War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Ho-Ri Production

2024-07-23T10:27:10Z

U134631722: /* Pros and cons */ Pro: Can bounce anything it faces at its battle rating when angled right > Can bounce anything when angled right. The Ho-Ri cannot bounce M829A1 or 3BM60 no matter how you angle it.

{{About
|about=tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=the bundle version
|link=Ho-Ri Prototype
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_5_ho_ri_production
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Type 5 Ho-Ri''' ({{Annotation|五式砲戦車「ホリ」|Go Shiki Hō-Sensha [Ho-Ri]}}) is a hypothetical production design of the [[Ho-Ri Prototype]] boasting more armour and a longer gun, making for a far more fearsome tank on the battlefield.

The {{PAGENAME}} was introduced in [[Update 1.73 "Vive la France"]]. While far stronger than its earlier iteration, it also faces much stronger opponents and may have the same drawbacks. Its armour has been increased from an effectively ~200 mm front plate to ~320 mm (120 mm construction) and a casemate boasting 200 - 225 mm armour protecting it decently well. The best course of action is to stay hull down and peek over ridges while using the -10° depression to increase its armour effectiveness and play it in a safe sniping position. The trade-off of superstructure armour is rewarded by forward mobility, accelerating to up to 40 km/h relatively quickly. A special feature of the Ho-Ri is its elevating roof armour: to reduce its vertical silhouette, the cannon breech can push the roof of the casemate up, to allow for the -10° depression it offers. This will expose the crew members, but won't be much of a threat as it's a very narrow angle for planes to strafe through and it doesn't cause the crew to be affected by explosive overpressure.

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

[[File:Ho-Ri frontal weak spot demonstration.jpg|450px|thumb|right|Destroying Ho-Ri with APHE in direct battle isn't really all that hard - simply aim for these square sheets protecting its radiators and fire. As long as your shell can penetrate 200 mm of armour it will instantly explode the tank, or at least take out the entirety of the crew in that part of the tank. If you are very good at aiming, you can aim a bit higher to hit the window which has only 175 mm of armour with potential of hitting an outer ammo rack directly, but reduced likelyhood of APHE hitting the ammo on the bottom of the tank.]]
If you spot a Ho-Ri, never shoot it in the sloped UFP. It can bounce shells from even an [[Object 120]] and the only good thing that can come from it is if you get lucky and shell bounces into the barrel. Instead, aim for the 120 mm lower plate to immobilize it, or for the right side of the mantlet to knock out the gunner. Note that the outer edges of the mantlet are slightly weaker, so if using APHE aim for that if possible.

Transmission is very sturdy and, combined with LFP armour, is too thick for lighter tanks and APHE, but some heavy pure AP tanks like [[Lorraine 40t]] can shoot through it and ammo rack the Ho-Ri in one shot.

Tank is overall resistant to attempts of bombing and overpressure attacks with HE, but the back and the roof of the tank are weak enough to let sufficient amount of HE or bombs to instantly destroy the tank, therefore putting the front of the tank towards them is better than running away.

There is also a minor, but important detail - whenever your gun is pointing down, it opens the hatch on top of your vehicle, so if the enemy attacker is trying to top-down your SPG, pull your gun up to make sure it won't destroy the vehicle. It is also possible to push HE inside of compartment when the hatch is opened, but for anything, with exception of rank I tanks, it would be easier to just shoot your tank directly.

Overall, the Ho-Ri is highly resistant to light tanks and many relatively low-velocity shells when angled (such as even its own APHE), however at flat angle front can be easily penetrated (especially when fired at point blank), flat sides can be easily penetrated by almost anything at the BR, and the rear can be penetrated by SPAA. As such, in urban environment, it's best to cut corners and drive out onto enemy while already being angled.

Worst case scenario, the Ho-Ri has 6 crew members, which are located in a very practical way (not just standing straight in the middle of the tank, but rather stand closer to the hull), so taking all of them out is a challenge in itself, and if player took less than maximal amount of ammo into fight, only the best-aimed shots can indefinitely knock out the tank with a single shot.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 120 mm (70°) ''Front glacis'' 120 mm (8°), 60 mm (67°) ''Lower glacis'' 100 mm (16°) ''Hull cheeks'' || 75 mm (17°) ''Top'' 75 mm ''Bottom'' || 35 mm (10-40°) || 20 mm
|-
| Superstructure || 200-225 mm (5-20°) ''Superstructure front'' 175-225 mm ''Gun mantlet'' 175 mm (5°) ''Vision slits'' 50-200 mm (45°) ''Barrel shroud'' || 75 mm (17-48°) || 35 mm (5°) || 20-35 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and bogies are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Bogie guards in the side suspension provide rows of 10 mm RHA at their locations.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* Hull underside right above tracks is 20 mm thick.
* 20 mm RHA plates separate the engine compartment from the front and rear.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,562|rbMinHp=973}}

When spaded, the {{PAGENAME}} moves at the pace of a medium tank - about 40/30 km/h (AB/RB) forward and -10/-8 km/h (AB/RB) backwards when offroad. It climb hills easily, sometimes even getting up the mountains.

The biggest problem of this SPG is that its turn rate is quite low, and it lacks neutral steering. One must maximize "driving" skill of the crew to be able to indefinitely turn around, otherwise tank throttles and fails to turn around at gear 1-2, which can be easily exploited by enemy light tanks.

When just one track is broken, {{PAGENAME}} still can bounce around to continue fighting. It is also worth noting, that if one track and engine are broken, {{PAGENAME}} can barely turn around 1 degree per second, which is a big deal in urban combat.

In Arcade mode {{PAGENAME}}'s engine is powerful enough to move hostile heavy tanks and push them around, denying repairs. Due to its hull shape, hostile tanks often get pulled on it and become completely helpless, especially when pushed against the wall, making tanks like [[T29]], [[IS-6]] and [[T-54 (1947)|T-54]] vulnerable to point blank finishers. Wide and agile medium tanks like [[T-44-100]] or [[Warrior]] often resist ramming attempts if away from walls and can eventually sidestep {{PAGENAME}}, but there is no practical need to ram them anyway. If you absolutely have to do it, do not leave them enough space to squeeze between {{PAGENAME}} and the wall, or they will escape.

While base turn rate of {{PAGENAME}} is low, it can accelerate forward until it reaches its maximum speed, then let go of gas and do an unexpectedly quick 180 degree spin, allowing it to catch fast tanks like [[Leopard I]] off guard. Be aware, that after seeing such trick even once, most people stop playing around and start firing exclusively at {{PAGENAME}} until it is annihilated, even if there are other tanks around. This is particularly useful in Arcade mode and is less useful in Realistic mode, as its power/weight ratio there is far less impressive.

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

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

{{main|Type 5 (105 mm)}}

The weapon used by the Ho-Ri is mostly suited to attack medium and heavy tanks, while heavy SPG and hull-down tanks at its BR can mostly deflect its shots unless a weak spot is hit. As such, engaging other SPG is always a great risk.

While APHE used by it sometimes struggles at penetrating enemy and hasty shot might result in ricochet, if it penetrates the enemy tank is probably going to blow up, making destroying anything like [[Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)]] and [[Centurion (Family)]] relatively easy, which is also supported by SPG armour being able to bounce most, if not all, of their reply shots. Gun is also relatively easy to handle on move if self-discipline is maintained.

In close quarters, if gunner got taken out and situation looks grim, the Ho-Ri can ram the opponent and pull them onto a rock, wall, hill, or even itself, then push APHE into their now un-angled hull as soon as someone replaces the gunner. Usually APHE is potent enough to reach the ammo rack or the crew and knocks out the tank with a single shot, but if ammo rack is destroyed, the chain reaction also often destroys or completely immobilizes the Ho-Ri as well.

Apart from APHE, the gun can be armed with "Experimental HE", which is generally used to simply destroy light tanks without having to aim for too long. It can also be used to attack tank with unreasonably strong turrets and/or frontal armour without resorting to close range combat, due to its ability to hit their weak roof armour and destroy the entire crew via overpressure damage. It's not as strong as ones found on [[type 75 SPH]], so it should only be used when necessary.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 5 (105 mm)|105 mm Type 5]] || 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" | 51 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±10° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 5.3 || 7.3 || 8.9 || 9.8 || 10.5 || rowspan="2" | 11.18 || rowspan="2" | 9.89 || rowspan="2" | 9.12 || rowspan="2" | 8.60
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 3.6 || 4.2 || 5.1 || 5.6 || 6.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type 5 (105 mm)/Ammunition|Type 2 APHE, Experimental HE}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Ho-Ri_Prototype.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Ho-Ri Prototype (identical to Production type).]]

{| 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
|-
| '''51''' || 46 ''(+5)'' || 40 ''(+11)'' || 30 ''(+21)'' || 12 ''(+39)'' || 1 ''(+50)'' || No
|-
|}

Casemate sides empty: 40''(+11)''

== Usage in battles ==


The Ho-Ri can be used in multiple roles. Its most effective at medium range, where it's harder for the enemy to aim for the lower plate and shells have a harder time penetrating the mantlet, making it easy for you to destroy them. The Ho-Ri is also quite potent at long range, particularly in down-tiers, where your gun remains effective (though less so) and your armour becomes even better. Be careful using it as a brawler, however. Your transmission is easier to hit, the mantlet is easier to penetrate, and faster foes can surround you easier and get a shot at your weak side armour.

The Ho-Ri should be primarily played as a medium to long range sniper. Your potent cannon can dispatch most enemies and the thick frontal armour will stop most shots, especially the UFP which is basically an auto-bounce zone. Be careful in close quarters - the Ho-Ri turns quite slowly when not up to speed and an easy shot to the LFP will instantly eliminate your mobility allowing for an easy flank. Your surprisingly fast acceleration will also assist when getting to nice sniping spots, and the speedy reverse allows you to retreat when getting overrun.

Due to the Ho-Ri having more effective armour than most tanks at BR, and its weapon capable of single-shot knock-outs, it can be used as a flank attacker or even brawler in close range. The idea is to flank enemy, destroy as many tanks as possible before they realized what's going on, and then try to destroy them 1 by 1. While this strategy is most useful in AB (due to increased mobility of the vehicle and sometimes limited map space) and requires high "driving" crew skill, the Ho-Ri is undeniably scary in close quarters, due to it being able to survive dozens of direct shots (as example, 3 poorly placed direct shots of [[Centurion Mk.5 AVRE]] and about 10 shots from [[Tiger II (P)]]) and even somehow come out on top in 1v3 fights. Try to keep your head cool though, as while going completely berserk and sweeping streets of enemy tanks, one might forget about lighter enemy tanks like [[Vickers MBT]] and [[Panther II]], users of which will never miss their opportunity to snipe ammo rack of an unsuspecting opponent from 50 to 2,000 m alike.

Some concerning enemies are:

* [[T-54 (1947)]]: This tank can be quite the pain to destroy, and if they are using the more advanced APHE shells found in the 100 mm gun they can wipe out most of your crew in the mantlet. Your biggest chance at destroying them is through the commander's cupola, the shot trap at the mantlet, or the mantlet itself at very close range. In arcade mode, one can try to ram T-54 to fire at the base of their turret and also push them onto something to fire a gun at their exposed roof, though in case T-54 in question had full ammunition load, the sheer power of explosion might take the Ho-Ri out as collateral. As such, the safest way to fight a T-54 head-on at close range is firing at their commander cupola, as even if it is sometimes harder to aim at, at least you do not have to push them anywhere and T-54 has lesser chances of causing chain explosions to take Ho-Ri out that way.
* [[IS-2]] / [[IS-2 (1944)]] / [[ISU-122]]: These machines carry a huge 122 mm cannon that penetrates literally anything they see, including the Ho-Ri. Their shells will go through the Ho-Ri's vertical armour of the fighting compartment pretty easily, killing the crew inside or detonating the ammo. To deal with the IS-2, try get a shot at them before the notice you / when they are reloading. These tanks tend to get knocked out with a single shot due to their lack of crew or the cramped interior. For the IS-2, aim for the hull armour that curves and blends into the side, or aim at the turret cheeks. For the IS-2 (1944), only go for the turret as the hull is very thick and well sloped. For the ISU-122, aim at anywhere but the gun mantlet, as it often absorb shells or cause ricochet.
* [[AMX-50 Foch]]: Wielding a powerful cannon and heavy sloped armour, the Foch is a rare yet dangerous enemy. Do not give them time to knock you out with a single shot through the transmission and aim for the gun. If your quick aim is good enough, one or two shots to optics on top of the hull will destroy Foch, due to APHE spalling down inside of heavy SPG. In the worst case scenario, you can just de-track it and call your teammates, which is not a bad idea, considering Foch drivers like ramming their opponents, rendering them unable to do anything.
* [[T32E1]]: Though rare, this tank is completely immune to your APHE in the front, while it can still go through your lower plate easily. Shoot the barrel and either flank it or retreat.
* [[Jagdtiger]]: It's best to just retreat on sight of this SPG, as it can easily knock out the Ho-Ri with a single shot, while it's barely possible to destroy it back. If direct combat is unavoidable, try to destroy its gun first. MG port weak spot on the hull can be exploited to do crew damage, but the shot must be pixel perfect and even with arcade mode aim assist you will likely fail to push the shell through, so only try that if there is no other way. If the Ho-Ri is on the low ground, an LFP shot becomes possible, resulting in a knock-out.
* ATGM light tanks and high tier SPAA: While APHE is adequate at destroying most of the light tanks, it is sometimes better to load "experimental HE", especially for the ones, which carry ATGM as secondary weapons. Keep in mind, that certain light tanks like [[BMP-1|BMP series]] and [[Warrior]] will resist poorly landed explosives and should be attacked with APHE until disabled. If low calibre non-combat SPAA is trying to destroy the Ho-Ri, you can just put your rear next to a wall and make sure the roof hatch is closed. They will not be able to do anything to you like this.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Heavy amount of frontal sloped armour
* Can bounce '''anything''' it faces at its battle rating when angled right
* Very fast for a heavy SPG, with high acceleration thanks to its massive engine
* Reverse speed is good enough to get away from trouble and even when the Ho-Ri loses one track it can still balance around to continue fighting
* High-velocity cannon with decent penetration and high post-penetration damage, perfect against medium tanks
* Good gun depression

'''Cons:'''

* No neutral steering
* Can get outflanked by turret tanks easily
* Enemy heavy SPG destroy it easily and usually shrug off its attacks
* Mantlet is easily penetrated in close quarters, especially by sabot rounds
* Large weak spot in the LFP, protected by transmission, resulting in a quick immobilization

== History ==

In September 1942, the Japanese Army Staff received word of the new American M4 Sherman tank, which they realized had completely outclassed every Japanese tank in production at the time. There were three projects proposed by the Staff, each bearing their own gun selection; the 47 mm ''Kou'', 57 mm ''Otsu'', and 75 mm ''Hei'' designs. As combat data was filtered to the Japanese High Command, they ordered that the model ''Kou'' and ''Otsu'' merge to become the basis of what would eventually become the Type 4 [[Chi-To]]. Meanwhile, the ''Hei'' proposal would lead to the development of the Type 5 [[Chi-Ri II|Chi-Ri]].

Additional development projects came from a change in the Weapons Administration Headquarters Research Policy in July of 1943, a change that was made due to analyzing tank warfare between the German Army and the Soviet Union. Through the analysis of said data, the Japanese Army shifted their tank doctrine towards an emphasis on developing tanks that prioritized anti-armour missions instead of infantry support. Upon the enacting of this policy, the Army started a program to develop a series of tank destroyers based on the chassis of the medium tanks being designed.

The Type 5 Chi-Ri was chosen to become the basis for a new tank destroyer, as it was Japan's primary medium tank project and was more mature than other alternatives, while also mounting some of the most advanced technology Japan had produced at the time.

The tank destroyer would eventually be titled the '''Ho-Ri'''. Development of the vehicle began shortly after the Chi-Ri's, and after the decision was made to use the reliable coil spring suspension system that the Japanese manufacturers were familiar with, the Army began work on designing the superstructure and casemate with the first design mimicking the Chi-Ri chassis entirely and replacing the turret with a reinforced rear-mounted superstructure.

During the development of the new tank destroyer series, the Army chose to design a new anti-tank gun to fit the role. In July of 1943, the Army Military Customs Council began designing a 105 mm anti-tank gun based off of the Type 96 150 mm Strategic artillery cannon. It was shortened and given a single piece barrel and tank breech. Unfortunately, the two chief engineers of the cannon project the task that it meet a requirement of penetrating 200 mm at 1,000 m with a 1,000 m/s muzzle velocity. Naturally, the tank gun was not capable of this and instead was only able to penetrate 150 mm at 1,000 m with a 915 m/s muzzle velocity. Although it did not meet the requirements, it was still superior to any other Japanese tank gun and was accepted into service as the Type 5 10cm.

Originally, the Ho-Ri was to keep the hull-mounted Type 1 37 mm from the Chi-Ri due to the idea that the primary cannon could only do so much for itself and a secondary weapon was required. The development of the design was split into to concepts; one being a rear mounted superstructure with a central engine (Ho-Ri I) and the other being a centralized superstructure with a rear engine placement (Ho-Ri II). The engine selection was quite different from the traditional diesel engines that powered most Japanese tanks throughout their production. Instead, Japan had used a V12 gasoline aircraft engine designed by BMW, making 550 horsepower at 1,500 RPM. This engine was chosen due to the industrial capacity of Japan reaching its peak, and many assets from aircraft development were readily available for usage.

However, by the time both designs of the vehicle were proposed, the armour was no longer sufficient to thwart most US anti-tank armaments. Despite this, the design showed considerable promise and it was ordered that a third vehicle be designed with significantly improved armour. This new design was commonly labeled as '''Ho-Ri III'''.

The Ho-Ri III took the basis of the Ho-Ri I and revamped it, changing the frontal plate from a flat 75 mm thick plate to a 120 mm thick plate sloped at 70°, deleting the hull-mounted 37 mm gun in the process. Although this was seen as a considerable blow to the tank's self-defense capabilities, it was accepted due to its vastly improved survivability. The removal of the 37 mm gun meant that the extra crew member who previously operated the gun could be used as a second loader to assist with the autoloading mechanism and provide shells for the primary loader.

The construction of the prototype was completed in 1944 and achieved a top speed of 40 km/h during trials. Being seen as a success, the Army ordered 5 units of the vehicle and put it into service as the '''Type 5 Ho-Ri'''. However only one operable prototype was fully completed by the war's end and the series only made it to 50% completion, resulting in the design being scrapped and no further testing was pursued.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_5_ho_ri_production Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
{{Skin-gallery|market|ugcitem_1000314|Type 5 Ho-Ri Operation Ketsugo.png|Camo "Operation Ketsugo"}}

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|B2woWvJK4ew|'''Top 7 most armoured vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:51 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|xF4-TcnyWw0|'''Best tank destroyers''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:35 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[Chi-Ri II]]
** [[Ho-Ri Prototype]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[File:Germany flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Ferdinand]] / [[Elefant]]
* [[File:Germany flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Jagdpanther]]
* [[File:Germany flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Jagdtiger]]
* [[File:USSR flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Object 268]]
* [[File:USA flag.png|30px|link=]] [[T28]] / [[T95]]
* [[File:Britain flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Tortoise]]
* [[File:France flag.png|30px|link=]] [[AMX-50 Foch]]

== External links ==


* [[Wikipedia:Type_5_Chi-Ri_medium_tank#Variants|[Wikipedia] Type 5 Chi-Ri medium tank - Variants]]

{{TankManufacturer Mitsubishi}}
{{Japan tank destroyers}}

M1A1 HC

2024-01-05T13:29:44Z

U134631722: /* Pros and cons */ Cons. Does not come with a chair unlike the M1A1 HC

{{About
| about= American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage= other vehicles of the family
| link= M1 Abrams (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m1a1_hc_abrams
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_Dozer.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

In the mid-1980s, the US Marine Corps (USMC) considered the M1 Abrams as a replacement to their M60A1 tank fleet. Requesting some modifications to better suit the USMC purposes, the M1A1 Abrams incorporating the changes began production in November 1990. As this new design was used and sent to both US Army and USMC, the tanks became known as the M1A1 HC within the US Army, with "HC" standing for "Heavy Common". The USMC simply referred to the tank as the "Common".

