War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Nuclear weapons

2022-10-28T08:02:36Z

U10980488: /* Description */

[[File:WallPaper WarThunder Atomic Tank.jpg|x250px|right|none]]

'''Nuclear weapons''' were introduced into War Thunder in [[Update "New Power"]] as an available unlock in ground battles once the right conditions are met.

==Description==

Nuclear weapons in War Thunder allowed skilled best players who accumulated enough points in arcade or 2500 spawn points (SP) in realistic ground battles to pilot a nuclear weapon-armed aircraft into the battlefield and drop a nuclear bomb. Successful deployment of the bomb will end the game instantly in favor of the team that first dropped their nuclear armament.

===Introduction into the game===
The concept of a player-launched nuclear weapon was teased as far back as the War Thunder 2018 April Fool's event [[Silent Thunder]], where one of the objective is for player-controlled submarines to capture specific points on the map in order to enable them to fire their onboard cruise or ballistic missiles, some of which are implied as being armed with a nuclear warhead. Fulfilling this objective ends the match in favor of the capturing team's side.

Nuclear weapons for applications in ground battles were teased during the build-up of Update "New Power", with the teaser video ending with a large, bright explosion in an overcast setting. This culminated into a unique event when the update was released on 17 November 2020. A countdown timer with sirens popped up for the player, counting down until a bright flash and an explosion engulfs the screen, with the game simply telling the player "Get ready for War Thunder: New Power" that prompts the player to restart the game. Upon rebooting the game, players will login to their new hangar location introduced in Update "New Power", which will then show a nuclear explosion happening in a distance away, symbolizing the destruction of the old hangar that was used prior to Update "New Power".

==Gameplay==
Upon its introduction, nuclear weapons were originally available for ground arcade battles from battle-rating 7.3 upwards, spawning in a similar manner as the available aircraft. The nuclear weapons are unavailable in battles with helicopters randomly chosen as the air support. The unlock criteria to fly a nuclear weapon-armed aircraft was 20 airstrike points (obtained by the manual destruction of 20 enemy tanks and aircraft or through other means, such as scouting, without using a "bomber"). The eligible battle ratings to spawn a nuclear-armed vehicle expanded to battle-rating 6.0 upwards in the [[wt:en/game/changelog/current/1171|November 19th update]]. This was further modified in [[Update "Hot Tracks"]] by reducing the number of required airstrike points from 20 to 15. The nuclear weapon unlock was soon expanded to ground realistic battles in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]] on 10 March 2021, with the unlock criteria being 3,000 spawn points. This was later modified to 2,500 spawn points in the [[wt:en/game/changelog/current/1219|March 19th update]].

The following aircraft are available as nuclear delivery vehicles in ground realistic battles:

* BR 6.7-7.7: [[Tu-4|☢Tu-4]] / [[B-29A-BN|☢B-29A-BN]]
* BR 8.0-9.0: [[IL-28|☢IL-28]] / [[Canberra B (I) Mk 6|☢ Canberra B Mk 6]]
* BR 9.3+: [[Su-7BKL|☢Su-7BKL]] / [[Jaguar A|☢Jaguar A]]

Note that compared to the normal version of these aircraft, their payload cannot be edited away from the nuclear weapon (though their armament ammunition belt can still be edited) and lack any kind of roundels as it's used for multiple different nations.

Although all functionally the same in ending the game with a successful drop, nuclear bombs able to be dropped by aircraft are listed below:

{{Nuclear bombs}}

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|gmMvGqzvmXM|'''"New Power" update teaser''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel'' Nuclear explosions were teased at the end of the "New Power" teaser trailer.|ZIlXOyv0_oU|'''New effects for the nuclear blast''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|nsrBxs5c2NQ|'''MY FIRST NUKE - Nuke in Realistic Battles''' - ''OddBawZ''|g4fKmrCbdGU|'''New Power Update Nuke??''' - ''Frostyboy2016'' A unique event shows during the update transition to "New Power" where this announcement will show.|KIEzlLWNgoY|'''New Update Nuke - PART TWO!''' - ''Frostyboy2016'' After the previous video of the announcement, logging back into the game will show this.}}

== See also ==


* [[Close Air Support]]

== External Links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7169-development-new-effects-for-the-nuclear-blast-en|[Development] New effects for the nuclear blast!]]

[[Category:Game mechanics]]

ZTZ59A

2022-10-06T14:37:41Z

U10980488: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = premium Chinese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = ZTZ59 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_ztz_59a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

The ZTZ59A is based on the long-existing [[Type 59]] and upgraded with some technologies from [[Type 69]]. Although the Type 59 chassis is rather outdated compared to later MBTs, or indeed many of its contemporaries in War Thunder, the ZTZ59A has some improvements that extend its lease on life somewhat. A laser rangefinder allows it to stay away from the heated battlefield and strike enemies from further away and a pair of barrel-type smoke grenades are available, enhancing its survivability and offering a straight upgrade to the tech tree Type 59.

