War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Fox

2024-04-09T20:36:34Z

U105311580: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_fv721_fox
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

When it comes to armour protection, the Fox is severely lacking. With protection from .50 calibre bullets from the front only, players will quickly find themselves killed if targeted by the enemy, so care should be taken to not be seen and to keep moving if seen so as to provide a hard target to hit.

The internals of the Fox will not provide much chance to survive either, as the 3 crew members are very tightly packed with not much empty space, so any shots that penetrate are likely to kill at least 2, if not all 3 crew. Most of the space not taken up by crew is taken by either the engine, transmission or ammunition, so even if the crew does not die straight away, players will typically find themselves either exploding, or stuck in place while the enemy reloads.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 33.5 mm (53°) Front Glacis
33.5 mm (1-53°) Driver's Port
| 41 mm (0-6°) ''Top'' 5 mm (0°) ''Bottom'' || 38 mm (1°) || 5 mm (89°)
|-
| Turret || 41 mm (47-60°) ''Turret front'' 41 mm (52-55°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 41 mm (0°) || 38 mm (36°) || 20 mm (89°)
|-
| Cupola || 20 mm (60°) || 20 mm (60°) || 20 mm (60°) || 20 mm (59-89°)
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=302|rbMinHp=172}}

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

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

{{main|L21A1 (30 mm)}}

Sharing the main gun with the Warrior, players should be aware of the low rate of fire for this weapons calibre, with 0.9 seconds between each shell. The clip size of 3 may look like a downside, but the reload time of the clip is fast enough to not make a difference to fire rate.

One redeeming factor of the gun is the APDS, giving it impressive penetration (for a 30 mm). However, it is still a 30 mm and players should always be looking for the side of targets unless they are very lightly armoured. The post-penetration damage requires careful aiming to disable enemy vehicles as the Fox will not withstand return fire which the enemy will get a chance to do as the fire rate is slow enough to give them time to react.

Starting with APHE and HEI belts, the penetration is severely lacking and can not be relied upon to kill targets, but once the APDS belt is unlocked, players can start being more comfortable when flanking.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[L21A1 (30 mm)|30 mm L21A1]] || 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" | 99 (3) || rowspan="2" | 80 || rowspan="2" | -14°/+40° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:L21A1 (30 mm)/Ammunition|30x170 APHE-I, 30x170 HE-I-T, 30x170 APDS-T}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''33''' || 11 ''(+22)'' || 7 ''(+26)'' || 4 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+32)'' || N/A || N/A || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|L37A2 (7.62 mm)}}

The Fox's L37A2 coaxial machine gun can be used along with the 30 mm autocannon, to take down aircraft that could pose a threat to your vehicle. The machine gun can also be used to counter many open vehicles of the battle rating such as the M53/59 and the M56 Scorpion.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L37A2 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L37A2]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,600 (100) || 650 || - || -
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

In summary, the Fox plays in a similar fashion to vehicles like the Italian R3. Its mobility allows for players to scout and move to positions faster than the majority of other vehicles seen at the battle rating. As the Foxes battle rating is home to the majority of cold war heavy tanks, most of the teams are usually a combination of heavy tanks and main battle tanks, putting the fox in a unique position to capture zones before the teams even engage each other. The 30 mil has a terrible fire rate, but it does have an APDS round that allows the fox to kill most things from either the side or back. On the occasion where a Fox is unable to destroy a tank with its APDS belt, tracks and cannon barrels will be destroyed by the 30 mil. Coaxial machines of 12.7 and higher can penetrate the Foxes armor, so caution should be exercised if the machine guns are still functional.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great mobility and acceleration with a reverse gearbox
* Effective cannon that can penetrate almost all vehicles from the sides and back
* Small profile, allowing for "rat" gameplay and access to a lot of hiding places.

'''Cons:'''

* Terrible fire rate
* Can be penetrated by .50 cals from the sides and back

== History ==

Beginning development in 1965 by the Daimler company of Coventry, the FV721 Fox was a 4x4 armoured car as a replacement for the Ferret scout car and Saladin armoured car. The first of 15 prototypes was completed in November 1967 with user trials beginning the following year. Following successful trials, the first announcement about the Fox was made in October 1969, with a production order placed with Royal Ordnance Leeds the following year. Production began in 1972 and ran to May 1973, building a total of 325.