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', introduced in [[Update "Direct Hit"]], is an upgrade of the preceding [[M1A1 Abrams]]. It has armour improvements due to incorporating the "Heavy Armor" (HA) upgrade that includes depleted uranium inserts. The firepower is also improved with access to the M830A1 HEATFS round that includes a proximity fuse, meaning it is useful not only on enemy armoured vehicles, but also low-flying aircraft to swat them out of the sky. The mobility of the M1A1 HC is not too different from its predecessors. For users who have enjoyed the M1A1 Abrams gameplay, the M1A1 HC features improved capabilities to make the most of the firepower, armour, and mobility of the Abrams platform.

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

The armour of the M1A1 HC is a drastic improvement from its predecessor. Like the succeeding M1A2, the M1A1 HC has 2nd generation depleted uranium (DU) inserts in the turret, making the turret practically impervious to most attacks. It also retains the same crew layout of its predecessors along with the blowout ammo rack, meaning it is quite survivable. The hull remains unchanged however, and due to the increase in BR, most enemies will be able to penetrate it even at long range.

'''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=2533|rbMinHp=1343}}

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

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

{{main|M256 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M256 (120 mm)|120 mm M256]] || 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" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The M1A1 HC is armed with the same 120 mm M256 smoothbore gun as the M1A1 and has access to the same ammunition of APFSDS and HEATFS. However, the M1A1 HC also gets access to a new HEATFS shell, M830A1. The M829A1 APFSDS round is an excellent anti-tank munition, boasting high penetration figures, at 598 mm of flat penetration at point-blank and decreasing to just 560 mm at 2 km. Its angled performance is also excellent, penetrating 346 mm of armour at 60 degrees point-blank and 324 mm at 2 km. It is sufficient to reliably engage any vehicle in the game frontally. The M830 HEATFS shell penetrates a meagre 480 mm of armour. It is not recommended to use this shell after unlocking the M829. The M830A1 is a special type of HEATFS round. Instead of using a conventional impact fuse, M830A1 is a sub-calibre HEATFS round that has been saboted into a 120 mm casing and fitted with a proximity fuse. This allows it to effectively engage low flying aircraft and helicopters up to a range of 4.5 km. The sub-calibre nature of the round means it travels extremely quickly at 1,400 m/s. However, its effectiveness against armoured vehicles is limited as it penetrates a mere 350 mm of armour.

{{:M256 (120 mm)/Ammunition|M830, M830A1, M829, M829A1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M1A1_Abrams.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
|-
| '''40''' || 35 ''(+5)'' || 18 ''(+22)'' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M240 (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 (Commander) || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -9°/+65° || -160°/+180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M240 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M240]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 10,000 (200) || 941 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle (Loader) || 1,400 (200) || 941 || -9°/+65° || -77°/+135°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M1A1 HC is essentially the [[M1A2 Abrams|M1A2]] without the CITV but with a soft-kill active protection system (APS) that is only useful against early missiles but useless against laser-guided missiles like Hellfires or Vikhrs. The M1A1 HC also has good acceleration which allows for flanking manoeuvres. Due to its increased turret protection and better APFSDS round, it is also suited for sniping at long ranges especially when hull down. With a higher BR than its predecessor, it faces tanks that have no problem penetrating its hull necessitating proper utilization of hard cover found in maps. Its M829A1 round allows it to more comfortably engage targets at range and penetrate armour more reliably up close.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful and versatile ammunition selection
* Has an active protection system that can provide protection against some ATGMs, also comes stock
* Better turret protection when compared to the M1A1
* M829 is a Tier I modification, with NVDs being Tier III
* Carries 4 charges of smoke grenades (4/16 compared to the 6/12 carried by its brothers)

'''Cons:'''

* No commander's sight

* APS is visible through night vision devices and cannot intercept modern ATGMs

* Does not come with a chair, unlike its premium [[M1A1 Click-Bait|M1A1 HC]] counterpart

== History ==

===Development & Procurement===
Though the [[M1 Abrams]] became accepted into service of the United States Army in November 1981,<ref name="Green_Abrams1">Green 2015, Loc 241 of 1808</ref> the United States Marines Corps (USMC) were not able to immediately look into procurement of the Abrams tanks due to budget constraints. It was not until February 1985 that Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Paul Kelly sought to officially replace the [[M60A1 (AOS)|M60A1]] in USMC service with the [[M1A1 Abrams]], with plans for 490 M1A1 to replace 760 M60A1 beginning in November 1990.<ref name="Green_Abrams2">Green 2015, Loc 1187-1201 of 1808</ref>
[[File:M1A1 HC V18 amphibious assault 130519-M-DA099-026.jpg|x250px|right|none|thumb|A USMC M1A1 HC in an amphibious exercise. The ability of the M1A1 to accept a deep water fording kit, a feature the USMC requested, is an indicator of a "Heavy Common" variant.]]

The USMC's plan to acquire the M1A1 (or the M1A1 {{Annotation|HA|Heavy Armor}} model with {{Annotation|DU|depleted uranium}} armour since October 1988<ref name="AFVDB_Abrams">Conners 2021</ref>) also requested design changes to the tank to fit the USMC's needs. These requests culminated to eighty engineering changes, such as deep-wading adapters for fording kits, stronger chain tie-downs, and a position location reference system.<ref name="Green_Abrams2" /><ref name="AFVDB_Abrams" /><ref name="Zaloga_M1vsT72">Zaloga 2009, Loc 908-916 of 1274</ref> Instead of producing this modified Abrams tank just for the USMC, {{Annotation|GDLS|General Dynamic Land Systems}} integrated these changes into the overall M1A1 HA production lines beginning in November 1990. These new M1A1s were not distinguished by the service branch, being sent to both the US Army and US Marine Corps. As such, the US Army began referring to the M1A1s produced after November 1990 as the '''M1A1 HC''', with '''HC''' for "'''H'''eavy '''C'''ommon" in reference to the commonality of the M1A1 HA tank design between the service branches. The USMC came to referencing the tank as the '''M1A1 Common''', while referring to any pre-November 1990 builds of the M1A1 HA as a "Plain Jane".<ref name="Green_Abrams2" /> The primary distinction between a US Army and a US Marine Corps M1A1 HC is the smoke grenade launchers, the US Army uses the M250 smoke grenade launcher while the USMC uses the M257 smoke grenade launcher.<ref name="inetres_smoke">Cooke 2008</ref>

Though the USMC requested for 490 M1A1 HC tanks, they would only receive 269 units by the delivery end date of 1992.<ref name="Green_Abrams2" /> An insufficient number for their needs, the USMC would receive additional support from US Congress between 1994 to 1995, which allocated enough funding for the transfer of 134 M1A1 tanks from the US Army. As these were "Plain Jane" M1A1 HAs, an upgrade program was started between 1995 to 1997 to apply "Common" design changes into the "Plain Janes". Another transfer would occur in between 2002 to 2005 for 181 M1A1 HA from the US Army to the USMC, which were likewise modified to HC standards.<ref name="Green_Abrams3">Green 2015, Loc 1201-1208 of 1808</ref>

===Combat usage===
The USMC's stock of M1A1 Abrams tank would see first use during the 1991 Gulf War. However, their primary tank deployed to the theater was the [[M60A1 RISE (P)]] as they were still procuring and transitioning to the M1A1 tanks. To bolster the US Marine's number of Abrams, the US Army provided 60 "Plain Jane" M1A1 HA to the US Marine's 2nd Tank Battalion while the two companies of the 4th Tank Battalion of the USMC Reserve was equipped with 16 of the newer M1A1 HC. As such, the Abrams made up of 76 of the total 353 USMC tanks in the Gulf War, the rest of which was composed of M60A1s.<ref name="Zaloga_M1vsT72" />
[[File:USMC M1A1 Afghanistan - DIVDSHUB 364427.jpg|x250px|left|thumb|Two M1A1 HC of the USMC in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The front tank has a dozer blade attached. The two large cylindrical antennas on the turret bustle of each tank is for the CREW-1 jammer unit.]]

The USMC's Abrams were committed into action during the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm. 4th Tank Battalion's Bravo Company saw action in the pre-dawn hours of February 25th when a T-72 battalion from the 3rd Saladin Armored Division approached their location.<ref name="Zaloga_M1vsT72combat">Zaloga 2009, Loc 1160-1168 of 1274</ref><ref name="NHHC_Feb1991">Naval History and Heritage Command 2015</ref> The M1A1 HCs, benefitting from their thermal imager gun sights, were able to engage and decimate the battalion, destroying up to 34 of the 35 total T-72 tanks in a span of 90 seconds.<ref name="NHHC_Feb1991" /><ref name="Green_Abrams4">Green 2015, Loc 1214 of 1808</ref> One crew was even credited with hitting seven tanks with seven rounds in about a minute.<ref name="Zaloga_M1vsT72combat" />

The M1A1 HC would continue to see use wherever the USMC deployed their armoured units, such as in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The M1A1 HC's usage in Afghanistan stand out as the US Army did not bring any Abrams, and the Abrams were present from 2011 to 2013. The tanks deployed to these two operations are distinguished by the fitting of a CREWS 1 electronic receiver/jammer unit, intended to prevent the transmission of electronic frequencies from detonating improvised explosive devices (IED). These are distinguished by two large antennas usually located at the turret rear.<ref name="Green_Abrams5">Green 2015, Loc 1222-1258 of 1808</ref>

===Further upgrades and the Future===
The USMC stuck with the M1A1 HC throughout its service life, lacking the budget to upgrade to the US Army's [[M1A2 Abrams]]. However, the USMC integrated several M1A2 and other US Army features such as the Stabilized Commander's Weapon Station (SCWS) and Tank-Infantry Phone (TIP). One unique upgrade the USMC implemented on their tanks was the Abrams Suspension Upgrade (ASU), intended to improve the Abrams' supported weight to 77 tons. A Firepower Enhancement Program (FEP) was also implemented to improve the fire control system and {{annotation|IFF|Identification friend or foe}} recognition.<ref name="Green_Abrams5" />

In 2020, the United States Marine Corps was reorganized under Commandant Gen. David Berger as part of Force Design 2030, with the decision made to deactivate all tank units under the USMC.<ref name="Military_TankGone">Harkins Mar. 2020</ref> The process began in July with 4th Tank Battalion's deactivation and ended in on 21 May 2021 with the 1st Tank Battalion's deactivation.<ref name="Military_4thTank">Harkins Jul. 2020</ref><ref name="USMC_1stTank">Athey 2021</ref> The 452 M1A1 HC tanks in USMC inventory are to be transferred to the US Army by 2023.<ref name="USMC_TankEnd">South 2021</ref> Should tanks be required to support USMC operations in the future, it is expected that the US Army's M1 Abrams can provide the needed capabilities.<ref name="USMC_ForceDesign2030">Commandment of the Marine Corps 2020, 8</ref>

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m1a1_hc_abrams Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|LufGqZTfvoI|'''MBTs with Best Armor''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 02:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|pZxE5eUhnFQ|'''The Shooting Range #270''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:29 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;[[M1 Abrams (Family)|Related development]]

* [[M1 Abrams]]
* [[IPM1]]
* [[M1A1 Abrams]]
* [[M1A2 Abrams]]

== External links ==


* [http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m1abrams.html [American Fighting Vehicle Database<nowiki>]</nowiki> M1 Abrams] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211109164841/http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m1abrams.html Archive])

=== References ===

;Citations
<references />

;Bibliography

* Athey, Philip. "Marine Corps deactivates its final active-duty tank battalion". ''Marine Corps Times'', 25 May 2021, [https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/05/25/marine-corps-deactivates-its-final-active-duty-tank-battalion/ Website]. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211114234337/https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/05/25/marine-corps-deactivates-its-final-active-duty-tank-battalion/ Archive]).
* Chief of Naval Operations. "THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN "DESERT SHIELD" / "DESERT STORM" » Appendix A: Chronology - February 1991". ''Naval History and Heritage Command'', 02 Mar. 2015, [https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/us-navy-in-desert-shield-desert-storm/february-1991.html Website]. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211114233638/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/us-navy-in-desert-shield-desert-storm/february-1991.html Archive]).
* Commandment of the Marine Corps. "Force Design 2030". ''Headquarters Marine Corps'', 26 Mar. 2020, [https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Portals/142/Docs/CMC38%20Force%20Design%202030%20Report%20Phase%20I%20and%20II.pdf?ver=2020-03-26-121328-460 Website]. Accessed 19 Aug. 2022 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20220814083603/https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Portals/142/Docs/CMC38%20Force%20Design%202030%20Report%20Phase%20I%20and%20II.pdf?ver=2020-03-26-121328-460 Archive]).
* Conners, Chris. "M1 Abrams". ''American Fighting Vehicle Database'', 13 Nov. 2021, [http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m1abrams.html Website]. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211114233648/http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m1abrams.html Archive]).
* Cooke, Gary W. "U.S. Vehicle Grenade Launchers". ''Gary's Place'', 03 May 2008, [https://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/weapon/launchers.html Website]. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211115001048/https://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/weapon/launchers.html Archive]).
* Green, Michael. ''Images of War: M1 Abrams Tanks - Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives''. E-book ed., Pen & Sword Military, 2015. Kindle.
* Harkins, Gina. "Marines to Shut Down All Tank Units, Cut Infantry Battalions in Major Overhaul". ''Military Advantage'', 23 Mar. 2020, [https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/23/marines-shut-down-all-tank-units-cut-infantry-battalions-major-overhaul.html Website]. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211114234334/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/23/marines-shut-down-all-tank-units-cut-infantry-battalions-major-overhaul.html Archive]).
* Harkins, Gina. "Marine Corps Begins Shutdown of All Tank Battalions". ''Military Advantage'', 21 Jul 2020, [https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/07/21/marine-corps-begins-shutdown-of-all-tank-battalions.html Website]. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211114234339/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/07/21/marine-corps-begins-shutdown-of-all-tank-battalions.html Archive]).
* South, Todd. "Goodbye, tanks: How the Marine Corps will change, and what it will lose, by ditching its armor". ''Marine Corps Times'', 22 Mar. 2021, [https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/03/22/goodbye-tanks-how-the-marine-corps-will-change-and-what-it-will-lose-by-ditching-its-armor/ Website]. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211114234339/https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/03/22/goodbye-tanks-how-the-marine-corps-will-change-and-what-it-will-lose-by-ditching-its-armor/ Archive]).
* Zaloga, Steven J. ''M1 Abrams VS T-72 Ural - Operation Desert Storm 1991''. E-book ed., Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2009. Kindle.

{{TankManufacturer GDLS}}
{{USA medium tanks}}
[[Category:Ground vehicles with active protection system]]

M1A1 Click-Bait

2024-01-05T13:28:07Z

U134631722: /* Pros and cons */ Specified that the chair is plastic

{{About
| about = American main battle tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other versions
| link-1 = M1 Abrams (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M1 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m1a1_hc_usmc
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|store=12930
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]].

== 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|M256 (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" | [[M256 (120 mm)|120 mm M256]] || 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" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M256 (120 mm)/Ammunition|M830, M830A1, M829, M829A1}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M1A1_Abrams.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
|-
| '''40''' || 35 ''(+5)'' || 18 ''(+22)'' || 1 ''(+39)'' || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M240 (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" | [[M240 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M240]]
|-
! 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 ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful and versatile ammunition selection between kinetic sabots, HEATFS, and a proximity-fuzed round
* Has an active protection system that can provide some protection against older ATGMs
* Has better turret protection than older versions of the Abrams
* Has a plastic chair

'''Cons:'''

* Has a big weak spot under cannon breach and also the turret ring
* No commander's sight
* The softkill active protection system is visible through night vision devices
* The antennas are tall can can easily be spotted by an enemy

== 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.''

{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}
[[Category:Ground vehicles with active protection system]]

GM-64 (April Fools)

2023-12-30T15:57:16Z

U134631722: /* History of creation and combat usage */ Added AH-64D to the GM-64 history tab, note that the GM-64 is fictional but based on the AH-64D

{{DISPLAYTITLE:GM-64}}
__TOC__

==General info==
[[File:AprilFools Wallpaper GM-64.jpg|x300px|thumb|right|The GM-64.]]

The '''GM-64''' is a Rank IX German attack helicopter with a battle rating of 14.3. It was introduced in Update 1.67 as part of Rank IX Open Testing lasting from March 31st to April 3rd.

=== The main purpose, usage and tactics recommendations ===
'''''General playstyle''''' 
The GM-64 is played like an airborne tank destroyer. With its lethal guided missile, keep in the air and accurately guide each missile onto a target, a direct hit can instantly kill the enemy.

'''''How to vs MBTs and Helicopters''''' 
Fighting MBTs require a careful placement of the guided missiles onto their hull. Rockets and autocannons will not do more than damage components like the gun barrel and tracks. However, all these will help immobilize the enemy MBT enough for even allies to take care of.

Fighting other helicopters will be crude, but possible. Though one could use the rockets and missiles to take out the enemy rockets, the most viable method would be to riddle their general area with the autocannon. A good hit can send them plummeting to the ground.

'''''Tactics''''' 
Historically, the best method for helicopters is to take advantage of the terrain. Using a hill for cover, a helicopter would emerge, fire at a target, before lowering back down behind the hill for cover. This is in an ideal situation, but it is entirely possible to simply fly over the battle space and engage targets in an attack pass, just beware of enemy SPAA and tanks willing to snipe the helicopter down.

Use the terrain to also get away from an enemy field of fire. Getting low increases the helicopter speed as it pitch forwards, and speed makes the helicopter harder to hit. Use this for evasive manoeuvres around a tough location.

'''''Specific enemies worth noting''''' 
The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" and Flakpanzer I Gepard are the greatest enemies of the helicopters. The best protection against these is distance and movement. The best way to counter these vehicles is to fire a guided missile at their location, as even a close miss may destroy them. If out of guided missile, an airstrike with rockets and the autocannon is also a good way to take these out.

Ambitious tanks may also try to snipe the GM-64 from the air with their large cannons. Keep moving and keep the distance to avoid meeting a deadly end via a HEAT or APDS round.

'''''Describe the vehicle in the game - its distinctive features, the tactics used against major opponents, recommendations for using the vehicle in different situations.''''' 
The GM-64 is distinctive to its counterpart by its more slim size, thus making it a smaller target. Also compared to the other helicopter, the GM-64 is painted with a duller desert camouflage color rather than with any brightness on it. The helicopter contains 8 useful anti-tank guided missiles, a limited number as such it is not expected to last in the battlefield for very long before having to withdraw to reload.

'''''What to expect, if it would be in command of the enemy.''''' 
The GM-64 would be played like any other helicopter in the game, firing a distance away with guided missiles and eliminate targets with extreme precision. However, the GM-64 has a disadvantage of only having 8 missiles available, as such the enemy is sure to use these missiles conservatively, only hitting targets that are close by and on target.

