War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

F-4F KWS LV (Germany)

2024-08-11T14:51:43Z

U58644986: added a detailed description, used some of the text i made for F-4F late few years back.

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-4 Phantom II (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-4f_kws_lv
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Seek & Destroy"]].

ICE ('''I'''mproved '''C'''ombat '''E'''fficiency) or KWS (Kampfwertsteigerung) program for Luftwaffe F-4F Phantoms introduced due to delays in the Eurofighter development, this upgrade package brings massive improvements to the sensor suite and arments of the rugged Phantom airframe.

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

With the flight performance being the same as its predecessor but sitting at much higher BR and facing much superior airframes and missiles, F-4F KWS LV finds itself being massively outclassed in dogfights and might struggle to properly defend itself against modern missiles if those are launched under a certain distance.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 12,192 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
| 2,058 || 2,015 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 28.3 || 28.3 || 162.7 || 153.0 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,219 || 2,140 || 24.8 || 26.0 || 223.9 || 192.0
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 607 || 583 || 463 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 810 || < 750 || < 700 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | 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="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | MTU Aero Engines J79-MTU-17A || 2
| colspan="2" | 14,375 kg || colspan="2" | 398 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | 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
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 1,724 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 15,941 kg || 18,196 kg || 19,595 kg || 24,471 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="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 5,200 kgf || 8,008 kgf
| 1.00 || 0.88 || 0.82 || 0.65
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 5,200 kgf (0 km/h) || 10,170 kgf (1,400 km/h)
| 1.28 || 1.12 || 1.04 || 0.83
|-
|}

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

Similar to its predecessor and most modern aircraft, F-4F KWS LV boasts no relevant armor at all and instead relies on not being hit in the first place.

To this end, it is equipped with '''AN/ALE-40 flare/chaff''' dispenser and '''AN/ALR-68(V)3 RWR.'''

'''AN/ALE-40 flare/chaff dispenser''' provides the aircraft with 60x standard countermeasures and 30x large caliber countermeasures, with no restraints being placed on selection of chaff or flares.

'''AN/ALR-68(V)3 RWR''' is for in-game purposes the same as the AN/ALR-68 RWR found on its predecessor. It is a digital RWR which means that beside the usual abilities like track and launch detection of radar guided missiles, it is able to display the specific type of enemy radar that engages the aircraft and discern between friend of foe.

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

Pilots should direct their research priority towards unlocking the Flares/Chaff modification due to the nature of threats F-4F KWS LV faces and chaff being almost mandatory to properly defend.

With those unlocked, pilots should ''aim'' (pun intended) for the AIM-120A modification in order to unlock the full potential of the aircraft, with flight performance modifications being researched along the way.

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

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, nose-mounted (640 rpg)
* 30 x large calibre countermeasures
* 60 x countermeasures

20 mm M61A1 cannon remains one of the better cannons found on top tier aircraft, with a hearty ammo supply compared to its contemporaries.

Large caliber countermeasures offer increased effectiveness over standard countermeasures, both in burn time and luminosity in case of flares, making them superior choice most of the time. Limited supply might be an issue, but proper countermeasures management largely negates this issue.

=== 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
| rowspan="17" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-4C_Phantom_II.png]]</div>
|-
! [[GAU-4 (20 mm)|20 mm GAU-4]] cannons (1,200 rpg)
| 1 || || || || || || || || || || 1
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|250 lb LDGP Mk 81]] bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! [[M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|750 lb M117 cone 45]] bombs
| 3 || 3 || || || || 5 || || || || 3 || 3
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83]] bombs
| 2 || 3 || || || || 3 || || || || 3 || 2
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| 1 || || || || || 1 || || || || || 1
|-
! [[M118 (3,000 lb)|3,000 lb M118]] bombs
| || || || || || 1 || || || || ||
|-
! [[BLU-27/B incendiary]] bombs
| 1 || || || || || 2 || || || || || 1
|-
! [[FFAR Mighty Mouse]] rockets
| 57 || 57 || || || || 57 || || || || 57 || 57
|-
! [[Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP]] rockets
| 12 || 12 || || || || 12 || || || || 12 || 12
|-
! [[AGM-65D]] missiles
| || 1 || || || || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[AGM-65G]] missiles
| || 1 || || || || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L/I Sidewinder]] missiles
| || || 1, 2 || || || || || || 1, 2 || ||
|-
! [[AIM-120A]] missiles
| || || || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || || ||
|-
! 600 gal drop tanks
| || || || || || 1 || || || || ||
|-
|}

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

* 1 x 600 gal drop tank
* 2 x 20 mm GAU-4 cannons (1,200 rpg = 2,400 total)
* 2 x AIM-9L/I Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9L/I Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-120A missiles
* 24 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 24 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 24 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 17 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (12,750 lb total)
* 4 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs
* 13 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (13,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 1 x 3,000 lb M118 bomb (3,000 lb total)
* 285 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 60 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 2 x AGM-65D missiles
* 2 x AGM-65G missiles
{{Navigation-End}}

'''20mm GAU-4 gunpods''' - additional gunpods with M61A1 cannons, providing 1,200 rounds per gun.

=== '''Air-to-air''' ===
'''AIM-9L/I''' - essentially AIM-9M without the smokeless motor. While easier to detect than AIM-9M, it is still a potent short-range missile due to being a Sidewinder with high G pull and suspended animation IRCCM.

'''AIM-120A''' - main weapon of the F-4F KWS LV, AIM-120As offer never before seen (at least in the German tech tree) capability of engaging enemy aircraft. While incredibly potent, they are not without drawbacks and several things need to be taken into account to ensure a successful launch.

=== '''Air-to-ground''' ===
'''FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets''' - Providing decent performance against ground targets, these rockets sport 290 mm of penetration, and as such they can easily get through roof armour of most vehicles in-game, though some ERA equipped tanks can survive a few hits. While not having enough explosive mass to score kills with indirect hits, the ballistic computer can help with their aiming, and as the plane can equip up to 285 of them, pilots can easily compensate accuracy with quantity.

'''Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets''' - Major upgrade over Mighty Mouse rockets, their HEAT warhead provides up to 457 mm of penetration and thanks to their explosive mass equivalent to 8.91 kg of TNT, they can severely damage light targets with indirect hits.

'''AGM-65D missile''' - Fire and forget anti-tank missile with IR guidance. Its single-stage HEAT warhead can penetrate up to 830 mm of armor. Depending on the altitude and speed of launching aircraft, it can be launched from stand-off distances. As it is fire and forget, it is great to use in contested airspace, though plane can carry only 2 of them at once. Magnification on its in-built optics is rather low and as such long-range shots are difficult.

'''AGM-65G missile''' - Fire and forget anti-tank missile with IR guidance. Swapping HEAT for SAP-HE warhead, this missile acts more like 50kg rocket boosted bomb. While devastating to light vehicles, heavier targets might be able to withstand its hit. Depending on the altitude and speed of launching aircraft, it can be launched from stand-off distances. As it is fire and forget, it is great to use in contested airspace, though plane can carry only 2 of them at once. Magnification on its in-built optics is rather low and as such long-range shots are difficult.

'''Bombs''' - As is tradition with Phantom airframes, F-4F KWS LV can bring a wide assortment of unguided bombs, ranging from 250 lb to 3000 lb. Beside standard freefall bombs, the plane has access to 500 lb Mk82 Snakeye bombs with high-drag tail fins for low altitude bombing or BLU-27/B napalm bombs..

== Usage in battles ==

=== Air Battles ===
While the ICE program introduced potent radar and AIM-120s to the Phantom, it did not include any improvements to the Phantom's flight performance. As such, F-4F KWS LV is more oriented towards '''beyond visual range combat'''.

Luckily, the F-4F KWS LV kit is more than sufficient to perform well there. '''AN/APG-65GY radar''' is, without a doubt, the most potent radar that can be found in the German TT.

When compared to N019E of MiG-29 9.12A/G

* It is extremely hard to notch properly
* Unlike the aforementioned contemporary, its antenna can rotate while in TWS mode, meaning it can maintain soft-lock while defending
* Has nearly twice the range (120 km as opposed to 65 km)
* Much wider horizontal scan angle (120° vs 60°), but lower vertical can angle (6° vs 30°)

Next centerpiece of its kit are '''AIM-120A''' missiles. While they lack peak speed of '''R-27ER'''s found on MiG-29 9.12A/G (4.0 M vs 5.8 M) and the on-paper maximum range (80 km vs 100 km in head-on), they can pull the same peak G overload (35 Gs for both missiles) and most importantly, AIM-120As are '''ARH (active radar homing)''' missiles, meaning pilots don't need to maintain radar lock in order for the missile to guide itself towards the target.

However, their active guidance does not mean that the pilot can always fire and forget these missiles and rely on them to shoot down the enemy.

Active radar homing activates once they reach a distance of 16km from the enemy. If AIM-120As are not fed targeting data from the plane radar through data-link, they travel in IOG mode, ie. according to the last known speed and heading of the target, meaning that if the enemy takes defensive action between launch and the activation of active guidance, they might miss entirely.

Thus, to ensure the highest chance of the missile connecting, pilots should always feed targeting data to the missile (ie. keep the radar pointed towards the enemy), as long as it is safe.

Another important piece of information is that AIM-120s '''don't need hard-lock''' in order to launch like one would need with semi active radar homing missiles, meaning '''they can be fired in TWS mode with soft-lock'''. This is extremely important, since it allows the pilot to engage up to 4 targets simultaneously in TWS mode, and also they dont trigger the "LAUNCH" warning of the enemy RWR until they go pitbull (ie. active their own radar).

Another thing for pilots to note is the range of the missiles. While '''on-paper''' AIM-120As boast a rather impressive range of 80km, it highly depends on altitude and speed of both attacking and defending aircraft. '''In combat conditions''', the actual range of AIM-120s is closer to 30 km against non-maneuvering targets and 16km against maneuvering ones in head-on situations, and 8 km in tail-chase situations.

With only 4x AIM-120s available, pilots should always think about what target they are engaging. Targets already notching or about to enter a notch or targets going cold will most likely evade the missile, depending on range, altitude and speed. Similarly, planes flying near hard cover such as mountains and canyons and valleys can use those to hide behind in order to defeat the incoming missile.

Another thing for pilots to note is that with AIM-120s being active radar homing, '''it is extremely dangerous to launch them into furballs''', as they lack any sort of IFF identification and once the missile is off the rails, the pilot can't do anything if the missile decides to go for a friendly plane.

Defending against enemy ARHs in Phantom can be quite challenging at times, due to the obsolete airframe with its associated poor flight performance. Distance, altitude and speed of both attacking and defending aircraft need to be taken into account.

Generally speaking, for long distance attacks, '''notching the enemy ARH missile,''' combined with deploying chaff in the last few seconds of attack, can be sufficient defense. However, pilots might get caught off guard if they underestimate the distance at which the enemy missile was launched. As such, '''going cold''' will almost always be a reliable defense against enemy ARH missiles without need to deploy chaff (unless the attacker has a massive altitude advantage). If the enemy ARH missile was launched at extreme ranges of 35 km and higher, pilots could also try a '''F-pole maneuver''' ( “zig zag” flying towards the enemy, ie. turning towards one direction while keeping the enemy on the 2 or 10 clock, continuing flying in that direction for a few seconds, then turning again to 2 or 10 clock).

Alternatively, if the map permits, pilots can '''use the terrain to their advantage'''. While pilots can't rely on multipath cover like previously, they can use mountains, canyons and valleys and other natural obstacles as hard cover to hind behind in order to defeat the missile.

For mid to close range, the aforementioned poor flight performance complicates things, as the pilot might not have enough time to properly defend against enemy ARH missiles. As such, at ranges of 20 km and less, pilots should approach their target already '''cranking''' (keeping the enemy in the absolute gimbal limit of the plane radar) and immediately deploy chaff and go cold as soon as they spot the enemy missile being launched. Alternatively, '''a high speed high G barrel roll''' might defeat the incoming missile, but as the pilots will encounter rather advanced missiles with high G overloads, this might not be a reliable way of defending oneself.

Within visual range combat dogfight is where the F-4F KWS LV suffers the most. The aforementioned obsolete airframe with associated poor flight performance, coupled with lack of HMS, thrust-vectoring missiles and mere 90 countermeasures available means that most opponents most likely will win any dogfight Phantom enters. '''As such, it is imperative for the F-4F KWS LV pilots to keep their distance from any enemy, unless they can ambush them from a much more advantageous position.'''

AIM-9L/Is are relatively good missiles for such scenarios, but the aforementioned lack of HMS and thrust-vectoring means that pilots need to keep some minimal distance from their target, otherwise the missile won't have time to pull towards its target.

90 countermeasures available also need to be taken into account in dogfight more than in beyond visual range combat, as all missiles found at the top tier have either suspended animation of FoV gate counter-countermeasures installed and either require excessive pre-flaring or dropping a lot of countermeasures in specific ways to defeat the incoming missile. As such, it is best for the F-4F KWS LV to not get shot at at all.

=== Ground battles ===
F-4F KWS LV is the first true modern multirole jet found in the German TT (meaning it can be fully equipped for air-to-air combat while retaining some sort of air-to-ground capability) and as such can be extremely useful in ground battles, only being held back by the limited amount of AGM-65s it can carry.

Pilots can either take '''CAP (Combat Air Patrol)''' missions, where they provide air cover for ground units against enemy planes. To this end, aforementioned AIM-120s and AIM-9L/Is coupled with potent radar ensure that the enemy plane has to either first deal with the Phantom, or fly much more cautiously and lower to the ground, exposing itself to the ground based air defense assets.

Or pilots can take '''CAS (Close Air Support)''' missions, providing support directly to the ground troops. To this end, F-4F KWS LV can equip two AGM-65s in either D variant with HEAT warhead or G varian with SAP-HE warhead. Both are potent and it comes down to personal preference which one they should use, as they both have their place in the game. Only two missiles however limit Phantom's usability as CAS aircraft. While it can carry other weapons such as Zuni rockets or unguided bombs, these have limited usefulness at the BR Phantom is placed at, due to the fact the plane needs to get well within the weapon range of ground based air defense assets to use them, and those ground air defense assets being rather potent at close range.

As previously mentioned however, '''F-4F KWS LV can also do both CAP and CAS at once''', due to the fact that AGM-65s use their own rails and don't interfere with air-to-air weapons.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good kit for beyond visual range combat
** Gets access to AIM-120A and AIM-9L/I missiles.
** Extremely potent radar
*** Radar is hard to notch properly
*** Radar can mantain TWS "soft-lock" while defending.
*** Radar can provide targeting info to up to 6 data-link enabled missiles.
** Good RWR
*** RWR has Friend or Foe indentification
*** RWR is able to display specific type of enemy radar
* Gets access to AGM-65D and G Mavericks

'''Cons:'''

* Poor within visual range combat performance
** Obsolete third-generation airframe that exclusively fights fourth-generation aircraft
*** Poor handling
*** Bad acceleration
*** Inferior top speed compared to other aircraft
** Only gets access to 90 countermeasures
** No HMS
* Limited CAS potential
** Can only carry total 2 AGM-65s
** No TGP
** Unguided rockets and bombs have limited potential for effective CAS at such high BR
* Lacks IRST

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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).''

=== [[wt:en/news/8943-development-f-4f-kws-lv-ice-arch-phantom-en|Devblog]] ===
In the early 1980s, the Luftwaffe initiated a program to improve the combat effectiveness of the F-4F Phantom II then representing Germany's spearhead in air defense. Being launched due to delays in the development of what would eventually become the Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-4F ICE as it became known, was intended to fill this gap until the more advanced aircraft became available. The main goal of the ICE program was to extend the service life of the F-4F by modernizing its avionics and electronic equipment as well as upgrading its radar to enable the aircraft to carry the powerful AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.

The upgrade process began in October 1988 and was carried out in several stages. The first finalized aircraft under the new program were commissioned in the early 1990s. The F-4F KWS LV (ICE) would then continue its service with the Luftwaffe until 2013 before it was ultimately phased out in favor of its successor, the Eurofighter Typhoon.

== 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/8943-development-f-4f-kws-lv-ice-arch-phantom-en|[Devblog] F-4F KWS LV (ICE): Arch-Phantom!]]

{{AirManufacturer McDonnell}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

Marder 1A3

2021-10-26T11:06:31Z

U58644986: Added detailed description, borrowed some sections from Marder A1- page i also created, since it is almost the exact vehicle.

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_marder_1a3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Direct Hit"]]. Improvement to Marder A1-, 1A3 offers upgrades in protection and firepower, making it a formidable scouting vehicle at its BR.

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

Players should be of note that Marders were IFVs and therefore they weren't designed to take hits from enemy tanks and as such they should not try to fight them frontally unless it is absolutely necessary.

'''Armor'''

Marder 1A3's armour is best described as inconsistent. Sharing the same chassis [[Marder A1-|as the previous model]], base armor is extremely weak, consisting mostly of 11mm plates.

However, unlike its predecessor, Marder 1A3 is equipped with add-on armor from the get go, considerably increasing its survivability against machine guns and even some autocannons.

Marder 1A3s upper frontal plate can now shrug off even [[BMP-2|BMP-2s]] APDS rounds, something that was impossible for its predecessor. Its upper side armor is now resistant to .50 cal armor-piercing rounds, which is a considerable upgrade to its survivability.

Marder 1A3 receives a slightly different armor scheme just below a turret - in place of a heavily angled plate is now protrusion with less favourable angle and thin armor. There is also an almost flat strip of armor just below gunner and commander optics, that should be considered as a weak spot.

'''Crew'''

With only three crew members available, the Marder can't afford to take any hits. Both commander and gunner sit side by side below the unmanned turret, protected by transmission and engine (similar to [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava tanks]]). While that won't protect them from rounds with explosive filler or modern kinetic penetrators, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds.

The Driver's position is more exposed, albeit receiving a new redesigned hatch that significantly improves his protection. Enemy shells can still shatter on drivers' optics, sending shrapnel straight into the fighting compartment.

'''Armour type:'''

* High hardness rolled armour (hull front and roof)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull sides and rear, gun mount, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || Add-on 8 mm (77°) ''Upper plate'' Add-on 32 mm (21-58°) ''Lower plate''
Base armor 11 mm (77°) ''Upper plate''

Base armor 32mm (21-58°) bottom
| Add-on 4 mm (0°) ''Upper plate''
Base 15mm (33°) ''Upper plate'' Base 15mm (0°) ''Lower plate''
| 11 mm (22°) ''Rear plate and hatch'' 5 mm (22°) ''Vents'' || Add-on 8 mm
Base 11mm 
|-
| Turret || Add-on 20mm (38°) ''Base front''
Base 11 to 20 mm (38°) ''Base front'' Base 11mm ''Gun mount''
| Add-on 20mm ''Base side''
Base 15mm ''Base side'' Base 11mm ''Gun mount''
| Add-on 20mm ''Base side''
Base 15mm ''Base side'' Base 11mm ''Gun mount''
| 11 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
* Armored skirts are 5mm thick.

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

Even with extra add-on armor, the mobility of Marder 1A3 stays the same as its predecessor, allowing it to rush advantageous positions at the start of the battle or flank effectively. With a reverse gearbox, it can move backwards as fast as going forward, making disengaging from an enemy or retreating from unfavourable situations an easy task.

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

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}Since the Marder 1A3 comes stock with MILAN ATGMs, it should have no problems dispatching its enemies. Marder will probably be played as scout vehicle, meaning players focus should be on getting thermals. After that, mobility upgrades can be researched, as there is not much to improve in the firepower department.

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

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)}}The Marder 1A3 is armed with a dual-feed Rh202 20 mm autocannon. This gun can also be found as a secondary weapon on the [[KPz-70]] and [[Leopard 2K]]; the difference being it gets dedicated belts on Marder instead of being limited only to multipurpose stock belts. Rh202 has fantastic gun handling. Even though it is not equipped with a stabiliser, it's barely noticeable even when firing on the move, allowing it to successfully engage enemies without stopping at close range. With a great rate of fire (noticeably faster than 30 mm found on BMP-2s), it can shred light vehicles, low flying planes and helicopters to pieces in a matter of seconds.

Even heavier tanks are not safe since it is able to disable their critical components with a well-aimed burst, crippling their main and secondary armaments and tracks, making them easy kills for its MILANs or more-heavily armed teammates. With 65° degrees of gun elevation, it can even work ad hoc as makeshift SPAAG. This is especially useful against helicopter rushes, which are common at the start of the round. Even planes are not safe when the Marder is around, since it is able to successfully engage low flying aircraft with enough practice. Rh202 operates on 200 round belts, Marder can take 6 of them in total and you can switch between different belts with ~1-second delay. An empty belt is reloaded after 8 seconds when Aced.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]] || 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" | 1,200 (200) || rowspan="2" | 800 || rowspan="2" | -17°/+65° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 57.1 || 79.1 || 96.0 || 106.2 || 112.9 || rowspan="2" | 10.40 || rowspan="2" | 9.20 || rowspan="2" | 8.48 || rowspan="2" | 8.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}The stock belt consists of APCRT and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 1:1. It works but can have problems scoring critical hits as half of the belt won't penetrate.
* '''DM51A1:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}Contains mostly HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1, should be used only against low flying planes and helicopters due to its explosive filler.
* '''DM43:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}This belt consists of APCRT and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1. Should be only used as a stop gap solution until DM63 belts become available.
* '''DM63:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}This should be the main belt of choice when engaging ground targets, it can penetrate most light vehicles Marder can face, though MBTs and heavy tanks will pose a problem even at close range.

{| 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 || 57 || 52 || 37 || 24 || 15 || 10
|-
| DM51A1 || 57 || 52 || 37 || 24 || 15 || 10
|-
| DM43 || 57 || 52 || 37 || 24 || 15 || 10
|-
| DM63 || 66 || 61 || 45 || 31 || 21 || 14
|-
|}

==== [[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
|-
| '''6''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|MILAN}}The Marder 1A3 is armed with a MILAN ATGM launcher with SACLOS guidance. It's an older missile, lacking a tandem warhead. As composite and reactive armour is starting to become more common at this battle rating, its age starts to show. It is the main weapon of choice when engaging targets beyond 200 m and when engaging anything heavier than a light tank or SPAAG. The Marder only gets 4 of those, so firing them recklessly can leave it unable to dispatch heavier opponents. Frequent visits to capture points are a must in order to keep fighting. To fire them, the Marder needs to be going slower than 5 km/h, which can be disadvantageous against enemy tanks with stabilisers - players should make sure to distract the enemy first with the autocannon fire or make sure the enemy doesn't know at all from where the Marder will be striking. Also, players should be aware that the launcher can't depress as much as the autocannon - this is of utmost importance when fighting in hilly terrain. While it is possible to fire and hit an enemy, the missile needs a few seconds and distance to correct itself, making close-range shots impossible without considerable skill and practise.

MILANs are guided in a SACLOS manner, meaning they follow the crosshair, making them much easier to use than older missiles such as SS.11 or Malyutkas.

The last thing to note about these is their limited range - just 2 km. Most of its engagements do happen inside this range, but on larger maps such as Maginot Line, it won't hurt checking enemy distance with the laser rangefinder before firing. As SACLOS missiles, they can be used with some success against ATGM helicopters hovering on the battlefield, but again, checking their range is necessary in order not to waste the few missiles it has.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[MILAN]] missile || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 4 || ±5° || N/A || N/A || 13.00 || 11.50 || 10.60 || 10.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| MILAN || ATGM || 530 || 530 || 530 || 530 || 530 || 530
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Range (m)
! 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%
|-
| MILAN || ATGM || 200 || 2,000 || 6.7 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,830 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
|}

==== [[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
|-
| '''4''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}The Marder is armed with a MG3 machine gun, coaxial to the Rh202. While having a nice rate of fire, it is rifle-calibre and thus has very low penetration, useful only as a deterrent against low flying aircraft and helicopters and to clear obstacles in front of the vehicle. It is almost useless against enemy tanks, and only poses a threat to few open-top vehicles.

{| 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
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Marder 1A3 is a pretty decent IFV for its rank, and great scout thanks to its thermals - something uncommon at its BR.

Best strategy is to either use its mobility to rush advantageous positions near capture points in order to spot and counter enemy vehicles trying to cap, occasionally firing ATGM at high-value targets.

Another good strategy is to go for flanks - most of the time, players will meet enemy light vehicles, and Marders autocannon shreds them like cheese, denying enemy flanking routes and funnelling them towards allied tanks. Players should save ATGMs for self-defence, since they will be away from capture points in this scenario and thus unable to rearm. That doesn't mean they can't strike high value targets such as top tier tanks which happen to drive into their sight line.

If forced to CQC or brawl,players should stick to allies and support them. As soon as they see enemy tank fire, they can rush him and disable his gun and tracks, making him an easy target for your team mates.

'''Specific enemies worth mentioning:'''

[[AMX-30B2 BRENUS]] - Single handedly the most dangerous opponent Marder 1A3 can face in the frontal arc; resistant to DM63, equipped with ERA and APS that counters MILANs, armed with autocannon that can shred Marder 1A3 from the side to shreds. Lacks stabiliser, therefore players should force it to push them, or flank.

[[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54/55]], [[Type 59]] and its variants - Resistant to DM63 not only from the front, but also the side.

[[Warrior]] - Armed with thermals and autocannon that can easily destroy Marder from the front.

[[Type 87 RCV]] - Faster than Marder, equipped with equally dangerous autocannon.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent mobility
* One of the earliest vehicles to get thermals; great scout
* Can be used against helicopters and low flying aircraft
* Add-on armor increases its survivability against .50 cals and some autocannons

'''Cons:'''

* Armor still useless against larger guns and ATGMs
* Can't elevate its gun all the way up, presenting a blind spot against enemy aircraft
* Lot of enemies are resistant to DM63, even from the side
* MILANs start showing their age

== 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=germ_marder_1a3 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.''

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

BO 105 PAH-1A1

2021-07-04T12:59:31Z

U58644986: Small correction

{{About
| about = German utility helicopter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = BO 105 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=bo_105pah1_a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German utility helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]].

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - at sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___
|-
|}
While not the fastest helicopter at this BR, BO 105 PAH-1A1 is without a doubt the most agile one, being able to perform barrel rolls and other maneuvers without problems. This excellent agility is retained even while going at full speed.

Light weight of this helicopter also means that it won't bleed as much speed while doing so.

This agility allows for a plethora of defensive maneuvers.

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}
Being a repurposed utility helicopter, there are no armor plates nor armored glass to protect its two crewmembers.

Pilot and Co-pilot sit side by side in front of the helicopter, exposed to enemy fire. While they have access to flak vests modification, those won't protect them from the majority of threats they will face.

On the bright side, BO 105 PAH-1A1 has small size and is very agile; meaning it can utilize any cover very well and also dodge enemy fire with great success.

BO 105 PAH-1A1 is equipped with RWR (radar warning reciever) from the get go.

RWR issues a warning to the pilot when it detects active radar pulsing towards the helicopter; this will be heard as beeps. It also warns pilots when their helicopter gets "radar locked" by continuous tone. It also displays the approximate position of active radar relative to the helicopter and highlights radar that achieved "radar lock".

There are also weapon loadouts that allow BO 105 PAH-1A1 to equip countermeasures launchers, increasing its survivability in contested airspaces.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}As BO 105 PAH-1A1 has access to ATGMs while in stock configuration, Weapon modules are not priority and pilots can choose to go for Flight performance upgrades first. On the other hand, both gun pods modification allows BO 105 PAH-1A1 to equip countermeasures launchers.

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

{{main|HOT-2 TOW|FFAR Mighty Mouse|FN M3P (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 6 x HOT-2 TOW missiles
* 2 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine guns (500 rpg = 1,000 total) + 60 x Flares
* 2 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine guns (500 rpg = 1,000 total) + 60 x Flares + 6 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 1 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine gun (500 rpg) + 3 x HOT-2 TOW missiles + 30 x Flares
* 1 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine gun (500 rpg) + 3 x HOT-2 TOW missiles + 30 x Flares + 3 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets

'''HOT-2 TOW''' - BO 105 PAH-1A1 stock ATGMs and without a doubt, its strongest weapons. They offer up to 900mm of penetration and range of 4km.

'''12.7 mm FN M3P machine gun''' - gun pod containing standard .50cal machine gun with 1000 round belt. While these are pilots' best weapon against enemy helicopters and planes, they are severely underpowered for such tasks as most enemies will have access to Air-to-air missiles. They are also next to useless against ground targets and can only reliably damage open top vehicles.

'''FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets''' - Sporting 290mm of penetration, these can be used against roof armor of ground vehicles. However, BO 105 PAH-1A1 is a less than ideal platform for their use, as it lacks a ballistic computer to provide firing solution and carries only 6x of them at max. On top of that, their effective use requires close distance to targets - and as there is no armor on BO 105 PAH-1A1, they basically guarantee that the helicopter will get shot down.

'''Countermeasures launcher''' - Provides 30x countermeasures per one launcher. This option allows for another layer of defense, but BO 105 PAH-1A1 cant take its maximum possible number of ATGMs while using them, severely limiting its fragging potential.

== Usage in battles ==
'''Ground Realistic Battles'''

'''Loadout'''

BO 105 PAH-1A1 should be used only as an ATGM carrier. HOT-2 missiles are strong for its BR, but pilots should be aware that composite and reactive armor are becoming more common and they significantly reduce the amount of spalling from chemical munitions.

Pilots can either choose from pure ATGM loadout or ATGMs combined with gun pods and countermeasures launchers. First option has better fragging potential against ground targets, while second option increases helicopter survivability by adding another layer of defense against AA and gun pod to fend off aerial threats at cost of halved ATGM count. Sadly, a single gun pod with .50cal is not much of a threat to aerial targets, but it is certainly better than nothing.

As most ground AA vehicles utilize radar guidance for both missiles and guns, and only two vehicles currently in game utilize IR missiles ([[PGZ04A]] and [[Type 93]]), pilots should pick the “Chaff only” option most of the time. Chaff breaks radar lock and confuses enemy tracking radar, increasing probability of miss.

Under no circumstances should pilots pick pure gun pod loadout, as it practically makes them a dead weight.

'''Tactics'''

Pilots should approach the battlefield flying at low altitude, keeping a distance of 4 km (maximum range of ATGMs). Then they should bleed speed and start hovering. Finding any cover to hover behind and to break line of sight tremendously helps players survival - even trees can become extremely useful.

Pilots should pop above the cover for a few seconds, launch a missile or two, then go back and change position. Rinse and repeat.

Pilots should stay around an altitude of 25 m when not engaging enemy tanks. Helicopters at this altitude confuse tracking radar and search radar might not detect them at all. Radar needs an unobstructed line of sight to work properly, so flying low and utilizing ground obstacles helps with helicopters survival. RWR helps with detection of enemy radar AA, but pilots should note that lack of active radar does not necessarily mean that there's no AA active; some skilled players turn off search radars in order to drawn out enemy air assets out of cover. If there's enemy AA, it needs to be taken out first.

Also, proximity fuze of SAMs is disabled below 25 m. If the pilots are higher and they detect incoming fire or SAM, they should try to duck below 25 m as fast as possible, deploy countermeasures if they have them equipped and they should consider disengaging for the time being. Direct hit can and will obliterate helicopters, but those are harder to pull off when dodging.

Staying in one place not only helps the enemy team to locate helicopters sooner, but some tanks with laser range finders might be able to shoot hovering helicopters down with tank guns at a range of several kilometres, since they present almost static targets.

At BO 105 PAH-1A1s BR, the biggest threat comes in the form of SAMs, such as [[Roland|Roland missiles]]. Those greatly outrange BO 105 PAH-1A1, thus it is vital to keep situational awareness at all times. Due to their speed, there is just a small time window when pilots can successfully dodge.

Planes and other helicopters also pose a significant threat - if an aerial target is spotted, pilots should consider retreating, either to the closest airfield or in the vicinity of friendly AA. If an enemy helicopter is spotted, pilots may attempt to shoot it down with ATGM if it's close enough, but misses are to be expected.

Pilots should engage aerial targets with gun pods only in self defense and as last resort, since BO 105 PAH-1A1 is poorly equipped for such task.

'''Specific enemies worth mentioning:'''

[[T-64 (Family)|T-64]] and [[T-72 (Family)|T-72]] tanks - Later models are equipped with ERA, and thus can survive several hits from ATGMs in the frontal arc.

