War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Hovet

2024-04-18T05:20:31Z

U20033410:

{{About
| about = Israeli SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M113 (Family)
}}

{{Specs-Card
|code=il_m163_vulcan
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (חובט, lit. batsman) represent the [[M163|M163 VADS]] in IDF service. According to the records of the IDF, the vehicle joined the Israeli Air Defense Command in 1975 as a new air defense weapon, alongside the MIM-72 Chaparral which was introduced a year earlier. The Hovet, however, waited 7 years until it earned its first victory against an enemy target, in the 1982 Lebanese War, and further served in the IDF for more than 2 decades until the IADC was disbanded, leading to the decommission of the Hovet and its modernized variant, [[Machbet]], which was upgraded with TVD and 4 FIM-92 Stingers.

Introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]] along with the initial Israeli tech tree, the Hovet performs identically to its US Army cousin. Although the lack of search radar and its M113 chassis with minimal protection due to the aluminium alloy armour plates could cause problems when duelling with targets, the six-barrel M168 Vulcan can still strike fear into enemy aerial targets or vehicles with its high rate-of-fire and iconic sound.

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

Armour is thin enough and can be destroyed by 12.7 mm machine gun fire from the sides and rear, and by any cannon calibre from the front. The turret is partially open, leaving the crew vulnerable to enemy small arms fire. If attacked, the best bet for taking a hit and surviving is to point the engine towards the enemy and hope it absorbs the shot.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38+6 mm (45°) ''Upper Glacis'' 38 mm (26°) ''Lower Glacis'' 29 mm (45°) ''Engine Maintenance Hatch'' || 44+6 mm ''Top'' 32 mm ''Bottom'' || 38 mm || 38 mm
|-
|Turret || 17 mm ''Turret Front'' 150 mm ''Gun Mantlet'' || 17 mm || 17 mm
!
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

The Hovet suffers from a low power-to-weight ratio and low top speed. One of its upsides is the good acceleration

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=301|rbMinHp=188}}

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

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

{{main|M168 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[M168 (20 mm)|20 mm M168]] || 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" | 2,200 (1,100) || rowspan="2" | 3,000 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+80° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 66.0 || 91.4 || 111.0 || 122.8 || 130.6 || rowspan="2" | 26.00 || rowspan="2" | 23.00 || rowspan="2" | 21.20 || rowspan="2" | 20.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 44.6 || 52.5 || 63.8 || 70.5 || 75.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
* '''HEI:''' {{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}
* '''AP-I:''' {{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}

{{:M168 (20 mm)/Ammunition|AP-I, API-T, HEF-I, HEI-T}}

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


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

== Usage in battles ==

The Hovet has an amazing rate of fire with the M168 gun, thus it has amazing damage output. In an anti-aircraft role, it is best used as a point-defence SPAA, defending a group of allies/cap zone from air attack. Its range isn't as good as the M247, so it's best to keep in mind the approximate 1 km targeting zone of the Hovet.

The Hovet wields about 60 mm of penetration, which is enough to mortally wound/destroy many lightly-armoured vehicles such as the Leopard, AUBL, and Centauro. The high rate of fire also allows the Hovet a sort of CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) type of role, as it can easily spray in the direction of an incoming bomb, thus destroying it and saving nearby allies. This is especially easy against the infamous FAB-5000 bomb from the Soviet Pe-8, as the bomb is large and easy to track.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Can be used as a last resort weapon to shoot down incoming bombs and rockets
* Cannot be easily killed by .50 cal MGs, meaning you are stronger against strafing aircraft
* High rate of fire

'''Cons:'''

* Long reload time
* The 20 mm shells lose velocity quickly, making it very difficult to attack fast planes past 2 km or light tanks past 1 km
* No passive radar search
* The gun overheats over quickly
* Low penetration

== History ==

According to the description from Israel Air Force, the M163 VADS (which consists of 2 batteries per unit) joined the Israeli Air Defense Command in 1975; these batteries would usually deployed near the northern border of Israel where the Purple Line (post-1967 ceasefire line between Israel-Syria by the Golan Heights) sit during peaceful times; but as soon as there was any need for armed conflicts, the vehicles would redeploy with the ground forces. After 7 years of service, the system achieve 3 victories including the first victory of M163 VADS against jet aircrafts in 1982. On 1982/6/10, an battery commanded by Lt. Dobi Amitai was having conflicts with insurgents during the 1982 Lebanese War (Operation Peace for Galilee) at Douha near Beirut, where Sgt. Yoav Weinkert spotted a Syrian MiG-21; the other battery commanded by Roni Kovertovsky spotted the same jet from the eyes of gun director Tamir Mor. Both batteries, now at 4 vehicles, fired upon the jet while covering each other as they were taking fire from insurgents at the same time; 15 seconds later, the jet was shot down by the batteries.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120310140629/http://www.iaf.org.il/239-18136-he/IAF.aspx?indx=1</ref>