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Agile helicopter
* Large ammo stowage for autocannon
* Large rocket count
* Slimmer profile makes it a relatively smaller target than its counterpart

'''Cons:'''

* Limited amount of guided missiles

== Specifications ==
===Armaments===
The GM-64 is equipped with a 30 mm autocannon as well as 38 rockets and 8 guided missiles.
==== Main armament ====
1 x 30 mm M230 cannon (1,200 Rounds)

==== Payloads ====
38 x 70 mm Hydra rocket 
8 x 178 mm AGM114F missile

=== Engine & Mobility ===
'''Weight:''' 7.3 ton 
'''Max Speed:''' 276 km/h

*Engine Power: 2 x 1,927 hp
*Max altitude: 4465 m
*Rate of climb: 13.4 m/s

=== Modules and improvements ===


== History of creation and combat usage ==
''Main article'': [[AH-64D#History|'''''History of the AH-64D Apache''''']]

== Additional information (links) ==

* [[wt:en/news/4614-development-gm-64-rotary-wing-chieftain-en|[Devblog] GM-64: Rotary-Wing Chieftain]]

* [[AH-64D]] - Closest equivalent in-game to the GM-64
* [[April Fool's Day|Gaijin's April Fool's Day Pranks]]

===Trivia===
The GM-64 model is taken from a 2010 game also developed by Gaijin Entertainment: [[wikipedia:Apache:_Air_Assault|Apache: Air Assault]]

===References===
<references />

[[Category:April fool's day]]
[[Category:Removed vehicles]]

GM-64 (April Fools)

2023-12-30T15:54:10Z

U134631722: /* Additional information (links) */ AH-64D added to additional information (GM-64 is complete fiction, tho uses AH-64D model)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:GM-64}}
__TOC__

==General info==
[[File:AprilFools Wallpaper GM-64.jpg|x300px|thumb|right|The GM-64.]]

The '''GM-64''' is a Rank IX German attack helicopter with a battle rating of 14.3. It was introduced in Update 1.67 as part of Rank IX Open Testing lasting from March 31st to April 3rd.

=== The main purpose, usage and tactics recommendations ===
'''''General playstyle''''' 
The GM-64 is played like an airborne tank destroyer. With its lethal guided missile, keep in the air and accurately guide each missile onto a target, a direct hit can instantly kill the enemy.

'''''How to vs MBTs and Helicopters''''' 
Fighting MBTs require a careful placement of the guided missiles onto their hull. Rockets and autocannons will not do more than damage components like the gun barrel and tracks. However, all these will help immobilize the enemy MBT enough for even allies to take care of.

Fighting other helicopters will be crude, but possible. Though one could use the rockets and missiles to take out the enemy rockets, the most viable method would be to riddle their general area with the autocannon. A good hit can send them plummeting to the ground.

'''''Tactics''''' 
Historically, the best method for helicopters is to take advantage of the terrain. Using a hill for cover, a helicopter would emerge, fire at a target, before lowering back down behind the hill for cover. This is in an ideal situation, but it is entirely possible to simply fly over the battle space and engage targets in an attack pass, just beware of enemy SPAA and tanks willing to snipe the helicopter down.

Use the terrain to also get away from an enemy field of fire. Getting low increases the helicopter speed as it pitch forwards, and speed makes the helicopter harder to hit. Use this for evasive manoeuvres around a tough location.

'''''Specific enemies worth noting''''' 
The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" and Flakpanzer I Gepard are the greatest enemies of the helicopters. The best protection against these is distance and movement. The best way to counter these vehicles is to fire a guided missile at their location, as even a close miss may destroy them. If out of guided missile, an airstrike with rockets and the autocannon is also a good way to take these out.

Ambitious tanks may also try to snipe the GM-64 from the air with their large cannons. Keep moving and keep the distance to avoid meeting a deadly end via a HEAT or APDS round.

'''''Describe the vehicle in the game - its distinctive features, the tactics used against major opponents, recommendations for using the vehicle in different situations.''''' 
The GM-64 is distinctive to its counterpart by its more slim size, thus making it a smaller target. Also compared to the other helicopter, the GM-64 is painted with a duller desert camouflage color rather than with any brightness on it. The helicopter contains 8 useful anti-tank guided missiles, a limited number as such it is not expected to last in the battlefield for very long before having to withdraw to reload.

'''''What to expect, if it would be in command of the enemy.''''' 
The GM-64 would be played like any other helicopter in the game, firing a distance away with guided missiles and eliminate targets with extreme precision. However, the GM-64 has a disadvantage of only having 8 missiles available, as such the enemy is sure to use these missiles conservatively, only hitting targets that are close by and on target.

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Agile helicopter
* Large ammo stowage for autocannon
* Large rocket count
* Slimmer profile makes it a relatively smaller target than its counterpart

'''Cons:'''

* Limited amount of guided missiles

== Specifications ==
===Armaments===
The GM-64 is equipped with a 30 mm autocannon as well as 38 rockets and 8 guided missiles.
==== Main armament ====
1 x 30 mm M230 cannon (1,200 Rounds)

==== Payloads ====
38 x 70 mm Hydra rocket 
8 x 178 mm AGM114F missile

=== Engine & Mobility ===
'''Weight:''' 7.3 ton 
'''Max Speed:''' 276 km/h

*Engine Power: 2 x 1,927 hp
*Max altitude: 4465 m
*Rate of climb: 13.4 m/s

=== Modules and improvements ===


== History of creation and combat usage ==


== Additional information (links) ==

* [[wt:en/news/4614-development-gm-64-rotary-wing-chieftain-en|[Devblog] GM-64: Rotary-Wing Chieftain]]

* [[AH-64D]] - Closest equivalent in-game to the GM-64
* [[April Fool's Day|Gaijin's April Fool's Day Pranks]]

===Trivia===
The GM-64 model is taken from a 2010 game also developed by Gaijin Entertainment: [[wikipedia:Apache:_Air_Assault|Apache: Air Assault]]

===References===
<references />

[[Category:April fool's day]]
[[Category:Removed vehicles]]

Leopard 2A5 (April Fools)

2023-12-26T14:02:16Z

U134631722: /* History of creation and combat usage */ History copied over from the in-game Leopard 2A5 page tho slightly edited

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Leopard 2A5}}
<div class="object-info clearfix" align="justify">
<div class="left-area">
__TOC__

== General info ==
[[File:AprilFools Wallpaper Leopard_2A5.jpg|x300px|thumb|right|The Leopard 2A5]]

The '''Leopard 2A5''' is a Rank VIII German main battle tank with a battle rating of 13.0. It was introduced in Update 1.67 as part of Rank IX Open Testing lasting from March 31st to April 3rd.

=== The main purpose, usage and tactics recommendations ===
'''''General playstyle''''' 
The Leopard 2 with its greater mobility makes it a great tank to conduct a lightning assault, cover large ground to hit an enemy where they wouldn't expect it. Its 120 mm cannon is a great asset for this as the APFSDS ammunition is superior in penetration characteristics, along with its great muzzle velocity, this allows for great long-distance fighting capability.

'''''How to vs MBTs and Helicopters''''' 
The biggest adversary is other Leopard 2A5 and the T-90As. Keep in close with the enemy with the APFSDS ammunition, due to its superior capabilities over the HEAT rounds. Watch out for flankers as a shot into the locations where the ammo racks are will result in a detonation.

Use APFSDS rounds if ever going against helicopters as its greater muzzle velocity will not require much leading.

'''''Tactics''''' 
'''Arcade:''' In Arcade, the Leopard 2 presents great mobility that can be used to effectively engage targets. The arcade spotting system on the mini-map means reaction is heightened to respond to any enemy movement.

'''Realistic:''' With the lack of enemy marker, it is important to not overextend the Leopard 2's position into enemy territory without allies, otherwise a lone enemy tank could plant a shell onto the sides, effectively disabling if not disabling the Leopard 2.

'''''Specific enemies worth noting''''' 
Opposing Leopard 2 and T-90s are perhaps the biggest threat to the Leopard 2 on the ground. The front armour is quite resistant to enemy rounds, but rounds on the lower glacis and hull roof may penetrate into the crew compartment. Good luck surviving if any tanks manage to get a shot on the Leopard 2's sides.

From the air, helicopters with guided missiles will prove a big threat. Use the Leopard's great mobility and smoke to hide the tank from a precise direct hit from helicopters.

'''''Describe the vehicle in the game - its distinctive features, the tactics used against major opponents, recommendations for using the vehicle in different situations.''''' 
The Leopard 2 looks very similar to its predecessor with its rectangular hull and turret shape, as well as sharing its characteristics of very good mobility and a powerful armament. Unlike its predecessor, however, the armour on the Leopard 2 is quite substantial, enough so to resist most frontal shots with little wear and tear.

'''''What to expect, if it would be in command of the enemy.''''' 
The enemy would exploit the Leopard 2's great mobility and firepower to take up a sniping or offensive stance. The gun depression also means the enemy will also use small hills for hull-down positions quite often, only exposing the turret top for return fire.

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros'''

* Only two ammo racks to keep track of
* APFSDS round has superior armour-piercing characteristics
* Exceptional mobility on and off roads
* Good gun depression for hull-down fighting
* Smoke dischargers can be used twice before running out
* Neutral steering available

'''Cons'''

* Two ammo racks to keep track of, two locations enemies will aim for an ammo rack
* Damaged/incapacitated loader will severely increase loading time
* Rear engine deck prevents optimal gun depression
* Very weak side armour

== Specifications ==
=== Armaments ===
1 x 120 mm L/44 Rheinmetall cannon (42 Rounds) 
1 x 7.62 mm MG 3A1 machine gun (co-axial, 2,000 Rounds) 
1 x 7.62 mm MG 3A1 machine gun (AA pintle-mount, 2,000 Rounds)
16 x 76 mm smoke grenade launcher 

====Main armament====
1 x 120 mm L/44 Rheinmetall cannon

*Ammunition Capacity: 42 Shells
*Gun Depression: -9°
*Gun Elevation: 20°
*Turret Rotation Speed: 52.9°/s (AB), 45.0°/s (RB)
*Reload Rate: 6.7s

===== 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
|-
| DM53 || APFSDS || 700 || 690 || 685 || 680 || 675 || 670
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 650 || 650 || 650 || 650 || 650 || 650
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| DM53 || APFSDS || 1,670 || 5 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 12° || 10° || 9°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 915 || 18 || 0 || 0.1 || 2,790 || 25° || 18° || 15°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammorack Leopard 2A5 (April Fools).jpg|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Leopard 2|400px]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 16 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}
''Note'':

* Front empty: 16 ''(+26)'' shells.

==== Secondary armament ====

* 1 x 7.62 mm MG 3A1 machine gun (co-axial)
* 1 x 7.62 mm MG 3A1 machine gun (AA pintle-mount)
* 16 x 76 mm smoke grenade launcher

=== Crew ===

* Commander
* Gunner
* Loader
* Driver

Total: 4 crew members

=== [[Armour]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 500 mm (Kinetic) 600 mm (Cumulative) || 50 mm || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 700 mm (Kinetic) 1,100 mm (Cumulative) || 50 mm || 50 mm
|-
|}

=== Engine & Mobility ===
'''Weight:''' 59.0 ton 
'''Max Speed:''' 77 km/h (AB), 69 km/h (RB) 
'''''Arcade Battle'''''

*Engine Power: 2,502 hp @ 2,600 rpm
*Power-to-Weight Ratio: 35.87 hp/ton
*Maximum Inclination: 43°

'''''Realistic Battle'''''

*Engine Power: 1,500 hp @ 2,600 rpm
*Power-to-Weight Ratio: 21.51 hp/ton
*Maximum Inclination: 41°

=== Modules and improvements ===


== History of creation and combat usage ==
The Leopard 2A5 is a third-generation main battle tank (MBT) developed by the German company [[Template:TankManufacturer KMW|Krauss-Maffei Wegmann]] (KMW). It is an upgrade to the [[Leopard 2A4]], which was the mainstay of the German Army in the late 1990s. The Leopard 2A5 was first introduced in 1995 and served as the backbone of the German Army until the [[Leopard 2A6]] replaced it in 2001.

The Leopard 2A5 features improved armor protection and a new gunner's sight. The tank's armor consists of composite armor, reactive armor, and spaced armor, providing it with superior protection against anti-tank weapons. The Leopard 2A5 also features a modified turret design, which provides better protection for the crew.

The tank's main armament is the [[Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)|Rh120 L/44]], which is capable of firing a variety of ammunition types, including high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), and high-explosive, variable time fuze (HE-VT) rounds. The Leopard 2A5 also features a secondary armament consisting of a coaxial [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|MG3A1]] and another mounted on the commander's hatch .

The Leopard 2A5 has been used in several conflicts around the world, including in Kosovo and Afghanistan. The tank has proven to be highly effective in combat, with its superior armor protection and firepower providing a significant advantage on the battlefield. During the Kosovo conflict, the German Army deployed a battalion of Leopard 2A5s, which saw significant action against Serbian forces. The tank's superior protection and firepower proved to be critical in the success of the German mission.

The tank proved to be incapable, though, of urban combat, as German forces suffered heavy losses to shoulder anti-tank weapons, like the RPG-7 and M136, which were highly used by guerilla and insurgency forces from rooftops and areas where the Leopard's defenses couldn't reach. Around 1997, the Leopard 2A5M TUSK I prototype was created, featuring an all-around ERA protection, as well as blowout panels, an autoloader, a shorter barrel, and a remote-controlled machine gun (to prevent the commander/loader from having to turn out of the tank to fire it). Although some units were produced, the project was abandoned quickly due to the replacement of the tank by the Leopard 2A6, along with the high production cost of the new variant.

Production of the Leopard 2A5 began in 1995, and the tank was in service until it was replaced by the Leopard 2A6 in 2001. The Leopard 2A5 was produced in Germany and exported to several other countries, including Austria, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Norway, and Poland.

Despite its successes, the Leopard 2A5 was not without its production issues. The tank was initially delayed due to problems with the new armor technology, and production costs were higher than expected. The tank also had some reliability issues, particularly with its engine, which was prone to overheating.

In conclusion, the Leopard 2A5 is a highly effective third-generation MBT that provided a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the Leopard 2A4. The tank's superior armor protection and firepower made it a formidable opponent on the battlefield, and it has seen successful combat deployment in several conflicts around the world. While the Leopard 2A5 had some production issues, it was a critical asset for the German Army during its time in service.

== See also ==


* [[Leopard 2A5]] - In-game version

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4616-development-leopard-2a5-shield-of-the-west-en|[Devblog] Leopard 2A5: Shield of the West]]

[[Category:April fool's day]]
[[Category:Removed vehicles]]

Vladimir T-90A (April Fools)

2023-12-26T13:55:43Z

U134631722: /* History */ History copied over from the in-game T-90A page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:T-90A}}
__TOC__

== Description ==
[[File:AprilFools Wallpaper T-90A.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''Vladimir T-90A''' was a Rank IX Russian main battle tank with a battle rating of 14.3. It was introduced in Update 1.67 as part of Rank IX Open Testing lasting from March 31st to April 3rd.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 600 mm (Kinetic) 900 mm (Cumulative) || 80 mm || 45 mm
|-
| Turret || 800 mm (Kinetic) 1,100 mm (Cumulative) || 80 mm || 50 mm
|-
|}

==== Crew ====

* Commander
* Gunner
* Driver

Total: 3 Crew members

=== Mobility ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Game Mode
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristics
! colspan="2" | Engine power (horsepower)
! colspan="2" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! Max Speed
! {{Annotation|Weight|Vehicle Weight (Tons)}}
! {{Annotation|AoA Weight|Add on Armour Weight (Tons)}}
! Stock
! Upgraded
! Stock
! Upgraded
|-
! Arcade
| 67 || rowspan="2" | 46.5 || rowspan="2" | N/A || N/A || 1,668 || N/A || 35.87
|-
! {{Annotation|Realistic|Simulator uses Realistic FMs}}
| 60 || N/A || 1,000 || N/A || 35.87
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | 125 mm 2A46M
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 43 || -4°/+14° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
| colspan="3" | ''Arcade'' || colspan="3" | 41.2
|-
| colspan="3" | ''Realistic'' || colspan="3" | 35.0
|-
! colspan="6" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
| colspan="6" | 7.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration in mm @ 90°
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 3BM60 || APDS-FS || 642 || 640 || 635 || 630 || 620 || 610
|-
| 3BK29M || HEATFS || 700 || 700 || 700 || 700 || 700 || 700
|-
| 9M119M || ATGM || 750 || 750 || 750 || 750 || 750 || 750
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 47 || 47 || 47 || 47 || 47 || 47
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile mass in kg
! rowspan="2" |Fuse delay in m
! rowspan="2" |Fuse sensitivity in mm
! rowspan="2" |Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent)
! colspan="3" |Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3BM60 || APDS-FS || 1750 || 4.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3BK29M || HEATFS || 915 || 18 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,790 || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 9M119M || ATGM || 350 || 23 || 0.0 || 0.01 || 4,720 || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 5,780 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Ammo Part
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''43''' || Projectiles Propellants || 41 ''(+2)'' 41 ''(+2)'' || 37 ''(+6)'' 29 ''(+14)'' || 33 ''(+10)'' 27 ''(+16)'' || 30 ''(+13)'' 26 ''(+17)'' || 27 ''(+16)'' 23 ''(+20)'' || 26 ''(+17)'' 1 ''(+42)'' || 23 ''(+20)'' N/A || 1 ''(+42)'' N/A || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammorack_T-90A (April Fools).png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the T90|350px]]
'''Note''':

* Sponsons empty: 23 (+20) shells.

=== Additional armament ===

12 x 81 mm smoke grenade launcher

=== Machine guns ===

12.7 mm NSVT machine gun (300 Rounds, pintle-mount) 
7.62 mm PKT machine gun (2,000 Rounds, coaxial)

== Usage in battles ==


'''General playstyle'''

The T-90 should be played in accordance with Russian armoured doctrine, in the offensive. The low profile and assortment of ammunition allows for the T-90 to take the offensive against distant and close-range target easily. The APDS-FS and HEATFS gives the T-90 good variety in a close-range engagement and the ATGM gives a relatively accurate long-range fighting ammunition next to the APDS.

'''How to vs MBTs and Helicopters'''

The biggest adversary is the Leopard 2A5 and other T-90As. Any shot to the T-90’s sides is surely going to set off the ammunition inside the tank, resulting in an instant kill. While it is possible to do the same against another T-90, more careful shot placement is required for the Leopard 2A5 due to their ammunition stowage. Aim for the front right area to hit the ammunition in the front of the hull and in the turret rear to hit the ammunition there.

'''Tactics'''

'''Arcade:''' In Arcade, the T-90A can effectively engage at a long distance with estimation of range and position. With that in mind, the T-90A could snipe at distance enemies with ATGM to trace and eliminate vehicles.

'''Realistic:''' With the lack of enemy marker, it is important to carefully range targets. The T-90A can effectively engage targets still provided it does not experience any damaging shot during the engagement.

'''Specific enemies worth noting'''

Opposing Leopard 2 and T-90s are perhaps the biggest threat to the T-90A on the ground. The front armour is quite resistant to enemy rounds, but rounds on the lower glacis and hull roof may penetrate into the crew compartment. Good luck surviving if any tanks manage to get a shot on the T-90A's sides and ammo carousel.

From the air, helicopters with guided missiles will prove a big threat. Use the Leopard's great mobility and smoke to hide the tank from a precise direct hit from helicopters.

'''Describe the vehicle in the game - its distinctive features, the tactics used against major opponents, recommendations for using the vehicle in different situations.'''

The T-90 has quite a unique shape of a near-circular turret, and two red "eyes" on the turret front. A big notable feature on the T-90A is inside, with its carousel ammunition provided for the autoloading mechanism. This presents a very large ammo rack that any enemy tank could detonate with a simple penetration through the front or through the sides.

'''What to expect, if it would be in command of the enemy.'''

The T-90A will close in for a kill with its HEATFS and APDS-FS ammunition. From a distance though, it can still fight with ATGM to attack distant targets with great accuracy and control.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros'''

* Extra variety in ammunition with [[Anti-tank guided missiles|ATGM]] ammo
* Autoloader gives a constant reload rate
* 12.7 mm pintle machine gun gives better AA defensive power
* Low profile

'''Cons'''

* Poor gun depression of -4°
* Average reload rate is long
* Ammo all over hull, one penetrating shot can lead to ammo rack explosion
* Small crew count makes each person valuable, if two are knocked out, instantly goes to crew replenishment
* Poor reverse speed
* Smoke dischargers all used up on first use
* No neutral steering

== History ==
In 1989, the Ural Design Bureau of Heavy Engineering developed a prototype of a modernized T-72B tank, designated as "Object 188". The vehicle was a deep modification of the Soviet main battle tank, with a number of modern technical solutions, including a new fire control system, guided weapons, combined protection and a completely innovative electro-optical active protection system. The tank successfully passed tests and was recommended for mass production under the designation T-90; its serial production began in 1992. Meanwhile, the systemic economic crisis in Russia forced the tank builders to stop serial production of the tank. Meanwhile, research and development on a further T-90 modernization continued for the needs of foreign operators, as well as the Russian Army. Soon, when the economic situation in the industry began to improve, the tank builders combined their developments into an upgrade program, the T-90A. Unlike the basic version, the new tank featured a slightly more powerful engine, and a welded turret with improved protection. The main difference is the increased fire potential: a new cannon and a modern fire control system with an advanced thermal imaging sight. The T-90A tank was produced from 2004 to 2011.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[T-90A]] - In-game version

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4615-development-vladimir-t-90a-the-armored-predator-en|[Devblog] Vladimir T-90A: The Armored Predator]]

[[Category:April fool's day]]
[[Category:Removed vehicles]]

SPS-255

2023-12-26T13:51:37Z

U134631722: /* SPS-255 */ Operation Bodyguard text- Now links to the .wikipedia page of it

{{DISPLAYTITLE:SPS-255 (Special Purpose Sherman)}}
[[File:Events SPS-255statcard.jpg|framed|right]]

==SPS-255==
[[File:Events SPS-255x-ray.jpg|thumbnail|left|X-Ray view of the SPS-255]]

The Special Purpose Sherman SPS-255 was a special tank added during the [[Unrealistic_Battles|Unrealistic Battles event]] on 1st April, 2015. The tank consisted of an inflatable rubber skin, painted to resemble the markings and external elements of an [[M4]] Sherman, with the supporting structure made of wooden planks. It was powered by 4 crew members on bicycles in the hull in place of a real engine and drive train. The SPS-255's primary armament was a training version of the [[M4]]'s [[M3 (75 mm)]] cannon, the 100mm M4 cannon. It could fire Potato AP or Carrot HVAP ammunition, both with very low velocities and high arcs, from a "rack" of 200 total rounds. Because the event featured a health system, most critical components of other tanks are not modeled in detail, and thus it also did not have access to Repair Kits, FPE or Crew Replenishment. The appearance of this vehicle was based on real-life decoy [[M4]] Sherman tanks used during [[wikipedia:Operation_Bodyguard|Operation Bodyguard]] before D-Day in 1944.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/2974--en|Unrealistic Battles/SPS-255 announcement article]]
* [http://coub.com/view/5p72a COUB short video of SPS-255 in action during Unrealistic Battles]

[[Category:April fool's day]]
[[Category:Removed vehicles]]

Tank ammunition

2023-12-25T10:23:11Z

U134631722: /* Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) */ Added details about ATGM guidance and tandem warhead

Throughout the past century of tank development, a large range of ammunition types have been produced and seen combat. As time progressed, technology improved and rounds also improved in terms of lethality, accuracy and ballistic performance. Despite this, most rounds can be categorised under one of two primary categories: '''kinetic''' rounds and '''chemical''' rounds; and further under a variety of subcategories.

== Kinetic energy shells ==
'''Kinetic rounds''' penetrate and deal damage based on a number of factors; shell type, projectile mass, round velocity and material hardness. Mass, shell type and hardness are constants, but velocity reduces with distance travelled and as such at longer ranges kinetic rounds will lose penetration ability and in some cases post-penetration efficacy. Most kinetic rounds can hit targets through lighter obstacles - trees, walls and some buildings. Under the right circumstances, solid kinetic rounds can penetrate multiple vehicles along their trajectory.

=== Solid Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
Solid AP rounds are a kinetic munition that utilise a hardened metal (often steel) shell with full-calibre diameter. The result is a simple, yet effective anti-tank round that will punch through armour with high equivalent thickness values, while retaining reasonable post-penetration effects which, when well-placed, can deal significant internal damage to components and crew directly within the shrapnelling path. The amount of spalling generated by a successful AP penetration depends on the shell mass and thickness of the penetrated armour and modules. Generally, solid AP does not stop until it has exhausted all of its force and is capable of passing through an entire vehicle if this energy is not fully expended.
==== Armour-Piercing (AP) ====
[[File:Icon rnd ap.png|left|frameless]] Armour-Piercing is a basic solid steel shot which is entirely reliant on kinetic energy to penetrate and deal damage. Providing the round possesses enough energy to penetrate any given armour, it will deal internal damage from steel fragments and spalling of the internal surfaces which can damage vehicle components, stored ammunition and crew members.

''AP is a standard early World War II ammunition for many nations. In War Thunder, AP rounds should be used as a general use anti-armour round, with careful round placement to maximise post-penetration damage. Some nations, such as the British, have modified versions of AP, usually denoted by a "HV" in the name, which is launched at a higher velocity than standard AP rounds, resulting in higher penetration potential.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Capped (APC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apc.png|left|frameless]] APC rounds have a nose cone (or cap) of softer metal which is fixed to the front of the solid shot. When this strikes the target armour the shock of the impact is transferred away from the tip of the round to the neck, helping prevent shattering. Additionally, the cap will collapse on contact with armour and the deformation will cause the round to angle towards the armour, more efficiently directing energy into the armour and improving the angled performance of the round. A downside of the cap is a decrease in long-range accuracy due to the cap interfering with the shell's aerodynamics.
[[File:APC Normalization.gif|thumb|Display of shell normalization as an effect of a capped (APC) shell (clickable gif)]]

''APC is commonly found as a mid-tier shell for both the British and French on their mid-to-late WW2 vehicles. In War Thunder, APC is best used as a short-to-mid range round for combatting angled armour that regular AP rounds may not easily penetrate.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Ballistic Capped (APBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apbc.png|left|frameless]] APBC rounds utilise a ballistic cap, designed to improve aerodynamic performance and hence round performance at longer ranges. The cap usually utilises a soft or brittle metal which collapses on impact and does not aid penetration or angled performance.

''APBC is found on some early Soviet vehicles, but is relatively uncommon otherwise compared to APCBC. In War Thunder, APBC is best used as a longer-range alternative to APC or APHE rounds which often exhibit less favourable ranged performance.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Capped, Ballistic Capped (APCBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apcbc.png|left|frameless]] APCBC rounds combine the standard cap and the ballistic cap, improving the round's aerodynamic and penetration performance. As such, APCBC rounds tend to exhibit the best all-round characteristics of any conventional kinetic rounds.

''APCBC is a common shell for British, French and American mid-to-late WW2 vehicles. US rounds usually have explosive filler, acting like an APHEBC shell, while British and French rounds don't. The APCBC should be the preferred option given a selection of full-calibre solid shot rounds, when available, and should be situationally switched for APHE rounds when they're available.''

=== HE-Filled Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
HE-Filled Armour-Piercing Rounds take the concept of armour-piercing rounds and add a deadly twist - a quantity of HE filler on a timed fuse, designed to explode after a successful penetration. While the concept sacrifices some structural integrity and thus penetrating power, the destructive ability of an APHE round is nearly unrivalled. The fuse only activates if the shell collides with a surface of reasonable thickness, mostly dictated by shell calibre - though there are exceptions with a slower or faster fuse. After the fuse activates, the contained explosive will be ignited after passing a specified distance, resulting in significantly increased internal damage to a target. Vehicles with rolled homogeneous armour side skirts of reasonable thickness can detonate fast fuse APHE early, sometime avoiding internal damage entirely. Tanks with large or numerous modules directly behind weak spots (for example, front-mounted transmissions) can block the entire round from further penetration, or simply block the post-penetration effect from passing. Keep this in mind, and try to aim for locations that will allow detonation as centrally within the target as possible.

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive (APHE) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphe.png|left|frameless]] APHE rounds utilise a similar form to AP rounds, but incorporate a small chamber of high-explosive filler within the round. This often slightly reduces the round's mass and construction strength and as such APHE rounds tend to exhibit slightly worse penetration performance than their solid shot counterparts. However, upon successful penetration, APHE rounds often cause significantly more damage within a vehicle. APHE rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHE is primarily found on Soviet, German and Japanese vehicles earlier in the tech tree, and on a selection of earlier American vehicles. It should be prioritised for use when penetration is highly likely, or switched for AP or APCR if improved penetration is required.''

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive, Ballistic Capped (APHEBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphebc.png|left|frameless]] APHEBC rounds, similarly to APHE, utilise APBC concepts with the addition of high-explosive filler. Again, the rounds tend to exhibit slightly worse penetrative performance than their solid shot brethren, but significantly more post-penetration damage. APHEBC rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHEBC is primarily found on Soviet and Italian vehicles earlier in the tech tree as a mid-tier round, and on some American and German vehicles. It's ideally used against targets where angled performance is required and HE filler is preferable.''

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive, Capped, Ballistic Capped (APHECBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphecbc.png|left|frameless]] APHECBC rounds utilise standard APCBC designs with added explosive filler. APHECBC is often referred to as APCBC in-game, and can be identified instead by the graphic or the explosive filler content on the round's stat card. As with other APHE rounds, APHECBC significantly improves the post-penetration lethality over that of a standard APCBC round. APHECBC rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHECBC is found throughout the Soviet tech tree as a high-tier round, and on some Japanese, American and German vehicles. APHECBC should be used preferentially and interchangeably with a high-penetration round where available.''

==== Anti-Concrete (AC) ====
[[File:Icon_rnd_ac.png|left|54px|frameless]] AC rounds are designed as an anti-emplacement ammunition. Their intended role was to penetrate reinforced concrete and detonate inside the fortified positions (bunkers, pillboxes). It works like an APHE round but has an atypically high explosive filler capable of causing overpressure and severe spalling.

''The Anti-Concrete round is found on the Lancia 3Ro (100/17) tank destroyer. It can be used like an APHE round.''

=== Sub-Calibre Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
Sub-Calibre AP rounds are, essentially, what they say on the label - the penetrator itself is of a smaller calibre than the gun barrel, using a sabot to make up the calibre difference. How the sabot is handled is dependent on the type of round - it may be either discarding or non-discarding. Sub-calibre rounds sacrifice post-penetration effectiveness for high round velocities and high penetration values.

==== Armour-Piercing, Composite, Rigid (APCR) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apcr.png|left|frameless]] APCR rounds often use tungsten carbide or other extremely hard metals as a sub-calibre penetrator, wrapped within a softer full-calibre sabot - the APCR concept is essentially a predecessor to the APDS design. Upon impact, the soft shell will deform, allowing the hard metal penetrator contained within to penetrate the target's armour with force spread over a smaller surface area, resulting in significantly better penetration ability. APCR rounds often suffer due to their more concentrated post-penetration damage, as well as faster penetration drop-off over range than a standard AP round of the same calibre. Due to their design, APCR perform extremely poorly when fired upon angled armour, and will ricochet on much smaller angles than AP or APDS.

''APCR is found throughout most tech trees, most commonly available to vehicles from mid-WW2 through to early cold war vehicles. APCR rounds are best used against minimally angled armour, where other rounds will be unable to penetrate.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Discarding Sabot (APDS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apds.png|left|frameless]] APDS rounds utilise a hard core as a sub-calibre penetrator, with a full calibre sabot. Unlike APCR rounds, APDS rounds discard their sabot after exiting the cannon barrel. The result is an extremely high-velocity round with particularly high penetration values and good ranged accuracy. Unlike APCR, APDS does not suffer when used against angled armour. APDS produces a minimal amount of post-penetration damage - this can be attributed to the shell degradation the thicker the armour it has to penetrate. The thicker the armour, the more it deteriorates and the less spalling it will cause. Once the round deteriorates far enough, it will shatter. This is especially apparent for small-calibre APDS, or when used against some extremely heavy vehicles. Due to this, careful aim is required when utilising APDS rounds to maximise their post-penetration effect.

''APDS is first made available on post-WW2 British vehicles as well as Swedish WW2 vehicles such as the [[Lago I]], and is available to most vehicles in possession of a [[Royal Ordnance L7A1 (105 mm)|105 mm L7]]-derived cannon. In War Thunder, APDS is best used as a long-range round, with multiple shots often being a necessity due to the lack of post-penetration damage. APDS can be quite ineffective against lightly-armoured vehicles and the frontal armour of super heavy tanks.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Fin-Stabilised, Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apfsds.png|left|frameless]] APFSDS is the pinnacle of the kinetic anti-armour rounds. As with APDS, APFSDS utilises an extremely hard penetrator and a discarding sabot, however the penetrator is usually significantly longer than that of APDS and incorporates fins for improved long-range ballistics. The additional penetrator length improves the post-penetration damage effects. APFSDS rounds are the most powerful kinetic rounds available in-game.

''APFSDS is first made available to some late Rank V vehicles, and is mainly the primary round for most Rank VI or VII vehicles. Due to the extremely high velocity most APFSDS rounds are fired at, they are easy to aim and maintain their effective performance at even extreme ranges. APFSDS is quite ineffective against lightly-armoured vehicles and should be aimed at critical components to maximise their damage potential.''

== Chemical energy shells ==
'''Chemical energy shells''' deal damage based on a chemical reaction, and unlike kinetic shells, their ability to penetrate and deal damage are unaffected by the shell's velocity. This means that target distance often doesn't affect the round's effectiveness. However, this also means that enemy tanks spaced and composite armour can be much more effective at preventing the damage, depending on the shell type used. Many chemical shells utilise extremely sensitive fuses and will detonate upon touching anything, while almost none of them can be fired through solid obstacles. Many chemical rounds have a very low muzzle velocity, reducing their effective range but allowing the user to launch them over terrain.

=== High-Explosive Rounds ===
High-Explosive rounds are a simple shell packed full of a high-explosive material, primarily designed for anti-infantry and anti-emplacement applications. However, this translates surprisingly well when applied to light vehicles - significantly more so than armour-piercing rounds or in some cases even APHE rounds. Unfortunately, most HE-based rounds are relatively useless against well-armoured vehicles and force their user to target flaws in an enemy tank design.

==== High-Explosive (HE) ====
[[File:Icon rnd he.png|left|frameless]] High-Explosive rounds are primarily intended for use as an anti-infantry/anti-emplacement round, as their destruction power comes from the explosive filler in the shell. As such, HE rounds tend to have minimal armour-piercing capability and are better used against particularly lightly-armoured and open-topped vehicles. On occasion, it can prove effective against the side or roof of some lightly-armoured vehicles. High-calibre HE rounds may cause enough area damage to destroy a tank regardless of the round placement.

''HE rounds are available to almost every vehicle in-game. Their effectiveness is dependent on the size of the shell and explosive filler, with bigger shells being able to defeat the most armoured of targets, but small calibre HE shells only really working on unarmoured / open top ground vehicles or aircraft.''

==== High-Explosive Time Fuse (HE-TF) ====
[[File:Icon rnd hevt.png|left|frameless]] HE-TF rounds use the simple concept of a timed fuse, resulting in an explosion at a pre-set range. While HE-TF rounds are no more effective than HE rounds against most heavy armour, they can be particularly effective against light vehicles with a known range or against aircraft (one of their original design uses).

''HE-TF rounds are available to a number of vehicles originally designed for anti-air purposes, such as the [[YaG-10 (29-K)]] and the [[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.]]. They're best used against aircraft by rangefinding the aircraft in question, setting the fuse range to a reasonable assumption based on the result and leading sensibly. They can be extremely effective against aircraft if used correctly, but are mostly ineffective against armoured vehicles.''

==== High-Explosive Variable Time Fuse [Self-Destroying] (HE-VT*) ====
[[File:Icon rnd he prx.png|left|frameless]] HE-VT rounds are an advanced round fitted with a specialised proximity fuse, designed to detonate the round upon reaching close proximity with a target. These are usually designed for anti-air applications, and are generally ineffective against most ground targets.

''HE-VT rounds are available to some later anti-air vehicles, such as the [[OTOMATIC]], or some light tanks, like the [[Begleitpanzer 57]], and are capable of destroying aircraft or helicopters if the round passes within close proximity of the target. They are extremely effective against mid-ranged aircraft but cannot be relied upon for use against armour.''

==== High-Explosive Grenade ====
[[File:Icon grn he.png|left|frameless]] HE Grenades are specialised HE rounds designed to be fired from cannons which may not be otherwise capable of firing high-calibre rounds. They usually operate in a different manner to conventional cannon rounds, utilising a propellant rather than a charge, resulting in a relatively low round velocity and sub-par ballistics. However, this design has proven useful, as the low velocity can be used to sling rounds over small terrain deformations, onto weak roof armour, or into trenches or bunkers.

''HE Grenades are available to vehicles with recoilless cannon designs or other non-standard cannon designs. They are generally as effective as an equivalent HE round, however have significantly lower muzzle velocity and as such are extremely inaccurate at long ranges. HE Grenades are found on various vehicles, such as the [[BMP-1]].''

==== Anti-Personnel Fragmentation Grenade (VOG) ====
[[File:Icon rnd VOG-30.png|left|frameless|54x54px]] Anti-Personnel Fragmentation Grenades are grenades intended for use against infantry; they use a lightweight explosive charge alongside a thin casing to produce a large lethal radius via shrapnel.

''The [[BMP-2M]] is equipped with an automatic grenade launcher. VOGs are useful as a substitute to pintle-mounted machine guns, able to destroy terrain elements like bushes, trees, and buildings. They are almost completely ineffective against tanks, lacking the required explosive filler and muzzle velocity.''

==== Rocket (R) ====
{{main|:Category:Rocket launchers|l1=List of vehicles able to equip rockets}}
[[File:Icon spr rocket.png|left|frameless]] Rockets are unguided high-explosive self-propelled rounds which are often significantly higher calibre than standard tank cannons. They can be mounted as ancillary weaponry on some vehicles, or in some cases mounted on specialised rocket-carrier vehicles.

''Rockets can be unreliable and inaccurate, but due to their often large calibre, large amount of HE filler, and ability to continuously launch them until the rack is empty, they can prove effective against some armoured vehicles. Rockets can be found either mounted ancillary to a conventional cannon, as on the [[RBT-5]] and [[Calliope]], or on dedicated rocket carriers such as the [[BM-13N]], [[U-SH 405]], and [[Type 75 MLRS]].''

=== Anti-Emplacement Rounds ===
Anti-Emplacement rounds are designed specifically for combatting emplacements, however have proven to have some anti-tank value. They rely on different mechanics compared to normal rounds*, and can prove particularly ineffective against heavy armour.

==== Shrapnel ====
[[File:Shrapnel Round Icon.png|left|frameless]] Shrapnel rounds are a chemical round utilising a thin shell and a chamber of metal fillings or ball bearings with a small explosive charge. Upon successful penetration, shrapnel rounds cause a significant amount of damage. However, due to the thin outer shell, shrapnel rounds only perform well against particularly light armour and are completely ineffective when used against even moderately armoured targets.