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


The ZTZ59A's armour layout is nearly identical to the Type 59, which itself had virtually the same armour layout as the [[T-54 (1951)]]. It is well protected against typical autocannons and most conventional full-calibre rounds, but falls short against HEAT, APDS, and APFSDS. The only real differences from the Type 59 are the side skirts, familiar to players who have used the [[ZTZ59D1]] or [[T-69 II G]]. They do almost nothing against kinetic projectiles but can be helpful against HEAT warheads with some angling, acting as spaced armour. This is particularly noticeable with weaker HEATFS rounds in the 73 mm - 90 mm size range.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, gun mantlet, cupola)
* Rubber-fabric screens (side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 100 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 100 mm (54°) ''Lower glacis'' || 80+3 mm ''Top'' 20 mm + 20 mm (31°) ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (16°) ''Upper plate'' 30 mm (72°) ''Lower glacis'' || 100 mm (30°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm ''Crew compartment'' 20 mm ''Engine compartment'' 5 mm ''Engine vents''
|-
| Turret || 160 mm (14-39°) ''Turret front'' 150-250 mm (4-78°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 115-155 mm (24-45°) ''Front and centre'' 100 mm (18-38°) ''Rear'' || 65 mm (14°) || 30-60 mm
|-
| Cupola || 100 mm (34-66°) || 100 mm (27-66°) || 100 mm (25-66°) || 30-40 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Tracks and suspension wheels are 20 mm thick.
* Spare track links on the upper glacis provide an addition 20 mm of armour.
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

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


The ZTZ59A has exactly the same mobility characteristics as the Type 59, with the same weight and engine power. It has decent forward mobility and the wide tracks allow it to perform well on rough terrain. The poor reverse speed and lack of neutral steering are major drawbacks, but the hull traverse is quite decent. It is easily beaten by light tanks and fast MBTs such as Leopards and OF-40s, so it is safe to assume that the ZTZ59A will not be the first to arrive on the battlefield.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=806|rbMinHp=460}}

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

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

{{main|Type 59 (100 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 59 (100 mm)|100 mm Type 59]] || 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" | 34 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 40 km/h}} || 9.5 || 13.2 || 16.0 || 17.7 || 18.8 || rowspan="2" | 11.18 || rowspan="2" | 9.89 || rowspan="2" | 9.12 || rowspan="2" | 8.60
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 5.9 || 7.0 || 8.5 || 9.4 || 10.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-412 || APHE || 218 || 212 || 190 || 164 || 143 || 124
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 239 || 236 || 220 || 202 || 186 || 170
|-
| Type 1959 APDS || APDS || 299 || 298 || 291 || 272 || 253 || 249
|-
| Type 1973 HEAT-FS || HEATFS || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19 || 19
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-412 || APHE || 895 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 100.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-412D || APCBC || 887 || 15.9 || 1.2 || 19 || 93.94 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Type 1959 APDS || APDS || 1,432 || 3.18 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| Type 1973 HEAT-FS || HEATFS || 1,000 || 10.05 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,180 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| OF-412 || HE || 900 || 15.6 || 0 || 0.1 || 1,460 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

The ZTZ59A's ammo selection is mostly identical to the Type 59. As usual, the BR-412D APCBC round is highly effective against lightly armoured targets such as light tanks and Leopard 1s, successful penetrations usually resulting in instant knockouts. It also works very well for flanking shots. The Type 1959 APDS round has the highest muzzle velocity and enough penetration to handle most targets. The Type 1973 HEAT-FS round has the best penetration and can counter just about any vehicle with steel armour, but has a sensitive fuse and can be stopped by ERA or composite armour.

The BR-412 APHE shell is worse than BR-412D in every practical way and should be disregarded because the ZTZ59A is a premium tank with all ammo types unlocked from the start. The OF-412 HE shell is technically the best option for triggering overpressure damage against light targets, but it has no utility against targets with half-decent armour and the HEATFS is more versatile. The ZTZ59A does not have access to the Type 59's BR-412B APHEBC round, but that round is again inferior to BR-412D in practical terms and its absence will not be missed.

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_T-54_(1951).png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the T-54 (1951) (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
|-
| '''34''' || 33 ''(+1)'' || 28 ''(+6)'' || 24 ''(+10)'' || 23 ''(+11)'' || 21 ''(+13)'' || 1 ''(+33)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 6 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 20 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.
* Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready rack 6. If the ready rack is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
* 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 rack.
* If you pack 28 ''(+6)'', it will keep the turret empty of ammo.
* If you pack 21 ''(+13)'' shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.