200 vehicles saw service with the United Kingdom, with most being used by the Royal Yeomanry and the Queen's Own Yeomanry, part of the British Army of the Rhine. Small numbers were also attached to air mobile, armoured and mechanized infantry battalions to form a reconnaissance platoon. The Fox was retired from British service by 1994.

The remaining vehicles were exported to Malawi and Nigeria, with some remaining in service to this day.

=== [[wt:en/news/8789-development-fv721-fox-an-opportunistic-predator-en|Devblog]] ===
In the 1960s, the British Army was looking to replace their outdated Ferret and Saladin armored cars with a more capable vehicle that featured the 30 mm L21A1 RARDEN cannon. Development of the FV721 Fox started in 1965 by Daimler with the first prototype ready and shown to the British Army in 1967. After successful trials, full-scale production of the Fox was given the go ahead and was completed by 1973. Over 300 were built, where most were operated by Britain which are now out of service, and some by Malawi and Nigeria that are still in service today in very limited numbers.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|L0RHBstrvEk|'''The Shooting Range #400''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:52 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/8789-development-fv721-fox-an-opportunistic-predator-en|[Devblog] FV721 Fox: An Opportunistic Predator]]

{{Britain light tanks}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

Rooikat Mk.1D

2024-04-09T20:08:19Z

U105311580: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Rooikat (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_rooikat_76
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

In 1976, the South African Armoured Corps issued a new project for a "New Generation Armoured Car", intended to replace the 4x4 [[Eland 90 Mk.7|Eland 90]] in service as they were struggling to provide adequate support for the heavier [[Ratel (Family)|Ratel]] IFVs in tank warfare. Following the inadequate performance of the [[Concept 3|initial prototype series]], new specifications were issued, and new prototypes were designed by Sandock-Austral with assistance from German firm Thyssen-Henschel, leading to the light Class 1 ("Cheetah Mk1") and medium Class 2 ("Cheetah Mk2") fitted with a modification of the 76 mm OTO Melara naval cannon, as well as the heavy [[Class 3 (P)|Class 3 ("Bismarck")]] fitted with a 105 mm L7. While the Class 2 was originally designed in two variants — the 2A having the engine at the front to allow a rear compartment for carrying infantry, and the 2B with a conventional rear-engined setup — such plans were later scrapped in favour of creating a vehicle more focused on reconnaissance and anti-tank capabilities, retaining the Ratel for the IFV role. The Class 2B prototype was selected for development, and limited production for further testing began in 1987, when it was christened the '''Rooikat'''. Mass-production began in mid 1990.

Introduced in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]], the Rooikat Mk.1D is a powerful and nimble light tank. It has excellent mobility, allowing it to easily set up ambush positions, flank, or reposition after sniping. While the gun somewhat lacks in post-penetration damage, the APFSDS shell's penetration is sufficient for even the heaviest opponents that it may face. Coupled with access to a two-plane stabiliser and laser rangefinder, the Rooikat excels in long range sniping, and can also perform well in closer range engagements, although it risks having to take multiple shots to take out a target.

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


Armour on the Rooikat chassis is light, but reasonably good. It will be safe from heavy machine guns from almost all the angles. While theoretically the 12.7 mm rounds can penetrate flat sides from up to 500 m and damage them from some angles when closer than 100 m, that almost never happens. 20 mm autocannons and above will be able to penetrate almost anywhere, and so SPAA and cannon-armed aircraft will be a significant threat.

The {{PAGENAME}} has two hull-mounted smoke groups and ESS, making the tank difficult to finish off and allowing it to use smoke offensively whenever it's needed. Unfortunately, the {{PAGENAME}} does not have thermal scope to see through ESS in RB, while many enemies do.

Protection against heavier weapons vary greatly depending on the enemy skill and ammunition type.

Against big kinetic shells: While there are three crew members sitting in a straight line when facing the tank straight, the design of the tank is nonetheless confusing to people which do not bother to learn enemy tanks layouts - the turret and the driver crew are located at different heights, allowing for random misses and there is only one small fuel tank, which is difficult to hit on accident. Furthermore, the ammo racks are small and the last one is located on a side that almost no one ever fires at. By not charging at enemy tanks directly and taking less ammunition, the {{PAGENAME}} can sometimes survive up to 20 kinetic shots from up to 3 tanks at the same time.