[[FlaRakPz 1|FlakRakPz1]] and [[Roland 1]] - Both can be equipped with Roland 3 SAMs that greatly outranges HOT-2 missiles, but they are radar guided and thus RWR can detect them.

[[Type 93]] - Rarer vehicle, but dangerous nonetheless. Pilots need to detect its missiles visually as they are IR guided, making RWR useless.

[[Khrizantema-S]] - While not dedicated AA, it has access to powerful missiles with enough range to pose a threat.

[[SA 342M Gazelle|Gazelle helicopters]] - They have access to all powerful [[Mistral]] air-to-air missiles.

[[Mi-24P]] and [[Mi-24V]] - Even more threatening than Gazelle helicopters, not only they are heavily armored and armed with deadly cannons, they also have access to [[R-60M]] air-to-air missiles

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

* Small size
* Excellent agility
* Armed with powerful HOT-2 missiles
* Does not need to research said missiles
* Has access to RWR while stock
* Can research countermeasures launchers

*

'''Cons:'''

* Equipping countermeasures launchers halves ATGM count
* No organic gun arment; relies on gun pods
* Defenseless agaisnt most aerial threats
* Lacks thermals
* No armor

*

== History ==

The development of the BO 105 light utility helicopter started in 1964 by the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm company. The prototype made its first flight on 16 February 1967. The design was known for its very good manoeuvrability, even allowing use for aerobatic show purposes (with the Red Bull Flying Bulls for instance). It had a good load capacity, a decent speed, and nice, steady, and responsive controls, as well as good flight behaviour.

In 1975, the German Army, interested in the design, commissionned a BO 105 armed with wire controlled HOT ATGMs for anti-tank purposes, thus creating the BO 105 PAH-1. The newer HOT-2 ATGMs were installed in the PAH-1A1 variant. This helicopter however was considerated as a temporary solution, while waiting for a proper anti-tank platform (what would become the [[EC-665 Tiger UHT]])

The BO-105 didn't have proper combat services: it is presumed to have been used by Indonesian forces, in the Papua conflict and the 1999 East Timorese crisis. The helicopter was almost exclusively used in civilian roles such as EMS.

== Media ==


;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:BO 105 all WTWallpaper 001.jpg
File:BO 105 PAH-1A1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg
File:BO 105 PAH-1A1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg
</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 series of the helicopter;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5824-development-bo-105-attack-helicopters-en|[Devblog] BO 105 Attack Helicopters]]

{{AirManufacturer MBB}}
{{Germany helicopters}}

BO 105 PAH-1A1

2021-07-04T12:57:53Z

U58644986: Filled in blanks, might add pictures later

{{About
| about = German utility helicopter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = BO 105 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=bo_105pah1_a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German utility helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]].

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - at sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___
|-
|}
While not the fastest helicopter at this BR, BO 105 PAH-1A1 is without a doubt the most agile one, being able to perform barrel rolls and other maneuvers without problems. This excellent agility is retained even while going at full speed.

Light weight of this helicopter also means that it won't bleed as much speed while doing so.

This agility allows for a plethora of defensive maneuvers.

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}
Being a repurposed utility helicopter, there are no armor plates nor armored glass to protect its two crewmembers.

Pilot and Co-pilot sit side by side in front of the helicopter, exposed to enemy fire. While they have access to flak vests modification, those won't protect them from the majority of threats they will face.

On the bright side, BO 105 PAH-1A1 has small size and is very agile; meaning it can utilize any cover very well and also dodge enemy fire with great success.

BO 105 PAH-1A1 is equipped with RWR (radar warning reciever) from the get go.

RWR issues a warning to the pilot when it detects active radar pulsing towards the helicopter; this will be heard as beeps. It also warns pilots when their plane gets "radar locked" by continuous tone. It also displays the approximate position of active radar relative to the helicopter and highlights radar that achieved "radar lock".

There are also weapon loadouts that allow BO 105 PAH-1A1 to equip countermeasures launchers, increasing its survivability in contested airspaces.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}As BO 105 PAH-1A1 has access to ATGMs while in stock configuration, Weapon modules are not priority and pilots can choose to go for Flight performance upgrades first. On the other hand, both gun pods modification allows BO 105 PAH-1A1 to equip countermeasures launchers.

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

{{main|HOT-2 TOW|FFAR Mighty Mouse|FN M3P (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 6 x HOT-2 TOW missiles
* 2 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine guns (500 rpg = 1,000 total) + 60 x Flares
* 2 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine guns (500 rpg = 1,000 total) + 60 x Flares + 6 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 1 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine gun (500 rpg) + 3 x HOT-2 TOW missiles + 30 x Flares
* 1 x 12.7 mm FN M3P machine gun (500 rpg) + 3 x HOT-2 TOW missiles + 30 x Flares + 3 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets

'''HOT-2 TOW''' - BO 105 PAH-1A1 stock ATGMs and without a doubt, its strongest weapons. They offer up to 900mm of penetration and range of 4km.

'''12.7 mm FN M3P machine gun''' - gun pod containing standard .50cal machine gun with 1000 round belt. While these are pilots' best weapon against enemy helicopters and planes, they are severely underpowered for such tasks as most enemies will have access to Air-to-air missiles. They are also next to useless against ground targets and can only reliably damage open top vehicles.

'''FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets''' - Sporting 290mm of penetration, these can be used against roof armor of ground vehicles. However, BO 105 PAH-1A1 is a less than ideal platform for their use, as it lacks a ballistic computer to provide firing solution and carries only 6x of them at max. On top of that, their effective use requires close distance to targets - and as there is no armor on BO 105 PAH-1A1, they basically guarantee that the helicopter will get shot down.

'''Countermeasures launcher''' - Provides 30x countermeasures per one launcher. This option allows for another layer of defense, but BO 105 PAH-1A1 cant take its maximum possible number of ATGMs while using them, severely limiting its fragging potential.

== Usage in battles ==
'''Ground Realistic Battles'''

'''Loadout'''

BO 105 PAH-1A1 should be used only as an ATGM carrier. HOT-2 missiles are strong for its BR, but pilots should be aware that composite and reactive armor are becoming more common and they significantly reduce the amount of spalling from chemical munitions.

Pilots can either choose from pure ATGM loadout or ATGMs combined with gun pods and countermeasures launchers. First option has better fragging potential against ground targets, while second option increases helicopter survivability by adding another layer of defense against AA and gun pod to fend off aerial threats at cost of halved ATGM count. Sadly, a single gun pod with .50cal is not much of a threat to aerial targets, but it is certainly better than nothing.

As most ground AA vehicles utilize radar guidance for both missiles and guns, and only two vehicles currently in game utilize IR missiles ([[PGZ04A]] and [[Type 93]]), pilots should pick the “Chaff only” option most of the time. Chaff breaks radar lock and confuses enemy tracking radar, increasing probability of miss.

Under no circumstances should pilots pick pure gun pod loadout, as it practically makes them a dead weight.

'''Tactics'''

Pilots should approach the battlefield flying at low altitude, keeping a distance of 4 km (maximum range of ATGMs). Then they should bleed speed and start hovering. Finding any cover to hover behind and to break line of sight tremendously helps players survival - even trees can become extremely useful.

Pilots should pop above the cover for a few seconds, launch a missile or two, then go back and change position. Rinse and repeat.

Pilots should stay around an altitude of 25 m when not engaging enemy tanks. Helicopters at this altitude confuse tracking radar and search radar might not detect them at all. Radar needs an unobstructed line of sight to work properly, so flying low and utilizing ground obstacles helps with helicopters survival. RWR helps with detection of enemy radar AA, but pilots should note that lack of active radar does not necessarily mean that there's no AA active; some skilled players turn off search radars in order to drawn out enemy air assets out of cover. If there's enemy AA, it needs to be taken out first.

Also, proximity fuze of SAMs is disabled below 25 m. If the pilots are higher and they detect incoming fire or SAM, they should try to duck below 25 m as fast as possible, deploy countermeasures if they have them equipped and they should consider disengaging for the time being. Direct hit can and will obliterate helicopters, but those are harder to pull off when dodging.

Staying in one place not only helps the enemy team to locate helicopters sooner, but some tanks with laser range finders might be able to shoot hovering helicopters down with tank guns at a range of several kilometres, since they present almost static targets.

At BO 105 PAH-1A1s BR, the biggest threat comes in the form of SAMs, such as [[Roland|Roland missiles]]. Those greatly outrange BO 105 PAH-1A1, thus it is vital to keep situational awareness at all times. Due to their speed, there is just a small time window when pilots can successfully dodge.

Planes and other helicopters also pose a significant threat - if an aerial target is spotted, pilots should consider retreating, either to the closest airfield or in the vicinity of friendly AA. If an enemy helicopter is spotted, pilots may attempt to shoot it down with ATGM if it's close enough, but misses are to be expected.

Pilots should engage aerial targets with gun pods only in self defense and as last resort, since BO 105 PAH-1A1 is poorly equipped for such task.

'''Specific enemies worth mentioning:'''

[[T-64 (Family)|T-64]] and [[T-72 (Family)|T-72]] tanks - Later models are equipped with ERA, and thus can survive several hits from ATGMs in the frontal arc.

[[FlaRakPz 1|FlakRakPz1]] and [[Roland 1]] - Both can be equipped with Roland 3 SAMs that greatly outranges HOT-2 missiles, but they are radar guided and thus RWR can detect them.

[[Type 93]] - Rarer vehicle, but dangerous nonetheless. Pilots need to detect its missiles visually as they are IR guided, making RWR useless.

[[Khrizantema-S]] - While not dedicated AA, it has access to powerful missiles with enough range to pose a threat.

[[SA 342M Gazelle|Gazelle helicopters]] - They have access to all powerful [[Mistral]] air-to-air missiles.

[[Mi-24P]] and [[Mi-24V]] - Even more threatening than Gazelle helicopters, not only they are heavily armored and armed with deadly cannons, they also have access to [[R-60M]] air-to-air missiles

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

* Small size
* Excellent agility
* Armed with powerful HOT-2 missiles
* Does not need to research said missiles
* Has access to RWR while stock
* Can research countermeasures launchers

*

'''Cons:'''

* Equipping countermeasures launchers halves ATGM count
* No organic gun arment; relies on gun pods
* Defenseless agaisnt most aerial threats
* Lacks thermals
* No armor

*

== History ==

The development of the BO 105 light utility helicopter started in 1964 by the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm company. The prototype made its first flight on 16 February 1967. The design was known for its very good manoeuvrability, even allowing use for aerobatic show purposes (with the Red Bull Flying Bulls for instance). It had a good load capacity, a decent speed, and nice, steady, and responsive controls, as well as good flight behaviour.

In 1975, the German Army, interested in the design, commissionned a BO 105 armed with wire controlled HOT ATGMs for anti-tank purposes, thus creating the BO 105 PAH-1. The newer HOT-2 ATGMs were installed in the PAH-1A1 variant. This helicopter however was considerated as a temporary solution, while waiting for a proper anti-tank platform (what would become the [[EC-665 Tiger UHT]])

The BO-105 didn't have proper combat services: it is presumed to have been used by Indonesian forces, in the Papua conflict and the 1999 East Timorese crisis. The helicopter was almost exclusively used in civilian roles such as EMS.

== Media ==


;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:BO 105 all WTWallpaper 001.jpg
File:BO 105 PAH-1A1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg
File:BO 105 PAH-1A1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg
</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 series of the helicopter;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5824-development-bo-105-attack-helicopters-en|[Devblog] BO 105 Attack Helicopters]]

{{AirManufacturer MBB}}
{{Germany helicopters}}

F-4F (Germany)

2021-07-02T23:10:00Z

U58644986: Filled in text, might add pictures later

{{Specs-Card
|code=f-4f_late
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]]. Famous, dreaded and almost mythical F-4 Phantom II in its F variant marks the end of Germany's line of NATO planes and provides strong air superiority fighter and supremely potent ground attacker to German pilots.

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

Equipped with twin MTU Aero J79-MTU-17A engines ( licensed copy of F-4E Phantom II engines), each providing 8010kp of thrust when spaded, F-4F provides solid performance at any altitude.

While not as fast climber as [[F-104G|its predecessor]], it can still climb incredibly well. Its acceleration is above average thanks to its twin egines.

F-4F also has incredible roll rate and thanks to its “Agile Eagle <nowiki>''</nowiki> upgrade and all flying tail, it can also pull high G maneuvers without any issues.

However, pilots should be aware, that while newfound agility of Phantom might tempt them to dogfight, they should still stick to Boom’n’Zoom tactics as F-4F is heavy, and any prolonged turning will bleed a lot of speed - and slow jet is a dead jet.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,192 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
| 2,066 || 2,020 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 26.5 || 27.8 || 162.3 || 152.4 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! 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}} || 607 || 583 || 463 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 810 || < 750 || < 700 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | 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="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | MTU Aero Engines J79-MTU-17A || 2
| colspan="2" | 14,375 kg || colspan="2" | 398 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 1,724 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 15,941 kg || 18,196 kg || 19,595 kg || 24,000 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="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 5,200 kgf || 8,008 kgf
| 1.00 || 0.88 || 0.82 || 0.67
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 5,200 kgf (0 km/h) || 10,170 kgf (1,400 km/h)
| 1.28 || 1.12 || 1.04 || 0.85
|-
|}

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

In terms of armor, there is no armored glass in the cockpit of F-4F, nor any relevant armor at any crucial part of the plane. There is an 8.5mm thick steel plate just below the forward fuel tank of the plane, but due to its size relative to the size of the plane, it might as well not be there at all.

All fuel tanks are self sealing, but this is pretty much standard at this BR. Pilots should note that right behind the cockpit, the middle and back section of the plane is littered with modules - fuel tanks, engines, and traction of control surfaces are all tightly packed together and thus any hit to this part of the plane will cause critical damage to at least one component.

As regard to F-4F avionics, it is armed with Radar Warning Receiver (or RWR in short) from the get go and can unlock countermeasures launcher as tier I upgrade (which [[F-4F Early]] could not).

Countermeasures are either Flares or Chaff. Flares are crucial to defeating IR guided missiles, while Chaff confuses enemy radars. Pilots should note that since F-4F is equipped with two engines, its heat signature is enormous, especially with afterburner active; thus they need to turn afterburner off in order to successfully evade IR missile.

RWR issues a warning to the pilot when it detects active radar pulsing towards the player; this will be heard as beeps. It also warns pilots when their plane gets “radar locked” by continuous tone. It also displays the approximate position of active radar relative to the plane and highlights radar that achieved “radar lock”.

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
Pilots should start researching countermeasures from the get go, since it is almost impossible to dodge missiles such as Matra Magic without them. After that, pilots' focus should be on getting [[AIM-9J Sidewinder|AIM-9Js]], as those are F-4F strongest missiles and best weapon against enemy planes.

Order of modifications:

Countermeasures > AIM-9B FGW.2 > New boosters > AIM-9E > G-suit > Wings repair > AIM-9J

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

{{main|M61 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61 cannon, chin-mounted (640 rpg)

M61 is an excellent cannon at its rank, only disadvantages being short spool up time and limited ammo count relative to rate of fire.

Armed with anti-air belts for Air RB, even a short burst is fatal to any enemy aircraft; provided burst connects.

Cannon excels even in Ground RB armed with armor-piercing belts, giving it 53mm of penetration, which is enough to get through most SPAAs and light tanks armor and can even pierce the engine deck of T-90A.

Last thing to note is that trigger discipline is a must.

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

{{main|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)}}
{{main|AGM-65B|AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder|AIM-9E Sidewinder|AIM-9J Sidewinder}}
{{main|FFAR Mighty Mouse|Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP|M61 (20 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x 20 mm M61 cannons (1,200 rpg = 2,400 total)
* 2 x 20 mm M61 cannons + 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x 20 mm M61 cannons + 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x 20 mm M61 cannons + 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles
* 285 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 60 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 24 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 16 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 11 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (11,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 171 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 36 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 18 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 10 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (7,500 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 7 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (7,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 171 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 36 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 18 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 10 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (7,500 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 7 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (7,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles + 171 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles + 36 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles + 18 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles + 10 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (7,500 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles + 7 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (7,000 lb total)
* 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles + 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 2 x AGM-65B missiles
* 2 x AGM-65B missiles + 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AGM-65B missiles + 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AGM-65B missiles + 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles

'''M61 Gunpods''' - additional gunpods with M61 cannons, providing 1200 rounds per gun.These basically allow pilot to put a wall of lead between their plane and the enemy, however, they severely hamper planes flight performance.

'''Air to Air'''

'''AIM-9B FGW.2''' - Bravo version are F-4F stock missiles, should be used only until better options become available, as they are obsolete at this BR.

'''AIM-9E''' - first upgraded missiles available to F-4F, Echo Sidewinders provide much needed performance boost over the Bravo version. Better speed, better range and wider seeker window allow Echos to hit more reliably. Still, they retain its predecessor's poor G limit and should be used only as stop gap solution.

'''AIM-9J''' - Final upgrade available to F-4F, Juliett Sidewinders provide excellent performance and are the best Sidewinders available to German pilots. They can pull twice the G limit of its predecessors, are resistant to flares and can be radar slaved (which helps in high traffic airspace or when leading a target). These bad boys should be pilots' weapons of choice for engaging air targets.

'''Air to Ground'''

As F-4F is equipped with a ballistic computer, coupled with its ability to equip massive amounts of ordnance, F-4F can become an extremely potent ground attacker with ANY ground attack payload.

'''FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets''' - rockets commonly found on NATO helicopters, Mighty Mouse rockets provide solid performance against ground targets. Sporting 290mm of penetration, these can easily get through roof armor of most vehicles in game, though some ERA equipped tanks can survive few hits. While not having enough explosive mass to score kills with indirect hits, ballistic computers helps with their aiming and as F-4F can equip up to 285x of them, allowing pilots to compensate accuracy with quantity.

'''Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets''' - basically Mighty Mouse rockets on steroids, Zunis are anti-everything tool. Their HEAT warhead provides up to 457mm of penetration and thanks to their explosive mass that equals to 8.91 kg of TNT, they can severely damage light targets with indirect hits.

'''AGM-65B missiles''' - unique to the F-4F (in terms of German planes in general) are AGM-65Bs, more known as Mavericks. These are fire and forget anti-tank missiles with TV guidance and range of 6km. Their warheads can penetrate up to 830mm of armor. As they are fire and forget, they are great to use in contested airspace when compared to bombs, though F-4F can carry only 2x of them at once.

'''Bombs''' - F-4F, being equipped with a ballistic computer, turns any bomb payload into a much more viable option. Turning on the ballistic computer allows pilot to use arcade style crosshairs, so any pilot is capable of hitting ground targets with laser-like accuracy.

F-4F is capable of carrying up to 24x bombs (when using 500lb. bombs) and these are dropped individually, allowing the player '''in theory to achieve a whopping 24 kills per payload''', thus completely wiping the enemy team from existence (In practise however, there will be enemy AA units, and F-4F carrying all that ordnance practically becomes a rock with wings). All bombs carried by F-4F are viable, so it is up to pilots personal preferences.

== Usage in battles ==

'''Usage in battles:'''

'''Ground battles'''

Most air to air combat in ground battles happen inside cannon range; thus it is not recommended to take Sidewinders to ground battles, and focus purely on CAS.

As stated above, the F-4F is an extremely potent ground attacker. Since there are currently only two AA vehicles armed with IR missiles ([[PGZ04A]] and [[Type 93]]) in game, pilots should prioritise chaff when picking up countermeasures. Chaff helps with confusing enemy search and tracking radars, increasing probability of miss and thus increasing F-4F survivability.

Flying high above the battlefield is ill advised, as this approach puts pilots in the killzone of most enemy SAMs.

Radar needs an unobstructed line of sight to work properly, so flying low and utilizing ground obstacles helps with plane survival. Pilots should approach the battlefield at low altitude and do a flyby over enemy spawn in order to determine whenever the enemy team has active AA or not. RWR helps with this task, but pilots should be of note that lack of active radar does not necessarily mean that there's no AA active; some skilled players turn off search radars in order to drawn out enemy air assets out of cover. If there's enemy AA, it needs to be taken out first. Only then should pilot gain altitude necessary for ground attacks. If a pilot gets warning that radar lock has been achieved, he should immediately deploy chaff, start evasive maneuvers, and he should consider disengaging for the time being.

Pilots should not be afraid to inform their teammates in chat while approaching the battlefield, as forward observers help immensely with locating enemy ground assets; F-4F working this way in tandem with squadmates on ground can turn the tide of battle in a matter of minutes.

'''Air to Air battles'''

Generally speaking, pilots should always try to stick to their teammates. While F-4Fs agility might be tempting , due to its weight, it bleeds speed a lot. Dogfighting a single plane might be doable, but doing so often leaves F-4F in low energy state and thus extremely vulnerable. Pilots also tend to tunnel vision on a single enemy, thus exposing themselves to other enemy planes; teammates can provide much needed cover in this scenario, allowing pilots to survive longer.

As for fuel load, F-4F performs best when afterburner is activated - but pilots should be aware that afterburner devours a lot of fuel. Thus it is not advised to take lighter fuel loads; pilots should take either 20 or 28 minutes load, depending on how much they plan to be active.

At the start of the game, pilots should first accelerate to a speed of 1000-11000km/h, then climb to around 3km height, and head towards the battlefield. As F-4F is not armed with SAHR missiles, climbing higher is ill advised, as higher altitudes tend to be dominated by planes equipped with SAHR missiles - those don't need rear aspect to achieve lock, as they use radar guidance and thus they can lock onto enemies from front and side. <blockquote>''SAHR missiles need continuous radar lock of enemy planes in order to score a hit; older radars (those without look down/shoot down ability) tend to pick up a lot of clutter (reflection of radar waves from the ground) when aimed towards ground. This means older radars lose their lock when aiming at the enemy that is below them, significantly reducing SAHR missile effectiveness.'' </blockquote>By simply staying lower than SAHR equipped enemies, pilots should be relatively safe (as long as they keep situational awareness). On top of that, pilots can equip chaff as another layer of protection against SAHR missiles.

Pilots should not turn fight and instead stick to boom’n’zoom tactics. Luckily, thanks to excellent AIM-9Js, F-4F doesn't need to turn fight in most cases. Optimal launch range is from 1 to 3km - closer and missile might not be able to keep track, farther and missile might run out of fuel before reaching its target. <blockquote>''Missile range is dependent on several factors - speed of launching plane, speed of targeted plane, their mutual distance, amount of maneuvering missile needs to do and speed and/or height advantage of launching plane. Generally speaking, missile traveling in a straight line will have better range than maneuvering missile. Also, missile launched from higher altitude and with initial speed advantage will also have better range.'' </blockquote>As for evading missiles, it depends on distance and type of missile launched. It is not advised to pull high G maneuvers when the missile is launched outside 3.5km range, as the missile still has time and energy to correct itself before impact, while the target plane just bleeds all of its energy and is left defenseless.

Missiles launched at 3 - 3.5km range or greater can be dodged without need for high G maneuvers - simply performing F-pole while going fast is often enough to defeat them (to perform F-pole, pilot first turns 45° either left or right, and continues in that direction for one to two seconds, then turns 45° or more in the opposite direction); this maneuver does not waste precious countermeasures nor energy. Of course, pilots can also turn off the afterburner and deploy flares as another layer of protection.

Missiles launched below 3km require different tactics. As most modern missiles can pull 20 Gs or more, pilots need to get as many countermeasures as they can between them and incoming missile; this often requires combination with high G evasive maneuvers, as countermeasures are not 100% guarantee and a missile that locked onto countermeasures might still continue in its path and hit an escaping plane.

If pilots need to counter ground based AA, the best tactic is to break line of sight; by either flying behind cover such as mountains or flying close to the ground.

'''Specific enemies worth mentioning:'''

[[Mirage IIIE|'''Mirages''']]''', [[F-5C|F-5s]] and [[J35D|J-35s]]:''' While F-4F thanks to its Agile Eagle upgrade can get these planes in its crosshair, they are more than capable to out turn F-4F in prolonged turns. On top of that, Mirage is armed with a dreaded [[Matra R550 Magic 1|Magic]] AAM that is capable of pulling 30 Gs.

'''[[MiG-21 (Family)|Mig-21]]<nowiki/>s:''' Same case as above; Most of these planes are armed with [[R-60]] AAM, capable of pulling 30 Gs.

'''[[F-4E Phantom II|F-4E Phantom IIs]], [[F-4EJ Phantom II|F-4EJ]] and [[Phantom FG.1|Phantoms FGR.1]] and [[Phantom FGR.2|2]]''': While these planes offer similar flight performance, they are armed with [[AIM-7E Sparrow|SAHR]] missiles, and thus have significant advantage while fighting at high altitudes.

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

* Best NATO jet aviable in German tech tree
* Best Sidewinders aviable in German tech tree
* Same flight performance as dreaded american F-4E Phantom II
* Potent ground attacker
* Unique AGM-65B Maverick fire and forget missiles
* Unlike its main competitors (▀MiG-21MF and F-4F Early), has acces to both RWR and countermeasures

*

'''Cons:'''

* Heavy, bleeds speed a lot in turns
* Lacks SAHR missiles
* Pure CAS loadout reduces flight performance
* Big size, presents giant target
* Limited ammunition for its internal cannon

*

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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 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.''

{{Germany jet aircraft}}

UH-1D (Germany)

2021-06-15T17:03:34Z

U58644986: Filled in blanks on german Huey, slightly adjusted Pros and Cons as IMO joystick specific handling was described in too much detail relatively to amount of players flying with joystic.

{{About
| about = German utility helicopter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = UH-1 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uh_1d
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German utility helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]]. Icon of Vietnam war, this upgraded Huey utility helicopter built under license by german Dornier takes on its predecessors abilities and improves upon them in almost every way.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Heli-Flight}}
▀UH-1D is a utility helicopter first and foremost.This means that it is not built for speed nor agility.

However, players must look at ▀UH-1D in context of its BR.

Compared to its contemporaries, such as [[Mi-4AV|Mi-4]], it is surprisingly fast (with only [[AH-1G]] being faster), thanks to its powerful Lycoming T53-L-13 turboshaft engine.

Engine provides 1,300hp , making it the best performing engine in the [[UH-1 (Family)|Huey family]]. This allows the ▀UH-1D to reach speeds of almost 250km/h while in stock configuration.

It's climb rate is also very good for its BR, 15m/h when stock is twice as good as [[SA 313B Alouette II (Germany)|its predecessor]] and it even beats some older [[Mi-24 (Family)|Mi-24]] helicopters by 6m/s.

In regards to its agility, it is average. While it is heavier than its predecessor and certainly not agile enough to perform barrel roll, it's good enough to perform defensive maneuvers or lay its gun on targets.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - at sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}
Being designed as a utility helicopter, ▀UH-1D does not enjoy any defensive measures commonly found on dedicated attack helicopters, thus its survivability remains below average.

There's no armor plating nor ballistic glass, and having only one engine, any damage to it can prove to be fatal.

▀UH-1D has only two crewmembers, sitting side by side in front of the helicopter. Due to the aforementioned lack of any armor or bulletproof glass, their survivability is quite poor.

▀UH-1D also has no defensive countermeasures found on modern helicopters. There are no flares nor IRCM, thus it is quite vulnerable to IR missiles. It also has no RWR (radar warning receiver) nor MAW (missile approach warning), relying purely on visual detection to detect incoming cannon fire and SAMs.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}Players' main focus should be on getting an SS.11 upgrade. This unlocks the ability to carry up to 6(!)x missiles [[SS.11|AS.11]] ATGMs. Those dramatically increase not only ▀UH-1D survivability, but also effectiveness against armored targets. Thus it is preferable to start researching IL.68.22.I module first, as the player needs only one tier I module to progress and this module is a prerequisite for SS.11 upgrade. After that, it's up to the player what to research next.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Heli-Armaments}}
While ▀UH-1D can research NVD modification, players should be of note that Huey lacks dedicated built-in ATGM optics. This means only pilot gets access to NVD, drastically limiting Hueys effectiveness during night battles.

Huey also lacks a ballistic computer, making its unguided rockets somewhat inaccurate at longer distances.

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

{{main|AS.11|FFAR Mighty Mouse|TDA|M134 Minigun (7.62 mm)}}

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

* 38 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 44 x TDA rockets
* 2 x 7.62 mm M134 Minigun machine guns (1,500 rpg = 3,000 total)
* 6 x AS.11 missiles

'''FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets''' - stock arment available from the get go. They are launched in pairs and have up to 290mm of penetration. They are also slightly faster than TDA rockets and have slightly bigger explosive mass. Sadly their warhead is not powerful enough to cause indirect kills, meaning player needs to land a hit directly on the enemy tank in order to take him out.

'''TDA rockets''' - tier I upgrade, these rockets offer slightly better penetration at cost of speed and explosive mass. Huey is also able to carry 6x more when compared to Mighty Mouse rockets.

'''7.62 mm M134 Minigun''' - probably players best choice of weapon against other helicopters and planes. While having a high rate of fire, being of rifle caliber they present no threat to most ground vehicles (though they will decimate those few open top vehicles player may encounter).

'''AS.11 missiles''' - best weapon to deal with ground targets, ▀UH-1D can carry up to 6x of them. They are able to penetrate 600mm of armor at max. There are not many tanks on ▀UH-1D BR that carry reactive or composite armor, making them quite good. Their launch window is also huge, making the task of acquiring targets easier.

== Usage in battles ==
As with any other helicopter, pilots should either adopt tactics of '''helicopter rush''' or '''sniping with ATGMs'''.

The longer the match goes on, the higher the chances of enemy AA appearing. This means players' chance to successfully employ helicopter rush tactics gets lower as the match drags on, making helicopter rush viable only in the early game.

From mid to late game, player might want to go with the tactic of sniping with ATGMs, picking off targets from maximum possible distance.

'''Helicopter rush'''

'''Recommended loadout:''' Mighty Mouse or TDA rockets

It is entirely up to the player's preference which unguided rockets he picks, as both perform rather similarly.

'''Tactics:'''

Even with better armored helicopters, using unguided rockets is always a gamble. Player needs to get close and personal with enemy ground vehicles - ▀UH-1D, lacking any sort of armor or countermeasures, is thus extremely vulnerable. Players success depends on whenever the enemy team has active AA. Thus it is better to helicopter rush at start of the battle rather than during, as there's smaller chance of enemy AA being present.

When helicopter rushing, player needs to approach the battlefield as low as possible, in order to avoid enemy radar and break line of sight by putting terrain, trees and structures between himself and the enemy. Players should select heliport spawn closer to the battlefield, and start approaching either enemy spawn or capture point; those areas have the highest chance of enemies being concentrated there.

Players should try to gain as much speed as possible before reaching their destination.

Once nearing 1 km distance from the objective, player should pull up and convert speed into attitude. While this will position player in the killzone of most dedicated AA vehicles in game, chances of those being active at the start of the match are low, and it will also position him to easily target roof armour of enemy vehicles, which is usually thin and not protected by ERA, allowing unguided rockets to slice right through it. Player should try to visually identify any AA vehicles and eliminate them first, as it increases his chance of survival.

While player can also attack similarly to the plane and fly ground level in order to avoid enemy AA, this tactic poses significant risk as most weapons carried by main battle tanks and IFVs can elevate high enough to target the player. Approaching helicopter '''will''' be heard before seen, as helicopters are loud, and more skilled players can determine helicopters direction from sound alone, allowing them to shoot helicopter down with machine guns and cannon fire as soon as it appears above the horizon. As ▀UH-1D lacks any armor, its survivability in this scenario is nearly non-existent.

'''ATGM snipping'''

'''Recommended loadout''': 6x AS.11 missile

Having greater capacity than its predecessor, this payload in theory enables an accurate player to score 6 kills at maximum. Though player must be aware that AS.11 missiles are relatively slow and it might take time for them to reach their maximum range. Thus player should not waste their missiles at vehicles that are near cover as the enemy can leave his line of sight before the missile arrives.

'''Tactics:'''

Player should approach battlefield flying at low altitude, keeping distance of 3 km (maximum range of ATGMs). Bleed speed and start hovering. Finding any cover to hover behind and to break line of sight tremendously helps players survival - even trees can become extremely useful.

At ▀UH-1D BR, the biggest threat comes in the form of cannon SPAAGs, such as [[ZSU-23-4|Shilkas]]. Those have the same range as ▀UH-1D missiles, thus it is vital to stay vigilant at all times. 3km range should give the player enough time to dodge if he spots enemy SPAAG firing in his direction soon enough. Sadly, it is possible to meet AA armed with SAMs when uptiered - those pose an even bigger threat than cannon armed SPAAGs, as they give player little to no time to react due to their speed and accuracy.