Some of the M163 were also converted into the Machbet (מחבט, lit. racquet) with upgrades including opto-electronic tracker, TVD and 4 FIM-92 Stingers mounted next to the turret. After the disbandment of the IADC in 2006, these vehicles were decommissioned.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=il_m163_vulcan Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;[[M113 (Family)|Related development]]

* [[M163]]
* [[Machbet]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{Israel anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Corsair F Mk II (Great Britain)

2024-04-18T03:22:33Z

U20033410:

{{About
| about = premium fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the American version
| link-1 = F4U-1A
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = F4U (Family)
}}

{{Specs-Card
|code=corsair_fmk2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_corsair_fmk2.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} British fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]].

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 9,000 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
| 684 || 660 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.1 || 21.9 || 14.8 || 14.8 || rowspan="2" | 200
|-
! Upgraded
| 745 || 711 || 18.9 || 20.0 || 23.2 || 18.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 470 || 278 || 244 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 450 || < 450 || < 500 || > 450
|-
|}

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


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
* 3 mm Steel plates in front of cockpit, top of fuselage.
* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot, with 12.7 mm Steel plate on headrest.
* Critical components located at the front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
* More fuel tanks located in wings leading edge

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 6 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (400 + 400 + 375 rpg each wing = 2,350 total)

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

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)}}

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

* Without load
* 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (500 lb total)
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (1,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==


Due to its great energy retention and high dive speed, the Corsair F Mk II is very good at Boom & Zoom manoeuvres. It is recommended to be used this way especially against any Japanese planes. Against any German aircraft, Boom & Zoom operations are still recommended, however, some planes you can out turn (FW-190 A-4) and may pose a threat by using this advantage and reversing the attacker/defender roles. As with every American fighter, always climb at the start of a match. Typically, to be successful with this plane it is best to climb higher than the enemy fighters and attack them with an energy advantage. Using this tactic will greatly increase your chances of picking your battles and forcing the enemy down to lower altitudes low where either you or your teammates you can finish them off.

This unique Corsair variant rolls slightly faster than the original F4U due to having clipped wings. However, increased manoeuvrability sometimes comes at a price resulting in performance sufferage as is found with this fighter. While this fighter does well in the mid to lower altitudes, performance and manoeuvrability in the higher altitudes where the air is thinner starts to wane quickly and any advantages the clipped wings provided at lower altitudes are quickly lost and start to hinder the aircraft's performance. In comparison, these differences are slight but sometimes in the middle of the battle, the slight differences quickly determine the victor and a pilot bailing out of their crippled aircraft.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Not controllable || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable 3 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great diving characteristics
* Good energy retention
* Good speed
* Good acceleration
* Great high-speed manoeuvrability
* Great ammo reserves; >375 RPG
* Great top dive speed

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre flat turning characteristics
* Vulnerable to incendiary ammunition
* Weak damage model
* Big target, easy to hit
* Can be easily taken out by other players from behind
* Limited WEP

== History ==


{{main|F4U (Family)|l1=History of the F4U Corsair}}

The F4U-1A Corsair was based on the F4U-1. In fact, F4U-1A was not an official designation, but was assigned to mid-to-late production F4U-1s in order to distinguish them from early production F4U-1s postwar. The F4U-1A incorporated a simplified windscreen, and a taller, wider, two frame canopy. The pilots seat was also raised 7 in. All of these modifications increased visibility, especially over the long nose of the plane. A 6 in stall strip was also added to the right wing, outboard of the guns, allowing the wings to stall at the same speed. And, the landing gear oleo struts were improved. These changes combined lead to the clearing of the Corsair for carrier-based operations. In British service, the F4U-1A was known as the Corsair Mk II. They were modified slightly from the American design, and had their wings "clipped", meaning they had 8 in cut off of the wing tips, in order to allow them to fit on British aircraft carriers.

== Media ==


;Skins
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=corsair_fmk2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Related development
* [[F4U (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/325083-f4u-1ausmccd/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

=== References ===

* "[https://www.jdsf4u.be/f4u-1a-vought-corsair F4U-1A Vought Corsair]", ''F4U Corsair - The Bent Wing Bird plane site'', Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
* "[https://www.jdsf4u.be/type-of-plane-f4u Types of Plane F4U - Variants]", ''F4U Corsair- The Bent Wing Bird plane site'', Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

{{AirManufacturer Vought}}
{{Britain fighters}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

Corsair F Mk II (Great Britain)

2024-03-28T15:53:28Z

U20033410:

{{About
| about = British fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F4U (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=corsair_fmk2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_corsair_fmk2.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} British fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]].