Against chemical ammunition: This vehicle is vulnerable to overpressure, and its hull roof can be overpressurized by HEAT or HESH if hit correctly, so anyone actually expecting {{PAGENAME}} can instantly destroy it. Therefore, the {{PAGENAME}}'s key to survival is mobility.

The {{PAGENAME}} also comes stock with a desert yellow camouflage, which can be problematic on certain maps.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
* Wheel (tires, torsion bars)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25 mm (77°) ''Upper glacis - Centre'' 10 mm (75°) ''Upper glacis - Sides'' 30 mm (23°) ''Lower glacis - Centre'' 15 mm (23°) ''Lower glacis - Sides'' || 20 mm (25°) ''Top'' 25 mm (0-9°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm ''Upper plate'' 20 mm (29°) ''Lower plate'' || 25 mm (13°) ''Front glacis - Centre'' 10 mm (15°) ''Front glacis - Sides'' 20 mm (0-13°) ''Driver compartment'' 10 mm (0-17°) ''Crew compartment'' 5 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 25 mm (26-28°) ''Turret front'' 25 mm ''Gun mantlet - external'' 30 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet - internal'' || 25 mm (12-16°) || 15 mm (15°) || 15 mm (10°) ''Front'' 10 mm (0-11°) ''Rear''
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 25 mm (cylindrical) ''Base'' 25 mm (spherical) ''Dome'' || 25 mm (spherical) ''Dome''
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Tires and torsion bars are 10 mm thick.
* The storage box behind the turret is 5 mm thick.
* The internal part of the gun mantlet overlaps with parts of the turret front.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=879|rbMinHp=501}}

The mobility on the {{PAGENAME}} is best described as good. It's decently fast, both on and off-road, but suffers from a poor turning circle and a somewhat under-powered engine when stock. Users should not be surprised if they have trouble climbing even mild grades from a standstill and it is not uncommon to need to back up and gain some momentum before being able overcome some hills.

In arcade mode, the {{PAGENAME}} is one of the fastest tanks in the game, and it's basically impossible to outrace it if there is an asphalt road nearby, which is expected from a wheeled tank, however it might crash into a wall and flip over if forced to turn while driving at a maximum speed.

Areas with mud (very specific places on maps like the hill entrances on [[White Rock Fortress]] or some river banks) must be avoided, as the {{PAGENAME}} nearly instantly slows down to 8 km/h while moving through it until all of the wheels are freed. Fortunately, mud is very visible and its generally possible to drive around it.

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

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

{{main|GT-4 (76 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is armed with the Denel 76 mm GT-4 cannon. As far as game-play goes, it is essentially a hand-loaded version of the OTO-Melara 76 mm/62 gun found on the OTOMATIC. It fires the same APFSDS and has HE with similar performance to the shell found on the OTOMATIC, albeit not VT-fused and thus far less useful. Its APFSDS has the ability to frontally penetrate any opponent in its battle-rating bracket, although the odd [[Maus]] may be troublesome, particularly if it is angled.

It has a base 8.7 second reload, which can be reduced to 6.7s through a fully trained and aced crew. Unfortunately this reload is exactly as long as the reload on 105mm armed vehicles it may face in its battle-rating bracket such as the Leopard series, OF-40 series, Centauro, and AMX-30 series. It also has the somewhat questionable accuracy of the OTO-Melara 76 mm, so do not be surprised if its shots aren't pinpoint, though this matters more for shooting down the odd helicopter than for tanks. It gets access to a laser rangefinder to make long range shots easier which is useful on large maps like Sinai. It has decent turret traverse and good firing angles, so its quite flexible in terms of positioning.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[GT-4 (76 mm)|76 mm GT-4]] || 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" | 48 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:GT-4 (76 mm)/Ammunition|76/62 APFSDS, 76/62 HE}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''48''' || 46 ''(+2)'' || 37 ''(+11)'' || 29 ''(+19)'' || 19 ''(+29)'' || 11 ''(+37)'' || 1 ''(+47)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 10 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
** This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 6 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 5.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-5 into rack 6. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the total number of shells as well as the number of shells per rack:
** 49 shells are modeled but you can pack only 48 shells.
** Rack 1 is modeled as 4 shells but contains only 3 shells.

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

{{main|Browning MG4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Browning MG4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Browning MG4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,750 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Rooikat Mk.1D should be played either as long range support (with the help of the scouting mechanic) or in quick flanking manoeuvres.

