun compared to the Lorraine and AMX-50, allows the player to use the tank more aggressively.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The upper glacis of the hull and the turret (aside from an area beneath the gun) are the only well-protected areas, which will give you good protection against most conventional rounds, especially from far ranges. However, the rest of the armour is very weak and can be easily penetrated by pretty much everything, and you will still be vulnerable against HEAT-FS, ATGMs, APFSDS and such. Your best bet is to flank the enemy and take them out with your auto-loading gun before they can get a hit on you. If an enemy spots you, face them so they can only hit the front of the tank, and hope that they don't hit the very weak bottom portion of your turret. Try not to angle your tank as the sides can easily be penetrated. Since you have 5 crew members, with 2 in the front of the hull and 3 in the turret, and come equipped with a handy autoloader, you can take a few hits and lose a couple of crew members without much effect on combat performance. Additionally, the Somua SM features Commander Aiming, which allows your Commander to take over control of the gun quickly in the case that your Gunner is knocked out.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (oscillating turret, turret base, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 150 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 60 mm (55°) ''Lower glacis'' || 40 mm (25°) ''Top'' 40 mm ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (30°) || 5 - 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 120 mm ''Turret front'' and ring 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 40 - 60 mm ''Top''
120 mm ''Bottom''
| 40 mm || 30 mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

Although heavier and not as mobile as the [[AMX-50]] or [[Lorraine 40t]], the Somua SM is still pretty mobile for a heavy tank. You will still want to flank the enemy as much as possible and take them out quickly with your auto-loading gun, but don't be afraid to take a few hits from the front. However, your reverse speed is pretty slow and will not save you, so watch out for that.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1291|rbMinHp=884}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA47 L/58 (100 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA47 L/58 (100 mm)|100 mm SA47 L/58]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A ||24.3||33.6||40.8||45.1||48.0|| rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
|17.9||21.0||25.5||28.2||30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA47 L/58 (100 mm)/Ammunition|100 mm Obus de rupture, 100 mm Obus explosif}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 46 ''(+4)'' || 39 ''(+11)'' || 32 ''(+18)'' || 25 ''(+25)'' || 18 ''(+32)'' || 14 ''(+36)'' || 10 ''(+40)'' || 9 ''(+41)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modelled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 9* (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 9 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
* As it is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
* Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 8 into rack 9*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* The depletion order at full capacity is: 9 - 1 - 2 - up to 8.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,800 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help.

== Usage in battles ==

Try to play the Somua SM quite aggressively because it has a very strong autoloader. Hardly anyone else on the battlefield owns an autoloader like the French do at this battle rating.

It's best to find a good, but safe position close to the front to get good shots onto targets. If encountering an enemy tank with good turret armor like a Tiger II, try to shoot the weak spots. Though the gun should be sufficient for front penetration, the {{PAGENAME}} can drive around to hit the target's side armour do to its semi-good mobility. If the enemy tank tries to drive away, shoot it in the tracks to immobilise it.

Though the 4-second autoloader is the {{PAGENAME}}'s greatest asset, try not to fire too quickly as the autoloader can only carry 8 rounds at a time. Refilling the autoloader can take a long time. Once the 8 shots are depleted, look for a safe position behind the terrain or other cover and wait until the autoloader is refilled with shells.

A {{PAGENAME}}'s main worry on the battlefield is its own armour, as while the hull front is somewhat good, everywhere else is easy to penetrate by most tank shells being shot at the {{PAGENAME}}. This is especially the case when encountering tanks with HEAT rounds, as then nowhere on the tank is safe from a penetration. Always make sure that no one shoots the {{PAGENAME}} from the side because the damage can be very serious due to the ammunition stowage.

When fighting at the front lines, always try to drive with other tanks so that the {{PAGENAME}} does not get as much focus. Attacking the enemies while they are attacking allies is the best way to catch them off guard with the 100 mm cannon. With its autoloader, the {{PAGENAME}} can be a deadly machine by picking off the enemies one by one before they can react.

Plan carefully your moves as there is no good way to get out of a bad position without having either to expose its weak sides or to reverse at a very slow speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great 100 mm gun
* Equipped with a huge 9-shell autoloader, making this one of the best tanks to attack multiple enemies at once
*Unlike most French tanks, the SOMUA has good frontal armour; the upper turret and upper plate are basically immune to all conventional rounds
* Due to the frontal armour and nine shot autoloader, the tank is not only great at flanking and ambushing, but also very good at brawling
* The strong upper turret coupled with the eight degrees of gun depression makes this tank great at hull-down fighting and cresting ridgelines
* Due to how tall this tank is and how high the gun is placed, it can shoot over obstacles that many tanks have trouble seeing over
* Quick and manoeuvrable for a heavy tank
* This tank has a high level of survivability thanks to the spacious crew compartment and a five-man crew
* Good set of optics with 6x magnification
* The APCBC round has a tendency to cause lots of spalling upon penetration

'''Cons:'''

* Absolutely huge tank. Longer, wider, and taller than a Tiger II. Finding proper concealment is difficult
* The neck of the turret a prime weak spot that's hard to effectively hide
* The lower plate is as weak as British lower plates. Any APHE shell that enters here will likely knock out the whole crew
* Will face a lot of enemies that fire APDS and HEAT, the upper turret and upper plate just can't absorb those kinds of shells
* Terrible side armour, side-scraping or angling the tank is extremely hazardous
* Is much slower than the Lorraine and AMX-50
* Mediocre elevation angles thanks to the inherent nature of oscillating turrets
* Once the autoloader is expended, reloading the magazine takes a considerable amount of time
* Because of the 4.0s reload, you can quite easily empty the 9 round magazine

== History ==

At the end of WW2, the French army realized that they needed a new modern heavy tank. The SOMUA Company competed with AMX to design a new heavy tank for France, and they were given the order to build a prototype in 1946. The hull of the tank was based off the German Tiger II, and the tank used an oscillating turret armed with an auto-loading 100 mm gun. Because the two companies were forced to make a new design with the same requirements, the Somua SM design looked similar to the AMX 50, and both tanks had equipped the 100 mm gun. The prototype was delivered in October of 1951 but was still lacking an engine and some other parts. Due to delays, the prototype was not tested until 1953, but it was already too late. The SOMUA's design was rejected in favour of the AMX 50.

=== [[wt:en/news/6825-development-somua-sm-heavy-weight-fighter-en|Devblog]] ===
In 1946, at the same time when AMX was given the order to develop what would eventually become the AMX-50 tank, SOMUA was instructed to come up with a competing design that would act as an alternative to the AMX.

Due to both companies being issued identical technical requirements by the French Army and taking much inspiration from the German "King Tiger" at the same time, both designs turned out to be very similar. In fact, SOMUA's design stood out from AMX's only in increased mass, coming as a result of heavier protection, and in its more simple running gear.

The SOMUA SM, as it became known, was presented for the first time to army officials in October 1951, albeit without its engine installed. At the same time, prototypes of the AMX-50 had already been tested. By 1953, SOMUA had completed the construction of its SM tank, subsequently conducting trials.

During testing however, several design issues were revealed. Because of this and the fact that the upgunned version of the AMX-50 with a 120mm gun was already available, the decision was made to cancel further work on the project. As a result, the SOMUA SM never left the prototype stage and the only constructed vehicle was scrapped shortly after the project's cancellation.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_somua_sm Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Somua SM Devblog Images" heights="150">
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Somua SM WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KSaBs_8yOno|'''Premium Vehicles: Somua SM''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''|cj5yjwMfmAM|'''The Shooting Range #217''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:30 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|vQQSE0uTjnM|'''Should You Buy The {{PAGENAME}}?''' - ''Sako Sniper''|5aOvTs0novk|'''Frenchtastic - {{PAGENAME}} new French Heavy''' - ''Napalmratte''|wXLZaDh0uEQ|'''Should You Buy: {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''ConeOfArc''}}

== See also ==


* [[AMX-50_Surbaisse|AMX-50 Surbaissé]]
* [[AMX-50_Surblinde|AMX-50 Surblindé]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6825-development-somua-sm-heavy-weight-fighter-en|[Devblog] SOMUA SM: Heavy Weight Fighter]]

{{France heavy tanks}}
{{France premium ground vehicles}}

E.B.R. (1954)

2024-04-17T02:35:48Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = French light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = E.B.R. (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_panhard_ebr_1954
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Panhard Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance (E.B.R.) Modèle 1954''' is the second variant of the [[E.B.R. (Family)|Panhard E.B.R. armoured car family]]. The improved Panhard E.B.R. Modèle 1954 was designed to enhance the firepower of the reconnaissance vehicle. Between 1954 and 1956, about 279 units were produced, equipped with the FL10A2C oscillating turret. The Panhard E.B.R. Modèle 1954's suspension was upgraded to withstand the higher weight of the vehicle. The long-barrelled 75 mm SA 50 L/57 tank gun was fed by an autoloader consisting of two six-round ammunition drums situated in the turret bustle. The vehicle could carry a total of 36 rounds. The gunner used an APX L 862 monocular gun sight with a magnification of 7.5.

Introduced in [[Update "Hot Tracks"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/6981-special-operation-w-i-n-t-e-r-en|2020 Operation W.I.N.T.E.R. event]], the Panhard E.B.R. Modèle 1954 is equipped with good optics and a high velocity 75 mm SA 50 L/57 tank gun. It can be utilized as a long-range sniper and scout vehicle, or it can be deployed as an aggressive flanking vehicle due to its superior mobility and fast reload rate. The Panhard E.B.R. Modèle 1954 excels on flanking manoeuvres, where it can remove several opponents in a short period of time thanks to its autoloader and high-velocity ammunition. Due to the lack of explosive filler for the shell, targeting crucial modules is critical, such as the tank gun barrel, gun breech, or ammunition rack of the target. The autoloader and quick turret rotation make switching between enemy targets easy in the heat of battle, while the smoke grenades allow for a rapid retreat if the situation becomes too dangerous.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, turret bustle)
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, turret front)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (56°) ''Upper glacis'' 35 mm (16°) ''Lower plate'' || 15 mm || 20 mm (56°) ''Upper glacis'' 35 mm (16°) ''Lower plate'' || 20 mm (34°) ''Front and rear glacis'' 15 mm ''Centre''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm (32-47°) ''Turret front'' 60 mm (conical) ''Gun mantlet'' 40 mm (15-75°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 20 mm (0-30°) ''Turret'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (17-22°) ''Pivot ball'' 10 mm (77-90°) ''Turret underside'' || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 20 mm (conical) ''Base'' 10 mm (spherical) ''Dome'' || 20 mm (conical) ''Outer ring'' 10 mm (spherical) ''Centre''
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Wheels are 10 mm thick and suspension bars are 5 mm thick.
* Mudguards are 4 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=310|rbMinHp=177}}

The E.B.R. (1954) can reach 105 km/h on roads, 60 km/h on dirt tracks and 40 km/h in cross country. Soft terrain is a handicap: mud, snow and sand will considerably slow the armoured car. As a wheeled vehicle, it can't turn on the spot but the turn radius stays relatively small thanks to front and rear steering wheels. Much like the [[Sd.Kfz.234/2|Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma]], the tank has a driver on both sides of the hull (albeit the driver in the back being classified as a loader ingame) and also has a reverse gearbox, meaning that you can reverse as if you were facing backwards at full speed which helps relocating efforts.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA50 L/57 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA50 L/57 (75 mm)|75 mm SA50 L/57]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 36 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA50 L/57 (75 mm)/Ammunition|POT-51A, OE Mle 1951}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''36''' || 25 ''(+11)'' || 13 ''(+23)'' || 7 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+35)'' || No
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Shells from first stage rack 3 are fired first

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The EBR can be used as a long range sniper and as a scout vehicle thanks to its good optics and fast shell speed, or it can be used as an aggressive flanking vehicle using its superior mobility and reload rate.

The EBR best performs on the sidelines of the enemy team, using its autoloader and high velocity gun to eliminate any opposition. The lack of explosive filler for the shell makes aiming at crew positions and critical modules important, prioritizing the gun barrel, breech, or ammo rack of the target. Thanks to the autoloader and fast turret rotation, it is easy to switch between targets in the heat of combat, and the smoke grenades allow for a quick escape if the situation gets too difficult.

On snowy terrain, it is recommended to stay on roads as the wheels lose their grip on snow much more and result in slower acceleration and top speeds compared to on roads or concrete etc.

;<nowiki>Enemies worth keeping note of:</nowiki>

* [[Tiger I (Family)|Tiger I]] and [[Panzer V Panther (Family)|Panther I]]: Although sitting at a lower BR, these targets are common to encounter on the battlefield. Flanking them and shooting their weakly armoured sides is advised, but in case of a face to face encounter, shooting the right side (from the players point of view) of the Panther's mantlet or the right side of the Tiger's Hull will disable or destroy them. In case these shots are impossible or too risky, one can shoot the barrels, take a track out and relocate and target the side of said tanks. Other weakspots are mostly shared with other guns, such as the Panther's turret corners or the flat front armor of the Tiger 1s if unangled.

When encountering vehicles classified as heavy tanks or even some higher BR medium tanks, it can often be the case that your frontal engagement options can be quite limited. Vehicles such as the [[T26E1-1]], [[T26E5]], [[T34]], [[Tiger II (H)]], [[Jagdtiger|Jagdtiger]] and [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54s]] can have armor far exceeding the SA50 gun's capabilities save for very small and hard to hit weakspots, and some even come equipped with stabilizers like the [[Centurion Mk.2]] and [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurion Mk.3]] which can abruptly end your flanking maneuvers. When facing vehicles such as these that need either extreme precision or good awareness on when to peek, it may be more beneficial to go for the barrel of said vehicles to get a better flanking approach on them. Alternatively, you may also choose to simply scout and/or barrel them before relocating to a better position altogether. You shouldn't take every fight in the E.B.R. (1954) and there is no shame in retreating to a better location if you feel like you can't get a good shot in.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast and very mobile chassis
* The main gun reloads in 5 seconds regardless of remaining crew count and the autoloader has a capacity of 12 rounds, giving the vehicle good overall sustain for a drum autoloading vehicle.
* The shells have a very high muzzle velocity and, despite the lack of explosive filler, deals a lot of damage.
* Both the front and back wheels steer, resulting in a fairly small turning radius.
* The hull armour, in the front (and back), is enough to stop .50 cal MG fire, as well as 14.5 mm AP-I(c) from 200 meters or more; the turret front may be even able to stop some autocannon fire.
* As this vehicle is an armoured car, scouting is available.
* APBC shell with a very high penetration of 182 mm at 10 m, able to easily penetrate most vehicles that the vehicle can face.

'''Cons:'''

* The 7° gun depression is far from optimal for players that want to shoot from an hull down position.
* Relatively poor angled performance of the ammunition, and as such it is recommended to shoot at flat plates if possible.
* The massive radio antennas will make you visible even when the rest of the vehicle is hidden behind a hill or small building.
* Very easy to spot and recognize from the side due to its size and shape; in addition, the side armour won't really stop anything more than small calibre machine gun fire.
* The roof of the turret is thin, making it vulnerable to airborne attacks.
* Sluggish when moving in snow or mud.
* High risk of ammunition explosion if the turret is penetrated, due to the large first-stage ammo rack behind the cannon.

== History ==


=== [[wt:en/news/7000-development-e-b-r-1954-en|Devblog]] ===
Before the outbreak of World War II, Panhard created a prototype of an 8x8 army wheeled all-terrain vehicle, with the first and last swivel wheel pairs having rubber tires, the middle pairs were metal and not swivel. The army placed an order for the production of 600 of these vehicles, but the outbreak of the war and the occupation of France did not allow the vehicle to be put into production. They returned to an interesting project after the war - the wheelbase received an oscillating turret with a 75 mm gun, which turned the all-terrain vehicle into a light wheeled tank. Later, the base of this vehicle became the basis for several curious army vehicles. It is interesting that it was the Panhard all-terrain vehicle that served as a carriage for the farewell ceremony for the President of the Fifth Republic, General Charles de Gaulle.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_panhard_ebr_1954 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" caption="E.B.R. (1954) Devblog images" heights="150">
File:E.B.R. WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:E.B.R. WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:E.B.R. WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:E.B.R. WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|DTL8x599AeU|'''The Five Star EBR: Panhard EBR Full Review''' - ''Sako Sniper''|JEsBDVWqltA|'''Speedy French Bias Ft. Ash007 - E.B.R''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7000-development-e-b-r-1954-en|[Devblog] E.B.R. (1954)]]
* [[wikipedia:Panhard_EBR|[Wikipedia] Panhard EBR]]
* [https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/Panhard_EBR.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Panhard EBR]

{{TankManufacturer Panhard}}
{{France light tanks}}
{{France premium ground vehicles}}
{{Winter Event}}

[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

AMX-13 (SS.11)

2024-04-17T02:35:30Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = French light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = AMX-13 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_13_75_ss11
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''AMX-13/75 FL-10 (Char Lance SS.11)''' is the third subvariant of the [[AMX-13|AMX-13/75 FL-10]], which is the first variant of the [[AMX-13 (Family)|AMX-13 light tank family]]. It is identical to the standard AMX-13/75 FL-10, except for the four SS.11 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) mounted on a launcher above the main armament. Nord Aviation's SS.11 is a French manual command to line-of-sight wire-guided ATGM. It was one of the first ATGMs, entering service with the French Army in 1956 and serving until the 1980s. It also served as the foundation for the larger and more powerful SS.12/AS.12 series. The missile was manually guided by comparing the location of the target to flares on the back of the missile and adjusting its flight with a small joystick.

Introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]], the AMX-13/75 FL-10 (Char Lance SS.11) has the same playstyle as the standard AMX-13/75 FL-10. This light tank is extremely fast and agile, but it sacrifices its armour to do so. As a result of this, the AMX-13/75 FL-10 (Char Lance SS.11) is best used as a hit-and-run flanking vehicle or a sniper, especially with the SS.11 ATGMs onboard. Position the tank quickly at the start of the battle in regions where enemy tanks would not expect to see a light tank and wait in ambush for hostile tanks to pass through. This light tank with an autoloader is capable of effortlessly annihilating multiple opponents. When the enemy is far away or heavily armoured, use the SS.11 missiles. Avoid going to the front lines where the major battle is going on. Stay as close to the corner as possible, only driving out to attack an enemy who is not paying attention.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The AMX-13 SS.11 is quite a typical light tank. No armour to speak about, except for a frontal plate able to stop some AA rounds, but this is undermined by having four missiles that behave like ammunition racks in the open on top of the gun. The survival of the tank depends on speed and stealth. (The 8,8 cm KwK43 which is usual at this tier will literally enter one side and exit the other one no matter where it shoots from).

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret base, Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (67°) ''Front glacis'' 20-40 mm (5-50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm || 15 mm ''Top'' 15 mm (45°) ''Bottom'' || 10 mm 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm (32-47°) ''Turret front'' 40 mm (12-41°) ''Turret base'' 40 mm (15-75°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 20 mm (0-30°) ''Turret'' 20 mm (12-14°) ''Turret base'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (17-22°) ''Pivot ball'' 10 mm (77-90°) ''Turret underside'' || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
* 8 mm Structural steel firewall separates the driver from the engine.
* The track and wheel on the front glacis offer about 15 mm structural steel thickness.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=418|rbMinHp=239}}

The AMX-13 SS.11 is a quite speedy light. Not [[Ru 251]] levels, but still fast enough to get you to the spot you want to be in. 270hp for 15,500 kg equals to about 17.4 hp/t, which gives an OK acceleration, and good top speed. But, at 6.7 speed gets less and less effective as your opposition gets higher velocity, better accuracy and stabilisation devices. Therefore, you should use the mobility to get to stealthy positions (like the bushes around the temple at C on Japan). That's where this tank shines.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|SA50 L/57 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA50 L/57 (75 mm)|75 mm SA50 L/57]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 36 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA50 L/57 (75 mm)/Ammunition|POT-51A, OE Mle 1951, PCOT-51P}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_AMX-13.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the AMX-13 (identical).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''36''' || 32 ''(+4)'' || 28 ''(+8)'' || 23 ''(+13)'' || 18 ''(+18)'' || 13 ''(+23)'' || 7 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+35)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6* and 7* (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
* These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
* As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
* Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun (about 15 seconds). Take this into account when playing.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 7* then 6*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* The depletion order at full capacity is: 6* - 7* - 1 - 2 up to 5.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SS.11}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SS.11]] ATGM
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
|-
| 4 || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SS.11/Ammunition|LFK SS.11}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* The missiles are listed from 1 to 4.
* It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The AMX-13 is a flanker. This combined with the SS.11 ATGMs on board gives the ability to do two different styles. Either to zoom around (shoot'n'scoot) or stand far back and send missiles flying towards the enemies. In RB though, the missiles are controlled by WASD, making aiming a little bit more difficult. Furthermore, avoid getting shot at all cost. The armour might save you from 0.50 cals, but 14.5 mm and larger will destroy the vehicle in its entirety. Flanking is a viable option, done in the same way as M18, without the penetration needed for frontal armour.

The AMX-13 (SS.11) is exceptionally fast and agile, but sacrifices armour to achieve this. Due to this, it's best to use this tank as either a hit-and-fade flanker or as a standoff sniper, especially with the SS.11 ATGMs onboard.

Try to get around areas that enemy tanks would not typically expect a light tank to be and wait in ambush position for enemy tanks to pass through. Due to being able to get a shot at the sides, the cannon should be used for the first shot, and especially so due to the auto-loading system able to load in rounds in about six seconds. Utilize the SS.11 missiles during these reload times to ensure that the enemy target is annihilated.

As a stand off sniper, don't be anywhere too near the front line where allies and enemies are duking it out. Try to stay around the corner, only peeking out a bit only to hit at an enemy not paying attention with the 75 mm cannon, or precision targeting with the SS.11 missiles. Take care not to hit any allies when firing the missiles from a distance.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''
[[File:AMX-13 SS.11 damage areas.png|thumb|Areas and their respective damage on the AMX-13 SS.11, frontally. Blue: A hit here will make the tank immobile, either from engine damage or driver incapacitation.
Green: A hit here can take out its return fire capabilities, but it may still move around.
Red: A hit here might take the tank out from loss of crew.
Orange: A hit here could ignite the ammunition in the tank, which usually ends bad for the tank that was hit.
This is also true for the side, but from the side, the rear is filled with ammunition and the front is the engine compartment.]]

* Main cannon autoloader with 12 shots ready to go
* Nice cannon that will penetrate sides of other vehicles
* A total of four (4) SS.11 Missiles ready to go
* SS.11 penetrates 600 mm of 90 degrees RHA at any range
* SS.11 has a rather small guidance dead zone of about 200 m compared to other missiles (RB/SB)
* For once, oscillating turret of AMX-13 is not only a downside, as it allows to fire SS.11 over cover (mostly useful in AB)
* AMX-13 low profile allows for easier concealability among terrain
* Mobile enough to flank
* Has great acceleration to get up to speed
* Has a lot of smoke dischargers, which cover a lot of terrain in one go

'''Cons:'''

* Cannon may not be reliable enough to penetrate vehicles from the front at this rank
* After the autoloader is emptied, gun will not reload until it is rearmed, which takes a long time
* SS.11 still has a guidance dead zone, which means, in very close combat you have to aim in between the tank and opponent to hit the target, or it will just fly over them
* Missiles are aimed with WASD movement keys, tank must be stopped when guiding missile to target (RB/SB)
* Missile racks cover up a portion of the sight from the tank gunner's perspective
* Non-existent armour, but will protect against the .50 cal M2 frontally. Anywhere else it goes right through
* Aerial strafing may penetrate through the roof armour
* HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) and HE obliterates this vehicle
* SPAA can and will obliterate the AMX-13
* Three crew members in a cramped tank means an inability to take a loss without dip in combat efficiency or outright destruction
* Top speed is rather poor for a light tank
* Smoke dischargers fire all at once, player will have to make the most of that one screen

== History ==

=== AMX-13 ===
'''Development'''

Development of the AMX-13 began in 1946 in response to a requirement by the French Army for a light tank to support paratroopers. It was designed at Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX). A long line of prototypes lead to the production model. The first prototype was the AMX-13 2A in 1948, with four road wheels. Next came the 2B with five road wheels and a raised idler wheel, and the 2C with the FL-10 turret and two return rollers. The 2D introduced an arrangement with four return rollers.

'''Design'''

The turret held the commander and gunner, and was set to the rear of the vehicle. The hull was very compact and low profile, with the engine on the right side and the driver in the front, left side.

The main feature of the AMX-13 was the FL-10 oscillating turret, armed with a 75 mm gun with an automatic loader system fed by two six-round magazines, for a total of 12 rounds in the autoloading mechanism. The gun could depress 8° and elevate 12°, with 5° per second of elevation speed. The turret could rotate 360° with 30° per second of traverse speed. A TCV 107 laser rangefinder was provided to the gunner. 6 smoke grenade launchers were fitted on the turret, with 6 more grenades stored in the vehicle. One coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun was fitted, with 1,800 rounds in belts of 200. Another 7.62 mm machine gun could be fitted on an anti-aircraft mount with 1,800 rounds.

The gasoline engine produced 250 horsepower, and the manual transmission had five forward and one reverse gear. The suspension was of the torsion bar type. The drive sprockets were in the front, return rollers in the back, and there were five road wheels and four return rollers. The AMX-13 could reach a speed of 60 km/h, and it had a range of 400 km.

The protection of the AMX-13, it being a light tank, was not great. It could withstand heavy machine gun and low-calibre autocannon rounds from the front, but the sides could not even withstand heavy machine gun fire. An appliqué armour package was developed to increase protection at the choice of the user.

'''Production'''

Production began in 1952, at Atelier de Construction Roanne (ARE). Over 7,000 AMX-13s of all variants were produced, seeing export to a number of nations as well as seeing service with the French Army. Production shifted to Creusot-Loire at Chalon-sur-Saône in 1964, since ARE began producing the AMX-30 in that year.

'''Service'''

The French Army received most of the original 75 mm-armed version, with about 3,000 entering service. They were assigned to the regular armoured units, which were mostly filled with M47 and M48 Patton medium tanks at the time. AMX-13 squadrons had four tanks, and were split into two sections of one infantry section and one light tank section each, along with an ammunition truck and command vehicle. These squadrons were used for screening and reconnaissance, locating enemy forces and engaging them. After the first section had engaged the enemy and was reloading, the second section engaged the enemy. The process of alternating reloading and firing between the sections allowed the tanks to hold off the enemy until medium tanks arrived.

In the 1960's, the AMX-30 entered service. AMX-13s were used during the decolonization war in Algeria (1954-1962), although they saw little combat due to the lack of opposition and the terrain. After the French AMX-13s were up-gunned with the 90 mm gun, they often saw service in foreign theatres of operation due to their relative inexpensiveness. The AMX-13s were decommissioned and put into reserve starting in 1985.

==== AMX-13 (SS.11) ====
The AMX-13 (SS.11), also known as the AMX-13 T75, was a version of the AMX-13 that was armed with four SS.11 wire-guided anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

=== [[wt:en/news/5149-development-amx-13-ss-11-en|Devblog]] ===
Initial development of the AMX-13 began after WW2 ended. In 1946, the French army needed a new fighting vehicle to support paratrooper units. This new vehicle needed to be fast and lightweight with a maximum weight of 13 tons. The contract was awarded to the state-owned Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX) company, which was located close to Paris. AMX was able to quickly design the new vehicle and build the first prototypes in just 3 years. After successfully blazing through initial trials, AMX started producing the AMX-13 in the early 1950s. Production continued well into the 1980s as the aging AMX-13 was continually modernized, modified, and upgraded. The AMX-13 SS.11 is a modernized version of the AMX-13 developed during the Cold War. By 1962, the AMX-13's standard 75 mm cannon had become less effective against the armour of contemporary tanks, some of which had begun using composite armour.

In 1962, the French military high command approved modernization work for the AMX-13 to upgrade and increase the AMX-13's firepower. However, while increasing firepower was the primary goal, the French high command didn't want to exceed the AMX-13's weight. This limited options and ruled out major upgrades, so the engineers decided to mount four SS.11 first generation ATGM launchers to the front of the turret. The changes were incremental but achieved the desired effect. Thanks to the ATGMs, the AMX-13 could now effectively engage targets up to 3 km away and penetrate up to 600 mm of steel armour—something previously impossible for the 75 mm cannon alone. The AMX-13 SS.11 joined the ranks of the French army in the 1960s and continued to serve for well over two decades.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_13_75_ss11 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|sY_f5S8BuoU|'''Premium Vehicles: AMX-13 (SS.11)''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''|G-sMfeWsEq0|'''The Shooting Range #148''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 04:17 discusses the AMX-13 (SS.11).}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5149-development-amx-13-ss-11-en|[Devblog] AMX-13 SS.11]]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France light tanks}}
{{France premium ground vehicles}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

AMX-13

2024-04-17T02:35:13Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = French light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = AMX-13 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_13_75
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''AMX-13/75 FL-10''' is the first variant of the [[AMX-13 (Family)|AMX-13 light tank family]]. The tank was designed in 1946 by the Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX) to meet a request for an armoured vehicle that could be air-dropped to support paratroopers. The first prototype went into service in 1948. Torsion bar suspension with five road wheels and two return rollers was used on the compact chassis; the engine is positioned on the right side of the tank, with the driver on the left. It has an unusual two-part FL-10 oscillating turret that contains the main armament and allows the entire upper turret to adjust elevation. The commander and gunner sit in the turret, which is located in the rear of the vehicle. The 75 mm SA 50 L/57 tank gun was autoloaded and fed by two six-round magazines situated in the turret bustle on either side. The crew could engage targets quickly due to the 12 rounds available in the drum magazines; however, once those rounds were expended, the vehicle commander and gunner could either manually refill them from within the turret or retreat to cover and reload shells from outside the vehicle through hatches above. It was exported to over 26 more countries. Over a hundred variants exist, including prototypes and export variants. Many of these variants, such as the self-propelled gun (SPG), self-propelled anti-aircraft (SPAA), armoured personal carrier (APC), and anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) carrier, comprise their own separate families.

Introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]], the AMX-13/75 FL-10 is a very competitive light tank that can reach strategic positions on the battlefield very quickly. Due to its low profile, it may hide behind various obstacles, preventing opponents from discovering it. The most effective way to employ this tank is to keep it in a hull-down position behind a hill on the map's border; frontal engagements with enemies are not recommended. Its autoloader and high-velocity ammunition allow it to eliminate multiple opponents in a short period of time. Since the shell lacks explosive filler, it is vital to target critical components such as the target's tank gun barrel, gun breech, or ammunition rack. The autoloader and quick turret rotation allow for quick switching between enemy targets during combat, while the smoke grenades allow for a speedy retreat if the situation becomes too perilous.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


Even though this tank has unimpressive armour values, its sloped profile will protect it from autocannon fire (with some distance, even the [[Bofors L/60 (40 mm)|Bofors]] can't go through this tank). Any dedicated antitank gun/missile/contraption will go right through this tank's armour. While this may sound a bit bad "getting easily pierced" also has its advantages: some APHE rounds will not detonate upon impact, which will minimise the damage done. If you happen to get shot at, the best way to survive is by showing your right front corner towards the enemy, this way, the engine deck may catch some shells. Don't ever rely on this tank's armour, take every shot you survive as a second chance.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, side and rear)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret base, turret front, gun mantlet, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 40 mm (38-40°) ''Turret base'' 20 mm (66°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (cylindrical) ''Transmission carter'' 20 mm (51°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm (14°) ''Turret base'' 20 mm Sides || 20 mm (32-34°) ''Turret base'' 15 mm (1°) ''Top'' 15 mm (44°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm (24°) ''Front glacis'' 10 mm ''Centre'' 10 mm (5°) ''Rear'' 5 mm ''Vents''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm (32-47°) ''Turret front'' 60 mm (conical) ''Gun mantlet'' 40 mm (15-75°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 20 mm (0-30°) ''Turret'' || 20 mm ''Turret bustle'' 20 mm (17-22°) ''Pivot ball'' 10 mm (77-90°) ''Turret underside'' || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 20 mm (conical) ''Base'' 10 mm (spherical) ''Dome'' || 20 mm (conical) ''Outer ring'' 10 mm (spherical) ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
* Storage boxes and mudguards are 4 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 418|rbMinHp= 239}}

The {{PAGENAME}} can carry you wherever you want as its engine allows for fast accelerations and good, sustained, top speed. You will get quickly to a firing position on the battlefield and relocate easily to a new one once spotted.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA50 L/57 (75 mm)}}

Well-positioned, this gun can make your enemies cry: with the quick-firing rate it is "one-two, goodbye" for any foe caught from the sides/rear. In usual one-on-one engagements, foes usually exchange shots but, with the AMX-13, this is a lie: it can fire ''twice'' before its foe can reload, this can hurt very much. This high rate of fire makes it very efficient at long-distance sniping: it can adjust fire faster than its foes.

High gun placement and good gun depression angles make this tank very efficient at keeping low behind hills while showing very little of itself. Said shortly, this tank's armament is amazing.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA50 L/57 (75 mm)|75 mm SA50 L/57]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 36 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA50 L/57 (75 mm)/Ammunition|POT-51A, OE Mle 1951, PCOT-51P}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''36''' || 32 ''(+4)'' || 28 ''(+8)'' || 23 ''(+13)'' || 18 ''(+18)'' || 13 ''(+23)'' || 7 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+35)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 6* and 7* (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
** These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader with at least 1 shell.
** The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun (about 15 seconds). Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 7* then 6*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,950 (150) || 551 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

The AMX-13 is a very competitive tank as it can reach tricky positions quite fast on the battlefield. Its low profile allows it to hide behind many obstacles, serving as armour for this light vehicle. Keeping hull-down, behind a hill on the border of the map is the best way to use this tank: frontal engagements are a no-go with such little armour. AMX-13 commanders will be surprised to be able to shoot ''1 round every 5 seconds'' with such accuracy and power at this BR.

;Long range sniper/flanker:

* Stay low and scout targets for your team. When spotting a vulnerable enemy, shoot its engine/transmission/driver, '''don't get back into cover''' and finish it off 5 seconds later, only then, fade back into the shadows. Do not get out of cover too often as enemies too much aware of your position may destroy you easily. If spotted, stay ''as far as possible'' from enemy fire: this tank's small size can avoid a lot of shots since it takes some serious gunnery skills to hit such a fast ''and'' small target from a distance (1000+ m).

;Brawler:

* Even though this is not recommended usage, this can tank actually be taken in close-quarter combat. In this role, it behaves much like any SPAA in the same context: flanking and surprising its foes from the sides with a hailstorm of bullets. Use smoke launchers in order to secure roads and advance concealed towards unsuspecting foes.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Low profile
* Engine on the front will often absorb all damage on the front right side
* Very sloped armour on the front with decent thickness
* Frontally resistant to some SPAA fire ([[Ostwind]] and [[M19]])
* Has smoke launchers (high arc of fire)
* Can reach its top speed quite fast
* Gun performance is comparable to the British [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|QF 17-pounder]]'s
* Fast turret rotation
* Stock shell is quite good, although the upgraded shell is a strict improvement
* Short reload time thanks to the 12-round autoloader: 1 shot every 5 seconds, comparable to reload times at low ranks
* Has scouting ability

'''Cons:'''

* Thin top armour: vulnerable to strafing planes (can be penetrated by .50 cals with ground target belts at typical strafing ranges)
* Thin sides easily penetrated by SPAAs and HMGs
* Only 3 crew members
* Extremely bouncy suspension: bad at stop-and-shoot due to oscillating turret design
* Bad reverse speed for a light tank
* Bug-like antennas are extremely tall and give away your position when hiding
* Gun penetration subpar in up-tiers: relies heavily on flanking manoeuvres
* Restocking the autoloader is very slow once it has been depleted and it limits severely your combat performance
* Lacks defensive armament against aircraft

== History ==


'''Development'''

Development of the AMX-13 began in 1946 in response to a requirement by the French Army for a light tank to support paratroopers. It was designed at Atelier de Construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX). A long line of prototypes lead to the production model. The first prototype was the AMX-13 2A in 1948, with four road wheels. Next came the 2B with five road wheels and a raised idler wheel, and the 2C with the FL-10 turret and two return rollers. The 2D introduced an arrangement with four return rollers.

'''Design'''

The turret held the commander and gunner, and was set to the rear of the vehicle. The hull was very compact and low profile, with the engine on the right side and the driver in the front, left side.

The main feature of the AMX-13 was the FL-10 oscillating turret, armed with a 75 mm gun with an automatic loader system fed by two six-round magazines, for a total of 12 rounds in the autoloading mechanism. The gun could depress 8° and elevate 12°, with 5° per second of elevation speed. The turret could rotate 360° with 30° per second of traverse speed. A TCV 107 laser rangefinder was provided to the gunner. 6 smoke grenade launchers were fitted on the turret, with 6 more grenades stored in the vehicle. One coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun was fitted, with 1,800 rounds in belts of 200. Another 7.62 mm machine gun could be fitted on an anti-aircraft mount with 1,800 rounds.

The gasoline engine produced 250 horsepower, and the manual transmission had five forward and one reverse gear. The suspension was of the torsion bar type. The drive sprockets were in the front, return rollers in the back, and there were five road wheels and four return rollers. The AMX-13 could reach a speed of 60 km/h, and it had a range of 400 kilometers.

The protection of the AMX-13, it being a light tank, was not great. It could withstand heavy machine gun and low-calibre autocannon rounds from the front, but the sides could not even withstand heavy machine gun fire. An appliqué armour package was developed to increase protection at the choice of the user.

'''Production'''

Production began in 1952, at Atelier de Construction Roanne (ARE). Over 7,000 AMX-13s of all variants were produced, seeing export to a number of nations as well as seeing service with the French Army. Production shifted to Creusot-Loire at Chalon-sur-Saône in 1964, since ARE began producing the AMX-30 in that year.

'''Service'''

The French Army received most of the original 75 mm-armed version, with about 3,000 entering service. They were assigned to the regular armoured units, which were mostly filled with M47 and M48 Patton medium tanks at the time. AMX-13 squadrons had four tanks, and were split into two sections of one infantry section and one light tank section each, along with an ammunition truck and command vehicle. These squadrons were used for screening and reconnaissance, locating enemy forces and engaging them. After the first section had engaged the enemy and was reloading, the second section engaged the enemy. The process of alternating reloading and firing between the sections allowed the tanks to hold off the enemy until medium tanks arrived.

In the 1960's, the AMX-30 entered service. AMX-13s were used during the decolonization war in Algeria (1954-1962), although they saw little combat due to the lack of opposition and the terrain. After the French AMX-13s were up-gunned with the 90 mm gun, they often saw service in foreign theatres of operation due to their relative inexpensiveness. The AMX-13s were decommissioned and put into reserve starting in 1985.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_13_75 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|G-sMfeWsEq0|'''The Shooting Range #148''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 02:58 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|uhgodizubC4|'''The Shooting Range #77''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:19 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|WQspy3qMkgk|'''Testing New Scouting System with French AMX-13 - RB Gameplay''' - ''Jim Chamberlin''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[AMX-13 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Strv 74]]

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:AMX-13|[Wikipedia] AMX-13]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/AMX-13.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> AMX-13]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=175 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> AMX-13]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France light tanks}}

AMX M4

2024-04-17T02:34:53Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = French medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=fr_amx_m4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

In the late 1940s, the French Army sought to replace its aging medium tanks with a new 50-ton medium tank that would serve as the main asset in armored divisions. The French company AMX initially proposed an under-armored version of the Tiger II tank with 30mm plates, but after feedback from the army, the armor was enhanced to 80mm in the front and 40mm on the sides. Changes were made to reduce weight in other aspects of the tank, such as introducing a new oscillating turret and redesigning the suspension wheels. The first prototype, named M4, featured a 90mm SA47 gun and was slightly over 50 tons. A second prototype with a 100mm SA 47 L/50 gun led to the development of the AMX-50 tank.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. It uses an improved 90 mm SA47 cannon over the [[ARL-44]] and has a 7-round autoloader and a better armour lay-out while being more mobile. Marking a new generation of French tanks, the AMX M4 is the prototype of what to expect from French tank development moving forward. The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is the sturdiest representative of French rank IV vehicles, from which it shares some common features: good mobility, an oscillating turret (fitted with an autoloader), sloped armour in front and back, high hull, high gun placement, good gun depression, 4 crew member, a coaxial MAC 31 machine gun and large tracks. What distinguishes the AMX M4 is its [[Panther D|Panther]]-like hull, its efficient 90 mm SA47 gun developed from the [[ARL-44]] and the thickest armour pattern of all French ground forces with 80 mm sloped at ~55° in the frontal area.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret rear)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (54°) ''Front glacis'' 35 mm (61°) ''Lower glacis'' 60 mm (38°) ''Front cheeks'' || 60 mm (38°) ''Top - Front cheeks'' 40 mm (24°) ''Top - Centre & rear'' 40 mm ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (1°) ''Upper plate'' 40 mm (29°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm 5 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 85 mm (60°) ''Turret front - Upper glacis'' 40+85 mm (cylindrical) ''Turret front - Base'' 60 mm (56-60°) ''Gun mantlet'' 85+100 mm ''Barrel shroud'' || 60 mm (0-61°) ''Turret'' 40 mm (0-27°) ''Turret base'' || 40 mm (0-60°) ''Turret bustle'' 25 mm (16-25°) ''Pivot ball'' 20 mm ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 60 mm (spherical) || 60 mm ''Outer ring'' 20 mm ''Centre''
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick. Suspension wheels are interleaved and thus overlap in some areas.
* The turret and the base overlap in some areas, leading to cumulative armour.
* The internal armour plate separating the crew compartment and the engine bay is 5 mm thick.
* Floor armour is 20 mm thick, with the underside of the sponsons also being 20 mm thick.

The AMX M4, a post-war French tank, is a remarkable fusion of German tank design elements, drawing inspiration from the [[Panther tank (Family)|Panther]] for its robust armour, the [[Tiger (Disambiguation)|Tiger I/II]] for its mobility and firepower, and integrating French innovation with an oscillating turret and autoloader. The armour profile is a notable feature, featuring an 80 mm angled front glacis and 60 mm pre-angled front cheeks, rendering it highly resilient in frontal engagements effectively protecting for 200 mm penetration. However, it is imperative to recognize that the efficiency of the frontal cheeks diminishes when subjected to direct fire, underscoring the significance of strategic positioning during combat scenarios.

Beyond its robust armour head-on, the oscillating turret and autoloader on top of its mobility provide a tactical edge in engagements, ensuring rapid and precise responses. This technological enhancement transforms the tank into a formidable force during flanking manoeuvres, allowing for a rapid succession of shots followed by a tactical withdrawal. While this dynamic manoeuvre adds a layer of unpredictability to its tactics, it introduces the vulnerability of exposing the tank's comparatively weaker side armour.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,550|rbMinHp=884}}

Post-war French designs are all very good at moving around: they have good engines, wide tracks and can easily achieve ~40 km/h on most terrains. The {{PAGENAME}} may be the worst of them all, on par with the [[AMX-50 (TOA100)]] as they share a ''very similar'' hull, they still have ''above average'' mobility, when compared to other medium tanks at the same BR.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|SA47 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SA47 (90 mm)|90 mm SA47]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 49 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

The gun has exceptionally good armour penetration for its rank, exceeding even that of the [[KwK 43 (88 mm)|8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 gun]] used on the [[Tiger II (Family)|Tiger II]]. This firepower advantage is further exaggerated by its autoloader, providing a fire rate of 9 rounds a minute until the 7-shot magazine is empty, a very good rate of fire for the BR. All French medium rank IV tanks share this good reload rate, this is their most prominent selling point. Note that like most French tanks of this period, the 90 mm only fires solid-shot armour-piercing rounds. However, the fragmentation effect of these larger shells is much greater than the long 75 mm gun of the [[AMX-13]] and is sufficient for one-shot kills on most enemy vehicles with careful aiming.

The oscillating turret design also allows a high gun placement, which means you can fire over hills by exposing only the strong top portion of your tank, even more so with its good depression angles. When it comes to elevation, there is a problem: this tank can only lift its gun 15°, which makes defending against planes impossible and an uphill battle a bit challenging.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:SA47 (90 mm)/Ammunition|90 mm Obus de rupture, 90 mm Obus explosif}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''49''' || 45 ''(+4)'' || 43 ''(+6)'' || 36 ''(+13)'' || 29 ''(+20)'' || 22 ''(+27)'' || 15 ''(+34)'' || 11 ''(+38)'' || 8 ''(+41)'' || 1 ''(+48)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 9 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 7 shells.
** This racks gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun (about 15 seconds). Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 5 into rack 7* then 6*. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 9 - 1 - 2 up to 8.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MAC 31 (7.5 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MAC 31 (7.5 mm)|7.5 mm MAC 31]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,100 (150) || 551 || - || -
|-
|}

The small calibre of the MAC 31 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

At its BR, 80 mm of sloped frontal armour is more than sufficient to endure close range fights (as long as it is facing the enemy with its frontal armour). But what this tank is really good at is, as any other French rank IV, ''sniping'': a very good gun, great depression and fire rate make it very deadly, even more so that it ''can'' take a few hits. The AMX M4 offers the best survivability of all French rank IV tanks since its BR is low and armour, thick. It is a true "medium tank" capable of all roles, given the good context.

This tank can be used in almost all roles on the battlefield, as long as the context is on its side. Here are some roles this tank is the most efficient at:

'''Sniper:'''

This is clearly this tank's intended role: at all BR placements, it provides the best results for this tank. There is only a few things that can defeat such tactic: drastically better firepower and thick frontal armour faced towards it. This gun's performance is not the best at its rank, in that way, the AMX M4 may have to rely on surprise attacks to its foes' sides in order to disable them. Use this tank's great mobility to get into a good spot and reposition whenever it is needed do not allow approaching targets as they increase their chances to take you out. Plan you escape in advance: your reverse speed won't allow for hasty retreats.

'''Frontline fights:'''

When facing lower BR tanks, the AMX can easily be used in the same role as Panther tanks: breakthrough... but with reserve, your side armour won't allow even the slightest side shot. Use your good reload speed and turret rate to their best: fast reaction times and multi-target engagements are possible.

'''Flanking:'''

Use your speed and firepower to outpace the enemy advance. All considerations from the sniper role can be taken into consideration when flanking, the only difference being a more consistent usage of this tank's mobility.

'''Support:'''

The AMX M4 is not fit for brawling due to the relatively light armour it has. However, there is still a place for it in the Frontline if its commander is ever so daring. The supporting tank follows closely behind the heavy tanks, using them as shields. When an enemy fires at the heavy tank, the support tank should momentarily get out of cover, fire into the soft part of their frontal armour, cannon barrel, and/or the enemy's tracks. The support tank then comes back behind cover, readying itself for attacking again.

The AMX M4 wields this role well, as it has good manoeuvrability, good acceleration, and a quick-firing cannon. It is however, a tall tank, so be wary of seeking cover behind any low-profile heavy tank and it has a below average reverse speed.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast and good manoeuvrability
* Decent reverse speed
* Front glacis is 80 mm and is heavily sloped for a high chance of ricochets, similar to the [[Panther D|Panther]]'s
* Potent 90 mm gun (same as [[ARL-44]] or [[Char 25t]]: easy learning curve)
* Good gun depression
* Good turret rotation
* Very good reload rate between 7 shots due to the autoloader

'''Cons:'''

* Overall armour is quite thin against expected opponents
** Thin side armour
** Thin UFP "corners" makes angling ineffective
** Vulnerable to planes (thin top armour)
* Bad elevation angles
* Long reload time after 7 shots due to autoloader
* Only two ammo choice between APC and HE rounds
* Ammo always held in reload mechanism makes it easy ammo rack targets

== History ==


===Design===
In the late 1940s, the French Army was looking to replace the medium tanks Panther and ARL 44 that were becoming obsolete with a new 50t medium tank. The new tank was to be the future spearhead of French armoured divisions. The French company AMX started working on a proposal which was essentially an improved Tiger II on the drawing board. The project evolved and later resulted in the AMX-50 tank. The AMX M4 present in the game is the first prototype of the project.

===Development===
In order to save weight from the Tiger II's initial weight of 70 tons, the first AMX proposal was an underarmoured version of the Tiger II with only 30 mm armour plates. The French Army quickly indicated that such a thickness was too weak for the intended purpose. The armour of the hull was increased to 80 mm frontally and 40 mm for the sides and the weight-saving measures were then applied to other components. The original turret was changed for an oscillating turret whose design was already available and the suspension wheels were redesigned to get rid of the interleaving wheels. The new version was approved and a first prototype was produced at the end of 1949. It sported the already available 90 mm SA 45 gun from the ARL 44, whose performance was equal to the 88 mm KwK43 equipping the Tiger II. The first prototype was dubbed M4 and had a weight slightly above 50 tons. The second prototype was produced 1 year later with the 100 mm SA 47 L/50 gun and a slightly modified turret, and resulted in the AMX-50 tank.

===Combat usage===
The AMX M4 was the first prototype of what would be the AMX-50 and never saw either service or combat action with the French Army.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_m4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|3aCHooDoyCI|'''AMX M4, French, Tier-4, Medium Tank''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''|zUDt1Fhrjpk|'''AMX M4 - Last Man Running - Don't Be This Guy!''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[AMX-50 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Panther II]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5265-vehicle-amx-m4-en|[News] AMX M4]]
* [[wikipedia:AMX-50|[Wikipedia] AMX-50]]

{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
{{France medium tanks}}

VCC-80/60

2024-04-17T02:33:10Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Italian light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = VCC-80 Dardo (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=it_vcc_80_hitfist_60
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_VCC-80-60.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The VCC-80/60 is a further development of the VCC-80 prototype which eventually lead to what is known as the VCC-80 Dardo. This prototype was made as the Italian army wanted a mix of 25 mm and 60 mm calibre IFVs at their disposal. The VCC-80/60 is armed with the Italian made OTO 60 mm HVG, which was derived from the joint development of the 60 mm cannon made together with Israel's IMI before the program went separate ways.

Introduced in [[Update "Winged Lions"]], the VCC-80/60 can be quite effective as it has access to an autoloader, it is able to fire APFSDS, OTO HE, and also OTO HE-VT rounds. It is not very armoured but its turret can at times block certain enemy rounds which is a huge plus for an IFV of this type. Mobility-wise it's average, although you might see yourself lag behind your team mates when you haven't unlocked the engine modification. You can be very effective against aircraft thanks to the OTO HE-VT shell, especially against helicopters hovering a couple of kilometres from the battlefield. The VCC-80/60 has access to thermals and night vision devices, both of which will be useful in night battles or just for being able to spot enemies more effectively.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The VCC-80/60's armour is easily penetrated by any shell at its BR. The engine and transmission will rarely stop KE munitions from penetrating from the front and the turret can be penetrated by any APFSDS. The turret cheeks have a decent amount of protection against CE munitions but will not stop ATGMs.

'''Armour type:'''

* Aluminum Alloy 5083 (hull front, rear, and roof, hull sides - bottom)
* Aluminum Alloy 7039 (hull sides - top, turret)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (turret underside, vents)
* Composite Screen (gun mantlet)
* Rubber-fabric (side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 8 + 25 mm (78°) ''Upper Glacis'' 22 + 50 mm (38°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 25 + 50 mm (33°) ''Top'' 32-52 + 2 mm ''Bottom'' || 38 mm (30°) || 25 mm
|-
| Turret || 60 mm (17°) ''Turret front'' 25 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 40 mm (8°) || 40 mm || 25 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 10 mm thick, while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 25 mm thick.
* A 6 mm internal plate inside the tank acts as spaced armour for spalling debris

{| class="wikitable"
! Composite screens !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides
|-
| Turret || '''Turret Front:''' 100 mm ''Kinetic'' Up to 450 mm ''Chemical'' || '''Turret Side:''' 25 mm ''Kinetic'' Up to 200 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=806|rbMinHp=460}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Cannone da 60/70 (60 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Cannone da 60/70 (60 mm)|60 mm Cannone da 60/70]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 32 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+40° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 32.7 || 45.2 || 54.9 || 60.7 || 64.6 || rowspan="2" | 2.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.4 || 24.0 || 29.2 || 32.2 || 34.3
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Cannone da 60/70 (60 mm)/Ammunition|M300, OTO HE, OTO HE-VT}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_VCC-80-60.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''32''' || 17 ''(+15)'' || 1 ''(+31)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 2 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 16 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
* This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is 1 - 2.
* If you pack 17 ''(+53)'' shells, it will the turret empty of ammo.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 1 into rack 2. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|Beretta MG42/59 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Beretta MG42/59 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Beretta MG42/59]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 800 (200) || 801 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

When playing the VCC-80/60, some of its playstyles for it include using it as either a support or as a flanker. You should attempt to always have a good line of sight where you can take enemies off guard to maximise the effectiveness of your main calibre armament. One example being that the VCC-80/60 at times can be used effectively in urban combat, usually if a player was to pick a hidden spot to set up, when the enemy goes past hopefully without seeing you, you will be able to hit them in the side with your main 60 mm cannon. This vehicle at the start of a match can prove to be a very effective first spawn in the hands of an experienced player, as the enemy team might not expect such a vehicle to cause them troubles early during a match. To maximise the effectiveness of this vehicle, you must learn what it excells at, and what its not so good at.

While stock, your main way to be effective is to scout enemy players and take them out when they are near you. Do not bother to engage from long ranges unless you are 100% sure that the vehicle you are going to engage will be damaged from your shot. Once you research the important modifications for this vehicle (Thermals, Engine, OTO HT-VT) then you may begin to play more solo and without having to rely on your teammates too much. Such modifications allow the VCC-80/60 to really be a devastating support vehicle that at times the enemy team won't have a proper counter to adequately deal with.

In terms of its main weapon, the VCC-80/60 has access to a 60 mm OTO High Velocity Medium Support automatic cannon, (HVMS for short). This cannon is the exact same one featured on the premium event vehicle known as the [[AUBL/74 HVG]], only difference being the turret and loading systems being vastly different from each other. Unlike the AUBL/74 HVG, the VCC-80/60 features a automatic loading system which allows the vehicle to get a fire rate of 1 round every 2 seconds. Paired with a 60 mm APFSDS round will at times lead to devastating results for the enemy team. The most dangerous enemies you will face will be enemy MBTs.

One of the downsides of this vehicle also is its M300 APFSDS round, sadly the round does not have much spalling therefore to make the most of it you quite literally have to hit enemies exactly in their weak spots. This is a problem for many reasons, the big one being that it is forcing you to play in a non-confrontational manner, going head on against the majority of Soviet tanks you'll face will not end well for you. You will have to learn every tanks weak spot that you can encounter if you wish to remain on the same footing as the enemy team. You can however aim for the classic weak spots every tank has which will always show positive results: the engine compartment, the cannon and breech, and lastly the tracks. You might not get enough time to finish them off yourself, but you will still help in rendering them disabled, giving you a higher chance to take them out yourself or get a nearby teammate to do it for you.

Another downside of the vehicle is due to the VCC-80/60's poor survivability. As mentioned previously, it is best advised that you stick far away from enemies and try pick them off with your main cannon if you believe you can take them out. Surprisingly, unlike the other Dardo and VCC-80/30, this vehicle actually has a somewhat protected turret, its cheeks can at times stop some HEAT and autocannon fire, something which many IFVs and support vehicles that you'll encounter can't exactly boast of. Generally speaking though, just act as if the vehicle can be shot and penetrated or destroyed from anywhere by any round. The VCC-80/60 sadly doesn't carry a lot of ammunition for your weapon systems so pick your targets and evaluate what place is the best to take out your enemy whilst not consuming too much of your ammunition.

One of its upsides comes with the researchable round known as the OTO HT-VT, with this modification unlocked the vehicles offensive capabilities against aircraft greatly improve. It is surprisingly quite effective, and many enemy players are not likely to expect a ground vehicle of your nature to be able to pose a threat to them. Try a use this to the utmost of your advantage, when an aircraft or helicopter get a bit too close to the battlefield, don't hesitate to potshot it. With the VCC-80/60's 2 second reload, it does become a sort of pesudo anti-aircraft vehicle. For helicopters which are hovering a bit outside of the general battlefield, it's recommended that you range them to adjust the trajectory of the round, if all goes well you should see positive results. That said, don't just focus on aircraft, It's also useful to know that if you are playing in your support role, the VCC-80/60's scouting ability will be extremely useful for both you and your team.

Other neat additions that will greatly aid you is the VCC-80/60 thermal imaging device made by Kollsman. Although only available for the gunner, it is a great asset that you'll be able to use once unlocked to easily pick out and spot enemies. In terms of defence systems, it has access to smoke dischargers, which at times can prove to be very useful by countering helicopter guided munitions. In terms of mobility, when spaded the vehicle is good for capturing points in the late phase of the game. Another system the vehicle has is a laser warning receiver which will alert you when either an enemy ground/air vehicle is looking at you. This also should apply for all game modes, be aware that in Arcade battles the enemies are able to see your weak spots when they aim at you, so keep that in mind if you decide to go hull-down as an experienced player might just go for a different module, such as your cannon barrel or breech, and finish you off slowly.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* High rate of fire, thanks to its autoloader: 1 round every 2 seconds
* Gen 1 thermals for gunner
* Commander sight
* Effective turret armour, can withstand some KE munitions and small-calibre autocannon fire
* Proximity fuse rounds, good for dealing with enemy aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* The hull isn't very well protected, unless hull-down you will not withstand much
* Crew placement is inadequate, crew members can get taken out if shot in the middle of the turret
* Poor mobility when stock
* APFSDS round does not penetrate much, you will need to know every opponents weak spots to make the best out of each round

== History ==

During the late stages of the Cold War, OTO Melara, assisted by IVECO, had been designing a set of new multi-role armoured fighting vehicles in the hopes that enough interest would be generated to get the vehicles picked up either by the Italian Army or by possible foreign customers. Multiple different types of unique designs, with vastly different sets of armaments would arise during that era. These vehicles would however not generate much success in or indeed outside of Italy, but eventually during the '80s OTO Melara would finally come out with a design which would finally be picked up by the Italian army.

Despite a troubled development cycle, the VCC-80 Dardo would enter service and would continue to serve inside of the Italian army even till this day. Although the base version which is being used is comprised of the OTO TC-25 turret armed with a 25 mm Oerlikon-Buhrle cannon and TOW ATGMs, OTO Melara would heavily experiment on the previous versions known as the VCC-80.

The general configuration of the VCC-80 is conventional, being similar to other contemporary infantry fighting vehicles. What sets it apart is the design, being very well self-proportioned and well executed. The hull as well as the turret of the VCC-80 is welded from plates of aluminium alloys (5083 and 7020 type). These vehicles would be extremely useful in gaining valuable know-how, and allowed OTO Melara to see what worked and what didn't.

One of these cases would be the VCC-80/60, a one-off prototype which would utilize a very special weapon system known as the OTO T60A. The OTO T60A was a further development of the joint Italian-Israeli collaboration of the 60 mm High Velocity Medium Support (HVMS) weapon system. In short, both countries had disagreements which led to them going separate ways when developing the cannon.
[[File:VCC-80-60 History I.png|thumb|During tests]]
Outside of Italy, many different turret variants would come out, such as the OTO T60M which would be manually loaded and tested unto a Fiat 6616 vehicle, and then the OTO T60A which would be autoloaded and installed on various different vehicles such as the OTO Melara AV-90, B1 Centauro, and of course, the VCC-80. The T60A would come in different versions however the one installed on the VCC-80/60 would be a special version which would mount a special armour kit at the front of the turret, this would surprisingly protect the crew quite a bit from KE munitions and low level autocannon fire. However the turret was not invincible, advanced APFSDS used on MBTs of the time would easily be able to penetrate the vehicle, same goes for the hull which was even less protected than the turret. This vehicle variant was primarily advertised to be a troop support vehicle, and was not designed to fight tanks 1-on-1, instead the idea was to keep it close to infantry where it could adequately provide support while also being able to be a platform which could repel any enemy helicopter attacks thanks to its special munitions. The 60 mm cannon could use proxy, HE and APFSDS rounds, which as previously mentioned would be autoloaded, specifically it could fire 1 round every 2 seconds. The vehicle sadly did not generate interest with the Italian Army, which instead opted for the variant armed with a 25 mm. It is unknown what happened to the 60 mm variant, however it is good to note that Poland at one point showed interest and decided to utilize the same weapon system for a vehicle called the 'BWP 2000'.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=it_vcc_80_hitfist_60 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:VCC-80-60 media I.png
File:VCC-80-60 media II.png
File:VCC-80-60 media III.png
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|4XbrWIv1L70|'''Italy's budget HSTV-L ft. nukes! - VCC8-/60''' - ''JustinPlays''}}

== See also ==


* [[Dardo]]
* [[VCC-80/30]]
* [[C13 T90]]

== External links ==


* https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/434464-vcc-dardo/
* https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/393556-variants-dardo-ifv-italian/

{{TankManufacturer OTO Melara}}
{{Italy light tanks}}

OTOMATIC

2024-04-17T02:32:49Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=it_otomatic
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The development of the OTOMATIC began in the late 1980s when OTO Melara designed the family of OF-40/Palmaria vehicles, including MBT, ARV, and SPAA variants. Initially, OTO Melara proposed the ATAK-35 CA for the SPAA role, which was equipped with the Dutch Cheetah PRTL turret (similar to the [[Gepard]]'s). However, this design did not generate much interest, despite being tested by multiple nations. As a result, OTO Melara came up with a new and radical design for the SPAAG, featuring a modified version of the naval 76 mm cannon developed by OTO Melara as the main armament. This anti-air vehicle was named OTO Main Anti-aircraft Tank for Intercept and Combat, or OTOMATIC for short. The OTOMATIC garnered interest from both the Italian army and air force, as Italy lacked a sophisticated self-propelled air defense system at the time, most examples instead being truck-transported static emplacements. The OTOMATIC also offered advanced features such as an extremely modern FCS with search and tracking radar, as well as a datalink for easy integration into a nation's air defense network. The 76 mm calibre allowed compatibility with rounds used by naval forces, and a special APFSDS round was also developed for potential use against enemy vehicles. Unfortunately, the OTOMATIC proved to be too expensive for Italy, and they ultimately chose the [[SIDAM 25]] as a less sophisticated but more cost-effective option that could be acquired in larger numbers.

Introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]], the OTOMATIC is a highly potent radar-equipped SPAAG, capable of shooting proximity-fused fragmentation rounds that can destroy planes in a single, well-aimed shot. When acting as a pure anti-air vehicle, it is recommended to stay in a capture zone since the OTOMATIC carries a limited amount of ammunition (90 shells for a cannon with a 0.5s reload). Keep in mind that at your battle rating, you will encounter jets and helicopters that outrange you, so it is essential to remain hidden until the enemy aircraft are within range of your cannon. As the OTOMATIC is a large vehicle, it becomes an easy target for vehicles equipped with ATGMs when exposed in the open. The vehicle's armour is lacking, and enemy fire will easily penetrate both the hull and turret. Fortunately, the mobility of the OTOMATIC is excellent for a vehicle of its kind, allowing you to reach strategic positions without lagging behind your team.

It is advisable to focus on shooting down aircraft when you first unlock the OTOMATIC. The stock rounds can damage lightly armoured vehicles, but engaging enemy tanks with them is risky until APFSDS rounds are unlocked. Once unlocked, you can confidently take on enemy vehicles at your battle rating, thanks to the autoloader and powerful ammunition. However, engaging enemies frontally is not recommended as it reduces the chances of damaging key components. Flanking and firing at enemies from their sides is a more effective strategy.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Structural steel (Radar equipment, Mudguards)
* Rubber-fabric screens

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 70 mm (59°), 35 mm (81°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (52°) ''Lower glacis'' 25 mm (81°), 50 mm (30-46°) ''Ammo stowage hatch'' || 25-35 mm ''Top'' 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 25 mm (1-40°) || 30 mm (89°) ''Front'' 15 mm (89°) ''Rear'' 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 25 mm (25-45°) ''Turret front'' 25 mm (17-83°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 25 mm (0-11°) || 25 mm (1-10°) || 15 mm
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,562|rbMinHp=973}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|OTO Breda Cannone da 76/62 (76 mm)}}

The OTOMATIC is armed with the most famous naval autocannon, the OTO Breda Cannone da 76/62. This specific configuration is the Compact version, meaning the carousel is smaller for size reduction but with an increase in rate of fire. This particular gun, if already used in vessels, has one of the best trade-off in accuracy, stopping power and range. Different from other cannons, the 76 mm is the biggest anti-air calibre yet the smallest calibre for modern vehicles. The version mounted on the OTOMATIC is set to super-rapid fire, speeding the rate of fire from 60 RPM to 120 RPM. This has its own pros and cons. From one side you have a tremendous stopping power which can deal with all threats in seconds, including ground. However, on the other side, you devour ammunition when doing continuous fire, getting from 90 shells to 60 in a matter of seconds.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[OTO Breda Cannone da 76/62 (76 mm)|76 mm OTO Breda Cannone da 76/62]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 61.6 || 85.3 || 103.6 || 114.6 || 121.9 || rowspan="2" | 0.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 41.6 || 49.0 || 59.5 || 65.8 || 70.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The OTOMATIC has access to both anti-air and anti-tank ammunition capable of dealing with a high variety of threats, from lightly-armoured IFVs to heavily armoured MBTs.

'''SAPOM''' - The Semi Armour-Piercing High Explosive Incendiary rounds has a multipurpose capabilities with a little bit of everything. It has a nice trade-off between anti-air and anti-tank capabilities due to the explosive mass and armour penetration. However, the SAPOM is not really suggested for anything rather than anti-tank roles as the HE-VT* is more than capable of dealing with enemy threats. It should be noted most of the targets faced can be killed from the sides if shot between the road wheels in the lower half of the chassis (in case for NATO tanks), engine deck (will only cause fire and damage to transmission), Gunner's Primary Sight (in case of M1 Abrams and XM-1s). When it comes to dealing with Russian targets (the most generally armoured MBTs in the game), SAPOM should be fire almost at the ground hitting the lowest part of the chassis. It is recommended to destroy their tracks and barrels in order to let friendly units take them out for this reason. SAPOM is capable of destroying all lightly-armoured targets seen at the battle-rating (IFVs, SPAAs, etc).

'''APFSDS''' - The dart ammunition has a full anti-tank role though it can be used for anti-air roles, however it is not recommended. It has decent penetration and stopping power as a dart and is more than capable with dealing enemy tanks. It is able to destroy enemy targets in one hit if it's a well placed shot. Ammunition should be targeted with the APFSDS as the low amount of ammunition carrying can make it run out of APFSDS before destroying the enemy. Trapshots are suggested (driver's port, cupola, mantlets, etc).

'''HE-MOM''' - The High Explosive Variable Time fuse proximity shell has a full anti-air role with zero anti-tank role. Thanks to the high calibre, the HE is able to carry a proximity fuse with a lethal explosive mass, making it capable of destroying all aerial threats with one or two hits. Trigger discipline is recommended as, due to the fast fire rate, the OTOMATIC can spend the whole ammunition reserve really fast. Thanks to being a big shell, most enemy helicopters and aircraft will not redirect course when being fired at until it's too late compared to the continuous fire smaller calibre SPAA have (25, 30, 35, 40 mm, etc). They do not trigger Missile Alert Warning systems and do not have a visible tracer, making them the ultimate helicopter killer.

{{:OTO Breda Cannone da 76/62 (76 mm)/Ammunition|76/62 SAPOM, 76/62 APFSDS, 76/62 HE-MOM}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''90''' || 64 ''(+26)'' || 55 ''(+35)'' || ''27(+63)'' || 0 ''(+90)'' || No
|-
|}

===Radars===
{{main|SMA VPS-A05|SMA VPS-A06}}
The OTOMATIC is equipped with a [[SMA VPS-A05]] search radar and a [[SMA VPS-A06]] tracking radar; both radars are located on the top of the turret, with the SMA VPS-A05 being mounted on an arm at the rear, and the SMA VPS-A06 being mounted further forwards on the left hand side of the turret roof. The radar system is capable of tracking a target while scanning, but can only track targets within a 180° arc from the front of the turret. Both radar can be folded.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="5" | [[SMA VPS-A05]] - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Detection Range|The range, below which, a target cannot be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum relative speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be detectable by the radar}}
|-
| 15,000 m || 500 m || 360° || 18° || 10 m/s (36 km/h)
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SMA VPS-A06]] - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum target speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be tracked by the radar}}
|-
| 10,000 m || 75 m || ±90° || -15°/+87° || 15 m/s (54 km/h)
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The OTOMATIC is one of the more role-diverse SPAA in the game, akin to that of the [[ADATS (M113)|ADATS]] with its anti-air/anti-tank missiles. However, the OTOMATIC can practice these diverse roles without needing to notify the enemy of what role it is prior to an engagement. The {{PAGENAME}} has the mobility, speed, armour and electronics to make it one of the best SPAA or anti-tank vehicle, depending on what the commander or battlefield situation dictate.

The OTOMATIC has a big ammo rack with three types of ammunition for all types of players, for those who want to be deadly to only aircraft and control the skies as quickly as possible, and for those who want to carry out as much destruction as possible regardless if they want to go anti-air or anti-tank. The only drawback is that the OTOMATIC can only carry 12 APFSDS rounds. The recommended round load is 50 HE-VT*, 20 SAPOM, and 12 APFSDS for both anti-air and anti-tank capabilities. Each of these rounds are well-suited for the targets they are specialized to fight against.

=== HE-VT* ===
This round makes nailing aircraft such an easy task, though it has its pros and cons compared to missiles that other high-ranking SPAA are using. As a con, a HE-VT* shell carries less explosive power, cannot be guided, and has a slower muzzle velocity compared to missiles. However, the HE-VT* as a shell will not trigger the aircraft's Missile Approach Warning system (MAW) and so the enemy may be caught unaware of an incoming 76 mm HE-VT* shell if they do not see it coming. This shell does not have a visible tracer. The only visual cue they would have is the muzzle flash when firing the cannon, compared to a missile smoke streak that may be traced to the firing SPAA vehicle. The larger number of HE-VT* shells carried also means the {{PAGENAME}} can quickly follow-up a shot if the first shot missed, without too much worry on ammunition waste.

This round helps make the {{PAGENAME}} one of the more reliable SPAA at the top-rank battlefield. A missile would cause hovering aircraft like helicopters to simply find cover as soon as the MAW is activated. Top-rank SPAA that uses missile also have a reliance to their radar lock, as it must maintain that lock for the missile to track and hit the target. The {{PAGENAME}} also has access to thermal sights and a laser rangefinder to help locate aircraft in the air and find their range without use of the radar. With this, the {{PAGENAME}} can track a helicopter and find their distance without the enemy helicopter being aware that they are within the {{PAGENAME}}'s sights and firing range.

=== SAPOM ===
This round provides some flexibility in the usage of the {{PAGENAME}}. It is a Semi Armour-Piercing High-Explosive Incendiary (SAPHEI) round that does not have the penetration values of a likewise APCBC round, while also not having as much high-explosives as a dedicated HE shell. However, this round in the 76 mm calibre does still present some general-purpose uses. While there is enough high-explosives in the shell to use against an aircraft, the presence of the HE-VT* shell makes this role redundant by a more capable shell. The shell can fight enemy armoured fighting vehicles, but a maximum penetration of 60 mm at point-blank range means this round will struggle against any main battle tanks fought at the {{PAGENAME}}'s battle-rating. Nevertheless, as the only armour-piercing round available to the {{PAGENAME}} before it unlocks the APFSDS, it must be used with caution, patience, and practice for maximum efficiency.

Arguably one of the best use of the SAPOM round is as a reserve so that the valuable 12 APFSDS that can be carried in the {{PAGENAME}} is not wasted; or in the worst case all HE-VT* is spent. As such, its use should be reserved to fighting lightly-armoured vehicles, when out of APFSDS against ground units, or out of HE-VT* against air targets.

====Fighting Specific Tanks with SAPOM====
'''NATO allegiance MBTs (Leopard, Abrams, Leclerc, etc.)''':

*When facing from the front:
**Aim at the main gun to disable the tank's firepower. After that is disabled, aim for the tracks to immobilize the vehicle. Then allow a more capable ally destroy the enemy tank.