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 9,000 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
| 684 || 660 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.1 || 21.9 || 14.8 || 14.8 || rowspan="2" | 200
|-
! Upgraded
| 745 || 711 || 18.9 || 20.0 || 23.2 || 18.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 470 || 278 || 244 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 450 || < 450 || < 500 || > 450
|-
|}

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


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
* 3 mm Steel plates in front of cockpit, top of fuselage.
* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot, with 12.7 mm Steel plate on headrest.
* Critical components located at the front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
* More fuel tanks located in wings leading edge

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 6 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (400 + 400 + 375 rpg each wing = 2,350 total)

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

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)}}

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

* Without load
* 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (500 lb total)
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (1,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==


Due to its great energy retention and high dive speed, the Corsair F Mk II is very good at Boom & Zoom manoeuvres. It is recommended to be used this way especially against any Japanese planes. Against any German aircraft, Boom & Zoom operations are still recommended, however, some planes you can out turn (FW-190 A-4) and may pose a threat by using this advantage and reversing the attacker/defender roles. As with every American fighter, always climb at the start of a match. Typically, to be successful with this plane it is best to climb higher than the enemy fighters and attack them with an energy advantage. Using this tactic will greatly increase your chances of picking your battles and forcing the enemy down to lower altitudes low where either you or your teammates you can finish them off.

This unique Corsair variant rolls slightly faster than the original F4U due to having clipped wings. However, increased manoeuvrability sometimes comes at a price resulting in performance sufferage as is found with this fighter. While this fighter does well in the mid to lower altitudes, performance and manoeuvrability in the higher altitudes where the air is thinner starts to wane quickly and any advantages the clipped wings provided at lower altitudes are quickly lost and start to hinder the aircraft's performance. In comparison, these differences are slight but sometimes in the middle of the battle, the slight differences quickly determine the victor and a pilot bailing out of their crippled aircraft.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Not controllable || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable 3 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great diving characteristics
* Good energy retention
* Good speed
* Good acceleration
* Great high-speed manoeuvrability
* Great ammo reserves; >375 RPG
* Great top dive speed

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre flat turning characteristics
* Vulnerable to incendiary ammunition
* Weak damage model
* Big target, easy to hit
* Can be easily taken out by other players from behind
* Limited WEP

== History ==


{{main|F4U (Family)|l1=History of the F4U Corsair}}

The F4U-1A Corsair was based on the F4U-1. In fact, F4U-1A was not an official designation, but was assigned to mid-to-late production F4U-1s in order to distinguish them from early production F4U-1s postwar. The F4U-1A incorporated a simplified windscreen, and a taller, wider, two frame canopy. The pilots seat was also raised 7 in. All of these modifications increased visibility, especially over the long nose of the plane. A 6 in stall strip was also added to the right wing, outboard of the guns, allowing the wings to stall at the same speed. And, the landing gear oleo struts were improved. These changes combined lead to the clearing of the Corsair for carrier-based operations. In British service, the F4U-1A was known as the Corsair Mk II. They were modified slightly from the American design, and had their wings "clipped", meaning they had 8 in cut off of the wing tips, in order to allow them to fit on British aircraft carriers.

== Media ==


;Skins
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=corsair_fmk2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Related development
* [[F4U (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/325083-f4u-1ausmccd/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

=== References ===

* "[https://www.jdsf4u.be/f4u-1a-vought-corsair F4U-1A Vought Corsair]", ''F4U Corsair - The Bent Wing Bird plane site'', Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
* "[https://www.jdsf4u.be/type-of-plane-f4u Types of Plane F4U - Variants]", ''F4U Corsair- The Bent Wing Bird plane site'', Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

{{AirManufacturer Vought}}
{{Britain fighters}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

L21A1 (30 mm)

2024-03-23T22:08:42Z

U20033410: /* added fox*/

[[File:Weapon L21A1 (30 mm).png|thumb|right|x250px|The 30 mm L21A1 on the Warrior gun mantlet.]]

== Description ==

The '''30 mm L21A1''', also known as the '''RARDEN''', is a British autocannon used on their armoured fighting vehicles. Currently, the only vehicles using the L21A1 cannon are the FV510 Warrior and the FV721 Fox armored car.