As a wheeled vehicle, the mobility is excellent and allows the Rooikat to get to ambush or sniping spots very quickly before the slower and heavier opponents show up. Although the gun penetrates far above its weight for its calibre, the post-penetration damage leaves something to be desired and can punish careless point-and-click targeting. Drivers of the Rooikat must take this in mind and put extra thought on where on a target they should aim, as its rather long reload does not leave room for error with such limited post-pen damage.

If a player decides to snipe with the Rooikat, they should adopt a "shoot-and-scoot" strategy: shoot an opponent, fall back behind cover and relocate to a new firing spot to avoid retaliation. An opponent returning fire will most likely not have any issues taking you out within 1 or 2 shots.

While it's not very recommended, the {{PAGENAME}} can quickly rush down enemy sniper tanks and attack them at close range. Double smoke screens also help with this, as they can be used to force snipers to abandon their cover. It is possible to attack capture points in the same manner if there are allies to cover the reckless light tank. Smokes might prolong tanks life for up to 2 minutes, sometimes allowing the {{PAGENAME}} to steal a victory.

It is important to not bully ATGM tanks unless the kill is guaranteed, because they will vaporize any light tanks that are a nuisance to them immediately and the small APFSDS of the {{PAGENAME}} can, against all odds, shatter upon hitting some ATGM tanks or disable only one of the crew members, ultimately failing to stop them from retaliating.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* One of the fastest ground vehicles in-game (120 km/h in RB), even with stock modules it can often drive off-road as fast as an upgraded [[BMP-2]]
* Access to APFSDS rounds
* Sides and front can stop .50 cals at slight angle or at 100+ metres
* Laser Rangefinder helps with aiming at any range
* Very good reverse speed at -43 km/h
* Has good zoom variety for a light tank, having X8-12 zoom compared to usual X7-8 of light tanks at the rank
* Incredible stock grind experience thanks to stock APFSDS and good gun handling & excellent speed on the appropriate terrain
* One of the very few 8.3 light tanks in game with access to a drone (rank 6).

'''Cons:'''

* Despite the indicated top speed, the vehicle will rarely get to 100+ km/h and there aren't many maps that allow to use it in a meaningful way either
* Not as good at reversing as other British light tanks or the [[Object 906]]
* Weak armour overall, it will succumb to any autocannon fire instantly
* Vehicle will not be able to stabilise the gun at speeds of 75+ km/h (46.6+ mph)
* The 76/62 APFSDS has very punctual post-pen damage. It's not uncommon to take 3+ rounds to finish a target off
* Reload rate is rather average - mediocre when taking into account the lackluster sabot damage
* Has a rather large turning circle, so turning around in confined areas may require 3-point turns.

== History ==


=== [[wt:en/news/6496-development-rooikat-76-mk-1d-desert-cat-en|Devblog]] ===
During the mid 1970s, the South African armed forces issued a specification which kickstarted the development of the "New Generation Armoured Car" project. The aim of the project, as the name suggests, was the development of a new heavy armoured car that would replace dated existing designs in the near future.

First test beds were developed in the late 1970s, intended to primarily trial various designs for mobility. At the same time, South Africa was involved in some local conflicts with the neighbouring state of Angola during the mid '70s - mid '80s, further shaping the development of the ongoing project.

In the early 1980s, having sought knowledge and expertise from German engineers, several prototype designs were built and tested. Among them, the eight-wheeled 'Cheetah Mk.2' armed with a 76 mm gun was selected as the winner and was subsequently procured by the South African army. Small scale production began in the late 1980s, with the Cheetah Mk.2 officially receiving the name 'Rooikat' after entering service. Following initial limited production runs, mass production commenced in mid 1990, which led to a total of over 240 Rooikats being produced.