Pop above the cover for a few seconds, launch a missile or two, then go back. Change position, rinse and repeat. Player should stay around an altitude of 25 m when not engaging enemy tanks. Helicopter at this altitude confuses tracking radar and search radar might not detect them at all. Also, proximity fuze of SAMs is disabled below 25 m. If player is higher and he detects incoming fire or SAM, he should try to duck below 25 m as fast as possible. Direct hit can and will obliterate ▀UH-1D, but those are harder to pull off when dodging.

Staying in one place not only helps the enemy team to locate helicopter sooner, but some tanks with laser range finders might be able to shoot hovering helicopter down with tank guns at a range of several kilometres, since they present almost static target.

Planes and other helicopters also pose significant threat to player as ▀UH-1D cannot equip guns together with any missiles - if plane is spotted, player should consider retreating, either to closest airfield or in the vicinity of friendly AA. If an enemy helicopter is spotted, player may attempt to shoot it down with ATGM if its close enough, but due to their relatively slow speed, misses are to be expected.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Able to carry 6 SS.11s ATGMs
* Able to carry unguided HEAT rockets with good penetration (which the predecessor [[SA.313B Alouette II (Germany)|Alouette II]] could not)
* Reasonably fast
* Very wide ATGM camera gimbal limits (110 degrees to each side horizontally and +10 to -70 vertically)
* Light weight allows helicopter to glide reasonably well, for a helicopter (glide ratio 4:1, 15° below horizon)
* Excellent joystick specific handling characteristics

'''Cons:'''

* Has a moderate tendency to nose over into an inverted dive
* Low redline speed (160 knots, 295 km/h),
* Helicopter is rather fat and long, therefore easy to hit
* Cannot equip any guns together with missile/rockets and the only gun modification allowed is the fixed M134 Minigun pods
* Night vision is essentially useless
* Lacks any sort of armor or countermeasures

== History ==

The United States Army identified in 1952 a need for a new general utility helicopter which could also serve as medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and instrument training helicopter too. The current inventory of helicopters had several flaws which the Army wanted to overcome including being too large, underpowered or extremely complex to maintain. The Army wanted a workhorse that was easy to maintain and have a fairly small profile. Twenty companies participated in the bidding process and in 1955, Bell Helicopter was selected to build three copies of the Model 204 for evaluation, and this version was designated XH-40 (Experimental Helicopter-40).

The XH-40 was built with the Lycoming YT52-L-1 (LTC1B-1) turbo engine helicopter, the first non-piston helicopter tested by the military and first flew in 1956. Even before the prototype had flown, the Army put in an order for six YH-40 service test aircraft in which they could field test to determine how it would work under military unit operations. Proving successful, Bell was awarded a contract to build another 100 helicopters which were designated HU-1A (Helicopter Utility-1A) and hence was officially named ''Iroquois''. Iroquois ended up being a mouthful for people to say, so a nickname developed from the HU-1 designation which ended up being pronounced as ''Huey'' and stuck. In September 1962, the Department of Defense changed up the aircraft identification system to streamline between all of the different aircraft and their variations and changed the HU-1 to UH-1 (Utility Helicopter-1). Even with the change, the official Army name and the new DOD designation was rarely used as Huey was so well recognised as the name, that is what was to most people.

Unfortunately, with all of the positive feedback received for the YH-40, service tests performed by the Army found the T53-L-1A engine was found to be underpowered and could not perform to the level that was needed. Bell proposed to swap the T53-L-1A engine with the T53-L-5 engine, upping the shaft horsepower from 770 to 960 (570 kW to 720 kW) and extended the cabin to accommodate more people, up to 7 passengers or four stretchers and a medical attendant. The first production of the new helicopter UH-1B was delivered for service in 1961.

Several aerodynamic deficiencies of an armed UH-1B was explicitly identified not having enough engine power to lift the necessary weapons systems. The UH-1C was developed to overcome these problems by upgrading the helicopter with the T53-L-11 engine which had 1,100 shaft horsepower or 820 kW. The UH-1B helicopters which were in the service of the Army at the time were also upgraded with the new engine. Several adjustments were made to the UH-1C which included a new rotor-system, however, like many things which are upgraded, domino effect also requires other components and modules also to be updated. A larger diameter rotor was installed to counter blade stall during dives which required the tail boom to be extended and larger synchronized elevators to be added. While operating in military operations, it was determined necessary to add a redundant hydraulic control system to allow for continued operation in the event of a failure in one system. Larger fuel tanks allowed for further range with the total useful load capacity topping out at 4,673 lbs (2,120 kg). Mid-1966 saw the line production of the fully upgraded UH-1C helicopter.

Huey model 204 helicopters were a huge success and were put to use in several different capacities. However, the Army wanted another version which facilitated the carrying of more troops which spawned the Model 205. Bell adjusted by extending the HU-1B's fuselage by a total of 41 in (104 cm), boxed in the transmission and was able to add four more seats, two on each side of the transmission box facing out the side doors. With the side doors being easily removable, options to fly without doors made for quick loading and unloading of the helicopter which could now accommodate 15 persons, including the crew and could now hold six stretchers and a medic. First flown in 1961, the 205 took on many of the same upgrades as the UH-1C including the T53-L-11 which enabled usage of multiple types of fuel. Prototypes of this helicopter were designated YUH-1D, and the final assembly line aircraft was called the UH-1D.

This helicopter while still under evaluation the Army sent it to Vietnam in 1962 where it began operations. Initially only required as a general utility, MEDEVAC, and an instrument trainer, this helicopters role also expanded to include but not limited to air assault, cargo transport, search and rescue, electronic warfare and eventually ground attack.

During the Vietnam War, the UH-1 earned several other nicknames other than "Huey" which quickly identified to troops what role the helicopter had been outfitted for. Gunship versions of the UH-1s were identified as ''Frogs'' or ''Hogs'' if they carried rockets while if they just carried guns, they were identified as ''Cobras''. Troop transport versions were called ''Slicks'' due to weapon pods being absent on the external pylons while they did retain their door gunners. Later in the war from 1967 to 1968, the gunship Huey's were replaced by the new [[AH-1G|AH-1]] attack helicopters.

The success of the Iroquois helicopters did not go unnoticed by allies of the United States. When the USA released the UH-1D model, the West German government agreed to purchase a license to manufacture the latest Iroquois helicopters at German factories, particularly those of the Dornier company. Between February 1967 and the end of 1981, German aircraft manufacturers constructed 352 UH-1D helicopters.

== Media ==

<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 001.jpg
File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 002.jpg
File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 003.jpg
File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 004.jpg
File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 005.jpg
File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 006.jpg
</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 series of the helicopter;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5833-development-uh-1d-the-german-iroquois-helicopter-en|[Devblog] UH-1D: The German Iroquois Helicopter]]

{{AirManufacturer Bell}}
{{Germany helicopters}}

TAM 2IP

2021-06-13T22:16:45Z

U58644986: Correction of Usage in battle section, as i noticed that i completly botched it first time.

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_thyssen_henschel_tam_2ip
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]]. Sitting between [[TAM]] and [[TAM 2C]] in terms of performance, this tank is essentially an earlier TAM model with access to more modern ammunition and add-on armor for increased protection.

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

Base armor of TAM 2IP is very thin, just 11mm plate angled at 74° on the upper frontal glacis, and 15mm of armor on the sides. Turret is not something to boast about either - the strongest plate being a gun mantlet with a 30mm plate and sides being 25mm thin.

On the bright side, the 2IP version is fitted with Iron Wall add-on composite armor. This variable thickness armor package dramatically increases effectiveness of armor against chemical munitions, but does little to protect against kinetic penetrators.

'''Front'''

Most noticeable increase in protection is on the upper plate of the hull - even newer HEAT rounds and older ATGMs may struggle to penetrate the hull armor.

Sadly, add-on protection on the turret is not enough to defeat those same munitions.

Frontal arc protection against autocannons is mostly great, but occasional lucky shots can penetrate the turret ring.

Players also must be aware of the giant weak spot that is the driver's area - it is only 11mm plate angled at 74° and it is not protected by add-on armor, allowing vehicles like [[Dardo]] to get through.

'''Sides'''

While TAM 2IP is now resistant to 12.7mm rounds on the hull side, overall side protection remains poor, as it can still get easily penetrated by anything larger than 12.7mm.

'''Crew'''

When looking at TAM 2IP from the front, one can see that on the left side, the commander sits directly behind the gunner, while the loader sits almost directly behind the driver on the right side.

Both gunner and commander are protected by the transmision and the engine ([[Merkava (Family)|similar to Merkava tanks]]); while that won't protect them from most kinetic munitions, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds that manages to get through add-on armor.

Driver is very vulnerable as he sits behind an 11mm thin plate angled at 74°, with a first-stage ammo rack and loader directly behind him. Driver's area is not protected by add-on armor either.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armor
* Add-on composite armor 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 11 mm (77°) ''Upper glacis - Engine access panel''
32 mm (77°) ''Upper glacis - Sides''

32 mm (29°) ''Lower glacis - Top''

32 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis - Bottom''
| 15 mm (30°) ''Top''
15 mm ''Bottom''
| 11 mm (23°) ''Upper plate''
11 mm (27°) ''Lower plate''
| 11-32 mm (13°) ''Front glacis''
11 mm ''Crew compartment''

5 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (5-35°) ''Turret front''
30 mm + 30 mm (51-63°) ''Mantlet Front''

25 mm (7-10°) ''Mantlet Sides''

20 mm (79°) ''Roof glacis''

30 mm (cylindrical) ''Gunner periscope''
| 25 mm (24-27°) ''Crew Compartment''
15 mm (27°) ''Bustle''

25 mm ''Cupola well''
| 15 mm (22°)
11 mm (79°) ''Turret underside''
| 20 (11°) ''Roof glacis''
11 mm
|-
| Cupola || 35 mm (cylindrical) || ___ mm || ___ mm || 35 mm ''Outer ring''
11 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick
* Tracks are 20 mm thick
* Side skirts are 4mm thick
* Air intake on the right side is 5mm thick

{| class="wikitable"
!Composite add-on armor
!Front
!Side
|-
|Hull
|'''Upper glacis'''
~90 mm ''Kinetic''

~520 mm ''Chemical''
|'''Upper side'''
~45 mm ''Kinetic''

~295 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|Turret
|'''Turret face'''~70-140 mm ''Kinetic''
~70-340 mm ''Chemical''
|'''Turret side'''
~50 mm ''Kinetic''

~260mm ''Chemical''
|}

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

Even with additional protection, TAM 2IP suffers no decrease to its mobility when compared to its tech tree counterpart; thus is more mobile and agile than its main competitor, Leopard A1A1. This mobility allows TAM 2IP to perform many different roles, be it flanking, scouting, rushing favorable positions or relocating.

{{tankMobility}}

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

As a premium vehicle, TAM 2IP comes with all modifications unlocked.

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

{{main|FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)}}
Main armament consists of FMK.4 Modelo 1L gun; fully stabilised gun that is standard to the TAM family. Unlike TAM however, it has access to DM33, 3rd best NATO round available for 105mm guns and a very potent round at its BR. TAM 2IP also comes equipped with a laser range finder - this gadget allows it to acquire targets distance, thus allowing long range shots, immensely fast.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)|105 mm FMK.4 Modelo 1L]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* DM12 HEAT-FS - HEAT round does not lose penetration with distance travelled. Unlike kinetic penetrators, it has one downside: given that it is a chemical round, its fuse is highly sensitive. With the emergence of composite and reactive armour, it quickly became obsolete in the anti-tank role. Requires careful aiming to properly damage newer tanks, though it can hold its own while fighting older tanks, lighter vehicles and low-flying helicopters.
* DM502 HESH - This round was always plagued by a plethora of problems: low velocity, low penetration, inconsistent mechanics and sensitive fuse make this round gimmicky at best. That being said, with the overpressure mechanic, this round can be used in CQB against light vehicles with devastating effect.
* DM23 APFSDS - This round allows the player to engage modern tanks more reliably, since it performs better against composite and reactive armour. While penetration is sufficient relative to TAM 2IP's BR, there is simply no use for this round as its direct upgrade is available from the get go.
* DM33 APFSDS - Best round available to the TAM 2IP and third best NATO round available for 105 mm cannons. It allows the player to engage '''any''' enemies at the TAM 2IP's BR at any range reliably. Even higher BR vehicles are not safe. Player should be of note that this round can easily over penetrate light vehicles such as BMP-2 or SPAAGs, so aiming at vital components is preferred in order to create shrapnel necessary to destroy them.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 408 || 405 || 398 || 389 || 379 || 370
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,270 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 732 || 14.85 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 4,310 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 30 ''(+20)'' || 21 ''(+11)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 3 and 4 are first stage ammunition racks (29 shells total), meaning they will deplete first (in the order of 3 then 4) but will replenish from the other racks, starting with rack 1 and then rack 2.

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

{{main|FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)}}
The small calibre of the FN MAG 60-40 machine guns make them largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. They still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

{| 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
| 2,000 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Commander cupola
| 2,000(200) || 600 || -10°/+60° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

TAM 2IP essentially plays as its tech tree counterpart. While it can still perform well as a regular main battle tank, using it this way would be just wasting its potential. It's a fast, potent flanker, but with the addition of a powerful DM33 round, TAM 2IP is also a potent sniper.

'''Sniping''':

Players should abuse TAM 2IPs mobility to reach advantegous positions and start picking off players. DM33 is overkill at BR 8.7 (only [[T-62M-1]] providing better performance) and coupled with laser range finder, TAM 2IP can snipe really well. While it can't fight as well in hull down positions as Leopard A1A1 due to slightly worse gun depression, it can still make great use of cover, as it negates its biggest weakness - armor.

'''Flanking''':

Due to TAM 2IPs excellent mobility, stabilised gun and powerful round, TAM 2IP is a potent flanker. Add-on armor allows it to shrug off most autocannon fire from IFVs, as those will be common flankers at this BR. Coupled with scouting ability, TAM 2IP employing hit and run tactics on flanks can become enemy teams worst nightmare.

'''CQB''':

While the TAM 2IP performs great at longer ranges, its performance is below average on CQC maps with corridors and streets that do not allow it to exploit its mobility, like those found on Advance to Rhine. Better armoured tanks in general outperform TAM 2IP by wide margin in these environments. Players should focus on ambushing enemy tanks. TAM 2IP turret placement on the back of the tank and acceleration can be exploited in this scenario well - by reversing out of cover, your engine is still protected while you expose only a small part of your tank. Another viable option is to support their allies. Let them take a shot, and as soon as you see the enemy tank return fire, lunge forward and send the enemy back to the garage.

=== Pros and cons ===
Pros:

* DM33 available, which is more than competitive at this BR
* Same mobility as regular TAM, despite add-on armor
* Wide selection of ammunition

*

Cons:

* Despite add-on armor, protection remains somewhat poor
* No thermals
* Lacks M416 smoke shell, limiting its tactical potential

*

== 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 light tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

TAM 2IP

2021-06-13T22:11:52Z

U58644986: Filled in the blanks, also i feel it is important to say that i borrowed heavily from TAM article. if there is some need for citation, let me know, i will happily add it.

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_thyssen_henschel_tam_2ip
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]]. Sitting between [[TAM]] and [[TAM 2C]] in terms of performance, this tank is essentially an earlier TAM model with access to more modern ammunition and add-on armor for increased protection.

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

Base armor of TAM 2IP is very thin, just 11mm plate angled at 74° on the upper frontal glacis, and 15mm of armor on the sides. Turret is not something to boast about either - the strongest plate being a gun mantlet with a 30mm plate and sides being 25mm thin.

On the bright side, the 2IP version is fitted with Iron Wall add-on composite armor. This variable thickness armor package dramatically increases effectiveness of armor against chemical munitions, but does little to protect against kinetic penetrators.

'''Front'''

Most noticeable increase in protection is on the upper plate of the hull - even newer HEAT rounds and older ATGMs may struggle to penetrate the hull armor.

Sadly, add-on protection on the turret is not enough to defeat those same munitions.

Frontal arc protection against autocannons is mostly great, but occasional lucky shots can penetrate the turret ring.

Players also must be aware of the giant weak spot that is the driver's area - it is only 11mm plate angled at 74° and it is not protected by add-on armor, allowing vehicles like [[Dardo]] to get through.

'''Sides'''

While TAM 2IP is now resistant to 12.7mm rounds on the hull side, overall side protection remains poor, as it can still get easily penetrated by anything larger than 12.7mm.

'''Crew'''

When looking at TAM 2IP from the front, one can see that on the left side, the commander sits directly behind the gunner, while the loader sits almost directly behind the driver on the right side.

Both gunner and commander are protected by the transmision and the engine ([[Merkava (Family)|similar to Merkava tanks]]); while that won't protect them from most kinetic munitions, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds that manages to get through add-on armor.

Driver is very vulnerable as he sits behind an 11mm thin plate angled at 74°, with a first-stage ammo rack and loader directly behind him. Driver's area is not protected by add-on armor either.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armor
* Add-on composite armor 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 11 mm (77°) ''Upper glacis - Engine access panel''
32 mm (77°) ''Upper glacis - Sides''

32 mm (29°) ''Lower glacis - Top''

32 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis - Bottom''
| 15 mm (30°) ''Top''
15 mm ''Bottom''
| 11 mm (23°) ''Upper plate''
11 mm (27°) ''Lower plate''
| 11-32 mm (13°) ''Front glacis''
11 mm ''Crew compartment''

5 mm ''Radiator vents''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (5-35°) ''Turret front''
30 mm + 30 mm (51-63°) ''Mantlet Front''

25 mm (7-10°) ''Mantlet Sides''

20 mm (79°) ''Roof glacis''

30 mm (cylindrical) ''Gunner periscope''
| 25 mm (24-27°) ''Crew Compartment''
15 mm (27°) ''Bustle''

25 mm ''Cupola well''
| 15 mm (22°)
11 mm (79°) ''Turret underside''
| 20 (11°) ''Roof glacis''
11 mm
|-
| Cupola || 35 mm (cylindrical) || ___ mm || ___ mm || 35 mm ''Outer ring''
11 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick
* Tracks are 20 mm thick
* Side skirts are 4mm thick
* Air intake on the right side is 5mm thick

{| class="wikitable"
!Composite add-on armor
!Front
!Side
|-
|Hull
|'''Upper glacis'''
~90 mm ''Kinetic''

~520 mm ''Chemical''
|'''Upper side'''
~45 mm ''Kinetic''

~295 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|Turret
|'''Turret face'''~70-140 mm ''Kinetic''
~70-340 mm ''Chemical''
|'''Turret side'''
~50 mm ''Kinetic''

~260mm ''Chemical''
|}

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

Even with additional protection, TAM 2IP suffers no decrease to its mobility when compared to its tech tree counterpart; thus is more mobile and agile than its main competitor, Leopard A1A1. This mobility allows TAM 2IP to perform many different roles, be it flanking, scouting, rushing favorable positions or relocating.

{{tankMobility}}

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

As a premium vehicle, TAM 2IP comes with all modifications unlocked.

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

{{main|FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)}}
Main armament consists of FMK.4 Modelo 1L gun; fully stabilised gun that is standard to the TAM family. Unlike TAM however, it has access to DM33, 3rd best NATO round available for 105mm guns and a very potent round at its BR. TAM 2IP also comes equipped with a laser range finder - this gadget allows it to acquire targets distance, thus allowing long range shots, immensely fast.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)|105 mm FMK.4 Modelo 1L]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* DM12 HEAT-FS - HEAT round does not lose penetration with distance travelled. Unlike kinetic penetrators, it has one downside: given that it is a chemical round, its fuse is highly sensitive. With the emergence of composite and reactive armour, it quickly became obsolete in the anti-tank role. Requires careful aiming to properly damage newer tanks, though it can hold its own while fighting older tanks, lighter vehicles and low-flying helicopters.
* DM502 HESH - This round was always plagued by a plethora of problems: low velocity, low penetration, inconsistent mechanics and sensitive fuse make this round gimmicky at best. That being said, with the overpressure mechanic, this round can be used in CQB against light vehicles with devastating effect.
* DM23 APFSDS - This round allows the player to engage modern tanks more reliably, since it performs better against composite and reactive armour. While penetration is sufficient relative to TAM 2IP's BR, there is simply no use for this round as its direct upgrade is available from the get go.
* DM33 APFSDS - Best round available to the TAM 2IP and third best NATO round available for 105 mm cannons. It allows the player to engage '''any''' enemies at the TAM 2IP's BR at any range reliably. Even higher BR vehicles are not safe. Player should be of note that this round can easily over penetrate light vehicles such as BMP-2 or SPAAGs, so aiming at vital components is preferred in order to create shrapnel necessary to destroy them.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 408 || 405 || 398 || 389 || 379 || 370
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,270 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 732 || 14.85 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 4,310 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''50''' || 41 ''(+9)'' || 30 ''(+20)'' || 21 ''(+11)'' || 1 ''(+49)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 3 and 4 are first stage ammunition racks (29 shells total), meaning they will deplete first (in the order of 3 then 4) but will replenish from the other racks, starting with rack 1 and then rack 2.

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

{{main|FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)}}
The small calibre of the FN MAG 60-40 machine guns make them largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. They still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

{| 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
| 2,000 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Commander cupola
| 2,000(200) || 600 || -10°/+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 ===

TAM 2IP essentially plays as its tech tree counterpart. While it can still perform well as a regular main battle tank, using it this way would be just wasting its potential. It's a fast, potent flanker, but with the addition of a powerful DM33 round, TAM 2IP is also a potent sniper.

'''Sniping''':

Players should abuse TAM 2IPs mobility to reach advantegous positions and start picking off players. DM33 is overkill at BR 8.7 (only [[T-62M-1]] providing better performance) and coupled with laser range finder, TAM 2IP can snipe really well. While it can't fight as well in hull down positions as Leopard A1A1 due to slightly worse gun depression, it can still make great use of cover, as it negates its biggest weakness - armor.

'''Flanking''':

Due to TAM 2IPs excellent mobility, stabilised gun and powerful round, TAM 2IP is a potent flanker. Add-on armor allows it to shrug off most autocannon fire from IFVs, as those will be common flankers at this BR. Coupled with scouting ability, TAM 2IP employing hit and run tactics on flanks can become enemy teams worst nightmare.

'''CQB''':

While the TAM 2IP performs great at longer ranges, its performance is below average on CQC maps with corridors and streets that do not allow it to exploit its mobility, like those found on Advance to Rhine. Better armoured tanks in general outperform TAM 2IP by wide margin in these environments. Players should focus on ambushing enemy tanks. TAM 2IP turret placement on the back of the tank and acceleration can be exploited in this scenario well - by reversing out of cover, your engine is still protected while you expose only a small part of your tank. Another viable option is to support their allies. Let them take a shot, and as soon as you see the enemy tank return fire, lunge forward and send the enemy back to the garage.

Pros:

* DM33 available, which is more than competitive at this BR
* Same mobility as regular TAM, despite add-on armor
* Wide selection of ammunition

*

Cons:

* Despite add-on armor, protection remains somewhat poor
* No thermals
* Lacks M416 smoke shell, limiting its tactical potential

*

== 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 light tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Leopard 1A5

2021-06-11T18:48:08Z

U58644986: Reworked some parts and filled in those that were empty.

{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Leopard 1 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_leopard_1a5
|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 "New Power"]]. Leopard 1A5 is the final evolution of the [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1 family]], and thus offers some very competitive tools at players disposal.

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

The Leopard 1A5, being a further development of the [[Leopard A1A1]], does not differ much from its predecessor in terms of armour. The Leopard 1A5 prioritizes firepower and mobility over the survivability of the tank.

The armor in the frontal arc is reliable against many of the autocannons found on IFVs at the rank, but occasional rounds can penetrate the turret ring. Side armor can be reliably penetrated by autocannon fire, thus it is vital to keep the front of the armour towards the enemy.

Chemical and kinetic rounds from main battle tanks and other vehicles should have no problem to penetrate Leopards armor when they hit centre mass.

Looking at the Leopard from the front, 3 out of 4 crew members sit in almost straight line on the left side of the tank, thus potentially allowing it to get one shot by a well placed shot. On top of that, Leopard's biggest ammo rack is located on the right side of the hull, protected only by a 70mm thin frontal plate angled at 57°. Thus Leopard's hull presents a highly rewarding target and players must avoid getting shot in the hull at all costs.

On the other hand, Leopard's height is just slightly taller than [[T-72 (Family)|T-72]] by a few centimetres, and the gun can be depressed to -9°, allowing Leopard 1A5 to fight well on uneven terrain.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull ||70 mm (60°) ''Upper Glacis'' 50 mm (50°) ''Lower Glacis''|| 35 mm ''Upper'' 30 mm ''Lower'' ||25 mm||15-30 mm
|-
| Turret || 45-120 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 40-43 mm ''Right Side'' 37-45 mm ''Left Side'' || 33-52 mm ||21-65 mm
|-
|Additional Armor ||10-35 mm ''Gun Mantlet''||10-20 mm ''Turret Sides'' 5 mm ''Sideskirts''||5-10 mm ''Turret Rear''
|N/A
|-
|}

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,286|rbMinHp=734}}

Leopard 1A5 shares almost the same mobility as its predecessor, with only negligible loss of HP per ton. Excellent agility, above average speed and great suspension allow players to reach favorable positions and relocate quickly in case of emergency.

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

Players focus should be on firepower upgrades. After parts and FPE, one should go for the DM23 round, as most tanks at this rank have either composite armour, ERA or in the worst case scenario both, making stock HEAT rounds '''very''' ineffective.

After that, players' focus should be on getting thermals, which help tremendously with acquiring targets and it is impossible to fight at night without them.

Lastly, players should go for DM33 and laser rangefinder. Those make Leopard 1A5 a powerful sniper and level its fighting chance against most opponents.

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

{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || 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" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

Leopard 1A5 mounts a late-generation fully stabilised L7 cannon, which is pretty standard at this rank. It also has access to standard ammunition selection, though one thing to note is that it has the option to equip lethal DM33 rounds, which are the third best NATO rounds available for 105 mm guns (after M800 and DM63).

==== Ammunition[edit | edit source] ====

* '''DM12 HEAT-FS''' - Players starting round. HEAT round does not lose penetration with distance travelled. Unlike kinetic penetrators, it has one downside: given that it is a chemical round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. With the emergence of composite and reactive armour, it quickly becomes obsolete in the anti-tank role. Requires careful aiming to properly damage newer tanks, though it can hold its own while fighting older tanks, lighter vehicles and low flying helicopters.
* '''DM502 HESH''' - This round was always plagued by a plethora of problems. Low velocity, low penetration, inconsistent mechanics and sensitive fuse make this round gimmicky at best. That being said, with the overpressure mechanic, this round can be used in CQB against light vehicles with devastating effect.
* '''DM23 APFSDS''' - Available as a tier I modification, this round allows player to engage modern tanks more reliably, since it performs better against composite and reactive armour. Penetration is relatively below average when compared to rounds available to Leopard 1A5s contemporaries, it should be used as a stop gap solution until a better round becomes available.
* '''DM33 APFSDS''' - Best round available to Leopard 1A5 and third best NATO round available for 105 mm cannons. It allows player to engage most enemies at Leopard 1A5s BR at any range reliably. With careful aiming, even higher BR vehicles are not safe. Player should be of note that this round can easily over penetrate light vehicles such as BMP-2 or SPAAGs, so aiming at vital components is preferred in order to create shrapnel necessary to destroy them.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 408 || 405 || 398 || 389 || 379 || 370
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,270 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 732 || 14.85 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 4,310 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Leopard_A1A1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the [[Leopard A1A1]] (identical).]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|'''60'''|| 57 ''(+3)''|| 54 ''(+6)''|| 15 ''(+45)''|| 4 ''(+56)''|| 1 ''(+59)''|| No
|-
|}

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

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| 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
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Leopard 1A5 is a natural evolution of [[Leopard A1A1]]<nowiki/>s playstyle, and performs similarly to [[Leopard A1A1 (L/44)]].

'''Tactics:'''

With addition of laser range finder, more powerful round and thermal gunner optics, Leopard 1A5 can become a '''very potent sniper on open maps.'''

Players should exploit Leopard's mobility, low profile and handy gun depression to reach favorable hull down positions and start picking off targets. Entrenched sniping Leopard 1A5 becomes a nightmare for enemy tanks trying to cross its sight line, as this playstyle allows players to negate their biggest weakness - lack of armor.

Leopards can flank well, but as thermal sights and laser range finders are becoming more common at Leopard 1A5s BR, one must adapt certain flanking tactics:

First, players shouldn't move across an open field without cover unless they know for certain that there is no one watching or unless absolutely necessary.

Second, players should utilize terrain as much as they can - after all, a thermal imager is just a filter for a camera, and can't highlight the thermal signature of something that can't be seen in the first place. Move below the horizon, try to put as much heavy foliage as you can between you and the suspected position of enemy tanks.

Third, do not be afraid to stop when approaching suspected enemy positions, turn off your engine and listen. This allows you to detect enemy flankers in close proximity before they enter your field of vision, thus allowing you to avoid getting ambushed.

Sadly, while Leopard 1A5 performs great at longer ranges, its performance on CQC maps, with corridors and streets that do not allow to exploit Leopard's mobility, like those found on Advance to Rhine, is below average. Due to lack of armor, IFVs with high RoF autocannons and more armored tanks in general outperform Leopards by wide margin in these environments. Lone Leopard is expected to lose in most scenarios, thus players should focus on supporting their allies. Let them take a shot, and as soon as you see the enemy tank return fire, lunge forward and send the enemy back to the garage.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has access to the powerful DM33 round
* Has access to generation 1 gunner thermals
* Excellent mobility
* Turret angles can occasionally cause shots to ricochet

'''Cons:'''

* Armour doesn't offer much against any kinetic rounds
* Low survivability when hit
* Weak armour overall

== 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}}

User:U58644986

2021-06-10T20:19:37Z

U58644986: Created page with "Just your average schmuck who thinks he understands how to play Warthunder. My main nation is Germany, so im most familiar with their vechiles, though i am trying to be famili..."

Just your average schmuck who thinks he understands how to play Warthunder. My main nation is Germany, so im most familiar with their vechiles, though i am trying to be familiar with every nation and vehicle in game.

Mi-24P (Germany)

2021-06-08T09:38:56Z

U58644986: Coppied text over from Mi-24P HFS 80, since they are basically same helicopter

{{About
| about = German attack helicopter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the Russian version
| link-1 = Mi-24P
| usage-2 = other versions
| link-2 = Mi-24 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=mi_24p_german
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German attack helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]].

Being the only Warsaw pact helicopter available to German pilots, ▀Mi-24P shows a radical shift of doctrine when compared to NATO helicopters. Big, heavily armoured yet fast, and armed with lethal payload when compared to its West German contemporaries, one can see why Hinds were nicknamed "Devil's Chariots" during their deployment in Afghanistan.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Heli-Flight}}
With its large size and heavy armour for a helicopter, Hind can at times feel sluggish and slow to turn when compared to [[BO 105 (Family)|BO 105]] helicopters. That being said, it can also fly incredibly fast, being the fastest helicopter in the German tech tree.

▀Mi-24P can achieve a whooping speed of 335 km/h when flying at 50 m altitude, without any problems. Be aware that at this speed, Hind behaves more like a plane rather than helicopter; sharp turns using only mouse control can take ages and helping yourself with keyboard controls can cause loss of lift, leading to crash.

Be aware that while you can exceed ▀Mi-24P's listed maximal speed by as much as 30 km/h without problems, once you hit 370 km/h and above, your helicopter '''WILL''' flop to the right side. This is especially dangerous during low altitude flight as you won't have time to recover, even with experienced crew.

Also be aware that when hovering, ▀Mi-24P is prone to '''vortex ring state''', a dangerous condition leading to loss of lift and eventually, crash. It is of utmost importance to start moving in any direction, thus gaining lift, as soon as a warning pops up on your screen, otherwise you risk severely damaging if not losing your helicopter.
{| 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
| 310 || 297 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || 335
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}
While lacking some defensive features like titanium rotor blades and titanium tub around its crew, ▀Mi-24P is well protected for its rank.

Rule of thumb is to keep your distance, fly low, and break line of sight whenever possible.

'''Armour'''

Greater the distance, the more useful your armour will be.

Critical components such as engines and transmission are protected by 4 mm steel plates.

Crew sits in an armoured tub consisting of 4 mm steel plates on sides. Gunner position is upgraded to 8 mm plates while pilot gets 4 mm steel plates in his seat. Both crew members get access to 55 mm armoured glass in front of their position.

Armour layout can protect you comfortably from low calibre machine guns and at distance, from [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|.50cals]] as those commonly used by NATO tanks.

Larger calibres, such as those found on IFVs, can chew right through your armour, especially at close range.

Dedicated SPAAGs such as [[ZSU-23-4|Shilkas]] or [[ZPRK 2S6|Tunguskas]] can get through your armour with piercing rounds, though they need to hit critical components or crew directly. You can withstand a few hits of their explosive rounds and shrapnel, but do not expect to hover over them and survive.

SAMs will almost always destroy most of your critical components in one hit, though you can sometimes survive smaller ones and make it back to the base.

'''Avionics'''

▀Mi-24P is equipped with a plethora of technologies which increase your survivability dramatically.

First, you have the option to install '''HIRSS''', Hover Infrared Suppressor System that allows your helicopter to reduce or almost eliminate all infrared radiation emitted by exhaust gases of its engines to the surroundings.

Second, you can install '''IRCM''', non-coherent flashlamps and infrared signal emitters that direct its energy towards incoming missiles in an attempt to blind the missile's infrared sensors and confuse its tracking. In-game, it also causes radar lock to "wiggle" all around your helicopter when viewed through enemy scope, increasing probability of miss.

Third, you are equipped with '''RWR''', a radar warning receiver, from the get go. This piece of tech alerts you of active radars on the battlefield, be it ground or air based, and gives you warning when you get radar locked. It also lets you know the position of active radars relative to your helicopter and highlights which radar has locked you.

Lastly, you can equip a '''countermeasure launcher''' with a capacity of 192 of either flares, chaff or combination of both. Those are mounted right behind your wing pylons on the side of Hind. Flares work against IR tracking missiles, chaff works against both searching and tracking radar. Since there are currently only two AA vehicles in game equipped with IR SAMs (Japanese [[Type 93]] and Chinese [[PGZ04A]]), it is preferable to prioritize chaff over flares. This becomes more important with growing distance, since IR SAMs can't reach your maximum engagement range when you are using Shturms.

There is not one downside to having all of the above mentioned countermeasures, so keep all of them equipped, always.

Sadly, ▀Mi-24P is not equipped with MAW, missile approach warning, so you do not get alerted by missiles incoming in your direction.

'''Staying alive'''

Depending on the situation and payload, your approach to survival is radically different. Rule of thumb is that it is almost always better to stay low to the ground in order to break line of sight and to stay below altitude where proximity fuze on SAMs activates ( usually 25m above ground), but this will be covered more in '''Usage in battles''' section.

=== 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|GSh-30-2K (30 mm)}}

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

* A choice between four presets:
** 2 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total)
** 2 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total) + HIRSS
** 2 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total) + 128 x Flares
** 2 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total) + 128 x Flares + IRCM

▀Mi-24P is armed with a 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannon. It can shred any air target unfortunate enough to get in its range. With ground belts, it can make short work of any light vehicle or SPAAG, though main battle tanks will shrug your fire without any serious damage.

Operator must be aware that the cannon has a high rate of fire and only 250 rounds available, so trigger discipline is a must.

Last thing to note is that the cannon is fixed to the ▀Mi-24P's right side and thus can be only aimed by turning the entire helicopter. This can sometimes be a problem at close range due to Hind's sluggish controls, and helicopters with cannons that can turn independently will have an edge over you.

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

{{main|OFAB-250sv (250 kg)|FAB-500M-54 (500 kg)}}
{{main|9M114 Shturm|R-60|R-60M|S-8KO|GSh-23L (23 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 80 x S-8KO rockets
* 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 80 x S-8KO rockets
* 4 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg = 1,000 total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 4 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60 missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60 missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60 missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60 missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60M missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60M missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60M missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60M missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 40 x S-8KO rockets
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (500 kg total)
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons

Compared to NATO helicopters in the German tech tree, ▀Mi-24P has the ability to perfectly tailor its payload to any battlefield scenario it can encounter.

'''GSh-23L cannon'''

▀Mi-24P is also able to equip gun pods containing 23 mm GSh-23L cannons. It is the same cannon as the one mounted in [[MiG-21 (Family)|MiG-21s]]. ▀Mi-24P can equip up to 4 containers, each one containing 500 rounds of ammo. Sadly, you can't choose which belts to use.

'''S-8KO rockets'''

Another viable weapon, S-8KO rockets come in pods of 20, each missile is able to penetrate up to 400 mm. They are also very vast, with a speed of 610 m/s. Unfortunately, they contain only 1.32 kg equivalent of TNT, so scoring direct hits is a must. Hind can load up to 4 pods at once, giving you 80 missiles to launch at enemies.

'''R-60 AAM'''

Another weapon found on Russian MiG-21s, the R-60 is a powerful missile that is able to pull 30Gs, meaning they are very difficult to dodge without use of flares. They do not have as strong warheads as Sidewinders, but it is enough to severely cripple bigger planes and outright destroy smaller ones. Be aware as they can only achieve lock-on rear-aspect at maximum distance of 5 km, meaning you need to fire them at planes and helicopters from behind. Seeing that you also have the ability to equip upgraded version, there are not many scenarios where you would take these instead of upgraded ones. You can equip up to 4 of them.

'''R-60M AAM'''

Direct upgrade to R-60, these are almost identical to the base version, but with slightly bigger warhead and ability to lock onto enemy planes and helicopters from any aspect at a distance of 2 km (on top of 5 km range in rear-aspect). You can equip up to 4 of them.

'''OFAB-250sv bombs'''

Another weapon more commonly found on planes, ▀Mi-24P can equip up to 1,000 kg of OFAB-250 bombs. These are dropped individually, thus in theory allowing the pilot to score 4 kills at least. Sadly, reality is different - as your ballistic computer lacks computing power to understand the sheer madness of mounting bombs on a helicopter, it is thus unable to provide aiming reticle for your bombs (as modern planes do). Your only hope of precisely dropping these is to attack in a manner similar to [[Ju 87 B-2|Stuka]] planes. While the thought of ▀Mi-24P stuka bombing Abrams tanks certainly is funny, it is far from practical, given the setting in which helicopters operate.

'''FAB-500M-54 bomb'''

Same story as above, except ▀Mi-24P can only equip two of them. On the other hand, their explosive mass is higher, thus you do not need to be as precise as when dropping 250 kg bombs.

'''9M114 Shturm missile'''

Your weapon of choice when engaging enemy armour. Precursor of the [[9M120 Ataka]] missile, Shturms are fast, capable of reaching speeds of 400 m/s (only slightly slower than Hellfires). They are able to penetrate only 560 mm of armour at max and are not equipped with tandem warheads, making them weaker against composite and reactive armour, which are common at its BR. That being said, you can load up to 8 of them, which is one of the highest numbers of ATGMs any German helicopter can carry. They have a range of 5 km, which is enough to comfortably sit outside of SPAAGs cannon range.

▀Mi-24P is armed only with a night vision device, severely limiting its ability to acquire targets at longer ranges. Night vision devices are only available to pilot and gunner when using 3rd person and cockpit view - your ATGM sight does not get any, thus crippling your effectiveness in long range engagements at night.

== Usage in battles ==
▀Mi-24P (or any helicopter for that matter) usually adopts tactics of either helicopter rush or sniping with ATGMs.

The longer match goes on, the higher the chances of enemy AA appearing. This means your chance to successfully employ helicopter rush tactic gets lower as the match drags on, thus making helicopter rush viable only in the early game.

From mid to late game, you might want to go with tactic of sniping with Shturm ATGMs, picking off targets from maximum possible distance.

Using helicopter ATGMs is always a struggle between staying low, thus surviving longer, and climbing higher, thus getting a view on the battlefield unobstructed by buildings, hills, and trees.

'''If you decided to go with helicopter rush:'''

'''Recommended loadout: 80 x S-8KO rockets, ground belt for your cannon'''

While you can equip 4 x 250kg of bombs instead of rockets, delivering those precisely is difficult due to lack of aiming reticle. Your ballistic computer is also unable to provide a firing solution, leaving you guessing more than aiming.

S-8KO rockets present much more precise and overall better choice of armament for this strategy.

Since your rockets are launched in pairs, aim for the roof armour on the back of the turret when approaching from side or slightly off the center if approaching from front or back. This will allow one of your rockets to score direct hit onto critical components of enemy tanks.

'''Tactics:'''

Let's get this out of the way first - helicopter rush tactic '''is a gamble''', since it can lead to either great success (destroying several tanks from the enemy team for the price of one helicopter) or catastrophic failure (getting slapped by [[ADATS]] halfway to the combat zone), depending on whenever the enemy team has active AA at the start of the match.

Thankfully, ▀Mi-24P, thanks to its ballistic computer, speed, and armour can helicopter rush at the start of the round well. Be aware that it is more often than not a one way trip, since opponents will likely spawn dedicated AA after getting killed by rushing helicopter and '''will''' delete you from sky. Sometimes, you won't even get a chance to do that - some players anticipate helicopter rushes and start a game in AA vehicles, thus probably shutting down your helicopter even before it can do any damage.

That being said, when helicopter rushing at the start of the round, you need to approach the battlefield as low as possible, in order to avoid enemy radar and break line of sight by putting terrain, trees and structures between you and the enemy. Select heliport spawn closer to the battlefield, and start approaching either spawn or capture point; those have the highest chance of enemies being concentrated there.

Try to gain as much speed as possible before reaching your destination.

Once nearing 1 km distance from your objective, pull up and convert speed into attitude. While this will put you in the killzone of most dedicated AA vehicles in game, chances of those being active at the start of the match are low. You will also position yourself outside of most weapons carried by main battle tanks and IFVs - tank guns and most machine guns can't elevate high enough to effectively target you, keeping you out of harm's way. This will also allow you to easily target roof armour of enemy vehicles, which is usually thin and not protected by ERA, allowing your unguided rockets to slice right through.

As you climb, use your RWR to determine whenever the enemy team has AA or not - if you get pings from RWR, try to find and dispatch enemy AA before it can fire at you - this will allow you to stay alive for a little longer. Only then should you switch your attention to enemy tanks.

One last thing to note is that you '''will be heard before seen''', as helicopters are usually very loud, and some skilled players can anticipate your direction from sound alone and can counter you as soon as you appear above horizon - tanks like [[M1A2 Abrams|M1A2]] are equipped with proximity fuze HEAT-FS shells designed to take down low-flying helicopters, and most IFVs can elevate their guns high enough to engage you when you first emerge from behind the horizon. Thus gaining altitude is vital to success when helicopter rushing.

'''If you decided to go with sniping with Shturms:'''

'''Recommended loadout:'''

If there are '''no enemy planes active''' on the battlefield, pick loadout with the maximum number of Shturms ATGMs possible - these are your best choice at dispatching armoured targets.

If there '''are enemy planes active''', pick loadout with R-60M missiles, those help you with clearing the airspace of any threats to your helicopter.

You can also pick secondary armament to go with your Shturms - either GSh-23L gun pods or S-8KO rocket pods.

'''GSh-23L''' cannon pods help you defend yourself at close range from air targets.

'''S-8KO''' rocket pods are not used in the conventional role of attacking ground targets in this loadout - instead, you use them defensively, to prematurely activate proximity fuze on enemy AA missiles. Simply fire a salvo in the way of an incoming missile and it should trigger. This is of utmost importance as skilled players will guide SAMs to your position manually, without use of radar, making traditional countermeasures useless.

'''Tactics:'''

Approach battlefield flying at low altitude, keep distance of 5 km (maximum range of your ATGMs). Bleed speed and start hovering. Finding any cover to hover behind and to break line of sight tremendously helps your survival - even trees can become your best friend.

Pop above the cover for a few seconds, launch a missile or two, then go back. Change position, rinse and repeat.

Check your RWR regularly in order to spot any active radars, be it airborne or ground based. Note that lack of active radar ping does not guarantee that the enemy team has no AA spawned - skilled players often turn off their radars in order to lure helicopters out of cover and guide their SAMs manually to you.

Stay around an altitude of 25 m when not engaging enemy tanks. You won't get detected by radar in most cases and proximity fuze of SAMs is disabled below 25 m. If you are higher and you detect incoming SAM, deploy countermeasures and try to duck below 25 m as fast as possible. Be aware that direct hit can and will obliterate you, but those are harder to pull off when dodging.

Staying in one place not only helps the enemy team to locate you sooner, but some tanks with laser range finders might able to shoot you down with tank guns at a range of several kilometres, since you present almost static target.

Shturms have mediocre penetration when compared to some high-end missiles and may find themselves unable to defeat modern composite or reactive armour, which are getting common at ▀Mi-24P BR. While destroying light tanks and SPAAGs and many older main battle tanks frontally is doable, your ATGMs simply don't have enough penetration to go through [[Challenger 2]]'s turret cheeks or [[T-72B3]]'s Relikt reactive armour for example.

That being said, that does not mean you cannot destroy those enemies. You just need to be smart about deploying your Shturms.

You should avoid engaging enemy tanks from the frontal arc. More often than not, a tank's strongest armour is its turret face and frontal plate on the hull. For example, Leopard 2A5s turret front is able to resist chemical munitions with penetration of up to 1300 mm. On top of that, enemies can spot incoming missiles aimed at them when they are coming from the front, allowing them to take defensive measures, such as moving behind cover or deploying smoke grenades.

Instead, exploit Hind's high speed to get on flanks and hit enemy tanks from the side. Even with reactive armour, a well aimed hit below the turret of T-90A can detonate its ammo carousel and destroy it in one hit. While most players do check their corners and flanks, they usually wont spot missile coming from an elevated position until it's too late.

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

* Has R-60M all-aspect missiles that very effective against most aircraft.
* Durable air-frame against small calibre rounds
* Competitive speed for a helicopter
* Has AAMs and ATGMs together in a loadout
* Ability to equip 8 x Shturm missiles at once
* 30 mm can be deadly against air targets

*

'''Cons:'''

* ATGMs are have quite low penetration
* Handles sluggishly at most speeds
* Quite big and easy to spot
* No thermal sights, only infrared night vision

*

== 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 ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=helicopter&vehicle=mi_24p_german Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|lTR8bhL4BUc|'''The Mi-24 Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:56 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== 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 helicopter;''
* ''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;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the helicopter;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Mil}}
{{Germany helicopters}}

Mi-24P HFS 80 (Germany)

2021-06-07T19:19:02Z

U58644986: In-depth guide and analysis of Mi-24P HFS 80.

{{Specs-Card
|code=mi_24p_german_hfs80
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German attack helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].

Being the only Warsaw pact helicopter available to German pilots, '''▀'''Mi-24P shows a radical shift of doctrine when compared to NATO helicopters. Big, heavily armored yet fast, and armed with lethal payload when compared to its West German contemporaries, one can see why Hinds were nicknamed “Devil's Chariots” during their deployment in Afghanistan.

This version differentiates from its [[Mi-24P (Germany)|tech tree counterpart]] only by premium bonuses and addition of livery belonging to Heeresfliegerstaffel 80 (Army Aviation Squadron 80), helicopter unit belonging to Unified Germany's Heer that continued to operate Soviet helicopters after reunification.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Heli-Flight}}
Big size and heavy armor for a helicopter, Hind can at times feel sluggish and slow to turn when compared to [[BO 105 (Family)|BO 105]] helicopters. That being said, it can also fly incredibly fast, being the fastest helicopter in the German tech tree.

'''▀'''Mi-24P can achieve a whooping speed of 335km/h when flying at 50m altitude, without any problems. Be aware that at this speed, Hind behaves more like a plane rather than helicopter; sharp turns using only mouse control can take ages and helping yourself with keyboard controls can cause loss of lift, leading to crash.

Be aware that while you can exceed '''▀'''Mi-24Ps listed maximal speed by as much as 30km/h without problems, once you hit 370km/h and above, your helicopter '''WILL''' flop to the right side. This is especially dangerous at low altitude flight as you won't have time to recover, even with experienced crew.

Also be aware that when hovering, '''▀'''Mi-24P is prone to '''Vortex ring state''', a dangerous condition leading to loss of lift and eventually, crash. It is of utmost importance to start moving in any direction, thus gaining lift, as soon as a warning pops up on your screen, otherwise you risk severely damaging if not losing your helicopter.
{| 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
| 311 || 293 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| 359 || 335
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Heli-Armour}}
While lacking some historical defensive features like titanium rotor blades and titanium tub around its crew, '''▀'''Mi-24P is well protected for its rank.

Rule of thumb is to keep your distance, fly low, and break line of sight whenever possible.

'''Armor'''

Greater the distance, the more usefull your armor will be.

Critical components such as engines and transmission are protected by 4mm steel plates.

Crew sits in an armored tub consisting of 4mm steel plates on sides. Gunner position is upgraded to 8mm plates while pilot gets 4mm steel plates in his seat. Both crew members get access to 55mm armored glass in front of their position.

Armor layout can protect you comfortably from low caliber machine guns and at distance, from [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|.50cals]] as those commonly used by NATO tanks.

Larger calibers, such as those found on IFVs, can at close range chew right through your armor.

Dedicated SPAAGs such as [[ZSU-23-4|Shilkas]] or [[ZPRK 2S6|Tunguskas]] can get through your armor with piercing rounds, though they need to hit critical components or crew directly. You can withstand a few hits of their explosive rounds and shrapnel, but do not expect to hover over them and survive.

SAMs will almost always destroy most of your critical components in one hit, though you can sometimes survive smaller ones and make it back to the base.
[[File:Mi-24P countermeasures .jpg|thumb|'''Mi-24P countermeasures'''Red circle - HIRSS

Blue circle - IRCM

Green circle - Countermeasures launcher]]

'''Avionics'''

'''▀'''Mi-24P is equipped with a plethora of technologies which increase your survivability dramatically.

First, you have the option to install '''HIRSS''', Hover Infrared Suppressor System that allows your helicopter to reduce or almost eliminate all infrared radiation emitted by exhaust gases of its engines to the surroundings.

Second, you can install '''IRCM''', non-coherent flashlamps and infrared signal emitters that direct its energy towards incoming missiles in an attempt to blind the missile's infrared sensors and confuse its tracking. In-game, it also causes radar lock to “wiggle” all around your helicopter when viewed through enemy scope, increasing probability of miss.

Third, you are equipped with '''RWR''', a radar warning receiver, from the get go. This piece of tech alerts you of active radars on the battlefield, be it ground or air based, and gives you warning when you get radar locked. It also lets you know the position of active radars relative to your helicopter and highlights which radar has locked you.

Lastly, you can equip a '''countermeasure launcher''' with a capacity of 192x of either flares, chaff or combination of both. Those are mounted right behind your wing pylons on the side of Hind. Flares work against IR tracking missiles, chaff works against both searching and tracking radar. Since there are currently only two AA vehicles in game equipped with IR SAMs ( Japanese [[Type 93]] and Chinese [[PGZ04A]]), it is preferable to prioritize chaff over flares. This becomes more important with growing distance, since IR SAMs can't reach your maximum engagement range when you are using Shturms.

There is not one downside to having all of the above mentioned countermeasures, so keep all of them equipped, always.

Sadly, '''▀'''Mi-24P is not equipped with MAW, missile approach warning, so you do not get alerted by missiles incoming in your direction.

'''Staying alive'''

Depending on the situation and payload, your approach to survival is radically different. Rule of thumb is that it is almost always better to stay low to the ground in order to break line of sight and to stay below altitude where proximity fuze on SAMs activates ( usually 25m above ground), but this will be covered more in '''Usage in battles''' section.

Also, you need to be aware that HFS 80 livery with its bright unnatural colors can aid the enemy with visual detection.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}Since '''▀Mi-24P HFS 80''' is premium helicopter, it comes with all modifications unlocked. Just be sure to install all available countermeasures before heading into battle.

== 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|GSh-30-2K (30 mm)}}

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

* A choice between four presets:
** 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (250 rpg)
** 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (250 rpg) + HIRSS
** 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (250 rpg) + 192 x Flares
** 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannons, cheek-mounted (250 rpg) + 192 x Flares + IRCM

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

{{main|OFAB-250sv (250 kg)|FAB-500M-54 (500 kg)}}
{{main|9M114 Shturm|R-60|R-60M|S-8KO|GSh-23L (23 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 80 x S-8KO rockets
* 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 80 x S-8KO rockets
* 4 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg = 1,000 total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 4 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons + 40 x S-8KO rockets
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60 missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60 missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60 missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60 missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60M missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 2 x R-60M missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60M missiles
* 40 x S-8KO rockets + 4 x R-60M missiles + 4 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 40 x S-8KO rockets
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (500 kg total)
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 8 x 9M114 Shturm missiles + 2 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons

Compared to NATO helicopters in the German tech tree, '''▀'''Mi-24P has the ability to perfectly tailor its payload to any battlefield scenario it can encounter.

'''GSh-30-2K cannon'''

Stock, '''▀'''Mi-24P is armed with a 30 mm GSh-30-2K cannon, the same weapon that is wielded by Su-25 Frogfoots. It can shred any air target unfortunate enough to get in its range. With ground belts, it can make short work of any light vehicle or SPAAG, though main battle tanks will shrug your fire without any serious damage.

Operator must be aware that the cannon has a high rate of fire and only 250 rounds available, so trigger discipline is must.

Last thing to note is that the cannon is fixed to the '''▀'''Mi-24P right side and thus can be only aimed by turning the entire helicopter. This can sometimes be a problem at close range due to Hind's sluggish controls, and helicopters with cannons that can turn independently on the hull will have an edge over you.

'''GSh-23L cannon'''

'''▀'''Mi-24P is also able to equip gun pods containing 23mm GSh-23L cannon. It is the same cannon as one mounted in Mig-21s. '''▀'''Mi-24P can equip up to 4x containers, each one containing 500 rounds of ammo. Sadly, you can't choose which belt to use.

'''S-8KO rockets'''

Another viable weapon, S-8KO rockets come in pods of 20, each missile is able to penetrate up to 400mm. They are also very vast, with a speed of 610m/s. Unfortunately, they contain only 1.32kg equivalent of TNT, so scoring direct hits is a must. Hind can load up to 4x pods at once, giving you 80 missiles to launch at enemies.

'''R-60 AAM'''

Another weapon found on Russian Mig-21s, R-60 are powerful missiles that are able to pull 30Gs, meaning no plane in game can dodge them without use of flares. They do not have as strong warheads as Sidewinders, but it is enough to severely cripple bigger planes and outright destroy smaller ones. Be aware as they can only achieve lock-in rear-aspect at maximum distance of 5km, meaning you need to fire them at planes and helicopters from behind. Seeing that you also have the ability to equip upgraded version, there are not many scenarios where you would take these instead of upgraded ones. You can equip up to 4x of them.

'''R-60M AAM'''

Direct upgrade to R-60, these are almost identical to the base version, but with slightly bigger warhead and ability to lock onto enemy planes and helicopters from any aspect at a distance of 2km (on top of 5km range in rear-aspect). You can equip up to 4x of them.

'''OFAB-250sv bombs'''

Another weapon more commonly found on planes, '''▀'''Mi-24P can equip up to 1,000kg of OFAB-250s bombs. These are dropped individually, thus in theory allowing pilot to score 4 kills at least. Sadly, reality is different - as your ballistic computer lacks computing power to understand the sheer madness of mounting bombs on helicopter, it is thus unable to provide aiming cross for your bombs (as modern planes would). Your only hope of precisely dropping these is to attack in a manner similar to [[Ju 87 B-2|Stuka]] planes. While the thought of '''▀'''Mi-24P stuka bombing Abrams tanks certainly is funny, it is far from practical, given the setting in which helicopters operate.

'''FAB-500M-54 bomb'''

Same story as above, except '''▀'''Mi-24P can only equip two of them. On the other hand, their explosive mass is higher, thus you do not need to be as precise as when dropping 250kg bombs.

'''9M114 Shturm missile'''

Your weapon of choice when engaging enemy armor. Precursor of the Ataka missile, Shturms are fast, capable of reaching speeds of 400m/s (only slightly slower than Hellfires). They are able to penetrate only 560mm of armor at max and are not equipped with tandem warheads, making them weaker against composite and reactive armor, which are getting common at its BR. That being said, you can load up to 8x of them, which is one of the highest numbers of ATGM missiles any German helicopter can carry. They have a range of 5km, which is enough to comfortably sit outside of SPAAGs cannon range.

'''▀'''Mi-24P is armed only with a night vision, severely limiting its ability to acquire targets at longer ranges. Night vision devices are only available to pilot and gunner when using 3rd person and cockpit view - your ATGM sight does not get any, thus crippling your effectiveness in long range engagements at night.

== Usage in battles ==
'''▀'''Mi-24P (or any helicopter for that matter) usually adopts tactics of either helicopter rush or sniping with ATGMs.

Longer match goes on, the higher are chances of enemy AA appearing. This means your chance to successfully employ helicopter rush tactic gets lower as the match drags on, thus making helicopter rush viable only in the early game.

From mid to late game, you might wanna go with tactic of sniping with Shturms ATGMs, picking off targets from maximum possible distance.

Using helicopter ATGMs is always a struggle between staying low thus surviving longer and climbing higher thus getting a view on the battlefield unobstructed by buildings, hills and trees.

'''If you decided to go with helicopter rush:'''

'''Recommended loadout: 80x S-8KO rockets, ground belt for your cannon'''

While you can equip 4x250kg of bombs instead of rockets, delivering those precisely is difficult due to lack of aiming reticle. Your ballistic computer is also unable to provide a firing solution, leaving you guessing more than aiming.

S-8KO rockets present much more precise and overall better choice of arment for this strategy.

Since your rockets are launched in pairs, aim for the roof armor on the back of the turret when approaching from side or slightly off the center if approaching from front or back. This will allow one of your rockets to score direct hit onto critical components of enemy tanks.

'''Tactics:'''

Let's get this out of the way first - helicopter rush tactic '''is a gamble''', since it can lead to either great success (destroying several tanks from the enemy team for the price of one helicopter) or catastrophic failure (getting slapped by ADATS halfway to the combat zone), depending on whenever the enemy team has active AA at the start of the match.

Thankfully, '''▀'''Mi-24P, thanks to its ballistic computer, speed and armor can helicopter rush at the start of the round well. Be aware that it is more often than not a one way trip and one needs to adopt a mindset of “I'm going to hell, but I will take you with me”, since any half decent player will spawn dedicated AA after getting killed by rushing helicopter and '''will''' delete you from sky. Sometimes, you won't even get a chance to do that - some players anticipate helicopter rushes and start a game in AA vehicles, thus probably shutting down your helicopter even before it can do any damage.

That being said, when helicopter rushing at the start of the round, you need to approach the battlefield as low as possible, in order to confuse enemy radar and break line of sight by putting terrain, trees and structures between you and enemy. Select heliport spawn closer to the battlefield, and start approaching either spawn or capture point; those have the highest chance of enemies being concentrated there.

Try to gain as much speed as possible before reaching your destination.

Once nearing 1km distance from your objective, pull up and convert speed into attitude. While this will put you in the killzone of most dedicated AA vehicles in game, chances of those being active at the start of the match are low. You will also position yourself outside of most weapons carried by main battle tanks and IFVs - tank guns and most machine guns can't elevate high enough to effectively target you, putting you away from harm's way. This will also allow you to easily target roof armor of enemy vehicles, which is usually thin and not protected by ERA, allowing your unguided rockets to slice right through.

As you climb, use your RWR to determine whenever the enemy team has AA or not - if you get pings from RWR, try to find and dispatch enemy AA before it can fire at you - this will allow you to stay alive for a little longer. Only then you can switch your attention to enemy tanks.

One last thing to note is that you '''will be heard''' '''before seen''', as helicopters are usually very loud, and some skilled players can anticipate your direction from sound alone and can counter you as soon as you appear above horizon - tanks like [[M1A2 Abrams|M1A2]] are equipped with proximity fuze HEAT-FS shells designed to take down low flying helicopters, and most IFVs can elevate their guns high enough to engage you when you first emerge from behind the horizon. Thus gaining altitude is vital to success when helicopter rushing.

'''If you decided to go with sniping with Shturms:'''

'''Recommended loadout:'''

If there are '''no enemy planes''' '''active''' on the battlefield, pick loadout with the maximum number of Shturms ATGMs possible - these are your best choice at dispatching armored targets.

If there '''are enemy planes active''', pick loadout with R-60M missiles, those help you with clearing the airspace of any threats to your helicopter.

You can also pick secondary armament to go with your Shturms - either GSh-23L gun pods or S-8KO rocket pods.

'''GSh-23L''' cannon pods help you defend yourself at close range from air targets.

'''S-8KO''' rocket pods are not used in the conventional role of attacking ground targets in this loadout - instead, you use them defensively, to prematurely activate proximity fuze on enemy AA missiles. Simply fire a salvo in the way of an incoming missile and it should trigger. This is of utmost importance as skilled players will guide SAMs to your position manually, without use of radar, making traditional countermeasures useless.

'''Tactics:'''

Approach battlefield flying at low altitude, keep distance of 5km (maximum range of your ATGMs). Bleed speed and start hovering. Finding any cover to hover behind and to break line of sight trendemously helps your survival - even trees can become your best friend.

Pop above the cover for a few seconds, launch a missile or two, then go back. Change position, rinse and repeat.

Check your RWR regularly in order to spot any active radars, be it airborne or ground based. Note that lack of active radar ping does not guarantee that the enemy team has no AA spawned - skilled players often turn off their radars in order to lure helicopters out of cover and guide their SAMs manually to you.

Stay around an altitude of 25m when not engaging enemy tanks. You won't get detected by radar in most cases and proximity fuze of SAMs is disabled below 25m. If you are higher and you detect incoming SAM, deploy countermeasures and try to duck below 25m as fast as possible. Be aware that direct hit can and will obliterate you, but those are harder to pull off when dodging.

Staying in one place not only helps the enemy team to locate you sooner, but some tanks with laser range finders might able to shoot you down with tank guns at a range of several kilometres, since you present almost static target.

Shturms have mediocre penetration when compared to some high-end missiles and may find themselves unable to defeat modern composite or reactive armor, which are getting common at '''▀'''Mi-24P BR. While destroying light tanks and SPAAGs and many older main battle tanks frontally is doable, your ATGMs simply don't have enough penetration to go through [[Challenger 2|Challengers 2]] turret cheeks or [[T-72B3]]<nowiki/>s Relikt reactive armor for example.

That being said, that does not mean you cannot destroy those enemies. You just need to be smart about deploying your Shturms.

You should avoid engaging enemy tanks from the frontal arc. More often than not, a tank's strongest armor is its turret face and frontal plate on the hull. For example, Leopard 2A5s turret front is able to resist chemical munitions with penetration of up to 1300mm. On top of that, enemies can spot incoming missiles aimed at them when they are coming from the front, allowing them to take defensive measures, such as moving behind cover or deploying smoke grenades.
[[File:Sinai mapa.jpg|alt=While pilots can use rock formation in the red areas as a cover to great success, they can find themselves unable to defeat frontal armor of enemies moving in the middle of the map. Instead, they can try to reach rock formations in the blue area where they can engage weaker side armor of the enemies while still using cover provided by rock formations. Pilots should avoid yellow areas - while it enables side shots, there's no cover to hide behind.|thumb|'''Map of Sinai''' While pilots can use rock formation in the '''red areas''' as a cover to great success, they can find themselves unable to defeat frontal armor of enemies moving in the middle of the map. Instead, they can try to reach rock formations in the '''blue area''' where they can engage weaker side armor of the enemies while still using cover provided by rock formations. Pilots should avoid '''yellow areas''' - while it enables side shots, there's no cover to hide behind.]]
Instead, exploit Hind's high speed to get on flanks and hit enemy tanks from the side. Even with reactive armor, a well aimed hit below the turret of T-90A can detonate its ammo carousel and destroy it in one hit. While most players do check their corners and flanks, they usually wont spot missile coming from an elevated position until it's too late.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has R-60M All-Aspect missiles that very effective against most aircraft.
* Durable air-frame against small calibre rounds
* Competitive speed for a helicopter
* Has AAMs and ATGMs together in a loadout
* Ability to equip 8x Shturm missiles at once
* 30 mm can be deadly against air targets

'''Cons:'''

* ATGMs are have quite low penetration
* Handles sluggishly at most speeds
* Quite big and easy to spot
* No thermal sights, only infrared night vision
* HFS 80 bright and colorful livery can aid enemies in visual detection

== 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 ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=helicopter&vehicleClass=attack_helicopter&vehicle=mi_24p_german_hfs80 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|lTR8bhL4BUc|'''The Mi-24 Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:56 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== 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 helicopter;''
* ''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 Mil}}
{{Germany helicopters}}

File:Sinai mapa.jpg

2021-06-07T19:13:10Z

U58644986:

map of sinai with highlighted zones for helicopter operations

File:Sinai helicopter areas.jpg

2021-06-07T19:10:54Z

U58644986:

Sinai helicopter areas

File:Mi-24P countermeasures .jpg

2021-06-07T13:01:19Z

U58644986:

Red circle - HIRSS
Blue circle - IRCM
Green circle - Countermeasures launcher (left)

Marder A1-

2021-06-06T11:27:48Z

U58644986: /* Description */

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_marder_1a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]]. Being the first true IFV in the German tech tree, Marder A1 offers some unique options to its operator with regards to dispatching its opponents, no matter if they come on ground or by air.

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

Overall, armor on Marder A1 is what you would expect from IFV not designed to fight tanks on its own; thin armor that relies heavily on slope for protection. Good news is, your turret is unmanned, and coupled with great gun depression of -17°, you can fight hull down really well.

In the frontal arc, you can shrug off most heavy machine guns and autocannons up to 23mm caliber, like those found on Shilkas. Be wary though as lucky shots can get through your turret ring or shatter on your drivers optics, sending shrapnel inside the fighting compartment.

From sides and rear, even .50cal will do some serious damage to you, so try to keep your front armor towards the enemy, especially if you know they are armed with heavy machine guns.

With only three crew members available, Marder can't afford to take any hits. When looking at Marder from front, the driver on the right side is protected only by 11mm thin armor plate angled at 73°, so expect your driver to die a lot to enemy fire. Commander and gunner both sit side by side below the unmanned turret, protected by transmission and engine (similar to Merkava tanks). While that won't protect you from rounds with explosive filler or modern kinetic penetrators, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds. Commanders and gunner survivability is thus significantly higher than that of a driver, allowing you to fire back at the opponent in most cases.

Last thing to note about armor is that your roof armor is 11mm only, making you heavily vulnerable to air attacks.

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 11 mm (76°) top
32mm (21°) bottom
| 15 mm (32°) top 15 mm (0°) bottom || 11 mm (22°) || 11 mm
|-
| Turret || 15 - 25 mm turret front 11 mm gun mantlet || 11- 15 mm || 11 - 15 mm || 11 mm
|-
| Cupola || 11 mm || 11 mm || 11 mm || 11 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


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

Mobility of Marder is really, really good, allowing you to rush favorable positions at the start of the battle or flank really well. With a reverse gearbox, you can move backwards as fast as you are going forward, making disengaging an enemy or retreating from unfavorable situations an easy task.

{{tankMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}Since Marder is in its stock configuration already powerful in the firepower department thanks to its MILAN ATGMs, you should have no problems dispatching your enemies. After Parts and FPE, you can either start upgrading your mobility package, or go for DM43 APIT belts to have better chances when fighting light vehicles.

Since you won't be engaging enemies at longer ranges with your autocannon and MILANs are SACLOS guided, getting laser rangefinder is not a priority. Instead, going for recon upgrades and smoke grenades might be preferable. Night vision devices could be also considered, but night battles on this BR are rare.

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

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)}}
Marder A1 is armed with dual feed Rh202 20mm autocannon. Veteran German tankers will know this weapon from Kpz-70 and Leopard 2K; the difference being you get dedicated belts on Marder instead of being limited only to multipurpose stock belts.

Rh202 has fantastic gun handling. Even though it is not equipped with stabiliser, it's barely noticeable even when firing on the move, allowing you to successfully engage enemies without stopping at close range.

With a great rate of fire (noticeably faster than 30mm found on BMP-2s), you can shred light vehicles, low flying planes and helicopters to pieces in a matter of seconds. Even heavier tanks are not safe since you are able to disable their critical components with well aimed burst, crippling their main and secondary arments and tracks, making them easy kills for your MILANs or your heavily armed teammates.

With 65° degrees of gun elevation, you can even work ad hoc as makeshift SPAAG. This is especially useful against helicopter rushes, which are common at the start of the round, when chances of friendly AA being active are low. Even planes are not safe when Marder is around, since you are able to successfully engage low flying aircrafts with enough practise.

Rh202 operates on 200 round belts, Marder can take 6 of them in total and you can switch between different belts with ~1 second delay. Empty belt is reloaded after 8 seconds when spaded.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]] || 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" | 1,200 (200) || rowspan="2" | 800 || rowspan="2" | -17°/+65° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

'''Ammunition'''

* '''Defalut''' - stock belt that consists of APCRT and HEFIT rounds in ratio of 1:1. It works, but can have problems penetrating lighter vehicles due to the off chance that you won't hit a critical component with an APCRT round.
* '''DM51A1 HEI-T''' - stock belt that consists of HEFIT and APCRT rounds in ratio of 3:1, this belt would be of great use against infantry. Since we do not have that in Warthunder, it is useless, since HEFIT rounds have only 2mm of penetration while having the same explosive filler as APCRT rounds. It could have some use against helicopters and low flying planes, but it is redundant as of now.

* '''DM43 API-T''' - Tier I upgrade, this belt consists of APCRT and HEFIT rounds in ratio of 3:1. This belt should be your primary type of ammo for Rh202, since not only has best available penetration, but APCRT rounds '''have the same explosive filler as HEFIT rounds'''.

{| 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 || 57mm || 52mm || 37mm || 24mm || 15mm || 10mm
|-
| DM51A1 HEI-T || 2mm || 2mm || 2mm || 2mm || 2mm || 2mm
|-
| DM43 API-T || 57mm || 52mm || 37mm || 24mm || 15mm || 10mm
|-
|}

*

==== [[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
|-
| '''6''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|MILAN}}
Marder A1 is armed with a MILAN ATGM launcher with SACLOS guidance. Its older missile, lacking tandem warhead, but since composite and reactive armor is a rare sight on BR 7.3 - 8.3, it works wonders. It is your main weapon of choice when engaging targets beyond 200m and when engaging anything heavier than BMP or SPAAG. Marder only gets 4 of those, so firing them recklessly can leave you unable to dispatch heavier opponents. Frequent visits to capture points are must in order to keep fighting.

To fire them, Marder needs to be going slower than 5km/h, which can be disadvantageous against enemy tanks with stabilisers - be sure to distract the enemy first with your autocannon fire.

Also be aware that launcher can't depress as much as your autocannon - this is of utmost importance when fighting in hilly terrain. While it is possible to fire and hit an enemy, the missile needs few seconds and distance to correct itself, making close range shots impossible without considerable skill and practise ( for some theory on this, visit [[Striker]] wiki page).

MILANs are guided in SACLOS manner, meaning they follow your crosshair, making them so much easier to use than older missiles such as SS.11 or Malyutkas. Marder is also one of the earliest vehicles to get SACLOS missiles, together with Ratel 20 and BMP-1, and unlike BMP-1, you have them wehn stock - no research required!

Last thing to note about those is their limited range - just 2km. Most of your engagements do happen inside this range, but on larger maps such as Maginot line, it won't hurt checking enemy distance with your laser range finder before firing.

As SACLOS missiles, they can be used with some success against ATGM helicopters hovering on the battlefield, but again, checking their range is necessary in order not to waste your precious missile.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[MILAN]] missile || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 4 || ±5° || N/A || N/A || _.__ || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| MILAN || ATGM || 530mm || 530mm || 530mm || 530mm || 530mm || 530mm
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Range (m)
! 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%
|-
| MILAN || ATGM || 200 || 2,000 || 6.55 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1.83 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
|}

==== [[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
|-
| '''4''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
Marder is armed with two MG3 machine guns. One is co-ax to your Rh202, second is in a small independent turret above troop compartment.

MG3 is a standard machine gun for German vehicles. While having a nice rate of fire, they are rifle-calibre and thus have very low penetration, useful only as deterrent against low flying aircraft and helicopters and to clear obstacles in front of your main arment. They are almost useless against enemy tanks, and only pose a threat to few open top vehicles.

One thing of note is that the second MG3 in its independent turret can only turn in 90° degree arc on the back of Marder, thus making it even more useless than your co-ax. It can be used to paint enemies that manage to sneak up on to you from behind, or, if you turn your back against incoming aircraft or helicopters, to increase your firepower against them. Other than that, it only blocks your Rh202 from depressing on the back of your vehicle
{| 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
|-
|Coaxial|| 4,500(1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Independent turret
| 1,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Marder A1 is a pretty decent IFV for its rank, but it is not designed to fight enemy tanks head on.

Best strategy is to either rush favorable positions near capture points in order to spot and counter enemy light vehicles rushing them while occasionally firing your ATGM at high-value targets.

Another good strategy is to go for flanks - most of the time, you will meet enemy light vehicles flanking, and your autocannon shreds them like cheese, denying enemy flanking routes and funneling them towards your allied tanks. Keep spotting, and save your ATGMs for self defense, since you will be away from capture points in this scenario and thus unable to rearm. That doesn't mean you can't take out high value targets such as top tier tanks which happen to drive into your sight line.

If forced to CQC or brawl, try to stick to your allies and support them. As soon as you see enemy tank fire, rush him and disable his gun and tracks, making him an easy target for your team mates.

If there are no allies in close proximity, then your speed and ability to fire on the move can be exploited in aggressive pushes, but narrow corridors and streets often present major disadvantages for your lightly armored IFV; so sticking to ambush tactics might be preferable.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 20 mm cannon is very effective at quickly destroying aircraft, SPAA, and lightly armoured vehicles
** High fire rate - 800 rpm
** Plenty of ammo
** Very fast turret rotation
** 17 degrees of gun depression, 69 degrees of gun elevation, with very fast vertical traverse speed
* Effective MILAN missile
* Very manoeuvrable, top speed of 84 km/h and high power-weight ratio

'''Cons:'''

* 20 mm gun is largely ineffective against a large majority of ground vehicles you will face
* Only 4 MILAN missiles
* Thin armour
* Rather tall

== 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 light tanks}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

M48 Super

2021-06-05T16:45:41Z

U58644986: /* Survivability and armour */ Copied MG3 paragraph from Radkampfwagen 90

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_mkpz_super_m48
|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 "Starfighters"]]. Private venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann company aimed to bring obsolete M48 Patton tanks to modern standards, this tank is the ultimate evolution of M48 tanks in German tech tree.

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


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 200 mm || 76 mm ''Top'' 38 mm ''Bottom'' || 35 mm || 57 - 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 400 - 210 mm ''Turret front'' 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 120 - 100 mm || 75 - 50 mm || 69 - 25 mm
|-
| Cupola || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm
|-
|}
'''Turret''' - Your mantlet caps at 480mm against HEAT and just 209mm against APDSFS, nothing to brag about. You are resistant to autocannons and older HEAT rounds, but that's about it.

'''Hull''' - Being based on the M48 Patton hull from the 60s, your hull is able to stop only autocannon fire and only from the front arc, as side shots WILL get through.

Avoiding getting shot is vital to your survival. Sadly, blocky ineffective armor coupled with a tall profile makes this task difficult, if not impossible to achieve. Adopting hull down tactics is a must; on the bright side, your gun can depress to -9° and you can perform well in hilly terrain.

'''Armor type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armor on hull
* Cast homogeneous armor on turret coupled with add-on blocks of composite armor

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,550|rbMinHp=884}}M48 Supers mobility is average at best. Do not expect to rush favorable positions as most of the light tanks and wheeled combat vehicles will be there first.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}Your focus should be on firepower upgrades. After parts and FPE, go for the DM23 round, as most tanks at this rank have either composite armor, ERA or in the worst case scenario both, making your stock HEAT round '''very''' ineffective.

After that focus on getting thermals, those help you tremendously with finding targets and it is impossible to fight at night without them.

Lastly, go for DM33 and laser rangefinder. Those make you a competent sniper and level your fighting chance against most opponents.

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

{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || 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" | -9°/+19° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 22.8 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

M48 Super mounts late-generation fully stabilised L7 cannon, which is pretty standard at this rank. It also has access to standard ammunition selection, though one thing to note is that it has the option to equip lethal DM33 rounds, which are the third best NATO rounds available for 105mm guns (after M800 and DM63).

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 408 || 405 || 398 || 389 || 379 || 370
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,270 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 732 || 14.85 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 4,310 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
Available rounds:

* '''DM12 HEAT-FS''' - Your starting round. HEAT round does not lose penetration with distance travelled. Unlike sabots, it has one downside: given that it is a chemical round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. With the emergence of composite and reactive armor, it quickly became obsolete in anti-tank role (both in Warthunder and in reality). Requires careful aiming to properly damage newer tanks, though it can hold its own while fighting older tanks, lighter vehicles and low flying helicopters.
* '''DM502 HESH''' - This round was always plagued by a plethora of problems. Low velocity, low penetration, inconsistent mechanics and sensitive fuse make this round gimmicky at best. That being said, with the new overpressure mechanic, this round can be used in CQB against light vehicles with devastating effect.
* '''DM23 APFSDS''' - Available as a tier I upgrade, this round allows you to engage modern tanks more reliably, since it performs better against composite and reactive armor. Penetration is relatively below average when compared to rounds available to your contemporaries, so use it as a stop gap solution until a better round becomes available.
* '''DM33 APFSDS''' - Best round available to your tank and third best NATO round available for 105mm cannons. It allows you to engage most enemies at your BR at any range reliably. With careful aiming, even higher BR vehicles are not safe. Be of note that this round can easily over penetrate light vehicles such as BMP-2 or SPAAGs, so aiming at vital components is prefered in order to create shrapnel necessary to destroy them.

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || 43 ''(+3)'' || 29 ''(+17)'' || 21 ''(+25)'' || 16 ''(+30)'' || 1 ''(+45)'' || No
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Racks 4 and 5 are first stage ammo racks.
* The ammunition model depletes every two rounds after most shots but this depends on how much ammo is left.

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

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}The coaxially mounted 7.62 mm MG3A1 is, in most situations, not useful. While being able to "blind" opponents by shooting at their optics, as with any MG, and able to easily dispatch of vehicles with exposed crew that have uptiered themselves, such as the [[M56]], 2 factors really hold this MG back from being truly useful. These are:

* The MG is mounted coaxially, limiting its traverse and AA capabilities (especially against helicopters)
* This MG has very low penetration, as almost any thin armoured plate can withstand its fire

Against some of the bigger and meaner helicopters such as Ka-50, it is simply better to not fire at all in order to stay hidden and not draw attention to yourself.
{| 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
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || __° || __°
|-
| Coaxial || 2,750 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

While M48 Super can be played as a regular main battle tank, it works best as a sniper or support tank.

As a sniper, thermals, DM33 round and laser rangefinder allow you to quickly and effectively engage enemy tanks at any range. Using uneven terrain and going hull down, entrenched M48 Super can shut down large portions of maps for the enemy team.

As a support, stabilised gun coupled with DM33 round can work wonders in CQC. Go with your allies with better armor, let them take shot, and as soon as you see enemy tank fire, lunge forward and send the enemy back to the garage. Your tall profile, which is otherwise handicap, can allow you to fire over friendly tanks without obstruction.

If you are forced to brawl, it is mandatory to make the first shot.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Improved in all aspects compared to M48A2-G-A2
* Unlike the M48A2-G-A2 its gun has a two-plane stabilizer so it can fire on the move
* Much better turret protection than the previous M48A2-G-A2 model
* Has a new better transmission and engine so it can go around as fast as a Leopard tank
* Has access to 1st gen thermal vision device for both gunner and commanders optics
* Has access to 3rd best NATO 105mm round, DM33.

'''Cons:'''

* All the add on armor on the turret is ineffective against APFSDS rounds and ATGMs
* It has a high chance of getting ammo detonation due to ammo layout inside the tank
* Penetrating shots will always take out the gun breech and at least two crews
* It has a large profile compared to other tanks of the same rank
* Has a large engine bulge at the back so it cant fire from its back at all

== History ==

'''Development'''

The Super M48 was a private venture offered by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann in the 1990s as a potential upgrade for the M48 Patton that was in service with a number of nations at the time. A total of 5 demonstrator vehicles were built using the M48A2GA2 as their basis. Unfortunately for the Super M48, its creation coincided with the end of the Cold War, which resulted in a surplus of newer American and Soviet tanks which were preferred over an upgraded older tank such as the M48. As such, no nation chose to procure the Super M48 upgrade solution.

'''Design'''

The Super M48 maintained the general layout and basis of the M48A2GA2, with a crew of four. It weighed a total of 53 tonnes and was 6.87 metres long, 3.63 metres wide, and 2.9 metres tall.

The old engine of the M48A2GA2 was replaced by an MTU MB 837 Ea-500 V12 diesel engine producing 1,000 hp, much more powerful than the old engine. The transmission was also replaced by a Renk RK-304 transmission with four forward and four reverse gears. The suspension was nearly unmodified other than the five return rollers being reduced to only three. The new powerpack gave the Super M48 a top speed of 56 kilometres per hour.

The protection of the Super M48 was also improved by fitting a layer of composite material around the turret front and sides. This appliqué armour was modular and could be removed when not necessary or replaced when damaged. A spall liner was fitted to the interior of the vehicle. Four smoke grenade launchers were fitted to each side of the turret for a total of eight. Additionally, new sideskirts were fitted on the hull sides.

The main gun was the L7A3 105 mm rifled gun which could fire APFSDS, HESH, HEATFS, and HE. The secondary armament consisted of a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a pintle-mounted 7.62 machine gun mounted on the commander's cupola. 46 rounds of 105 mm ammunition and 10,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition were provided.

The tank's fire control system (FCS) was replaced by a MOLF 48 FCS built by Atlas Elektronik. It included a digital ballistic computer, a thermal sight for the gunner with an included laser rangefinder, and an optical rangefinder as a backup. The gun was fitted with a two-plane stabilization system and the gun and turret controls were replaced by an electro-hydraulic system.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=germ_mkpz_super_m48 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|iDqhppOWjc4|'''The Shooting Range #213''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:29 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 ==

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}

MiG-21MF (Germany)

2021-06-02T09:17:00Z

U58644986: Obsolete part of text with introduction of F-4F early and F-4F late, also false information, F-104G is also armed with ballistic computer.

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = MiG-21 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=mig-21_mf
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|MiG-21MF WebsiteImage 1.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]].

It is a single-engine delta-wing supersonic interceptor with conventional tail and fully-moving elevators.

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


The '''{{Specs|name}}''' has mediocre flight performance in every aspect among top rank jets. It will get out-accelerated by British Phantoms or MiG-21 bis, outturned by Draken or Mirage, and out-sped by 2nd gen US Phantoms (F-4E/EJ), Starfighters or MiG-21 bis. The delta wing provides great angle-of-attack (AoA) while turning but it also mean the plane loses huge amount of speed doing so. This means that staying behind enemy in 1 vs. 1 is fairly simple, but when there are multiple bandits one might loose all their speed and become an easy missile target if turning too much.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 13,000 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
| 2,196 || 2,178 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 34.0 || 35.1 || 139.6 || 131.0 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,295 || 2,240 || 32.3 || 33.0 || 192.8 || 165.0
|-
|}

==== 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 524 || 450 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 600 || < 950 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Tumansky R-13-300 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,860 kg || colspan="2" | 355 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 29m fuel
|-
| 1,135 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 6,505 kg || 7,455 kg || 8,168 kg || 9,900 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="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 29m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,825 kgf || 6,483 kgf
| 1.00 || 0.87 || 0.79 || 0.65
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,825 kgf (0 km/h) || 6,977 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.07 || 0.94 || 0.85 || 0.70
|-
|}

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


The MiG-21MF lacks armour plating. It also has one engine unlike some other planes. This means that the survivability is very low, even among jets. Getting hit is something that should be avoided at all cost, because should the plane survive it, even small wing damage will force the pilot to return to base. The plane lacks radar warning receiver (RWR), which is a notable downside compared to the Soviet [[MiG-21SMT]].

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

Your main priority is to get to the R-60s as soon as possible, this will require you to unlock two tier III modifications. Unless you particularly want to research the ground attack ordnance you will be wanting to unlock "Wings repair" and "New 23 mm cannons" at tier III. Therefore you should research "Offensive 23 mm belts" as your first modification at tier I. This will then unlock tier II modifications where you can research "R-3S" and your choice of "New boosters" or "Airframe" (up to you in which order you unlock these), it may be appealing to unlock missiles first to help with the grind but you should keep in mind that the R-3S missiles are slightly worse than the [[AIM-9B]] and can only be fired when pulling less than 2G, which means they cannot be fired in even a gentle turn or climb. Once tier III modifications are accessible, you can unlock "Wings repair" and "New 23 mm cannons" in whichever order you want and then go for the R-60s. Once the R-60s are available you can unlock the remaining modifications in whatever order you see fit, however it is highly recommended to go for G-suit and engine upgrades first.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|GSh-23L (23 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannon, belly-mounted (200 rpg)

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

{{main|OFAB-250sv (250 kg)|R-3S|R-60|S-5K|S-24}}

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

* Without load
* 64 x S-5K rockets
* 96 x S-5K rockets
* 4 x S-24 rockets
* 4 x R-3S missiles
* 4 x R-60 missiles
* 64 x S-5K rockets + 2 x R-3S missiles
* 64 x S-5K rockets + 2 x R-60 missiles
* 2 x S-24 rockets + 2 x R-3S missiles
* 2 x S-24 rockets + 2 x R-60 missiles
* 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs + 2 x R-3S missiles (500 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs + 2 x R-60 missiles (500 kg total)

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' has access to ballistic computer for the guns and rockets.

== Usage in battles ==


While the '''{{Specs|name}}''' itself is a pretty mediocre fighter, it has access to 4 deadly R-60 missiles. These missiles work the best when enemy is slow, so the recommended tactic is to wait a bit before engaging into the battle.

Due to the immense speed bleed in turns, it is strongly recommended to keep the speed high near enemies, unless one really wants to closely meet AIM-9J. Dropping below 800 km/h makes it really hard to dodge this missile. When an enemy is spotted, it is recommended to turn roughly into their direction, so when they engage, they'll have to make a 180° turn, which will give time for MiG pilot to disengage without risking getting hit by a missile.

Engaging in 1 v 1 situation can sometimes be done, but unless a faster opponent forces it (which happens rarely, as faster opponents turn worse than the MiG) it is only recommended if there are no other enemies nearby. However, do never turn-fight with Draken or Mirage. A good tactic for defensive dogfights is trying to make enemy overshoot, especially against Phantoms. Keep in mind however that you can outrun F-4C.

Final thing to note is that because the plane has no RWR nor radar-guided missiles, it is strongly recommended to stick close to the ground. This will make it unable for enemies to track you on their radar and send a radar-guided missile. This strategy comes with a risk of having to deal with enemies that are higher than you, but without RWR the pilot won't even know if there is a missile coming towards him.

===Specific enemies worth noting===

* MiG-21 bis and MiG-21 SMT, if you play against the Soviets. They are faster and have better acceleration (bis in particular) but are slightly heavier and less agile
* Mirage IIIC, has very similar acceleration and top speed, but will outturn MiG-21 MF and has great Matra Magic missiles.
* F-4E/F-4EJ. They are armed with great missiles, fighting them at altitude is not recommended. One the deck they are faster and have better energy retention.
* J35 Draken, will always outturn you. It is very important to keep an energy advantage when attempting to fight the Draken, turn fighting is the worst thing possible against a Draken and tactics that involve retaining energy is best when attempting to fight the Draken. Forcing the Draken to dump its energy is the best way to fight against it.

===Radars===

The MiG-21MF is equipped with a RP-21 Sapfir search and tracking radar. The radar is mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | RP-21 - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Guaranteed Detection Range|The range, below which, detection of a target is practically guaranteed}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
|-
| 30,000 m (theoretical) || 20,000 m || ±30.0° || -3.0°/+17.0°
|-
! colspan="4" | RP-21 - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 20,000 m || 300 m || ±30.0° || ±17.0°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Access to four R-60 missiles with great tracking and G-tolerance
* High AoA
* Good ground attack loadouts
* Light and agile
* A small profile which is harder to hit
* Decent fuel load allows for reheating for the whole match

'''Cons:'''

* Jack of all trades, but a master of none
* Terrible cannon armament
* Terrible energy retention
* No Radar Warning Receiver
* No combat flaps

== History ==

The MiG-21MF (Germany) is a second-generation variant of the popular MiG-21 'Fishbed'. Operated by the East German Air Force (''Luftstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee''; '''LSK''') between 1972 and 1990, the aircraft was an export variant of the MiG-21SM, and is highly similar to its counterpart, the [[MiG-21SMT]]. Designated the 'Fishbed-J', the aircraft formed the bulk of the LSK in the late stages of the Cold War. All German MiG-21 aircraft were retired following the German Reunification, though some survive as museum aircraft to this day.<ref name=":0">Aviata. (2020)</ref><ref name=":1">Museum, D. (2020)</ref>

=== Design and procurement ===
The East German Air Force received many MiG-21 variants due to their ties with the Soviet Bloc. 76 MiG-21F-13 aircraft had been delivered to the East German Air Force in the early 1960s, and they later received 50 MiG-21PF 'Fishbed-D' planes, which were known as the MiG-21PFM in East German service.<ref name=":0" /> This generated considerable confusion as the German MiG-21PFs had inadvertently been given the same name as the later, Soviet-made, MiG-21PFM 'Fishbed-F'.<ref name=":0" /> However, in the early 1970s, the LSK received its first 3rd-generation MiG-21s, the MiG-21MF. This aircraft was essentially an export variant of the Soviet MiG-21SM. 50 MiG-21MFs were delivered to the LSK between 1972 and 1974.<ref name=":0" />

The MiG-21MF differs from the standard MiG-21SM by having a less powerful engine and simplified radar system, meaning that it accelerates slightly slower than its Soviet counterpart. It could reach a maximum speed of 2,230 km/h, and was flown by a single pilot.<ref name=":1" /> As an interceptor, it carried a 23 mm dual-barreled cannon with 200 rounds in a ventral pack, and was also capable of fitting a variety of munitions including bombs, rockets and missiles.<ref name=":0" />

=== Service history ===
The MiG-21MF enjoyed a fairly uneventful service history with the LSK. The aircraft served with ''Jagdgeschwader'' (JG, fighter group) 8 and JG 9. It complemented the earlier MiG-21PFM and MiG-21F-13 aircraft in German service. Later on, it was complemented by the MiG-21bis, the final MiG-21 variant to serve with the German Air Force. At the time of the German reunification, many MiG-21s remained in German service.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> As the new combined ''Luftwaffe'' had no plans to continue using the Soviet-era interceptor, all MiG-21 aircraft were retired in late 1990 following the German reunification. Many of those aircraft were reserved as museum pieces, and several survive to this day in museums across the globe.<ref name=":1" />

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=fighter&vehicle=mig-21_mf Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images

[[File:MiG-21MF.jpg|thumb|none|300px|]]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|oMWZhOXmQYg|'''"MiG-21MF - The Orange MiG [Air Forces]''' - ''BaconGaming''|vhTZXYk6eao|'''Tank busters''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:19 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|DwixJCfFMU8|'''MiG-21MF''' - ''Napalmratte''|R8lBSC7IFUM|'''Should You Buy The MiG-21MF??''' - ''Sako Sniper''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* {{Specs-Link|mig-21_f13}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig-21_smt}}
* {{Specs-Link|mig-21_bis}}

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-21|[Wikipedia] Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21]]
* [http://www.airvectors.net/avmig21_1.html <nowiki>[Air Vectors]</nowiki> The Mikoyan MiG-21 - MiG-21 Single-Seat Variants]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/479893-mig-21mf/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

=== References ===
<references />
=== Works Cited ===

* Aviata. (2020). German MiG-21. Retrieved November 23, 2020, from <nowiki>https://aviatia.net/german-mig-21/</nowiki>
* Museum, D. (2020). Mikojan-Gurewitsch MiG-21 MF. Retrieved November 23, 2020, from <nowiki>https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/flugwerft/collections/jet-aircraft/mig-21/</nowiki>

{{AirManufacturer MiG}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

JaPz.K A2

2021-05-27T21:27:20Z

U58644986: /* Main armament */

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sk105_a2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

Even though it is angled at 62°, the hull armour of the JaPz.K A2 is relatively weak. In most cases, it will stop 20 mm cannons but any bigger calibre will have no problems punching right trough the hull armour which in most cases leads to an instant death, as the crew is sitting tightly packed together. Rapid firing autocannons such as the ones mounted on the [[Gepard]] or the [[ZSU-37-2]] will have no problems shredding the Kürassier in less than a second.

'''Armor type:'''


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 20 mm (62°) ''Frontal Glacis'' 20 mm (49°) ''Bottom Glacis'' || 14 mm ''Top hull side'' 14 mm ''Bottom hull side'' || 12 mm || 5-10 mm
|-
| Turret || 20-40 mm (19-69°) ''Turret front'' 40 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun Mantlet'' || 20-40 mm || 10-20 mm || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 10 mm(60°) || 10 mm || 10 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=455|rbMinHp=283}}

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

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

{{main|PzK M57 (105 mm)}}
''Main article'': '''''[[PzK M57 (105 mm)]]'''''

In terms of weaponry, the SK-105 carries the 105 mm PzK M57 which is very effective at dispatching almost every enemy tank with a well placed shot. It possesses a 4-second autoloader with a magazine size of 12 rounds. After the 12 rounds were depleted, the user has to wait until the magazine houses at least one round. This can be quite problematic if one is too trigger happy.

Another thing to note is that the gun is not stabilized. Combined with the low weight of the vehicle, the player can have a hard time to lay its gun if coming from full stop or when firing consecutive shots due to recoil.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PzK M57 (105 mm)|105 mm PzK M57]] || 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" | 38 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| OCC 105 F1 || HEAT || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| OE 105 F1 Mle.60 || HE || 25 || 25 || 25 || 25 || 25 || 25
|-
| OFL 105 G1 || APFSDS || 346 || 344 || 335 || 326 || 315 || 306
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| OCC 105 F1 || HEAT || 1,000 || 10.95 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,020 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| OE 105 F1 Mle.60 || HE || 700 || 12.1 || 0 || 0.1 || 2,000 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| OFL 105 G1 || APFSDS || 1,475 || 3.41 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| OFPH 105 F1 || 700 || 11.4 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[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
|-
| '''38''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}
Notes:

* It is highly recommend to not take more than 24 shells due to the fact that reserve shells pile up in the front most part of the tank, which might lead to the loss of the vehicle. If the user can manage their rounds effectively, the safest ammo count would be 16. This way, only 4 extra rounds are placed into the turret and no rounds are in the front of the tank.

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

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The JaPz.K A2 has access to the [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]] machine gun. While it lacks any sort effective penetration, its high rate of fire can dispatch exposed crew members easily. The single belt contains 1,000 rounds with average velocity. It is largely inadequate against armour and should be used exclusively to dispatch exposed crew members or to destroy environmental objects such as fences with ease.

{| 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
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

With 2nd gen thermals on gunner optics, laser rangefinder and one of the best APFSDS rounds at its rank against sloped armor (beaten only by japanese type 93), SK-105A2 is a very potent sniper. Stick to areas with long lines of sight and utilize your superior long range firepower. Do not attempt to brawl, ever. Lack of stabilizer combined with the low weight of the vehicle means your gun will jump all over the place and will reset slowly compared to its peers. Shots fired on the move are achievable only through sheer luck and it is almost impossible to squeeze a first shot if coming to a stop from full speed. If forced to close quarters combat like on urban maps, avoid direct confrontation; flank or ambush. Later can be done extremely well due to your small size, competitive speed and 4 second autoloader.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has a 12-round autoloader
* Has a smoke grenade launcher
* Has access to night vision device and 2nd gen thermal imager on gunner optics
* Has access to a laser rangefinder

'''Cons:'''

* Has thin armour that can be penetrated by .50 cal machine guns
* Lacks a stabilizer
* Has only 1 machine gun (coaxial)
* Has only 3 crew members sitting close to each other

== History ==

[[File:Bolivian SK-105.jpg|thumb|A Bolivian SK-105 alongside an M113 APC]]
The SK-105 ''Kürassier'' was developed in Austria by Sauer-Werk in response to military requests for a lightweight and mobile anti-tank vehicle. The first prototype arrived in 1967, with pre-production vehicles following in 1971. The vehicle consisted of a oscillating turret weapons platform possessing a potent 105mm cannon, atop the modified chassis of the already existing Saurer APC.

After its creation, the vehicle was adopted by the Austrian military, with a total of 286 being operated until the 1990s, while hundreds more were exported to countries around the world including Argentina, Morocco, Tunisia, and others. Argentina's order totalled 118 vehicles. In November 2005 the first prototype of the Patagón was delivered. This vehicle was to be a modernisation of the JaPz.K A2, replacing the original turrets with surplus AMX-13 (105) turrets, however the project was abandoned in 2008 due to authorities "considering the manufacture of the 40 planned units uneconomical".

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=germ_sk105_a2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[AMX-13]] - Similar tank designation and oscillating turret design
* [[SK-105A2]] - Domestic service version

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:SK-105_Kürassier|[Wikipedia] SK-105 Kürassier]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/Austria/SK-105_Kurassier.php <nowiki>[tanks-encyclopedia] SK-105 Kurassier</nowiki>]

{{Germany light tanks}}

F-104G (Germany)

2021-05-07T17:32:09Z

U58644986: /* Armaments */

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-104 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-104g
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]]. It is often referred to as the "missile with a man in it" or the "widow maker", the latter nickname highlighting its questionable safety record in Luftwaffe use.

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

The F-104G has great speed, acceleration, and climb rate due to its streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engine, the General Electric J79-GE-11; which gives thrust of up to 4,130 kgf without and 8,391 kgf with afterburner. This is achieved at the cost of low-speed handling and turning capabilities. It only turns acceptably at transsonic or supersonic speeds (around 1,000 km/h), anything below that being far below average for a jet fighter. Even then, do not try to turnfight with anything other than fellow Starfighters; even a F-4E will outturn you. The stubby wings with a low aspect ratio also contribute to poor manoeuvring energy retention, so extended turning will bleed energy quickly. The roll rate is good, which helps in defensive manoeuvres.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 15,240 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
| 2,343 || 2,317 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 34.5 || 35.1 || 230.5 || 222.5 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,431 || 2,387 || 33.5 || 34.0 || 292.0 || 260.0
|-
|}

==== 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 || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| 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}} || N/A || 827 || 444 || ~12 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 720 || < 950 || < 800 || N/A
|-
|}

==== 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 J79-GE-11 || 1
| colspan="2" | 6,552 kg || colspan="3" | 532 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel
|-
| 1,615 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 7,353 kg || 8,153 kg || 8,954 kg || 9,194 kg || 24,000 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
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,128 kgf || 6,357 kgf
| 0.86 || 0.78 || 0.71 || 0.69 || 0.26
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,128 kgf (0 km/h) || 8,391 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.14 || 1.03 || 0.94 || 0.91 || 0.35
|-
|}

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

The F-104G has no armour; be it in the form of armour plates or armoured glass. Fuel tanks are self-sealing, which is pretty much a standard feature at this rank. The F-104G also has access to countermeasures as a tier I modification (unlike [[F-104G (China)|Chinese F-104G]]) and Radar Warning Receiver as a tier IV modification.

While selecting which combination of countermeasures to use, the pilot should consider which missiles opponents are likely to use.

In '''Air RB''', most missiles at this rank are IR tracking, which can be countered by flares. Less common types of missiles are semi-active radar homing, SARH (like AIM-7E); those are countered by chaff. Radar-guided missiles are usually used from longer distances, but they can easily lose tracking or be outmanoeuvred, even in the F-104; while IR missiles are launched from closer range and can pull more Gs, so flares are more desirable.

In '''Ground RB''', there are few IR guided missiles. Not counting those carried by some helicopters, only [[Type 93]] comes to mind. Biggest threat in Ground RB comes in form of radar guided SPAAs, be it in the form of cannons, missiles or both. Most enemies rely on their tracking radar in order to get lead for their guns and to comfortably track your plane with missiles. Chaff confuses tracking radar, thus increasing probability of miss, so focusing on chaff is more useful.

Final note, if you fly with the afterburner while launching flares, missiles are going to ignore them and go straight for you.

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

The F-104G's engine performance is sufficient when stock, so one should go for countermeasures first. Most enemies engage with IR missiles and the F-104G simply does not have enough manoeuvrability to outturn modern ones like [[R-60]] and [[AIM-9J Sidewinder]]. Unlock AIM-9B missiles next, they are bad compared to competition, but they are better than nothing. Then go straight for the RWR. [[AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder]] can be left for last, as they have identical characteristics to the previous AIM-9Bs.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, nose-mounted (750 rpg)

M61A1 is an excellent cannon at its rank, only disadvantages being short spool up time and limited ammo count relative to rate of fire.

Armed with anti-air belts for '''Air RB''', even a short burst is fatal to any enemy aircraft; provided burst connects.

Cannon excels even in '''Ground RB''' armed with armor-piercing belts, giving it 53mm of penetration, which is enough to get through most SPAAs and light tanks armor and can even pierce the engine deck of T-90A (at 1000m/73°).

Last thing to note is that trigger discipline is a must.

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

{{main|Matra 25E (250 kg)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|AS-20 Nord|AIM-9B Sidewinder|AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder|Hydra-70 M247}}

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

* Without load
* 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles
* 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 3 x 250 kg Matra 25E bombs (750 kg total)
* 3 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 3 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (2,250 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)

For '''Air RB''', F-104G is quite limited in its options of arments. While '''AIM-9B FGW.2''' should have better track rate, in-game it has identical stats to '''AIM-9B''', so it doesn't really matter whichever you pick. AIM-9Bs are heavily outclassed at BR 10.0, can only pull 10 Gs, their tracker gets easily distracted by flares and can be easily dodged, and can only track their target at rate of 11°/s (for comparison, best Sidewinders in-game, AIM-9Js, can pull 20 Gs and their track rate is 16.5°/s). They can't be enslaved to radar and their seeker window is really small and can achieve lock only when directly behind the enemy plane.

Considering all this, do not waste them in turnfights, against agile planes or planes that have a lot of energy. Instead, focus on enemy planes going after your teammates or planes in low energy state. Planes that lock up at higher speeds are also viable targets. Closer you get behind the enemy plane before launching, the higher your chances of shooting them down are.

For '''Ground RB''', F-104G has access to a wide arsenal of weapons.

Popular '''AS-20 Nords''' are practically flat trajectory 30 kg bombs that can be guided to target in MCLOS style. Their explosive payload leaves something to be desired, so the player needs to be really precise with their aiming. Also, F-104G gets only two of them. On the other hand, they have a launch range of 8 km.

Another option are '''M247 Hydra 70 rockets'''. While offering 290mm of penetration, they only contain 0.9 kg of explosives and plane gets 14x of them. Direct hits are must in order to achieve kill, and even with the help of ballistic computer, they are quite impractical at speeds in which F-104G usually operates.

With F-104G being equipped with ballistic computer, '''bombs''' become much more viable option. Turning on the ballistic computer allows the player to use arcade style crosshairs, so any pilot is capable of hitting ground targets with laser-like accuracy. F-104G is capable of carrying 3x bombs ( 1x mounted under fuselage and 2x on wing pylons) and these are dropped individually, allowing the player in theory to achieve at least 3 kills per payload. All bombs carried by F-104G are viable, so it is up to personal preference.

== Usage in battles ==

The F-104G should not be used in turn fighting engagements as its small wingspan and wing area does not allow the Starfighter to outturn or retain enough energy to fight any other aircraft. Instead, the Starfighter should use its high speed and engine performance to outrun most opponents. When at top speeds, the Starfighter is able to outrun short-range AAMs launched from 2.4 km at sea level and 3.5 km at higher altitudes. Flares are also available to the Starfighter which proves to be incredibly useful to pre-flare or to dodge missiles which your aircraft wouldn't normally be able to dodge without flares.

Aggressive flanking and forcing enemies to turn and dump their energy is the playstyle which all Starfighter's should be flown and the more powerful engine of the F-104G variants compared to the As and Cs allow this playstyle to be played more successfully, though you cannot outrun some fighters such as the MiG-21bis (though your wing rip speed is much higher) and the F-104S (having a much more powerful engine though also much heavier).

Do not bother with climbing in an uptier: your already bad manoeuvrability gets worse the higher you get, and without RWR and Chaff you are nothing more than target practice for F-4Es with SARH missiles. Instead, start side climbing to 2 to 3 km, then flank already engaged targets. Your speed allows you to close distance quickly and your missiles are good enough to engage distracted enemies flying in a straight line or in low energy state. Then, escape using your superior speed. Rearm, rinse and repeat.

If you get downtiered, there are few enemies that can match your speed and climb rate. Stick to boom-and-zoom tactics, watch out for other [[F-104 (Family)|Starfighters]], [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]], [[Yak-38 (Family)|Yak-38]] and [[Hunter (Family)|Hunters]] and use your flares to evade their missiles. Since few planes (or any at all) around BR 9.0 have RWR or flares, they should be easy prey for your Sidewinders.

===Radars===

The F-104G is equipped with an NASARR search and tracking radar. The radar is mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Guaranteed Detection Range|The range, below which, detection of a target is practically guaranteed}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
|-
| 37,000 m (theoretical) || 18,000 m || ±45.0° || ±43.0°
|-
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 18,500 m || 150 m || ±10.0° || ±10.0°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good top speed.
* Great rate of climb; even the F-4 Phantom may struggle to match it.
* Decent high-speed manoeuvrability.
* Good roll rate for a plane with tiny wings.
* M61 Vulcan cannon can do some serious damage to an enemy plane.
* Wide selection of secondary ordnance; much better than early F-104s.
* High thrust to weight ratio.

'''Cons:'''

* Lousy low-speed manoeuvrability.
* Bleeds energy quickly in sustained turn-fights.
* Large turning radius due to small wing surface and high speed.
* High takeoff and landing speeds.
* Mediocre IR missiles compared to competitors.

== History ==

The brainchild of famed Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, after having spoken to USAF pilots about their experience in the Korean Air War, the F-104 Starfighter was innovative in both its design and speed. Developed from the start as a daytime air-superiority fighter with speed in mind, the Starfighter began life at Lockheed's famous "Skunk Works" facility in 1952 to combat the Soviet's new age of supersonic jet fighters. The aircraft would incorporate the smallest airframe, combined with the most technologically advanced turbojet at the time, to create the base of what would become the F-104.

In 1953, the USAF showed interest in the project, and proposed an open contest with Lockheed and multiple other firms for a supersonic interceptor, based wholly on performance. Lockheed evidently won the contest and approval for two prototypes to be produced and, in February of 1954, took flight for the first time. Although it was slated to be fitted with the General Electric J79 turbofan, due to shortages of the engines the prototypes were mated to a license-built variant of the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engine, called the Wright XJ65-W-6, until the initial powerplant was available. The aircraft however was not without its problems, resulting in a four-year long developmental period for the aircraft. By the end of it, 17 pre-production YF-104As had been built, tested, and used to iron out any problems that would be noticeable on the final F-104. In 1958, the F-104 would finally be available for deliveries featuring some differences from the initial prototypes in the form of a longer fuselage as well as the fitting of General Electric J79GE-3 engines putting out a whopping 14,800 lbs of thrust.

From the start the F-104A smashed records, taking the record as the first operational fighter in service to succeed Mach 2, as well as going on to take the records for both altitude and speed in both the F-104A and F-104C variants respectively. On May 7th, 1958, Maj. Howard C. Johnson, in his F-104A, set a new world altitude record at 91,243 feet, and 11 days later another aircraft set a new speed record at 1,403.19 mph. The altitude record was later bested by another variant of the aircraft, the F-104C, at a whopping altitude of 103,389 feet. In the 1950s, the aircraft had come to be exactly what the public had expected a fighter of this magnitude to look like. With a long, pencil shaped fuselage with short, sharp edged wings it encompassed the era of space flight and Sci-Fi with its design. The wings were one of the most unique parts of the aircraft, as well as its long fuselage taken up mostly by its large engine and fuel storage, and were only 4 inches and its thickest. Sweeping was only utilized on the leading edge, and a slight anhedral was in place to combat "Dutch Roll", a phenomenon where the aircraft rocks side-to-side uncontrollably. The wings, while helping with supersonic flight, were harmful to ground crews, and special equipment had to be issued to service these areas.

While having a history of accidents and high pilot attrition, the aircraft was fitted with an ejection seat. Due to the great speed of the aircraft at Mach 2, it was believed that the seat wouldn't have enough time to clear the tail section in an ejection scenario. Therefore, a downward firing ejection seat known as the Stanley C-1 was fitted into early models of the F-104. While a good idea, and in theory could work, the C-1 was also believed harmful in the case of a low-altitude ejection of the aircraft. After a failed introduction of the Stanley C-2 ejection seat, the problem was finally solved by the introduction of the Martin-Baker ejection system, particularly in foreign-operator's Starfighters. Roughly 153 F-104As were produced, with 26 more being F-104B two-seat variants. The F-104A spend a short time in USAF service before being send to Air National Guard (ANG) units, which some others being sent to foreign operators which had some success in their service. In September of 1958 the USAF would get the F-104C, a dedicated fighter-bomber variant designed for the USAF's Tactical Air Command's 479th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The F-104C featured improvements over the F-104A in the form of a better fire-control system as well as hardpoints on the centerline on the belly and under the wings. The aircraft also introduced the ability to refuel mid-flight via a probe running along the right side of the aircraft, extending the reach of the aircraft somewhat. However, like most of the A models ended up, the C models were quickly transferred to Air National Guard (ANG) units both of which served until around 1975 in their service. The first combat of the F-104 however wouldn't be seen until the Vietnam War, and while not having any kills to count was successful in keeping MiGs back and from intercepting friendly aircraft. The aircraft had a short service life in this theatre, only serving in 1965, and again from 1967-1969 until the introduction of the more-capable F-4 Phantom II by which it was replaced.

The aircraft saw its best success as the F-104G, of which Germany had many. The aircraft has come to be known as the "definitive" variant of the Starfighter. Sporting a reinforced airframe, larger vertical stabilizer, uprated turbofans, and improved electronics, the aircraft was initially built for the German Luftwaffe and first flew in October 1960. The aircraft's licensing was handled by multiple manufacturers, notably Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), FIAT, Fokker, and Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA). While in German service the aircraft earned the nickname "Widowmaker" when, between the years 1961 and 1989, 292 aircraft out of 916 had crashed, with 116 pilots being lost.

== 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 ==


* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=113 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> Lockheed F-104 Starfighter]

{{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

F-104G (Germany)

2021-05-07T17:31:39Z

U58644986: /* Armaments */

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-104 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-104g
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]]. It is often referred to as the "missile with a man in it" or the "widow maker", the latter nickname highlighting its questionable safety record in Luftwaffe use.

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

The F-104G has great speed, acceleration, and climb rate due to its streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engine, the General Electric J79-GE-11; which gives thrust of up to 4,130 kgf without and 8,391 kgf with afterburner. This is achieved at the cost of low-speed handling and turning capabilities. It only turns acceptably at transsonic or supersonic speeds (around 1,000 km/h), anything below that being far below average for a jet fighter. Even then, do not try to turnfight with anything other than fellow Starfighters; even a F-4E will outturn you. The stubby wings with a low aspect ratio also contribute to poor manoeuvring energy retention, so extended turning will bleed energy quickly. The roll rate is good, which helps in defensive manoeuvres.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 15,240 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
| 2,343 || 2,317 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 34.5 || 35.1 || 230.5 || 222.5 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,431 || 2,387 || 33.5 || 34.0 || 292.0 || 260.0
|-
|}

==== 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 || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| 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}} || N/A || 827 || 444 || ~12 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 720 || < 950 || < 800 || N/A
|-
|}

==== 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 J79-GE-11 || 1
| colspan="2" | 6,552 kg || colspan="3" | 532 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel
|-
| 1,615 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 7,353 kg || 8,153 kg || 8,954 kg || 9,194 kg || 24,000 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
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,128 kgf || 6,357 kgf
| 0.86 || 0.78 || 0.71 || 0.69 || 0.26
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,128 kgf (0 km/h) || 8,391 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.14 || 1.03 || 0.94 || 0.91 || 0.35
|-
|}

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

The F-104G has no armour; be it in the form of armour plates or armoured glass. Fuel tanks are self-sealing, which is pretty much a standard feature at this rank. The F-104G also has access to countermeasures as a tier I modification (unlike [[F-104G (China)|Chinese F-104G]]) and Radar Warning Receiver as a tier IV modification.

While selecting which combination of countermeasures to use, the pilot should consider which missiles opponents are likely to use.

In '''Air RB''', most missiles at this rank are IR tracking, which can be countered by flares. Less common types of missiles are semi-active radar homing, SARH (like AIM-7E); those are countered by chaff. Radar-guided missiles are usually used from longer distances, but they can easily lose tracking or be outmanoeuvred, even in the F-104; while IR missiles are launched from closer range and can pull more Gs, so flares are more desirable.

In '''Ground RB''', there are few IR guided missiles. Not counting those carried by some helicopters, only [[Type 93]] comes to mind. Biggest threat in Ground RB comes in form of radar guided SPAAs, be it in the form of cannons, missiles or both. Most enemies rely on their tracking radar in order to get lead for their guns and to comfortably track your plane with missiles. Chaff confuses tracking radar, thus increasing probability of miss, so focusing on chaff is more useful.

Final note, if you fly with the afterburner while launching flares, missiles are going to ignore them and go straight for you.

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

The F-104G's engine performance is sufficient when stock, so one should go for countermeasures first. Most enemies engage with IR missiles and the F-104G simply does not have enough manoeuvrability to outturn modern ones like [[R-60]] and [[AIM-9J Sidewinder]]. Unlock AIM-9B missiles next, they are bad compared to competition, but they are better than nothing. Then go straight for the RWR. [[AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder]] can be left for last, as they have identical characteristics to the previous AIM-9Bs.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, nose-mounted (750 rpg)

M61A1 is an excellent cannon at its rank, only disadvantage being short spool up time and limited ammo count relative to rate of fire.

Armed with anti-air belts for '''Air RB''', even a short burst is fatal to any enemy aircraft; provided burst connects.

Cannon excels even in '''Ground RB''' armed with armor-piercing belts, giving it 53mm of penetration, which is enough to get through most SPAAs and light tanks armor and can even pierce the engine deck of T-90A (at 1000m/73°).

Last thing to note is that trigger discipline is a must.

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

{{main|Matra 25E (250 kg)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|AS-20 Nord|AIM-9B Sidewinder|AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder|Hydra-70 M247}}

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

* Without load
* 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles
* 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 3 x 250 kg Matra 25E bombs (750 kg total)
* 3 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 3 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (2,250 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)

For '''Air RB''', F-104G is quite limited in its options of arments. While '''AIM-9B FGW.2''' should have better track rate, in-game it has identical stats to '''AIM-9B''', so it doesn't really matter whichever you pick. AIM-9Bs are heavily outclassed at BR 10.0, can only pull 10 Gs, their tracker gets easily distracted by flares and can be easily dodged, and can only track their target at rate of 11°/s (for comparison, best Sidewinders in-game, AIM-9Js, can pull 20 Gs and their track rate is 16.5°/s). They can't be enslaved to radar and their seeker window is really small and can achieve lock only when directly behind the enemy plane.

Considering all this, do not waste them in turnfights, against agile planes or planes that have a lot of energy. Instead, focus on enemy planes going after your teammates or planes in low energy state. Planes that lock up at higher speeds are also viable targets. Closer you get behind the enemy plane before launching, the higher your chances of shooting them down are.

For '''Ground RB''', F-104G has access to a wide arsenal of weapons.

Popular '''AS-20 Nords''' are practically flat trajectory 30 kg bombs that can be guided to target in MCLOS style. Their explosive payload leaves something to be desired, so the player needs to be really precise with their aiming. Also, F-104G gets only two of them. On the other hand, they have a launch range of 8 km.

Another option are '''M247 Hydra 70 rockets'''. While offering 290mm of penetration, they only contain 0.9 kg of explosives and plane gets 14x of them. Direct hits are must in order to achieve kill, and even with the help of ballistic computer, they are quite impractical at speeds in which F-104G usually operates.

With F-104G being equipped with ballistic computer, '''bombs''' become much more viable option. Turning on the ballistic computer allows the player to use arcade style crosshairs, so any pilot is capable of hitting ground targets with laser-like accuracy. F-104G is capable of carrying 3x bombs ( 1x mounted under fuselage and 2x on wing pylons) and these are dropped individually, allowing the player in theory to achieve at least 3 kills per payload. All bombs carried by F-104G are viable, so it is up to personal preference.

== Usage in battles ==

The F-104G should not be used in turn fighting engagements as its small wingspan and wing area does not allow the Starfighter to outturn or retain enough energy to fight any other aircraft. Instead, the Starfighter should use its high speed and engine performance to outrun most opponents. When at top speeds, the Starfighter is able to outrun short-range AAMs launched from 2.4 km at sea level and 3.5 km at higher altitudes. Flares are also available to the Starfighter which proves to be incredibly useful to pre-flare or to dodge missiles which your aircraft wouldn't normally be able to dodge without flares.

Aggressive flanking and forcing enemies to turn and dump their energy is the playstyle which all Starfighter's should be flown and the more powerful engine of the F-104G variants compared to the As and Cs allow this playstyle to be played more successfully, though you cannot outrun some fighters such as the MiG-21bis (though your wing rip speed is much higher) and the F-104S (having a much more powerful engine though also much heavier).

Do not bother with climbing in an uptier: your already bad manoeuvrability gets worse the higher you get, and without RWR and Chaff you are nothing more than target practice for F-4Es with SARH missiles. Instead, start side climbing to 2 to 3 km, then flank already engaged targets. Your speed allows you to close distance quickly and your missiles are good enough to engage distracted enemies flying in a straight line or in low energy state. Then, escape using your superior speed. Rearm, rinse and repeat.

If you get downtiered, there are few enemies that can match your speed and climb rate. Stick to boom-and-zoom tactics, watch out for other [[F-104 (Family)|Starfighters]], [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]], [[Yak-38 (Family)|Yak-38]] and [[Hunter (Family)|Hunters]] and use your flares to evade their missiles. Since few planes (or any at all) around BR 9.0 have RWR or flares, they should be easy prey for your Sidewinders.

===Radars===

The F-104G is equipped with an NASARR search and tracking radar. The radar is mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Guaranteed Detection Range|The range, below which, detection of a target is practically guaranteed}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
|-
| 37,000 m (theoretical) || 18,000 m || ±45.0° || ±43.0°
|-
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 18,500 m || 150 m || ±10.0° || ±10.0°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good top speed.
* Great rate of climb; even the F-4 Phantom may struggle to match it.
* Decent high-speed manoeuvrability.
* Good roll rate for a plane with tiny wings.
* M61 Vulcan cannon can do some serious damage to an enemy plane.
* Wide selection of secondary ordnance; much better than early F-104s.
* High thrust to weight ratio.

'''Cons:'''

* Lousy low-speed manoeuvrability.
* Bleeds energy quickly in sustained turn-fights.
* Large turning radius due to small wing surface and high speed.
* High takeoff and landing speeds.
* Mediocre IR missiles compared to competitors.

== History ==

The brainchild of famed Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, after having spoken to USAF pilots about their experience in the Korean Air War, the F-104 Starfighter was innovative in both its design and speed. Developed from the start as a daytime air-superiority fighter with speed in mind, the Starfighter began life at Lockheed's famous "Skunk Works" facility in 1952 to combat the Soviet's new age of supersonic jet fighters. The aircraft would incorporate the smallest airframe, combined with the most technologically advanced turbojet at the time, to create the base of what would become the F-104.

In 1953, the USAF showed interest in the project, and proposed an open contest with Lockheed and multiple other firms for a supersonic interceptor, based wholly on performance. Lockheed evidently won the contest and approval for two prototypes to be produced and, in February of 1954, took flight for the first time. Although it was slated to be fitted with the General Electric J79 turbofan, due to shortages of the engines the prototypes were mated to a license-built variant of the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engine, called the Wright XJ65-W-6, until the initial powerplant was available. The aircraft however was not without its problems, resulting in a four-year long developmental period for the aircraft. By the end of it, 17 pre-production YF-104As had been built, tested, and used to iron out any problems that would be noticeable on the final F-104. In 1958, the F-104 would finally be available for deliveries featuring some differences from the initial prototypes in the form of a longer fuselage as well as the fitting of General Electric J79GE-3 engines putting out a whopping 14,800 lbs of thrust.

From the start the F-104A smashed records, taking the record as the first operational fighter in service to succeed Mach 2, as well as going on to take the records for both altitude and speed in both the F-104A and F-104C variants respectively. On May 7th, 1958, Maj. Howard C. Johnson, in his F-104A, set a new world altitude record at 91,243 feet, and 11 days later another aircraft set a new speed record at 1,403.19 mph. The altitude record was later bested by another variant of the aircraft, the F-104C, at a whopping altitude of 103,389 feet. In the 1950s, the aircraft had come to be exactly what the public had expected a fighter of this magnitude to look like. With a long, pencil shaped fuselage with short, sharp edged wings it encompassed the era of space flight and Sci-Fi with its design. The wings were one of the most unique parts of the aircraft, as well as its long fuselage taken up mostly by its large engine and fuel storage, and were only 4 inches and its thickest. Sweeping was only utilized on the leading edge, and a slight anhedral was in place to combat "Dutch Roll", a phenomenon where the aircraft rocks side-to-side uncontrollably. The wings, while helping with supersonic flight, were harmful to ground crews, and special equipment had to be issued to service these areas.

While having a history of accidents and high pilot attrition, the aircraft was fitted with an ejection seat. Due to the great speed of the aircraft at Mach 2, it was believed that the seat wouldn't have enough time to clear the tail section in an ejection scenario. Therefore, a downward firing ejection seat known as the Stanley C-1 was fitted into early models of the F-104. While a good idea, and in theory could work, the C-1 was also believed harmful in the case of a low-altitude ejection of the aircraft. After a failed introduction of the Stanley C-2 ejection seat, the problem was finally solved by the introduction of the Martin-Baker ejection system, particularly in foreign-operator's Starfighters. Roughly 153 F-104As were produced, with 26 more being F-104B two-seat variants. The F-104A spend a short time in USAF service before being send to Air National Guard (ANG) units, which some others being sent to foreign operators which had some success in their service. In September of 1958 the USAF would get the F-104C, a dedicated fighter-bomber variant designed for the USAF's Tactical Air Command's 479th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The F-104C featured improvements over the F-104A in the form of a better fire-control system as well as hardpoints on the centerline on the belly and under the wings. The aircraft also introduced the ability to refuel mid-flight via a probe running along the right side of the aircraft, extending the reach of the aircraft somewhat. However, like most of the A models ended up, the C models were quickly transferred to Air National Guard (ANG) units both of which served until around 1975 in their service. The first combat of the F-104 however wouldn't be seen until the Vietnam War, and while not having any kills to count was successful in keeping MiGs back and from intercepting friendly aircraft. The aircraft had a short service life in this theatre, only serving in 1965, and again from 1967-1969 until the introduction of the more-capable F-4 Phantom II by which it was replaced.

The aircraft saw its best success as the F-104G, of which Germany had many. The aircraft has come to be known as the "definitive" variant of the Starfighter. Sporting a reinforced airframe, larger vertical stabilizer, uprated turbofans, and improved electronics, the aircraft was initially built for the German Luftwaffe and first flew in October 1960. The aircraft's licensing was handled by multiple manufacturers, notably Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), FIAT, Fokker, and Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA). While in German service the aircraft earned the nickname "Widowmaker" when, between the years 1961 and 1989, 292 aircraft out of 916 had crashed, with 116 pilots being lost.

== 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 ==


* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=113 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> Lockheed F-104 Starfighter]

{{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

F-104G (Germany)

2021-05-03T16:43:34Z

U58644986: Compared all aviable IR missiles in game, only russian R-3S and chinese PL-2 missiles are worse, and those are just copy of AIM-9Bs

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-104 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-104g
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]]. It is often referred to as the "missile with a man in it" or the "widow maker", the latter nickname highlighting its questionable safety record in Luftwaffe use.

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

The F-104G has great speed, acceleration, and climb rate due to its streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engine, the General Electric J79-GE-11; which gives thrust of 4130 hp without and 6360 hp with afterburner. This is achieved at the cost of low-speed handling and turning capabilities. It only turns acceptably at transsonic or supersonic speeds (around 1,000 km/h), anything below that being far below average for a jet fighter. Even then, do not try to turnfight with anything other than fellow Starfighters; even a F-4E will outturn you. The stubby wings with a low aspect ratio also contribute to poor manoeuvring energy retention, so extended turning will bleed energy quickly. The roll rate is good, which helps in defensive manoeuvres. The already bad turn rate becomes worse the higher you fly.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 15,240 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
| 2,343 || 2,317 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 34.5 || 35.1 || 230.5 || 222.5 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,431 || 2,387 || 33.5 || 34.0 || 292.0 || 260.0
|-
|}

==== 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 || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| 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}} || N/A || 827 || 444 || ~12 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 720 || < 950 || < 800 || N/A
|-
|}

==== 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 J79-GE-11 || 1
| colspan="2" | 6,552 kg || colspan="3" | 532 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel
|-
| 1,615 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 7,353 kg || 8,153 kg || 8,954 kg || 9,194 kg || 24,000 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
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,128 kgf || 6,357 kgf
| 0.86 || 0.78 || 0.71 || 0.69 || 0.26
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,128 kgf (0 km/h) || 8,391 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.14 || 1.03 || 0.94 || 0.91 || 0.35
|-
|}

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

The F-104G has no armour; be it in the form of armour plates or armoured glass. Fuel tanks are self-sealing, which is pretty much a standard feature at this rank. The F-104G also has access to countermeasures as tier I modification (unlike [[F-104G (China)|Chinese F-104G]]) and Radar Warning Receiver as tier IV modification.

While selecting which combination of countermeasures to use, the pilot should consider which missiles are his opponents going to use. Most common missiles on this rank are IR tracking, which are countered by flares. Less common types of missiles are semi-active radar homing, SAHR (like AIM-7E); those are countered by chaff. Radar guided missiles are usually used on longer distances, but they are often dud and can be outmaneuvered, even in F-104; while IR missiles are launched from closer range and can pull more Gs than F-104s.

If you fly with the afterburner while launching flares, missiles are gonna ignore them and go straight for you.

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

The F-104G's engine performance is sufficient when stock, so one should go for countermeasures first. Most enemies engage with IR missiles and the F-104G simply does not have enough manoeuvrability to outturn modern ones like [[R-60]] and [[AIM-9J Sidewinder]]. Unlock AIM-9B missiles next, they are bad compared to competition, but they are better than nothing. Then go straight for the RWR. [[AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder]] can be left for last, since they are bait-and-switch, they should have better tracking but their flight characteristics is identical to the AIM-9Bs at tier II.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, nose-mounted (750 rpg)

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

{{main|Matra 25E (250 kg)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|AS-20 Nord|AIM-9B Sidewinder|AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder|Hydra-70 M247}}

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

* Without load
* 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles
* 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 3 x 250 kg Matra 25E bombs (750 kg total)
* 3 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 3 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (2,250 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==

The F-104G should not be used in turn fighting engagements as its small wingspan and wing area does not allow the Starfighter to outturn or retain enough energy to fight any other aircraft. Instead, the Starfight should use its high speed and engine performance to outrun most opponents. When at top speeds, the Starfight is able to outrun short-range AAMs launched from 2.4 km at sea level and 3.5 km at higher altitudes. Flares are also available to the Starfighter which proves to be incredibly useful to pre-flare or to dodge missiles which your aircraft wouldn't normally be able to dodge without flares.

Aggressive flanking and forcing enemies to turn and dump their energy is the playstyle which all Starfighter's should be flown and the more powerful engine of the F-104G variants compared to the A's and C's allow this playstyle to be played more successfully, though you cannot outrun some fighters such as the MiG-21bis (though your wing rip speed is much higher) and the F-104S (Having a much more powerful engine though much heavier).

Do not bother with climbing in uptier: your already bad manoeuvrability gets worse the higher you get, and without RWR and Chaff you are nothing more than practice target for F-4Es with SAHR missiles. Instead, start side climbing to 2 to 3 km, then flank already engaged targets. Your speed allows you to close distance quickly and your missiles are good enough to engage distracted enemies flying in a straight line or in low energy state. Then, escape using your superior speed. Rearm, rinse and repeat.

If you get downtiered, there are few enemies that can match your speed and climb rate. Stick to boom-and-zoom tactics, watch out for other [[F-104 (Family)|Starfighters]], [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]], [[Yak-38 (Family)|Yak-38]] and [[Hunter (Family)|Hunters]] and use your flares to evade their missiles. Since few planes (or any at all) around BR 9.0 have RWR or flares, they should be easy prey for your Sidewinders.

===Radars===

The F-104G is equipped with an NASARR search and tracking radar. The radar is mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Guaranteed Detection Range|The range, below which, detection of a target is practically guaranteed}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
|-
| 37,000 m (theoretical) || 18,000 m || ±45.0° || ±43.0°
|-
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 18,500 m || 150 m || ±10.0° || ±10.0°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good top speed.
* Great rate of climb; even the F-4 Phantom may struggle to match it.
* Decent high-speed manoeuvrability.
* Good roll rate for a plane with tiny wings.
* M61 Vulcan cannon can do some serious damage to an enemy plane.
* Wide selection of secondary ordinance; much better than early F-104s.
* High thrust to weight ratio.

'''Cons:'''

* Lousy low-speed manoeuvrability.
* Bleeds energy quickly in sustained turn-fights.
* Large turning radius due to small wing surface and high speed.
* High takeoff and landing speeds.
* Second worst IR missiles in-game; only russian R-3S/chinese PL-2 copies are worse

== History ==

The brainchild of famed Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, after having spoken to USAF pilots about their experience in the Korean Air War, the F-104 Starfighter was innovative in both its design and speed. Developed from the start as a daytime air-superiority fighter with speed in mind, the Starfighter began life at Lockheed's famous "Skunk Works" facility in 1952 to combat the Soviet's new age of supersonic jet fighters. The aircraft would incorporate the smallest airframe, combined with the most technologically advanced turbojet at the time, to create the base of what would become the F-104.

In 1953, the USAF showed interest in the project, and proposed an open contest with Lockheed and multiple other firms for a supersonic interceptor, based wholly on performance. Lockheed evidently won the contest and approval for two prototypes to be produced and, in February of 1954, took flight for the first time. Although it was slated to be fitted with the General Electric J79 turbofan, due to shortages of the engines the prototypes were mated to a license-built variant of the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engine, called the Wright XJ65-W-6, until the initial powerplant was available. The aircraft however was not without its problems, resulting in a four-year long developmental period for the aircraft. By the end of it, 17 pre-production YF-104As had been built, tested, and used to iron out any problems that would be noticeable on the final F-104. In 1958, the F-104 would finally be available for deliveries featuring some differences from the initial prototypes in the form of a longer fuselage as well as the fitting of General Electric J79GE-3 engines putting out a whopping 14,800 lbs of thrust.

From the start the F-104A smashed records, taking the record as the first operational fighter in service to succeed Mach 2, as well as going on to take the records for both altitude and speed in both the F-104A and F-104C variants respectively. On May 7th, 1958, Maj. Howard C. Johnson, in his F-104A, set a new world altitude record at 91,243 feet, and 11 days later another aircraft set a new speed record at 1,403.19 mph. The altitude record was later bested by another variant of the aircraft, the F-104C, at a whopping altitude of 103,389 feet. In the 1950s, the aircraft had come to be exactly what the public had expected a fighter of this magnitude to look like. With a long, pencil shaped fuselage with short, sharp edged wings it encompassed the era of space flight and Sci-Fi with its design. The wings were one of the most unique parts of the aircraft, as well as its long fuselage taken up mostly by its large engine and fuel storage, and were only 4 inches and its thickest. Sweeping was only utilized on the leading edge, and a slight anhedral was in place to combat "Dutch Roll", a phenomenon where the aircraft rocks side-to-side uncontrollably. The wings, while helping with supersonic flight, were harmful to ground crews, and special equipment had to be issued to service these areas.

While having a history of accidents and high pilot attrition, the aircraft was fitted with an ejection seat. Due to the great speed of the aircraft at Mach 2, it was believed that the seat wouldn't have enough time to clear the tail section in an ejection scenario. Therefore, a downward firing ejection seat known as the Stanley C-1 was fitted into early models of the F-104. While a good idea, and in theory could work, the C-1 was also believed harmful in the case of a low-altitude ejection of the aircraft. After a failed introduction of the Stanley C-2 ejection seat, the problem was finally solved by the introduction of the Martin-Baker ejection system, particularly in foreign-operator's Starfighters. Roughly 153 F-104As were produced, with 26 more being F-104B two-seat variants. The F-104A spend a short time in USAF service before being send to Air National Guard (ANG) units, which some others being sent to foreign operators which had some success in their service. In September of 1958 the USAF would get the F-104C, a dedicated fighter-bomber variant designed for the USAF's Tactical Air Command's 479th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The F-104C featured improvements over the F-104A in the form of a better fire-control system as well as hardpoints on the centerline on the belly and under the wings. The aircraft also introduced the ability to refuel mid-flight via a probe running along the right side of the aircraft, extending the reach of the aircraft somewhat. However, like most of the A models ended up, the C models were quickly transferred to Air National Guard (ANG) units both of which served until around 1975 in their service. The first combat of the F-104 however wouldn't be seen until the Vietnam War, and while not having any kills to count was successful in keeping MiGs back and from intercepting friendly aircraft. The aircraft had a short service life in this theatre, only serving in 1965, and again from 1967-1969 until the introduction of the more-capable F-4 Phantom II by which it was replaced.

The aircraft saw its best success as the F-104G, of which Germany had many. The aircraft has come to be known as the "definitive" variant of the Starfighter. Sporting a reinforced airframe, larger vertical stabilizer, uprated turbofans, and improved electronics, the aircraft was initially built for the German Luftwaffe and first flew in October 1960. The aircraft's licensing was handled by multiple manufacturers, notably Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), FIAT, Fokker, and Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA). While in German service the aircraft earned the nickname "Widowmaker" when, between the years 1961 and 1989, 292 aircraft out of 916 had crashed, with 116 pilots being lost.

== 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 ==


* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=113 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> Lockheed F-104 Starfighter]

{{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

F-104G (Germany)

2021-05-02T18:04:02Z

U58644986: /* General info */

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-104 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-104g
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]]. It is often referred to as the "missile with a man in it" or the "widow maker", the latter nickname highlighting its questionable safety record in Luftwaffe use.

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

F-104G has great speed, acceleration, and climb rate due to its streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engine, the General Electric J79-GE-11; which gives thrust of 4130hp without and 6360hp with afterburner. This is achieved at the cost of low-speed handling and turning capabilities. It only turns acceptably at transonic or supersonic speeds (around 1.000km/h), anything below that being far below average for a jet fighter. Even then, do not try to turn fight with anything other than fellow Starfighters; even F-4E will out-turn you. The stubby wings with a low aspect ratio also contribute to poor maneuvering energy retention, so extended turning will bleed energy quickly. The roll rate is good, which helps in defensive maneuvers.

One should also note that already bad turn rate turns worse higher you go.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 15,240 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
| 2,343 || 2,317 || rowspan="2" | 16000 || 34.5 || 35.1 || 230.5 || 222.5 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 2431 || 2387 || 33.5 || 34.0 || 292.0 || 260.0
|-
|}

==== 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 || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| 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 !! + !! -
|-
| 1527 || 546 || N/A || 827 || 444 || ~12 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 720 || < 950 || < 800 || N/A
|-
|}

==== 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 J79-GE-11 || 1
| colspan="2" | 6,552 kg || colspan="3" | 532 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel
|-
| 1,615 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 7,353 kg || 8,153 kg || 8,954 kg || 9,194 kg || 24,000 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
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,128 kgf || 6,357 kgf
| 0.86 || 0.78 || 0.71 || 0.69 || 0.26
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,128 kgf (0 km/h) || 8,391 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.14 || 1.03 || 0.94 || 0.91 || 0.35
|-
|}

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

F-104G has no armor; be it in the form of armor plates or armored glass. Fuel tanks are self sealing which is pretty much standard at this rank. F-104G also has access to countermeasures as tier I modification (unlike [[F-104G (China)|F-104G of ROCAF]]) and Radar Warning Receiver as tier IV modification.

While selecting which combination of countermeasures to use, the pilot should consider which missiles are his opponents going to use. Most common missiles on this rank are IR tracking, which are countered by flares. Less common types of missiles are semi-active radar homing, SAHR (like AIM-7E); those are countered by chaff. Radar guided missiles are usually used on longer distances, but they are often dud and can be outmaneuvered, even in F-104; while IR missiles are launched from closer range and can pull more Gs than F-104s.

Also be of note that if you fly with an afterburner while launching flares, missiles are gonna ignore them and go straight for you.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}F-104G engine performance is sufficient at stock, so one should go for countermeasures first. Most enemies engage with IR missiles and F-104G simply does not have enough maneuverability to out-turn modern ones like [[R-60]] and [[AIM-9J Sidewinder]]. Unlock AIM-9B missiles next, they are bad compared to competition, but they are better than nothing. Then go straight for RWR. [[AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder]] can be left for last, since they are bait-and-switch; they should have better tracking but their ingame files are identical to yours tier II AIM-9Bs.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Cross}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, nose-mounted (750 rpg)

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

{{main|Matra 25E (250 kg)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|AS-20 Nord|AIM-9B Sidewinder|AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder|Hydra-70 M247}}

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

* Without load
* 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles
* 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AS-20 Nord missiles + 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles
* 3 x 250 kg Matra 25E bombs (750 kg total)
* 3 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 3 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (2,250 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 250 kg Matra 25E bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bomb (500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bomb (750 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B FGW.2 Sidewinder missiles + 1 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb (1,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==

The F-104G should not be used in turn fighting engagements as its small wingspan and wing area does not allow the Starfighter to outturn or retain enough energy to fight any other aircraft. Instead, the Starfight should use its high speed and engine performance to outrun most opponents. When at top speeds, the Starfight is able to outrun short-range AAM's launched from 2.4km at sea level and 3.5km at higher altitudes. Flares are also avaliable to the Starfighter which proves to be incredibly useful to preflare or to dodge missiles which your aircraft wouldn't normally be able to dodge without flares.

Aggresive flanking and forcing enemies to turn and dump their energy is the playstyle which all Starfighter's should be flown and the more powerful engine of the F-104G variants compared to the A's and C's allow this playstyle to be played more successfully, though you cannot outrun some fighters such as the Mig-21Bis (Though your wing rip speed is much higher) and the F-104S (Having a much more powerful engine though much heavier).

Do not bother with climbing in uptier - your already bad maneuverability gets worse the higher you get, and without RWR and Chaff you are nothing more than practise target for F-4Es with SAHR missiles. Instead, start side climbing to 2 to 3km, then flank already engaged targets. Your speed allows you to close distance fast and your missiles are good enough to engage distracted enemies flying in a straight line or in low energy state. Escape using your superior speed, rearm, rinse and repeat.

If you get downtiered, there are few enemies that can match your speed and climb rate. Stick to boom-and-zoom tactics, watch out for other [[F-104 (Family)|Starfighters]], [[Harrier (Family)|Harriers]], [[Yak-38 (Family)|Yak-38]] and [[Hunter (Family)|Hunters]] and use your flares to evade their missiles. Since few planes (or any at all) around BR 9.0 have RWR or flares, they should be easy prey for your Sidewinders.

===Radars===

The F-104G is equipped with an NASARR search and tracking radar. The radar is mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Guaranteed Detection Range|The range, below which, detection of a target is practically guaranteed}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
|-
| 37,000 m (theoretical) || 18,000 m || ±45.0° || ±43.0°
|-
! colspan="4" | NASARR - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 18,500 m || 150 m || ±10.0° || ±10.0°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good top speed.
* Great rate of climb; even the F-4 Phantom may struggle to match it.
* Decent high-speed manoeuvrability.
* Good roll rate for a plane with tiny wings.
* M61 Vulcan cannon can do some serious damage to an enemy plane.
* Wide selection of secondary ordinance; much better than early F-104s.
* High thrust to weight ratio.

'''Cons:'''

* Lousy low-speed manoeuvrability.
* Bleeds energy quickly in sustained turn-fights.
* Large turning radius due to small wing surface and high speed.
* High takeoff and landing speeds.
* Terrible IR missiles compared to competitors.

== History ==

The brainchild of famed Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, after having spoken to USAF pilots about their experience in the Korean Air War, the F-104 Starfighter was innovative in both its design and speed. Developed from the start as a daytime air-superiority fighter with speed in mind, the Starfighter began life at Lockheed's famous "Skunk Works" facility in 1952 to combat the Soviet's new age of supersonic jet fighters. The aircraft would incorporate the smallest airframe, combined with the most technologically advanced turbojet at the time, to create the base of what would become the F-104.

In 1953, the USAF showed interest in the project, and proposed an open contest with Lockheed and multiple other firms for a supersonic interceptor, based wholly on performance. Lockheed evidently won the contest and approval for two prototypes to be produced and, in February of 1954, took flight for the first time. Although it was slated to be fitted with the General Electric J79 turbofan, due to shortages of the engines the prototypes were mated to a license-built variant of the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engine, called the Wright XJ65-W-6, until the initial powerplant was available. The aircraft however was not without its problems, resulting in a four-year long developmental period for the aircraft. By the end of it, 17 pre-production YF-104As had been built, tested, and used to iron out any problems that would be noticeable on the final F-104. In 1958, the F-104 would finally be available for deliveries featuring some differences from the initial prototypes in the form of a longer fuselage as well as the fitting of General Electric J79GE-3 engines putting out a whopping 14,800 lbs of thrust.

From the start the F-104A smashed records, taking the record as the first operational fighter in service to succeed Mach 2, as well as going on to take the records for both altitude and speed in both the F-104A and F-104C variants respectively. On May 7th, 1958, Maj. Howard C. Johnson, in his F-104A, set a new world altitude record at 91,243 feet, and 11 days later another aircraft set a new speed record at 1,403.19 mph. The altitude record was later bested by another variant of the aircraft, the F-104C, at a whopping altitude of 103,389 feet. In the 1950s, the aircraft had come to be exactly what the public had expected a fighter of this magnitude to look like. With a long, pencil shaped fuselage with short, sharp edged wings it encompassed the era of space flight and Sci-Fi with its design. The wings were one of the most unique parts of the aircraft, as well as its long fuselage taken up mostly by its large engine and fuel storage, and were only 4 inches and its thickest. Sweeping was only utilized on the leading edge, and a slight anhedral was in place to combat "Dutch Roll", a phenomenon where the aircraft rocks side-to-side uncontrollably. The wings, while helping with supersonic flight, were harmful to ground crews, and special equipment had to be issued to service these areas.

While having a history of accidents and high pilot attrition, the aircraft was fitted with an ejection seat. Due to the great speed of the aircraft at Mach 2, it was believed that the seat wouldn't have enough time to clear the tail section in an ejection scenario. Therefore, a downward firing ejection seat known as the Stanley C-1 was fitted into early models of the F-104. While a good idea, and in theory could work, the C-1 was also believed harmful in the case of a low-altitude ejection of the aircraft. After a failed introduction of the Stanley C-2 ejection seat, the problem was finally solved by the introduction of the Martin-Baker ejection system, particularly in foreign-operator's Starfighters. Roughly 153 F-104As were produced, with 26 more being F-104B two-seat variants. The F-104A spend a short time in USAF service before being send to Air National Guard (ANG) units, which some others being sent to foreign operators which had some success in their service. In September of 1958 the USAF would get the F-104C, a dedicated fighter-bomber variant designed for the USAF's Tactical Air Command's 479th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The F-104C featured improvements over the F-104A in the form of a better fire-control system as well as hardpoints on the centerline on the belly and under the wings. The aircraft also introduced the ability to refuel mid-flight via a probe running along the right side of the aircraft, extending the reach of the aircraft somewhat. However, like most of the A models ended up, the C models were quickly transferred to Air National Guard (ANG) units both of which served until around 1975 in their service. The first combat of the F-104 however wouldn't be seen until the Vietnam War, and while not having any kills to count was successful in keeping MiGs back and from intercepting friendly aircraft. The aircraft had a short service life in this theatre, only serving in 1965, and again from 1967-1969 until the introduction of the more-capable F-4 Phantom II by which it was replaced.

The aircraft saw its best success as the F-104G, of which Germany had many. The aircraft has come to be known as the "definitive" variant of the Starfighter. Sporting a reinforced airframe, larger vertical stabilizer, uprated turbofans, and improved electronics, the aircraft was initially built for the German Luftwaffe and first flew in October 1960. The aircraft's licensing was handled by multiple manufacturers, notably Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), FIAT, Fokker, and Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA). While in German service the aircraft earned the nickname "Widowmaker" when, between the years 1961 and 1989, 292 aircraft out of 916 had crashed, with 116 pilots being lost.

== 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 ==


* Military Factory - Lockheed F-104 Starfighter: [https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=113 website]

{{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

T-72AV (TURMS-T)

2021-05-02T10:07:40Z

U58644986: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = Russian medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = T-72 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_t_72av_turms
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage T-72AV (TURMS-T) 001.jpg|StoreImage T-72AV (TURMS-T) 002.jpg|StoreImage T-72AV (TURMS-T) 003.jpg}}
|store=9584
}}

== Description ==

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

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

The T-72AV is a modernized version of the Soviet-made main battle tank T-72A. The Kontakt-1 ERA on the front of the turret is no longer directly mounted on it and is instead mounted on structural steel supports that form a slight arrow shape, it is also fitted with the Turms-T fire control system.

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Engine exhaust)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || '''Front glacis''' ''(Composite)'' (69°)

* 16 mm (Rolled homogeneous)
* 60 mm (Rolled homogeneous)
* 105 mm (Textolite)
* 50 mm (Rolled homogeneous)
{{annotation|80 mm|Estimated through calculation of effective thickness at angle.}}
(60°) ''Lower glacis''
| 70-80 mm (0°) ''Top'' 20 mm (32°) ''Bottom'' || 40 mm (0-60°) ''Top'' 40 mm (30°) ''Middle'' 20 mm (29-55°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm (89°) ''Front'' 20 mm (88-90°) ''Engine deck'' 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || '''Front''' ''(Composite)'' (1-76°)

* 75-140 mm (Cast homogenous)
* 115 mm (Quartz core)
* 200-280 mm (Cast homogenous)

150 - 400 mm (5-70°) ''Gun mantlet''
| 180 - 240 mm (0-69°) || 65 mm (1-89°) || 45 mm (66-86°) 30 mm (66-77°) ''Gunner and Ejection hatch'' 100 mm (90°) ''Commander's hatch''
|-
| Cupola || 40 mm (2°) || 40 mm (6°) || 40 mm (3°) || 40 mm (90°) 45 mm ''TURMS-T module''
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


* Kontakt-1 ERA mounted on turret front, hull front and hull sides present 5 mm effective protection against kinetic energy munitions, while presenting 370 mm effective protection against chemical energy munitions.
* Belly armour of the {{PAGENAME}} is 20 mm thick.
* Track armour is 30 mm thick, while suspension wheels are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1209|rbMinHp=690}}

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

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

{{main|2A46M (125 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[2A46M (125 mm)|125 mm 2A46M]] || 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" | 44 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane ||19.0||26.4||32.0||35.4||37.6|| rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
|11.9||14.0||17.0||18.8||20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440 || 440
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42 || 42
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 425 || 420 || 415 || 405 || 393 || 380
|-
| 3BM42 || APFSDS || 479 || 477 || 470 || 462 || 453 || 445
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3BK12M || HEATFS || 905 || 19 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,530 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| 3OF26 || HE || 850 || 23 || 0 || 0.1 || 5,240 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3BM22 || APFSDS || 1,760 || 4.83 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
|-
| 3BM42 || APFSDS || 1,700 || 4.85 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks T-72A.png|thumb]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Full
ammo
!1st
rack empty
!2nd
rack empty
!3rd
rack empty
!4th
rack empty
!Visual
discrepancy
|-
|'''44'''||41 ''(+3)''||39 ''(+5)''||''22(+22)''||0 ''(+44)''||No
|}
=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|NSVT (12.7 mm)|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[NSVT (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm NSVT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (150) || 700 || -4°/+75° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== 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:'''

* Third generation thermal sights for both gunner and commander
* Capable of firing every 7.1 seconds and because of autoloader mechanism even after losing a crew member or being on fire gun, the reload speed will not change
* Low profile, easy to hide
* Can use ESS and shoot through it with thermal sights
* Extremely armoured turret can eat modern APFSDS even when uptiered
* ERA offers excellent protection against ATGMS and powerful HEAT shells
* Gun offers a lot of ammunition variants, including HEATFS used to hull break lighter vehicles and big HE round that when placed properly could destroy even [[Leopard 2A6]] from the front - also access to 3BM42, Russia's second most powerful APFSDS shell
* Commander's thermals - a feature highly uncommon amongst Soviet/Russian vehicles (only other vehicles in the Soviet tech tree with CITV is the BMP-3 and Khrizantema-S)
* 3BM42 has high muzzle velocity - long range targets are much easier to hit

'''Cons:'''

* "CONTACT-1" explosive reactive armour, offers no protection against kinetic rounds
* Explosive reactive armour can be rapidly shot off with 12.7 and 20 mm gunfire
* Only 3 crew members that are compactly located inside the tank, resulting in a well-placed shot knocking out the entire tank
* Very slow reverse speed of only -4 km/h
* The mechanized ammo rack is located in the middle of the tank right underneath the commander and gunner, resulting in quick ammo detonation when shot from the sides
* Sides offer low protection making the task to angle tank properly a lot harder
* Turret has weak spots that can disable the gun and exposing the LFP is a one-shot death wish
* Hull armour is the same as on the 9.3 T-72A: it can easily be penetrated by most of the guns you face
* Not as mobile as the competition it faces
* Slower reload compared to the opposition

== History ==

=== [[wt:en/news/6910-development-t-72av-turms-t-syrian-guard-en|Devblog]] ===
The T-72AV (TURMS-T) is a Soviet T-72AV tank modernized for the Syrian army. The TURMS fire control system, developed by the Italian company Officine Galileo, was previously used on C1 Ariete tanks. In the early 2000's, this fire control system was adopted for the T-72.

The system significantly improves the tank's vision capabilities, thanks to the commander's panoramic sight. It also features a high-quality thermal imaging gunner's sight, which allows the tank to effectively perform combat missions at night and in poor visibility conditions. By 2006, 122 TURMS kits were produced for the Syrian army.

== Media ==

[[File:War Thunder Super-Resolution 2020.12.01 - 08.26.18.72.jpg|thumb|none|T-72AV in Late Green Camouflage obtainable ingame for 830 enemies defeated or 200GE]]
<gallery mode="packed" caption="T-72AV (TURMS-T) Devblog Images" heights="200">
File:T-72AV TURMS WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:T-72AV TURMS WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:T-72AV TURMS WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:T-72AV TURMS WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:T-72AV TURMS WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
</gallery>

== See also ==


* [[T-72A]] - Base variant of the {{PAGENAME}}.

;<nowiki>Other T-72 vehicles:</nowiki>

* [[T-72B]]
* [[T-72B (1989)]]
* [[T-72B3]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6910-development-t-72av-turms-t-syrian-guard-en|[Devblog] Т-72АV (TURMS-T): Syrian Guard]]

{{USSR medium tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

CL-13B Mk.6 (Germany)

2021-04-26T16:07:41Z

U58644986: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the other German Sabre
| link-1 = CL-13A Mk 5
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = F-86 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-86_cl_13b_mk6
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

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


The CL-13B Mk 6 is one of the best performing jet fighters from the Sabre family, its power plant is the Avro Canada Orenda 14 engine which is a huge improvement over the previous versions. The level speed at sea level was increased to 1122 km/h which is better than in every MiG-15 or MiG-17.
Its acceleration was also increased to the level similar to these jet fighters, the power to weight ratio when the plane is fully loaded is 0.56, better than in any F-86 model, with the exception of the K version and comparable with the other jets like the British Hawker Hunter F.1.
The plane also offers phenomenal climb rate performance: 62 m/s at sea level and it takes only 3 minutes and 45 seconds to climb to 9000 m, which it is better than MiGs, the Hunter F.1 and most jet fighters that do not have an afterburner.

The wings in this version are equipped with slats which significantly increase its turning performance and it is also the only difference compared to the early F versions and the previous CL-13. The plane also does not suffer from high speed compression. Despite a heavy weight and high wing loading, its turn rate is very similar to the MiG-17's, but thanks to its improved engine the CL-13 should be able to outperform it in vertical manoeuvres.
Its roll rate is excellent at any speed (there are only a few planes that can match it) to the point it can create a risk of breaking wings when pulling too hard and rolling at the same at very high speed, especially with full real controls which do not limit the elevator deflection angle like the instructor does.
The flaps have a quite high speed limit and can be used to improve its dogfighting capabilities even further and it is equipped with an airbrake like every other F-86, which is efficient enough to make the plane slow down in combat situations or when it is landing.

With full real controls the plane is very easy to control as well as quick to respond and does not require any elevator trimming. Stalling and spinning are very rare events: after pulling it as much as possible, the plane will not start spinning immediately: it will reach the maximum angle of attack and still keep the same direction and that can be used to pull high angle attacks. It takes up to a few seconds of pulling it to make the plane start rolling to one side and then spinning and can be easily countered by just letting the controls unsollicited for a moment.

However, one must note that as of update Ixwa Strike, game and meta has significantly changed. CL Sabre faces stiff competition in its BR in form of Harriers, Yak-38s, and is completely outclassed when in uptiered; only place CL Sabre can really shine is when it is downtiered.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! 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
| 1,113 || 1,106 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.1 || 23.2 || 51.4 || 46.9 || rowspan="2" | 650
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,132 || 1,122 || 21.2 || 21.5 || 75.3 || 62.5
|-
|}

==== 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 590 || 550 || 350 || ~11 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 850 || < 600 || < 650 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Avro Canada Orenda 14 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,178 kg || colspan="2" | 230 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 6m fuel || 20m fuel || 21m fuel
|-
| 1,160 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 5,555 kg || 6,412 kg || 6,472 kg || 9,530 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="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 6m fuel || 20m fuel || 21m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,136 kgf || N/A
| 0.56 || 0.49 || 0.48 || 0.33
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,136 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.56 || 0.49 || 0.48 || 0.33
|-
|}

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


* 6.35 mm steel - in front of cockpit
* 12.7 mm steel - pilot's seat
* 20 mm steel - pilot's head rest
* 38 mm bulletproof glass - armoured windscreen

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

It is recommended that the first-researched module be the Compressor, followed by additional armament modifications (leading up to the AIM-9B missile), and then the Engine upgrade. Ammunition belt options are not a priority as all ammo belts perform similarly, and the New Boosters module is also unnecessary given that the CL-13B already has good high-speed manoeuvrability and because they make it much easier to wing-rip.

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

{{main|M3 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 6 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 1,800 total)

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

{{main|AN-M65A1 Fin M129 (1,000 lb)|AIM-9B|HVAR}}

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

* Without load
* 16 x HVAR rockets
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B missiles

== Usage in battles ==


This aircraft is similar to the [[F-86A-5]] in that it is equipped with leading-edge slats that improve turn rate and energy retention in a turn. However, the Mk.6 is equipped with a significantly more powerful engine. In fact, this improved engine means that unlike all other [[F-86 (Family)|F-86 Sabres]] in the game, the Mk.6 is able to out-perform the [[MiG-17 (Family)|MiG-17]] in a climb, and as such is able to utilise vertical manoeuvres that would be a death sentence for any other Sabre. With a powerful engine, this plane can effectively use spiral-climbing in order to energy-trap MiGs. In fact, the Mk.6 has better speed, acceleration, and turn rate than all other Sabres (except the [[F-86F-40 (Japan)|F-86F-40]], which has a better turn rate).

As of update Ixwa Strike, CL-13Bs most dangerous enemy isn't [[F-86K (Italy)|F-86K]] nor [[Hunter F.6]] anymore. With addition of [[Harrier (Family)]] and [[Yak-38 (Family)]] and especially their premium variants, CL-13B more often than not faces planes that are not only better armed (in form of [[AIM-9G Sidewinder]] or [[R-60]] missiles), but they also outclimb him and are equipped with flares; easily countering its [[AIM-9B Sidewinder]] missiles.

While it is true that downtiered CL-13B dominates its opponents, most of the planes at 9.3 BR and especially higher BRs enemies absolutely outclass him, especially if they are capable of supersonic speeds. Without any form of RWR system, be prepared to get '''absolutely dominated''' by [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)]] and [[MiG-21 (Family)]]. Still, supersonic aircraft tend to manoeuvre worse than this one, and it ''is'' possible to defeat them with an energy-trap or catch an unaware opponent with your missiles; but that more often than not depends on luck.

Another point to note is that the CL-13B has poor engine performance at high altitudes. Not to mention that by the time you get there, battle will be already over. So, it is advisable to engage enemies as close to sea-level as possible.

The CL-13B's greatest weakness lies in its 6 12.7 mm machine-guns. At this tier, cannons are the standard, and although ammunition count is high, these lower-caliber guns don't have a great damage output. Snapshots are rarely fatal, and often sustained firing time is necessary to secure a kill. Luckily, with the amount of ammunition that this plane carries, spray and pray firing tactics are very much a possibility. As for belt selection, tracer rounds are better-suited for setting fire to enemy aircraft, while more AP-heavy belts are more likely to damage structural components and injure the pilot. Stealth belts are, as always, an option as well. No one belt is undisputedly superior to the rest, so play-style and personal preference will determine which belt should be chosen.

Like many jets at this battle rating, the CL-13B is equipped with early air-to-air missiles. [[AIM-9B]] missiles are effective against slow-moving enemies, but are often useless at high speeds; most modern aircraft will usually pop flares or perform basic turn and thus evade your measly 10 Gs.

To close it off, game meta shifted significantly since CL-13Bs release and unless BR decompression happens, '''you will be''' facing a lot of better aircraft with better missiles.

===Radars===

The CL-13B Mk.6 is equipped with an AN/APG-30 rangefinding radar, located in the nose of the aircraft.
It will automatically detect other planes within the scanning area and display the range to the closest target. It is linked with a gyro gunsight and can help with aiming at close range.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 2,750 m || 300 m || ±9° || ±9°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Relatively low stall speed
* High roll rate and great turn rate
* Good energy retention
* Good muzzle velocity
* High ammo count
* Armed with air-to-air missiles

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre climb rate compared to competitors
* Poor armament compared to competitors
* Wing rips occur easily during high-G manoeuvres
* Poor engine performance at high altitude
* Limited fuel-carrying options
* Missiles are as stock in performance as they get

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=jet_fighter&vehicle=f-86_cl_13b_mk6 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|jfduRaPhMh0|'''The Fragile Missile Runner! CL-13B Mk.6''' - ''Jengar''|3RP6bdwa5H8|'''Why It's The Best - CL-13B Mk.6 Commentary''' - ''DEFYN''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* Canadair [[F-86 (Family)|Sabre]] (those Sabres manufactured with the designator "CL")
* North American [[F-86K (France)|F-86D]] Sabre
* North American [[F-100D|F-100]] Super Sabre
* North American [[FJ-4B|FJ-4]] Fury

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Dassault [[Super Mystere B2|Super Mystère]]
* Grumman [[F9F-8|F-9]] Cougar
* Hawker [[Hunter F.1|Hunter]]
* Lavochkin [[La-15]]
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-15]]
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-17]]
* Saab [[J29D|J29]] Tunnan

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/445804-canadair-sabre-f-86-cl-13b-mk6/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Canadair}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

CL-13B Mk.6 (Germany)

2021-04-26T16:04:24Z

U58644986: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the other German Sabre
| link-1 = CL-13A Mk 5
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = F-86 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-86_cl_13b_mk6
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

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


The CL-13B Mk 6 is one of the best performing jet fighters from the Sabre family, its power plant is the Avro Canada Orenda 14 engine which is a huge improvement over the previous versions. The level speed at sea level was increased to 1122 km/h which is better than in every MiG-15 or MiG-17.
Its acceleration was also increased to the level similar to these jet fighters, the power to weight ratio when the plane is fully loaded is 0.56, better than in any F-86 model, with the exception of the K version and comparable with the other jets like the British Hawker Hunter F.1.
The plane also offers phenomenal climb rate performance: 62 m/s at sea level and it takes only 3 minutes and 45 seconds to climb to 9000 m, which it is better than MiGs, the Hunter F.1 and most jet fighters that do not have an afterburner.