''Shrapnel rounds are available exclusively to early Soviet vehicles. Shrapnel is exclusively useful against lightly armoured targets, and shouldn't be used against front-facing armour of any other tank.''

==== High-Explosive Squash Head (HESH) ====
[[File:Icon rnd hesh.png|left|frameless]] HESH rounds are designed as an anti-emplacement round. The squash head, usually comprised of some form of plastic explosive, is designed to squash onto a surface and detonate, causing the opposite side of the surface to rupture. If the given surface happens to be metal, this will often result in metal shards flying off the surface at high velocity. While in the past, HESH rounds have had improved performance on angled targets, their performance is now completely uniform at all ranges and angles. Recently due to the advent of "[[Damage mechanics#Overpressure|Overpressure]]", HESH has benefited an increase in performance and increased lethality, even when failing to hit the target directly. HESH also has relatively low fuse sensitivity, therefore it can be launched through some foliage and weak obstacles without detonating, unlike HE or HEAT.

''HESH rounds are available to most British vehicles from Rank V, and other vehicles in possession of an L7-derived gun. HESH should be primarily used against lighter armour or side armour, while specifically avoiding side skirts and any other forms of spaced armour, although occasionally the HE splash effect can cause unexpected results. HESH is completely ineffective against heavy armour or composite armour designs.''

=== High-Explosive Anti-Tank Rounds ===
High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) rounds make use of shaped charges to penetrate armour, forcing superplastic metal through into the crew compartment, damaging crew and modules. HEAT rounds prove particularly effective at long ranges, as their method of action does not lose effectiveness with range. Unfortunately though, the fuse on a HEAT round must be extremely sensitive, causing the rounds to detonate even on bushes and wooden fences that other chemical rounds of high calibre have a chance to pass through. All HEAT-derived rounds have concentrated post-penetration damage, similar to APDS, which travels in a tight cone from the impact point. This often works in favor of the shell when a direct hit is achieved, in some cases allowing it to burn through modules such as frontally-mounted transmissions, dealing further damage to the vehicle's internals. This same effect can prove troublesome when a round collides on a sub-par angle or after penetration there's simply nothing within its cone of effect.

==== High-Explosive, Anti-tank (HEAT) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heat.png|left|frameless]] HEAT rounds are designed specifically as an anti-tank round. They operate with a shaped charge that uses an explosive to force superplastic metal through a vehicle's armour, causing internal damage to crew and modules.

''HEAT rounds are available to a variety of WW2 German and Japanese vehicles, as well as higher-performance HEAT becoming available to some late French and American vehicles, as HEATFS rounds cannot be fired from rifled cannons. HEAT is limited in effectiveness and its usage should be carefully considered as many vehicles have armour it cannot penetrate. Due to its low velocity, HEAT often requires a high angle of attack and will arrive at a target on an angle - as such the often impressive 0° penetration statistics will often prove irrelevant, with angled penetration values being more accurate.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Fin-Stabilized (HEATFS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heatfs.png|left|frameless]] HEATFS rounds are an improvement over the HEAT concept, using improved penetrative chemicals and utilising fins for improved ballistic performance. HEATFS rounds maintain their penetration values at all ranges, and are well-suited to long-range engagements. HEATFS rounds are particularly sensitive, and may detonate on light obstacles such as shrubs or fences.

''HEATFS rounds become available to many nations from Rank V, although notably the British do not receive HEATFS at any stage due to its incompatibility with rifled cannons. At late Rank VI and Rank VII, HEATFS may prove ineffective in many cases due to the prevalence of ERA and composite armour. Despite this, it can still be used for ranged engagements against light tanks and medium tanks with insufficient ERA or composite protection, as particularly late HEATFS rounds have extremely high penetration power. High-calibre HEATFS rounds will cripple light tanks, while APFSDS is not as effective at it.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Multi-Purpose (HEAT MP) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heatfs.png|left|frameless]]HEAT MP rounds are specialised HEATFS rounds which utilise a proximity fuse to detonate when in close proximity to a target. They can be used to destroy low-flying aircraft or helicopters, while maintaining their effectiveness against ground vehicles utilising normal HEATFS technology.

''HEAT MP rounds are extremely specialised. They are available to only the [[M1A1 HC]], [[M1A1 AIM]], [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[M1A2 SEP]] and the [[M1A2 SEP V2]] and have an identical icon to the standard HEATFS. They combine the anti-armour power of a standard HEATFS round with the anti-aircraft effectiveness of a HE-VT round. Their proximity fuse will detonate only above a specified altitude, so they can be used normally against other armoured vehicles.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank Grenade ====
[[File:Icon grn heat.png|left|frameless]] HEAT Grenades are specialised HEAT rounds, designed for use where normal tank rounds may not be possible to utilise. They often use a propellant rather than a standard charge, and as such suffer from low velocity and sub-par round ballistics. Despite this, they can prove effective against tanks due to their HEAT technology.

''HEAT Grenades are available to vehicles with recoilless cannons or other non-standard cannon designs. Their effectiveness is similar to that of an equivalent HEAT round, however due to their low muzzle velocity they can be inaccurate at long ranges. HEAT Grenades are found on various light vehicles, such as the [[M50]], [[T114]], [[Type 60 SPRG (C)]], [[FIAT 6614]], [[R3 T106 FA]], and [[BMP-1 (Family)]].''

=== Guided Missiles ===
Guided missiles utilise a guidance system (of various types, such as MCLOS, SACLOS, Radar, Heat-Seeking) to accomplish their intended role. They sacrifice round velocity for long-range precision. Different missile types are effective in different applications - some have anti-tank properties, while others are effective against air targets.

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ====
{{main|Anti-tank guided missiles}}
[[File:Icon spr atgm.png|left|frameless]] ATGMs largely utilise the same concept as HEAT, however they integrate some form of propulsion and are usually guideable, either manually (MCLOS) such as the [[9M14]], wire-guided semi-automatically such as the [[BGM-71 TOW]], beam-riding semi-automatically such as the [[9M133]], laser-guided semi-automatically such as the [[QN201DD]] or fire and forget such as the [[QN502CDD]]. ATGMs usually pack a large amount of explosive and often have particularly powerful shaped charges. However, they require specialised equipment to fire and tend to be heavy, often resulting in long reload times, especially for hybrid vehicles.

''ATGMs become available through Rank V, and are primarily carried by specialised ATGM carriers, although some tanks have ATGM-capable main cannons like the''[[2A46M-5 (125 mm)|2A46M-5]] on the [[T-72B3]] ''and some exceptional designs such as the [[Strv 81 (Rb.52)]] or the [[AMX-13 (HOT)]] that mount ATGMs on ancillary pylons. MCLOS ATGMs are manually controlled by tank movement keys in Ground Realistic Battles while they are semi-automatically guided by default in Ground Arcade Battles. MCLOS missiles cannot be fired on the move and is unaffected by IRCM in GRB. It will still be affected by IRCMs in Arcade battles. SACLOS ATGMs are controlled by the main gun sight and is much easier to aim compared to MCLOS missiles. Laser-guided and Beam riding missiles can be fired on the move and are unaffected by IRCM. Wired guided missiles cannot be fired on the move and Early WGMs will be affected by IRCM. Later wire-guided missiles such as the'' [[BGM-71D TOW-2]] are equipped with ECCMs and are unaffected by IRCM systems. Fire and forget missiles are currently only present on the [[QN506]] and allows for firing on the move and additionally guided by itself so the need to guide the missile to the target is gone.

Some ATGMs may feature tandem warhead. These tandem warheads allows the missile to defeat Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) by having a smaller charge denotate first to trigger the ERA so that the main warhead will not be affected by ERA. This concept does not work with composite screens and NERA.

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Overfly Top Attack (ATGM-OTA) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm.png|left|frameless]] This missile's icon is the same as the normal ATGM, but its mechanism is completely different. It uses a proximity fuse to detonate '''above''' enemy tanks, sending the HEAT warhead right into the target's roof. Though this missile's penetration is rather low in the stats card, players should not be discouraged as tank's roof is one of the most lightly armoured area on all tanks. This missile type could also defeat tanks by overpressure effect alone, with a giant high-explosive warhead detonating through the top of tanks.

''At the time of the writing, the TOW-2B (and foreign variants with different names) and the Swedish [[Rbs 56]] are the only top-down attack missiles in the game. The TOW-2B is carried by specialized ATGM carriers, like the [[Wiesel 1A2]] or the [[CM25|M113]], exception being made only to the [[M3A3 Bradley]] and [[Dardo]] IFVs, which carry it too as a secondary weapon. Players should try to aim the missile about 1 meter above the target, as higher may result in little to no damage, but aiming too low could also have the missile detonating too early which, again, would cause little to no damage.''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Proximity Fuse [Self-Destroying] (ATGM-VT*) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm prx.png|left|frameless]] Proximity ATGMs utilise proximity fuses to detonate when in close proximity to aircraft. This, combined with their guidance systems (SACLOS) allows them to be used effectively against low-flying aircraft or helicopters.

''Proximity Fuse ATGMs can prove extremely effective against low-flying aircraft or helicopters, and utilise a similar proximity fuse concept to SAM missiles - although often ATGMs pack significantly more HE filler than SAMs do. ATGM-VT missiles are available to specialised ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]].''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Tandem Charge (ATGM Tandem) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm tandem.png|left|frameless]] Tandem ATGMs utilise a twin-stage warhead to overcome ERA - the first stage causes the ERA to detonate, while the second stage penetrates the armour below as normal. This concept does not work against NERA or composite armour.

''Tandem ATGMs are effective against ERA-protected vehicles, and often have very high penetration values. Tandem charge ATGMs are available to high-rank Soviet or Russian ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]] and [[BMP-3]].''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, HE (ATGM-HE) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm he.png|left|frameless]] HE ATGMs are a simplification of a standard ATGM; rather than a shaped HEAT charge, HE missiles simply utilise a large quantity of explosive to damage or destroy emplacements or light vehicles or other ATGM tanks.

''HE ATGMs are only effective against light vehicles and missile carriers in most cases, despite packing large quantities of HE filler. They are available to specialised ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]].''

==== Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ====
[[File:Icon spr sam.png|left|frameless]] SAMs are high-velocity anti-air missiles, designed specifically to combat aircraft using a variety of technologies; often including proximity fuses and radar or heat-seeking guidance.

''SAMs are very effective at long distances against aircraft, particularly helicopters. They are often extremely high velocity and pack a large amount of HE filler for a powerful airburst effect. SAMs are available to specialised anti-air vehicles such as the [[ZPRK 2S6|2S6 Tunguska]] or the [[XM1069]], which, notably, has multi-purpose missiles that are also effective against armoured vehicles.''

''There are many types of SAMs, namely Infrared Homing (IR) missiles on vehicles such as the one found on the [[Imp.Chaparral]], Infared homing and contrast-seeking on vehicles such as the one found on the [[Strela-10M2]] and SACLOS (or beam-riding SACLOS) missiles such as the one found on the [[XM1069]]. Additionally, IR guided missiles may feature IRCCM (Infrared Counter Countermeasure) which helps with defeating flares by filtering out flares from the target aircraft. IR missiles and contrast-seeking cannot be directly used on other ground vehicles as they require a target to be locked in order to fire. Most SACLOS SAMs pack less HE filler than an HE-ATGM and are only reliably effective against lightly armoured ground vehicles although with exceptions like the [[XM1069]] and [[ADATS (M113)]] which are designed to engage both air and ground targets.''

=== Utility Rounds ===
Utility rounds are ineffective for use against other vehicles, but provide value in some sort of utility.

==== Smoke ====
{{main|Smoke screen|l1=Smoke}}
[[File:Icon rnd smoke.png|left|frameless]] Smoke shells are not designed as a damaging shell, and largely consist of chemicals designed to create a smoke screen. The produced smoke has a limited lifetime.

''Smoke shells are available to various vehicles throughout most tech trees, however their effectiveness is somewhat limited compared to dedicated smoke launchers. The main advantage of smoke shells is that unlike ESS or hull-mounted smoke canisters, they can be launched anywhere the equipped vehicle can aim, allowing for strategic placement for pushes or flanking manoeuvres, or simply firing at an enemy vehicle to force them to move from their position.''

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|TQEq6hjxGdM|'''The Shooting Range #292''' - ''Tactics & Strategy'' section at 07:52 discusses playing HE wielders.|srKv5v9zoGA|'''The Shooting Range #216''' - ''Special'' section at 08:28 discusses Volumetric rounds.|CZqzMhbnvO4|'''Tank Shells Guide''' - War Thunder Official Channel|Qyr_aw3YTe8|'''The Shooting Range #2''' - ''Science of War'' section at 05:11 discusses HESH rounds.|6O3MBjdSsIk|'''Tank Shells Guide - War Thunder ammo types explained''' - ''HowToPlay1337''|ajeqij4_jwM|'''Ammo Types in War Thunder EXPLAINED''' - ''skDoger''|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|lK9Ck3P6AvM|'''Top 7 best rounds''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|fCc_B-wm0wA|'''Post-War Heat Shells''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[Ammo racks]] - How all tank ammunition is stored within the tank

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/576042-update-of-the-apds-penetration-values/ <nowiki>{Devblog]</nowiki> Update of the APDS penetration values]
* [[wt:en/news/7084-development-new-features-upcoming-with-the-ixwa-strike-update-en|[Devblog] New features upcoming with the "Ixwa Strike" update - Shell impact animations]]
* [[wt:en/news/6856-development-volumetric-shells-in-the-raining-fire-update-en|[Devblog] Volumetric shells in the "Raining Fire" update]]

[[Category:Ammunition]]

Tank ammunition

2023-12-25T10:00:54Z

U134631722: /* Surface to Air Missile (SAM) */ Added details about SAM guidances.

Throughout the past century of tank development, a large range of ammunition types have been produced and seen combat. As time progressed, technology improved and rounds also improved in terms of lethality, accuracy and ballistic performance. Despite this, most rounds can be categorised under one of two primary categories: '''kinetic''' rounds and '''chemical''' rounds; and further under a variety of subcategories.

== Kinetic energy shells ==
'''Kinetic rounds''' penetrate and deal damage based on a number of factors; shell type, projectile mass, round velocity and material hardness. Mass, shell type and hardness are constants, but velocity reduces with distance travelled and as such at longer ranges kinetic rounds will lose penetration ability and in some cases post-penetration efficacy. Most kinetic rounds can hit targets through lighter obstacles - trees, walls and some buildings. Under the right circumstances, solid kinetic rounds can penetrate multiple vehicles along their trajectory.

=== Solid Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
Solid AP rounds are a kinetic munition that utilise a hardened metal (often steel) shell with full-calibre diameter. The result is a simple, yet effective anti-tank round that will punch through armour with high equivalent thickness values, while retaining reasonable post-penetration effects which, when well-placed, can deal significant internal damage to components and crew directly within the shrapnelling path. The amount of spalling generated by a successful AP penetration depends on the shell mass and thickness of the penetrated armour and modules. Generally, solid AP does not stop until it has exhausted all of its force and is capable of passing through an entire vehicle if this energy is not fully expended.
==== Armour-Piercing (AP) ====
[[File:Icon rnd ap.png|left|frameless]] Armour-Piercing is a basic solid steel shot which is entirely reliant on kinetic energy to penetrate and deal damage. Providing the round possesses enough energy to penetrate any given armour, it will deal internal damage from steel fragments and spalling of the internal surfaces which can damage vehicle components, stored ammunition and crew members.

''AP is a standard early World War II ammunition for many nations. In War Thunder, AP rounds should be used as a general use anti-armour round, with careful round placement to maximise post-penetration damage. Some nations, such as the British, have modified versions of AP, usually denoted by a "HV" in the name, which is launched at a higher velocity than standard AP rounds, resulting in higher penetration potential.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Capped (APC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apc.png|left|frameless]] APC rounds have a nose cone (or cap) of softer metal which is fixed to the front of the solid shot. When this strikes the target armour the shock of the impact is transferred away from the tip of the round to the neck, helping prevent shattering. Additionally, the cap will collapse on contact with armour and the deformation will cause the round to angle towards the armour, more efficiently directing energy into the armour and improving the angled performance of the round. A downside of the cap is a decrease in long-range accuracy due to the cap interfering with the shell's aerodynamics.
[[File:APC Normalization.gif|thumb|Display of shell normalization as an effect of a capped (APC) shell (clickable gif)]]

''APC is commonly found as a mid-tier shell for both the British and French on their mid-to-late WW2 vehicles. In War Thunder, APC is best used as a short-to-mid range round for combatting angled armour that regular AP rounds may not easily penetrate.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Ballistic Capped (APBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apbc.png|left|frameless]] APBC rounds utilise a ballistic cap, designed to improve aerodynamic performance and hence round performance at longer ranges. The cap usually utilises a soft or brittle metal which collapses on impact and does not aid penetration or angled performance.

''APBC is found on some early Soviet vehicles, but is relatively uncommon otherwise compared to APCBC. In War Thunder, APBC is best used as a longer-range alternative to APC or APHE rounds which often exhibit less favourable ranged performance.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Capped, Ballistic Capped (APCBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apcbc.png|left|frameless]] APCBC rounds combine the standard cap and the ballistic cap, improving the round's aerodynamic and penetration performance. As such, APCBC rounds tend to exhibit the best all-round characteristics of any conventional kinetic rounds.

''APCBC is a common shell for British, French and American mid-to-late WW2 vehicles. US rounds usually have explosive filler, acting like an APHEBC shell, while British and French rounds don't. The APCBC should be the preferred option given a selection of full-calibre solid shot rounds, when available, and should be situationally switched for APHE rounds when they're available.''

=== HE-Filled Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
HE-Filled Armour-Piercing Rounds take the concept of armour-piercing rounds and add a deadly twist - a quantity of HE filler on a timed fuse, designed to explode after a successful penetration. While the concept sacrifices some structural integrity and thus penetrating power, the destructive ability of an APHE round is nearly unrivalled. The fuse only activates if the shell collides with a surface of reasonable thickness, mostly dictated by shell calibre - though there are exceptions with a slower or faster fuse. After the fuse activates, the contained explosive will be ignited after passing a specified distance, resulting in significantly increased internal damage to a target. Vehicles with rolled homogeneous armour side skirts of reasonable thickness can detonate fast fuse APHE early, sometime avoiding internal damage entirely. Tanks with large or numerous modules directly behind weak spots (for example, front-mounted transmissions) can block the entire round from further penetration, or simply block the post-penetration effect from passing. Keep this in mind, and try to aim for locations that will allow detonation as centrally within the target as possible.

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive (APHE) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphe.png|left|frameless]] APHE rounds utilise a similar form to AP rounds, but incorporate a small chamber of high-explosive filler within the round. This often slightly reduces the round's mass and construction strength and as such APHE rounds tend to exhibit slightly worse penetration performance than their solid shot counterparts. However, upon successful penetration, APHE rounds often cause significantly more damage within a vehicle. APHE rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHE is primarily found on Soviet, German and Japanese vehicles earlier in the tech tree, and on a selection of earlier American vehicles. It should be prioritised for use when penetration is highly likely, or switched for AP or APCR if improved penetration is required.''

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive, Ballistic Capped (APHEBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphebc.png|left|frameless]] APHEBC rounds, similarly to APHE, utilise APBC concepts with the addition of high-explosive filler. Again, the rounds tend to exhibit slightly worse penetrative performance than their solid shot brethren, but significantly more post-penetration damage. APHEBC rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHEBC is primarily found on Soviet and Italian vehicles earlier in the tech tree as a mid-tier round, and on some American and German vehicles. It's ideally used against targets where angled performance is required and HE filler is preferable.''

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive, Capped, Ballistic Capped (APHECBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphecbc.png|left|frameless]] APHECBC rounds utilise standard APCBC designs with added explosive filler. APHECBC is often referred to as APCBC in-game, and can be identified instead by the graphic or the explosive filler content on the round's stat card. As with other APHE rounds, APHECBC significantly improves the post-penetration lethality over that of a standard APCBC round. APHECBC rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHECBC is found throughout the Soviet tech tree as a high-tier round, and on some Japanese, American and German vehicles. APHECBC should be used preferentially and interchangeably with a high-penetration round where available.''

==== Anti-Concrete (AC) ====
[[File:Icon_rnd_ac.png|left|54px|frameless]] AC rounds are designed as an anti-emplacement ammunition. Their intended role was to penetrate reinforced concrete and detonate inside the fortified positions (bunkers, pillboxes). It works like an APHE round but has an atypically high explosive filler capable of causing overpressure and severe spalling.

''The Anti-Concrete round is found on the Lancia 3Ro (100/17) tank destroyer. It can be used like an APHE round.''

=== Sub-Calibre Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
Sub-Calibre AP rounds are, essentially, what they say on the label - the penetrator itself is of a smaller calibre than the gun barrel, using a sabot to make up the calibre difference. How the sabot is handled is dependent on the type of round - it may be either discarding or non-discarding. Sub-calibre rounds sacrifice post-penetration effectiveness for high round velocities and high penetration values.

==== Armour-Piercing, Composite, Rigid (APCR) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apcr.png|left|frameless]] APCR rounds often use tungsten carbide or other extremely hard metals as a sub-calibre penetrator, wrapped within a softer full-calibre sabot - the APCR concept is essentially a predecessor to the APDS design. Upon impact, the soft shell will deform, allowing the hard metal penetrator contained within to penetrate the target's armour with force spread over a smaller surface area, resulting in significantly better penetration ability. APCR rounds often suffer due to their more concentrated post-penetration damage, as well as faster penetration drop-off over range than a standard AP round of the same calibre. Due to their design, APCR perform extremely poorly when fired upon angled armour, and will ricochet on much smaller angles than AP or APDS.

''APCR is found throughout most tech trees, most commonly available to vehicles from mid-WW2 through to early cold war vehicles. APCR rounds are best used against minimally angled armour, where other rounds will be unable to penetrate.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Discarding Sabot (APDS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apds.png|left|frameless]] APDS rounds utilise a hard core as a sub-calibre penetrator, with a full calibre sabot. Unlike APCR rounds, APDS rounds discard their sabot after exiting the cannon barrel. The result is an extremely high-velocity round with particularly high penetration values and good ranged accuracy. Unlike APCR, APDS does not suffer when used against angled armour. APDS produces a minimal amount of post-penetration damage - this can be attributed to the shell degradation the thicker the armour it has to penetrate. The thicker the armour, the more it deteriorates and the less spalling it will cause. Once the round deteriorates far enough, it will shatter. This is especially apparent for small-calibre APDS, or when used against some extremely heavy vehicles. Due to this, careful aim is required when utilising APDS rounds to maximise their post-penetration effect.

''APDS is first made available on post-WW2 British vehicles as well as Swedish WW2 vehicles such as the [[Lago I]], and is available to most vehicles in possession of a [[Royal Ordnance L7A1 (105 mm)|105 mm L7]]-derived cannon. In War Thunder, APDS is best used as a long-range round, with multiple shots often being a necessity due to the lack of post-penetration damage. APDS can be quite ineffective against lightly-armoured vehicles and the frontal armour of super heavy tanks.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Fin-Stabilised, Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apfsds.png|left|frameless]] APFSDS is the pinnacle of the kinetic anti-armour rounds. As with APDS, APFSDS utilises an extremely hard penetrator and a discarding sabot, however the penetrator is usually significantly longer than that of APDS and incorporates fins for improved long-range ballistics. The additional penetrator length improves the post-penetration damage effects. APFSDS rounds are the most powerful kinetic rounds available in-game.

''APFSDS is first made available to some late Rank V vehicles, and is mainly the primary round for most Rank VI or VII vehicles. Due to the extremely high velocity most APFSDS rounds are fired at, they are easy to aim and maintain their effective performance at even extreme ranges. APFSDS is quite ineffective against lightly-armoured vehicles and should be aimed at critical components to maximise their damage potential.''

== Chemical energy shells ==
'''Chemical energy shells''' deal damage based on a chemical reaction, and unlike kinetic shells, their ability to penetrate and deal damage are unaffected by the shell's velocity. This means that target distance often doesn't affect the round's effectiveness. However, this also means that enemy tanks spaced and composite armour can be much more effective at preventing the damage, depending on the shell type used. Many chemical shells utilise extremely sensitive fuses and will detonate upon touching anything, while almost none of them can be fired through solid obstacles. Many chemical rounds have a very low muzzle velocity, reducing their effective range but allowing the user to launch them over terrain.

=== High-Explosive Rounds ===
High-Explosive rounds are a simple shell packed full of a high-explosive material, primarily designed for anti-infantry and anti-emplacement applications. However, this translates surprisingly well when applied to light vehicles - significantly more so than armour-piercing rounds or in some cases even APHE rounds. Unfortunately, most HE-based rounds are relatively useless against well-armoured vehicles and force their user to target flaws in an enemy tank design.

==== High-Explosive (HE) ====
[[File:Icon rnd he.png|left|frameless]] High-Explosive rounds are primarily intended for use as an anti-infantry/anti-emplacement round, as their destruction power comes from the explosive filler in the shell. As such, HE rounds tend to have minimal armour-piercing capability and are better used against particularly lightly-armoured and open-topped vehicles. On occasion, it can prove effective against the side or roof of some lightly-armoured vehicles. High-calibre HE rounds may cause enough area damage to destroy a tank regardless of the round placement.

''HE rounds are available to almost every vehicle in-game. Their effectiveness is dependent on the size of the shell and explosive filler, with bigger shells being able to defeat the most armoured of targets, but small calibre HE shells only really working on unarmoured / open top ground vehicles or aircraft.''

==== High-Explosive Time Fuse (HE-TF) ====
[[File:Icon rnd hevt.png|left|frameless]] HE-TF rounds use the simple concept of a timed fuse, resulting in an explosion at a pre-set range. While HE-TF rounds are no more effective than HE rounds against most heavy armour, they can be particularly effective against light vehicles with a known range or against aircraft (one of their original design uses).

''HE-TF rounds are available to a number of vehicles originally designed for anti-air purposes, such as the [[YaG-10 (29-K)]] and the [[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.]]. They're best used against aircraft by rangefinding the aircraft in question, setting the fuse range to a reasonable assumption based on the result and leading sensibly. They can be extremely effective against aircraft if used correctly, but are mostly ineffective against armoured vehicles.''

==== High-Explosive Variable Time Fuse [Self-Destroying] (HE-VT*) ====
[[File:Icon rnd he prx.png|left|frameless]] HE-VT rounds are an advanced round fitted with a specialised proximity fuse, designed to detonate the round upon reaching close proximity with a target. These are usually designed for anti-air applications, and are generally ineffective against most ground targets.

''HE-VT rounds are available to some later anti-air vehicles, such as the [[OTOMATIC]], or some light tanks, like the [[Begleitpanzer 57]], and are capable of destroying aircraft or helicopters if the round passes within close proximity of the target. They are extremely effective against mid-ranged aircraft but cannot be relied upon for use against armour.''

==== High-Explosive Grenade ====
[[File:Icon grn he.png|left|frameless]] HE Grenades are specialised HE rounds designed to be fired from cannons which may not be otherwise capable of firing high-calibre rounds. They usually operate in a different manner to conventional cannon rounds, utilising a propellant rather than a charge, resulting in a relatively low round velocity and sub-par ballistics. However, this design has proven useful, as the low velocity can be used to sling rounds over small terrain deformations, onto weak roof armour, or into trenches or bunkers.

''HE Grenades are available to vehicles with recoilless cannon designs or other non-standard cannon designs. They are generally as effective as an equivalent HE round, however have significantly lower muzzle velocity and as such are extremely inaccurate at long ranges. HE Grenades are found on various vehicles, such as the [[BMP-1]].''

==== Anti-Personnel Fragmentation Grenade (VOG) ====
[[File:Icon rnd VOG-30.png|left|frameless|54x54px]] Anti-Personnel Fragmentation Grenades are grenades intended for use against infantry; they use a lightweight explosive charge alongside a thin casing to produce a large lethal radius via shrapnel.

''The [[BMP-2M]] is equipped with an automatic grenade launcher. VOGs are useful as a substitute to pintle-mounted machine guns, able to destroy terrain elements like bushes, trees, and buildings. They are almost completely ineffective against tanks, lacking the required explosive filler and muzzle velocity.''

==== Rocket (R) ====
{{main|:Category:Rocket launchers|l1=List of vehicles able to equip rockets}}
[[File:Icon spr rocket.png|left|frameless]] Rockets are unguided high-explosive self-propelled rounds which are often significantly higher calibre than standard tank cannons. They can be mounted as ancillary weaponry on some vehicles, or in some cases mounted on specialised rocket-carrier vehicles.

''Rockets can be unreliable and inaccurate, but due to their often large calibre, large amount of HE filler, and ability to continuously launch them until the rack is empty, they can prove effective against some armoured vehicles. Rockets can be found either mounted ancillary to a conventional cannon, as on the [[RBT-5]] and [[Calliope]], or on dedicated rocket carriers such as the [[BM-13N]], [[U-SH 405]], and [[Type 75 MLRS]].''

=== Anti-Emplacement Rounds ===
Anti-Emplacement rounds are designed specifically for combatting emplacements, however have proven to have some anti-tank value. They rely on different mechanics compared to normal rounds*, and can prove particularly ineffective against heavy armour.

==== Shrapnel ====
[[File:Shrapnel Round Icon.png|left|frameless]] Shrapnel rounds are a chemical round utilising a thin shell and a chamber of metal fillings or ball bearings with a small explosive charge. Upon successful penetration, shrapnel rounds cause a significant amount of damage. However, due to the thin outer shell, shrapnel rounds only perform well against particularly light armour and are completely ineffective when used against even moderately armoured targets.

''Shrapnel rounds are available exclusively to early Soviet vehicles. Shrapnel is exclusively useful against lightly armoured targets, and shouldn't be used against front-facing armour of any other tank.''

==== High-Explosive Squash Head (HESH) ====
[[File:Icon rnd hesh.png|left|frameless]] HESH rounds are designed as an anti-emplacement round. The squash head, usually comprised of some form of plastic explosive, is designed to squash onto a surface and detonate, causing the opposite side of the surface to rupture. If the given surface happens to be metal, this will often result in metal shards flying off the surface at high velocity. While in the past, HESH rounds have had improved performance on angled targets, their performance is now completely uniform at all ranges and angles. Recently due to the advent of "[[Damage mechanics#Overpressure|Overpressure]]", HESH has benefited an increase in performance and increased lethality, even when failing to hit the target directly. HESH also has relatively low fuse sensitivity, therefore it can be launched through some foliage and weak obstacles without detonating, unlike HE or HEAT.

''HESH rounds are available to most British vehicles from Rank V, and other vehicles in possession of an L7-derived gun. HESH should be primarily used against lighter armour or side armour, while specifically avoiding side skirts and any other forms of spaced armour, although occasionally the HE splash effect can cause unexpected results. HESH is completely ineffective against heavy armour or composite armour designs.''

=== High-Explosive Anti-Tank Rounds ===
High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) rounds make use of shaped charges to penetrate armour, forcing superplastic metal through into the crew compartment, damaging crew and modules. HEAT rounds prove particularly effective at long ranges, as their method of action does not lose effectiveness with range. Unfortunately though, the fuse on a HEAT round must be extremely sensitive, causing the rounds to detonate even on bushes and wooden fences that other chemical rounds of high calibre have a chance to pass through. All HEAT-derived rounds have concentrated post-penetration damage, similar to APDS, which travels in a tight cone from the impact point. This often works in favor of the shell when a direct hit is achieved, in some cases allowing it to burn through modules such as frontally-mounted transmissions, dealing further damage to the vehicle's internals. This same effect can prove troublesome when a round collides on a sub-par angle or after penetration there's simply nothing within its cone of effect.

==== High-Explosive, Anti-tank (HEAT) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heat.png|left|frameless]] HEAT rounds are designed specifically as an anti-tank round. They operate with a shaped charge that uses an explosive to force superplastic metal through a vehicle's armour, causing internal damage to crew and modules.

''HEAT rounds are available to a variety of WW2 German and Japanese vehicles, as well as higher-performance HEAT becoming available to some late French and American vehicles, as HEATFS rounds cannot be fired from rifled cannons. HEAT is limited in effectiveness and its usage should be carefully considered as many vehicles have armour it cannot penetrate. Due to its low velocity, HEAT often requires a high angle of attack and will arrive at a target on an angle - as such the often impressive 0° penetration statistics will often prove irrelevant, with angled penetration values being more accurate.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Fin-Stabilized (HEATFS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heatfs.png|left|frameless]] HEATFS rounds are an improvement over the HEAT concept, using improved penetrative chemicals and utilising fins for improved ballistic performance. HEATFS rounds maintain their penetration values at all ranges, and are well-suited to long-range engagements. HEATFS rounds are particularly sensitive, and may detonate on light obstacles such as shrubs or fences.

''HEATFS rounds become available to many nations from Rank V, although notably the British do not receive HEATFS at any stage due to its incompatibility with rifled cannons. At late Rank VI and Rank VII, HEATFS may prove ineffective in many cases due to the prevalence of ERA and composite armour. Despite this, it can still be used for ranged engagements against light tanks and medium tanks with insufficient ERA or composite protection, as particularly late HEATFS rounds have extremely high penetration power. High-calibre HEATFS rounds will cripple light tanks, while APFSDS is not as effective at it.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Multi-Purpose (HEAT MP) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heatfs.png|left|frameless]]HEAT MP rounds are specialised HEATFS rounds which utilise a proximity fuse to detonate when in close proximity to a target. They can be used to destroy low-flying aircraft or helicopters, while maintaining their effectiveness against ground vehicles utilising normal HEATFS technology.

''HEAT MP rounds are extremely specialised. They are available to only the [[M1A1 HC]], [[M1A1 AIM]], [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[M1A2 SEP]] and the [[M1A2 SEP V2]] and have an identical icon to the standard HEATFS. They combine the anti-armour power of a standard HEATFS round with the anti-aircraft effectiveness of a HE-VT round. Their proximity fuse will detonate only above a specified altitude, so they can be used normally against other armoured vehicles.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank Grenade ====
[[File:Icon grn heat.png|left|frameless]] HEAT Grenades are specialised HEAT rounds, designed for use where normal tank rounds may not be possible to utilise. They often use a propellant rather than a standard charge, and as such suffer from low velocity and sub-par round ballistics. Despite this, they can prove effective against tanks due to their HEAT technology.

''HEAT Grenades are available to vehicles with recoilless cannons or other non-standard cannon designs. Their effectiveness is similar to that of an equivalent HEAT round, however due to their low muzzle velocity they can be inaccurate at long ranges. HEAT Grenades are found on various light vehicles, such as the [[M50]], [[T114]], [[Type 60 SPRG (C)]], [[FIAT 6614]], [[R3 T106 FA]], and [[BMP-1 (Family)]].''

=== Guided Missiles ===
Guided missiles utilise a guidance system (of various types, such as MCLOS, SACLOS, Radar, Heat-Seeking) to accomplish their intended role. They sacrifice round velocity for long-range precision. Different missile types are effective in different applications - some have anti-tank properties, while others are effective against air targets.

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ====
{{main|Anti-tank guided missiles}}
[[File:Icon spr atgm.png|left|frameless]] ATGMs largely utilise the same concept as HEAT, however they integrate some form of propulsion and are usually guideable, either manually (MCLOS) or semi-automatically (SACLOS). ATGMs usually pack a large amount of explosive and often have particularly powerful shaped charges. However, they require specialised equipment to fire and tend to be heavy, often resulting in long reload times, especially for hybrid vehicles.

''ATGMs become available through Rank V, and are primarily carried by specialised ATGM carriers, although some tanks have ATGM-capable main cannons and some exceptional designs such as the [[Strv 81 (Rb.52)]] or the [[AMX-13 (HOT)]] mount ATGMs on ancillary pylons. ATGMs are powerful and SACLOS guided missiles are easily aimed, however they travel slowly and well-aware targets may be able to move into cover prior to the ATGM reaching them.''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Overfly Top Attack (ATGM-OTA) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm.png|left|frameless]] This missile's icon is the same as the normal ATGM, but its mechanism is completely different. It uses a proximity fuse to detonate '''above''' enemy tanks, sending the HEAT warhead right into the target's roof. Though this missile's penetration is rather low in the stats card, players should not be discouraged as tank's roof is one of the most lightly armoured area on all tanks. This missile type could also defeat tanks by overpressure effect alone, with a giant high-explosive warhead detonating through the top of tanks.

''At the time of the writing, the TOW-2B (and foreign variants with different names) and the Swedish [[Rbs 56]] are the only top-down attack missiles in the game. The TOW-2B is carried by specialized ATGM carriers, like the [[Wiesel 1A2]] or the [[CM25|M113]], exception being made only to the [[M3A3 Bradley]] and [[Dardo]] IFVs, which carry it too as a secondary weapon. Players should try to aim the missile about 1 meter above the target, as higher may result in little to no damage, but aiming too low could also have the missile detonating too early which, again, would cause little to no damage.''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Proximity Fuse [Self-Destroying] (ATGM-VT*) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm prx.png|left|frameless]] Proximity ATGMs utilise proximity fuses to detonate when in close proximity to aircraft. This, combined with their guidance systems (SACLOS) allows them to be used effectively against low-flying aircraft or helicopters.

''Proximity Fuse ATGMs can prove extremely effective against low-flying aircraft or helicopters, and utilise a similar proximity fuse concept to SAM missiles - although often ATGMs pack significantly more HE filler than SAMs do. ATGM-VT missiles are available to specialised ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]].''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Tandem Charge (ATGM Tandem) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm tandem.png|left|frameless]] Tandem ATGMs utilise a twin-stage warhead to overcome ERA - the first stage causes the ERA to detonate, while the second stage penetrates the armour below as normal. This concept does not work against NERA or composite armour.

''Tandem ATGMs are effective against ERA-protected vehicles, and often have very high penetration values. Tandem charge ATGMs are available to high-rank Soviet or Russian ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]] and [[BMP-3]].''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, HE (ATGM-HE) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm he.png|left|frameless]] HE ATGMs are a simplification of a standard ATGM; rather than a shaped HEAT charge, HE missiles simply utilise a large quantity of explosive to damage or destroy emplacements or light vehicles or other ATGM tanks.

''HE ATGMs are only effective against light vehicles and missile carriers in most cases, despite packing large quantities of HE filler. They are available to specialised ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]].''

==== Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ====
[[File:Icon spr sam.png|left|frameless]] SAMs are high-velocity anti-air missiles, designed specifically to combat aircraft using a variety of technologies; often including proximity fuses and radar or heat-seeking guidance.

''SAMs are very effective at long distances against aircraft, particularly helicopters. They are often extremely high velocity and pack a large amount of HE filler for a powerful airburst effect. SAMs are available to specialised anti-air vehicles such as the [[ZPRK 2S6|2S6 Tunguska]] or the [[XM1069]], which, notably, has multi-purpose missiles that are also effective against armoured vehicles.''

''There are many types of SAMs, namely Infrared Homing (IR) missiles on vehicles such as the one found on the [[Imp.Chaparral]], Infared homing and contrast-seeking on vehicles such as the one found on the [[Strela-10M2]] and SACLOS (or beam-riding SACLOS) missiles such as the one found on the [[XM1069]]. Additionally, IR guided missiles may feature IRCCM (Infrared Counter Countermeasure) which helps with defeating flares by filtering out flares from the target aircraft. IR missiles and contrast-seeking cannot be directly used on other ground vehicles as they require a target to be locked in order to fire. Most SACLOS SAMs pack less HE filler than an HE-ATGM and are only reliably effective against lightly armoured ground vehicles although with exceptions like the [[XM1069]] and [[ADATS (M113)]] which are designed to engage both air and ground targets.''

=== Utility Rounds ===
Utility rounds are ineffective for use against other vehicles, but provide value in some sort of utility.

==== Smoke ====
{{main|Smoke screen|l1=Smoke}}
[[File:Icon rnd smoke.png|left|frameless]] Smoke shells are not designed as a damaging shell, and largely consist of chemicals designed to create a smoke screen. The produced smoke has a limited lifetime.

''Smoke shells are available to various vehicles throughout most tech trees, however their effectiveness is somewhat limited compared to dedicated smoke launchers. The main advantage of smoke shells is that unlike ESS or hull-mounted smoke canisters, they can be launched anywhere the equipped vehicle can aim, allowing for strategic placement for pushes or flanking manoeuvres, or simply firing at an enemy vehicle to force them to move from their position.''

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|TQEq6hjxGdM|'''The Shooting Range #292''' - ''Tactics & Strategy'' section at 07:52 discusses playing HE wielders.|srKv5v9zoGA|'''The Shooting Range #216''' - ''Special'' section at 08:28 discusses Volumetric rounds.|CZqzMhbnvO4|'''Tank Shells Guide''' - War Thunder Official Channel|Qyr_aw3YTe8|'''The Shooting Range #2''' - ''Science of War'' section at 05:11 discusses HESH rounds.|6O3MBjdSsIk|'''Tank Shells Guide - War Thunder ammo types explained''' - ''HowToPlay1337''|ajeqij4_jwM|'''Ammo Types in War Thunder EXPLAINED''' - ''skDoger''|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|lK9Ck3P6AvM|'''Top 7 best rounds''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|fCc_B-wm0wA|'''Post-War Heat Shells''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[Ammo racks]] - How all tank ammunition is stored within the tank

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/576042-update-of-the-apds-penetration-values/ <nowiki>{Devblog]</nowiki> Update of the APDS penetration values]
* [[wt:en/news/7084-development-new-features-upcoming-with-the-ixwa-strike-update-en|[Devblog] New features upcoming with the "Ixwa Strike" update - Shell impact animations]]
* [[wt:en/news/6856-development-volumetric-shells-in-the-raining-fire-update-en|[Devblog] Volumetric shells in the "Raining Fire" update]]

[[Category:Ammunition]]

Tank ammunition

2023-12-24T12:41:03Z

U134631722: /* High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Fin-Stabilised, Proximity Fuse [Self-Destroying] (HEATFS VT*) */ Added vehicles with access to M829A1 HEAT-MP to the HEAT-FS VT* section

Throughout the past century of tank development, a large range of ammunition types have been produced and seen combat. As time progressed, technology improved and rounds also improved in terms of lethality, accuracy and ballistic performance. Despite this, most rounds can be categorised under one of two primary categories: '''kinetic''' rounds and '''chemical''' rounds; and further under a variety of subcategories.

== Kinetic energy shells ==
'''Kinetic rounds''' penetrate and deal damage based on a number of factors; shell type, projectile mass, round velocity and material hardness. Mass, shell type and hardness are constants, but velocity reduces with distance travelled and as such at longer ranges kinetic rounds will lose penetration ability and in some cases post-penetration efficacy. Most kinetic rounds can hit targets through lighter obstacles - trees, walls and some buildings. Under the right circumstances, solid kinetic rounds can penetrate multiple vehicles along their trajectory.

=== Solid Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
Solid AP rounds are a kinetic munition that utilise a hardened metal (often steel) shell with full-calibre diameter. The result is a simple, yet effective anti-tank round that will punch through armour with high equivalent thickness values, while retaining reasonable post-penetration effects which, when well-placed, can deal significant internal damage to components and crew directly within the shrapnelling path. The amount of spalling generated by a successful AP penetration depends on the shell mass and thickness of the penetrated armour and modules. Generally, solid AP does not stop until it has exhausted all of its force and is capable of passing through an entire vehicle if this energy is not fully expended.
==== Armour-Piercing (AP) ====
[[File:Icon rnd ap.png|left|frameless]] Armour-Piercing is a basic solid steel shot which is entirely reliant on kinetic energy to penetrate and deal damage. Providing the round possesses enough energy to penetrate any given armour, it will deal internal damage from steel fragments and spalling of the internal surfaces which can damage vehicle components, stored ammunition and crew members.

''AP is a standard early World War II ammunition for many nations. In War Thunder, AP rounds should be used as a general use anti-armour round, with careful round placement to maximise post-penetration damage. Some nations, such as the British, have modified versions of AP, usually denoted by a "HV" in the name, which is launched at a higher velocity than standard AP rounds, resulting in higher penetration potential.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Capped (APC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apc.png|left|frameless]] APC rounds have a nose cone (or cap) of softer metal which is fixed to the front of the solid shot. When this strikes the target armour the shock of the impact is transferred away from the tip of the round to the neck, helping prevent shattering. Additionally, the cap will collapse on contact with armour and the deformation will cause the round to angle towards the armour, more efficiently directing energy into the armour and improving the angled performance of the round. A downside of the cap is a decrease in long-range accuracy due to the cap interfering with the shell's aerodynamics.
[[File:APC Normalization.gif|thumb|Display of shell normalization as an effect of a capped (APC) shell (clickable gif)]]

''APC is commonly found as a mid-tier shell for both the British and French on their mid-to-late WW2 vehicles. In War Thunder, APC is best used as a short-to-mid range round for combatting angled armour that regular AP rounds may not easily penetrate.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Ballistic Capped (APBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apbc.png|left|frameless]] APBC rounds utilise a ballistic cap, designed to improve aerodynamic performance and hence round performance at longer ranges. The cap usually utilises a soft or brittle metal which collapses on impact and does not aid penetration or angled performance.

''APBC is found on some early Soviet vehicles, but is relatively uncommon otherwise compared to APCBC. In War Thunder, APBC is best used as a longer-range alternative to APC or APHE rounds which often exhibit less favourable ranged performance.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Capped, Ballistic Capped (APCBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apcbc.png|left|frameless]] APCBC rounds combine the standard cap and the ballistic cap, improving the round's aerodynamic and penetration performance. As such, APCBC rounds tend to exhibit the best all-round characteristics of any conventional kinetic rounds.

''APCBC is a common shell for British, French and American mid-to-late WW2 vehicles. US rounds usually have explosive filler, acting like an APHEBC shell, while British and French rounds don't. The APCBC should be the preferred option given a selection of full-calibre solid shot rounds, when available, and should be situationally switched for APHE rounds when they're available.''

=== HE-Filled Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
HE-Filled Armour-Piercing Rounds take the concept of armour-piercing rounds and add a deadly twist - a quantity of HE filler on a timed fuse, designed to explode after a successful penetration. While the concept sacrifices some structural integrity and thus penetrating power, the destructive ability of an APHE round is nearly unrivalled. The fuse only activates if the shell collides with a surface of reasonable thickness, mostly dictated by shell calibre - though there are exceptions with a slower or faster fuse. After the fuse activates, the contained explosive will be ignited after passing a specified distance, resulting in significantly increased internal damage to a target. Vehicles with rolled homogeneous armour side skirts of reasonable thickness can detonate fast fuse APHE early, sometime avoiding internal damage entirely. Tanks with large or numerous modules directly behind weak spots (for example, front-mounted transmissions) can block the entire round from further penetration, or simply block the post-penetration effect from passing. Keep this in mind, and try to aim for locations that will allow detonation as centrally within the target as possible.

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive (APHE) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphe.png|left|frameless]] APHE rounds utilise a similar form to AP rounds, but incorporate a small chamber of high-explosive filler within the round. This often slightly reduces the round's mass and construction strength and as such APHE rounds tend to exhibit slightly worse penetration performance than their solid shot counterparts. However, upon successful penetration, APHE rounds often cause significantly more damage within a vehicle. APHE rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHE is primarily found on Soviet, German and Japanese vehicles earlier in the tech tree, and on a selection of earlier American vehicles. It should be prioritised for use when penetration is highly likely, or switched for AP or APCR if improved penetration is required.''

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive, Ballistic Capped (APHEBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphebc.png|left|frameless]] APHEBC rounds, similarly to APHE, utilise APBC concepts with the addition of high-explosive filler. Again, the rounds tend to exhibit slightly worse penetrative performance than their solid shot brethren, but significantly more post-penetration damage. APHEBC rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHEBC is primarily found on Soviet and Italian vehicles earlier in the tech tree as a mid-tier round, and on some American and German vehicles. It's ideally used against targets where angled performance is required and HE filler is preferable.''

==== Armour-Piercing, High-Explosive, Capped, Ballistic Capped (APHECBC) ====
[[File:Icon rnd aphecbc.png|left|frameless]] APHECBC rounds utilise standard APCBC designs with added explosive filler. APHECBC is often referred to as APCBC in-game, and can be identified instead by the graphic or the explosive filler content on the round's stat card. As with other APHE rounds, APHECBC significantly improves the post-penetration lethality over that of a standard APCBC round. APHECBC rounds have a fuse which will only activate on sufficiently thick armour.

''APHECBC is found throughout the Soviet tech tree as a high-tier round, and on some Japanese, American and German vehicles. APHECBC should be used preferentially and interchangeably with a high-penetration round where available.''

==== Anti-Concrete (AC) ====
[[File:Icon_rnd_ac.png|left|54px|frameless]] AC rounds are designed as an anti-emplacement ammunition. Their intended role was to penetrate reinforced concrete and detonate inside the fortified positions (bunkers, pillboxes). It works like an APHE round but has an atypically high explosive filler capable of causing overpressure and severe spalling.

''The Anti-Concrete round is found on the Lancia 3Ro (100/17) tank destroyer. It can be used like an APHE round.''

=== Sub-Calibre Armour-Piercing Rounds ===
Sub-Calibre AP rounds are, essentially, what they say on the label - the penetrator itself is of a smaller calibre than the gun barrel, using a sabot to make up the calibre difference. How the sabot is handled is dependent on the type of round - it may be either discarding or non-discarding. Sub-calibre rounds sacrifice post-penetration effectiveness for high round velocities and high penetration values.

==== Armour-Piercing, Composite, Rigid (APCR) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apcr.png|left|frameless]] APCR rounds often use tungsten carbide or other extremely hard metals as a sub-calibre penetrator, wrapped within a softer full-calibre sabot - the APCR concept is essentially a predecessor to the APDS design. Upon impact, the soft shell will deform, allowing the hard metal penetrator contained within to penetrate the target's armour with force spread over a smaller surface area, resulting in significantly better penetration ability. APCR rounds often suffer due to their more concentrated post-penetration damage, as well as faster penetration drop-off over range than a standard AP round of the same calibre. Due to their design, APCR perform extremely poorly when fired upon angled armour, and will ricochet on much smaller angles than AP or APDS.

''APCR is found throughout most tech trees, most commonly available to vehicles from mid-WW2 through to early cold war vehicles. APCR rounds are best used against minimally angled armour, where other rounds will be unable to penetrate.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Discarding Sabot (APDS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apds.png|left|frameless]] APDS rounds utilise a hard core as a sub-calibre penetrator, with a full calibre sabot. Unlike APCR rounds, APDS rounds discard their sabot after exiting the cannon barrel. The result is an extremely high-velocity round with particularly high penetration values and good ranged accuracy. Unlike APCR, APDS does not suffer when used against angled armour. APDS produces a minimal amount of post-penetration damage - this can be attributed to the shell degradation the thicker the armour it has to penetrate. The thicker the armour, the more it deteriorates and the less spalling it will cause. Once the round deteriorates far enough, it will shatter. This is especially apparent for small-calibre APDS, or when used against some extremely heavy vehicles. Due to this, careful aim is required when utilising APDS rounds to maximise their post-penetration effect.

''APDS is first made available on post-WW2 British vehicles as well as Swedish WW2 vehicles such as the [[Lago I]], and is available to most vehicles in possession of a [[Royal Ordnance L7A1 (105 mm)|105 mm L7]]-derived cannon. In War Thunder, APDS is best used as a long-range round, with multiple shots often being a necessity due to the lack of post-penetration damage. APDS can be quite ineffective against lightly-armoured vehicles and the frontal armour of super heavy tanks.''

==== Armour-Piercing, Fin-Stabilised, Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd apfsds.png|left|frameless]] APFSDS is the pinnacle of the kinetic anti-armour rounds. As with APDS, APFSDS utilises an extremely hard penetrator and a discarding sabot, however the penetrator is usually significantly longer than that of APDS and incorporates fins for improved long-range ballistics. The additional penetrator length improves the post-penetration damage effects. APFSDS rounds are the most powerful kinetic rounds available in-game.

''APFSDS is first made available to some late Rank V vehicles, and is mainly the primary round for most Rank VI or VII vehicles. Due to the extremely high velocity most APFSDS rounds are fired at, they are easy to aim and maintain their effective performance at even extreme ranges. APFSDS is quite ineffective against lightly-armoured vehicles and should be aimed at critical components to maximise their damage potential.''

== Chemical energy shells ==
'''Chemical energy shells''' deal damage based on a chemical reaction, and unlike kinetic shells, their ability to penetrate and deal damage are unaffected by the shell's velocity. This means that target distance often doesn't affect the round's effectiveness. However, this also means that enemy tanks spaced and composite armour can be much more effective at preventing the damage, depending on the shell type used. Many chemical shells utilise extremely sensitive fuses and will detonate upon touching anything, while almost none of them can be fired through solid obstacles. Many chemical rounds have a very low muzzle velocity, reducing their effective range but allowing the user to launch them over terrain.

=== High-Explosive Rounds ===
High-Explosive rounds are a simple shell packed full of a high-explosive material, primarily designed for anti-infantry and anti-emplacement applications. However, this translates surprisingly well when applied to light vehicles - significantly more so than armour-piercing rounds or in some cases even APHE rounds. Unfortunately, most HE-based rounds are relatively useless against well-armoured vehicles and force their user to target flaws in an enemy tank design.

==== High-Explosive (HE) ====
[[File:Icon rnd he.png|left|frameless]] High-Explosive rounds are primarily intended for use as an anti-infantry/anti-emplacement round, as their destruction power comes from the explosive filler in the shell. As such, HE rounds tend to have minimal armour-piercing capability and are better used against particularly lightly-armoured and open-topped vehicles. On occasion, it can prove effective against the side or roof of some lightly-armoured vehicles. High-calibre HE rounds may cause enough area damage to destroy a tank regardless of the round placement.

''HE rounds are available to almost every vehicle in-game. Their effectiveness is dependent on the size of the shell and explosive filler, with bigger shells being able to defeat the most armoured of targets, but small calibre HE shells only really working on unarmoured / open top ground vehicles or aircraft.''

==== High-Explosive Time Fuse (HE-TF) ====
[[File:Icon rnd hevt.png|left|frameless]] HE-TF rounds use the simple concept of a timed fuse, resulting in an explosion at a pre-set range. While HE-TF rounds are no more effective than HE rounds against most heavy armour, they can be particularly effective against light vehicles with a known range or against aircraft (one of their original design uses).

''HE-TF rounds are available to a number of vehicles originally designed for anti-air purposes, such as the [[YaG-10 (29-K)]] and the [[8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.]]. They're best used against aircraft by rangefinding the aircraft in question, setting the fuse range to a reasonable assumption based on the result and leading sensibly. They can be extremely effective against aircraft if used correctly, but are mostly ineffective against armoured vehicles.''

==== High-Explosive Variable Time Fuse [Self-Destroying] (HE-VT*) ====
[[File:Icon rnd he prx.png|left|frameless]] HE-VT rounds are an advanced round fitted with a specialised proximity fuse, designed to detonate the round upon reaching close proximity with a target. These are usually designed for anti-air applications, and are generally ineffective against most ground targets.

''HE-VT rounds are available to some later anti-air vehicles, such as the [[OTOMATIC]], or some light tanks, like the [[Begleitpanzer 57]], and are capable of destroying aircraft or helicopters if the round passes within close proximity of the target. They are extremely effective against mid-ranged aircraft but cannot be relied upon for use against armour.''

==== High-Explosive Grenade ====
[[File:Icon grn he.png|left|frameless]] HE Grenades are specialised HE rounds designed to be fired from cannons which may not be otherwise capable of firing high-calibre rounds. They usually operate in a different manner to conventional cannon rounds, utilising a propellant rather than a charge, resulting in a relatively low round velocity and sub-par ballistics. However, this design has proven useful, as the low velocity can be used to sling rounds over small terrain deformations, onto weak roof armour, or into trenches or bunkers.

''HE Grenades are available to vehicles with recoilless cannon designs or other non-standard cannon designs. They are generally as effective as an equivalent HE round, however have significantly lower muzzle velocity and as such are extremely inaccurate at long ranges. HE Grenades are found on various vehicles, such as the [[BMP-1]].''

==== Anti-Personnel Fragmentation Grenade (VOG) ====
[[File:Icon rnd VOG-30.png|left|frameless|54x54px]] Anti-Personnel Fragmentation Grenades are grenades intended for use against infantry; they use a lightweight explosive charge alongside a thin casing to produce a large lethal radius via shrapnel.

''The [[BMP-2M]] is equipped with an automatic grenade launcher. VOGs are useful as a substitute to pintle-mounted machine guns, able to destroy terrain elements like bushes, trees, and buildings. They are almost completely ineffective against tanks, lacking the required explosive filler and muzzle velocity.''

==== Rocket (R) ====
{{main|:Category:Rocket launchers|l1=List of vehicles able to equip rockets}}
[[File:Icon spr rocket.png|left|frameless]] Rockets are unguided high-explosive self-propelled rounds which are often significantly higher calibre than standard tank cannons. They can be mounted as ancillary weaponry on some vehicles, or in some cases mounted on specialised rocket-carrier vehicles.

''Rockets can be unreliable and inaccurate, but due to their often large calibre, large amount of HE filler, and ability to continuously launch them until the rack is empty, they can prove effective against some armoured vehicles. Rockets can be found either mounted ancillary to a conventional cannon, as on the [[RBT-5]] and [[Calliope]], or on dedicated rocket carriers such as the [[BM-13N]], [[U-SH 405]], and [[Type 75 MLRS]].''

=== Anti-Emplacement Rounds ===
Anti-Emplacement rounds are designed specifically for combatting emplacements, however have proven to have some anti-tank value. They rely on different mechanics compared to normal rounds*, and can prove particularly ineffective against heavy armour.

==== Shrapnel ====
[[File:Shrapnel Round Icon.png|left|frameless]] Shrapnel rounds are a chemical round utilising a thin shell and a chamber of metal fillings or ball bearings with a small explosive charge. Upon successful penetration, shrapnel rounds cause a significant amount of damage. However, due to the thin outer shell, shrapnel rounds only perform well against particularly light armour and are completely ineffective when used against even moderately armoured targets.

''Shrapnel rounds are available exclusively to early Soviet vehicles. Shrapnel is exclusively useful against lightly armoured targets, and shouldn't be used against front-facing armour of any other tank.''

==== High-Explosive Squash Head (HESH) ====
[[File:Icon rnd hesh.png|left|frameless]] HESH rounds are designed as an anti-emplacement round. The squash head, usually comprised of some form of plastic explosive, is designed to squash onto a surface and detonate, causing the opposite side of the surface to rupture. If the given surface happens to be metal, this will often result in metal shards flying off the surface at high velocity. While in the past, HESH rounds have had improved performance on angled targets, their performance is now completely uniform at all ranges and angles. Recently due to the advent of "[[Damage mechanics#Overpressure|Overpressure]]", HESH has benefited an increase in performance and increased lethality, even when failing to hit the target directly. HESH also has relatively low fuse sensitivity, therefore it can be launched through some foliage and weak obstacles without detonating, unlike HE or HEAT.

''HESH rounds are available to most British vehicles from Rank V, and other vehicles in possession of an L7-derived gun. HESH should be primarily used against lighter armour or side armour, while specifically avoiding side skirts and any other forms of spaced armour, although occasionally the HE splash effect can cause unexpected results. HESH is completely ineffective against heavy armour or composite armour designs.''

=== High-Explosive Anti-Tank Rounds ===
High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) rounds make use of shaped charges to penetrate armour, forcing superplastic metal through into the crew compartment, damaging crew and modules. HEAT rounds prove particularly effective at long ranges, as their method of action does not lose effectiveness with range. Unfortunately though, the fuse on a HEAT round must be extremely sensitive, causing the rounds to detonate even on bushes and wooden fences that other chemical rounds of high calibre have a chance to pass through. All HEAT-derived rounds have concentrated post-penetration damage, similar to APDS, which travels in a tight cone from the impact point. This often works in favor of the shell when a direct hit is achieved, in some cases allowing it to burn through modules such as frontally-mounted transmissions, dealing further damage to the vehicle's internals. This same effect can prove troublesome when a round collides on a sub-par angle or after penetration there's simply nothing within its cone of effect.

==== High-Explosive, Anti-tank (HEAT) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heat.png|left|frameless]] HEAT rounds are designed specifically as an anti-tank round. They operate with a shaped charge that uses an explosive to force superplastic metal through a vehicle's armour, causing internal damage to crew and modules.

''HEAT rounds are available to a variety of WW2 German and Japanese vehicles, as well as higher-performance HEAT becoming available to some late French and American vehicles, as HEATFS rounds cannot be fired from rifled cannons. HEAT is limited in effectiveness and its usage should be carefully considered as many vehicles have armour it cannot penetrate. Due to its low velocity, HEAT often requires a high angle of attack and will arrive at a target on an angle - as such the often impressive 0° penetration statistics will often prove irrelevant, with angled penetration values being more accurate.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Fin-Stabilized (HEATFS) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heatfs.png|left|frameless]] HEATFS rounds are an improvement over the HEAT concept, using improved penetrative chemicals and utilising fins for improved ballistic performance. HEATFS rounds maintain their penetration values at all ranges, and are well-suited to long-range engagements. HEATFS rounds are particularly sensitive, and may detonate on light obstacles such as shrubs or fences.

''HEATFS rounds become available to many nations from Rank V, although notably the British do not receive HEATFS at any stage due to its incompatibility with rifled cannons. At late Rank VI and Rank VII, HEATFS may prove ineffective in many cases due to the prevalence of ERA and composite armour. Despite this, it can still be used for ranged engagements against light tanks and medium tanks with insufficient ERA or composite protection, as particularly late HEATFS rounds have extremely high penetration power. High-calibre HEATFS rounds will cripple light tanks, while APFSDS is not as effective at it.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Fin-Stabilised, Proximity Fuse [Self-Destroying] (HEATFS VT*) ====
[[File:Icon rnd heatfs.png|left|frameless]]HEATFS VT* rounds are specialised HEATFS rounds which utilise a proximity fuse to detonate when in close proximity to a target. They can be used to destroy low-flying aircraft or helicopters, while maintaining their effectiveness against ground vehicles utilising normal HEATFS technology.

''HEATFS VT* rounds are extremely specialised. They are available to only the [[M1A1 HC]], [[M1A1 AIM]]'', ''[[M1A2 Abrams]], [[M1A2 SEP]]'' and the [[M1A2 SEP V2|''M1A2 SEP V2'']] ''and have an identical icon to the standard HEATFS. They combine the anti-armour power of a standard HEATFS round with the anti-aircraft effectiveness of a HE-VT round. Their proximity fuse will detonate only above a specified altitude, so they can be used normally against other armoured vehicles.''

==== High-Explosive, Anti-Tank Grenade ====
[[File:Icon grn heat.png|left|frameless]] HEAT Grenades are specialised HEAT rounds, designed for use where normal tank rounds may not be possible to utilise. They often use a propellant rather than a standard charge, and as such suffer from low velocity and sub-par round ballistics. Despite this, they can prove effective against tanks due to their HEAT technology.

''HEAT Grenades are available to vehicles with recoilless cannons or other non-standard cannon designs. Their effectiveness is similar to that of an equivalent HEAT round, however due to their low muzzle velocity they can be inaccurate at long ranges. HEAT Grenades are found on various light vehicles, such as the [[M50]], [[T114]], [[Type 60 SPRG (C)]], [[FIAT 6614]], [[R3 T106 FA]], and [[BMP-1 (Family)]].''

=== Guided Missiles ===
Guided missiles utilise a guidance system (of various types, such as MCLOS, SACLOS, Radar, Heat-Seeking) to accomplish their intended role. They sacrifice round velocity for long-range precision. Different missile types are effective in different applications - some have anti-tank properties, while others are effective against air targets.

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ====
{{main|Anti-tank guided missiles}}
[[File:Icon spr atgm.png|left|frameless]] ATGMs largely utilise the same concept as HEAT, however they integrate some form of propulsion and are usually guideable, either manually (MCLOS) or semi-automatically (SACLOS). ATGMs usually pack a large amount of explosive and often have particularly powerful shaped charges. However, they require specialised equipment to fire and tend to be heavy, often resulting in long reload times, especially for hybrid vehicles.

''ATGMs become available through Rank V, and are primarily carried by specialised ATGM carriers, although some tanks have ATGM-capable main cannons and some exceptional designs such as the [[Strv 81 (Rb.52)]] or the [[AMX-13 (HOT)]] mount ATGMs on ancillary pylons. ATGMs are powerful and SACLOS guided missiles are easily aimed, however they travel slowly and well-aware targets may be able to move into cover prior to the ATGM reaching them.''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Overfly Top Attack (ATGM-OTA) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm.png|left|frameless]] This missile's icon is the same as the normal ATGM, but its mechanism is completely different. It uses a proximity fuse to detonate '''above''' enemy tanks, sending the HEAT warhead right into the target's roof. Though this missile's penetration is rather low in the stats card, players should not be discouraged as tank's roof is one of the most lightly armoured area on all tanks. This missile type could also defeat tanks by overpressure effect alone, with a giant high-explosive warhead detonating through the top of tanks.

''At the time of the writing, the TOW-2B (and foreign variants with different names) and the Swedish [[Rbs 56]] are the only top-down attack missiles in the game. The TOW-2B is carried by specialized ATGM carriers, like the [[Wiesel 1A2]] or the [[CM25|M113]], exception being made only to the [[M3A3 Bradley]] and [[Dardo]] IFVs, which carry it too as a secondary weapon. Players should try to aim the missile about 1 meter above the target, as higher may result in little to no damage, but aiming too low could also have the missile detonating too early which, again, would cause little to no damage.''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Proximity Fuse [Self-Destroying] (ATGM-VT*) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm prx.png|left|frameless]] Proximity ATGMs utilise proximity fuses to detonate when in close proximity to aircraft. This, combined with their guidance systems (SACLOS) allows them to be used effectively against low-flying aircraft or helicopters.

''Proximity Fuse ATGMs can prove extremely effective against low-flying aircraft or helicopters, and utilise a similar proximity fuse concept to SAM missiles - although often ATGMs pack significantly more HE filler than SAMs do. ATGM-VT missiles are available to specialised ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]].''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Tandem Charge (ATGM Tandem) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm tandem.png|left|frameless]] Tandem ATGMs utilise a twin-stage warhead to overcome ERA - the first stage causes the ERA to detonate, while the second stage penetrates the armour below as normal. This concept does not work against NERA or composite armour.

''Tandem ATGMs are effective against ERA-protected vehicles, and often have very high penetration values. Tandem charge ATGMs are available to high-rank Soviet or Russian ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]] and [[BMP-3]].''

==== Anti-Tank Guided Missile, HE (ATGM-HE) ====
[[File:Icon spr atgm he.png|left|frameless]] HE ATGMs are a simplification of a standard ATGM; rather than a shaped HEAT charge, HE missiles simply utilise a large quantity of explosive to damage or destroy emplacements or light vehicles or other ATGM tanks.

''HE ATGMs are only effective against light vehicles and missile carriers in most cases, despite packing large quantities of HE filler. They are available to specialised ATGM carriers such as the [[Shturm-S]].''

==== Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ====
[[File:Icon spr sam.png|left|frameless]] SAMs are high-velocity anti-air missiles, designed specifically to combat aircraft using a variety of technologies; often including proximity fuses and radar or heat-seeking guidance.

''SAMs are very effective at long distances against aircraft, particularly helicopters. They are often extremely high velocity and pack a large amount of HE filler for a powerful airburst effect. SAMs are available to specialised anti-air vehicles such as the [[ZPRK 2S6|2S6 Tunguska]] or the [[XM1069]], which, notably, has multi-purpose missiles that are also effective against armoured vehicles. Most SAMs pack less HE filler than an HE ATGM and are only reliably effective against lightly armoured ground vehicles.''

=== Utility Rounds ===
Utility rounds are ineffective for use against other vehicles, but provide value in some sort of utility.

==== Smoke ====
{{main|Smoke screen|l1=Smoke}}
[[File:Icon rnd smoke.png|left|frameless]] Smoke shells are not designed as a damaging shell, and largely consist of chemicals designed to create a smoke screen. The produced smoke has a limited lifetime.

''Smoke shells are available to various vehicles throughout most tech trees, however their effectiveness is somewhat limited compared to dedicated smoke launchers. The main advantage of smoke shells is that unlike ESS or hull-mounted smoke canisters, they can be launched anywhere the equipped vehicle can aim, allowing for strategic placement for pushes or flanking manoeuvres, or simply firing at an enemy vehicle to force them to move from their position.''

== Media ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|TQEq6hjxGdM|'''The Shooting Range #292''' - ''Tactics & Strategy'' section at 07:52 discusses playing HE wielders.|srKv5v9zoGA|'''The Shooting Range #216''' - ''Special'' section at 08:28 discusses Volumetric rounds.|CZqzMhbnvO4|'''Tank Shells Guide''' - War Thunder Official Channel|Qyr_aw3YTe8|'''The Shooting Range #2''' - ''Science of War'' section at 05:11 discusses HESH rounds.|6O3MBjdSsIk|'''Tank Shells Guide - War Thunder ammo types explained''' - ''HowToPlay1337''|ajeqij4_jwM|'''Ammo Types in War Thunder EXPLAINED''' - ''skDoger''|_xCgMBOiA8U|'''High-explosive power''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|lK9Ck3P6AvM|'''Top 7 best rounds''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|fCc_B-wm0wA|'''Post-War Heat Shells''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[Ammo racks]] - How all tank ammunition is stored within the tank

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/576042-update-of-the-apds-penetration-values/ <nowiki>{Devblog]</nowiki> Update of the APDS penetration values]
* [[wt:en/news/7084-development-new-features-upcoming-with-the-ixwa-strike-update-en|[Devblog] New features upcoming with the "Ixwa Strike" update - Shell impact animations]]
* [[wt:en/news/6856-development-volumetric-shells-in-the-raining-fire-update-en|[Devblog] Volumetric shells in the "Raining Fire" update]]

[[Category:Ammunition]]

SPS-255

2023-11-02T08:46:35Z

U134631722: /* SPS-255 */ All mentions of the M4A2 replaced by link to the in-game M4 (not M4A2 due to the driver view port) and 75mm M3 replaced by link to the 75mm M3 gun in the warthunder wiki

{{DISPLAYTITLE:SPS-255 (Special Purpose Sherman)}}
[[File:Events SPS-255statcard.jpg|framed|right]]

==SPS-255==
[[File:Events SPS-255x-ray.jpg|thumbnail|left|X-Ray view of the SPS-255]]

The Special Purpose Sherman SPS-255 was a special tank added during the [[Unrealistic_Battles|Unrealistic Battles event]] on 1st April, 2015. The tank consisted of an inflatable rubber skin, painted to resemble the markings and external elements of an [[M4]] Sherman, with the supporting structure made of wooden planks. It was powered by 4 crew members on bicycles in the hull in place of a real engine and drive train. The SPS-255's primary armament was a training version of the [[M4]]'s [[M3 (75 mm)]] cannon, the 100mm M4 cannon. It could fire Potato AP or Carrot HVAP ammunition, both with very low velocities and high arcs, from a "rack" of 200 total rounds. Because the event featured a health system, most critical components of other tanks are not modeled in detail, and thus it also did not have access to Repair Kits, FPE or Crew Replenishment. The appearance of this vehicle was based on real-life decoy [[M4]] Sherman tanks used during Operation Bodyguard before D-Day in 1944.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/2974--en|Unrealistic Battles/SPS-255 announcement article]]
* [http://coub.com/view/5p72a COUB short video of SPS-255 in action during Unrealistic Battles]

[[Category:April fool's day]]
[[Category:Removed vehicles]]

Vladimir T-90A (April Fools)

2023-11-02T08:42:23Z

U134631722: /* See also */ Added the in-game T-90A

{{DISPLAYTITLE:T-90A}}
__TOC__

== Description ==
[[File:AprilFools Wallpaper T-90A.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''Vladimir T-90A''' was a Rank IX Russian main battle tank with a battle rating of 14.3. It was introduced in Update 1.67 as part of Rank IX Open Testing lasting from March 31st to April 3rd.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear
|-
| Hull || 600 mm (Kinetic) 900 mm (Cumulative) || 80 mm || 45 mm
|-
| Turret || 800 mm (Kinetic) 1,100 mm (Cumulative) || 80 mm || 50 mm
|-
|}

==== Crew ====

* Commander
* Gunner
* Driver

Total: 3 Crew members

=== Mobility ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Game Mode
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristics
! colspan="2" | Engine power (horsepower)
! colspan="2" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
! Max Speed
! {{Annotation|Weight|Vehicle Weight (Tons)}}
! {{Annotation|AoA Weight|Add on Armour Weight (Tons)}}
! Stock
! Upgraded
! Stock
! Upgraded
|-
! Arcade
| 67 || rowspan="2" | 46.5 || rowspan="2" | N/A || N/A || 1,668 || N/A || 35.87
|-
! {{Annotation|Realistic|Simulator uses Realistic FMs}}
| 60 || N/A || 1,000 || N/A || 35.87
|}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | 125 mm 2A46M
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 43 || -4°/+14° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
| colspan="3" | ''Arcade'' || colspan="3" | 41.2
|-
| colspan="3" | ''Realistic'' || colspan="3" | 35.0
|-
! colspan="6" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
| colspan="6" | 7.5
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration in mm @ 90°
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 3BM60 || APDS-FS || 642 || 640 || 635 || 630 || 620 || 610
|-
| 3BK29M || HEATFS || 700 || 700 || 700 || 700 || 700 || 700
|-
| 9M119M || ATGM || 750 || 750 || 750 || 750 || 750 || 750
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 47 || 47 || 47 || 47 || 47 || 47
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile mass in kg
! rowspan="2" |Fuse delay in m
! rowspan="2" |Fuse sensitivity in mm
! rowspan="2" |Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent)
! colspan="3" |Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3BM60 || APDS-FS || 1750 || 4.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3BK29M || HEATFS || 915 || 18 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 2,790 || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 9M119M || ATGM || 350 || 23 || 0.0 || 0.01 || 4,720 || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 5,780 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Ammo Part
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''43''' || Projectiles Propellants || 41 ''(+2)'' 41 ''(+2)'' || 37 ''(+6)'' 29 ''(+14)'' || 33 ''(+10)'' 27 ''(+16)'' || 30 ''(+13)'' 26 ''(+17)'' || 27 ''(+16)'' 23 ''(+20)'' || 26 ''(+17)'' 1 ''(+42)'' || 23 ''(+20)'' N/A || 1 ''(+42)'' N/A || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammorack_T-90A (April Fools).png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the T90|350px]]
'''Note''':

* Sponsons empty: 23 (+20) shells.

=== Additional armament ===

12 x 81 mm smoke grenade launcher

=== Machine guns ===

12.7 mm NSVT machine gun (300 Rounds, pintle-mount) 
7.62 mm PKT machine gun (2,000 Rounds, coaxial)

== Usage in battles ==


'''General playstyle'''

The T-90 should be played in accordance with Russian armoured doctrine, in the offensive. The low profile and assortment of ammunition allows for the T-90 to take the offensive against distant and close-range target easily. The APDS-FS and HEATFS gives the T-90 good variety in a close-range engagement and the ATGM gives a relatively accurate long-range fighting ammunition next to the APDS.

'''How to vs MBTs and Helicopters'''

The biggest adversary is the Leopard 2A5 and other T-90As. Any shot to the T-90’s sides is surely going to set off the ammunition inside the tank, resulting in an instant kill. While it is possible to do the same against another T-90, more careful shot placement is required for the Leopard 2A5 due to their ammunition stowage. Aim for the front right area to hit the ammunition in the front of the hull and in the turret rear to hit the ammunition there.

'''Tactics'''

'''Arcade:''' In Arcade, the T-90A can effectively engage at a long distance with estimation of range and position. With that in mind, the T-90A could snipe at distance enemies with ATGM to trace and eliminate vehicles.

'''Realistic:''' With the lack of enemy marker, it is important to carefully range targets. The T-90A can effectively engage targets still provided it does not experience any damaging shot during the engagement.

'''Specific enemies worth noting'''

Opposing Leopard 2 and T-90s are perhaps the biggest threat to the T-90A on the ground. The front armour is quite resistant to enemy rounds, but rounds on the lower glacis and hull roof may penetrate into the crew compartment. Good luck surviving if any tanks manage to get a shot on the T-90A's sides and ammo carousel.

From the air, helicopters with guided missiles will prove a big threat. Use the Leopard's great mobility and smoke to hide the tank from a precise direct hit from helicopters.

'''Describe the vehicle in the game - its distinctive features, the tactics used against major opponents, recommendations for using the vehicle in different situations.'''

The T-90 has quite a unique shape of a near-circular turret, and two red "eyes" on the turret front. A big notable feature on the T-90A is inside, with its carousel ammunition provided for the autoloading mechanism. This presents a very large ammo rack that any enemy tank could detonate with a simple penetration through the front or through the sides.

'''What to expect, if it would be in command of the enemy.'''

The T-90A will close in for a kill with its HEATFS and APDS-FS ammunition. From a distance though, it can still fight with ATGM to attack distant targets with great accuracy and control.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros'''

* Extra variety in ammunition with [[Anti-tank guided missiles|ATGM]] ammo
* Autoloader gives a constant reload rate
* 12.7 mm pintle machine gun gives better AA defensive power
* Low profile

'''Cons'''

* Poor gun depression of -4°
* Average reload rate is long
* Ammo all over hull, one penetrating shot can lead to ammo rack explosion
* Small crew count makes each person valuable, if two are knocked out, instantly goes to crew replenishment
* Poor reverse speed
* Smoke dischargers all used up on first use
* No neutral steering

== 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 ==

* [[T-90A]] - In-game version

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4615-development-vladimir-t-90a-the-armored-predator-en|[Devblog] Vladimir T-90A: The Armored Predator]]

[[Category:April fool's day]]
[[Category:Removed vehicles]]

Leopard 2A5 (April Fools)

2023-11-01T15:09:32Z

U134631722: /* External links */ Added Tech tree verison of the Leo 2a5 to the links