In the early 2000s, the Rooikat 76 Mk.1D was developed under a modernisation program, becoming the most modern modification of the vehicle. The upgrade introduced several smaller improvements, such as improved commander optics and number of smoke launchers as well as others. Over 170 Rooikat 76 Mk.1Ds serve with the South African army today.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_rooikat_76 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Rooikat Mk1D WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
File:Rooikat Mk1D WTWallpaper 02.jpg|
File:Rooikat Mk1D WTWallpaper 03.jpg|
File:Rooikat Mk1D WTWallpaper 04.jpg|
File:Rooikat Mk1D WTWallpaper 05.jpg|
File:Rooikat Mk1D WTWallpaper 06.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|rDQ8R95LQJM|'''Should You Buy The Rooikat Mk. 1D''' - ''Sako Sniper''|qoprhFB5S7I|'''The Shooting Range #179''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:30 discusses the Rooikat Mk.1D.|RJjVRagzYPU|'''Rooikat Mk.1D - Speeding Up British 8.3 Lineup''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[AUBL/74 HVG]]
* [[Centauro]]
* [[AMX-10RC]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6496-development-rooikat-76-mk-1d-desert-cat-en|[Devblog] Rooikat 76 Mk.1D: Desert Cat]]

{{Britain light tanks}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

Fox

2024-04-09T20:05:29Z

U105311580: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_fv721_fox
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

When it comes to armour protection, the Fox is severely lacking. With protection from .50 calibre bullets from the front only, players will quickly find themselves killed if targeted by the enemy, so care should be taken to not be seen and to keep moving if seen so as to provide a hard target to hit.

The internals of the Fox will not provide much chance to survive either, as the 3 crew members are very tightly packed with not much empty space, so any shots that penetrate are likely to kill at least 2, if not all 3 crew. Most of the space not taken up by crew is taken by either the engine, transmission or ammunition, so even if the crew does not die straight away, players will typically find themselves either exploding, or stuck in place while the enemy reloads.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 33.5 mm (53°) Front Glacis
33.5 mm (1-53°) Driver's Port
| 41 mm (0-6°) ''Top'' 5 mm (0°) ''Bottom'' || 38 mm (1°) || 5 mm (89°)
|-
| Turret || 41 mm (47-60°) ''Turret front'' 41 mm (52-55°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 41 mm (0°) || 38 mm (36°) || 20 mm (89°)
|-
| Cupola || 20 mm (60°) || 20 mm (60°) || 20 mm (60°) || 20 mm (59-89°)
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=302|rbMinHp=172}}

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

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

{{main|L21A1 (30 mm)}}

Sharing the main gun with the Warrior, players should be aware of the low rate of fire for this weapons calibre, with 0.9 seconds between each shell. The clip size of 3 may look like a downside, but the reload time of the clip is fast enough to not make a difference to fire rate.

One redeeming factor of the gun is the APDS, giving it impressive penetration (for a 30 mm). However, it is still a 30 mm and players should always be looking for the side of targets unless they are very lightly armoured. The post-penetration damage requires careful aiming to disable enemy vehicles as the Fox will not withstand return fire which the enemy will get a chance to do as the fire rate is slow enough to give them time to react.

Starting with APHE and HEI belts, the penetration is severely lacking and can not be relied upon to kill targets, but once the APDS belt is unlocked, players can start being more comfortable when flanking.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[L21A1 (30 mm)|30 mm L21A1]] || 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" | 99 (3) || rowspan="2" | 80 || rowspan="2" | -14°/+40° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:L21A1 (30 mm)/Ammunition|30x170 APHE-I, 30x170 HE-I-T, 30x170 APDS-T}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''33''' || 11 ''(+22)'' || 7 ''(+26)'' || 4 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+32)'' || N/A || N/A || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|L37A2 (7.62 mm)}}

The Fox's L37A2 coaxial machine gun can be used along with the 30 mm autocannon, to take down aircraft that could pose a threat to your vehicle. The machine gun can also be used to counter many open vehicles of the battle rating such as the M53/59 and the M56 Scorpion.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L37A2 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L37A2]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,600 (100) || 650 || - || -
|-
|}

== 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 mobility and acceleration with a reverse gearbox
* Effective cannon that can penetrate almost all vehicles from the sides and back
* Small profile, allowing for "rat" gameplay and access to a lot of hiding places.

'''Cons:'''

* Terrible fire rate
* Can be penetrated by .50 cals from the sides and back

== History ==

Beginning development in 1965 by the Daimler company of Coventry, the FV721 Fox was a 4x4 armoured car as a replacement for the Ferret scout car and Saladin armoured car. The first of 15 prototypes was completed in November 1967 with user trials beginning the following year. Following successful trials, the first announcement about the Fox was made in October 1969, with a production order placed with Royal Ordnance Leeds the following year. Production began in 1972 and ran to May 1973, building a total of 325.

200 vehicles saw service with the United Kingdom, with most being used by the Royal Yeomanry and the Queen's Own Yeomanry, part of the British Army of the Rhine. Small numbers were also attached to air mobile, armoured and mechanized infantry battalions to form a reconnaissance platoon. The Fox was retired from British service by 1994.

The remaining vehicles were exported to Malawi and Nigeria, with some remaining in service to this day.

=== [[wt:en/news/8789-development-fv721-fox-an-opportunistic-predator-en|Devblog]] ===
In the 1960s, the British Army was looking to replace their outdated Ferret and Saladin armored cars with a more capable vehicle that featured the 30 mm L21A1 RARDEN cannon. Development of the FV721 Fox started in 1965 by Daimler with the first prototype ready and shown to the British Army in 1967. After successful trials, full-scale production of the Fox was given the go ahead and was completed by 1973. Over 300 were built, where most were operated by Britain which are now out of service, and some by Malawi and Nigeria that are still in service today in very limited numbers.

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|L0RHBstrvEk|'''The Shooting Range #400''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:52 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/8789-development-fv721-fox-an-opportunistic-predator-en|[Devblog] FV721 Fox: An Opportunistic Predator]]

{{Britain light tanks}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

Challenger 2 OES

2024-03-03T17:05:01Z

U105311580: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_challenger_2_megatron
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The Challenger 2 OES is a modification for the tank made to improve its survivability in high intensity battles. With the introduction of ERA blocks covering the sides and front of the vehicle, this protection is meant to deal specially against RPGs and ATGMs in urban combat. The vehicle also received updated protection against IEDs. The upgrade started development based on the Challenger 2 TES, which is almost identical, this upgrade was created as a response to the asymmetric warfare scenario of Iraq 2002, in which IEDs and urban combat doomed many NATO tanks due to their poor protection on the sides. The US developed a similar upgrade with the TUSK ERA package for their M1 Abram tanks.

Introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]], the Challenger 2 OES is very similar to other Challenger 2 tanks. However the increased weight due to the ERA and added composite screens does not include an upgraded engine, which means that the mobility of the Challenger 2 OES is mediocre when compared to earlier Challenger 2s. However, this comes with increased protection against both APFSDS projectiles and ATGMs, the ERA and composite screens are enough to increase the protection against other tanks in critical areas, while they also increase the chances of enemy ATGMs not penetrating the vehicle on the sides of the tank and the turret. However the weak spot in the lower front plate is still present so take that into consideration and hide your hull whenever possible.

== 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}}

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|L30A1 (120 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L30A1 (120 mm)|120 mm L30A1]] || 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" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:L30A1 (120 mm)/Ammunition|Shot L23A1, L34, Shell L31A7, L26, L27A1}}

==== [[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
|-
| '''50''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|L94A1 (7.62 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
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L94A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm L94A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== 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 ===

''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''

'''Pros:'''

* Retains pros from previous challenger 2:
** Impressive chemical protection on the front and sides
** Impressive kinetic protection on either side of the cannon breach, allowing for efficient hull down combat
** Access to unique and powerful hesh round
** Very accurate L30A1 120 mm gun, can even fire hesh accurately at multiple km range
** Fast reload
* Roof mounted machine gun has access to thermal and can be used as a makeshift CITV for scouting (but not firing, unfortunately)
* Access to 12mm machine gun, a rare luxury on British tanks
* Since it is a premium tank, its RP and SL gains are doubled and it can research any British tanks currently in the game

'''Cons:'''

* The jammer is useless in-game and begs other tanks to scout it out or use HE on it
* Heaviest MBT in the game with a very poor hp/ton ratio; very poor acceleration
* Worse turret traverse compared to most challenger 2 tanks, and one of the worst of any 11.3+ vehicle
* Very poor steering, turning is slow and costs a great deal of speed, which takes a long time to regain
* In most situations, can only reach around 40kph (25mph)
* Also retains weaknesses of previous challenger 2 models:
** Same ammunition options as the previous Challengers
** Frontal armor is weak at the lower frontal plate, drivers port, and cannon breach.
** L27A1 has low penetration compared to other top rank NATO ammunition, however reload speed does compensate for this
** Cannot maintain the short reload time after the first-stage ammo rack (4 rounds) has been depleted

== 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 ==

''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.''

{{Britain medium tanks}}
{{Britain premium ground vehicles}}