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

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|SGMT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 500 (50) || 600 || -5°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SGMT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm SGMT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The ZTZ59A is essentially a [[Type 59]] with a laser rangefinder and smoke grenades. Most of the tactics and advice for the Type 59 still apply, but it is more competent in long range combat and can work as a good sniper as a supplement to the [[Type 69]]. The laser rangefinder allows for precise long-range shots to be made with any ammunition type; Type 59 veterans may have relied heavily on the high-velocity APDS, but the ZTZ59A can comfortably sling APCBC and HEATFS rounds from across the map as well. The ZTZ59A can be argued to have superior armament to the Type 69, because its APDS has higher penetration than the Type 69's APFSDS under most circumstances and their HEATFS rounds are identical.

Bear in mind that the ZTZ59A does not have the Type 69's improved turret drive or engine, so it is less mobile and has a difficult time reacting to ambushes. These weakness can be mitigated if one maintains some separation from the front lines. In close range engagements, remember to utilize the hull traverse as well as the turret traverse to quickly adjust one's aim. The smoke grenades are also nice for covering retreats because the basic Type 59 has no sources of smoke whatsoever, though keep in mind that they are barrels mounted on the back of the tank and are not the best for instant concealment while reversing into cover.

The ZTZ59A does not bring anything drastically new to the table, but as a direct improvement to the Type 59, it is a good addition to the already impressive Chinese 7.7 ground lineup. Partnering it with the Type 69 gives one access to two MBTs with laser rangefinder, and because the Type 69 is more suited for front line work, the ZTZ59A can be preferentially used for laid back sniping. The [[PTL02]] is of course the supreme sniper with its excellent APFSDS, high mobility, and thermal sights, but the ZTZ59A has a lower profile and is sturdy enough to participate in direct assaults as well without being melted by any incoming fire.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a range of good ammo: explosive AP, piercing HEAT, and APDS
* 200 mm frontal effective thickness is immune to SPAA (e.g. [[Gepard]]) or low-tier tanks firing full-calibre kinetic shells
* Laser rangefinder allows it to engage distant targets easily
* Roof-mounted 12.7 mm HMG is deadly against light vehicles (e.g. [[AML-90]], [[M551]]) and some low-flying or slow aircraft
* Has smoke grenades
* Sideskirts offer some protection against HEAT shells and explosion shrapnel

'''Cons:'''

* No night vision device, fatal flaw in night battles against NVD- (or even thermal-) equipped foes like [[Type 74 (G)]]
* Slow turret traverse and elevation speed limits targeting rate. Fatal in surprise engagements
* Poor mobility overall, meaning low agility and responsiveness to changing situations
* Armour is still inadequate to stop common HEATFS or APFSDS (e.g. [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1]], [[T-55AM-1|T-55AM]], [[OF-40 (Family)|OF-40]])
* Limiting gun depression of -4° hinders its capacity in uneven battlefield
* Terrible reverse speed of -7 km/h prevents it from getting out of danger quickly
* Smoke grenades discharge behind the tank, can't conceal the tank very well

== History ==

The [[Type 59]] (ZTZ59, WZ120) has been the backbone of PLAGF for many decades. The chassis itself received many upgrades throughout its service and the ZTZ59A (alternatively called ZTZ59-I in the earlier naming system) is the first major upgrade over Type 59.

During the Sino-Vietnamese conflict in the late 1970s, PLAGF had found some problems with the original Type 59 and suggestions were handed to the 5th Ministry of Machine Building (第五机械工业部) for possible upgrades; meanwhile it was the era of economic reform and normalisation of relationships with Western countries. Although new tanks and refurbishment of older tanks with NATO L7 105 mm guns were planned, the mass of original Type 59s could still use some upgrades as well. In 1984, the ZTZ59A upgrade program passed state certifications: the upgrade included hydraulic steering, which provided the driver with better control and lighter force to move than the previous torsion bar steering; a Model 6610 IR searchlight mounted on the front of the chassis; FCS upgrades with Type 73 laser rangefinder from Type 69 mounted on the centre line of the tank by the mantlet, TSFCS with automatic ballistic solution; and side skirts. A new APFSDS was also developed for the gun, said to be on-par with Soviet 3BM25. Some parts of the tank were also revised from the suggestions of frontline troops, sub-systems were aimed to be more reliable and ergonomic. Some of the later ZTZ59A that had received such upgrades were also tested with different designs such as a two-plane stabiliser for the gun and welding extra fences onto the turret, while some received a smoke grenade launcher upgrade on the turret.

Although the gap between the mainstream 1980s MBTs and ZTZ59A was still huge, ZTZ59A also became the basis of more ergonomic sub-system designs of PLAGF tanks, as well as simplified maintenance; filling the gap while waiting for the newer ZTZ59-II with a brand new British FCS system and [[L7A3 (105 mm)|L7A3]] to replace them.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_ztz_59a 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.''

{{China medium tanks}}
{{China premium ground vehicles}}

File:MapIcon Ground SunCity.jpg

2022-07-06T08:54:32Z

U10980488:

Size Full HD 1920x1080 edit by photoshop, source of screen is dev 26 May 2022

File:MapIcon Ground AbandonedTown.jpg

2022-07-06T08:43:06Z

U10980488: