War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Derby

2024-11-26T05:11:50Z

U139589284: Added pros and cons.

== Description ==
''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.''

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|f_16c_block_40_barak_2}}
* {{Specs-Link|f_16d_block_40_barak_2}}

== General info ==
''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the missile.''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Missile characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 118 kg
|-
| '''Guidance''' || ARH+IOG+DL
|-
| '''Band''' || I
|-
| '''Lock range''' || 16 km
|-
| '''Launch range''' || 80 km
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 4.0 M
|-
| '''Maximum overload''' || 40 G
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 90 secs
|-
| '''Explosive mass''' || 8 kg TNTeq
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===
''Describe the type of damage produced by this type of missile (high explosive, splash damage, etc)''

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of missiles that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe situations when you would utilise this missile in-game (vehicle, pillbox, base, etc)''

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

* Excellent close-range maneuverability, useful HOBS ('''H'''igh '''O'''ff '''B'''ore-'''S'''ight) capability in combat scenarios
* Missile accelerates quickly at close range and tracks enemy targets consistently
* Large explosive warhead will annihilate or severely cripple any plane it hits

*

'''Cons:'''

* Poor range above 8-10km due to a weak sustainer, high loft trajectory, and high drag when launched at targets that are further away
* Easy to dodge and notch at longer distances due to the weak sustainer
* Limited range is a severe handicap when combating other ARH missiles, like the AIM-120 which have superior range and speed

*

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

== 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 article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

Baz Meshupar

2024-10-30T04:02:17Z

U139589284: Updates to usage in battles and some other minor changes.

{{About
| about = Israelian jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-15 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f_15c_baz_msip
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Baz Meshupar''' (lit. "Improved Baz") was an Israeli upgrade to the [[Baz]] (IAF designation for the [[F-15A]]/B and [[F-15C MSIP II|F-15C]]/D) introduced from 1998. It featured new domestic electronics systems and avionics borrowed from the [[Barak II|F-16 Barak]], providing a helmet-mounted display and the capability to active-radar homing missiles, approaching the standards of the F-15E Strike Eagle. While attempts have been made since its introduction to replace it with imports such as the F-15E, F-16D, and F-35, the Baz Meshupar maintains its status as Israel's primary air superiority fighter to this day.

Introduced in [[Update "Seek & Destroy"]], the '''Baz Meshupar''' is akin to an Israeli version of the [[F-15C MSIP II]], with the same armament and systems. It has access to the AIM-120A AMRAAM, a great ARH missile with very long range, a terminal self-guidance system, as well as advanced inertial navigation. This is the weapon that defines the F-15C, however, this aircraft also relies on its excellent flight performance for aerial dogfights. For short-medium range combat, it has access to AIM-9M air-to-air missiles, with IRCCM and very good manoeuvrability. However, it lacks access to modern AGMs or laser guided bombs.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a very agile fighter, its top speed is not as high as other fighters like the [[MiG-29SMT]], but it compensates this with good energy retention, excellent acceleration and an adequate low speed manoeuvrability, after dogfights, the F-15C is capable to regain its speed quickly thanks to its good power to weight ratio.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 10,668 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,524 || 2,488 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.6 || 22.2 || 285.7 || 272.0 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| _ || _ || _ || _ || _ || _ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || ___ || ___ || ___ || ~__ || ~__
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < ___ || < ___ || < ___ || -
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 || 2
| colspan="2" | 13,590 kg || colspan="3" | 349 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 12m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 40m fuel
|-
| 1,470 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 15,421 kg || 16,583 kg || 18,080 kg || 19,693 kg || 31,486 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 12m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 40m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 6,070 kgf || 8,410 kgf
| 1.09 || 1.01 || 0.93 || 0.85 || 0.53
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 6,500 kgf (1,250 km/h) || 14,250 kgf (1,400 km/h)
| 1.85 || 1.72 || 1.58 || 1.45 || 0.91
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

The Baz Meshupar does not have any armor like other modern jets, meaning that being hit by missiles or gunfire is usually fatal.

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

The most important modifications are unlocking the AIM-9M and the AIM-120A, after that, prioritize modifications like G-Suit and all the engine modifications. If you need the F-15C for ground missions, ignore the performance modifications and unlock the GBU-8 guided bombs. However, note that the [[Barak II|F-16D Barak II]] and [[F-16C Barak II]] are better choices when it comes to ground pounding.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs) !! EEGS
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, wing root-mounted (940 rpg)
* 240 x countermeasures

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="4%" | 1 !! width="4%" | 2 !! width="4%" | 3 !! width="4%" | 4 !! width="4%" | 5 !! width="4%" | 6 !! width="4%" | 7 !! width="4%" | 8 !! width="4%" | 9 !! width="4%" | 10 !! width="4%" | 11 !! width="4%" | 12 !! width="4%" | 13
| rowspan="14" width="25%" | 
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| || 1, 6 || || || || || 1, 6 || || || || || 1, 6 ||
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| || 1, 6 || || || || || 1, 6 || || || || || 1, 6 ||
|-
! [[GBU-8 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb GBU-8]] bombs
| || 1 || || || || || 1 || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || 1 || || || || || 1 || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[BLU-27/B incendiary]] bombs
| || 3 || || || || || 3 || || || || || 3 ||
|-
! [[AIM-7M Sparrow]] missiles
| || || || 1 || 1 || || || || 1 || 1 || || ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! [[AIM-120A]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || 1 || 1 || || || || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1
|-
! [[Python 3]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! 610 gal drop tanks
| || 1 || || || || || 1 || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! 750 gal drop tanks
| || || || || || 1 || || 1 || || || || ||
|-
| colspan="14" | Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,900 kg
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 2 x 750 gal drop tanks + 3 x 610 gal drop tanks
* 2 x AIM-120A missiles + 2 x AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x Python 3 missiles
* 4 x AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-7M Sparrow missiles
* 4 x AIM-7M Sparrow missiles + 2 x 750 gal drop tanks
* 8 x AIM-120A missiles
* 4 x AIM-120A missiles + 2 x 750 gal drop tanks
* 18 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 18 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 9 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==

The Baz Meshupar is essentially identical to the American F-15C MSIP II, with the only differences being that the Baz Meshupar has access to the indigenous Python 3 IR missile, and the Baz Meshupar having a different, but functionally identical radar.

It is recommended to equip the 8x AIM-120s, or 6x AIM-120s and 2x AIM-9Ms with the Sidewinders for closer engagements. Players are also advised to not carry a full internal fuel load of 42 minutes, instead relying on the drop tanks so that flight performance is not affected. Taking drop tanks instead of equipping the CFTs (conformal fuel tanks) is also better, as the CFTs are not able to be jettisoned and will hamper the flight performance more.

The AN/APG-63 radar has 3 main modes: the default '''SRC PD''', '''TWS''', and '''HMD'''. SRC PD (Search Pulse-Doppler) is useful for general combat scenarios when the player is in the close vicinity of targets. TWS (Track while Scan) is essential for long range combat, as it allows the player to fire multiple AIM-120s above ranges of 16km. HMD (Head Mounted Device) lets the player lock the radar where they are "looking", which allows the radar to lock onto targets at off-angles to be able to fire a missile faster.

TWS will allow the player to guide multiple AIM-120s using the plane's radar before the AIM-120s reach under 16km and switch to "pitbull" mode. After firing a missile, there will be a line with an open circle at the end indicating the missile the player fired. When the circle at the end of the line disappears, this means that the missile is within 16km of the target and has switched to pitbull mode, meaning that the player can turn away from the target/break radar lock. Keep in mind TWS is only useful most of the time for BVR engagements or when the enemy is farther than 16-20km away. Locking the target in the default SRC PD/HMD mode is much more precise/quick than letting TWS "find" and show the target most of the time.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Agile at low-medium speeds
* Good power to weight ratio, a trait shared by the F-15 family of jets
* Excellent air to air weaponry, with the ability to carry 8 AMRAAMs
* Ability to carry missiles under external fuel tanks

'''Cons:'''

* No access to rockets
* High fuel consumption, taking drop tanks is usually a must
* No access to modern guided munitions like AGMs or laser guided bombs

== History ==


With its introduction into the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in the mid-1970s, the [[Baz|F-15 ''Baz'']] very quickly became a key component in Israel's regional superiority - providing an umbrella that could not be challenged by any of Israel's belligerent neighbors. Nevertheless, by the 1990s the aircraft was already being threatened by the capabilities of newer Soviet/Russian models of the [[Su-27]] and [[MiG-29]]. Though the Soviet Union was no longer around to supply such aircraft en-masse to Israel's remaining enemies (as it had done in previous decades), Israel's bitter lessons of technological parity during the 1973 Yom Kippur War led to the conclusion that the entire ''Baz'' fleet would have to be replaced in order to maintain a decisive technological edge. With close to a hundred ''Baz'' F-15s already in IAF service, this would be a complicated undertaking.

To make matters even more complicated, the 1990s were also a time of conflict between two separate issues in the air superiority fighter market. On the one hand, while the Americans had already begun funding Israel's defense to the tune of billions of dollars, this came with an exclusivity clause that would force Israel to purchase all of its fighters from the United States. Simultaneously, the United States was at this time heavily invested in development of the F-22 Raptor - which it intended to keep for itself in order to maintain its own technological edge. This left only one air superiority model on the table for Israel to buy: the F-15E Strike Eagle, a highly improved version of the F-15 that could double as a long-range precision bomber.

Fortunately for the IAF, the F-15E was perfectly suited for its purposes. Besides having had plenty of experience with previous F-15 models, the IAF also happened to be in need of a long-range precision bomber to contend with the emerging threat of ballistic missiles from Iraq and Iran. The only problem with the F-15E was that it was still in the process of being introduced into the US Air Force, and was even ''more'' expensive than previous F-15 models. This meant that the IAF would not be able to replace its entire existing F-15 ''Baz'' fleet within any reasonable timeframe. Relying solely on gradual F-15E purchases would leave Israel vulnerable for over a decade - a risk that it could not afford.

The decision was finally made to begin the purchase of F-15Es (which, after intense modification, would become the F-15I ''Ra'am'') while continuing to wait for some newer, cheaper aircraft to be developed by the Americans. However, that alternative never materialized, and by 1995 the IAF had no choice but to create its own alternative: the ''Baz 2000'' program. Building upon two decades of active combat experience with the F-15, and the emergence of a cutting-edge Israeli high-tech industrial sector, the ''Baz 2000'' program would essentially upgrade existing F-15C/Ds into something closer to an F-15E. Additionally, equipment previously featured only on the [[Barak II|F-16 ''Barak'']] would be "married" into this new plane to give it capabilities not yet seen outside the F-16 platform.

This upgrade program resulted in the '''F-15 ''Baz Meshupar''''' (lit. "Improved Baz"), more commonly known by the acronym ''BazMash''. The first such aircraft was rolled out in late 1998, the same year that the first F-15I entered service.

The exact changes made to the ''BazMash'' are still classified, though several are plainly clear from photographs of the aircraft: it has larger conformal fuel tanks allowing for greater range than the original F-15C/D, and its avionics and cockpit have been completely redone. The ''BazMash'' features all-new Multi-Function Displays, contains avionics borrowed from the F-16 ''Barak'' (including DASH helmet integration), and is now capable of using JDAM GPS-guided bombs. It is also capable of carrying Israel's own beyond-visual-range interceptor missiles, the Python 5 and Derby. A radar upgrade has also been mentioned by unofficial sources, but has never been confirmed. It is unclear whether McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing St. Louis) had a hand in making such an upgrade possible, but it seems that every single Israeli military electronics company contributed at least one component to the new plane. Given the number of ''BazMash'' planes that were in service when the ''Baz 2000'' program concluded, some sources have speculated that at least one of these aircraft is in fact an F-15A/B - first upgraded to the F-15C/D standard in the 1980s, and then to the new ''BazMash'' standard.

Despite all of these upgrades, the IAF stated in 2004 that it would still prefer replacing the ''BazMash'' with F-15Is - but additional F-15I purchases ceased around that same time, leaving the IAF with more ''BazMash'' planes than F-15Is to this day. In the mid-2010s, the IAF announced plans to upgrade the ''BazMash'' yet again, with the hope of keeping it in service until the year 2040 - for a total service period of 64 years. Even with the introduction of the F-35I ''Adir'' into IAF service in 2017, the ''BazMash'' in its current form remains Israel's primary air superiority fighter.

== 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 aircraft;''
* ''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.''

{{AirManufacturer McDonnell}}
{{Israel jet aircraft}}

Merkava Mk.4M

2024-08-30T22:26:20Z

U139589284: Added survivability/armor paragraph.

{{About
| about = Israeli medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Merkava (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=il_merkava_mk_4m
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Merkava Mk.4M''' is the third and last subvariant of the Merkava Mk.4, which is the fourth variant of the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava main battle tank family]]. It is an enhanced subvariant of the standard Merkava Mk.4, outfitted with the Trophy active protection system (APS). Also known as the Merkava Mk.4M Windbreaker, this tank began production in 2009. In 2011, the first brigade outfitted with these tanks was declared operational. It saw action in the same year and successfully resisted an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) attack. Since then, the updated Merkava Mk.4M tanks equipped with the Trophy APS have intercepted dozens of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) such as the RPG-29 and ATGMs such as the Kornet and Metis-M.

Introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]], the Merkava Mk.4M is the ultimate subvariant of the Merkava Mk.4. Players can lead assaults into modern battlefields without fear of ATGMs from both ground vehicles and helicopters, thanks to the Trophy APS. The Merkava Mk.4M is a truly modern main battle tank designed for even the most intense conflict, providing the finest protection and firepower to confront any adversary. Players should bear in mind, however, that the Trophy APS does not give unlimited protection, and hence the tank should not stay out in the open for long during combat.

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

The Merkava MK.4M's armor is mainly composed of NERA, which is very effective against chemical munitions. Most HEAT rounds and ATGMs will fail to penetrate the frontal arc of the tank. Notable chemical munitions that can penetrate the front reliably are modern helicopter-mounted ATGMs such as the Hellfire and the 9M133 ATGM on the BMP-2M.

However, the armor does not perform well against kinetic munitions and modern APFSDS sabot rounds will easily go through the hull and turret. This is somewhat alleviated by the good crew placement in the tank, which allows the crew to survive some shots that other contemporary MBTs would not.

The Trophy APS is excellent at neutralizing ATGMs and projectiles that travel under 1000m/s which greatly enhances the Merkava's survivability. The addition of a Laser Warning System allows players to also be aware of other laser-guided munitions such as GBUs that the APS cannot intercept, giving the player time to react accordingly.

'''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=2,325|rbMinHp=1,327}}

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

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

{{main|IMI MG251 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[IMI MG251 (120 mm)|120 mm IMI MG251]] || 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" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 32.4 || 44.8 || 54.4 || 60.2 || 64.0 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.2 || 23.8 || 28.9 || 32.0 || 34.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:IMI MG251 (120 mm)/Ammunition|M325, M339, M322, M338}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Merkava_Mk.4B.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || 30 ''(+16)'' || 13 ''(+33)'' || 11 ''(+35)'' || 1 ''(+45)'' || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|FN MAG 60-40 (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
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (200) || 575 || - || -
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 6,000 (200) || 960 || - || -
|-
| Pintle || 1,800 (200) || 960 || -5°/+50° || -60°/+120°
|-
|}

== 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 APFSDS round
* Trophy System will stop most missiles
* HE-TF can help with fighting against helicopters
* Generation 2 thermal for gunner and commander
* 200mm of NERA on the turret roof will protect against HE shells striking the optics and sometimes even against artillery
* 400mm of NERA side armor above the tracks. Enough to stop most HEAT-FS and autocannons.
* Can reverse at 64kph.

'''Cons:'''

* Engine is at the front of the tank and any penetrating hit to the UFP will result in a stranded tank
* Upper front plate is weaker than those of other nations' tanks
* Slower reload than most top tier manual loaded tanks. 7.8 secs stock, 6.0 ace.
* depression of only 7°

== History ==

Due to the relatively small size of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) compared to some of its potential opponents, Israel's military doctrine is ever focused on protecting its highly-trained personnel from harm during combat. This is typically achieved by fielding advanced technology designed to reduce casualties. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the design of the Merkava tank. Beyond its rare configuration, which places the engine at the front to soak up penetrating rounds, as well as the "Hairs of Shulamit" passive protective chains around the rear of the tank's turret, in the early 2000s Israel began simultaneous development of two Active Protection Systems (APS) designed to intercept and destroy incoming anti-tank weaponry.

One of these two systems is called "Me'il Ruach" (Windbreaker Jacket, or simply Windbreaker), which was developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The Windbreaker system contains a high-precision radar and four flat-panel antennas, designed to detect incoming projectiles such as HEAT rounds, ATGMs, RPGs, and any other "slow" chemical warheads. Once an incoming projectile is detected, the system quickly calculates its exact flight trajectory and determines the optimum timing for interception. Two launchers on either side of the turret can quickly rotate in any direction to fire a pack of Explosively-Formed Projectiles (EFP) at the warhead and detonate it before it can hit the tank. This is effectively a very tight shotgun blast of tiny pellets that triggers the warhead by directly hitting it. If the system determines that the enemy projectile will not hit the tank, it does not fire the pellets at all.

The extreme accuracy of the radar, the precise trajectory calculation and the tight cone of pellets not only increase the chance of detonating the warhead to approximately 90-95% (100% in operational history), but also significantly reduce the risk to any friendly infantry who may be near the tank when the system fires. This was set as a prerequisite before development ever began. Furthermore, the system alerts the tank crew to the direction the attack came from, allowing them to return fire quickly and effectively.

The Windbreaker system was first installed onto a platoon of operational [[Merkava Mk.4B|Merkava Mk.4 tanks]] in 2009. The upgraded model was renamed '''Merkava Mk.4M''', with the M being the first letter in the system's Hebrew name ("Me'il Ruach"). The IDF's 401st Armored Regiment was the first to be fully equipped with Merkava Mk.4Ms in 2012. Today, all new Israeli-produced tanks are Merkava Mk.4Ms; all Merkava Mk.4 tanks in service in the IDF have been upgraded to Merkava Mk.4M standards; and the Windbreaker system is also known to feature on some older [[Merkava_Mk.3D_(USA)|Merkava Mk.3D models]].

Windbreaker became the first fully-operational hard-kill APS in any Western-aligned army, and to this day is the only mass-produced system of this type outside of Russia and China. It was first tested in battle in 2011, when it intercepted an RPG fired by Hamas combatants at a Merkava Mk.4M on the border of the Gaza Strip. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Windbreaker systems reportedly intercepted a total of 15 enemy warheads, including Metis, Konkurs and Kornet ATGMs. As of 2023, the system has maintained a 100% operational success rate in combat.

Windbreaker's development quickly drew the attention of the United States Army, which first purchased a light version of the system for protecting its Oshkosh M-ATVs. In the United States military, the system is named "Trophy". In 2017, the U.S. Army ordered 100 heavy-model Trophy units for installation on [[M1A2 Abrams]] tanks, enough to outfit an entire regiment. In 2019 the Army ordered enough systems to outfit three additional regiments. Germany was also an early adopter of the Trophy system, installing it into its state-of-the-art Leopard 2A7A1. Reportedly, the British army is currently planning on installing the Trophy system into its future Challenger 3 tank, though trials are proceeding concurrently for other APS systems.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=il_merkava_mk_4m Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|diXj9XNkSSs|'''The Shooting Range #298''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:30 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7607-development-merkava-mk-4b-mk-4m-the-chariots-of-modern-warfare-en|[Devblog] Merkava Mk.4B & Mk.4M: The chariots of modern warfare]]

{{TankManufacturer Israeli Ordnance Corps}}
{{Israel medium tanks}}
[[Category:Ground vehicles with active protection system]]

Baz Meshupar

2024-07-01T22:24:03Z

U139589284: Updated Cons section mentioning the lack of TWS for the radar.

Namer 30

2024-06-19T23:08:51Z

U139589284: Added basic information for armor values, armaments, mobility, and pros/cons. Updated description.

{{Specs-Card
|code=il_namer_rcws_30
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Israeli light tank {{Battle-rating}}. The version present in-game is equipped with the Samson Remote Controlled Weapon System (RCWS) with a 30mm Bushmaster cannon and two SPIKE LR launchers. It was introduced in [[Update "Seek & Destroy"]].

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

The armor of the Namer is based off the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava Mk4]], inheriting the same spacious design and the external composite. Due to this, the armor of the Namer is substantially better than other contemporary IFVs and light tanks. The front is resistant to almost all autocannon rounds and most chemical weapons. However, most large-calibre APFSDS rounds will be able to reliable penetrate the frontal armor.

The side armor of the Namer will be penetrated by most MBT rounds and most autocannon APFSDS rounds will find their way through the armor under prolonged fire. There are also external composite skirts which offer some protection.

The roof armor is relatively thick, with the crew compartment being virtually immune to strafing aircraft. The overhead weapons mount does act as an overpressure trap, and HE rounds that hit the RCWS will sometimes overpressure the crew.

Crew survivability is relatively good, but APFSDS shots to the UFP that spall enough will most likely take out 2 of the crew, resulting in the vehicle's destruction. There is a large amount of space in the vehicle toward the rear that can act as a dead zone for shells. Make sure to use Crew Replenishment on capture points if there are only 2 of the 3 crew remaining, as the Namer is extremely vulnerable to one-shots with only 2 crew left.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''Armour''' !! '''Front''' !! '''Sides''' !! '''Rear''' !! '''Roof'''
|-
| Hull || '''70 mm (74°)''' - ''Upper glacis, composite screen''
'''50 mm (44°)''' - ''Lower glacis'', ''RHA''
| '''50 mm (9°)''' - ''Side plate, RHA''
'''50 mm (56°)''' - ''Upper side plates, composite NERA''
| '''35 mm (1°)''' - ''Rear plate, RHA''
'''30 mm (1°)''' - ''Rear door, RHA'' '''10 mm (2°)''' - ''Fuel tank coverings, RHA''
| '''~120 mm (89°)''' - ''Crew compartment roof, Composite NERA''
|-
| Turret || '''10 mm''' - ''RCWS, RHA''
'''5 mm''' - ''SPIKE LR launchers and Bushmaster ammo storage'', ''RHA''
| '''10 mm''' - ''RCWS, RHA''
'''5 mm''' - ''SPIKE LR launchers and Bushmaster ammo storage'', ''RHA''
| '''10 mm''' - ''RCWS, RHA''
'''5 mm''' - ''SPIKE LR launchers and Bushmaster ammo storage'', ''RHA''
| '''10 mm''' - ''RCWS, RHA''
'''5 mm''' - ''SPIKE LR launchers and Bushmaster ammo storage'', ''RHA''
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

The mobility of the Namer is worse compared to other IFVs and light tanks due to it weighing a monstrous 61 tons. Most MBTs and almost all smaller vehicles will be faster than the player at the battle rating. Flanking is a possibility, but keep in mind that other light vehicles will arrive at areas before the player gets there.

The reverse speed is good, allowing the player to get out of most sticky situations relatively quick. Another note is that the Namer unfortunately does not inherit the reverse gearbox on the Merkava 4 MBT which allows it to travel the same speed in both directions.

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (30 mm)}}

The 30mm Bushmaster is the primary weapon of the Namer, with access to APDS, APFSDS, and HEI-T round options. There are two belts with 100 rounds each in a storage box on the opposite side of the SPIKE LR launchers. The Namer will have no problem penetrating the side armor of vehicles with the APFSDS belt. The APFSDS is also more than sufficient to destroy gun barrels and tracks.

Shooting down enemy aircraft is also relatively easy at closer ranges due to the IRST feature. Once locked, a lead indicator will appear showing where the player has to shoot. In conjunction with the HEI-T ammunition, the Namer can work as an improvised SPAA against close range aircraft.

Always make sure to keep an eye on the amount of cannon ammo that is left, as it is quite easy to burn through all of the 200 rounds during fighting. The 30mm ammunition can be replenished on friendly capture zones.

Since all of the cannon ammunition is mounted externally, a shot to the cannon belt will render the 30mm Bushmaster unusable, leaving the player with the SPIKE LRs and the coaxial MG as their only weapons.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (30 mm)|30 mm Bushmaster 2 Mk.44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 200 (100) || rowspan="2" | 200 || rowspan="2" | -20°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (30 mm)/Ammunition|APDS, HEI-T, APFSDS}}

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


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

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

{{main|Spike-LR2}}

The Namer 30 is equipped with four SPIKE LR missiles, with 2 being loaded in the launch tubes and with 2 being stored in the hull. The SPIKE LRs are best used against long range targets. Due to the fire-and-forget capability, players can shoot off a missile at longer ranges at the start of matches on open maps while moving to objectives.

The Spike LRs are inconsistent against armored vehicles, with only 700mm of tandem chemical penetration. Prioritize unarmored/light vehicles for easier kills.

Keep in mind that the SPIKE LR has a top-attack path, meaning that the missile will travel upwards immediately after being fired before aiming downwards to hit the target. Therefore, the SPIKE LR may not work against close range enemies since the missile will loft over the intended target.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Spike-LR2]] missile || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 4 (2) || -3°/+20° || - || - || 13.0 || 11.5 || 10.6 || 10.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Spike-LR2/Ammunition|Spike-LR2}}

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


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

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

{{main|FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)}}

The Namer 30 is equipped with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun mounted next to the 30mm Bushmaster. It is only useful for pinging enemy tanks or destroying fences and other small obstacles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
|-
! 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:'''

* Very good armor compared to other contemporary light tanks, such as the BMP-2M and the M3A3 Bradley
** Resistant to autocannons and most ATGMs frontally, being based on the Merkava 4 chassis
* Excellent hull-down capabilities with good gun depression
* SPIKE LRs are fire-and-forget ATGMs, no manual guidance of the missile required
** Able to be used against helicopters and slow-flying aircraft, but will be fooled by flares due to IR guidance

*

'''Cons:'''

* Armor can be penetrated by most large-calibre APFSDS rounds at the battle rating
* SPIKE ATGMs are fairly inconsistent against armored targets with a relatively low ammo count (4 missiles total)
* Slower than other contemporary light tanks due to the large size and heavy weight (61 tons) of the Namer 30
* Overhead weapon station is an overpressure trap for HE shells

*

== 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.''

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

GIAT M.621 (20 mm)

2024-03-24T23:56:33Z

U139589284: Added pros/cons and usage in battles.

GIAT M.621 (20 mm)

2024-03-24T23:44:59Z

U139589284: Fixed formatting

GIAT M.621 (20 mm)

2024-03-24T23:44:06Z

U139589284: Added AH-60 (Israel)

GIAT M.621 (20 mm)

2024-03-24T23:42:30Z

U139589284: Undo revision 184023 by U139589284 (talk)

GIAT M.621 (20 mm)

2024-03-24T23:41:37Z

U139589284: Added link for AH-60 (Israel)

Merkava Mk.3C

2024-03-15T02:09:02Z

U139589284:

{{About
| about = Israeli medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Merkava (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=il_merkava_mk_3c
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Merkava Mk.3C''' is the second subvariant of the Merkava Mk.3, which is the third variant of the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava main battle tank family]]. The Merkava Mk.3C received the new Barak Zoher fire control system, which can be distinguished by the inclusion of a commander-independent sight on the turret roof, beginning in 1995. This adds hunter-killer capabilities to the Merkava Mk.3C, a trait that is desperately needed in modern conflict. The new fire control system can now automatically track targets and even low-flying helicopters. Other small upgrades, such as the insertion of composite screens into portions of the hull, were also implemented, mostly to defend the tank from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) launched from elevated positions.

Introduced in [[Update "Drone Age"]], the Merkava Mk.3C received yet another important upgrade: the commander's independent sight. With the addition of hunter-killer capabilities, players can search for possible adversaries while remaining behind low obstacles and rocky terrain. Furthermore, the commander can override controls for the main gun, allowing players to engage opponents more effectively. Together with the [[Merkava Mk.3B]]'s improved weaponry, the Merkava Mk.3C is a truly modern main battle tank that combines outstanding situational awareness, protection, and firepower.

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,860|rbMinHp=1,061}}

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

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

{{main|IMI MG251 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[IMI MG251 (120 mm)|120 mm IMI MG251]] || 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" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 32.4 || 44.8 || 54.4 || 60.2 || 64.0 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.2 || 23.8 || 28.9 || 32.0 || 34.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:IMI MG251 (120 mm)/Ammunition|M325, M339, M322}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Merkava_Mk.3B.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || 45 ''(+1)'' || 43 ''(+3)'' || 42 ''(+4)'' || 24 ''(+22)'' || 6 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+45)'' || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|FN MAG 60-40 (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
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 6,000 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle (loader) || 1,800 (200) || 600 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
| Pintle (commander) || 1,800 (200) || 600 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}

== 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:'''

* Good armor against most HEAT and some APFSDS rounds

* Excellent post-penetration survivability with good ammo storage and crew layout
* Generous quantity of smoke grenades
* APFSDS round is one of the best sabot rounds for the battle rating

'''Cons:'''

* Overall armor layout is vulnerable to APFSDS, able to be penetrated with ease from most places
* Mediocre mobility

* Large/tall profile, easily spotted

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=il_merkava_mk_3c Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

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

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

{{TankManufacturer Israeli Ordnance Corps}}
{{Israel medium tanks}}

Giraf

2024-02-23T04:29:23Z

U139589284:

{{Specs-Card
|code=il_m113a1_tow
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==


Shortly after the introduction of the M113, Israel became one of the largest users of this vehicle. With over 6,000 vehicles acquired over the years from the US, the M113 became one of the most common vehicles in IDF service, being capable of fulfilling multiple roles such as APC, IFV, ATGM carrier, and Short Range Air Defence vehicle. '''Giraf''' was the name given by the Israeli Defence Force to the M113A1 carrying a TOW missile launcher. Countries like the United States, Italy, and Taiwan were already experienced with this system and many M113 were modified to serve as tank destroyers using the TOW missile. The vehicle served with Israel until the introduction of the Spike anti-tank guided missile, which was also fitted to the M113 under the name "Hafiz".

It was introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]]. The '''{{Specs|name}}'''is very similar to other ATGM carriers in-game. It uses the BGM-71C I-TOW anti-tank guided missile as its main armament. With access to a coaxial 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and 10 rounds for its main armament, it has a very good gun depression with -20° and the missiles have a good speed of almost 300 metres per second and a decent range of almost 4 kilometres. Like most M113s, the Giraf is not very mobile and in fact is outmatched by many other ATGM carriers like the [[AMX-13 (HOT)]], and the protection is nothing special, being very vulnerable to 20 mm or 14.5 mm autocannon shots. Thus, it should be played very passively, staying behind the cover of hills and teammates.

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

Like other anti-tank guided missile carriers on the M113 platform, this vehicle is not very survivable, in fact it is vulnerable to even relatively weak projectiles from 14.5 mm and 20 mm guns. The crew compartment is very crammed and a single shot from a tank or missile is often enough to destroy the vehicle. But even with that into consideration, the launcher is separated from the hull of the vehicle and it can be used to hide the main body while launching from above obstacles and hills.

'''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}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|BGM-71B TOW|BGM-71C I-TOW}}

''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" | [[BGM-71B TOW]] missile || 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" | 10 || rowspan="2" | -20°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±45° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BGM-71C I-TOW]] missile || 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" | 10 || rowspan="2" | -20°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±45° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:BGM-71B TOW/Ammunition|TOW}}
{{:BGM-71C I-TOW/Ammunition|I-TOW}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''10''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

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

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

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Pros and cons ===

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

'''Pros:'''

* Powerful ATGM, can penetrate most tanks at the BR range
* ATGM can overpressure lightly armored tanks and open-tops
* ATGM can be manually guided to destroy helicopters

*

'''Cons:'''

* Very weak armor, extremely vulnerable to 12.7mm and autocannons
* ATGM cannot go through fences and other obstacles due to HEAT warhead

*

== 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.''

{{Israel tank destroyers}}

Rochev

2023-12-15T02:45:19Z

U139589284: Added some basic info, WIP.

{{Specs-Card
|code=il_m109a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Israeli tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]]. It is the Israeli variant of the M109A1 with some cosmetic differences.

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

The armor protection is not very impressive. The aluminum alloy can be penetrated by 12.7mm in all areas and even some 7.62mm from the sides and back. The crew members are relatively spaced out which increases the chance of surviving from a hit. Kinetic rounds will not generate much spall either since the armor is so thin. Bombs and rockets are likely to overpressure the vehicle instantly and kill the crew.

The addition of some steel baskets on the front of the turret gives an extra layer of protection against machine guns and autocannons compared to other variants of the M109.

'''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}}

The M109 has decent maneuverability, able to beat heavy tanks and some medium tanks to certain areas. However, the M109 has poor reaction time due to the slow turret traverse and is prone to being flanked and destroyed.

{{tankMobility}}

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

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

{{main|M185 (155 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" | [[M185 (155 mm)|155 mm M185]] || 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" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M185 (155 mm)/Ammunition|M107, M107 (PF), M110}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''28''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

The addition of a 12.7mm M2HB and a 7.62mm machine gun adds the capability to deal with aircraft, damage tracks, and destroy light vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Rochev is more of a support vehicle meant to be assisting teammates than doing the actual fighting, although it has the capability to do so. Stick around teammates as you have a long reload and are prone to being flanked.

=== Pros and cons ===

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

'''Pros:'''

* HE round is effective against most targets if aimed near or at roofs.
*

*

'''Cons:'''

* Very thin armor, can easily be penetrated and destroyed.
* Long reload time, missing shots can be deadly if teammate support is not available.
* Slow reaction time to threats due to poor turret traverse.

*

== 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.''

{{Israel tank destroyers}}

M185 (155 mm)

2023-12-15T02:25:18Z

U139589284: Added general info, usage in battles, and pros/cons.

== Description ==
The M185 is an 155mm howitzer used on the American M109 Paladin SPHs. The M185 was derived from the M126, a shorter barreled version with less muzzle velocity and effective range than the M185. The Paladin participated in many wars, varying from Vietnam to the modern Gulf War in 1991.

Ingame, the M185 is mounted on the M109A1 series of Paladins in USA, Britain, and Israel (Rochev).

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|us_m109a1}}
* {{Specs-Link|uk_m109a1}}
* {{Specs-Link|il_m109a1}}

== General info ==
The M185 has a very high destructive potential. Having 61mm of penetration for the HE and HE-VT shells, direct hits to most tanks at 6.0-7.0 on spots near the roof will eliminate the crew. Light vehicles and open tops will be annihilated, and the HE-VT can destroy slow moving planes and helicopters with a near hit.

=== Available ammunition ===
''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).''

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
The M185 works as a typical howitzer: aiming for and above roof sections as well as cupolas is a must. With a better muzzle velocity than the short-barreled M126, it is easier to aim the gun and projectiles reach the target faster. Most vehicles at the same BR as the M109A1 will be able to destroy the M109A1 in a single hit, so make the shots count, work with teammates, and make sure cover is nearby to ensure a safe reload.

When shooting, the rule of the thumb is to aim for surfaces directly above the roof, the roof itself, cupolas, or any armor thinner than 55-60mm.

'''Fighting German tanks:'''

* If fighting Panthers, shoot the lower section of the gun mantlet above the roof. Alternatively, aim for the cupola as early models of Panthers have a distinctive tall drum cupola that can easily be targeted. The Panther's sides can also be penetrated with HE, only being 40-50mm thick.
* For the Tiger H1s, shoot the lower section of the gun mantlet right above the roof. The H1 also has the drum cupola, so aiming there will also overpressure and destroy the Tiger. For Tiger Es, shoot the gun mantlet as the cupola is quite small from the front. From the sides, shoot the cupola or turret ring.
* Tiger IIs will be encountered quite commonly in an uptier. Aim for the cupola if possible or shoot right above the roof on the lower section of the mantlet.

'''Fighting Soviet (USSR) tanks:'''

* The T-34 series of tanks have weak armor and the HE can destroy the tank from the UFP, turret ring, or the cupola.
* IS-1/2s can be hard to deal with frontally, aim for the drum cupola.

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

* Excellent firepower, can deal with vehicles at 6.3-7.3 with ease if aimed properly.
* Gun is still useful with some skill until around 8.0 with the introduction of ERA/composite, more precise CAS, and better weapons.
* Easy to aim and relatively quick muzzle velocity make sniping easy.

*

'''Cons:'''

* HE will not be effective on surfaces thicker than 61mm, heavily armored tanks will be tricky to deal with.
* Long reload time, missing a shot can be unforgiving.
* Barrel has a very long size, can be detrimental in urban combat.

*

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

== 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 article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by 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 tank cannons}}
{{Britain tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]

M185 (155 mm)

2023-12-15T01:55:28Z

U139589284: Added Israeli Rochev to the list of vehicles.

== Description ==
''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.''

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|us_m109a1}}
* {{Specs-Link|uk_m109a1}}
* [[Rochev]]

== General info ==
''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.''

=== Available ammunition ===
''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).''

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.''

=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.''

'''Pros:'''

*

'''Cons:'''

*

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

== 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 article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by 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 tank cannons}}
{{Britain tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]

Merkava Mk.3B

2023-12-08T03:46:50Z

U139589284: Clarifications and additional details added to general information, usage GAB added and usage in GRB clarified. Internal/external links added at the bottom of the page. Additional game tips added and Pros/Cons updated.

{{About
| about = Israeli medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Merkava (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=il_merkava_mk_3b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Merkava Mk.3B''' is the first subvariant of the Merkava Mk.3, which is the third variant of the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava main battle tank family]]. The Merkava Mk.3 variant debuted in December 1989 and remained in production until 2003. The Merkava 3 variant is by far the most numerous tank in frontline Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) duty as of 2016. It has improvements to the drivetrain, powerplant, weaponry, and electronic systems over the Merkava Mk.2 variant. The inclusion of the domestically designed 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun (no relation to the 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 tank gun) was the most noticeable upgrade. This gun is capable of firing all standard NATO 120 mm ammunition. Historically, it can fire gun-launched LAHAT anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like regular rounds directly from the 120mm cannon. The vehicle has 50 rounds for the main tank gun and ammunition is kept in its own fireproof canisters. The tank gun and a more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine increased the tank's total weight to 65 tonnes; however, the larger engine also increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 kilometres/hour. The turret was also redesigned to move independently of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of how the tank moved. The Merkava Mk.3B subvariant received an upgrade that included the installation of modular composite armour across the turret roof to provide protection against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) fired from elevated positions. It was implemented in 1994 and was kept in all further upgrades.

Introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]], the Merkava Mk.3B has significantly more firepower than prior variants. The Merkava Mk.3B is the first Merkava main battle tank to be equipped with the potent 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun which has an excellent AFPSDS round. The far more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine improves mobility significantly. This enables players to reach crucial positions considerably faster than before, allowing players to get into position first and giving them a significant advantage in the fast-paced battles of modern warfare.

The Merkava 3B is directly succeeded by the similar but uparmored [[Merkava Mk.3C]] and then the vastly improved [[Merkava Mk.4B]] after the Mk.3C.

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

Despite the hull armour being rather weak, the large engine, transmission and fuel tank along with the plethora of additional internal armour will reduce spall from enemy APFSDS rounds and decrease the damage of chemical rounds significantly. The turret also features armour that can easily bounce enemy darts and protect your vehicle from fragmentation shells due to the extreme angle of the armour as well as the 50mm composite armor all over the front part of the roof.

The rear of the vehicle is also rather strong, featuring two 30 mm plates with an external fuel tank between them that can sometimes minimize the spalling of incoming rounds or stop low calibre APDS shells (e.g. autocannons), giving players a short amount of time to react and address the threat.

The turret also features a layout that even when penetrated can save the gunner or loader from getting hit by spall because of how low they are placed. The commander will usually be the first crew member to be knocked out, being the most exposed crew member of your tank. The turret ring is a very large weakspot with a well-placed shot under the gun having the potential of knocking out the crew.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Hull front, Gun mantlet)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides and rear)
* Composite screens (Turret front and sides, Hull front and sides)
* External composite armour with NERA elements (Hull front)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (66-84°) ''Front glacis'' 50-90 mm (36-60°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50 (12°) + 10 mm ''Top'' 50 mm (12°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm (0-39°) || 20 - 60 mm
|-
| Turret || 150 - 300 mm ''Turret front'' ~150 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50-60 mm || 40-45 mm || 20-40 mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Tracks and roadwheels consist of 20 mm of structual steel of chassis.
* Front of the turret composite screen armour features 40 mm of NERA elements.
* Side of the turret composite screen armour features 250 mm of NERA elements.
* 50 mm Additional composite screens at the top of the turret.
* 10 mm of internal armour are located in front and behind the engine and transmission.
* ~60 mm Composite screens covering the top of the tracks and suspension.
* Two 30 mm plates spaced 900 m from each other at the rear of the hull.
* First stage ammunition storage is inside a 10 mm thick fireproof container.
* Ammo is stored in 10 mm canisters.

A plus of having the ammunition stored the fireproof canisters is that the ammunition will not "cook-off" and explode when the tank is on fire. However, do not forget the importance of extinguishing a fire, or else the vehicle will burn out after a surprisingly short amount of time.

The composite screens on the sides of the tank can be useful for absorbing autocannon fire, albeit for a very short amount of time.

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


Despite the rather large size of the vehicle, it is quite mobile. It features a 1200 horsepower engine featuring an 18.5 horsepower/ton ratio that allows it to accelerate to its top speed of 60 km/h on a paved road within 20 seconds. The vehicle also features two reverse gears with a top reverse speed of 26 km/h, which is useful for getting out of a sticky situation quickly. The vehicle features neutral steering ~15 seconds for a full 360 degree turn on the spot.

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,860|rbMinHp=1,061}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}Prioritize the researching of the "Parts" modification first, LWR/LR, FPE, M322 (APFSDS), NVD, and then the remainder of the gun/performance upgrades.

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

{{main|IMI MG251 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[IMI MG251 (120 mm)|120 mm IMI MG251]] || 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" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 32.4 || 44.8 || 54.4 || 60.2 || 64.0 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.2 || 23.8 || 28.9 || 32.0 || 34.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:IMI MG251 (120 mm)/Ammunition|M325, M339, M322}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || 45 ''(+1)'' || 43 ''(+3)'' || 42 ''(+4)'' || 24 ''(+22)'' || 6 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+45)'' || No
|}
The ammunition should be relatively safe from enemy tanks as the majority of the rounds are stored at the very back of the tank in two large ammo racks. Carrying 20 APFSDS for tanks and 4 HE-VT rounds for helicopters should be good enough for the average battle. Carry more APFSDS if fighting on an open, long-range map that requires more sniping (Maginot Line, 2nd Battle of El Alamein, etc.)

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|FN MAG 60-40 (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
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The 12.7mm machine gun is mounted directly above the 120mm cannon. It is useful for lightly armored vehicles, taking out low-flying planes and helicopters, and disabling the tracks on enemy tanks. Note that the commander does not have to be alive to control the 12.7mm (not commander-mounted) so you can fire even with a crew of 2-3 members.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 6,000 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle (loader) || 1,800 (200) || 600 || -10°/+50° || -120°/+90°
|-
| Pintle (commander) || 1,800 (200) || 600 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Ground Realistic Battles'''

In RB, this vehicle can be used effectively to snipe (ideally in a hull-down position) using its amazing penetration at all ranges, laser rangefinder, generation 1 thermal optics and amazing zoom (gunner and commander), while exposing your turret and hiding your rather weak hull increases your survivability significantly.

The vehicle's good gun handling and mobility also allow for close quarters fights but your turret being placed so far back can lead to you being trapped having your front exposed to an enemy unable to shoot back and also your gun reload (6.7 seconds max crew) being slower than others of its type (6 seconds max crew) can lead to situations where you might not be able to shoot back fast enough if the first shot was not enough.

Do not be afraid to use the 12 smoke grenades you have available in 6 salvos of two in two launchers located at the front of the turret which are airburst-capable and 30 smoke grenades in a single smoke grenade launcher located over your loader. The Merkava also has an ESS which can provide a large smoke screen, but keep in mind that thermals will be able to "see" through ESS, leaving the tank vulnerable.

The good crew placement of the Merkava allows for a little wiggle room when being shot, chances are if the enemy tank shoots "centre of mass" or at the driver/engine the tank will still have 2-3 crew left to fight back. Cooperate with teammates so they can help you repair if needed.

Do not forget that your vehicle also features a total of four machineguns, one of them being a .50 calibre M2 Browning mounted over your main gun with a generous supply of ammunition that are more than capable of sending enemy helicopters and low flying aircraft to the hangar while also being able to inflict damage to tracks of other vehicles and being able to knock out light vehicles from the side or rear. The other 3 machine guns are only 7.62mm in calibre and most of the time only useful for clearing obstructions or marking enemies.

'''Ground Arcade Battles'''

The Merkava has a higher top speed and quicker reaction time in Arcade battles where mobility stats and gun traverse/elevation speeds are increased, while repair speeds are decreased. The penetration indicator will assist you showing where you need to shoot and there is an aiming indicator compensating for distance. However, you will be shown on the minimap and enemies will be able to spot the tank faster as players are marked with their username above the tank. Shoot first, and don't miss. The crew placement will also allow you to survive some shots as inexperienced enemies will see that the entire front of the hull is "penetrable" and shoot there, not knowing that the main gun/gunner will not be damaged.

Most of the strategies used in Realistic battles will also apply to Arcade battles.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 120mm IMI L/44 cannon is a significant upgrade from previous 105mm armed tanks.
* APFSDS easily penetrates enemies (589mm max) and produces more spall compared to the 105mm armed Merkavas.
* Good optics, helpful when sniping from long ranges.
* Crew placement increases survivability, decreasing the chance of a full knockout from one shot.
* M2 Browning does not require the commander to be alive to fire.
* Lot of smoke grenades to provide quick and effective cover from enemies.

'''Cons:'''

* Relatively slow reload compared to NATO and other tanks at 6.70 seconds for an aced crew/8.71 seconds stock.
* Frontal engine placement, inconvenient to repair and will usually be one of the first things to be damaged when shot.
* Turret ring is a huge weak spot and any round that penetrates here will usually knockout the tank.
* Rear turret placement; being shot sometimes leaves the front of the tank exposed but the turret blocked behind an obstacle (peeking around a corner).
* Like other MBTs, weak sides that are vulnerable to high-penetration autocannons (BMP-2 or the Gepard).
* No thermals for the commander sight.

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=il_merkava_mk_3b Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==

* [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava family of tanks]]
* [[:Category:Israel ground vehicles|Israeli ground forces tech tree]]

== External links ==

* [[wikipedia:Merkava|Merkava family on Wikipedia]]
* [[wikipedia:IMI_120_mm_gun|120mm IMI L/44 cannon on Wikipedia]]
* [[wikipedia:LAHAT|LAHAT ATGM on Wikipedia]]

{{TankManufacturer Israeli Ordnance Corps}}
{{Israel medium tanks}}

Tzefa D/E

2023-12-06T03:14:22Z

U139589284: Minor clarifications.

{{About
|about= Israeli attack helicopter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= AH-1 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ah_1f_iaf
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Tzefa D-E.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

After the introduction of the Cobra, several upgrade programs increased its capacity in order to expand its lifetime in the Israeli Air Force. The Tzefa D/E was the latest version of the Cobra in service with the IAF, it was basically an American AH-1F with minor modifications. In August 1996, a shipment of fourteen US Army surplus AH-1F Cobra helicopters arrived in Israel. These helicopters were meant to replace the aging MD500 Defenders that were already in service with the IAF. These new models were mostly active in Lebanon providing cover to ground forces and engaging pin-point targets in the Judea & Samaria district and the Gaza Strip. Some of the squadrons operating the Tzefa during this time period adopted the RAFAEL Spike ATGM, which was a fire and forget missile, much more superior to the TOW ATGM since it was more versatile and had a longer range. The Tzefa was eventually retired in 2013 after being replaced with the more advanced AH-64A, also known as the Apache.

Introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]]. The Tzefa D/E has access to very decent ATGMs for its BR, alongside a good flight performance. While its top speed may not be the best, it is very agile and will turn and maneuver faster than most helicopters, even those with a light airframe. Its cannon is a 20 mm rotary cannon with a very high fire rate and low penetration values, this means that using it against MBTs even from the top is challenging, but SPAA and other lightly armored targets are even more vulnerable to this cannon than what they would be to a 30mm one, thanks to its much higher fire rate. It also has access to thermal imaging system as well as countermeasures, and it is recommended using both chaff and flares in a mixed load out to maximize chances of survival.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Heli-Flight}}

The Tzefa D/E is a very nimble helicopter, being small and light which enables it to evade enemy fire effectively. It has an above-average speed for an attack helicopter, being able to maintain a consistent speed in semi-level flight. The only helicopters that will be consistently faster than the Tzefa D/E are the bulk of the USSR helicopters, especially the Mi-24 Hind.

Bear in mind that the Tzefa D/E does not like to stop when at full speed. Be careful when pitching the helicopter upwards to slow down or land, as the Tzefa will begin to roll over to one side when it begins to lose lift and speed and can flip all the way over. This can be corrected by ensuring that manoeuvres are gradual and not forced and sudden.

Do not drop the COLL from 100/110% to 20-0% as the helicopter will become unmanoeuvrable for a few seconds and begin to roll to one side. If not corrected, the helicopter will flip upside down even when COLL is raised again which can lead to a crash and the loss of the helicopter.

Plan movements in advance, and when preparing to land gradually reduce your COLL. When taking evasive manoeuvres, keep the COLL around 90% and never drop it fully to 0% if attempting to dive/roll as this will lock up the entire helicopter for a few seconds.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}

In terms of physical armour, a "bathtub" of steel and bulletproof glass protects both crew members. The armour is mostly resistant to gun rounds below 12.7mm.

The Tzefa D/E presents a very narrow target from the front, making it harder to hit with ground fire and missiles. Combined with excellent manoeuvrability at most speeds, the helicopter is able to evade enemy fire easily by weaving from side to side. Researching of the 60 countermeasures and IRCM should be prioritized, as these greatly increase the Tzefa's ability to survive anti-air missiles which become quite common around the Tzefa's battle rating.

It is recommended to carry both flares and chaff ("Mixed" countermeasure option in the modification settings) as you will be encountering mostly IR and some radar missiles, and 30 pops of flares/chaff will be more than enough if you keep your distance from the battle and use the TOW missiles to destroy targets.

However, the dated airframe means that if the Tzefa is hit by any sort of HEAT/HE round or even solid shots, the entire helicopter will likely suffer catastrophic damage. Another thing to note is that if the pilot is knocked out, the gunner cannot pilot the helicopter; similarly, if the gunner is knocked out, the pilot cannot fire the main armament leaving the helicopter defenseless.

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Heli-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Offensive}}

{{main|M197 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 20 mm M197 cannon, chin turret (750 rpg) + 60 x countermeasures
** 1 x 20 mm M197 cannon + 60 x countermeasures + IRCM

The 20 mm M197 rotary cannon on the Tzefa is essentially a slower firing [[M61A1 (20 mm)|20 mm Vulcan]] with 3 barrels instead of 6. The "Armoured Targets" belt is the best option as it provides a good ratio of armour-piercing and HE shells (a 1/3 ratio, AP and HE respectively). Offensive belts should be unlocked but researching the "New Cannon" modification is not necessary as the gun performs quite well even when stock.

The M197 does good damage to air targets, but more precise aiming is required for the M197 as it can only penetrate late Cold War/modern tanks through the roof. The inclusion of a ballistics computer on the Tzefa D/E compared to the Tzefa A/B models is very useful as accuracy is greatly increased.

Accuracy is good even when stock if the gun is not fired in prolonged bursts which decrease accuracy. The M197 also overheats rather fast for a primary cannon, so keep this in mind when strafing.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="11%" | 1 !! width="11%" | 2 !! width="11%" | 3 !! width="11%" | 4
| rowspan="4" width="20%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_AH-1G_(Israel).png]]</div>
|-
! [[Hydra-70 M247]] rockets
| 7, 19 || 7, 19 || 7, 19 || 7, 19
|-
! [[BGM-71C Improved TOW]] missiles
| 2, 4 || || || 2, 4
|-
! [[BGM-71D TOW-2]] missiles
| 2, 4 || || || 2, 4
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* Without load
* 28 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 76 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 4 x BGM-71C Improved TOW missiles
* 8 x BGM-71C Improved TOW missiles
* 4 x BGM-71D TOW-2 missiles
* 8 x BGM-71D TOW-2 missiles
{{Navigation-End}}

When in battle, carry the 8 TOW-2 missiles on the outer pylons and the Hydra rockets on the inner pylons. The TOW-2 missiles will be your primary weapon for ranged combat. Once you expend all the missiles, get in closer to the battle and use your rockets to bombard ground targets from closer ranges. Users of the Tzefa D/E will be pleased to discover that it has a ballistic computer for its rockets unlike the earlier Tzefa A and B models.

== Usage in battles ==

The Tzefa D/E performs very well in the role of an attack helicopter. Encompassing both manoeuvrability and lethal armament in one package, it is a versatile helicopter that can perform well and live up to expectations if used within its limits.

'''Realistic Battles (GRB)'''

The Tzefa D/E can be used to its maximum effectiveness in GRB, as players can make use of the TOW-2 missiles once researched in addition to the Hydra rockets if they choose. When going into battle, carry the 8 TOW-2 missiles if you have them researched, equip the "Ground Targets" belt for the 20 mm M197 cannon, and set the countermeasure type to the "Mixed" option. It is recommended to use the helicopter as a secondary spawn as you will have accumulated enough spawn points to equip the TOW-2 missiles. Don't carry the Hydra rockets on the center pylons if you don't plan to use them as they increase the spawn point cost of the helicopter and decrease flight performance by a noticeable amount.

'''To fight ground targets:''' After spawning, take off and skim close to the ground to lessen your chances of being spotted by enemy aircraft and helicopters. Fly around the edge of the map and start to turn toward the battle when you get near the rear of the enemy ground vehicle spawn, keeping an approximate 4 km distance between you and the battle. Keep a constant eye of your surroundings, and the IRCM will alert you if missiles are heading your direction.

If you are on an open map, this is the best situation to utilize your TOW missiles. Make sure you have a 3.5 km distance between you are targets, and hover as close as possible to the ground to remain stealthy. Choose a target, press '''F''' to enable sight stabilization, and track the target using your mouse. Aim for targets that are facing away, presenting their side, or that are stationary. Hitting a target should almost always guarantee an instant kill, as TOW missiles have a large amount of explosive mass and high penetration. Always take periodic checks of your surroundings as enemy aircraft and helicopters will begin to spawn in near the early middle of the battle. Once you have expended all your TOW-2 missiles, return to base, reload, and repeat until the enemy team is neutralized or until your helicopter is destroyed.

To deal with SPAA, keep a good "buffer distance" of around 3.5 km as this is the optimal range to guide the TOW missiles and you will be able to take evasive maneuvers and deploy countermeasures with plenty of warning time. Simply guide the missile to the target, and pop 2-4 countermeasures and adjust your position if a missile is fired. Stay low to the ground, as this sometimes interferes with enemy missile guidance and makes you a harder target to hit.

'''To fight enemy jets:''' If you are approached by an enemy plane, get ready to deploy countermeasures as a missile may already have been fired at you if the enemy caught you by surprise. Disengage hover mode if enabled, reduce COLL to 70-80%, barrel roll and deploy countermeasures if a missile is in the air, and fire the 20 mm while you evade. While rolling, start turning the helicopter in the ''opposite'' direction so you can get the guns on the enemy plane once he passes you; use the rudder and move the mouse/joystick. Once turned, begin firing at the enemy plane and see if you can disengage by sticking low to the ground and by flying away. If the enemy plane is persistent, you may just have to wait for a teammate to assist as the Tzefa D/E has no air-to-air missiles.

'''To fight enemy helicopters:''' Firstly, keep in mind that the TOW missiles can be utilized against hovering/stationary helicopters that are not within optimal gun distance (over 1.5km). The TOWs will deal with any helicopter quite easily with their very high explosive mass and damage, so don't be afraid to use them.

You will be utilizing your 20 mm M197 the most when fighting an enemy helicopter at closer ranges as it will be the most effective. If the enemy helicopter approaches and begins firing at you, start returning fire from around 1.5 km as your rounds are accurate enough at this distance to land some hits. Attempt to close the distance if circling and always strafe from left to right to evade incoming rounds. Rolling may be helpful but be wary as you have to reposition after straightening out. Continue to fire and use the tracers to adjust your aim. Aim for critical components like the cockpit, fuselage, and engines.

It is helpful to have a teammate in this situation who can help you as prolonged battles increase the risk of the helicopter being shot down by SPAA or being targeted by enemy jets.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Maneuverable, easily able to roll from side to side if COLL is set to 90-95%, excellent for evading gunfire from SPAA
* Excellent top speed in near-level flight, able to get to battle quickly and run away from most other helicopters if needed.
* Versatile, can carry TOW missiles along with rocket pods.
* TOW-2 missiles lethal against ground targets (800 mm HEAT penetration) and have good speed (375 m/s).
* Good 20 mm cannon, able to deal with air targets and ground targets effectively in both Realistic and Helicopter PvE.
* Has countermeasures and IRCM which increase survivability against missiles.

'''Cons:'''

* Maximum 3.75 km range for the TOW-2 missiles are less than USSR analogues (Shturm, Ataka) and put the helicopter in rather close proximity to the enemy.
* TOW missiles can be defeated by ERA by some tanks (especially CONTACT-5).
* Unable to stop quickly if needed at the penalty of an unintentional rollover.
* Prone to rolling over and locking up if COLL is suddenly reduced, when pitching upwards at high speeds, and when enabling hover mode at high speeds.
* Old airframe, prone to getting knocked out when exposed to ground fire.
* Gunner cannot pilot the helicopter if pilot is knocked out, pilot cannot fire the 20 mm if gunner is knocked out.
* 20 mm cannon doesn't have the penetration to deal with armored vehicles head-on, attacking from the top is highly advised.
* Researching takes quite a while even with boosters, especially with Tier III-IV modifications.

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the helicopter 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 ==


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|zYbcq-KOpFE|'''AH-1 Cobra Ultimate Review''' - ''Bob Dickinson''}}

== See also ==


* [[AH-1 (Family)]]
* Successor to the Tzefa D/E, the [[Peten|AH-64a Peten]].

== External links ==

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Bell}}
{{Israel helicopters}}

Hydra-70 M247

2023-10-29T20:33:15Z

U139589284: MAJOR EDIT: Description, use in battles, pros/cons, and historical information added to the page.

== Description ==
[[File:WeaponImage Hydra-70 M247.png|thumb|left|420px|The Hydra-70 M247 rocket with fins folded and deployed (scale is approximate)]]
{{Break}}
The Hydra-70 rocket is an American 70mm unguided rocket found on helicopters and planes. Utilizing a HEAT warhead, it is able to penetrate most modern tanks and vehicles from the roof and sides. When used in conjunction with a ballistic computer, these rockets are able to deal with most targets quite easily. The Hydra rockets are most notably found on the AH-64 Apache helicopters and the A-10 strike aircraft.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


{{Navigation-Start|Vehicles equipped with this weapon}}

{{Navigation-First-Line|'''Jet fighters'''}}{{Specs-Link|f-104g}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f-104g_china}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f-104j}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|f_16c_block_50}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Strike aircraft'''}}{{Specs-Link|a_10a_early}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|a_10a_late}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Attack helicopters'''}}
{{Navigation-Line|A129}}{{Specs-Link|a_129_a}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|a_129_cbt}}
{{Navigation-Line|AH-1}}{{Specs-Link|ah_1f}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_1f_iaf}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_1z}}
{{Navigation-Line|AH-6}}{{Specs-Link|ah_6m}}
{{Navigation-Line|AH-64}}{{Specs-Link|yah_64}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_greece_usa}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_peten}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_iaf}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_peten_iaf}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d_japan}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d_i_saraph}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ahs}}
{{Navigation-Line|MD500}}{{Specs-Link|md_500_tow_late}}
{{Navigation-Line|OH-58}}{{Specs-Link|oh_58d}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|oh_58d_china}}

{{Navigation-Line|'''Utility helicopters'''}}{{Specs-Link|g_lynx}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|lynx_ah_mk1}}

{{Navigation-First-Line|'''SPAA'''}}{{Specs-Link|us_lav_ad}}

{{Navigation-End}}

== General info ==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Rocket characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 10 kg
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 739 m/s
|-
| '''Explosive mass''' || 1.19 kg TNTeq
|-
| '''Warhead type''' || HEAT
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===
The Hydra rocket is able to penetrate most armored vehicles from the sides and the roof thanks to the HEAT warhead. The rocket has a good explosive mass so open-top vehicles or lightly armored ones are able to be taken out by near misses via overpressure. Hydra rockets are also able to be fired very quickly by binding the "Fire Rocket Series" control to a key, allowing the user to "spam" the rockets in large quantities.

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of rockets that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
In GRB, players must always have the element of surprise to minimize the amount of damage they take. Approaching from the sides or rear of the enemy is advised, as getting in and out of battle will be relatively quick and most enemies will not realize you are there until it is too late. Target any SPAA or lightly armored vehicles, then move onto MBTs. Make sure to not expend all rockets on one target and do not stay in place/hover on the battlefield; if the rockets are unable to kill one specific target, leave it and move on.

The Hydra rockets are mostly obsolete for top tier battles as most enemies will either have large-caliber autocannons or missiles that will put you in significantly more danger. If able to carry long-range munitions (such as the Hellfire AGMs on AH-64 Apaches), use those instead of the Hydras as they are usually more effective and will keep the player alive longer.

In Heli PvE, the Hydra rockets can deal with bases and ground units fairly quick. However, keep an eye on Gepards in convoys and normal enemy waves and the Rolands guarding the base (Rolands have a 10km range, so mind your distance). Most SPAA will be stationary however, so you can use your ballistic computer and fire accurately from afar.

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

* Good explosive mass and penetration, able to deal with most armored targets (MBTs) when fired from an upwards angle.
* Able to be spammed en-masse, will eventually obliterate any target through the sheer number of rockets.
* With a ballistics computer, extremely lethal against ground units.
* Able to deal splash damage, near misses can take out open-tops and lightly armored vehicles (BMPs, truck-based SPAA such as the Pantsir or Flakrad)

*

'''Cons:'''

* Requires a direct hit for armored targets to deal damage/penetrate.
* Short range requires user to get near to target to fire, can be dangerous.
* "Spamming" the rockets usually required for most targets.
* Most tanks have composite and ERA armor, dealing with MBTs from the front and even the sides may be difficult.

*

== History ==
The Hydra-70 rocket is a 70mm unguided "dumb" rocket meant to be used to engage ground targets. Developed from the FFAR "Mighty Mouse", a new motor produces more thrust and increases the effective range of the Hydra, and a new fin design improves accuracy and reduces spin. It is able to be mounted on planes, helicopters, and it has been adapted for ground vehicles also. The Hydra rocket has different models for different uses, including anti-personnel, anti-armor, marking, and practice models.

There are several ongoing attempts by military contractors to turn the Hydra into a precision-guided-munition (PGM), being more accurate but cheaper than conventional guided weaponry.

== 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 article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Rockets}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

Tzefa D/E

2023-10-26T05:28:39Z

U139589284: MAJOR EDIT BY ME: Flight Performance, battle usage, armament information/suggestions, pros/cons, survivability/armor added to the page. Essentially authored most of the article :D

{{About
|about= Israeli attack helicopter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= AH-1 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ah_1f_iaf
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Tzefa D-E.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Israeli attack helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Heli-Flight}}

The Tzefa D/E is a very nimble helicopter, being small and light which enables it to evade enemy fire effectively. It has an above-average speed for an attack helicopter, being able to maintain a consistent speed in semi-level flight. The only helicopters that will be consistently faster than the Tzefa D/E are the bulk of the USSR helicopters, especially the Mi-24 Hind.

Bear in mind that the Tzefa D/E does not like to stop when at full speed. Be careful when pitching the helicopter upwards to slow down or land, as the Tzefa will begin to roll over to one side when it begins to lose lift and speed and can flip all the way over. This can be corrected by ensuring that maneuvers are gradual and not forced and sudden.

Do not drop the COLL from 100/110% to 20-0% as the helicopter will become unmaneuverable for a few seconds and begin to roll to one side. If not corrected, the helicopter will flip upside down even when COLL is raised again which can lead to a crash and the loss of the helicopter.

Plan movements in advance, and when preparing to land gradually reduce your COLL. When taking evasive maneuvers, keep the COLL around 90% and never drop it fully to 0% if attempting to dive/roll as this will lock up the entire helicopter for a few seconds.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}

In terms of physical armor, a "bathtub" of steel and bulletproof glass protects both crew members. The armor is mostly resistant to gun rounds below 12.7mm.

The Tzefa D/E presents a very narrow target from the front, making it harder to hit with ground fire and missiles. Combined with excellent maneuverability at most speeds, the helicopter is able to evade enemy fire easily by weaving from side to side. '''Researching of the 60 countermeasures and IRCM should be prioritized''' as these greatly increase the Tzefa's ability to survive anti-air missiles which become quite common around the Tzefa's battle rating.

It is recommended to carry both flares and chaff ("Mixed" countermeasure option in the modification settings) as you will be encountering mostly IR and some radar missiles, and 30 pops of flares/chaff will be more than enough if you keep your distance from the battle and use the TOW missiles to destroy targets.

However, the dated airframe means that if the Tzefa is hit by any sort of HEAT/HE round or even solid shots, the entire helicopter will likely suffer catastrophic damage. Another thing to note is that if the pilot is knocked out, the gunner cannot pilot the helicopter; similarly, if the gunner is knocked out, the pilot cannot fire the main armament leaving the helicopter defenseless.

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Heli-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Offensive}}

{{main|M197 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between three presets:
** 1 x 20 mm M197 cannon, chin turret (750 rpg)
** 1 x 20 mm M197 cannon + 60 x countermeasures
** 1 x 20 mm M197 cannon + 60 x countermeasures + IRCM

The 20mm M197 rotary cannon on the Tzefa is essentially a slower firing 20mm Vulcan with 3 barrels instead of 6. The '''"Armored Targets"''' belt is the best option as it provides a good ratio of armor-piercing and HE shells (a 1/3 ratio, AP and HE respectively). Offensive belts should be unlocked but researching the "New Cannon" modification is not necessary as the gun performs quite well even when stock.

The M197 does good damage to air targets, but more precise aiming is required for the M197 as it can only penetrate late Cold War/modern tanks through the roof. The inclusion of a ballistics computer on the Tzefa D/E compared to the Tzefa A/B models is very useful as accuracy is greatly increased.

Accuracy is good even when stock if the gun is not fired in prolonged bursts which decrease accuracy. The M197 also overheats rather fast for a primary cannon, so keep this in mind when strafing.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Heli-Suspended}}

{{main|BGM-71C Improved TOW|BGM-71D TOW-2|Hydra-70 M247}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

* Without load
* 28 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 76 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 4 x BGM-71C Improved TOW missiles
* 8 x BGM-71C Improved TOW missiles
* 4 x BGM-71D TOW-2 missiles
* 8 x BGM-71D TOW-2 missiles

==== Custom loadout options ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="11%" | 1 !! width="11%" | 2 !! width="11%" | 3 !! width="11%" | 4
| rowspan="4" width="20%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_AH-1G_(Israel).png]]</div>
|-
! Hydra-70 M247 rockets
| 7, 19 || 7, 19 || 7, 19 || 7, 19
|-
! BGM-71C ImWhen in battle, carry the 8 TOW-2 missiles on the outer pylons and the Hydra rockets on the inner pylons. The TOW-2 missiles will be your primary weapon for ranged combat. Once you expend all the missiles, get in closer to the battle and use your rockets to bombard ground targets from closer ranges. Users of the Tzefa D/E will be pleased to discover that it has a ballistic computer for its rockets unlike the earlier Tzefa A and B models.proved TOW missiles
| 2, 4 || || || 2, 4
|-
! BGM-71D TOW-2 missiles
| 2, 4 || || || 2, 4
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Tzefa D/E performs very well in the role of an attack helicopter. Encompassing both maneuverability and lethal armament in one package, it is a versatile helicopter that can perform well and live up to expectations if used within its limits.

'''Realistic Battles (GRB)'''

The Tzefa D/E can be used to its maximum effectiveness in GRB, as players can make use of the TOW-2 missiles once researched in addition to the Hydra rockets if they choose. When going into battle, carry the 8 TOW-2 missiles if you have them researched, equip the "Ground Targets" belt for the 20mm M197 cannon, and set the countermeasure type to the "Mixed" option. It is recommended to use the helicopter as a secondary spawn as you will have accumulated enough spawn points to equip the TOW-2 missiles. Don't carry the Hydra rockets on the center pylons if you don't plan to use them as they increase the spawn point cost of the helicopter and decrease flight performance by a noticeable amount.

'''To fight ground targets:''' After spawning, take off and skim close to the ground to lessen your chances of being spotted by enemy aircraft and helicopters. Fly around the edge of the map and start to turn toward the battle when you get near the rear of the enemy ground vehicle spawn, keeping an approximate 4km distance between you and the battle. Keep a constant eye of your surroundings, and the IRCM will alert you if missiles are heading your direction.

If you are on an open map, this is the best situation to utilize your TOW missiles. Make sure you have a 3.5km distance between you are targets, and hover as close as possible to the ground to remain stealthy. Choose a target, press '''F''' to enable sight stabilization, and track the target using your mouse. Aim for targets that are facing away, presenting their side, or that are stationary. Hitting a target should almost always guarantee an instant kill, as TOW missiles have a large amount of explosive mass and high penetration. Always take periodic checks of your surroundings as enemy aircraft and helicopters will begin to spawn in near the early middle of the battle. Once you have expended all your TOW-2 missiles, return to base, reload, and repeat until the enemy team is neutralized or until your helicopter is destroyed.

To deal with SPAA, keep a good "buffer distance" of around 3.5km as this is the optimal range to guide the TOW missiles and you will be able to take evasive maneuvers and deploy countermeasures with plenty of warning time. Simply guide the missile to the target, and pop 2-4 countermeasures and adjust your position if a missile is fired. Stay low to the ground, as this sometimes interferes with enemy missile guidance and makes you a harder target to hit.

'''To fight enemy jets:''' If you are approached by an enemy plane, get ready to deploy countermeasures as a missile may already have been fired at you if the enemy caught you by surprise. Disengage hover mode if enabled, reduce COLL to 70-80%, barrel roll and deploy countermeasures if a missile is in the air, and fire the 20mm while you evade. While rolling, start turning the helicopter in the ''opposite'' direction so you can get the guns on the enemy plane once he passes you; use the rudder and move the mouse/joystick. Once turned, begin firing at the enemy plane and see if you can disengage by sticking low to the ground and by flying away. If the enemy plane is persistent, you may just have to wait for a teammate to assist as the Tzefa D/E has no air-to-air missiles.

'''To fight enemy helicopters:''' You will be utilizing your 20mm M197 the most when fighting an enemy helicopter as it will be the most effective. If the enemy helicopter approaches and begins firing at you, start returning fire from around 1.5km as your rounds are accurate enough at this distance to land some hits. Attempt to close the distance if circling and always strafe from left to right to evade incoming rounds. Rolling may be helpful but be wary as you have to reposition after straightening out. Continue to fire and use the tracers to adjust your aim. Aim for critical components like the cockpit, fuselage, and engines.

It is helpful to have a teammate in this situation who can help you as prolonged battles increase the risk of the helicopter being shot down by SPAA or being targeted by enemy jets.

'''Heli PvE'''

(Work in Progress)

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Maneuverable, easily able to roll from side to side if COLL is set to 90-95%, excellent for evading gunfire from SPAA
* Excellent top speed in near-level flight, able to get to battle quickly and run away from most other helicopters if needed.
* Versatile, can carry TOW missiles along with rocket pods.
* TOW-2 missiles lethal against ground targets (800mm HEAT penetration) and have good speed (375m/s).
* Good 20mm cannon, able to deal with air targets and ground targets effectively in both Realistic and PvE.
* Has countermeasures and IRCM which increase survivability against missiles.

*

'''Cons:'''

* Maximum 3.75km range for the TOW-2 missiles are less than USSR analogues (Shturm, Ataka) and put the helicopter in rather close proximity to the enemy.
* Unable to stop quickly if needed at the penalty of an unintentional rollover.
* Prone to rolling over and locking up if COLL is suddenly reduced, when pitching upwards at high speeds, and when enabling hover mode at high speeds.
* Old airframe, prone to getting knocked out when exposed to ground fire.
* Gunner cannot pilot the helicopter if pilot is knocked out, pilot cannot fire the 20mm if gunner is knocked out.
* 20mm cannon doesn't have the penetration to deal with armored vehicles head-on, attacking from the top is highly advised.
* Researching takes quite a while even with boosters, especially with Tier III-IV modifications.

*

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the helicopter 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 ==

* [[AH-1 (Family)]]
* Successor to the Tzefa D/E, the [[Peten|AH-64a Peten]].

== External links ==

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Bell}}
{{Israel helicopters}}

GSh-30-2K (30 mm)

2023-10-24T01:03:58Z

U139589284: Added more info about gun placement handicap and also link to "successor" of the GSh, the 30mm 2A42

{{About
| about = Soviet autocannon '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = GSh-30-2 (30 mm)
}}
== Description ==

The '''30 mm GSh-30-2K''' (Gryazev-Shipunov) is a Soviet dual barrel autocannon. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]] with the introduction of the [[Mi-24P]].

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|mi_24p}}
* {{Specs-Link|mi_24p_hungary}}
* {{Specs-Link|mi_24p_german}}
* {{Specs-Link|mi_24p_german_hfs80}}

== General info ==

The GSh-30-2K can fire up to 2,600 rpm on "high" setting, or 300 rpm on "low" setting. It is very good at dealing with lightly armored targets due to the insanely high rate of fire when set to the "high" fire rate setting, but it suffers when faced with medium to heavily armored vehicles due to insufficient belt penetration. If possible, always attack from the roof as APHE will shred the crew in seconds.

=== Available ammunition ===


* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}
* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''Ground targets:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}
* '''Air targets:''' {{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 47 || 46 || 39 || 32 || 26 || 21
|-
| Universal || 62 || 60 || 51 || 42 || 35 || 29
|-
| Ground targets || 62 || 60 || 51 || 42 || 35 || 29
|-
| Air targets || 47 || 46 || 39 || 32 || 26 || 21
|-
|}

=== Comparison with analogues ===


* [[M230E-1 (30 mm)]]: 30 mm American chain cannon found on the Apache, with access to HEDP rounds and higher ammo count, but a lower rate of fire.
* [[GSh-6-30 (30 mm)]]: A rotary cannon of the same calibre with 6 barrels and a higher rate of fire than the GSh-30-2.
* [[2A42 (30 mm)]]: A Soviet 30 mm cannon with a much slower rate of fire rate but has access to APDS rounds and more ammo.

== Usage in battles ==

The GSh-30-2K was exclusively for gunships, serving as the fixed gun on some Soviet helicopters. The one thing that it does the best is shatter enemies with its 30 mm shells and high rate of fire; not only this gun is devastating for aircraft or fellow helicopters, this gun is lethal to vehicles when being attacked top-down as well.

But do keep in mind that Gast guns' high rate of fire also means you will deplete all the 250 rounds quickly, so do not be trigger happy with it. Using the "low" fire rate mode will make conserving your ammo easier, but increases the time to destroy a target, and can leave you vulnerable.

One thing to also note is that the gun is on a fixed mount, meaning that you must turn the entire helicopter to get the guns onto target. The awkwardness of the gun placement combined with the Mi-24's sluggish maneuverability means that aiming at targets can become a hassle.

When using the gun on ground targets, '''always make sure to enable the ballistics computer (CCIP)''' as this will '''significantly increase your accuracy'''. When CCIP is enabled, you no longer need to compensate for distance ranges and placing the crosshair on the enemy target and firing is enough. However, CCIP does not work against airborne targets which means you will need to aim manually against other helicopters and planes.

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

* Good belt options for both air and ground units.
* Access to APHE rounds, can destroy light and medium targets with a few second burst.
* Variable rate of fire option can conserve ammo on "low" setting.
* Good muzzle velocity and accuracy.

'''Cons:'''

* High rate of fire means careless usage will result in running out of ammo quickly.
* Fixed mounting, the time to turn the entire helicopter and aiming vertically can become a handicap and in some situations prove fatal.

== History ==


After the successful GSh-23 was developed based on the decade-old Gast gun design, during early 1980s, the Soviet Ministry of Defense required the unification of caliber in tri-service autocannons. The design for GSh-23L was then enlarged to 30 mm caliber as the GSh-30-2 cannon, first used exclusively on the [[Su-25]] "Frogfoot", and later the water-cooled -2K variant made into service with the introduction of the [[Mi-24P]] "Hind-F" gunship.

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

== See also ==

* The successor to the GSh on helicopters, the [[2A42 (30 mm)|'''30mm Shipunov 2A42''']]

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

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

{{Germany aircraft cannons}}
{{USSR aircraft cannons}}
{{Italy aircraft cannons}}

[[Category:Aircraft cannons]]

2A42 (30 mm)

2023-10-24T01:02:10Z

U139589284: Some clarification and some info added.

== Description ==

The '''30 mm 2A42''' Shipunov is an autocannon developed by the Soviet Union to replace the [[2A28 (73 mm)|2A28 Grom]] found on the BMP-1. It is also found on various helicopters as well, being able to deal with ground targets with ease.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


;Ground vehicles

* {{Specs-Link|ussr_bmp_2}}
* {{Specs-Link|ussr_bmp_2m}}
* {{Specs-Link|ussr_t_72m2_moderna}}

;Helicopters

* {{Specs-Link|ka_29}} (Modification)
* {{Specs-Link|ka_50}}
* {{Specs-Link|ka_52}}
* {{Specs-Link|mi_28a_sweden}}
* {{Specs-Link|mi_28n}}
* {{Specs-Link|mi_28nm}}

== General info ==
The 2A42 is a very capable autocannon, being able to deal with ground targets from the sides and roof with ease. When fighting MBTs, the APFSDS belt can deal with most tanks through the turret ring or the gun mantlet. When used on helicopters, the gun can shred tanks and planes alike but be wary of anti-air missiles that will inevitably come your way when fighting at closer ranges.

=== Available ammunition ===


;Ground vehicles

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

;Helicopters

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}
* '''Ground targets:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}
* '''Air targets:''' {{Annotation|HEF-T*|High-explosive fragmentation tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary (self-destroying)}}
* '''Armoured targets:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}

{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Ammunition|HEF-I*, AP-T, HEF-T*, APDS, APFSDS}}

=== Comparison with analogues ===


;Ground vehicles

* [[L21A1 (30 mm)]] - A British autocannon with a higher penetration and APDS but at a very slow rate of fire.
* [[MK 30-2/ABM (30 mm)|MK 30-2/ABM]] - A German autocannon with access to APFSDS, but at a slow rate of fire.
* [[Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (30 mm)]] - An American autocannon of the same found on the VCC-80/30. Offers more penetration with APFSDS but with a slower rate of fire.
* [[2A72 (30 mm)]] - A derivative of the 2A42 with a more simplified assembly and longer barrel. Has a higher muzzle velocity but a slower rate of fire.

;Helicopters

* [[M230E-1 (30 mm)]] - An American autocannon found on the Apache series of helicopters, with HE-DP and a slightly higher rate of fire but with significantly less accuracy.
* [[GSh-30-2K (30 mm)]] - A Soviet autocannon fixed on the Mi-24P, with a much higher rate of fire but no access to APDS rounds.

== Usage in battles ==

The 30 mm 2A42 is a potent weapon against any MBTs and light vehicles, and even the toughest of enemies when flying in a helicopter with the cannon. The best tactic with the 2A42 is to flank the enemies s you will have the best chance of penetrating enemy side or rear armor with AP sabot rounds. Coupled with the high rate of fire of the cannon, you can eliminate most targets quickly. The gun is also good for dealing with air targets, mainly helicopters as the high rate of fire can destroy helicopters and their critical components in mere seconds. Jet aircraft can be dealt with too, but their high speed may make them difficult to take down unless they're on an easy trajectory to shoot at. When using helicopters, make use of the auto-track function on helicopters by locking the target as the ballistic computer will do the aiming for you, making evading and maneuvering easier. The 2A42 does have a low rate of fire mode but with the large amount of ammo, there is little reason to use the low rate of fire mode.

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

* High rate of fire, able to shred enemies in seconds if rounds penetrate.
* High ammo count.
* Excellent weapon for flanking, APFSDS can penetrate the sides of all MBTs with relative ease.
* Does not tend to overheat when firing prolonged bursts.
* On helicopters, good armor penetration and good accuracy.

'''Cons:'''

* When fighting MBTs frontally, precise aiming is sometimes required.

*

== History ==

The [[BMP-1]] was armed with the [[2A28 (73 mm)|73 mm 2A28 Grom]] intended to offer anti-tank capabilities to the vehicle. However, when they designed the [[BMP-2]] to replace it, NATO introduced a new type of composite armour that made the Grom obsolete as an anti-tank weapon. Combined with the better maximum elevation and the increased threat of helicopters as demonstrated by the Vietnam War, this resulted in the adoption of a 30 mm high-velocity cannon for the BMP-2 which became the 2A42 Cobra. After being used in the BMP-2, the same turret was used on the BMD series of airborne Infantry Fighting Vehicles, BTR-80 Armored Personnel Carrier, the joint Polish-Czechoslovakian OT-64 SKOT APC, and in different turrets on Soviet APCs and IFVs to the present day such as the Typhoon MRAP. It has also been used on modern Russian attack helicopters such as the [[Ka-50|Ka-50 "Hokum"]] and the [[Mi-28 (Family)|Mi-28 "Havoc"]]. It is well suited for the attack helicopter role due to being able to switch between a cyclic rate of 200-800 rounds per minute.

== 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 article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{USSR aircraft cannons}}
{{Sweden aircraft cannons}}
{{USSR tank cannons}}

[[Category:Aircraft cannons]]
[[Category:Tank cannons]]

M230E-1 (30 mm)

2023-10-23T23:50:57Z

U139589284:

== Description ==

The '''30 mm M230E-1''' is a 30 mm American autocannon armament. The weapon was developed for use on the Apache attack helicopters and its variants.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


{{Navigation-Start|Vehicles equipped with this weapon}}

{{Navigation-First-Line|'''Attack helicopters'''}}
{{Navigation-Line|AH-64}}{{Specs-Link|ah_mk1}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_greece_usa}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_peten}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_peten_iaf}}
{{Navigation-Line|}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d_japan}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ahs}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_iaf}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d_i_saraph}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|yah_64}}

{{Navigation-End}}

== General info ==


The M230E-1 is a 30mm American autocannon developed by Northrop Grumman Systems. It was designed for the Boeing AH-64 Apache, being the primary weapon on these helicopters. In War Thunder, it is featured on every AH-64 Apache variant.

=== Available ammunition ===


* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HEDP|High explosive dual purpose}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 51 || 51 || 51 || 51 || 51 || 51
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! 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%
|-
| Default || HEDP || 805 || 0.34 || 0 || 0 || 26.88 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}

=== Comparison with analogues ===


The Russian '''2A42''' is quite similar to the M230E-1, being a 30mm autocannon. The 2A42 is generally better for most situations as it is far more accurate, has APDS belts to engage armored targets, and has a higher rate of fire than the M230E-1. However, the 2A42 on the Ka-50/52 helicopters are mounted on a rather awkward firing position on the right side of the helicopter that has limited horizontal traverse which means that the pilot must turn the entire helicopter to get the guns on target if using the Ka-50/52. Keep this in mind when fighting either as you have a slight advantage in this factor.

== Usage in battles ==


The M230E-1 is a very versatile turret. On Apache attack helicopters, it can be used to attack both planes and tanks, dealing with both fairly easy at close ranges. However, dealing with tanks requires the helicopter to get fairly near to enemy vehicles due to the lacking penetration of HE-DP (51mm) and the relatively inaccurate projectile spread. This puts the pilot at a high risk of being downed by dedicated AA, ground vehicles, enemy planes, and even other helicopters. You can engage ground targets from the top and get some ground target kills, but '''mind your surroundings''', as a well-placed shot will send the Apache back to the respawn menu surprisingly fast if the enemy team is aware of your presence.

If an enemy plane decides to engage you, be very careful. If you already know that the plane is approaching you, turn the helicopter in the general direction of the plane ASAP and follow the steps below. If the plane has taken you by surprise, prepare to take evasive maneuvers and deploy countermeasures as a missile may already have been fired at you.

# If the enemy plane is approaching you on from a head-on position, lock the plane by going into gunner view ('''V''' key by default) and pressing '''F''', turn off hover mode if it is enabled ('''H''' key by default) and simply press the button to fire the 30mm (LMB by default). The computer should automatically track the enemy plane and fire rounds; you should see a '''red crosshair''' over the plane indicating that the gun is tracking automatically.
# Fire off a 1-2 second burst in the plane's direction if the plane attempts a head on and fire an anti-air missile if you have them. Quickly roll upside down after that to avoid incoming fire and deploy countermeasures if a missile is fired at you. The plane should now pass over you and turn back upright.
# Reduce your COLL if set at 100% to maximize turn rate and immediately turn toward the plane (make sure you use your rudder and your mouse/gamestick in conjunction). If you are carrying anti-air missiles (AAMs), fire one off at the plane; if you turn quickly enough the exhaust of the plane should be facing toward you which is what you want as IR missiles track the best from this position.

At this point if you are not carrying AAMs there's not much you can do except wait for him to turn and reengage you as the gun is not accurate enough to deliver a critical blow at longer ranges. Wait for a teammate to assist you or see if you can disengage.

Fighting enemy helicopters is easier as your gun has a larger and slower-moving target to track. You should be able to deal with enemy helicopters at max 1.5km solely using the gun. If you are fighting a Russian helicopter, be mindful of your distance as their autocannons outrange you and some mount the Vikhr AGM which are very effective against air targets due to a proximity fuse.

Pick your fights and avoid initiating an engagement against other helicopters or planes if you only have your autocannon and no AAMs unless it is absolutely needed, or they initiate the fight.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Turret mount on Apaches have a very flexible turret mount, able to aim in multiple directions without repositioning the entire helicopter.
* 30 mm can deal with most ground targets from the roof, sides, or the rear.
* Large ammo pool, some freedom to spray 'n pray at targets.
* Decent RoF, able to get many rounds on target while shooting.
* Able to shred through planes if shots land since each of the 30 mm rounds have 26.88g of explosive filler.

'''Cons:'''

* Helicopter must get very close to the battle to effectively make use of the turret.
* Very large amount of projectile spread, inconvenient for long range shooting or targets that move frequently.
* Compared to other nation's helicopter turrets, the M230E-1 has less range and is significantly more inaccurate.
* No tracer rounds at all, aiming must be either done by locking the target optically or by spray n' pray tactics.

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

== Media ==


;Images
;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150">
File:30mm HEDP.png|30 mm HEDP round for the Apache
</gallery>

== See also ==
'''[[2A42 (30 mm)|Shipunov 2A42]]''' (Russian analogue to the M230E-1)

'''[[AH-64 (Family)|Apache Helicopter Family]]'''

== External links ==


* [https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/m230.htm [Federation of American Scientists<nowiki>]</nowiki> M230 Automatic Gun] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210526124517/https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/m230.htm Web Archive])

{{USA aircraft cannons}}
{{Britain aircraft cannons}}
{{Japan aircraft cannons}}
{{Sweden aircraft cannons}}
{{Israel aircraft cannons}}

[[Category:Aircraft cannons]]

User:U139589284

2023-10-21T23:56:00Z

U139589284:

=== Latest updates on the Wiki: ===
- '''[[M230E-1 (30 mm)|M230E-1]]''' (10-21-23) - ''please approve changes.''

- '''M4 Sherman WT Mobile''' - ''please approve changes.''

File:B-17G.png

2023-10-21T23:51:34Z

U139589284:

B-17 Formation

M230E-1 (30 mm)

2023-10-21T20:15:31Z

U139589284: MAJOR CHANGES. Added general info, some info on how to use the M230E-1 and suggestions for combat.

== Description ==

The '''30 mm M230E-1''' is a 30 mm American autocannon armament. The weapon was developed for use on the Apache attack helicopters and its variants.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


{{Navigation-Start|Vehicles equipped with this weapon}}

{{Navigation-First-Line|'''Attack helicopters'''}}
{{Navigation-Line|AH-64}}{{Specs-Link|ah_mk1}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_greece_usa}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_peten}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_peten_iaf}}
{{Navigation-Line|}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d_japan}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ahs}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64a_iaf}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|ah_64d_i_saraph}}{{-}}{{Specs-Link|yah_64}}

{{Navigation-End}}

== General info ==
The M230E-1 is a 30mm American autocannon developed by Northrop Grumman Systems. It was designed for the Boeing AH-64 Apache, being the primary weapon on these helicopters. In War Thunder, it is featured on every AH-64 Apache variant.

=== Available ammunition ===


* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HEDP|High explosive dual purpose}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 51 || 51 || 51 || 51 || 51 || 51
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! 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%
|-
| Default || HEDP || 805 || 0.34 || 0 || 0 || 26.88 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}

=== Comparison with analogues ===
The Russian '''2A42''' is quite similar to the M230E-1, being a 30mm autocannon. The 2A42 is generally better for most situations as it is far more accurate, has APDS belts to engage armored targets, and has a higher rate of fire than the M230E-1. However, the 2A42 on the Ka-50/52 helicopters are mounted on a rather awkward firing position on the right side of the helicopter that has limited horizontal traverse which means that the pilot must turn the entire helicopter to get the guns on target if using the Ka-50/52. Keep this in mind when fighting either as you have an slight advantage in this factor.

== Usage in battles ==
The M230E-1 is a very versatile turret. On Apache attack helicopters, it can be used to attack both planes and tanks, dealing with both fairly easy at close ranges. However, dealing with tanks requires the helicopter to get fairly near to enemy vehicles due to the lacking penetration of HE-DP (51mm) and the relatively inaccurate projectile spread. This puts the pilot at a high risk of being downed by dedicated AA, ground vehicles, enemy planes, and even other helicopters. You can engage ground targets from the top and get some ground target kills, but '''mind your surroundings''', as a well-placed shot will send the Apache back to the respawn menu surprisingly fast if the enemy team is aware of your presence.

If an enemy plane decides to engage you, be very careful. If you already know that the plane is approaching you, turn the helicopter in the general direction of the plane ASAP and follow the steps below. If the plane has taken you by surprise, prepare to take evasive maneuvers and deploy countermeasures as a missile may already have been fired at you.

# If the enemy plane is approaching you on from a head-on position, lock the plane by going into gunner view ('''V''' key by default) and pressing '''F''', turn off hover mode if it is enabled ('''H''' key by default) and simply press the button to fire the 30mm (LMB by default). The computer should automatically track the enemy plane and fire rounds; you should see a '''red crosshair''' over the plane indicating that the gun is tracking automatically.
# Fire off a 1-2 second burst in the plane's direction if the plane attempts a head on and fire an anti-air missile if you have them. Quickly roll upside down after that to avoid incoming fire and deploy countermeasures if a missile is fired at you. The plane should now pass over you and turn back upright.
# Reduce your COLL if set at 100% to maximize turn rate and immediately turn toward the plane (make sure you use your rudder and your mouse/gamestick in conjunction). If you are carrying anti-air missiles (AAMs), fire one off at the plane; if you turn quickly enough the exhaust of the plane should be facing toward you which is what you want as IR missiles track the best from this position.

At this point if you are not carrying AAMs there's not much you can do except wait for him to turn and reengage you as the gun is not accurate enough to deliver a critical blow at longer ranges. Wait for a teammate to assist you or see if you can disengage.

Fighting enemy helicopters is easier as your gun has a larger and slower-moving target to track. You should be able to deal with enemy helicopters at max 1.5km solely using the gun. If you are fighting a Russian helicopter, be mindful of your distance as their autocannons outrange you and some mount the Vikhr AGM which are very effective against air targets due to a proximity fuse.

Pick your fights and avoid initiating an engagement against other helicopters or planes if you only have your autocannon and no AAMs unless it is absolutely needed, or they initiate the fight.

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

* Turret mount on Apaches have a very flexible turret mount, able to aim in multiple directions without repositioning the entire helicopter.
* 30mm can deal with most ground targets from the roof, sides, or the rear.
* Large ammo pool, some freedom to spray 'n pray at targets.
* Decent RoF, able to get many rounds on target while shooting.
* Able to shred through planes if shots land since each of the 30mm rounds have 26.88g of explosive filler.

*

'''Cons:'''

* Helicopter must get very close to the battle to effectively make use of the turret.
* Very large amount of projectile spread, inconvenient for long range shooting or targets that move frequently.
* Compared to other nation's helicopter turrets, the M230E-1 has less range and is significantly more inaccurate.

*

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

== Media ==


;Images
;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150">
File:30mm HEDP.png|30 mm HEDP round for the Apache
</gallery>

== 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 article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/m230.htm [Federation of American Scientists<nowiki>]</nowiki> M230 Automatic Gun] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210526124517/https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/m230.htm Web Archive])

{{USA aircraft cannons}}
{{Britain aircraft cannons}}
{{Japan aircraft cannons}}
{{Sweden aircraft cannons}}
{{Israel aircraft cannons}}

[[Category:Aircraft cannons]]

F-16D Barak II

2023-10-15T19:32:41Z

U139589284: Added Pros/Cons, General Info, Flight Performance, and use in battles.

{{Specs-Card
|code=f_16d_block_40_barak_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

During the late 1970s, Israel was designing a new jet fighter with ideas borrowed from previous aircraft they utilized. It ultimately culminated in the IAI Lavi, a fierce competitor to the F-16 Fighting Falcon in the export market. Unfortunately for Israel, the project increased in cost and was canceled for budgetary reasons. The US also had a part in the demise of the Lavi as they viewed the Lavi as a threat to the F-16’s export capability. As compensation, the US sent 24 F-16Ds and around 50 F-16Cs in 1987. A year later, under the Peace Marble III program, Israel ordered 30 F-16Cs and 30 F-16Ds. The F-16Ds received extensive modifications like refinished Multi-Function Displays and Heads-Up Displays.

Introduced in [[Update "Sons of Attila"]], the '''{{Specs|name}}''' is one of the most advanced F-16s in-game. For ground striking it can utilize the LANTIRN pod, making it an effective all-weather platform. It also has a variety of bombs to use including dumb bombs and smart bombs like the GBU-16. For air combat, the Barak II also has a variety of ordnance to use. The Barak II has access to the AIM-9M Sidewinder, an extremely capable infrared missile that boasts a unique IRCCM system and a smokeless motor. It can also carry AIM-7M Sparrows for long-range engagements. The F-16D Block 40 Barak II is a very versatile aircraft for both ground striking and air combat.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The General Electric engine provides a very good TWR, and the Barak II is able to accelerate quite fast. The turning rate is good, but the airframe performance is inferior to the F-16A airframes since the Barak II has an increased weight. Additionally, carrying an air-to-ground payload will severely impact your flight performance. The turning rate is sufficient for most encounters.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at _,___ m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | ___
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| 1,555  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || - || 470 || 463 || ~__ || ~__
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < ___ || < ___ || < ___ || -
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | General Electric F110-GE-100 || 1
| colspan="2" | 9,228 kg || colspan="3" | 447 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 13m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 44m fuel
|-
| 1,778 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 10,202 kg || 10,695 kg || 11,428 kg || 12,475 kg || 17,903 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 13m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 44m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 6,646 kgf || 10,966 kgf
| 1.07 || 1.03 || 0.96 || 0.88 || 0.61
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 6,914 kgf (1,200 - 1,400 km/h) || 14,603 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.43 || 1.37 || 1.28 || 1.17 || 0.82
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

Similar to other top-tier aircraft, the Barak II doesn't have any significant armor. The airframe can take some hits from 20mm/30mm, but a good burst will easily rip control surfaces apart, destroy the engine, and knock out pilots. A direct hit from any missile will most likely destroy the plane entirely.

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs) !! Lead indicator
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, wing root-mounted (512 rpg)
* 200 x countermeasures

The 20mm Vulcan is an excellent weapon for air-to-air combat as it has favorable projectile velocity and is very easy to aim. However, the gun has a short spool up time so players must take this into account when preparing for a short burst. Plenty of countermeasures allow for longer time in battle and players also can be less concerned about running out of flares/chaff.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}


The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="4%" | 1 !! width="4%" | 2 !! width="4%" | 3 !! width="4%" | 4 !! width="4%" | 5 !! width="4%" | 6 !! width="4%" | 7 !! width="4%" | 8 !! width="4%" | 9 !! width="4%" | 10
| rowspan="17" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-16C.png]]</div>
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| || || 4 || 4 || || || 4 || 4 || ||
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| || || 4 || 4 || || || 4 || 4 || ||
|-
! [[M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|750 lb M117 cone 45]] bombs
| || || 1, 2 || 1, 2 || || || 1, 2 || 1, 2 || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83]] bombs
| || || 1, 2 || 1, 2 || || || 1, 2 || 1, 2 || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || || 1 || 1 || || || 1 || 1 || ||
|-
! [[GBU-12 Paveway II (277 kg)|277 kg GBU-12 Paveway II]] bombs
| || || 2* || 2* || || || 2* || 2* || ||
|-
! [[GBU-16 Paveway II (1,092 lb)|1,092 lb GBU-16 Paveway II]] bombs
| || || 1* || 1* || || || 1* || 1* || ||
|-
! [[GBU-10 Paveway II (957 kg)|957 kg GBU-10 Paveway II]] bombs
| || || 1* || 1* || || || 1* || 1* || ||
|-
! [[GBU-15(V)2/B (2,000 lb)|GBU-15(V)2/B]] bombs
| || || 1 || || || || || 1 || ||
|-
! [[AIM-7M Sparrow]] missiles
| || || 1 || || || || || 1 || ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || 1 || || || || || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || 1 || || || || || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9P Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || 1 || || || || || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! LITENING II targeting pod
| || || || || 1* || || || || ||
|-
! 300 gal drop tanks
| || || || || || 1 || || || ||
|-
| colspan="11" | Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 2,000 kg
|-
| colspan="12" | * LITENING II pod must be equipped when carrying Paveway guided bombs
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 1 x 300 gal drop tank
* 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 6 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles
* 6 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 6 x AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-7M Sparrow missiles
* 16 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 16 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 4 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 8 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 8 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 4 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 8 x 277 kg GBU-12 Paveway II bombs (2,216 kg total)
* 4 x 1,092 lb GBU-16 Paveway II bombs (4,368 lb total)
* 4 x 957 kg GBU-10 Paveway II bombs (3,828 kg total)
* 2 x GBU-15(V)2/B bombs (4,000 lb total)
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==

The Barak II provides a good platform for either committing to attacking other planes, destroying ground targets in GRB with the diverse payload options, or a mixture of both. A large amount of flares/chaff helps prolong the time the Barak II can spend in battle. Players must however keep in mind that the engine burns fuel very quickly when left on afterburner.

Like all other top-tier jets, maintaining situational awareness and knowing when to engage/disengage enemies is critical to survival. Especially in GRB, keep an eye out for enemy SPAA and be ready to take evasive maneuvers when your RWR is pinged or if you spot a missile.

When bringing the Barak II to GRB, the player can choose to either use conventional bombs or the "smart" GBU guided bombs. The four 2000lbs are very useful for taking out enemy tanks quickly when rushing, but the player again must be beware of ground SPAA and anti-air fire since the Barak II lacks armor. After bombs are expended, players can use their anti-air missiles against enemy planes if they choose to do so.

In ARB, the Barak II is best suited to plane-to-plane combat as it will benefit the team the most, and the Barak II's flight performance is significantly reduced when carrying bombs of any kind. It is better to not commit to close-range fights as you can easily be killed by other enemies while you are focused on eliminating someone, however the 20mm Vulcan makes downing planes quite easy if you need it. Make sure to utilize your AIM-9Ms as they are very effective at taking out enemy planes.

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

* Access to the deadly AIM-9M missiles
* Excellent loadout variety for ground attack and Air to Air combat
* Good flight performance and maneuverability in most situations
* Large number of countermeasures for prolonged combat, allows for some leniency in countermeasure use
* Engines provide very good TWR (thrust to weight ratio)

*

'''Cons:'''

* Inferior flight performance to the normal F-16A airframe due to additional weight
* Carrying bombs or external ground-strike payload negatively impacts flight performance
* Engine consumes fuel very quickly when on WEP/afterburner
* No armor of any kind, extremely vulnerable to ground and air munitions of any kind
* Large engine gives off a significant heat signature for IR missiles, even when afterburner is off
* Tier III and Tier IV modifications take some time to research for non-premium players

*

== History ==

In the late 1970s, Israel began its ambitious project to produce its first locally-manufactured jet fighter, meant to replace the aging [[Kfir C.7|IAI Kfir]]. Learning from their previous work on the [[Mirage 5 (Family)|Mirage]] and Kfir programs, and borrowing ideas from America's then-new [[F-16A]] fighter jet (which had entered IAF service in 1980 as the "[[Netz]]"), Israeli aeronautic engineers were able to develop a highly-manoeuvrable, delta-wing, single-seat fighter of their own - the IAI Lavi.

After nearly a decade of development the Lavi's first prototype was flown in 1986, and reportedly proved extremely capable. The United States, which had up to that point supported and partially funded the Lavi project, was dismayed to learn that the new aircraft might be good enough to provide a much cheaper competitor for the F-16 on the export market. The Reagan administration soon began pressuring the Israeli government to cancel the project. Though Israel's defense minister Moshe Arens was strongly behind the Lavi, the project's ever-increasing pricetag made it easy for the rest of the Israeli government to agree to US demands. The Lavi project was finally canceled in late 1987.

As compensation for torpedoing Israel's fighter manufacture ambitions, the United States agreed to sell Israel additional F-16Cs and Ds. A significant number of them, all from the Block 30 model, had already been sold to Israel by that point, entering IAF service under the codename ''"Barak"'' (Lightning) in late 1987. In 1988, the US and Israel signed that new "compensation" deal - named "Peace Marble III" - delivering a total of 60 F-16s, all from Block 40, between 1991 and 1993. Half were F-16Cs and half were F-16Ds (single-seat and double-seat, respectively). In the IAF, these new Block 40 aircraft were named ''"Barak II"'' (Lightning II), correspondingly amending the name of the older Block 30 aircraft to ''"Barak I"'' (note: the IAF does not keep separate names for single- and double-seat variants of the F-16).

The F-16C/D has several advantages over the F-16A/B, but the most important is the ability to mount a LANTIRN pod, turning the plane into an all-weather operator. As Israeli engineers had done with all other combat planes purchased for the IAF in the last 50 years, they also updated most of the avionics and introduced many locally-manufactured, cutting-edge improvements. This included completely redone Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) and in-helmet Heads-Up Display (HUD), among multiple other additions like the newest locally-manufactured IR missile the Python-4 and later the Active-Radar-Homing Rafael Derby Missile.