With its APDS round, the L21A1 has one of the higher penetrating rounds for an autocannon for a ground vehicle in the game that can take out most other light tanks with ease. However, the trade-off is a lower firing rate and restricted magazine size of 6 rounds.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|uk_fv721_fox}}
* {{Specs-Link|uk_fv510_isv}}

== 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 ===


'''Pros:'''

* High-penetrating APDS round available for its calibre size
* APDS belt is homogeneous, guaranteeing a APDS round each shot compared to mixed belt compositions

'''Cons:'''

* 6 round magazine requires careful shot placements to make most use of the available rounds
* Low rate of fire
* Relatively high recoil when firing compared to other autocannons

== History ==

Considerations for a new vehicle-mounted weapon for the infantry took into account that a Soviet invasion of Europe would have the Soviet armoured forces tie down most of NATO armoured assets. In this event, NATO infantry would have minimal armour support against the Soviet's mechanized infantry, which are usually supported by armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles in the form of BTRs or BMPs. As such, a vehicle-mounted weapon capable of defeating these Soviet vehicles from 1,000 m away was desired to force the infantry to disembark and allow effective mortar and artillery fire to decimate them. Settling on a high-velocity autocannon weapon type for the role, it was found that current autocannons in service did not meet the British requirements for a vehicle-mounted armament. The British decided to pursue a path of producing a completely new 30 mm autocannon to fit their needs. This task was taken up between the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) and the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield.<ref name="Hobart_Rarden">Hobart 1974, pg 18-24</ref> Norman Brint of the Royal Small Arms Factory became the cannon's main designer.<ref name="Tobin_Guardian">Tobin 2010</ref>
[[File:Saber Junction 2012 121017-A-HE359-129 - Warrior Crew.jpg|x250px|thumb|right|none|A Warrior IFV from the Mercian Regiment with its L21A1 RARDEN.]]

The 30 mm autocannon developed was desired to have a sufficient anti-armour capability to defeat a Soviet APC from any angle up to 1,000 m away, with an ability to penetrate the side armour of Soviet main battle tanks as well. The autocannon should also be able to provide effective fire on soft targets and be able to deter low-flying aircraft such as helicopters. Additionally, the gun is to be reliable, accurate, lightweight, and be able to be mounted on a large variety of vehicles. These are tough specifications under the considerations that an effective vehicle-mounted cannon requires a low trunnion pull (recoil force) and a short inboard length (recoil length). To account for this, the weapon would have a low rate of fire and a long recoil mechanism, which effectively reduced the trunnion pull to 3,000 ft-lb (~4067 J), which is halved compared to other 30 mm autocannons of the time. The inboard length is reduced to a maximum of 9 in. (~23 cm), due in part with the absence of a ramming breech block and its associated return spring, as well as the loading and recoil mechanism that allowed the inboard length to load the 11.25 in. (~28.6 cm) round without issue.

Ammunition for the cannon are derived from the [[HSS 831L (30 mm)|Hispano-Suiza 831L]], with a new APDS ammunition was developed by RARDE for the armour-pericing role. The use of aluminum alloy in the gun body and high quality steel in the barrel kept the weapon lightweight (the barrel itself was only 54 lb. (~24 kg)). Barrel dampeners, as well as the low fire rate, help prevent barrel vibrations from affecting gun accuracy. The weapon, known as the 30 mm Gun L21E2 during development,<ref name="Hobart_Rarden" /> was standardized in the British military as the '''L21A1'''.<ref name="WS_Rarden">WeaponSystems.net "30mm Rarden"</ref> The weapon was also given the name '''RARDEN''', the name derived from its designers ("'''R'''oyal '''A'''rmament, '''R'''esearch and '''D'''evelopment '''E'''stablishment" and "E'''n'''field").

The L21A1 RARDEN would see use on the Fox armoured car, the [[Warrior]] IFV, and the Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle. The weapon would undergo an upgrade in the 1980s into the ''L21A2'', which featured a redesigned barrel among other minor improvements.<ref name="WS_Rarden" />

== Media ==
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== 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;''
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== External links ==


=== References ====

;Citations
<references />

;Bibliography

* Hobart, Major F.W.A. "The RARDEN Cannon". ''Armor'', January-February 1974, pp. 18–24. ([https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.d0003314150&view=1up&seq=26 Online Archive]) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210403215253/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.d0003314150&view=1up&seq=26 Archive.org copy])
* Tobin, Edmund. "Norman Brint designed the Rarden 30mm cannon at the Royal Small Arms Factory". ''East London and West Essex Guardian Series'', Newsquest Media Group Ltd., 09 Apr. 2010, [https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/8091281.waltham-abbey-award-winning-gun-designer-dies/ Website]. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211109191043/https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/8091281.waltham-abbey-award-winning-gun-designer-dies/ Archive])
* WeaponSystems.net, "30mm Rarden". ''WeaponSystems.net'', [https://weaponsystems.net/system/355-30mm+Rarden Website]. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211109191048/https://weaponsystems.net/system/355-30mm+Rarden Archive]).

{{Britain tank cannons}}

[[Category:Tank cannons]]