*When facing from the side/rear:
**Aim at medium lower section of a tank's hull sides, in between the road wheels where the armour is generally weaker.
**If the {{PAGENAME}} is positioned to be somewhere towards the vehicle's rear, aim instead at the turret bustle ammunition rack. No tank has enough armour to withstand multiple hits to the ammo rack. Aiming at engine deck is worthless if gun is not disabled.

'''CSTO allegiance MBTs (T-80, T-90, ZTZ-99, etc.)'''

*When facing from the front:
**Aim at the main gun to disable the tank's firepower. After that is disabled, aim for the tracks to immobilize the vehicle. Then allow a more capable ally destroy the enemy tank.

*When facing from the side/rear:
** Unfortunately, CSTO MBTs are often more well-armoured at the sides than NATO tanks, enough so to resist SAPOM rounds more easily with slight angling. As such, an attack with SAPOM rounds should not be attempted even from the sides.
** If able to hit the vehicle's rear, the only place of worth the {{PAGENAME}} may penetrate is the engine deck. Shoot there to disable the enemy's mobility, but make sure to disable the enemy's gun as it reacts otherwise it may destroy the {{PAGENAME}}.

'''Generally speaking, try and avoid combat with CSTO MBTs if the {{PAGENAME}} only has SAPOM rounds available, unless it is mission-critical that the enemy tank must be immobilized or disabled.'''

=== APFSDS ===
This is probably the most used round by the OTOMATIC when it is being used for anti-tank purposes. This is the same round the Rooikat uses, meaning it is a reliable round with good capabilities, but does require trigger discipline, situational awareness and knowledge of the enemy tank's "anatomy" to make every single round count as there are only 12 round carried. While the APFSDS round has nowhere enough penetration power to deal with enemy MBT, it does have enough to penetrate weakpoints and from favourable angles of attack.

'''NATO allegiance MBTs (Leopard, Abrams, Leclerc, etc.)''':

*When facing from the front:
**As explained above, utilize the terrain to the {{PAGENAME}}'s advantage against the enemy. However, a frontal encounter is highly discouraged

*When facing from the side/rear:
**Aim at the hull ammo racks
***Leopard/Leclerc/Type 90: Next to driver
***Abrams: Almost at engine deck, a small wall ammo rack
**If able to hit the enemy from an angle closer to their rear, aim exclusively at turret bustle ammo rack. APFSDS will over-penetrate and make the blast shields useless.

'''CSTO allegiance MBTs (T-80, T-90, ZTZ-99, etc.)'''

*When facing from the front:
**As explained above, utilize the terrain to the {{PAGENAME}}'s advantage against the enemy. However, a frontal encounter is highly discouraged

*When facing from the side/rear:
**Aim at the hull ammo racks
***T-64s/T-80s: any hit to the side. Ammo rack is in an "L" shape, making ammo rack hits easy
***T-72s/T-90: aim in a manner like if the target was a T-80, but closer to the ground due to ammo rack closer to the ground as it is in a "=" shape
**If able to hit the enemy from an angle closer to their rear, aim exclusively at anywhere is possible to hit. Preferably the turret rear to disable critical modules or even hit an ammunition rack if there is any.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Radar guidance system
* Equipped by default with HE-VT* fuse shells capable of annihilating aircraft within 1-3 indirect hits. Direct hits usually destroy the aircraft in one blow
* Excellent scoped zoom for an SPAA (8.0x to 16.1x)
* Immense fire rate for the gun calibre; 120 RPM for a 76 mm gun
* Two axis stabiliser
* APFSDS can penetrate up to 311 mm, enough to destroy any top-rank MBT with a well-placed shot
* Equipped with SAPHEI shells, capable of dealing with many light tanks and the XM-1
* Capable of taking out long-range helicopters with ammunition which does not explode until approximately 4.6 km away, allowing for shots well past the radar tracking range
* The OF-40 chassis provides reasonable protection and mobility (especially compared to the M163 and ZSU-23-4)
* Fantastic turret rotation and elevation speed
* Generation 1 thermals for the gunner - makes spotting enemy aircraft, helicopters and tanks a much easier task
* Fear factor - Enemy pilots who know there is an OTOMATIC around will fall back in a far more cautious playstyle and are less likely to attack friendly ground vehicles in the open
* Large cannon breech - can soak up shrapnel, thereby protecting the turret crew
* HE-VT* and SAPHEI rounds do not have a visible tracer, making them impossible to spot in flight

'''Cons:'''

* Turret has immensely thin armour, can be penetrated by other SPAA as well as secondary cannons from the MBT-70 or AMX-40
* Several turret-mounted ammo racks that are almost impossible ''not'' to hit
* APFSDS rounds are a tier IV modification
* APFSDS capacity limited to 12 rounds
* APFSDS has limited accuracy at range
* Massive profile, straightforward to spot and shoot
* This vehicle's reputation precedes it, enemies will prioritise its destruction
* SAPHEI penetration is abysmal, and 62 mm consistently fails to penetrate the sides of Abrams or T-64s/T-72s/T-80s
* First-stage ammo stowage capacity of 29 rounds. The gun's high rate of fire will empty this quickly
* There must be at least one shell in the first-stage stowage to fire the gun
* Each round must be loaded into the first-stage stowage individually. This massively increases reload times if the stowage is empty
* The gun can only elevate 60 degrees. This is below average for an SPAA vehicle of this tier.
* Rate of fire decreases when your loader is knocked out
* A hit to the turret, even if it doesn't kill the crew, will always result in a destroyed breech due to the sheer amount of space the breech takes up in the turret
* The lack of visible tracers on the HE-VT* and SAPHEI rounds can make correcting your aim difficult against distant targets

== History ==

Development of the OTOMATIC SPAAG began during the mid 1980s as a private venture of the OTO Melara company. The basic concept behind the OTOMATIC was to take the successful 76 mm Super Rapido utility cannon used on naval vessels and fit it to a suitable mobile platform in order to create a long-range SPAA vehicle that would outmatch similar designs such as the German Gepard or British Marksman system. Although a challenging feat, Italian engineers eventually succeeded in this endeavour, creating a vehicle that wasn't only up to the latest technological standards but also perfectly suited, and even exceeded, various NATO requirements of the time. The first prototype of the OTOMATIC was ready for testing in the late 1980s. Intended to be compatible with a large number of NATO vehicles of the time, the OTOMATIC, similarly to the British Marksman system, was tested on several hulls and it was planned to be capable of fitting any NATO tank, including the Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams. However, as the Cold War ended and general interest for SPAAG vehicles began declining in favour of more modern missile systems, the OTOMATIC project never received any interest from potential users. For the Italian army, the project was initially accepted, but later abandoned due to budget cuts.

''- From [[wt:en/news/5943-development-otomatic-spaag-belated-perfection-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=it_otomatic Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

'''Images'''
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:OTOMATIC WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
File:OTOMATIC WTWallpaper 02.jpg|
File:OTOMATIC WTWallpaper 03.jpg|
File:OTOMATIC WTWallpaper 04.jpg|
File:OTOMATIC WTWallpaper 05.jpg|
File:OTOMATIC WTWallpaper 06.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|zn2-YsUBRBw|'''Should You Grind The OTOMATIC?''' - ''Sako Sniper''|J9nUjFDdk-E|'''The Shooting Range #131''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the OTOMATIC.|IntAZ778ewQ|'''OTOMATIC - Top Tier Balance - The Gaijin Way''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[OF-40 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5943-development-otomatic-spaag-belated-perfection-en|[Devblog] OTOMATIC SPAAG: Belated Perfection]]
* [[wikipedia:Otomatic|[Wikipedia] Otomatic]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/otomatic/ <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> OTOMATIC]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/435771-otomatic-spaag-belated-perfection/ [Forum<nowiki>]</nowiki> Official Forum Thread for the {{PAGENAME}}.]

{{TankManufacturer OTO Melara}}
{{Italy anti-aircraft vehicles}}

WZ1001(E) LCT

2024-04-17T02:31:53Z

U103691029: /* Mobility */ TankMobility

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_wz_1001
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' [Long Cannon Testbed] (Chinese: WZ1001(E) 125毫米多功能火炮试验车; lit. 125 mm Multipurpose Gun Test Vehicle) was one of the prototype of what later became the ZTZ99A. Visually, it distinguishes itself from the production version with a longer gun, a smooth finish for the FY-5 ERA instead of matte, and a different hull. Before ZTZ99 was introduced to PLAGF, there were already plans for a new "3rd generation tank" where the ZTZ99 (WZ123 at the time) would be the gap-filler before the new tanks could be introduced; as soon as ZTZ99 was certified in early 2000s, Institute 70 already started the WZ1001 program with various designs led by the new chief designer Mao Ming (毛明); the tank in-game represents the 2nd prototype of WZ1001 with a longer L/54 125 mm smoothbore cannon and a hull based on ZTZ99-III. Due to economics and better reliability for the gun system, the LCT was ditched and the other prototype with L/48 cannon was then certified as what known as ZTZ99A.

Introduced in [[Update "Apex Predators"]] and sitting at the end of PLAGF line of Chinese tech tree, players will soon get used to the overall identical performance to its (technological) successor ZTZ99A with better gun handling thanks to its experimental gun layer and the high muzzle velocity; but do remember the hybrid of ZTZ99's hull with a ZTZ99A-like turret means their flaws would inherit to WZ1001 and players would have to be cautious on when to utilize its great mobility to assault enemies- planning ahead is essential for the survivability of the tank.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

When players take a first look at the WZ1001(E), they will soon be having deja vu from previous tanks: although the turret is mostly identical to the previous ZTZ99A other than the layout of side fences, the hull also looks very similar from [[ZTZ99-III]] (WZ123B; in fact this hull was modified from WZ123B but with an extended and elevated engine deck). This platform also marks the transition from low-profile, Warsaw-Pact/Chinese design to a more NATO approach and ensures the overall protection to be mostly identical to the ZTZ99(A). Players will still have to pay caution to their LFP, driver's port, and mantlet in case of a head-on fight. In some cases when an opponent first encounters a WZ1001(E) and mistakes it for the ZTZ99A, chances are they will land the shot on the left side of the UFP instead of the driver's seat on the centerline and failed to penetrate.

One notable armour difference between the WZ1001(E) compared to its production version is a lower coverage of FY-1D1 rooftop ERA. It is still present above the hatches of the gunner and commander but does not cover the gun breech or turret roof. This allows top-attack ATGMs like the TOW-2B or BILL to do more damage.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

Since the WZ1001(E) was the prototype of the ZTZ99A, players might find both tanks handle very similarly other than the longer hull; this is indeed true as this was also the prototype that set the 1,500 hp 12V150HB-1 turbocharged diesel engine and CH1000 transmission for future use. Be sure to make good use of the excellent top speed for taking vantage points while having the ability to reverse back to cover with ease.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2325|rbMinHp=1327|AoAweight=|weight=55|abForwardSpeed=84|rbForwardSpeed=76|abReverseSpeed=38|rbReverseSpeed=35|abMaxHp=2862|rbMaxHp=1500}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|L/54 (125 mm)}}

In view for enemy tanks with even higher protection than what was foreseen by the WZ123 design, especially from Russia, the design team built a 125 mm smoothbore cannon that was compatible to previous shells and any future shells used by PLAGF, but having a longer barrel at L/54 distinguished by an additional section of heat sleeve (at 6,750 mm, the longest smoothbore gun in-game, beating out the Rheinmetall Rh 120 L/55). All previous shells from ZTZ99(A) now enjoy a higher muzzle velocity and thus higher penetration for the APFSDS (~11 mm increase for both 125-I and DTC10-125). Players will soon get used to the gun handling thanks to the identical traverse speed, though extra care will have to be taken to hide the gun from enemies when taking cover, as the longer barrel also means enemies can now hit that very additional section of the barrel, leading to the disabling of the gun.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L/54 (125 mm)|125 mm L/54]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 34 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 36.2 || 50.1 || 60.8 || 67.2 || 71.5 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 22.6 || 26.6 || 32.3 || 35.7 || 38.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
'''DTP-125 HEATFS''' - The good old stock 125 mm HEATFS for PLAGF but with a penetration at only 480 mm. While the shell is in most cases ineffective against tanks with composite armour and even ERA blocks, the spalling is also insufficient like with most HEATFS rounds. But 2.19 kg of explosives upon lightly-armoured vehicles is lethal to them by overpressure, still a fine placeholder before having 125-I darts researched.

'''DTB-125; HE-FS''' - Another long-time friend to the Chinese 125 mm gun, the shell has a large explosive content. If enemies happen to take cover and have vulnerable parts exposed (CITV cameras, gun sights, cupola, etc.), the DTB-125 will make sure the target will be knocked out right away by overpressure, tanks that are known for their excellent protection i.e. [[Strv 122]] and [[T-80BVM]] will still fall victim to it. Because of the high explosive content, it is extremely lethal to light vehicles in sight. Just in case players opted for flanking tactics, it is better to bring some HEATFS for the sides and hit enemies from the ammunition instead.

'''125-I; APFSDS''' - The stock APFSDS and one of the most long-lasting shells for the 125 mm gun, players would still find this shell for research even when it was first appeared on ZTZ96s from 9.3; although having a slightly higher penetration at 476 mm point blank, it will not always penetrate top-tier MBTs up-front (other than Leopard 2A5/A6 and [[Ariete (Family)|Ariete]]), but players can always opt for lower plates or mantle. This will be the go-to shell before better DTC10/GP125 are researched.

'''DTC10-125; APFSDS''' - The tier III APFSDS for the WZ1001 with a high penetration at 588 mm point-blank than ZTZ99A (thanks to the higher caliber); while it is nowhere the best APFSDS at its tier, the relatively heavy projectile mass and the fastest muzzle velocity in-game (at whopping 1,810 m/s) will certainly makes long-engagement enjoyable. This will be the go-to shell for WZ1001 once researched.

'''GP125; ATGM (Tandem)''' - Another tier III modification for the WZ1001, it performs identically to its Soviet counterpart, the 9M119M1 Refleks. The missile can take down most MBTs at top tier with hits to the hull thanks to its high penetration tandem warhead and good post-penetration damage, although the APFSDS tends to be more convenient in general. Using it as a makeshift method to take out hovering helicopters is also viable as well as this will not trigger their LWS (given they are within 5 km)

'''DTB12-125; HE-VT''' - The tier IV shell for the WZ1001; it is also the only HE-VT shell in-game for MBTs (others are time-fused). Like ZTZ99A, this also turns WZ1001 into the longest anti-aircraft gun in game. Although marked as VT shell, it works both against ground targets or aerial targets where its explosive content is more than enough to inflict overpressure damage to armoured targets or disintegrate aerial targets that are within the gun's elevation range. Because it only contains slightly less explosive filler than DTB-125, it is generally recommended to take this as the only HE shell to simplify logistics.

{{:L/54 (125 mm)/Ammunition|DTP-125, DTB-125, 125-I, DTC10-125, GP125, DTB12-125}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''34''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|QJG02 (14.5 mm)|QJT (5.8 mm)}}

Instead of the conventional 12.7x108 mm QJC88 from previous tanks, WZ1001(E) planned for a larger calibre 14.5x114 mm QJG02 with a lighter weight than Type 56 (KPV). Good news is that this can also cause major havoc against light vehicles or aircraft within its range, but this also trades the overall capacity with only 200 rounds onboard at 50 rounds per belt.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[QJG02 (14.5 mm)|14.5 mm QJG02]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 200 (50) || 600 || -5°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[QJT (5.8 mm)|5.8 mm QJT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,600 (200) || 801 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

A major difference of WZ1001 to its technological predecessors/successor is the gun barrel itself. In most cases, the PLAGF adopted for a L/48 gun, but due to the need for greater penetration against potential foes, the WZ1001 has a longer barrel than most MBTs in game, while retaining the very familiar 125 mm calibre.

The WZ1001 prototype adopted some design features certified for the ZTZ99A, namely the turret design and elevated engine deck. While the new design enhanced its mobility vastly thanks to the new transmission, this also means that the WZ1001 is afflicted by the "NATO hump", where the gun will be blocked by the powerplant at rear angles. This might not be a major problem against other NATO tanks with high profiles, but the limited depression may not be enough to be able to deal lethal damage to Warsaw Pact tanks; in most cases, be sure to rotate the hull towards enemies' positions for protection and chance to retaliate. Thanks to its sufficiently tough turret, shots hitting the turret will likely do no harm to the tank (other than in the mantlet); however, be sure to never show the sides or angling to enemies due to the WZ1001's lack of side protection.

Players will soon find themselves at home if they are familiar with the ZTZ99A thanks to the identical mobility and very similar gun handling. While the tank itself looks very similar to the ZTZ99A, the longer barrel and different driver placement give the WZ1001 away. In most cases, due to the long-lasting flaws of the mantlet and LFP, the WZ1001 can be dealt with just like any other Warsaw Pact MBTs. Those on the receiving end should be extra cautious of the positioning of the tank. At longer ranges, the protection is enough to stop most shells. Thus, it is recommended to concentrate on long range enemy targets if possible; along with the greater survivability, it has the fastest muzzle velocity among any smoothbore gun-equipped MBT in-game, which further enhances its capability in sniping long-range targets. The railgun-like muzzle velocity of the top DTC10-125 dart will easily bypass the Iron Fist APS of the [[Black Night|Challenger 2 Black Night]] even at considerable distances. Be sure to utilize the mobility of the WZ1001 to gain vantage points thanks to its powerplant, and make sure every shot counts against enemies due to the inferior reload rate.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Shares very similar, if not identical excellent mobility of ZTZ99A
* Uses a 14.5 mm HMG which is devastating to light vehicles or aircraft
* Long barrel L/54 smoothbore cannon with extremely high muzzle velocity for darts
* Sturdy frontal protection against both kinetic and chemical shells
* Shares identical gun handling from predecessor

'''Cons:'''

* "NATO hump" that hinders gun depression at rear angles
* Shares similar weak spots from predecessors (i.e. LFP and gun mantlet)
* The hull and turret are longer than ZTZ99A, making its profile even larger
* Same insufficient vertical traverse for the main cannon
* The penetration of DTC10-125 is still below average for top tier, despite improvements
* More vulnerable to top-attack ATGMs than ZTZ99A

== History ==

As part of the "3rd Generation MBT" program of the PLAGF after the introduction of the "placeholder" WZ123/ZTZ99, the new MBT started its prototype production and trials. Designed by a new engineer, Mao Ming (毛明), the tank was built with 3 different prototypes: a "123AY" with higher engine deck for the latest 12V 150HB-1 engine and CH1000 transmission developed by Zhou Guangming (周广明), and two other prototypes, now dubbed WZ1001, one with a turret similar to the mass-produced ZTZ99A, and the other with a 125 mm L/54 for higher velocity and penetration.

Due to the limited increase of performance on the new L/54 gun and short barrel-life, the L/48 variant with later revised hull design passed the certification as the WZ1001, then the later ZTZ99A - the latest MBT in PLAGF service.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_wz_1001 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer Norinco}}
{{China medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

VT4A1

2024-04-17T02:29:01Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ reloading rate 7.1→7.10

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_vt_4b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' , previously known as MBT3000 during development, is one of the export MBTs produced by NORINCO as their high-end MBT solution to customers, where the A1 upgrade was first shown in 2022 Zhuhai Airshow in NORINCO's exhibition hall. After the development of Sino-Pakistani [[MBT2000]] (Al-Khalid) in 2001, [[WZ1001(E) LCT|PLAGF's new 3rd Generation MBT]] were also in progress of development by early 2000s, thus plans for a completely domestic export MBT was suggested as Pakistan held half of the shares of any sales of MBT2000 as signed in a referendum. The original design of MBT3000 in 2009 planned for Ukrainian 6TD-2 engine pack, but threats from Ukroboronprom to not provide the necessary power packs (due to them also offering the T-84s to Peru, in competition with NORINCO's offering), meant that NORINCO has to source the components completely from NORINCO subsidies; thanks to the commission of [[ZTZ99A]] by 2010 and new full-electric gun laying system developed in 2000s, the new MBT3000 utilized a new power pack based on ZTZ99A; its prototype was completed by 2012 and the scaled mock-up was first shown in Eurosatory 2012, then the prototype was first shown during an armored vehicle show day for military attaché in Mainland China, then the Zhuhai Airshow of 2014 known as the VT-4. VT-4A1 introduced GL-6 hard-kill APS and a micro-drone for extra situational awareness, while VT-4 has been exported to Thailand, Pakistan (VT-4A; locally produced as Al-Haider) and Nigeria respectively, the VT-4A1 has yet to secure export orders.

Introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]] as the end-of-line MBT, VT-4A1 marked the apex of current capabilities of Chinese tank designs as the most advanced export MBT from NORINCO. For players who seek for a more low-profile alternative to WZ1001 series while maintaining their excellent protection and mobility, VT-4A1 can be said as "tailor-fit" design for them; all the ammunition options are identical to PLAGF MBTs, with the help of hard-kill APS, VT-4A1 can prove to be a very lethal opponents to take care of.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


At first glance, the overall appearance of VT-4A1 might have deja vu from previous NORINCO designs, namely MBT2000 and ZTZ96A/ZTZ99 series; in fact VT-4 is a completely new design which just happened to have similarities from previous designs, players can say that it has the hull similar to MBT2000, turret like ZTZ96A and raised engine deck like ZTZ99A. The hull protection does somewhat resembles MBT2000 as shown in Pakistani images for their Al-Haider with a layered composite armor inside the UFP; in VT-4A1's case, it is upgraded up to ZTZ99A's standards with enhanced protection especially on kinetic shells thanks to the FY-4 ERA, where most APFSDS will have hard time penetrating its UFP, while the LFP is still not well-protected. The turret itself also has protection rated to block most APFSDS currently available in-game and sometimes even the best ATGMs will have hard time to penetrate the upper part of the turret front (given the hard-kill APS didn't intercept them), but the long-lasting problem of a less protected mantlet still haunts VT-4A1 as most shells at its tier will have no problem penetrating it, disabling the gun or the turret crews alongside. The overall protection is sufficient to take some hits from enemy strikes, but being cautious is always a good idea to keep the tank in operation as long as possible.

As for the crew, the layout resembles ZTZ99 series with a centerline driver seat and two turret crews; in most cases shots on the UFP and turret front will prove to be fruitless for enemy shells, be sure to hide the LFP as much as possible and keep the turret operational. But just like all PLAGF MBTs after 1990s - never, ever give away the side as the tank is equipped with NORINCO's AZ-172 equivalent autoloader, any penetrated shots on the carousel can cause an major explosion and a firework show for the enemies.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm ''Upper UFP'' (82°)
20 mm ''Lower UFP'' (46°) 65 mm ''LFP'' (50°)
| 60 mm || 45 mm || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 20 mm ''Turret front'' 310 mm ''Gun mantlet'' (Volumetric) || 58 mm || 35 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
!'''FY-4 Explosive reactive armour'''
!'''Front (Slope angle)'''
!'''Sides'''
|-
|Hull
|'''Upper glacis (46°):'''180 mm ''Kinetic''/ 550 mm ''Chemical''
|N/A
|-
|Turret
|'''Turret front:'''180 mm ''Kinetic''/ 550 mm ''Chemical''
|N/A
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!'''FY-2 Explosive reactive armour'''
!'''Front (Slope angle)'''
!'''Sides'''
|-
|Hull
|'''Upper glacis (82°):'''120 mm ''Kinetic''/ 450 mm ''Chemical''
|N/A
|-
|Turret
|'''Turret front:'''50 mm ''Kinetic''/ 450 mm ''Chemical''
|N/A
|}
'''Notes:''' 


* Rubber side skirts are at 8 mm
* Suspension wheels, tracks, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
* Turret side slat armor is at 10 mm

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

VT-4 opted for domestic VT/E1 power pack which consists of NORINCO 12V150HB-1 engine and CH1000B transmission; although these two compositions of power pack sound familiar to [[ZTZ99A]] and [[WZ1001(E) LCT|WZ1001]], the engine in this case is limited to 1300 hp while having slightly worse mobility to the formers (especially reverse were only half of ZTZ99A), it can still make sure VT-4A1 can travel to designated positions as fast as it could while having sufficient reverse speed to retreat for cover.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2015|rbMinHp=1150|AoAweight=}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|ZPT98 (125 mm)}}

Most export MBTs in NORINCO catalogue opt for the better ZPT98 cannon which has already been used for 2 decades since 2000s, VT-4A1 is no exception; in this case, all the ballistic performance is totally identical to PLAGF equivalents with varieties of ammunition at player's desire. Thanks to the new electric gun layers developed in mid-2000s, VT-4 series also enjoys the higher 38/15° (horizontal/vertical; aced) gun traverse speed from ZTZ99A, while it might not be as fast as some of its enemies, it can still ensure better reaction time than older ZTZ99 series while players still have to beware of the long-lasting reload time at 7.1 seconds per shot - make every shot counts.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ZPT98 (125 mm)|125 mm ZPT98]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 38 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 36.2 || 50.1 || 60.8 || 67.2 || 71.5 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 22.6 || 26.6 || 32.3 || 35.7 || 38.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:ZPT98 (125 mm)/Ammunition|DTP-125, 125-I, DTB-125, DTC10-125, GP125, DTB12-125}}'''DTP-125, HEAT-FS, Stock''' - DTP-125 has been a long-time friend to the Chinese 125 mm gun and is one of the stock shells for VT-4A1; like many HEATFS of its tier, due to ERA and composite armour being commonplace at its tier, hitting enemies from the front would very likely be fruitless. So if opting for HEATFS to take out enemies, make sure to aim for non-ERA/composite covered parts or by flanking enemies if possible; remembering where their ammunition is located can earn players a quick kill against enemies. It is still a versatile shell to have against all types of ground target.

'''DTB-125, HE-FS, Stock''' - DTB-125 is also available as the other stock shell; HEFS can serve as a makeshift anti-tank shell by hitting enemy optics or top plates with low protection and possibly triggering overpressure, dooming the crew and internal compartments of enemy vehicles. This also enables the tank to do "top-down" attacks against tanks behind cover, notably NATO tanks with higher profile and CITV. Thanks to the high explosive content, it is also a better option to knock-out light vehicles right away than the HEATFS.

'''125-I, APFSDS, Stock''' - 125-I (aka '''一期弹''' or officially, the '''一步弹'''; Phrase/Stage I ammunition) has already been a familiar APFSDS for Chinese MBTs with 125 mm gun, different from previous MBTs, this shell comes stock for the tank; although its penetration may sound like nothing at its tier, the ballistic performance and damage from this shell can still make players' life easier.

'''DTC10-125, APFSDS, Tier IV''' - as the main APFSDS of PLAGF and one of the highest-penetration (non-DU) export APFSDS for 125 mm guns, DTC10-125 (aka '''三期弹''' or officially, the '''三步弹'''; Phrase/Stage III ammunition; DTC10E when export) can make sure it can also utilize its very high velocity to defeat most enemies it face without problem, it will be the go-to ammunition once players have researched it.

'''DTB12-125, HE-FS (VT), Tier IV''' - Unlike Soviet/Russian HE-FS with timed fuse, DTB12 is currently the only HE-VT for its calibre; not only can it still be used as "anti-tank" shells like its stock counterpart albeit with lesser explosive content, enemy aircraft will have to face a 125 mm makeshift AA gun with 7 m trigger radius - it is never a good idea getting hit by such a huge shell.

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''38''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|QJC88A (12.7 mm)|Type 86 (7.62 mm)}}

Instead of a crewed HMG, VT-4A1 opt for a remote weapon station with QJC88A installed, the RWS itself has mostly identical performance to other PLAGF MBTs which is best used for gunning down light vehicles or strafing aircrafts.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[QJC88A (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm QJC88A]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Turret
|600 (150)||600||-6°/+85°||±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 86 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 86]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
|Coaxial
|2,500 (250)
|700
| - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


After NORINCO developed the MBT2000 as their export MBT, the new VT-4 represented the state-of-the-art MBT capabilities of Mainland China and also the star of Chinese appearance in different military expo, as well as an alternative with advanced C4ISR systems to Russian MBTs for new customers or those with Soviet tanks in their military. Not only is the tank completely built with domestic and indigenous components, it also utilized technologies developed for ZTZ99A series and the latest hard-kill APS for survivability. Although there are problems regrading on the protection and overall firepower, VT-4A1 can be the new spear of armor corps assault or a tough flanker to be dealt with.

At first glance, players might find the hull design similar to MBT2000, albeit the duo has no heritage between each other, instead of the conventional design for PLAGF tanks with well-sloped UFP, VT-4A1 opted for an extended protection area which can cover some parts of the LFP with composite armor and further increase its protection against HEAT or autocannons. To compensate for the less-sloped rectangular area on between UFP and LFP, it is equipped with FY-4 ERA packages with excellent, one-off protection while 2/3 of the UFP is also covered by FY-2 ERA packages with lesser but sufficient protection. The VT-4 series also opted for an arrow-shaped turret applique armor that resembles ZTZ96A and ZTZ99 series with excellent ballistic protection, hitting the applique armor with any given weaponry will be prove fruitless. However, the LFP is even larger from front projection and it do not offer protection against high-caliber APFSDS. The long-lasting problem of the gun mantlet still haunts VT-4 series, most ammunition at its rank will have no problem penetrating these areas and thus disabling the vehicle at once, so keeping the mantlet out of enemy line of fire is extremely crucial for the operation of VT-4A1 as any penetrated shots will either disable the gun or sometimes even take out the turret crew, leading to a knock-out, so be extra careful on close-quarter battles in this case. Internally, VT-4A1 still resembles the layout of PLAGF and Warsaw-Pact/Russian MBTs with its carousel autoloader; as VT-4 series does not require high-quantity of ammunition demanded by first-party (customer), the remaining 15 shells are located on the sides of driver (one spare shell next to commander). This redesign somewhat eliminated the problem of a cramped interior with ammunitions surrounding the turret ring - unless the tank is being hit directly on the autoloader or the wet-storage ammo rack, the shrapnel from enemy shots is not likely causing fatal damage to the tank. But once again: never, ever let enemies to have the chance to shoot the carousel, it is never a good idea turning player's tank into a rocket-for-two after the ammunition detonated.

VT-4A1 does retain the excellent mobility of modern PLAGF MBTs with up to 70 km/h top speed while the reverse speed is halved from ZTZ99A series with similar transmission; oddly enough, it shares identical P/W ratio at exactly 25 hp/t, this also means it can accelerate fast into the battlefield or flanking enemies. Although it still lacks more advanced APFSDS, the ammunition options are much more versatile than NATO counterparts and the velocity of APFSDS is very high for long-range engagements (flat trajectory), while the optics has great thermal vision channel for both the gunner and commander for better target acquisition. Players can employ the tactics on ZTZ99A series - be a fast-mover and flank enemies to compensate for the lack of penetration to deal with some MBTs of its tier; if enemy players launched a missile upon VT-4A1, the GL6 APS will make sure their effort fruitless. If players need a quick retreat, the -17 km/h reverse speed is sufficient to retreat to cover; but most of all, do not over-extend as this will greatly minimize the odds to surviving the upcoming battles.

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Great mobility
** Powerful 1300 hp engine that pushes the tank up to 70 km/h
** CH1000B transmission ensures sufficient reverse speed
** Dual-flow transmission for pintle turn
* Sufficient firepower with varieties of ammunitions ranging from HE-VT to APFSDS
* Advanced optics with high-definition TVD for gunnery crews
* Upgraded protection than MBT2000 to the level of ZTZ99 series
* Relatively low profile than ZTZ99A series and most NATO MBTs
* Fast turret traverse speed
* GL6 hard-kill APS to intercept oncoming missiles or sometimes kinetic shells

'''Cons:'''

* Lesser reverse speed than ZTZ99A series
* One of the slowest reload rate at top tier at 7.1 second
* Slightly elevated engine deck that limits rear arc
* Performance of DTC10 is hindered by its low penetration at its tier
* Somewhat flawed protection
** Large LFP, UFP and mantlet with insufficient protection
** Less than ideal side protection against autocannons
** Lacks turret top ERA for overhead protection

== History ==


Soon after the development of Sino-Pakistani MBT2000 and its debut in 2001, the engineer team of MBT2000 kept on improving their tank design with provisions of future battlefield; a major problem rose up during the development of MBT2000 - namely the '''powerplant'''. Recalling from the development history of MBT2000, due to the sanctions to Mainland China and Pakistan in 1990s, as well as inferior transmission systems, MBT2000 has to source from Ukraine with their 6TD-2 engine pack. This eventually led to a controversary between Mainland China and Ukraine during the MBT bidding of Peru in 2009, as Ukroboronprom threated not to supply 6TD-2 to MBT2000 production line in favor for the T-84 with identical powerplant ''(note: Peru eventually opted for '''T-55M8A2 Tifón 2'''; the country received four MBT2000 for evaluation but were later returned to NORINCO)''; all sales profits of MBT2000 from NORINCO would also be divided with Pakistan as both countries hold half of the shares and intellectual property of the tank. Thus the need for a completely domestic MBT rose.
[[File:VT-4A1 in 2022 Zhuhai Airshow.jpg|thumb|503x503px|The latest VT-4A1 in 2022 Zhuhai Airshow]]
The engineer team led by '''Feng Yibai (冯益柏)''' started the MBT3000 during the incident which happened to opted for 6TD-2 from the beginning; but thanks to the leap-forward of PLAGF technologies in 2000s with completely domestic power pack and gun laying systems from the WZ1001/ZTZ99A, the first prototype of VT-4 rolled out from the production line in 2012; a scaled mock-up was first shown in '''Eurosatory 2012''', then the full-scale tank was shown on both a NORINCO show day and the Zhuhai Airshow in 2014 as the new defense product of NORINCO. The tank soon earned the chance to compete with Russian T-90S and Ukrainian T-84 Oplot in 2015 as Pakistan Army was in need for a new generation tank; although the performance of CH1000B almost soured VT-4 ''(its reliability improved by 2019)'', the complications and political considerations of Pakistan eventually become the turning point of the deal of VT-4A and the deal was set for 100 tanks supply to Pakistan in 2019, then 679 extra tanks and the assemble line in Pakistan as the Haider MBT. While Royal Thai Army purchased 38 tanks since 2017 as the replacement of T-84 in view of the concerns of no further orders would be delivered; as well as Nigeria which purchased a certain amount of VT-4 in late-2010s.

The A1 variant was first shown during the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow in NORINCO hall as their new defense product with GL6 hard-kill APS and a micro-drone for recon, as well as upgraded C4ISR system and protection. This model is yet to secure overseas orders.

== Media ==

''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{China medium tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]
[[Category:Ground vehicles with active protection system]]

AFT09

2024-04-17T02:28:01Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_hj_9
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (AFT09型反坦克导弹武器系统; lit Anti-tank missile weapon system) is one of the dedicated ATGM carrier of PLAGF alongside with platforms with HJ-10 ATGM in PLAGF service. HJ-9 was part of the pre-development efforts by Institute 203 after they foresaw that the combat capabilities of HJ-73 and the earlier variants of HJ-8 would be ineffective against new MBTs; after PLAGF HQ demanded for a new ATGM against possible enemy MBTs by the 2000s, the engineer team based on the previous team that developed HJ-8 started the development of HJ-9 in 1988. The new missile ditched wire-guidance and opted for TV guidance instead, featuring tandem warhead for maximum effectiveness against enemy armored targets and revised solid fuel rocket engines for higher speed. The missile and its weapon system was finalized and delivered to PLAGF in 1999, appeared in both 50th and 60th National Day Parade as the anti-armor spearhead of PLAGF.

Introduced in [[Update "Drone Age"]] as the first PLAGF missile carrier, the AFT09 is a wheeled 4x4 Chinese ATGM carrier from 1999 with up to twelve HJ-9 ATGMs onboard. It uses a shortened variation of the WZ551 chassis (WZ550) which previously introduced on the [[PTL02]] and [[WMA301]] in previous patches, but instead of a large assault gun turret, it has an unmanned, retractable ATGM launcher brandishing four missiles at a time. It invites comparison to the French [[MEPHISTO]] but is in fact far more deadly: the chassis has higher forward mobility and the HJ-9 missiles are superior to the HOT-2 in almost every respect. Thanks to the HJ-9's unrivaled penetration, sufficiently fast missile speed and good FCS, players can send even groups of the toughest enemies straight back to the hanger with a single hit each.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Players of the Chinese tech tree might think that the chassis of AFT09 looks very similar to that of [[PTL02]]/[[WMA301]]- in fact this is a correct assumption as this is also a variant of the WZ551 chassis aka WZ550 with a 4x4 config; while player of [[MEPHISTO|VAB MEPHISTO]] in France will find many similarities to it. Most of the features on WZ551 are identical on both chassis other than being a 6x6 (WZ551) / 4x4 (WZ550) respectively, especially the overall protection. To sum up the overall protection in a few words, it would be: paper-thin. For the protection, other than the lower part of the chassis, the whole vehicle can only stop rifle-caliber bullets; anything that is larger than a M2HB is more than enough to tear down AFT09 and its 4 crews with ease even at long distance; so be extra careful on where should AFT09 appear.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 12 mm (31°) ''Upper'' 20 mm (43°) ''Lower''
| 10 mm ''Top'' 10 mm ''Bottom'' || 8 mm || 8 mm
|-
| Turret || colspan="4" | 8 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

Since AFT09 is based on the WZ551 chassis but reduced into a 4x4 instead of 6x6, WZ551 family mostly shares the same Detuz BF8L413F engine and ZF 5S-111GPA transmission; this reduction in size also means that it goes faster than its other cousins (at 95 km/h)while has a slightly better but still horrible -8 km/h reverse, so make sure to plan your route to cover; the overall mobility is also good so make sure to utilize it for getting into a shooting position before the enemy does.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=412|rbMinHp=256}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|HJ-9}}

The main and the only armament on AFT09 is the HJ-9 ATGMs onboard, these 12 rounds of missiles are the 2nd generation ATGM of PLAGF since 1999. The missile airframe resembles the South African [[ZT3|ZT3 Ingwe]] used by the [[ZT3A2]] (a fellow wheeled ATGM carrier) or US BGM-71 TOW, but performance-wise it is very similar to the infamous Russian [[9M133|9M133 Kornet]] used by the [[BMP-2M]]: an incredibly potent tandem-heat warhead with 1,200 mm of penetration is more than enough to even send the infamous Rank VII [[T-80BVM]] to kingdom come. The 305 m/s maximum flight speed is basically the same as the Kornet or TOW-2B. The massive post-penetration damage leads to frequent OHKOs and the four kilograms of explosive mass will also overpressure light vehicles if that wasn't enough.

Although the HJ-9 is often said to be a laser beam-riding missile, it in fact uses a SACLOS system where the laser beam is presumably used to transmit coded information to the missile. As with other SACLOS systems in War Thunder, the HJ-9 cannot be fired on the move and cannot guide multiple missiles at the same time. Beam-riders like the Kornet are more flexible in these regards. However the HJ-9 is resistant to soft-kill APS systems and can be used against opponents like the [[PUMA]] and [[T-90A]] without any issues.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[HJ-9]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 12 (4) || rowspan="2" | ±10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 13.2 || 18.3 || 22.2 || 24.5 || 26.1 || rowspan="2" | 15.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.9 || 10.5 || 12.8 || 14.1 || 15.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:HJ-9/Ammunition|HJ-9}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''3''' || 0 ''(+3)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Note: the final 4 missiles at the internal rack clears out only when all missiles has been fired.

== Usage in battles ==

Players of [[MEPHISTO|VAB MEPHISTO]] will soon find themselves home as AFT09 shared a very similar config of missile launcher and chassis; both vehicles are 4×4 and have a retractable launcher with 4 missiles. The HJ-9 is much deadlier than the HOT-2 however, with twice the flight speed, 25% greater raw penetration, and a tandem warhead, allowing players to be more aggressive. The AFT09 shares a similar chassis with the [[PTL02]], but thanks to its relatively lighter weight, it has a higher top speed than the latter and a slightly faster reverse speed; although this might not sound like much for such a lightly-protected vehicle, the mobility is enough to take advantageous positions before most enemies can. Be ready to counter enemy assaults or retreat as soon as the tides have turned, as the AFT09 takes a while to reload and has a poor reverse speed. Do remember that the overall protection of it is only rated for rifle-caliber bullets, anything larger is like a hot knife through butter, therefore cover and stealth are the most essential element to ensure the overall survival of the vehicle. Be especially careful of vehicles with top-attack missiles such as the [[M3A3 Bradley]] because they can very easily destroy the AFT09 behind cover. The number of smoke grenades on the vehicle might be low, but it is still enough for a retreat or two.

AFT09 has a trump card in hand- its HJ-9 missiles. At its current tier, there is practically no vehicle that can stop its 1,200 mm penetration missile that flies at 500 m/s, this also ensures its capability even at the top tier as HJ-9 can even penetrate some of the most infamous MBTs in-game with ease. Fitted with ±10° vertical limits and a 1st generation TVD, this also ensures players can find targets at a faster rate and deliver the fatal blow to enemies; alternatively, its 5.5 km range is also threatening to hovering helicopters since most missiles at this tier can barely fly 4 km, a precise hit on them will very likely knock them out right away if they are unaware of such a huge missile. Unlike the [[Shturm-S]] or [[BMP-2M]], the AFT09 does not have a proximity-fused HE missile available, so hitting attentive targets is difficult.

The large profile of the AFT09 is a double-edged sword. It is not difficult to spot the boxy wheeled APC chassis and the turret itself is very tall, which is a problem when moving between positions on the battlefield. A SPAA or IFV could easily turn the AFT09 into Swiss cheese with a quick burst. However, the height of the turret and the decent gun depression (-10 degrees is better than any other PRC vehicle) makes it possible to hide in hull-down positions behind hills and low cover while only exposing the unmanned turret, allowing the AFT09 to unleash its incredible offensive power without risking the crew. On large and open maps, an entrenched AFT09 can lock down an entire flank. This is not a risk-free strategy because incoming fire can detonate the loaded ATGMs and a single TOW-2B can end the party, so it is best to not stay in a fixed position for long and orient the hull to drive away quickly at a moment's notice.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Extremely high 1,200 mm penetration, enough to finish off any tank even at high tier (e.g. [[T-72A]], Leopard 2A4, [[M1A1]])
* ATGMs have fast flight speed
* Thermal gunsight with high zoom (3x-12x) allows efficient targeting in all weathers
* -10° gun depression makes hull-down a viable tactic

'''Cons:'''

* Horrible -8 km/h reverse speed, fatal for a wheeled light vehicle
* Sluggish mobility on soft surface
* Can only fire when stationary which is dangerous in a sudden encounter
* Thin armour all around, can get penetrated by machine guns and shrapnel easily

== History ==

As the development of the previous generation ATGM has settled (HJ-73) and earlier HJ-8 were proved ineffective against the latest MBTs from both USSR and NATO, PLAGF was in dire for a new heavy ATGM with new guidance system as well as sporting their latest FCS. The new missile started its pre-development theorization in early 1980s by Institute 203 and officially started its development in 1988, with the likelihood of influence from the US BGM-71 TOW captured in Vietnam in terms of caliber and appearance; the engineer team also has to develop TV guidance systems and quad-mount, retractable missile launcher which could be traced back to different ancestors such as the ZDF89 ATGM carrier with quad-mount HJ-8 and WZ504 ATGM carrier using HJ-73 with retractable launcher, the system was later installed on the newly-developed WZ550 4x4 chassis by Factory 256 (NORINCO Chongqing Tiema). Due to the oversized superstructure to fit in the weapon systems, designers simplified the design with superstructures cover only the missiles and new intergraded launcher with enhanced FCS. The result was the HJ-9 that has been finalized in 1995; the new weapon system, delivered in April 1999 for the Project 9910 (50th National Day Parade) as the earliest new equipment for the parade, was first shown in both the 50th and 60th National Day Parade as the vehicles G phalanx and 14th phalanx respectively on a WZ550 chassis with different camouflage designs.<ref>https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1m8411R7Ec

A video introducing the development of the HJ-9</ref> In NORINCO catalogues, they also displayed a tripod variant as a standalone weapon system or onboard a open-top Iveco truck as its main weapon; different export customer, such as Rwanda opted to mount HJ-9A launcher on top of their Otokar Cobra APC<ref>https://www.military.africa/2018/12/rwandan-defense-forces-operating-chinese-red-arrow-hj-9a-anti-tank-guided-missile/</ref> while Morocco purchased the tripod mount HJ-9A for their Marine Corps<ref>https://www.defensa.com/africa-asia-pacifico/sistema-misiles-antitanque-chino-hj-9a-exhibido-infanteria-real</ref>

=== [[wt:en/news/7826-development-hj-9-the-red-arrow-en|Devblog]] ===
Being based on a shortened version of the Chinese ZSL92 APC, the HJ-9 features excellent mobility, typical for most wheeled vehicles regardless of rank. Specifically, the HJ-9 can reach an excellent top speed of 95 km/h on paved roads thanks to its 290 horsepower diesel engine. On the other hand, the vehicle's comparably low combat weight and the resulting high power-to-weight ratio enable it to cross even rougher terrain with relative ease - just be wary of boggy areas and deep snow as these considerably hamper the mobility of wheeled vehicles in general.

In most cases, wheeled vehicles don't feature heavy duty protection so as to not hamper their mobility. This principle also applies to the HJ-9. Engineers only equipped the HJ-9 with steel armor up to 12 mm in thickness as well as bulletproof glass for the windows. Needless to say, this makes the HJ-9 highly susceptible to everything but small arms fire and shrapnel. Aircraft in particular may prioritize the HJ-9 over other targets due to its poor protection and lack of a defensive roof-mounted machine gun. As a result, commanders are best advised to make the most use out of the HJ-9's excellent mobility and constantly change position after each engagement to ensure they remain an elusive target on the battlefield.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_hj_9 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|2QdxhMAGn6o|'''The Shooting Range #353''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:24 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


* [[MEPHISTO]] - A very similar missile carrier from France

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7826-development-hj-9-the-red-arrow-en|[Devblog] HJ-9: The Red Arrow]]

{{TankManufacturer Norinco}}
{{China tank destroyers}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]
<references />

TKX

2024-04-17T02:18:58Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Type 10 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_tkx_prot
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', more precisely the '''{{Annotation|TKX-2-0005|New Tank Program 5 - Batch 2 - Tank 3}},''' is the 3rd prototype towards the [[Type 10]]. It was developed soon after the [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90]] to supplement and replace the ageing [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74s]] and [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90s]]. The TKX was designed between 2002 to 2009 until it was adopted in service in 2010 as the [[Type 10]]. Its primary function was to be lighter than the [[Type 90]] with equally effective armour, to access most Japanese infrastructure without hitting the weight limit, and a bigger emphasis on {{Annotation|C4I|command, control, communication, computer & intelligence}} which couldn't properly be fitted into the [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74s]] and [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90s]].

It was introduced in [[Update "Fire and Ice"]]. Providing the same great firepower as that of the [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90 MBT]], its armour and mobility will be slightly different. Being a lighter vehicle, the armour is packaged more densely but with similar effectiveness, and the engine has been downgraded to save on weight. But the major selling point the TKX and Type 10 have over their bigger and older brother Type 90 is the new Type 10 APFSDS shell, which will far outshine the JM33/DM33 shell and compete with the end-tier shells of other countries. The TKX also has the additional benefit over the Type 10 of mounting a dozer blade once unlocked.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,626|rbMinHp=1,061}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|TKG (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[TKG (120 mm)|120 mm TKG]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 35 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:TKG (120 mm)/Ammunition|JM12A1, JM33, Type 10}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''35''' || 15 ''(+20)'' || 1 ''(+34)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 2 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 14 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
* This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 1.
* If you pack 15 ''(+20)'' shells, it will keep the hull empty of ammo.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 1 into rack 2. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -8°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Type 10 series of tanks are a sidegrade of the [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90]] supposed to supplement the latter by being lighter on Japanese infrastructure and improving on their electronic capabilities. With the main focus of the Type 10 being lighter than the Type 90, it swaps out the engine and transmission to a lighter model contributing the most to its weight re-distribution next to its smaller overall profile. Next to that the armour on the Type 10 is modular with the overall armour package being more efficient but still slightly heavier than on the Type 90, the {{PAGENAME}} comes in standard configuration at totalling 44 tons offering roughly the same armour equivalence to the Type 90. The improved FCS also includes the ability to fire the new Type 10 APFSDS shell through Gen 3 thermals.

The {{PAGENAME}} is a highly mobile and fast-firing MBT that excels in flanking and sniping roles. However, its armour is not reliable and it is vulnerable to enemy fire, so it requires constant situational awareness and effective use of its hydropneumatic suspension, LWS, Laser Rangefinder and smoke grenades. The Type 10 should not engage in frontal assaults or close combat, but rather support allied MBTs from a safe distance and exploit its mobility and firepower to deal damage and relocate as needed. Getting early warnings of potential incoming fire thanks to its LWS, providing enough time and knowledge to retreat or dodge incoming shells.

;Notable Opponents

* '''[[T-80 (Family)|T-80]]/[[T-72 (Family)|T-72]]''' - The Russian top-rank MBTs pose a dangerous opponent for the Type 10. They possess good firepower and frontal protection. Frontally, the player wants to aim at the lower plate or driver's port. If facing from the sides, be aware that the Russian ERA blocks may stop the shell (even one as powerful as the Type 10 APFSDS) and always note that it may take a follow-up shot to knock it out.

* '''[[M1 Abrams (Family)|M1 Abrams]]''' - The M1A2 possesses good straight-line mobility that rivals the Type 10 with superior protection and survivability. The player wants to aim at the massive turret ring, this will usually knock out or cripple the tank. Take a follow up shot if needed. If turret ring is not visible, the player wants to aim at the gun breech or mantlet to knock out the gun and kill

* '''[[Challenger 2 (Family)|Challenger 2]]''' - The Challenger 2 is a slow, large target with subpar protection against top battle-rating kinetic munitions. Though players should still beware of its 5-second (with ace crew) reload that is almost as fast as the Type 10's (within its ready rack range). The player can aim at its lower plate, drivers port or breech area.

* '''[[Leopard 2 (Family)|Leopard 2]]''' - Superior firepower and turret protection, these tanks have vulnerable hulls that are rather easy to penetrate with the Type 10 round. The player can aim lower plate. If the Leopard 2 is hull down - player can aim at the barrel or try to knock out the gun breech through a turret ring shot (Warning: Turret ring shots tend to be unreliable so be careful of the angle!)

* '''[[Leclerc (Family)|Leclerc]]''' - Mobile autoloaded tanks with decent protection, the Leclerc(s) have a large weak spot in the breech area that can disable the gun or possibly knock out the tank.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Autoloaded 120 mm cannon, 4-second reload unaffected by crew or fire
* Has access to 3rd generation thermal sights for the gunner and commander
* Type 10 APFSDS round is competitive (Comparable to DM53, the 'improved' round on the Leopard 2A5)
* Quite mobile, high power-to-weight ratio and high reverse speed
* Fitted with hydropneumatic suspension, although this can only be operated when stationary
** Can lower the tank significantly, allowing you to hide behind relatively low hills and ridges
* Primary ammunition storage protected within blow-out containment in the rear of the turret
* Relatively small profile

'''Cons:'''

* Only three crew, a well-placed shot can easily cause a full crew knock-out
* Can only carry 15 rounds before additional ammo is stored in the unsafe hull racks
* Hydropneumatic suspension ceases to work when the engine is hit
* Relatively poor gun depression, unless the suspension is used
* Armour is very spread out in the front with the only well-defended places being the upper front plate, turret cheeks, and breech
* While fast in top speed, this tank is a bit slow to accelerate
* Slow elevation/depression speed for the main gun
* Slower turret traverse than most other MBTs

== History ==
{{Main|Type 10 (Family)#History|l1=Type 10 (Family)}}

==== Challenges of New Millennium ====
In the mid-1990s, after the introduction of the previous TKX-1, [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90 MBT]], the Ministry of Defense soon realised that, despite its superior FCS even for NATO standards, further upgrading the Type 90 would be impractical (for the time being) due to its already heavy weight in Japan's standards; while the previous [[Type 61 (Family)|Type 61 Medium Tank]] had no chance when facing even the earliest MBTs and [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74 MBT]] was too costly to be [[Type 74 (G)|upgraded]]. The possible rivals of Japan, like Mainland China and the Russia Federation had already developed their new MBTs (PLAGF [[ZTZ96 (Family)|ZTZ96]] and [[ZTZ99 (Family)|ZTZ99]]/Russian [[T-90A]]); in view of maintaining a team of tank designers as well as a part of national defense, JGSDF passed a new plan for a next-generation MBT with redundancy for further upgrades (modularity), thus inherited the project name: TKX-2.
[[File:JGSDF Type10 tank 2012-05-27.jpg|x350px|right|thumb|none|A JGSDF Type 10 at Camp Takeyama, Japan.]]
==== From Kyumaru to Hitomaru ====
The TKX-2 project aimed for the light weight of a Type 74 (at 40 tons, loaded) while being smaller than Type 90, equipping a domestic 120 mm smoothbore gun with latest {{Annotation|C4ISR|Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance}} system, modular composite armour, and new engines paired with HMT transmission. TKX-2 was led by the {{Annotation|TRDI|Technical Research and Development Institute}} with help from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The new smoothbore gun and its new APFSDS were developed by Nippon Steel Corporation and Daikin Industries respectively. These designs were tested on a Tank Test Bed (TTB) developed from the 6th prototype of Type 90 and was first shown in a booklet in the early 2000s; the result of TTB proved the designs and project TKX-2 started in 2002. The 1st prototype was assembled in November 2004 and tested at JGSDF Camp Higashi-Chitose; MHI built the 2nd prototype in 2005, while there were also 3 Type 90s converted as the test bed for tank platoon command systems.

Finally, with the evaluations from JGSDF Fuji School, Ordnance School, and leaked photos of the 2nd prototype, the TKX-2 was unveiled on 14 June 2010 to the public during the opening of JGSDF East Fuji Manoeuvre Area and it was then named Type 10 in October. It served as the most advanced MBT of the first decade of the 2000s, and is an icon of the JGSDF moving forward into the 21st century.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_tkx_prot Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[Type 90 (Family)]]
* [[Type 10]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7448-development-type-10-making-the-good-better-en|[Devblog] Type 10: Making the good, better.]]

{{Manufacturer MHI}}
{{Japan medium tanks}}

Type 10

2024-04-17T02:18:44Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = Type 10 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = Type 10 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_10
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ({{Annotation|10式戦車|Hitomaru Shiki Sensha}}) was initially accepted into service in 2010 (with effect in 2012) to complement and replace the existing [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74]] and [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90]] main battle tanks. Compared to its predecessors, there was a bigger emphasis on the {{Annotation|C4I system|Command, Control, Communication, Computer & Intelligence}}, weight reduction, and modular armour.

It was introduced in [[Update "Winged Lions"]]. Like the prototype before it (after in the tech tree: [[TKX]]), it comes densely armoured with a weaker engine compared to its heavier brother the Type 90; but provides an excellent end tier Type 10 APFSDS shell which it can fire every 4 seconds. It can brawl at CQC combat due to its fast fire-rate and excel at sniping with its enhanced Gen 3 thermal imaging, sight zoom, and LWS/LRF. The Type 10 is an MBT that can fulfill its role, with the only major downsides being the long first-ammo rack replenish rate and the armour not being on par with other end-tier MBTs.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The Type 10 was designed to be a lighter yet more protected version of its predecessor, the [[Type 90]] (Kyumaru); thanks to advances in technology during the two decades and its overall design, the Type 10 reaches a high level of protection with an detachable composite block on the front of the hull, the turret has also been designed to fit new composite armour blocks. The overall protection of the hull front can reach up to 575-580 mm against kinetic rounds on average, while the turret is another story - with only frontal arc protection and around 500 mm of KE protection, chances are most darts at the same BR range can penetrate the turret with relatively ease, and turret sidescraping is not an option as the inner part of the turret has very little protection.

The lower glacis is yet another story, with its fairly large area and very low protection, it can be the death sentence of the Type 10 if the spalling after penetration spreads in a wide area and does fatal damage to the crew.

The huge hull can mitigate some spalling from KE rounds thanks to its relatively hollow battle compartment, but having only 3 crew members like the [[Type 90]] means that a loss of 2 crew will result in a knock out.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 5 mm (35-85°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (32°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm ''Top'' 35 + 10 mm ''Bottom'' || 25 mm 15 mm ''Engine grille'' || 25 mm 10 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 5 mm ''Turret front'' 20 mm ''Gun mantlet'' 77 mm ''Rear mantlet plate'' || 5 + 35 mm || 5 + 25 mm || 20 - 40 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50 mm || 50 mm || 50 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick
* Turret ring is 50 mm thick and has additional 10 mm internal armour in front of it
* Belly armour is 25 mm thick
* Composite armour covers upper glacis and turret:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Composite armour !! Front (Slope angle)
|-
| Hull || '''''Upper glacis''''' __ - __ mm ''Kinetic'' __ - __ mm ''Chemical''
|-
| Turret || '''''Turret cheeks''''' __ - __ mm ''Kinetic'' __ - __ mm ''Chemical'' '''''Gun mantlet''''' __ - __ mm ''Kinetic'' __ - __ mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1626|rbMinHp=1061}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|TKG (120 mm)}}

Type 10 utilises a new domestic 120 mm smoothbore gun, developed by Nippon Steel Works; thanks to new alloy technology used on this gun, the new gun can fire rounds at even higher bore pressure, thus enhancing the penetration even more than Type 90. Another key feature is the 14 round autoloader that reloads every 4 seconds, located at the back of the turret, making Type 10 a very formidable opponent in battle.

The Type 10 is equipped with thermals for both gunner and commander and night-vision for the driver. these thermals have a resolution of 800x1200, this qualifies them as 3/2+ gen. thermals.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[TKG (120 mm)|120 mm TKG]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 35 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The stock shell that comes with the tank is very familiar to JGSDF players: JM12A1 HEATFS, equivalent of DM12A1 and M830 HEATFS of NATO guns. At top tier, it struggles to penetrate any modern MBTs with composite armour with up to 900 mm CE protection and its explosive filler is nowhere near enough to overpressure any MBTs as well, just enough to ruin the day for lighter vehicles or SPAAGs. However, thanks to the Type 10's above average mobility, taking the flanks is still achievable; and the reload rate is forgiving for misplaced shots, players might still have a second chance to knock out the enemy's gun or the whole tank right away with its 4-second reload.

The first kinetic round is another familiar shell as well: JM33 APFSDS, equivalent of DM33, at tier I modification. Players who have experienced the Type 90 duo knows how the shell struggles when facing the masses of Soviet/Russian MBTs with sturdy front arc protection; only well-placed shots on their weak spots or lower glacis can knock them out. This is still far superior to the stock JM12A1, and should be a priority for research.

The final researchable shell is the brand new Type 10 APFSDS, which is also the latest shell of JGSDF that came commissioned with Type 10 itself. New technologies on this dart boost both its penetration and velocity - delivering a whopping 615 mm of penetration every 4 seconds can certainly be the nightmare of any tank trying to break through the frontline.

{{:TKG (120 mm)/Ammunition|JM12A1, JM33, Type 10}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''35''' || 15 ''(+20)'' || 1 ''(+34)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Hull empty: 15 ''(+20)'' shells.
* The autoloader contains 14 shells. Once these have all been fired, the autoloader must be replenished before being able to fire again.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

The Type 10 mounts two machine guns; one pintle-mounted 12.7 mm and one coaxial mounted 7.62 mm. These can be used as deterrent for aircraft, clearing light obstacles or crew from open-top vehicles, or spotting enemy vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -8°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

{{main|Type 90#Usage_in_battles|l1=Type 90}}
The Type 10 series of tanks are a sidegrade of the [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90]] supposed to supplement the latter by being lighter on Japanese infrastructure and improving on their electronic capabilities. With the main focus of the Type 10 being lighter than the Type 90, it swaps out the engine and transmission to a lighter model contributing the most to its weight re-distribution next to its smaller over profile. Next to that the armour on the Type 10 is modular with the overall armour package being more efficient yet slightly heavier than on the Type 90, the {{PAGENAME}} comes in standard configuration at totalling 44 tons offering roughly the same armour equivalence to the Type 90. The improved FCS also includes the ability to fire the new Type 10 APDSFS shell through Gen 3 thermals.

The {{PAGENAME}} is a highly mobile and fast-firing MBT that excels in flanking and sniping roles. However, its armour is not reliable and it is vulnerable to enemy fire, so it requires constant situational awareness and effective use of its hydropneumatic suspension, LWS, Laser Rangefinder and smoke grenades. The Type 10 should not engage in frontal assaults or close combat, but rather support allied MBTs from a safe distance and exploit its mobility and firepower to deal damage and relocate as needed. Getting early warnings of potential incoming fire thanks to its LWS, providing enough time and knowledge to retreat or dodge incoming shells.

;Notable Opponents

* '''[[T-80 (Family)|T-80]]/[[T-72 (Family)|T-72]]''' - The Russian top-rank MBTs pose a dangerous opponent for the Type 10. They possess good firepower and frontal protection. Frontally, the player wants to aim at the lower plate or driver's port. If facing from the sides, be aware that the Russian ERA blocks may stop the shell (even one as powerful as the Type 10 APFSDS) and always note that it may take a follow-up shot to knock it out.

* '''[[M1 Abrams (Family)]]''' - The M1A2 possesses good straight-line mobility that rivals the Type 10 with superior protection and survivability. The player wants to aim at the massive turret ring, this will usually knock out or cripple the tank. Take a follow up shot if needed. If turret ring is not visible, the player wants to aim at the gun breech or mantlet to knock out the gun and kill

* '''[[Challenger 2 (Family)]]''' - The Challenger 2 is a slow, large target with subpar protection against top battle-rating kinetic munitions. Though players should still beware of its 5-second (with ace crew) reload that is almost as fast as the Type 10's (within its ready rack range). The player can aim at its lower plate, drivers port or breech area.

* '''[[Leopard 2 (Family)]]''' - Superior firepower and turret protection, these tanks have vulnerable hulls that are rather easy to penetrate with the Type 10 round. The player can aim lower plate. If the Leopard 2 is hull down - player can aim at the barrel or try to knock out the gun breech through a turret ring shot (Warning: Turret ring shots tend to be unreliable so be careful of the angle!)

* '''[[Leclerc (Family)]]''' - Mobile autoloaded tanks with decent protection, the Leclerc(s) have a large weak spot in the breech area that can disable the gun or possibly knock out the tank.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Autoloaded 120 mm cannon, 4-second reload unaffected by crew or fire
* Has access to 3rd generation thermal sights for the gunner and commander
* Type 10 APFSDS round is competitive (Comparable to DM53, the 'improved' round on the Leopard 2A5)
* Quite mobile, high power-to-weight ratio and high reverse speed
* Fitted with hydropneumatic suspension, although this can only be operated when stationary
** Can lower the tank significantly, allowing you to hide behind relatively low hills and ridges
* Primary ammunition storage protected within blow-out containment in the rear of the turret
* Relatively small profile

'''Cons:'''

* Only three crew, a well-placed shot can easily cause a full crew knock-out
* Can only carry 15 rounds before additional ammo is stored in the unsafe hull racks
* Hydropneumatic suspension ceases to work when the engine is hit
* Relatively poor gun depression, unless the suspension is used
* Armour is very spread out in the front with the only well-defended places being the upper front plate, turret cheeks, and breech
* While fast in top speed, this tank is a bit slow to accelerate
* Slow elevation/depression speed for the main gun
* Slower turret traverse than most other MBTs

== History ==
{{Main|Type 10 (Family)#History|l1=Type 10 (Family)}}

==== Challenges of New Millennium ====
In the mid-1990s, after the introduction of the previous TKX-1, [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90 MBT]], the Ministry of Defense soon realised that, despite its superior FCS even for NATO standards, further upgrading the Type 90 would be impractical (for the time being) due to its already heavy weight in Japan's standards; while the previous [[Type 61 (Family)|Type 61 Medium Tank]] had no chance when facing even the earliest MBTs and [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74 MBT]] was too costly to be [[Type 74 (G)|upgraded]]. The possible rivals of Japan, like Mainland China and the Russia Federation had already developed their new MBTs (PLAGF [[ZTZ96 (Family)|ZTZ96]] and [[ZTZ99 (Family)|ZTZ99]]/Russian [[T-90A]]); in view of maintaining a team of tank designers as well as a part of national defense, JGSDF passed a new plan for a next-generation MBT with redundancy for further upgrades (modularity), thus inherited the project name: TKX-2.
[[File:JGSDF Type10 tank 2012-05-27.jpg|x350px|right|thumb|none|A JGSDF Type 10 at Camp Takeyama, Japan.]]
==== From Kyumaru to Hitomaru ====
The TKX-2 project aimed for the light weight of a Type 74 (at 40 tons, loaded) while being smaller than Type 90, equipping a domestic 120 mm smoothbore gun with latest {{Annotation|C4ISR|Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance}} system, modular composite armour, and new engines paired with HMT transmission. TKX-2 was led by the {{Annotation|TRDI|Technical Research and Development Institute}} with help from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The new smoothbore gun and its new APFSDS were developed by Nippon Steel Corporation and Daikin Industries respectively. These designs were tested on a Tank Test Bed (TTB) developed from the 6th prototype of Type 90 and was first shown in a booklet in the early 2000s; the result of TTB proved the designs and project TKX-2 started in 2002. The 1st prototype was assembled in November 2004 and tested at JGSDF Camp Higashi-Chitose; MHI built the 2nd prototype in 2005, while there were also 3 Type 90s converted as the test bed for tank platoon command systems.

Finally, with the evaluations from JGSDF Fuji School, Ordnance School, and leaked photos of the 2nd prototype, the TKX-2 was unveiled on 14 June 2010 to the public during the opening of JGSDF East Fuji Manoeuvre Area and it was then named Type 10 in October. It served as the most advanced MBT of the first decade of the 2000s, and is an icon of the JGSDF moving forward into the 21st century.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_10 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|eb6Xlv-YJA0|'''The Shooting Range #285''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:51 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[Type 90 (Family)]] - (predecessor)

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Leclerc (Family)]]
* [[M1 Abrams (Family)]]
* [[Leopard 2 (Family)]]
* [[Ariete (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7448-development-type-10-making-the-good-better-en|[Devblog] Type 10: Making the good, better]]

{{Manufacturer MHI}}
{{Japan medium tanks}}

Type 90 (B)

2024-04-17T02:18:26Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the other version
| link-1 = Type 90 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = Type 90 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_90b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ({{Annotation|90式戦車B型|Kyūmaru Shiki Sensha, 'B' Gata}}) is a small alteration on the [[Type 90]] equipping mounting plates on the hull to allow for the Type 92 mine roller.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]]. Essentially being a backup to the previous [[Type 90]], it does everything the same and offers only minor plates to the hull which won't exactly improve survivability. The only real downside of the plates is the inability to mount a dozer blade like its previous model.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


[[File:Type 90 Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Type 90 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]
The Type 90 MBT sacrifices protection and survivability in order to attain a smaller profile and a lighter vehicle overall (vehicle weight is important in Japan in order to pass over their many bridges). As such, most 'improved' rounds available to other 10.0-10.3 MBTs (such as the [[Leopard 2A5]]'s DM33, or the [[Leclerc]]'s OFL 120 F1) will punch through even the Type 90's turret cheeks or upper front plate. It's important to keep in mind that even some autocannon ammunition will easily penetrate some of the weaker sections of the Type 90 from the front.

Despite the mediocre protection, the Type 90 has one main survivability feature: its primary ammunition is stored in blowout-protected compartments, sparing the crew from side shots on the rear of the turret, providing no more than 19 rounds are carried. Unfortunately, however, due to the autoloaded cannon the Type 90 is crewed by only 3, increasing the chances of being disabled from an initial shot.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25 mm (78°) ''Driver's hatch'' 40 mm (47-83°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (44°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm 10 mm ''Side Skirts'' 25 mm ''Top'' || 25 mm (17-70°) ''All rear'' 15 mm ''Engine grille'' || 20 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck'' 15 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm ''Cheeks incl. Gunner optics'' 35 mm ''Mantlet'' 35 mm ''Rear Mantlet Plate'' || 35 mm ''Forward'' 33 mm + 80 mm (air) + 40 mm ''Middle Spaced Armour'' 12 mm + 80 mm (air) + 35 mm ''Rear Spaced Armour'' || 25 mm ''Turret'' || 35 mm (83°) ''Forehead Armour'' 20 mm ''Rear turret incl. cupola''
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Composite armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides
|-
| Hull || '''''Upper glacis''''' 320 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 420 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Lower glacis''''' 37 mm - 300 mm ''Kinetic'' 20 - 380 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A
|-
| Turret || '''''Turret cheeks''''' 400 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 640 - 660 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Gun mantlet''''' 275 - 375 mm ''Kinetic'' 500 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' || '''''Side forward''''' 78 - 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 81 - 490 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Side middle''''' 77 mm ''Kinetic'' 80 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2032|rbMinHp=1327}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by a 10-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine producing a maximum of 1,500 horsepower at 2400 RPM. Combined with its relatively light weight of only 51.6 tonnes, this gives it an excellent power-to-weight ratio of 29.07. As such, the Type 90 is often one of the first vehicles to reach cap points in a match, and can comfortably flank or move into advantageous positions earlier than many of its contemporaries. This power is transferred to the drive sprockets via an automatic transmission with 7 forward and 2 backward gears, unfortunately limiting the otherwise extremely mobile vehicle to 72 km/h (RB/SB) forwards and -33 km/h (RB/SB) backwards - speeds which it will reach with ease on-road.

The {{PAGENAME}} also mounts hydropneumatic suspension, allowing it to actively change the vehicle's ride height and angle. This can be used to improve traction on angled surfaces.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)}}

The Type 90 L/44 120 mm cannon is a license-produced clone of the Rheinmetall L/44 cannon found on the Leopard 2 series and the M1A1/M1A2. As such, it shares their excellent accuracy and firepower characteristics, with a key advantage: the Type 90 is autoloaded. This results in a flat 4 second reload, better than the peak manually loaded speeds available to the other L/44-mounting vehicles (6 seconds). Additionally, reloads are not hindered by fire or the loss of crew members. The Type 90 has two rounds available to it; the powerful JM33 APFSDS round (based off the NATO DM33 round) and the JM12A1 HEAT-FS round (based off DM12A1). These rounds are more than capable of penetrating any opponent the Type 90 may face, although when facing some later vehicles such as the M1A2 or Leopard 2A5, weak points must be targeted.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)|120 mm Type 90 L/44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)/Ammunition|JM12A1, JM33}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Type_90.png|right|thumb|x200px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 39 ''(+3)'' || 19 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Hull empty: 19 ''(+23)'' shells.
{{Clear}}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

The Type 90 mounts two machine guns; one pintle-mounted 12.7 mm and one coaxial mounted 7.62 mm. These can be used as deterrent for low-flying aircraft, clearing light obstacles or crew from open-top vehicles, or spotting enemy vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -8°/+60° || ±120°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The {{PAGENAME}} is an extremely capable vehicle in the hands of an experienced tanker, but heed must be paid to the vehicle's weaknesses at all times.

'''Rural Combat'''

The {{PAGENAME}} is very capable in rural combat where cover is plentiful and flanking routes are available. It should ideally be used for early flanks where available (such as the eastern flank on [[Maginot Line (Ground Forces)|Maginot Line]]) or when unavailable, pushing quickly for early captures before moving to a nearby protected location to hold that point. It's important to be aware of which routes might be sniper-covered early, as many snipers (such as the [[Challenger 2]] or [[Ariete PSO]]) will easily penetrate the {{PAGENAME}}, even at range - avoid giving them the opportunity.

'''Urban Combat'''

The {{PAGENAME}} can prove itself to be an excellent urban combat vehicle, primarily due to its mobility and reliably fast reload. As in rural combat, an early push for a cap can prove viable before moving into a protected position, although often by the time the capture is completed enemy targets will be nearby. Early flanking (such as around the sides of [[American Desert]]) is also viable.

'''Notable Targets'''

* [[Challenger 2]] - The Challenger 2 is often found as a sniper due to its pin-point accuracy, good reload and excellent turret armour. The Type 90 should never be used to face a sniping CR2 head-on, but instead should attempt to flank or force engagements at close range where weak spots are easily targeted.
* [[M1A2 Abrams]] - The M1A2 Abrams has excellent frontal protection and can prove tricky to discern from earlier models in the heat of a battle. As a general rule it's preferable to aim for the gun mantlet or turret ring on any Abrams, despite the fact that JM33 will penetrate nearly anywhere on early models - better safe than sorry.
* [[Leopard 2A5]] - The Leopard 2A5 is very well protected, although JM33 will punch through its hull without any significant trouble. Avoid fighting a hull-down 2A5 head-on, rather taking flanking routes when available. If no choice is presented, aim for the gun mantlet or the turret ring.
* [[T-80U]] - The T-80U is extremely well protected from the front, and care should be taken when engaging - aim for the driver viewport or the lower front plate; or where these are not options try to disable its gun through the mantlet. If flanking, side shots will often despatch the T-80U quickly.
* [[Leclerc]] - The Leclerc is extremely fast, with a power-to-weight ratio not far short of the Type 90's. When pushing early for caps or flanks, be aware that the Leclerc may be one of the first vehicles you'll counter.
* [[Leopard 2K]] - The Leopard 2K has the best power-to-weight ratio of any MBT currently in War Thunder, and it will often be capable of getting to positions before the Type 90. Keep in mind that it can be penetrated anywhere, but aware the 'bouncy' armour; aim carefully.
* [[AMX-40]] - The AMX-40 is extremely mobile and caution is advised when pushing early. Fortunately, the AMX-40 has negligible protection and JM33 will make quick work of it.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Relatively small profile despite visual similarities to the Leopard 2A4
* 120 mm cannon with autoloader, 4-second reload unaffected by crew or fire
* Extremely mobile, high power-to-weight ratio
* Fitted with [[Hydropneumatic suspension]], although this can only be operated when stationary
* JM33 APFSDS round is competitive (identical to DM33, the 'improved' round on the Leopard 2A5)
* Primary ammunition storage protected within blow-out containment in the rear of the turret

'''Cons:'''

* Despite having composite protection in the turret and upper front plate, it's insufficient protection for many of the tanks it will face
* Only three crew, a well-placed shot can easily cause a crew knock-out
* Forced to use a mediocre round prior to researching the tier III JM33 HEATFS
* JM33 HEATFS round struggles against higher-rank opponents if not aimed at weak spots
* Can only carry 19 ammunition before additional ammo is stored in the less protected hull racks
* Slow elevation/depression speed for the main gun
* Slower turret traverse than most other MBTs

== History ==

Development of the Type 90 began almost immediately after the introduction of the Type 74 into service, with the Japanese High Command already looking for a superior replacement. A central aspect of the new machine would have to be the ability to take on and defeat the new Soviet T-72 main battle tank. With that in mind, Japanese engineers began working on a prototype design, which would see completion in 1980. Two prototypes of this initial design were built, tested and improved upon between 1980 - 1986.

Testing resumed in 1986 with a second batch of four prototype vehicles, featuring a number of improvements over the initial two. The most significant change included the replacement of a Japanese-made 120mm smoothbore gun with the established Rheinmetall 120 L/44, most notably used by the M1A1 Abrams and Leopard 2 at the time. The decision to change the gun from a domestic one to a licence-built alternative most likely came as a measure to reduce production costs. However, unlike the MBTs of western armies, the designers of the Type 90 opted to equip the tank with an autoloading mechanism, making it the only production vehicle that did so in combination with the Rh 120 cannon. Further testing and army trials of these prototypes was conducted during the late 80s before the Japanese army formally introduced the tank into service in 1990 as the Type 90. Production of the Type 90 began in 1990 and continued until 2009, with 341 vehicles made.

''- From [[wt:en/news/5499-development-type-90-the-lightweight-heavy-hitter-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_90b Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|31ZOmtzI_2g|'''The Shooting Range #107''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|K-9ObimGTJI|'''JGSDF Type 90: Actual Sound Recording''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|G_jOfO3g_iA|'''JGSDF Type 90: 360° Video''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|xarYzM07uSk|[JP] '''Former SDF member spectates Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 1)|AyvnH_sBgrg|[JP] '''Former SDF member rides Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 2)}}

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[Type 90]] - (base model)
* [[Type 10]] - (successor)

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Leclerc (Family)]]
* [[M1 Abrams (Family)]]
* [[Leopard 2 (Family)]]
* [[Ariete (Family)]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Japan medium tanks}}

Type 90

2024-04-17T02:18:08Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the other version
| link-1 = Type 90 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = Type 90 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_90
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ({{Annotation|90式戦車|Kyūmaru Shiki Sensha}}) was initially accepted into service in 1990 as a replacement for both the [[Type 61]] and [[Type 74]] models. With the Type 74 adopting service, it was rather late to the scene and had to compare with the newer generation of MBTs like the [[T-72 (Family)]], [[Leopard 2 (Family)]] and [[M1 Abrams (Family)]]. For that reason, the Type 90's development was called instantly after the Type 74's adoption. While closely resembling Western-style MBTs, the emphasises of the Type 90 lay in its technical features from the FCS system, Onboard computer, automated tracking and autoloader.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]]. Despite its appearance being similar to the [[Leopard 2A4]] and mounting a license-produced Rheinmetall L44-based cannon, it is significantly different in a number of aspects. LWS and the main feature the Type 90 offers and will be very obvious is the 4-second autoloader it employs, this allows the Type 90 to essentially suppress other MBTs even if they wouldn't result in kill shots. The tank also offers a very beefy engine, being among the faster MBTs it can keep up with lighter-tracked vehicles and get into position as fast as possible.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

[[File:Type 90 Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Type 90 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]
The Type 90 MBT sacrifices protection and survivability in order to attain a smaller profile and a lighter vehicle overall (vehicle weight is important in Japan in order to pass over their many bridges). As such, most 'improved' rounds available to other MBTs at the same BR (such as the [[Leopard 2A5]]'s DM33, or the [[Leclerc]]'s OFL 120 F1) will punch through even the Type 90's turret cheeks or upper front plate. It's important to keep in mind that even some autocannon ammunition will easily penetrate some of the weaker sections of the Type 90 from the front.

Despite the mediocre protection, the Type 90 has one main survivability feature: its primary ammunition is stored in blowout-protected compartments, sparing the crew from side shots on the rear of the turret, providing no more than 19 rounds are carried. Unfortunately, however, due to the autoloaded cannon the Type 90 is crewed by only 3, increasing the chances of being disabled from an initial shot.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25 mm (82°) ''Driver's hatch'' 35 mm (47-83°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (44°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm 10 mm ''Side Skirts'' 25 mm ''Top'' || 25 mm (16-60°) ''All rear'' 15 mm ''Engine grille'' || 25 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck'' 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm ''Cheeks incl. gunner optics'' 35 mm ''Mantlet'' 35 mm ''Rear Mantlet Plate'' || 40 mm ''Forward'' 33 mm + 80 mm (air) + 40 mm ''Middle spaced armour'' 12 mm + 80 mm (air) + 35 mm ''Rear spaced armour'' || 25 mm || 35 mm (78-83°) ''Forehead Armour'' 20 mm (90°) ''Rear turret incl. cupola''
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* Composite armour covers the front hull and the turret:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Composite armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides
|-
| Hull || '''''Upper glacis''''' 320 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 420 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Lower glacis''''' 37 - 300 mm ''Kinetic'' 20 - 380 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A
|-
| Turret || '''''Turret cheeks''''' 400 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 640 - 660 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Gun mantlet''''' 275 - 375 mm ''Kinetic'' 500 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' || '''''Side forward''''' 78 - 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 81 - 490 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Side middle''''' 77 mm ''Kinetic'' 80 mm ''Chemical''
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2032|rbMinHp=1327}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by a 10-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine producing a maximum of 1,500 horsepower at 2400 RPM. Combined with its relatively light weight of only 51.6 tonnes, this gives it an excellent power-to-weight ratio of 29.07. As such, the Type 90 is often one of the first vehicles to reach cap points in a match, and can comfortably flank or move into advantageous positions earlier than many of its contemporaries. This power is transferred to the drive sprockets via an automatic transmission with 7 forward and 2 backward gears, unfortunately limiting the otherwise extremely mobile vehicle to 72 km/h (RB/SB) forwards and -33 km/h (RB/SB) backwards - speeds which it will reach with ease on-road.

The {{PAGENAME}} also mounts hydropneumatic suspension, allowing it to actively change the vehicle's ride height and angle. This can be used to improve traction on angled surfaces.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)}}

The Type 90 L/44 120 mm cannon is a license-produced clone of the Rheinmetall L/44 cannon found on the Leopard 2 series and the M1A1/M1A2. As such, it shares their excellent accuracy and firepower characteristics, with a key advantage: the Type 90 is autoloaded. This results in a flat 4 second reload, better than the peak manually loaded speeds available to the other L/44-mounting vehicles (6 seconds). Additionally, reloads are not hindered by fire or the loss of crew members. The Type 90 has two rounds available to it; the powerful JM33 APFSDS round (based off the NATO DM33 round) and the JM12A1 HEAT-FS round (based off DM12A1). These rounds are more than capable of penetrating any opponent the Type 90 may face, although when facing some later vehicles such as the M1A2 or Leopard 2A5, weak points must be targeted.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)|120 mm Type 90 L/44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)/Ammunition|JM12A1, JM33}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 39 ''(+3)'' || 19 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Hull empty: 19 ''(+23)'' shells
* The autoloader contains 18 shells. Once these have all been fired, the autoloader must be replenished before being able to fire again.

====Optics and night vision====
The Type 90 receives night vision imagers once the tier 3 modification 'NVD' is researched. This unlocks standard 500 x 300 resolution thermal sights for the gunner, as well as standard image intensifiers for all crew (available in third person view in AB/RB additionally).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" |{{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! rowspan="3" |Type of optic
! rowspan="3" |Magnification
! colspan="5" |[[Night Vision Devices]]
|-
! colspan="3" |Image Intensifier
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Thermal Imager Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
! rowspan="2" |Notes
|-
!{{Annotation|Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
!{{Annotation|Light Mult|By how much the image intensifier amplifies the existing light, primarily useful for comparing image intensifiers}}
!{{Annotation|Noise Level|How much noise is present in the image (how grainy the image is)}}
|-
!Gunner's Sight
|8.0x - 16.1x||--||--||--||500 x 300||Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|-
!Commander's View
|6.0x||1600 x 1200||9.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|-
!Driver's View
|1.0x||800 x 600||5.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

The Type 90 mounts two machine guns; one pintle-mounted 12.7 mm and one coaxial mounted 7.62 mm. These can be used as deterrent for low-flying aircraft, clearing light obstacles or crew from open-top vehicles, or spotting enemy vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -8°/+60° || ±120°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Type 90 is an extremely capable vehicle in the hands of an experienced tanker, but heed must be paid to the vehicle's weaknesses at all times.

'''Rural Combat'''

The Type 90 is very capable in rural combat where cover is plentiful and flanking routes are available. It should ideally be used for early flanks where available (such as the eastern flank on [[Maginot Line (Ground Forces)|Maginot Line]]) or when unavailable, pushing quickly for early captures before moving to a nearby protected location to hold that point. It's important to be aware of which routes might be sniper-covered early, as many snipers (such as the [[Challenger 2]] or [[Ariete PSO]]) will easily penetrate the Type 90, even at range - avoid giving them the opportunity.

'''Urban Combat'''

The Type 90 can prove itself to be an excellent urban combat vehicle, primarily due to its mobility and reliably fast reload. As in rural combat, an early push for a cap can prove viable before moving into a protected position, although often by the time the capture is completed enemy targets will be nearby. Early flanking (such as around the sides of [[American Desert]]) is also viable.

'''Notable Targets'''

* [[Challenger 2]] - The Challenger 2 is often found as a sniper due to its pin-point accuracy, good reload and excellent turret armour. The Type 90 should never be used to face a sniping CR2 head-on, but instead should attempt to flank or force engagements at close range where weak spots are easily targeted.
* [[M1A2 Abrams]] - The M1A2 Abrams has excellent frontal protection and can prove tricky to discern from earlier models in the heat of a battle. As a general rule it's preferable to aim for the gun mantlet or turret ring on any Abrams, despite the fact that JM33 will penetrate nearly anywhere on early models - better safe than sorry.
* [[Leopard 2A5]] - The Leopard 2A5 is very well protected, although JM33 will punch through its hull without any significant trouble. Avoid fighting a hull-down 2A5 head-on, rather taking flanking routes when available. If no choice is presented, aim for the gun mantlet or the turret ring.
* [[T-80U]] - The T-80U is extremely well protected from the front, and care should be taken when engaging - aim for the driver viewport or the lower front plate; or where these are not options try to disable its gun through the mantlet. If flanking, side shots will often knock out the T-80U in one shot.
* [[Leclerc]] - The Leclerc is extremely fast, with a power-to-weight ratio not far short of the Type 90's. When pushing early for caps or flanks, be aware that the Leclerc may be one of the first vehicles you'll counter.
* [[Leopard 2K]] - The Leopard 2K has the best power-to-weight ratio of any MBT currently in War Thunder, and it will often be capable of getting to positions before the Type 90. Keep in mind that it can be penetrated anywhere, but aware the 'bouncy' armour; aim carefully.
* [[AMX-40]] - The AMX-40 is extremely mobile and caution is advised when pushing early. Fortunately, the AMX-40 has negligible protection and JM33 will make quick work of it.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Relatively small profile despite visual similarities to the [[Leopard 2A4]]
* Autoloaded 120 mm cannon, 4-second reload unaffected by crew or fire
* Extremely mobile with its high power-to-weight ratio
* Fitted with [[hydropneumatic suspension]], although this can only be operated when stationary
* JM33 APFSDS round is competitive
* Primary ammunition storage protected within blow-out containment in the rear of the turret
* Hydropneumatic suspension can lower the tank significantly, allowing you to hide behind relatively low hills and ridges

'''Cons:'''

* Despite having composite protection in the turret and upper front plate, it's insufficient protection for many of the tanks it will face
* Only three crew, a well-placed shot can easily cause a full crew knock-out
* Can only carry 19 rounds before additional ammo is stored in the unsafe hull racks
* Hydropneumatic suspension ceases to work when the engine is hit
* Poor stock grind - HEAT-FS is easily countered by nearly all enemies the Type 90 faces and JM33 is a tier III modification
* Relatively poor gun depression of -7° (contemporary MBTs have -9° or -10°) unless the suspension is used
* Large and weak mantlet - 20 mm shells can rip straight through, knocking out crew members or destroying the breech
* JM33 struggles against higher-rank opponents if not aimed at weak spots
* Slow elevation/depression speed for the main gun
* Slower turret traverse than most other MBTs

== History ==

Development of the Type 90 began almost immediately after the introduction of the Type 74 into service, with the Japanese High Command already looking for a superior replacement. A central aspect of the new machine would have to be the ability to take on and defeat the new Soviet T-72 main battle tank. With that in mind, Japanese engineers began working on a prototype design, which would see completion in 1980. Two prototypes of this initial design were built, tested and improved upon between 1980 - 1986.

Testing resumed in 1986 with a second batch of four prototype vehicles, featuring a number of improvements over the initial two. The most significant change included the replacement of a Japanese-made 120mm smoothbore gun with the established Rheinmetall 120 L/44, most notably used by the M1A1 Abrams and Leopard 2 at the time. The decision to change the gun from a domestic one to a licence-built alternative most likely came as a measure to reduce production costs. However, unlike the MBTs of western armies, the designers of the Type 90 opted to equip the tank with an autoloading mechanism, making it the only production vehicle that did so in combination with the Rh 120 cannon. Further testing and army trials of these prototypes was conducted during the late 80s before the Japanese army formally introduced the tank into service in 1990 as the Type 90. Production of the Type 90 began in 1990 and continued until 2009, with 341 vehicles made.

''- From [[wt:en/news/5499-development-type-90-the-lightweight-heavy-hitter-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_90 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
{{Skin-gallery |market|ugcitem_1000299|Type 90 digital training paint.png|Camo "Digital training paint"}}

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|31ZOmtzI_2g|'''The Shooting Range #107''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|K-9ObimGTJI|'''JGSDF Type 90: Actual Sound Recording''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|G_jOfO3g_iA|'''JGSDF Type 90: 360° Video''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|xarYzM07uSk|[JP] '''Former SDF member spectates Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 1)|AyvnH_sBgrg|[JP] '''Former SDF member rides Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 2)}}

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[Type 90 (B)]] - ('''Type 90''' with mounting plates for a Type 92 mine-roller)
* [[Type 10]] - (successor)

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Leclerc (Family)]]
* [[M1 Abrams (Family)]]
* [[Leopard 2 (Family)]]
* [[Ariete (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5499-development-type-90-the-lightweight-heavy-hitter-en|[Devblog] Type 90: The Lightweight Heavy Hitter]]

{{Japan medium tanks}}

Type 90 (B) "Fuji"

2024-04-17T02:17:49Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the other version
| link-1 = Type 90 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = Type 90 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_90b_camo
|store=13214
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Type_90B_Fuji.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==


This '''Type 90 (B)''' belongs to the '''Fuji Tank Instructor Corps (3rd Company)''', tasked with training the newest aspiring tank crews in their duties and responsibilities as tankers in the JGSDF. Key aspects to learn about the Type 90 MBT include its top-notch features and capabilities, such as its state-of-the-art autoloader, which allows the tank to fire every 4 seconds, and its hydropneumatic suspension, enabling the gun to be depressed or elevated in any direction with the hull's position. Its advanced electronics feature a thermal gunner camera, laser rangefinder, and laser warning system, alerting the crew to any potential enemy targeting the tank. The performance of the Type 90's strong engine, coupled with its below-par armour, dictates tactics that rely heavily on flanking or sniping from a hull-down position, eliminating as many targets in quick succession before retreating to reposition and engage again.

It was introduced in [[Update "Alpha Strike"]]. Essentially being a backup to the base [[Type 90 (Family)|Type 90s]], it does everything the same and offers only minor plates to the hull which won't exactly improve survivability. The only real downside of the plates is the inability to mount a dozer blade like its previous model.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


[[File:Type 90 Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Type 90 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]
The Type 90 MBT sacrifices protection and survivability in order to attain a smaller profile and a lighter vehicle overall (vehicle weight is important in Japan in order to pass over their many bridges). As such, most 'improved' rounds available to other 10.0-10.3 MBTs (such as the [[Leopard 2A5]]'s DM33, or the [[Leclerc]]'s OFL 120 F1) will punch through even the Type 90's turret cheeks or upper front plate. It's important to keep in mind that even some autocannon ammunition will easily penetrate some of the weaker sections of the Type 90 from the front.

Despite the mediocre protection, the Type 90 has one main survivability feature: its primary ammunition is stored in blowout-protected compartments, sparing the crew from side shots on the rear of the turret, providing no more than 19 rounds are carried. Unfortunately, however, due to the autoloaded cannon the Type 90 is crewed by only 3, increasing the chances of being disabled from an initial shot.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25 mm (78°) ''Driver's hatch'' 40 mm (47-83°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (44°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm 10 mm ''Side Skirts'' 25 mm ''Top'' || 25 mm (17-70°) ''All rear'' 15 mm ''Engine grille'' || 20 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck'' 15 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm ''Cheeks incl. Gunner optics'' 35 mm ''Mantlet'' 35 mm ''Rear Mantlet Plate'' || 35 mm ''Forward'' 33 mm + 80 mm (air) + 40 mm ''Middle Spaced Armour'' 12 mm + 80 mm (air) + 35 mm ''Rear Spaced Armour'' || 25 mm ''Turret'' || 35 mm (83°) ''Forehead Armour'' 20 mm ''Rear turret incl. cupola''
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Composite armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides
|-
| Hull || '''''Upper glacis''''' 320 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 420 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Lower glacis''''' 37 mm - 300 mm ''Kinetic'' 20 - 380 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A
|-
| Turret || '''''Turret cheeks''''' 400 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 640 - 660 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Gun mantlet''''' 275 - 375 mm ''Kinetic'' 500 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' || '''''Side forward''''' 78 - 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 81 - 490 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Side middle''''' 77 mm ''Kinetic'' 80 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2032|rbMinHp=1327}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by a 10-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine producing a maximum of 1,500 horsepower at 2400 RPM. Combined with its relatively light weight of only 51.6 tonnes, this gives it an excellent power-to-weight ratio of 29.07. As such, the Type 90 is often one of the first vehicles to reach cap points in a match, and can comfortably flank or move into advantageous positions earlier than many of its contemporaries. This power is transferred to the drive sprockets via an automatic transmission with 7 forward and 2 backward gears, unfortunately limiting the otherwise extremely mobile vehicle to 72 km/h (RB/SB) forwards and -33 km/h (RB/SB) backwards - speeds which it will reach with ease on-road.

The {{PAGENAME}} also mounts hydropneumatic suspension, allowing it to actively change the vehicle's ride height and angle. This can be used to improve traction on angled surfaces.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)}}

The Type 90 L/44 120 mm cannon is a license-produced clone of the Rheinmetall L/44 cannon found on the Leopard 2 series and the M1A1/M1A2. As such, it shares their excellent accuracy and firepower characteristics, with a key advantage: the Type 90 is autoloaded. This results in a flat 4 second reload, better than the peak manually loaded speeds available to the other L/44-mounting vehicles (6 seconds). Additionally, reloads are not hindered by fire or the loss of crew members. The Type 90 has two rounds available to it; the powerful JM33 APFSDS round (based off the NATO DM33 round) and the JM12A1 HEAT-FS round (based off DM12A1). These rounds are more than capable of penetrating any opponent the Type 90 may face, although when facing some later vehicles such as the M1A2 or Leopard 2A5, weak points must be targeted.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)|120 mm Type 90 L/44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)/Ammunition|JM12A1, JM33}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Type_90.png|right|thumb|x200px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 39 ''(+3)'' || 19 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Hull empty: 19 ''(+23)'' shells.
{{Clear}}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

The Type 90 mounts two machine guns; one pintle-mounted 12.7 mm and one coaxial mounted 7.62 mm. These can be used as deterrent for low-flying aircraft, clearing light obstacles or crew from open-top vehicles, or spotting enemy vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -8°/+60° || ±120°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The {{PAGENAME}} is an extremely capable vehicle in the hands of an experienced tanker, but heed must be paid to the vehicle's weaknesses at all times.

'''Rural Combat'''

The {{PAGENAME}} is very capable in rural combat where cover is plentiful and flanking routes are available. It should ideally be used for early flanks where available (such as the eastern flank on [[Maginot Line (Ground Forces)|Maginot Line]]) or when unavailable, pushing quickly for early captures before moving to a nearby protected location to hold that point. It's important to be aware of which routes might be sniper-covered early, as many snipers (such as the [[Challenger 2]] or [[Ariete PSO]]) will easily penetrate the {{PAGENAME}}, even at range - avoid giving them the opportunity.

'''Urban Combat'''

The {{PAGENAME}} can prove itself to be an excellent urban combat vehicle, primarily due to its mobility and reliably fast reload. As in rural combat, an early push for a cap can prove viable before moving into a protected position, although often by the time the capture is completed enemy targets will be nearby. Early flanking (such as around the sides of [[American Desert]]) is also viable.