Barak II aircraft have taken part in almost every Israeli military campaign since their introduction, including the Second Lebanon War of 2006. Nevertheless, the changing needs of the Israeli Air Force have created a demand for a more dedicated fighter in the long-distance and precision-strike roles, resulting in the birth of the F-16I "Sufa". This heavily-modified F-16D Block 52 has since completely replaced the ''Barak'' in those roles, leaving it only with mid-altitude interception duties, which it still performs to this day. However, with the F-35 ''"Adir"'' now increasingly filling ''that'' role, there are ever-growing calls within the Israeli military community to finally retire the Barak II.

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

F-16 and its variants: [[F-16 (Family)|F-16 (Family) - War Thunder Wiki]]

Israeli Aviation tech tree: [[:Category:Israel aircraft|Israel aircraft - War Thunder Wiki]]

== External links ==
{{AirManufacturer General Dynamics}}
{{Israel jet aircraft}}

Leopard 2 PSO

2023-09-22T02:23:00Z

U139589284: Some pros/cons added.

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_leopard_2a5_pso
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Sons of Attila"]].

== 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|Rh120 L/44 (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" | [[Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)|120 mm Rh120 L/44]] || 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" | 42 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)/Ammunition|DM12A1, DM11, DM33, DM53}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|s.MG.50 (12.7 mm)|MG3A1 (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" | [[s.MG.50 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm s.MG.50]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Pros and cons ===

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

'''Pros:'''

* Armor upgrade from standard Leopard 2s, allows for slightly more protection on the LFP and UFP.
* Main gun is good for the BR and can penetrate most opponents if aimed well.

*

'''Cons:'''

* Downgraded gun from the Leopard 2A6, sharing the same gun and the inferior sabot round from the Leopard 2A4/5/PL.
* UFP and LFP can still be penetrated by most weaponary at top tier ranks, even with extra armor.
* Turret ring susceptible to overpressure mechanics and can be penetrated by some autocannons.
* Very weak side armor.

*

== 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.''

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Imp.Chaparral (Israel)

2023-09-22T02:19:11Z

U139589284: Added 'cons'

{{Specs-Card
|code=il_mim_72_chaparral
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Israeli SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Sons of Attila"]].

== 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|MIM-72}}

''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" | [[MIM-72]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 12 (4) || rowspan="2" | -9°/+90° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | - || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:MIM-72/Ammunition|MIM-72E, MIM-72G}}

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


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

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Pros and cons ===

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

'''Pros:'''

*

'''Cons:'''

* 4 exposed crew with only one protected crew inside the turret, susceptible to even 7.62mm machine gun fire which can lead to a crew knockout
* Open top vehicle, very vulnerable to overpressure from HE shells, rockets, artillery strikes, and bombs.

*

== History ==


The United States Army developed the M48 Chaparral in the 1960s as a short-range surface-to-air missile system which would complement the [[M163|M163 Vulcan]]. The system used the MIM-72 Chaparral missile - a unique adaptation of the [[AIM-9 Sidewinder (Family)|AIM-9 Sidewinder]] air-to-air missile which had been entering service in the US Air Force at the time. The Chaparral launch vehicle carried four such missiles on a rotating turret on top of an [[M113 (Family)|M113]] hull, with an enlarged "cabin" at the front containing the fire control system. The unique turret was designed for fast 360-degree rotation as well as a maximum elevation of 90 degrees, allowing the system to engage enemy aircraft quickly and easily.

In 1973, Egypt and Syria performed a surprise attack on Israel (known as the Yom Kippur War) using masses of advanced Soviet weaponry supplied to them in the years since the 1967 Six-Day War. Aerial attacks by MiGs and Soviet helicopters in particular proved very difficult to stop with Israel's small air force and aging short-range AA weaponry. Richard Nixon's administration, fearing a demonstration of Soviet superiority in the Middle East, decided to supply Israel with an aerial train full of American-made weapons, combat vehicles and munitions. As part of one such shipment, Israel received its first two M48 Chaparrals as well as urgent training for a handful of crews.

The two vehicles arrived almost at the very end of the war. Reports indicate that they were made ready just in time to be deployed in the Sinai peninsula, assisting an MIM-23 Hawk battery in hunting for Egyptian helicopters on the eastern side of the Suez Canal in the days immediately following the war. Though the Hawks shot down many enemy helicopters, no Chaparral kills were reported during that particular operation. A much larger number of Chaparrals were purchased, with the first battery becoming operational only a few weeks after the Yom Kippur War. The Chaparral made its first and only kill in world history in 1974, when an Israeli operator shot down a low-flying Syrian [[MiG-17]] attacking Israeli ground forces in the Golan Heights.

In the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), the Chaparral received the codename ''Drakon'' (Dragon), though they kept the purchase a secret for several years after its introduction. The Israeli Air Defense Array was apparently impressed by the vehicle's performance, as it continued to purchase various M48 Chaparral models for the next 25 years, in large quantities. The last purchase was completed in 1999, when Israel received at least several dozen M48 "Improved Chaparral" vehicles from US Army surplus. Reportedly, these systems all came from "block 6" of production, likely equipped with MIM-72G missiles. Though the launch vehicles were essentially identical to the original M113s used in early M48s, the Improved Chaparral's missiles featured several advancements to match the developing lethality of the Sidewinder over the years: all-aspect targeting, a heavier fragmentation-type warhead, a better guidance and tracking system, and an improved ability to ignore enemy countermeasures.

These new Chaparral vehicles would only serve in the IDF for another 4 years after their introduction, after which the entire Chaparral array was finally retired from service in 2003. Today, The IDF relies exclusively on Stinger MANPADS (infantry-operated) for short-range surface-to-air interception.

== 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.''

{{Israel anti-aircraft vehicles}}

User:U139589284

2023-09-09T03:27:04Z

U139589284: Created page with "Placeholder"

Placeholder

M4 (WT Mobile)

2023-09-09T03:26:38Z

U139589284: /* External links */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4_sherman_promo
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "La Royale"]] as a [[wt:en/news/8405-a-sound-of-thunder-the-release-of-war-thunder-mobile-en|promotional reward for the release of War Thunder Mobile]].

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

Dedicated anti-tank guns such as the 75mm found on the Panzer IV Ausf. F2/G/H/J will easily go through the upper frontal plate. The two driver hatches provide weakspots as the armor is flat in these areas (enemies can easily exploit this weakness if presented with the full UFP).

Notable weakspots are the turret front/side/back, the double driver's hatches, and the entirety of the side armor. Avoid showing the side armor at all to enemies at all to improve the chances of surviving in battle.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull ||50.8 mm (56°) ''Front glacis''
50.8 mm (12-56°) ''Transmission area''

50.8 (13-20°) + 25.4 mm (35°) ''Protruding hatches''
|38.1 mm
|38.1 mm (0-10°) ''Top''
25.4 mm (33-64°) ''Bottom''
|19.5 mm ''Sides''
12.7 mm ''Engine deck and center''
|-
| Turret ||76.2-88.9 mm (4-67°) ''Turret front''
50.8 + 88.9 mm ''Gun mantlet''
|50.8 mm (0-68°)
|50.8 mm (2-66°)
|25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola ||50.8 mm
|50.8 mm
|50.8 mm||25.4 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Front armor has two protruding areas for driver and co-driver hatches. These are weak points as they present a flat armor surface.
* Belly armor is 12.7 mm thick. 


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

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

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=620|rbMinHp=354}}

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

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || 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" | 97 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

The 75mm should suit all tankers well due to its good penetration at 3.7, high explosive filler on the M61 shot, and a quick reload. The gun is also equipped with a stabilizer which helps to assist with firing on the move and is well suited to close-quarters combat in urban maps.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M3 (75 mm)/Ammunition|M72 shot, M48 shell, M61 shot, M89}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''97''' ||91 ''(+6)''
|88 ''(+9)''
|86 ''(+11)''
|78 ''(+19)''||63 ''(+34)''||46 ''(+51)''
|None
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (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 || 600 (200) || 575 || -10°/+25° || ±60°
|-
|}
The 12.7 M2 Browning is good at destroying lightly armored vehicles. Notable examples are the early Panzer II/III/IV models from the side, the Puma, and open top TDs or anti-air vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}
The 7.62mm doesn't suit much purpose as it is very poor for penetrating armor. Tankers can use it to ping enemies and destroy light obstacles (fences, bushes, etc.)

== Usage in battles ==

=== Common enemy tanks: ===
'''KV-1s:''' Shoot the front part of the turret face with M61 and it should result in a kill. If this doesn't work, disable the gun breech by shooting the armor right above the gun barrel, destroy both tracks (12.7mm machine gun is capable of doing this), flank around and finish with a shot to the side armor. Beware of the '''KV-1E''' and the '''KV-1 ZiS-5''' which have additional applique armor on the turret and hull.

'''KV-2s:''' Shoot the flat part on the front of the turret. You can also flank around and put a round in the side armor for an easy kill.

'''T-34 (1941/1942/1943):''' Shoot the turret face on either side of the gun, preferably with M61 for a one-shot kill. Avoid shooting the UFP as the round is likely to bounce/ricochet. The turret is the weakest area on a T-34 along with the sides. Be careful when engaging as T-34s with the 76mm F-34 or the long 57mm can easily penetrate you, even at surprising angles.

'''Panzer IVs (F2/G/H/J):''' Beware of the 75mm which can easily end the M4 due to its superb penetration. Aim for the turret or anywhere on the hull and you should get a kill. There may be applique armor on the turret faces and the UFP which you can shoot but avoid hitting the tracks at an angle. In this case aim for the sloped armor right below the UFP and above the LFP/transmission.

'''StuG IIIs:''' Aim for the protruding driver's hatches on the left and right of the hull or flank and destroy from the side. The StuG mounts the same punchy gun on the Panzer IV G/H/J which can destroy you easily. Keep in mind that this is an tank without a turret (SPG) and you can easily disable it by destroying the transmission.

'''Dicker Max:''' This German SPG mounts a nasty 105mm that can easily send you back to the respawn screen. Shoot the gunner (aim for right side of the casemate) and then proceed to destroy rest of crew. If you load a HE round, shoot anywhere to kill as the Dicker Max is an open top vehicle.

'''Churchill I/III:''' A famous British heavy tank, this can prove even tougher than the KV-1 to kill because of the complex armor layout. Aim for the flat turret face only as you will be unable to consistently penetrate anywhere else. Make sure to shoot from very close ranges only.

The M4 Sherman is a good "do-it-all" medium tank with adequate armor, good firepower, and excellent mobility. At 3.7 it is able to take a few hits here and there but do not rely on the armor to save you in battle.

In combat, you can make use of the excellent -10° gun depression and position yourself in hull-down positions to take minimal damage from the enemy. For sniping, the gun should be adequate for most tanks but do not expect it to consistently penetrate an enemy frontally from over 500m unless the side is presented to you. Remember that you also have a vertical stabilizer that allows some flexibility with shots. However, at long range it is better to stop in place and then shoot for max accuracy.

You can also use the good top speed to flank around enemies and get easy kills. The explosive on the M61 shell will assist with clean snipes and with proper aim and ranging you should be getting kills relatively easily.

Brawling is doable but the armor will not stand up to precise shots from the enemy. Your stabilizer will assist with CQC and you usually will be able to get the first and more accurate shot off on the enemy tank. USSR rounds such as the BR-350A/B will easily end you if the round penetrates due to the high explosive filler. Remember to never expose your side armor.

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

* Excellent gun depression of -10°
* Gun is equipped a stabilizer; comes in useful for close combat and for firing on the move
* M61 shell has excellent explosive filler, if it penetrates anything its very likely to be a one-shot-kill.
* Applique armor plate protecting the gunner
* Adequate armor for 3.7 with good frontal armor, armor effectiveness increases over distance
* Good mobility, a trait shared with the Sherman tank family
* 12.7mm M2HB machine gun is good for eliminating lightly armored targets or open-tops and has good degree of traverse

*

'''Cons:'''

* Very tall profile, easily recognizable in battle and usually targeted because of weak armor
* Two driver's hatches provide easy weakspots for enemies to destroy the M4 from the front
* M61 shell struggles to penetrate angled armor (ex. T-34, angled KV-1s/Churchills, even another M4)
* Side armor is useless if presented at a flat angle to the enemy (flank); most vehicles in-game can kill the M4 with one shot from the side
* Gun can be slightly hard to aim over distance due to curved shell trajectory and low muzzle velocity

*

== History ==


The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 light tank]] and the [[M2|M2 medium tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Western Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be produced.

During the M3 medium's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict in order to maximize logistical support. Restrictions were made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on naval ships. These specifications would help the Army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would eventually become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British designated the M4 the "[[Sherman II|Sherman]]", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

=== Design ===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]], and the sloping armour of the [[M2|M2 Medium Tanks]]. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the 75 mm M3 gun, giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a gyroscopic stabilizer on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The early M4 Sherman featured the M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, but experience in North Africa and recommendations from the British changed the sight into the M55 telescopic sight integrated into the gun mantlet.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> This change in optics required appliqué armour to be added at the turret area in front of the gunner since the modification left the area weaker than the overall turret. This problem would be fixed in later-production models of the M4 Sherman. The tank's hull was welded, with the front armour plate placed on a 56-degree sloping angle. An early design defect with the design was the protruding armoured hatches for the driver and assistant driver. These protrusions create "shot traps" as they were in a near vertical position that gave less protection on the front armour than the sloping areas. This was fixed on later models as well. Up to 6,748 M4A1s were produced from July 1942 to January 1944, out of the 49,234 total Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European Theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein on October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 254 made for the fighting in Europe. The Allies continued to use 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II tanks]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their declining numbers.

====Pacific Theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought on was unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese [[Ha-Go|Type 95 Ha-Go]] tank was comparable to the [[M2A4|M2A4 Light Tank]], the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the [[Chi-Nu|Type 3 Chi-Nu]] and the [[Chi-To|Type 4 Chi-To]] to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marines advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

==== Lend-Lease ====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

==== Post-War ====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and the 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French 75 mm and 105 mm gun as the M-50 and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The Americans did an excellent job recognizing the problems with the M3's main-calibre weaponry being mounted in a side sponson. Immediately after it began full-scale production, they began work on a new, more modern tank with a 75 mm cannon in a fully traversing turret. Its prototype, termed the T6, was ready for trials at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in September 1941.

The M4 was a medium tank boasting a welded hull, a cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. Design of the M4 began in 1941, and by July 1942 it was ready for full-scale production. Between July 1942 and January 1944, 6,748 M4s rolled off the line. The tank's welded hull boosted its ammunition capacity in comparison with cast hulls by expanding its internal armoured capacity. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits, though armour covers were welded over them and periscopes were added. The front part of the hull's gear compartment on older models consisted of three sections bolted together. Tanks had a narrow mantlet for the M34 artillery mount, while subsequent units employed a fully cast forward hull section and M34A1 artillery mount with a wide mantlet. The last batches, which were made beginning at the end of 1943, had the front of their hulls made from cast and rolled pieces. At the beginning of 1944 the frontal plate became one piece, moving the driver and gunner hatches to the top of the hull. The angled frontal armour went from 56° to 47° from vertical.

The Pressed Steel Car Company kicked off production of the first M4 tanks in July 1942. Four more companies were added later.

M4 tanks saw combat in Africa, Italy, the Western front, and the Pacific islands through 1945.

Shermans proved a strong option with good reliability and manoeuvrability in addition to armament and armour suiting its roll as a medium tank.
{{Navigation-End}}

== 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 ==

* [[wikipedia:M4_Sherman|M4 Sherman - Wikipedia]]

{{USA medium tanks}}
<references />

M4 (WT Mobile)

2023-09-09T03:24:47Z

U139589284:

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4_sherman_promo
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "La Royale"]] as a [[wt:en/news/8405-a-sound-of-thunder-the-release-of-war-thunder-mobile-en|promotional reward for the release of War Thunder Mobile]].

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

Dedicated anti-tank guns such as the 75mm found on the Panzer IV Ausf. F2/G/H/J will easily go through the upper frontal plate. The two driver hatches provide weakspots as the armor is flat in these areas (enemies can easily exploit this weakness if presented with the full UFP).

Notable weakspots are the turret front/side/back, the double driver's hatches, and the entirety of the side armor. Avoid showing the side armor at all to enemies at all to improve the chances of surviving in battle.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull ||50.8 mm (56°) ''Front glacis''
50.8 mm (12-56°) ''Transmission area''

50.8 (13-20°) + 25.4 mm (35°) ''Protruding hatches''
|38.1 mm
|38.1 mm (0-10°) ''Top''
25.4 mm (33-64°) ''Bottom''
|19.5 mm ''Sides''
12.7 mm ''Engine deck and center''
|-
| Turret ||76.2-88.9 mm (4-67°) ''Turret front''
50.8 + 88.9 mm ''Gun mantlet''
|50.8 mm (0-68°)
|50.8 mm (2-66°)
|25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola ||50.8 mm
|50.8 mm
|50.8 mm||25.4 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Front armor has two protruding areas for driver and co-driver hatches. These are weak points as they present a flat armor surface.
* Belly armor is 12.7 mm thick. 


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

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

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=620|rbMinHp=354}}

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

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

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || 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" | 97 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

The 75mm should suit all tankers well due to its good penetration at 3.7, high explosive filler on the M61 shot, and a quick reload. The gun is also equipped with a stabilizer which helps to assist with firing on the move and is well suited to close-quarters combat in urban maps.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M3 (75 mm)/Ammunition|M72 shot, M48 shell, M61 shot, M89}}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''97''' ||91 ''(+6)''
|88 ''(+9)''
|86 ''(+11)''
|78 ''(+19)''||63 ''(+34)''||46 ''(+51)''
|None
|-
|}

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (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 || 600 (200) || 575 || -10°/+25° || ±60°
|-
|}
The 12.7 M2 Browning is good at destroying lightly armored vehicles. Notable examples are the early Panzer II/III/IV models from the side, the Puma, and open top TDs or anti-air vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || - || -
|-
|}
The 7.62mm doesn't suit much purpose as it is very poor for penetrating armor. Tankers can use it to ping enemies and destroy light obstacles (fences, bushes, etc.)

== Usage in battles ==

=== Common enemy tanks: ===
'''KV-1s:''' Shoot the front part of the turret face with M61 and it should result in a kill. If this doesn't work, disable the gun breech by shooting the armor right above the gun barrel, destroy both tracks (12.7mm machine gun is capable of doing this), flank around and finish with a shot to the side armor. Beware of the '''KV-1E''' and the '''KV-1 ZiS-5''' which have additional applique armor on the turret and hull.

'''KV-2s:''' Shoot the flat part on the front of the turret. You can also flank around and put a round in the side armor for an easy kill.

'''T-34 (1941/1942/1943):''' Shoot the turret face on either side of the gun, preferably with M61 for a one-shot kill. Avoid shooting the UFP as the round is likely to bounce/ricochet. The turret is the weakest area on a T-34 along with the sides. Be careful when engaging as T-34s with the 76mm F-34 or the long 57mm can easily penetrate you, even at surprising angles.

'''Panzer IVs (F2/G/H/J):''' Beware of the 75mm which can easily end the M4 due to its superb penetration. Aim for the turret or anywhere on the hull and you should get a kill. There may be applique armor on the turret faces and the UFP which you can shoot but avoid hitting the tracks at an angle. In this case aim for the sloped armor right below the UFP and above the LFP/transmission.

'''StuG IIIs:''' Aim for the protruding driver's hatches on the left and right of the hull or flank and destroy from the side. The StuG mounts the same punchy gun on the Panzer IV G/H/J which can destroy you easily. Keep in mind that this is an tank without a turret (SPG) and you can easily disable it by destroying the transmission.

'''Dicker Max:''' This German SPG mounts a nasty 105mm that can easily send you back to the respawn screen. Shoot the gunner (aim for right side of the casemate) and then proceed to destroy rest of crew. If you load a HE round, shoot anywhere to kill as the Dicker Max is an open top vehicle.

'''Churchill I/III:''' A famous British heavy tank, this can prove even tougher than the KV-1 to kill because of the complex armor layout. Aim for the flat turret face only as you will be unable to consistently penetrate anywhere else. Make sure to shoot from very close ranges only.

The M4 Sherman is a good "do-it-all" medium tank with adequate armor, good firepower, and excellent mobility. At 3.7 it is able to take a few hits here and there but do not rely on the armor to save you in battle.

In combat, you can make use of the excellent -10° gun depression and position yourself in hull-down positions to take minimal damage from the enemy. For sniping, the gun should be adequate for most tanks but do not expect it to consistently penetrate an enemy frontally from over 500m unless the side is presented to you. Remember that you also have a vertical stabilizer that allows some flexibility with shots. However, at long range it is better to stop in place and then shoot for max accuracy.

You can also use the good top speed to flank around enemies and get easy kills. The explosive on the M61 shell will assist with clean snipes and with proper aim and ranging you should be getting kills relatively easily.

Brawling is doable but the armor will not stand up to precise shots from the enemy. Your stabilizer will assist with CQC and you usually will be able to get the first and more accurate shot off on the enemy tank. USSR rounds such as the BR-350A/B will easily end you if the round penetrates due to the high explosive filler. Remember to never expose your side armor.

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

* Excellent gun depression of -10°
* Gun is equipped a stabilizer; comes in useful for close combat and for firing on the move
* M61 shell has excellent explosive filler, if it penetrates anything its very likely to be a one-shot-kill.
* Applique armor plate protecting the gunner
* Adequate armor for 3.7 with good frontal armor, armor effectiveness increases over distance
* Good mobility, a trait shared with the Sherman tank family
* 12.7mm M2HB machine gun is good for eliminating lightly armored targets or open-tops and has good degree of traverse

*

'''Cons:'''

* Very tall profile, easily recognizable in battle and usually targeted because of weak armor
* Two driver's hatches provide easy weakspots for enemies to destroy the M4 from the front
* M61 shell struggles to penetrate angled armor (ex. T-34, angled KV-1s/Churchills, even another M4)
* Side armor is useless if presented at a flat angle to the enemy (flank); most vehicles in-game can kill the M4 with one shot from the side
* Gun can be slightly hard to aim over distance due to curved shell trajectory and low muzzle velocity

*

== History ==


The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 light tank]] and the [[M2|M2 medium tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Western Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be produced.

During the M3 medium's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict in order to maximize logistical support. Restrictions were made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on naval ships. These specifications would help the Army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would eventually become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British designated the M4 the "[[Sherman II|Sherman]]", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

=== Design ===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]], and the sloping armour of the [[M2|M2 Medium Tanks]]. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the 75 mm M3 gun, giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a gyroscopic stabilizer on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The early M4 Sherman featured the M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, but experience in North Africa and recommendations from the British changed the sight into the M55 telescopic sight integrated into the gun mantlet.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> This change in optics required appliqué armour to be added at the turret area in front of the gunner since the modification left the area weaker than the overall turret. This problem would be fixed in later-production models of the M4 Sherman. The tank's hull was welded, with the front armour plate placed on a 56-degree sloping angle. An early design defect with the design was the protruding armoured hatches for the driver and assistant driver. These protrusions create "shot traps" as they were in a near vertical position that gave less protection on the front armour than the sloping areas. This was fixed on later models as well. Up to 6,748 M4A1s were produced from July 1942 to January 1944, out of the 49,234 total Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European Theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein on October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 254 made for the fighting in Europe. The Allies continued to use 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II tanks]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their declining numbers.

====Pacific Theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought on was unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese [[Ha-Go|Type 95 Ha-Go]] tank was comparable to the [[M2A4|M2A4 Light Tank]], the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the [[Chi-Nu|Type 3 Chi-Nu]] and the [[Chi-To|Type 4 Chi-To]] to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marines advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

==== Lend-Lease ====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

==== Post-War ====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and the 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French 75 mm and 105 mm gun as the M-50 and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The Americans did an excellent job recognizing the problems with the M3's main-calibre weaponry being mounted in a side sponson. Immediately after it began full-scale production, they began work on a new, more modern tank with a 75 mm cannon in a fully traversing turret. Its prototype, termed the T6, was ready for trials at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in September 1941.

The M4 was a medium tank boasting a welded hull, a cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. Design of the M4 began in 1941, and by July 1942 it was ready for full-scale production. Between July 1942 and January 1944, 6,748 M4s rolled off the line. The tank's welded hull boosted its ammunition capacity in comparison with cast hulls by expanding its internal armoured capacity. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits, though armour covers were welded over them and periscopes were added. The front part of the hull's gear compartment on older models consisted of three sections bolted together. Tanks had a narrow mantlet for the M34 artillery mount, while subsequent units employed a fully cast forward hull section and M34A1 artillery mount with a wide mantlet. The last batches, which were made beginning at the end of 1943, had the front of their hulls made from cast and rolled pieces. At the beginning of 1944 the frontal plate became one piece, moving the driver and gunner hatches to the top of the hull. The angled frontal armour went from 56° to 47° from vertical.

The Pressed Steel Car Company kicked off production of the first M4 tanks in July 1942. Four more companies were added later.

M4 tanks saw combat in Africa, Italy, the Western front, and the Pacific islands through 1945.

Shermans proved a strong option with good reliability and manoeuvrability in addition to armament and armour suiting its roll as a medium tank.
{{Navigation-End}}

== 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}}

M4 (WT Mobile)

2023-09-09T03:21:52Z

U139589284: Summary and "tanks to note" section added along with Pro/Cons

M4 (WT Mobile)

2023-09-09T02:49:48Z

U139589284: Added information, thank you to whoever added the vehicle information tables before me as it is very helpful :)

Category:USA ground vehicles

2023-08-30T23:53:16Z

U139589284:

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{{Tree-End}}

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|VPhzn19gKiY|'''The Shooting Range #325''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:39 discusses American SPGs.|RhT6euoewSk|'''American Airborne/Amphibious Assault Vehicles''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|svN5d4a8HrM|'''American Ground Forces Rank VI/VII''' - ''Oxy''|eiMde1jVPkM|'''American ground forces Rank V''' - ''Oxy''|rXZ0G3sAKQc|'''American ground forces Rank IV''' - ''Oxy''|_QaAt6D52Kg|'''American ground forces Rank III - Review and Analysis''' - ''Oxy''|QzkUxYDTt1U|'''American ground forces Rank II - Review and Analysis''' - ''Oxy''|3G6fGMDbdgE|'''American ground forces Rank I - Review and Analysis''' - ''Oxy''|aSP1Bps2w0w|'''Climbing the ranks with American vehicles''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

[[Category:Ground vehicles by country]]

Category:USA ground vehicles

2023-08-30T23:51:43Z

U139589284: Added vehicle for the WT Mobile gift M4 Sherman

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== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|VPhzn19gKiY|'''The Shooting Range #325''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:39 discusses American SPGs.|RhT6euoewSk|'''American Airborne/Amphibious Assault Vehicles''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|svN5d4a8HrM|'''American Ground Forces Rank VI/VII''' - ''Oxy''|eiMde1jVPkM|'''American ground forces Rank V''' - ''Oxy''|rXZ0G3sAKQc|'''American ground forces Rank IV''' - ''Oxy''|_QaAt6D52Kg|'''American ground forces Rank III - Review and Analysis''' - ''Oxy''|QzkUxYDTt1U|'''American ground forces Rank II - Review and Analysis''' - ''Oxy''|3G6fGMDbdgE|'''American ground forces Rank I - Review and Analysis''' - ''Oxy''|aSP1Bps2w0w|'''Climbing the ranks with American vehicles''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

[[Category:Ground vehicles by country]]

Panther F

2023-03-14T03:31:11Z

U139589284:

{{About
|about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other uses
|link-1 = Panther (Disambiguation)
|usage-2 = other versions
|link-2 = Panther tank (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_V_ausf_f_panther
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''') ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29_Sd.Kfz._Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 171''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. Since [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], it became the last Panther in the German tech tree due to the removal of the [[Panther II]].

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50 mm (30°) ''Top'' 41.5 + 5 mm ''Lower'' || 40 mm (24°) || 25 mm
|-
| Turret || 120 mm 100 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 60 mm || 60 mm || 40 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" style="text-align:center" | 80 mm
|-
|}

From the hull up, the F variation of the Panther is similar to previous models. However, the biggest and most noticeable change is seen in the turret design. Instead of the transverse-cylindrical mantlet of the [[Panther D|D]] and [[Panther A|A]] models or the chinned mantlet of the [[Panther G|G]] model, the Panther F features a brand new trapezoidal turret named the ''Schmalturm'' (or "Narrow Turret"). This new turret features a bevy of positives over its previous iterations, including beefier armour and the removal of the prominent shot trap caused by the cylindrical nature of the previous model's mantlet. Although this new turret is a welcome addition, it is not without its weaknesses. The Panther will occasionally be facing enemies that can and will penetrate its turret from the front, namely the [[M26]], [[T26E1-1]], [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II]], [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]], [[Tortoise]], [[AMX M4]].

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}

As expected of the Panther series, it features excellent mobility as a result of its very high power to weight ratio. However its mobility has been toned down a few notches due to the limiting of the engine to improve engine lifespan, which is unfortunately useless as reliability has no function in War Thunder. It is also important to note that the reverse has not improved from its lethargic 3 km/h, but the Panther's ability to neutral turn helps tremendously when trying to escape.

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

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

{{main|KwK44 (75 mm)}}

The KwK44 is an incredibly effective gun when engaging enemy armour due to its penetration. Although not as effective as the later legendary [[KwK43 (88 mm)|KwK43]], it's enough to penetrate most enemies it will face, resulting in many two-shot kills with the help of the PzGr 39's explosive filler. The penetration combined with the excellent accuracy makes it an ideal sniping cannon.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK44 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK44]] || 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" | 82 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.28 || 19.76 || 24.00 || 26.55 || 28.24 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.93 || 10.50 || 12.75 || 14.10 || 15.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:KwK44 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39/42, PzGr 40/42, Sprgr. 42}}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''82''' || 80 ''(+2)'' || 74 ''(+8)'' || 62 ''(+20)'' || 50 ''(+32)'' || 38 ''(+44)'' || 26 ''(+56)'' || 22 ''(+60)'' || 12 ''(+70)'' ||4 ''(+78)'' || 1 ''(+81)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Right side empty: 50 ''(+32)'' shells.
* Both sides empty: 22 ''(+60)'' shells.

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

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (150) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Panther is a great "hunter," locating weak (slow, damaged, or alone) tanks and taking them out is by far its greatest capability. Mobility is a big advantage and the tanker should use it to their advantage, especially when fighting higher-rank vehicles. You should find a suitable location as soon as possible; when you do this, you can easily push off advancing enemy tanks while heavier allies join the action. Just when you notice that you have strong opposition it is time to retreat. Your role is not to fight directly but rather spot weaknesses in the enemy defence. Once you learn how to take advantage of its speed and gun, you'll easily take out enemy targets by surprise.

Despite its slower turret traverse speed and mobility over the Panther A, it receives better turret armour, a rangefinder and faster reload.

Most of the heavy tanks that the Panther faces are not fast enough to counter its attacks. However, this does not mean that they are harmless. Be careful when approaching the enemy and always try to have the advantage. It is not advised to attack enemy heavy tanks directly or frontally; this is where they have most of their armour, and the Panther will probably not be able to penetrate it. It is better to retreat and try to find an alternative route before engaging the enemy.

The Panther has no anti-air capabilities, so it is best to find cover if there are enemy aircraft nearby that are equipped with bombs or rockets.

If the map allows it and you prefer this kind of playstyle, the Panther F also excels at sniping. Although having a slower turret traverse speed and mobility compared to the Panther A, the F version trades it for better turret armour, a rangefinder and faster reload. The distance will make your armour almost impenetrable to a lot of guns while being able to use the rangefinder, high muzzle velocity and great optics to pick off enemies.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Flat mantlet removes the shot trap which plagued earlier models
* Nigh impenetrable turret cheeks when facing from the front
* 75 mm KwK44 is an accurate and powerful gun
* Explosive filler on PzGr 39 shell allows for easy one- or two-shot kills
* APCR shell can allow the tank to compete with the heavier armour found in an uptier
* Features excellent, although toned down mobility as well as neutral steering
* Hull can become even more difficult to penetrate when angled properly
* Slightly faster reload than the previous models of Panthers
* Optical rangefinder, allows you to measure the range faster than the normal rangefinder and up to 2,200-2,500 m (depending on your crew qualification)

'''Cons:'''

* Although the turret has increased armour, it remains a weak spot with basically no angling
* Hull suffers similarly to turret; although good by itself, it becomes paper when facing higher tier guns
* 75 mm KwK44 can become difficult to use as a sniper in an uptier
* Pitiful reverse speed of only -4 km/h
* Slower turret traverse than the Panther A and G
* Turret cheeks can be penetrated by high penetration guns (German 88 mm or US 90 mm)

== History ==


{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}|expand=true}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In the autumn of 1944, production of a new variant of the Panther was planned, the Ausf. F variant. This version had stronger front armour on its hull (80 mm), its sides (50 mm), and the front part of its roof (25 mm). The Schmalturm 605 turret, developed by the company Daimler-Benz AG, was slightly smaller than the standard Panther turret. This allowed the forward armour to be reinforced up to 120 mm, at an inclination of 20°. The sides of the new turret had a thickness of 60 mm and an inclination of 25°, and the thickness of the gun mantlet reached 150 mm. Stereoscopic rangefinders produced by the company Zeiss were mounted on the sides of the turret. The vehicle was armed with a 75 mm KwK42/1 L/70 or KwK44/1 L/70 gun in a new mantlet.

A project was launched to equip the Panther with the longer 75 mm KwK L/100. Instead of a directional machine gun, the radio operator/gunner used an MP 44 assault rifle. Production plans stipulated that production Ausf. F tanks would only be released with road wheels with internal shock absorbers. During mass production, the tank was supposed to be fitted with a periscope sight with an optical stabilizer. Each tank could, if necessary, be equipped with an FG 1250 night vision device.

In October 1944, production of the Ausf. F was set to launch in the Daimler-Benz plant in Berlin in March 1945. But by January 1945, a single Panther Ausf. G prototype with a Schmallturm turret was ready. Due to the overall difficulty of Germany's situation at the time, only a few prototypes with a narrow turret and 8 tank hulls had been constructed by the end of the war. Some sources indicate that several Ausf. F variants were completed by Daimler-Benz between April 20 and 23, 1945, and they may have been used in combat operations.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

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

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

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

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

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

{{TankManufacturer MAN AG}}
{{Germany medium tanks}}