'''Notable Targets'''

* [[Challenger 2]] - The Challenger 2 is often found as a sniper due to its pin-point accuracy, good reload and excellent turret armour. The Type 90 should never be used to face a sniping CR2 head-on, but instead should attempt to flank or force engagements at close range where weak spots are easily targeted.
* [[M1A2 Abrams]] - The M1A2 Abrams has excellent frontal protection and can prove tricky to discern from earlier models in the heat of a battle. As a general rule it's preferable to aim for the gun mantlet or turret ring on any Abrams, despite the fact that JM33 will penetrate nearly anywhere on early models - better safe than sorry.
* [[Leopard 2A5]] - The Leopard 2A5 is very well protected, although JM33 will punch through its hull without any significant trouble. Avoid fighting a hull-down 2A5 head-on, rather taking flanking routes when available. If no choice is presented, aim for the gun mantlet or the turret ring.
* [[T-80U]] - The T-80U is extremely well protected from the front, and care should be taken when engaging - aim for the driver viewport or the lower front plate; or where these are not options try to disable its gun through the mantlet. If flanking, side shots will often despatch the T-80U quickly.
* [[Leclerc]] - The Leclerc is extremely fast, with a power-to-weight ratio not far short of the Type 90's. When pushing early for caps or flanks, be aware that the Leclerc may be one of the first vehicles you'll counter.
* [[Leopard 2K]] - The Leopard 2K has the best power-to-weight ratio of any MBT currently in War Thunder, and it will often be capable of getting to positions before the Type 90. Keep in mind that it can be penetrated anywhere, but aware the 'bouncy' armour; aim carefully.
* [[AMX-40]] - The AMX-40 is extremely mobile and caution is advised when pushing early. Fortunately, the AMX-40 has negligible protection and JM33 will make quick work of it.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Relatively small profile despite visual similarities to the Leopard 2A4
* 120 mm cannon with autoloader, 4-second reload unaffected by crew or fire
* Extremely mobile, high power-to-weight ratio
* Fitted with [[Hydropneumatic suspension]], although this can only be operated when stationary
* JM33 APFSDS round is competitive (identical to DM33, the 'improved' round on the Leopard 2A5)
* Primary ammunition storage protected within blow-out containment in the rear of the turret

'''Cons:'''

* Despite having composite protection in the turret and upper front plate, it's insufficient protection for many of the tanks it will face
* Only three crew, a well-placed shot can easily cause a crew knock-out
* Can only carry 19 ammunition before additional ammo is stored in the less protected hull racks
* Slow elevation/depression speed for the main gun
* Slower turret traverse than most other MBTs

== History ==

Development of the Type 90 began almost immediately after the introduction of the Type 74 into service, with the Japanese High Command already looking for a superior replacement. A central aspect of the new machine would have to be the ability to take on and defeat the new Soviet T-72 main battle tank. With that in mind, Japanese engineers began working on a prototype design, which would see completion in 1980. Two prototypes of this initial design were built, tested and improved upon between 1980 - 1986.

Testing resumed in 1986 with a second batch of four prototype vehicles, featuring a number of improvements over the initial two. The most significant change included the replacement of a Japanese-made 120mm smoothbore gun with the established Rheinmetall 120 L/44, most notably used by the M1A1 Abrams and Leopard 2 at the time. The decision to change the gun from a domestic one to a licence-built alternative most likely came as a measure to reduce production costs. However, unlike the MBTs of western armies, the designers of the Type 90 opted to equip the tank with an autoloading mechanism, making it the only production vehicle that did so in combination with the Rh 120 cannon. Further testing and army trials of these prototypes was conducted during the late 80s before the Japanese army formally introduced the tank into service in 1990 as the Type 90. Production of the Type 90 began in 1990 and continued until 2009, with 341 vehicles made.

''- From [[wt:en/news/5499-development-type-90-the-lightweight-heavy-hitter-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_90b Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|31ZOmtzI_2g|'''The Shooting Range #107''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|K-9ObimGTJI|'''JGSDF Type 90: Actual Sound Recording''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|G_jOfO3g_iA|'''JGSDF Type 90: 360° Video''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|xarYzM07uSk|[JP] '''Former SDF member spectates Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 1)|AyvnH_sBgrg|[JP] '''Former SDF member rides Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 2)}}

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[Type 90]] - (base model)
* [[Type 10]] - (successor)

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Leclerc (Family)]]
* [[M1 Abrams (Family)]]
* [[Leopard 2 (Family)]]
* [[Ariete (Family)]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Japan medium tanks}}
{{Japan premium ground vehicles}}

Type 89

2024-04-17T02:17:29Z

U103691029: /* Armaments */ Autoloader

{{About
| about = Japanese light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = equipment of the same adoption year
| link = Type 89 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_89
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}} {{Annotation|IFV|Infantry Fighting Vehicle}}''' ({{Annotation|89式装甲戦闘車|Hachikyū Shiki Sōkō Sentōsha}}) entered service with the JSDF in 1989. It supplements the APCs that preceded it, such as the Type 60 APC, Type 73 APC and other wheeled APCs, which were vulnerable without tank support. The Type 89 IFV was developed from 1980 to 1989, when it was officially adopted. It was meant to work with the [[Type 90|Type 90 tank]] in different regions, but due to budget constraints and high cost of the Type 89 IFV, only about 120 vehicles were produced by 2014 out of an order for 300, mainly deployed in Hokkaido.

The Type 89 IFV was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]]. It can engage various targets with its [[Oerlikon KDE (35 mm)]] and its heavy [[Type 79|Type 79 Jyu-MAT]] missiles. It is best suited for hit-and-run tactics, using its speed and smoke grenades to avoid direct fire and attack the weaker sides of enemy armour with APDS rounds. The Type 89 IFV also has a laser warning system that warns the player of incoming laser-guided missiles.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


While the Type 89's armour consists of rolled homogeneous armour, it is not any better than modern light tanks of other factions, which use double or even triple the amount of aluminium to give roughly the same amount of protection. This means that its sides and even angled turret will still be vulnerable to all autocannons and will trigger overpressure damage easily if hit in a weak spot, such as the back half of the tank.

The armour profile can be closely compared to [[Merkava Mk.1 (USA)|Merkava Mk.1]], it has a long hull with turret on the back, and the entirety of it is sloped as much as possible. This means that inaccurate frontal hull shots will likely bounce and this tank should always face the opponent. Unfortunately, due to how big the turret is, the bounced shell might actually fly straight into it, and there aren't any special shields or additional armour for the turret crew on this tank.

Internal module placement is rather smart on paper, with the driver and MG operator hiding on the right side of the tank, and main weapon crew hiding at the back along with ammunition, while the rest of the tank is one giant engine compartment, sealed off with a 5 mm RHA screen, meaning that most hull shots should not be able to deal overpressure damage. In reality, the means of protecting the crew and critical weak points are insufficient. Most notably, the driver isn't completely sealed away from tank's front and the turret, meaning that any chemical shot coming to suspension from the right can overpressure the entire tank. Direct artillery hits will usually destroy the tank instantly. Frontal shots also tend to destroy the gun breech, rendering the main gun useless.

Due to overall low thickness of armour Type 89 can get [[Damage_mechanics#Breach_.2F_Overmatch_.2F_Stamping|overmatched]]. Whenever the tank hull side is even slightly opened, it will get easily penetrated by big guns, the armour is thick enough to trigger APHE fuses and even if it's a slow 19 mm fuse it will trigger off hitting the engine and RHA screen, then cause violent explosions next to ammo rack. Pure AP shells even of a small calibre autocannon will fly straight through the entire engine compartment, likely hitting the turret crew or ammo rack in the very back of the tank. It is also possible to lose the entire tank crew to a single coaxial autocannon spray from the right side, as nothing is protecting the driver there.

The one scenario in which the sealed compartment can truly work against kinetic shells is when the Type 89 is driving around the town, or hiding from snipers behind buildings, and someone suddenly shoots engine compartment into direction opposite from the crew, then enemy APHE may simply get stuck there, doing reduced damage to the turret crew. This does not make the situation any better though, as without team help or a very unlikely ATGM counterattack, Type 89 will still get repeatedly set on fire until it explodes.

Recommendations: Keep your opponents in front of you, if you can't - at least keep them on your left to reduce chances of an overpressure damage. Avoid being shot directly by 120+ mm shells. Do not needlessly taunt enemy SPAA. In close quarters you can be extremely aggressive and destroy enemy weapon or gunner as soon as possible. Otherwise try to scout enemies and hope to fire first or that there is a sniper to cover your back.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 15 mm - 20 mm (81°) ''Upper Glacis'' 5 mm (81°) ''Ventilation'' 35 mm (26°-57°) ''Lower Glacis'' 20 mm (0°-50°) ''Sponson Front'' || 20 mm ''Upper'' 15 mm (Base) +10 mm (Sideskirts) ''Lower'' || 15 mm || 5 mm - 20 mm
|-
| Turret ||35 mm (11°-12°) ''Turret Front Sides'' 25 mm + 25 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 20 mm || 15 mm (Base) + 5 mm (Storage Rack) || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" | 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Fenders, Storage - 5 mm
* Turret Ring - 25 mm
* Tracks - 15 mm
* Suspension - 10 mm
* There are 10 mm or armour protection between the engine compartment and the crew compartment inside the vehicle

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}

On hard, flat terrain, the Type 89 will easily keep pace or out-speed many other vehicles due to its reasonable power-to-weight ratio of 23 hp/t.

On soft, uneven or hilly terrain the Type 89 loses a lot of its speed advantage. This is due to the fact that the gearbox only provides 4 separate forward speeds. Due to the long gearing the Type 89 will often find itself unable to climb hills in gear 2 and will have to change to gear 1, which provides a top speed of just 9 km/h for hill-climbing. This means the Type 89 is often less mobile on hilly terrain than medium tanks. This problem can be mitigated to some extent by maintaining a good amount of speed (30+ km/h) and not stopping when travelling up hills.

As with [[Type 60 SPRG (C)]], reverse gear is much more responsive and will allow you to manoeuvre and retreat back around the corner during combat - use it if tank was forcibly stopped.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|Oerlikon KDE (35 mm)}}

The Type 89 is equipped with a 35 mm Oerlikon KDE autocannon, which is similar to the [[Oerlikon KDA (35 mm)|KDA]] variant used by the [[Gepard]], the [[Type 87]], and the [[Chieftain Marksman]], and is widely considered to be one of the most effective guns in regards to damage output and reliability. This is due to their moderate calibre and rate of fire: 35 mm is the largest of the small autocannons which allows it to have a much higher rate of fire than any 40 mm or 57 mm system.

The difference between them is that KDE cannon fires slower than KDA, but it uses tank-specific ammunition instead. This particular tank also has an autoloader magazine of 34 shells. Each shell is reloaded for about 5 seconds when not firing, unless you rearm on the capture point, which injects shells directly into the magazine every ~0.1 sec regardless of firing, which allows the gun to fire forever.

It is very important to remember that even 3-5 direct APDS hits to a cannon barrel can neutralize almost any medium tank Type 89 can face, and should anything impenetrable suddenly attack, one can just destroy their gun to avoid being shot at. The APDS can also easily hit tanks from further than 1.2 km away, so it's worth looking around for unaware opponents with their sides exposed.

Overall, the autocannon allows the Type 89 to deal with most lightly armoured vehicles in the game. The APDS ammunition allows it to deal with Main Battle Tanks from the side, sometimes even from the front, though this should be carefully planned, as running out of autoloader ammo will almost definitely result in Type 89's demise.

The tank can use conventional HE to attack helicopters, if it must. Remember to use the laser rangefinder to target them quicker when it's researched. HE can also be used to demolish buildings, but every building piece will take at least 3 shots, which severely undercuts already limited autoloader ammo pool, therefore it should only be done when rearming from a capture point and only if you want to see and fire over cover (for example, to use the Type 79 ASM efficiently).

Whenever you see that the main gun can't deal with an enemy target, or someone caught you off guard, consider using the ATGMs instead.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Oerlikon KDE (35 mm)|35 mm Oerlikon KDE]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 251 || rowspan="2" | 200 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+35° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 0.30
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Oerlikon KDE (35 mm)/Ammunition|DM23, DM11A1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''251''' || 163 ''(+88)'' || 103 ''(+148)'' || 69 ''(+182)'' || 35 ''(+216)'' || 1 ''(+250)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks 1 and 2 are modeled as sets of 2 rounds. The rounds disappear from the rack only after you've fired both rounds in the set.
* Racks 3 and 4 are modeled as sets of 4 rounds; they disappear from the rack only after you've fired all rounds in the set.
* Rack 5 is modeled as individual rounds which disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 5 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 34 rounds.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader with at least one round. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun, so take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 4 into rack 5. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Type 79}}

The Type 79 default ATGM has around 700 mm flat penetration at any range and has start velocity of 200 m/s, while retaining the high explosive mass of the [[Type 64 MAT]], making it one of the better ATGMs of the rank. This ATGM can deal with most tanks from the front, but be sure to avoid hitting modern NATO NERA composite armour, as these composite armours will minimise the damage done or even negate it entirely. When facing tanks with active ERA screens like [[M60A1 RISE (P)]], attack the screen with the cannon first if possible, as such ERA plating may reduce the damage taken by the hostile tank and force you to use both missiles to take them down.

Two missile launchers are located on the sides of the turret, with two reserve missiles being stored in the back of the hull (four total). Due to their placement, they only really arrive at crosshair location if the target is over 500 m away, so use them on targets which are away from the tank and practice aim in test drive to be able to use them at melee ranges, instead of relying on the targeting reticle. The second missile can be immediately fired after the first one, but firing it will cut off guidance for the first one, so '''only''' do this if you are sure it's on the correct course. Missile reload is only possible after '''both''' missiles are fired.

Type 79 ASM is a proximity HE modification of the Type 79 ATGM. You can only have 10 magazines of ASM modification per battle (20 shots). When you aim at an enemy tank, it will automatically fly above the designated target to explode at about 3 m range from the tank roof. You can't directly control how far it will go, but aiming lower will usually increase the damage output, until the missile starts hitting the target directly. It is generally recommended to aim around the enemy turret base for maximum damage, as missile then tends to explode right above the target's roof.

This missile can be used to obliterate hostile ATGM tanks or to counter superior proximity ATGM carriers, but it is not very effective against medium and heavy tanks. While it technically can breach the roof even of the most feared tanks (like [[IS-6]]) and can be spammed offensively until spent completely off the capture point, if aimed incorrectly the missile tends to detonate too early and hit plates with 35+ mm thickness, doing superficial or no damage. It can also be very difficult to use in the heat of battle, where even a fraction of a second spent aiming may be the difference between victory and defeat. The missile is also too weak to breach roof ERA or NERA, so tanks with the full 360° roof protection (like rank VII Soviet tanks) will not take any damage from it, easily enduring even double direct hits.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Type 79]] missile || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 4 (2) || 0°/+20° || N/A || N/A || 13.00 || 11.50 || 10.60 || 10.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type 79/Ammunition|Type 79, Type 79 ASM}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''2''' || 1 ''(+1)'' || 0 ''(+2)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* ATGMs are modeled by sets of 2. You can carry either 2 or 4 missiles.
* The left ATGM is fired first.
* The reload process will only begin when both ATGM have been fired off the {{PAGENAME}}'s side launchers

=== Optics and night vision ===
The Type 89 receives night vision imagers once the tier 3 modification 'NVD' is researched. This unlocks standard 500 x 300 resolution thermal sights for the gunner, as well as standard image intensifiers for all crew (available in third person view in AB/RB additionally).
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" |{{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! rowspan="3" |Type of optic
! rowspan="3" |Magnification
! colspan="5" |[[Night Vision Devices]]
|-
! colspan="3" |Image Intensifier
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Thermal Imager Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
! rowspan="2" |Notes
|-
!{{Annotation|Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
!{{Annotation|Light Mult|By how much the image intensifier amplifies the existing light, primarily useful for comparing image intensifiers}}
!{{Annotation|Noise Level|How much noise is present in the image (how grainy the image is)}}
|-
!Gunner's Sight
|2.0x - 8.0x||--||--||--||500 x 300||Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|-
!Commander's View
|6.0x||1600 x 1200||9.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|-
!Driver's View
|1.0x||800 x 600||5.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

Type 74 machine gun isn't doing anything special on this tank, as Type 89 can "scout" tanks directly without making any noise, but it can be sometimes used together with main gun when fighting other ATGM tanks or helicopters, as to add a chance of survival against ATGM by shooting them down mid-flight.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


While the tank has a lot of weapons, it is a bit on a slower side. Since it is not able to fire ATGMs on the move and its autoloader has a very limited ammo pool, the Type 89 has to rely on cover and area denial to move around and fight.

One way to avoid ammo starvation is to stand on a capture point, which will reload the weapons for you, but capture points often provide really poor cover and must be captured first to provide ammo, which may not even happen.

Even if you managed to get to a really good capture point, which does not allow enemies to suddenly attack you and you carry type 79 ASM to destroy them before they can even get into a line of sight, enemies will very soon grow tired of the endless 35 mm KDE noises and the ATGMs hitting them, then call their entire artillery supply in your general direction. An artillery strike can destroy the Type 89 in one hit and must be avoided.

If you clearly can't capture a point (there is a lot of tanks or snipers have it on lockdown), work as a support or a flanker to avoid situations in which you are overwhelmed and can't retreat to reload. Getting into enemy squad side can be difficult, but generally provides an opportunity to take out two tanks with a gun before ATGMs have be used.

Despite having low ammo count, the main gun itself can deal a lot of damage to the crew or weapons if aimed properly, working as a decent deterrent for many tanks. It won't be able to beat [[Begleitpanzer 57]] or [[IT-1]] because it does not have APHE option and only does marginal damage to such tanks if they are careful, so use ATGM to destroy them if you can.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has 2 ATGM loaded at the same time and can fire them in quick succession
* The Type 79 ATGM is hard to dodge, have high penetration power of 700 mm and higher explosive mass than average ATGM
* The Type 79 ASM can be used to defeat proximity ATGM carriers of higher rank, although it's not nearly as effective against regular targets
* The Type 89's hull technically can survive some HEAT, HESH or even ATGM if they hit its engine compartment (left side), but it's not very reliable
* Highly accurate stabilized main weapon
* Can very efficiently exchange speed to manoeuvrability at gears 2 and 3
* Neutral steering
* Good reverse speed, turns better in reverse than forward
* Has thermal sight

'''Cons:'''

* Weak armour - It has worse protection from overpressure damage than [[TAM (Family)|TAM]] or [[Warrior]] with add-on composite shields and also can lose an entire crew to a single 23 mm API-T or even APDS shot from the right side
* Low ammo count for the main gun autoloader and only 4 ATGM - will often get stuck for a long time hiding behind cover to reload
* Due to placement of ATGM launchers on turret, firing them in close combat is awkward and may result in a non-fatal hit
* Unlike [[Type 60 ATM]], ATGM only reloads after you fired both of loaded missiles
* ATGM launchers have zero gun depression, which can make close range encounters even more difficult
* Very poor turn rate at gear 1

== History ==

At the beginning of the 1980s, the JSDF wanted to replace its outdated Type 60 and Type 73 APCs with more modern IFVs, similar to the American Bradley and the German Marder. The JSDF drew up a set of requirements and tasked the Mitsubishi company with developing a suitable replacement.

In 1984, funding was approved to build four different prototypes, all of which underwent testing until 1986. By 1989, one prototype design was selected and was adopted within the armed forces under the designation of Type 89.

Initially, the JSDF estimated the need for about 300 Type 89s to be built. However, the end of the Cold War in the 1990s combined with a limited budget prevented a rapid mass-production of Type 89 to take place. In fact, production was proceeding at a very low rate, with just over 50 vehicles entering service with the JSDF by 1999.

Although production of Type 89 was discontinued in 2004, the vehicle is still in service with the JSDF today. As of 2016, a total of 68 vehicles were present in the JSDF's inventory from the initially planned 300.

''- From [[wt:en/news/5936-development-type-89-the-fire-dragon-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_89 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
{{Skin-gallery
|market|ugcitem_1000386|Type 89 IFV urban camouflage.png|Camo "Urban camouflage"
}}

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|2h5kFyznXKU|'''Best IFVs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:30 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[M3 Bradley]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5936-development-type-89-the-fire-dragon-en|[Devblog] Type 89: The Fire Dragon]]

{{Manufacturer MHI}}
{{Japan light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

JaPz.K A2

2024-04-17T02:13:12Z

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sk105_a2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Even though it is angled at 62°, the hull armour of the JaPz.K A2 is relatively weak. In most cases, it will stop 20 mm cannons but any bigger calibre will have no problems punching right trough the hull armour which in most cases leads to an instant death, as the crew is sitting tightly packed together. Rapid firing autocannons such as the ones mounted on the [[Gepard]] or the [[ZSU-37-2]] will have no problems shredding the Kürassier in less than a second.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (62°) ''Frontal Glacis'' 20 mm (49°) ''Bottom Glacis'' || 14 mm ''Top hull side'' 14 mm ''Bottom hull side'' || 12 mm || 5-10 mm
|-
| Turret || 20-40 mm (19-69°) ''Turret front'' 40 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun Mantlet'' || 20-40 mm || 10-20 mm || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 10 mm(60°) || 10 mm || 10 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=496|rbMinHp=283}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|PzK M57 (105 mm)}}

In terms of weaponry, the JaPz.K A2 carries the 105 mm PzK M57 which is very effective at dispatching almost every enemy tank with a well placed shot. It possesses an autoloader with a fixed 4-second reload time and a ready rack of 12 rounds. After the 12 rounds have been depleted, the user has to wait until the ready rack replenishes at least one round. This can be quite problematic as it takes a lot of time when in the heat of the battle.

Another important aspect is that the gun is not stabilized. Combined with the low weight of the vehicle, the player can have a hard time to lay its gun if coming from full stop or when firing consecutive shots due to recoil.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PzK M57 (105 mm)|105 mm PzK M57]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 38 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:PzK M57 (105 mm)/Ammunition|OCC 105 F1, OE 105 F1 Mle.60, OFPH 105 F1, OFL 105 G1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''38''' || 38 ''(+0)'' || 13 ''(+25)'' || 7 ''(+31)'' || 1 ''(+37)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of rounds: 42 shells are modeled but only 38 shells can be fired. Rack 1 is therefore always empty.
* Rack 3 and 4 (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
** These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 2 into rack 4 then 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 2.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The JaPz.K A2 has access to the [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]] machine gun. While it lacks any sort effective penetration, its high rate of fire can dispatch exposed crew members easily. The single belt contains 1,000 rounds with average velocity. It is largely inadequate against armour and should be used exclusively to dispatch exposed crew members or to destroy environmental objects such as fences with ease.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

With 3rd generation thermals on gunner optics, a laser rangefinder and one of the best APFSDS rounds at its rank against sloped armour, the JaPz.K A2 is a very potent sniper. Stick to areas with long lines of sight and utilize your superior long range firepower. Do not attempt to brawl, ever. The lack of stabilizer combined with the low weight of the vehicle means your gun will jump all over the place and will be slow to bring on target compared to its peers. Shots fired on the move are achievable only through sheer luck and it is almost impossible to squeeze a first shot if coming to a stop from full speed. If forced to close quarters combat like on urban maps, avoid direct confrontation: flank or ambush. The latter can be done extremely well due to your small size, excellent mobility and 4-second reload time.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 12-round autoloader with a 4-second reload time
* Strong APFSDS shells
* Has a smoke grenade launcher with 2 salvos
* Has access to night vision device and 3rd generation thermal imager on gunner optics
* Has access to a laser rangefinder with automatic sight adjustment
* Commander gun controls, able to shoot back with an unconscious gunner

'''Cons:'''

* Has thin armour that can be penetrated even by .50 cal machine guns
* Lacks a stabilizer
* No roof-mounted MG for anti-air purposes
* Has only 3 crew members sitting close to each other
* Very unstable gun: high recoil and low accuracy while moving
* APFSDS is unlocked only at tier III
* Mediocre mobility for a light tank
* If the magazine runs out of rounds, the user has to wait until it is refilled to engage

== History ==


The SK-105 ''Kürassier'' was developed in Austria by Saurer-Werk in response to military requests for a lightweight and mobile anti-tank vehicle. The first prototype arrived in 1967, with pre-production vehicles following in 1971. The vehicle consisted of a oscillating turret weapons platform possessing a potent 105mm cannon, atop the modified chassis of the already existing Saurer APC.

After its creation, the vehicle was adopted by the Austrian military, with a total of 286 being operated until the 1990s, while hundreds more were exported to countries around the world including Argentina, Morocco, Tunisia, and others. Argentina's order totalled 118 vehicles. In November 2005 the first prototype of the Patagón was delivered. This vehicle was to be a modernisation of the JaPz.K A2, replacing the original turrets with surplus AMX-13 (105) turrets, however the project was abandoned in 2008 due to authorities "considering the manufacture of the 40 planned units uneconomical".

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sk105_a2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|G6enBS8bPrU|'''The Shooting Range #267''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


* [[AMX-13]] - Similar tank designation and oscillating turret design
* [[SK-105A2]] - Domestic service version

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:SK-105_Kürassier|[Wikipedia] SK-105 Kürassier]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/Austria/SK-105_Kurassier.php <nowiki>[tanks-encyclopedia] SK-105 Kurassier</nowiki>]

{{Germany light tanks}}