The wings in this version are equipped with slats which significantly increase its turning performance and it is also the only difference compared to the early F versions and the previous CL-13. The plane also does not suffer from high speed compression. Despite a heavy weight and high wing loading, its turn rate is very similar to the MiG-17's, but thanks to its improved engine the CL-13 should be able to outperform it in vertical manoeuvres.
Its roll rate is excellent at any speed (there are only a few planes that can match it) to the point it can create a risk of breaking wings when pulling too hard and rolling at the same at very high speed, especially with full real controls which do not limit the elevator deflection angle like the instructor does.
The flaps have a quite high speed limit and can be used to improve its dogfighting capabilities even further and it is equipped with an airbrake like every other F-86, which is efficient enough to make the plane slow down in combat situations or when it is landing.

With full real controls the plane is very easy to control as well as quick to respond and does not require any elevator trimming. Stalling and spinning are very rare events: after pulling it as much as possible, the plane will not start spinning immediately: it will reach the maximum angle of attack and still keep the same direction and that can be used to pull high angle attacks. It takes up to a few seconds of pulling it to make the plane start rolling to one side and then spinning and can be easily countered by just letting the controls unsollicited for a moment.

However, one must note that as of update Ixwa Strike, game and meta has significantly changed. CL Sabre faces stiff competition in its BR in form of Harriers, Yak-38s, and is completely outclassed when in uptiered; only place CL Sabre can really shine is when it is downtiered.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! 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
| 1,113 || 1,106 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.1 || 23.2 || 51.4 || 46.9 || rowspan="2" | 650
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,132 || 1,122 || 21.2 || 21.5 || 75.3 || 62.5
|-
|}

==== 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 590 || 550 || 350 || ~11 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 850 || < 600 || < 650 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Avro Canada Orenda 14 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,178 kg || colspan="2" | 230 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 6m fuel || 20m fuel || 21m fuel
|-
| 1,160 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 5,555 kg || 6,412 kg || 6,472 kg || 9,530 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="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 6m fuel || 20m fuel || 21m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,136 kgf || N/A
| 0.56 || 0.49 || 0.48 || 0.33
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,136 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.56 || 0.49 || 0.48 || 0.33
|-
|}

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


* 6.35 mm steel - in front of cockpit
* 12.7 mm steel - pilot's seat
* 20 mm steel - pilot's head rest
* 38 mm bulletproof glass - armoured windscreen

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

It is recommended that the first-researched module be the Compressor, followed by additional armament modifications (leading up to the AIM-9B missile), and then the Engine upgrade. Ammunition belt options are not a priority as all ammo belts perform similarly, and the New Boosters module is also unnecessary given that the CL-13B already has good high-speed manoeuvrability and because they make it much easier to wing-rip.

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

{{main|M3 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 6 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 1,800 total)

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

{{main|AN-M65A1 Fin M129 (1,000 lb)|AIM-9B|HVAR}}

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

* Without load
* 16 x HVAR rockets
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B missiles

== Usage in battles ==


This aircraft is similar to the [[F-86A-5]] in that it is equipped with leading-edge slats that improve turn rate and energy retention in a turn. However, the Mk.6 is equipped with a significantly more powerful engine. In fact, this improved engine means that unlike all other [[F-86 (Family)|F-86 Sabres]] in the game, the Mk.6 is able to out-perform the [[MiG-17 (Family)|MiG-17]] in a climb, and as such is able to utilise vertical manoeuvres that would be a death sentence for any other Sabre. With a powerful engine, this plane can effectively use spiral-climbing in order to energy-trap MiGs. In fact, the Mk.6 has better speed, acceleration, and turn rate than all other Sabres (except the [[F-86F-40 (Japan)|F-86F-40]], which has a better turn rate).

As of update Ixwa Strike, CL-13Bs most dangerous enemy isn't [[F-86K (Italy)|F-86K]] nor [[Hunter F.6]] anymore. With addition of [[Harrier (Family)]] and [[Yak-38 (Family)]] and especially their premium variants, CL-13B more often than not faces planes that are not only better armed (in form of [[AIM-9G Sidewinder]] or [[R-60]] missiles), but they also outclimb him and are equipped with flares; easily countering its [[AIM-9B Sidewinder]] missiles.

While it is true that downtiered CL-13B dominates its opponents, most of the planes at 9.3 BR and especially higher BRs enemies absolutely outclass him, especially if they are capable of supersonic speeds. Without any form of RWR system, be prepared to get '''absolutely dominated''' by [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)]] and [[MiG-21 (Family)]]. Still, supersonic aircraft tend to manoeuvre worse than this one, and it ''is'' possible to defeat them with an energy-trap or catch an unaware opponent with your missiles; but that more often than not depends on luck.

Another point to note is that the CL-13B has poor engine performance at high altitudes. Not to mention that by the time you get there, battle will be already over. So, it is advisable to engage enemies as close to sea-level as possible.

The CL-13B's greatest weakness lies in its 6 12.7 mm machine-guns. At this tier, cannons are the standard, and although ammunition count is high, these lower-caliber guns don't have a great damage output. Snapshots are rarely fatal, and often sustained firing time is necessary to secure a kill. Luckily, with the amount of ammunition that this plane carries, spray and pray firing tactics are very much a possibility. As for belt selection, tracer rounds are better-suited for setting fire to enemy aircraft, while more AP-heavy belts are more likely to damage structural components and injure the pilot. Stealth belts are, as always, an option as well. No one belt is undisputedly superior to the rest, so play-style and personal preference will determine which belt should be chosen.

Like many jets at this battle rating, the CL-13B is equipped with early air-to-air missiles. [[AIM-9B]] missiles are effective against slow-moving enemies, but are often useless at high speeds; most modern aircraft will usually pop flares or perform basic turn and thus evade your measly 10 Gs.

To close it off, game meta shifted significantly since CL-13Bs release and unless BR decompression happens, '''you will be''' facing a lot of better aircraft with better missiles.

===Radars===

The CL-13B Mk.6 is equipped with an AN/APG-30 rangefinding radar, located in the nose of the aircraft.
It will automatically detect other planes within the scanning area and display the range to the closest target. It is linked with a gyro gunsight and can help with aiming at close range.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 2,750 m || 300 m || ±9° || ±9°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Relatively low stall speed
* High roll rate, great turn rate, and competitive climb rate.
* Good energy retention
* Good muzzle velocity
* High ammo count
* Armed with air-to-air missiles

'''Cons:'''

* Poor armament compared to competitors
* Wing rips occur easily during high-G manoeuvres
* Poor engine performance at high altitude
* Limited fuel-carrying options

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=jet_fighter&vehicle=f-86_cl_13b_mk6 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|jfduRaPhMh0|'''The Fragile Missile Runner! CL-13B Mk.6''' - ''Jengar''|3RP6bdwa5H8|'''Why It's The Best - CL-13B Mk.6 Commentary''' - ''DEFYN''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* Canadair [[F-86 (Family)|Sabre]] (those Sabres manufactured with the designator "CL")
* North American [[F-86K (France)|F-86D]] Sabre
* North American [[F-100D|F-100]] Super Sabre
* North American [[FJ-4B|FJ-4]] Fury

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Dassault [[Super Mystere B2|Super Mystère]]
* Grumman [[F9F-8|F-9]] Cougar
* Hawker [[Hunter F.1|Hunter]]
* Lavochkin [[La-15]]
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-15]]
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-17]]
* Saab [[J29D|J29]] Tunnan

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/445804-canadair-sabre-f-86-cl-13b-mk6/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Canadair}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

CL-13B Mk.6 (Germany)

2021-04-26T15:47:58Z

U58644986: /* Description */

{{About
| about = German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the other German Sabre
| link-1 = CL-13A Mk 5
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = F-86 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-86_cl_13b_mk6
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

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


The CL-13B Mk 6 is one of the best performing jet fighters from the Sabre family, its power plant is the Avro Canada Orenda 14 engine which is a huge improvement over the previous versions. The level speed at sea level was increased to 1122 km/h which is better than in every MiG-15 or MiG-17.
Its acceleration was also increased to the level similar to these jet fighters, the power to weight ratio when the plane is fully loaded is 0.56, better than in any F-86 model, with the exception of the K version and comparable with the other jets like the British Hawker Hunter F.1.
The plane also offers phenomenal climb rate performance: 62 m/s at sea level and it takes only 3 minutes and 45 seconds to climb to 9000 m, which it is better than MiGs, the Hunter F.1 and most jet fighters that do not have an afterburner.

The wings in this version are equipped with slats which significantly increase its turning performance and it is also the only difference compared to the early F versions and the previous CL-13. The plane also does not suffer from high speed compression. Despite a heavy weight and high wing loading, its turn rate is very similar to the MiG-17's, but thanks to its improved engine the CL-13 should be able to outperform it in vertical manoeuvres.
Its roll rate is excellent at any speed (there are only a few planes that can match it) to the point it can create a risk of breaking wings when pulling too hard and rolling at the same at very high speed, especially with full real controls which do not limit the elevator deflection angle like the instructor does.
The flaps have a quite high speed limit and can be used to improve its dogfighting capabilities even further and it is equipped with an airbrake like every other F-86, which is efficient enough to make the plane slow down in combat situations or when it is landing.

With full real controls the plane is very easy to control as well as quick to respond and does not require any elevator trimming. Stalling and spinning are very rare events: after pulling it as much as possible, the plane will not start spinning immediately: it will reach the maximum angle of attack and still keep the same direction and that can be used to pull high angle attacks. It takes up to a few seconds of pulling it to make the plane start rolling to one side and then spinning and can be easily countered by just letting the controls unsollicited for a moment.

However, one must note that as of update Ixwa Strike, game and meta has significantly changed. CL Sabre faces stiff competition in its BR in form of Harriers, Yak-38s, and is completely outclassed when in uptiered; only place CL Sabre can really shine is when it is downtiered.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! 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
| 1,113 || 1,106 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.1 || 23.2 || 51.4 || 46.9 || rowspan="2" | 650
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,132 || 1,122 || 21.2 || 21.5 || 75.3 || 62.5
|-
|}

==== 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 590 || 550 || 350 || ~11 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 850 || < 600 || < 650 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Avro Canada Orenda 14 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,178 kg || colspan="2" | 230 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 6m fuel || 20m fuel || 21m fuel
|-
| 1,160 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 5,555 kg || 6,412 kg || 6,472 kg || 9,530 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="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 6m fuel || 20m fuel || 21m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,136 kgf || N/A
| 0.56 || 0.49 || 0.48 || 0.33
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,136 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.56 || 0.49 || 0.48 || 0.33
|-
|}

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


* 6.35 mm steel - in front of cockpit
* 12.7 mm steel - pilot's seat
* 20 mm steel - pilot's head rest
* 38 mm bulletproof glass - armoured windscreen

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

It is recommended that the first-researched module be the Compressor, followed by additional armament modifications (leading up to the AIM-9B missile), and then the Engine upgrade. Ammunition belt options are not a priority as all ammo belts perform similarly, and the New Boosters module is also unnecessary given that the CL-13B already has good high-speed manoeuvrability and because they make it much easier to wing-rip.

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

{{main|M3 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 6 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 1,800 total)

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

{{main|AN-M65A1 Fin M129 (1,000 lb)|AIM-9B|HVAR}}

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

* Without load
* 16 x HVAR rockets
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B missiles

== Usage in battles ==


This aircraft is similar to the [[F-86A-5]] in that it is equipped with leading-edge slats that improve turn rate and energy retention in a turn. However, the Mk.6 is equipped with a significantly more powerful engine. In fact, this improved engine means that unlike all other [[F-86 (Family)|F-86 Sabres]] in the game, the Mk.6 is able to out-perform the [[MiG-17 (Family)|MiG-17]] in a climb, and as such is able to utilise vertical manoeuvres that would be a death sentence for any other Sabre. With a powerful engine, this plane can effectively use spiral-climbing in order to energy-trap MiGs. In fact, the Mk.6 has better speed, acceleration, and turn rate than all other Sabres (except the [[F-86F-40 (Japan)|F-86F-40]], which has a better turn rate).

Another potential enemy that this aircraft may face is the [[F-86K (Italy)|F-86K]]. This Sabre does have more power than the Mk.6, but also has worse manoeuvrability. On the other hand, the [[Hunter F.6]] has both more power than the Mk.6 and deadly SRAAM missiles. This combination poses a considerable threat, and must be dealt with carefully.

All 9.0 BR jets are dominated by this plane. It's the 9.3 BR and higher enemies that pose a real threat, especially if they are capable of supersonic speeds. Still, supersonic aircraft tend to manoeuvre worse than this one, and it ''is'' possible to defeat them with an energy-trap.

One final point to note is that the CL-13B has poor engine performance at high altitudes. So, it is advisable to engage enemies as close to sea-level as possible.

The Cl-13B's greatest weakness lies in its 6 12.7 mm machine-guns. At this tier, cannons are the standard, and although ammunition count is high, these lower-caliber guns don't have a great damage output. Snapshots are rarely fatal, and often sustained firing time is necessary to secure a kill. Luckily, with the amount of ammunition that this plane carries, spray and pray firing tactics are very much a possibility. As for belt selection, tracer rounds are better-suited for setting fire to enemy aircraft, while more AP-heavy belts are more likely to damage structural components and injure the pilot. Stealth belts are, as always, an option as well. No one belt is undisputedly superior to the rest, so play-style and personal preference will determine which belt should be chosen.

Like many jets at this battle rating, the CL-13B is equipped with early air-to-air missiles. These are effective against slow-moving enemies, but are often useless at high speeds.

===Radars===

The CL-13B Mk.6 is equipped with an AN/APG-30 rangefinding radar, located in the nose of the aircraft.
It will automatically detect other planes within the scanning area and display the range to the closest target. It is linked with a gyro gunsight and can help with aiming at close range.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" | AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
|-
| 2,750 m || 300 m || ±9° || ±9°
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Relatively low stall speed
* High roll rate, great turn rate, and competitive climb rate.
* Good energy retention
* Good muzzle velocity
* High ammo count
* Armed with air-to-air missiles

'''Cons:'''

* Poor armament compared to competitors
* Wing rips occur easily during high-G manoeuvres
* Poor engine performance at high altitude
* Limited fuel-carrying options

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=jet_fighter&vehicle=f-86_cl_13b_mk6 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|jfduRaPhMh0|'''The Fragile Missile Runner! CL-13B Mk.6''' - ''Jengar''|3RP6bdwa5H8|'''Why It's The Best - CL-13B Mk.6 Commentary''' - ''DEFYN''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* Canadair [[F-86 (Family)|Sabre]] (those Sabres manufactured with the designator "CL")
* North American [[F-86K (France)|F-86D]] Sabre
* North American [[F-100D|F-100]] Super Sabre
* North American [[FJ-4B|FJ-4]] Fury

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Dassault [[Super Mystere B2|Super Mystère]]
* Grumman [[F9F-8|F-9]] Cougar
* Hawker [[Hunter F.1|Hunter]]
* Lavochkin [[La-15]]
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-15]]
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-17]]
* Saab [[J29D|J29]] Tunnan

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/445804-canadair-sabre-f-86-cl-13b-mk6/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Canadair}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}

ZTZ99-II

2021-03-07T22:45:48Z

U58644986: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_ztz_99
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

Also known as the '''Type 99''', the ZTZ99 is perhaps the most famous Chinese main battle tank. It looks similar to the [[ZTZ96A]] at a quick glance, with similar "arrowhead" ERA arrays on the front turret, but the dimensions are larger and the hull layout is more similar to the Soviet [[T-72 (Family)|T-72]]. The ZTZ99 boasts great firepower, good protection, excellent thermal sights, and improved engine power in addition to nifty features like a laser warning system and thermal sights for the commander. Notable weaknesses include substandard mobility, slow reload, numerous weak spots, and the lack of a supporting lineup, but these are not new to Chinese tankers in War Thunder. The ZTZ99 presents an iconic and long-awaited tank to cap off the PLA ground forces line.

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

Like the [[T-80U]], the ZTZ99 uses both composite armour and advanced ERA with kinetic protection. Composite armour is present on the turret cheeks and on the upper glacis; it is unremarkable by itself, but the areas with full coverage of both composite armour and FY-4 ERA are even capable of resisting the [[Leopard 2A6]]'s DM53 APFSDS. Unfortunately, these areas are limited to the turret cheeks and lower portion of the upper glacis. Interestingly, the ERA is resistant to tandem charge warheads, though this is of little value in realistic battles as China is always matched with the USSR.

There are plenty of weak spots on the hull. First, the lower glacis has no composite armour or ERA whatsoever and can be penetrated by practically anything, and it also is proportionally larger than on Soviet MBTs. Penetrating shots there have a large chance of detonating the ammo in the autoloader and destroying the tank. The upper glacis composite armour is modeled with a curiously large cutout for the driver's optics, as on the Soviet T-64/72 series, and even the FY-4 ERA there is not enough to save it from powerful APFSDS. Some small portions of the upper glacis are not covered by ERA either.

The turret has its fair share of weak spots as well. The gun mantlet area has no composite armour and penetrating shots will usually take out the gun breech and possibly a crew member. There is a cutout in the ERA array on the left cheek to allow the driver to enter and exit the tank that reduces the protection there. Lastly, this vehicle is an early production ZTZ99 that features a round, cast steel "forehead" on top of the turret, merging into the gunner and commander cupolas. This forehead has inadequate protection against APFSDS rounds and penetrating shots might take out the gunner or commander. Since no ammunition is stored in the turret, frontal turret penetrations will likely only take out one crew member at a time.

The ZTZ99 does not have any ERA on the hull sides and the base hull side armour of 50 mm is thinner than Soviet MBTs, so be careful of IFVs with autocannons. Successful hits to the side will usually total the tank, either detonating the ammo racks or knocking out the turret crew.

The ZTZ99's armour protection has enough gaps that it can be considered "trolly" as opposed to "well-protected", but the areas that are well-protected are very strong. It's best to stay at long range and utilize the ZTZ99's low profile in conjunction with cover to make it difficult for enemies to hit the weak spots. Putting some bushes near the driver's hatch or gun mantlet might help. Remember that ERA is destroyed upon absorbing fire and the composite armour alone does not have sufficient protection for a top-tier vehicle.

As a last note, an active protection system is physically modeled on the left side of the turret roof, but it is currently not implemented in War Thunder. The ZTZ99 does not have the capability to spoof ATGMs like the [[T-90A]].




=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1860|rbMinHp=1061}}

The ZTZ99's mobility is below average for a top tier vehicle. The power-to-weight ratio is only better than the [[Challenger 2]] and is comparable to the [[Ariete PSO]]. It is quite fast in a straight line and across rough terrain, but it does not have neutral steering and the reverse speed of 5 km/h is truly abysmal. The ZTZ99 can get into battle reasonably quickly but does not excel at flanking and will struggle to retreat from sticky situations.

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

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

{{main|ZPT98 (125 mm)}}

The ZPT98 cannon is a 125 mm cannon with an autoloader, much like the 2A46 cannon used by the T-72 or the Type 88C cannon used by the ZTZ96, but it is 50 calibers long instead of 48. The reload speed of 7.5 seconds is the slowest of any top-rank vehicle, so destroying or crippling enemies in one shot is important. The gun handling is the same as the ZTZ96 series, being slightly better than most Soviet MBTs barring the [[T-72B3]] but still lower than most Western MBTs.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ZPT98 (125 mm)|125 mm ZPT98]] || 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" | 39 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+13° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 ||39.5||48.0||53.1||56.5|| rowspan="2" | 7.50 || rowspan="2" | 7.50 || rowspan="2" | 7.50 || rowspan="2" | 7.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 ||21.0||25.5||28.2||30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DTP-125 || HEATFS ||480||480||480||480||480||480
|-
| DTB-125 || HE ||45||45||45||45||45||45
|-
| 125-I || APFSDS ||466||464||458||450||442||434
|-
| DTW-125 || APFSDS ||568||566||558||549||538||529
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
|DTP-125||HEATFS||905||18||0.05||0.1||2,190||65°||72°||77°
|-
|DTB-125||HE||850||23||0.00||0.1||5,460||79°||80°||81°
|-
|125-I||APFSDS||1730||4.02||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
|DTW-125||APFSDS||1730||4.83||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
|}

Reload time aside, the ZTZ99's firepower is good. Most of its ammunition selections are identical to the ZTZ96 series.

The stock DTP-125 HEAT-FS round has the typical penetration of 480 mm shared by Western MBTs with 120 mm guns, but this is not enough to deal with tanks with composite armour, which are the norm at the ZTZ99's battle rating. The post-penetration damage is also disappointing. Only use it as an interim shell before APFSDS is unlocked. It is capable of hull-breaking light targets like SPAAs and light tanks, so keep an eye out for those.

The stock DTB-125 HE shell is once again the strongest of any top-tier MBT. It can actually cause more damage than the HEAT-FS round if fired at turret rings, hull roofs, and turret cupolas. The first two may detonate ammo racks stored in the hull (commonplace for the Leopard 2 series, for example) or at least cripple the target through damage to the turret drive, driver, and gun barrel. Hitting the commander's cupola or optics is difficult but has the potential to one-shot even the toughest MBTs like the [[Leopard 2A6]]. It helps to keep a few HE rounds around even after APFSDS is unlocked, as they excel at hull-breaking light targets.

The 125-I APFSDS round is a Tier 1 modification. Though it first appeared on the 9.3 [[ZTZ96]], it is still a decent option for the ZTZ99 and eases the stock grind considerably. It has very similar flat penetration and superior angled penetration to the top 3BM42 "Mango" round used by the [[T-80U]] and can penetrate most tanks through at least the lower front plate and gun breech.

Waiting at Tier 4 is the DTW-125 APFSDS round. It is highly lethal and very similar in performance to the Leclerc's OFL 120 F1, having high flat and angled penetration. The performance is not sufficient to break through the turret cheeks of heavily armoured MBTs like the [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[Leopard 2A5]]/[[Leopard 2A6|2A6]], and [[Challenger 2]], but other MBTs may be vulnerable. It will comfortably penetrate any tank's hull armour and the higher mass compared to the 125-I round produces somewhat more spalling.

==== [[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
|-
| '''39''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

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

{{main|QJC88A (12.7 mm)|Type 86 (7.62 mm)}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[QJC88A (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm QJC88A]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
|Pintle|| 500 (150) ||700|| -5°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 86 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 86]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
|Coaxial|| 2500 (250) ||700||N/A||N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The ZTZ99's main weaknesses are poor mobility characteristics and inconsistent protection, so to mitigate these, it is best used as a sniper or midfielder. Carefully move up to positions that offer cover and a good view. Once in position, the ZTZ99's strengths can be put to good use. The laser warning system and high-quality thermal sights for the commander give the ZTZ99 a large degree of situational awareness, allowing enemies to be spotted and engaged quickly. Try to attack enemies from a distance and while they are in the open; in this situation they will have difficulty targeting the weak points of the ZTZ99 while the ZTZ99 typically only needs to shoot their hull when using the top DTW-125 APFSDS. Be aware of the slow reload, which is up to 50% slower than other top MBTs. If a target is still capable of returning fire after being hit (e.g. gunner, gun breech, turret drive are intact), it might be better to move to cover and wait for teammates to distract or attack them. Move up when the coast is clear but do not overextend, it is difficult to back out from a bad position due to the bad reverse speed and in the meantime enemies can fire plenty of shots at the ZTZ99.

Unlike top Soviet MBTs, the ZTZ99 does not have access to gun-launched ATGMs, making it more difficult to swat helicopters or low-flying aircraft from the sky. Stay within the coverage of friendly SPAA vehicles like the [[ZPRK 2S6|Tunguska]] if possible, and if no support is available, use the smoke grenades and engine smoke system to hide.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful firepower:
** Has access to high-penetrating APFSDS with great velocity and damage
** DTW-125 APFSDS is more powerful than any Soviet offering
** HE shell is currently the most powerful available to any high-rank MBT, can cripple or outright destroy enemies with a good shot
** Thermal sights for both commander and gunner give it some advantage in poor visibility conditions
** Autoloader reloads the cannon even when putting out fires or replacing crew members
* Roof-mounted heavy machine gun is useful against low-flying aircraft and light targets
* Nice frontal protection: sturdy turret cheeks and upper front plate, can resist common shells
* ERA is immune to tandem-charged warheads
* Low profile
* Has a laser warning receiver
* Improved mobility over predecessor ZTZ96 with faster acceleration

'''Cons:'''

* Large weakspots
** Has a huge driver's weak spot that can be penetrated by pretty much any gun
** Weak gun mantlet, very easy to disable gun breech
** Right side of the gun mantlet (when facing the ZTZ99) only has thin armour sheet rather than ERA, lowering its thickness significantly
** Lower plate is very weak, with penetrating shells killing crew or exploding ammo
* Only 3 crew members
* Turret ERA has very low KE protection
* Poor gun depression of -5° limits its capacity in hilly environments
* No ATGM capability, unlike similar Soviet tanks
* Relatively slow reload of 7.5 seconds compared to other MBTs
* Ineffectual reverse speed of only -5 km/h, makes it difficult to reverse and repair or escape dangerous situations
* Due to the long hull, hull traverse speed is slow especially when stock or on loose surface

== History ==

=== [[wt:en/news/7005-development-ztz99-pouncing-tiger-en|Devblog]] ===
Development of the ZTZ99 began in the mid 1980s, with Chinese engineers starting work on a new advanced main battle tank to replace the existing vehicles in service at the time. After examining possible design proposals, the engineers decided to proceed with a design similar to that of the Soviet T-72 tank.

By 1991, the first prototype of the vehicle was constructed and demonstrated to high-ranking officials, followed by the construction of additional prototypes in the following year. In the early to mid 1990s, the prototypes underwent testing and were continuously improved over time. In the late 1990's, further pre-production prototypes were built and transferred to the army for final testing.

The ZTZ99 was first shown off to the public as part of the military parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in October 1999. Soon after, the ZTZ99 was officially adopted for service with the PLA in late 2000.

Several years after its first introduction to service, the ZTZ99 received an upgrade package, allowing the vehicle to be fitted with additional FY-4 ERA, thus bolstering its protection significantly. Although initially intended to become China's primary MBT, the high cost hindered large-scale production, resulting in only about 500 vehicles being manufactured. However, due to the tank's advanced design and relatively small numbers, ZTZ99s are exclusively employed by China's elite armoured units.

The ZTZ99 remained in production until the early 2010s, before production capacities were allocated to the more advanced ZTZ99A - a highly modernized variant of the ZTZ99.

== Media ==


;Skins

[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=china&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=cn_ztz_99 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" caption="ZTZ99 Devblog Images" heights="150">
File:ZTZ-99 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:ZTZ-99 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:ZTZ-99 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:ZTZ-99 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:ZTZ-99 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:ZTZ-99 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
File:ZTZ-99 WTWallpaper 007.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Yssg5uKGS-A|'''The Shooting Range #236''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|uCbzVR2aDs4|'''ZTZ99 - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|BtuRjIvTtTQ|'''The BEAST from the East - ZTZ99''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|}}

== 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/7005-development-ztz99-pouncing-tiger-en|[Devblog] ZTZ99: Pouncing Tiger]]

{{China medium tanks}}

Leopard 2A5

2021-02-20T14:19:03Z

U58644986: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_leopard_2a5
|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 1.87 "Locked On"]].

The succeeding variant of the [[Leopard 2A4]], the {{PAGENAME}} is distinguished by an overall improved turret front armour, most notably with the add-on armour bulks in the turret front, giving a wedge-shape rather than the flat shapes that the 2A4 variant presented.

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

[[File:Leopard 2A5 armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal KE protection of the {{PAGENAME}} against 3BM42 at 500 m.]]

The {{PAGENAME}} has improved armour compared to its predecessor, the hull is much better protected and the already impenetrable turret cheeks have more protection on the side of the turret. Add-on armour boosts the ability to protect against HEAT-FS and early ADFSDS rounds. The wedges on the front of the turret are able to be blown off if a round with enough energy hits it.The gunners optic is also moved into the roof to eliminate the weak spot which was easily penetrated by any tank.

One big changeover along with the armour wedges in the front is the repositioning of the gunner's sight. In the 2A4, the gunner's sight in the turret front presented a weakness that was easily compromised. In the 2A5, the gunner's sight was relocated to the turret roof, and so this weakness is no longer present on the 2A5. Additionally, the large mantlet of the 2A4 has been replaced by a far smaller and more armoured mantlet, making it far harder to hit, though most ammunition at top tier can still penetrate it easily.
[[File:Leopard 2A5 CE armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal CE protection of the {{PAGENAME}} against MIM-146.]]
Be aware of Soviet tanks though! Most of them will carry their HE rounds that can easily destroy you anywhere they hit. A hit directly to the turret will most likely send fragments into your hull, penetrate and lets your fuel tank explode or at least set a fire and knock out the gun barrel.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Armour !! Front (Slope angle)!!Sides!!Rear!!Roof
|-
|Hull
|35 mm (53-82°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (50-51°) ''Lower glacis''
|10 mm (5°) ''Upper hull'' 35 mm (0°) ''Lower forward hull'' 20 mm (0°) ''Lower rear hull''
|20 mm (12-50°) ''All rear''
|20 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck''
|-
|Turret
|80 mm (57-59°) ''Right cheek add-on'' 80 mm (55-58°) ''Left cheek add-on'' 30 mm (63°) ''Upper mantlet add-on'' 400 mm (1°) ''Mantlet armour'' 250 mm (9°) ''Mantlet shroud''
|80 mm (20-22°) ''Right add-on'' 80 mm (22°) ''Left add-on'' 35 mm (0°) ''Forward'' 15 mm (0°) ''Rear''
|20 mm (10°) ''Basket'' 20 mm (70°) ''Turret underside''
|35 - 40 mm (80-89°) ''Forehead Armour'' 14 mm (68-82°) ''Forward sides'' 20 mm (89°) ''Rear turret'' 20 mm (83°) ''Basket''
|-
!Composite armour
! colspan="2" |Front
! colspan="2" |Sides
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Hull
| colspan="2" |'''''Upper+Lower glacis''''' 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 600 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" | N/A
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Turret
| colspan="2" | '''''turret cheeks''''' 800 mm ''Kinetic'' 1200 mm ''Chemical''

'''''Gun mantlet (Center)''''' 
260 - 325 mm ''Kinetic'' 
600 - 690 mm ''Chemical''

'''''Gun mantlet (Outer)''''' 
425 - 460 mm ''Kinetic'' 
825 - 905 ''Chemical''

| colspan="2" | '''''Side armour''''' 260 mm ''Kinetic'' 230 - 285 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* ''Upper hull'' and ''Lower rear hull'' overlap (10 + 20 mm thick)
* ''Upper mantlet add-on'' and ''Mantlet armour'' overlap (30 + 400 mm thick)
* Holes in the engine deck are covered by 8 mm of mesh

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,032|rbMinHp=1,327}}

The only drawback compared to the previous model would be the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility since, despite the 4 tons increase in weight, the engine remains the same, so the {{PAGENAME}} is both slower and less manoeuvrable compared to the [[Leopard 2A4]], but it can still keep up with the other nations MBTs.
The engine remains the same MTU (MOTOREN-UND TURBINEN-UNION FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH) MB 873 Ka-501 engine which produces 1,500 hp (1,100 KW) at 2,600 RPM.

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

The first modifications to research should be Parts and FPE. After those, aim for the NVD, DM33, Laser rangefinder, or mobility upgrades, depending on the desired playstyle.

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

{{main|Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has access to the DM33 APFSDS shells which make it a deadlier foe as few tanks can stand against it with the exception of the [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[Challenger 2]] and [[T-80U]].

{| 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 || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 410 || 408 || 401 || 393 || 384 || 376
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 481 || 478 || 470 || 461 || 450 || 440
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS || 1,140 || 13.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,150 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,640 || 4.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,640 || 4.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 16 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* The 2nd Rack serves as First-Stage ammo stowage.

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

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| 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
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The {{PAGENAME}} is slower, but it has much better armour and access to the DM33 round. With these new changes, the playstyle changes a bit too:

* ''Hull down'': In the 2A4, the gunners optic was easily penetrated so the hull-down was still vulnerable. However, in the 2A5, this weak spot is eliminated and the armour of the turret is much better, so a hull-down position can now leave the {{PAGENAME}} invulnerable, but try to keep your turret protected as well, so then the armour package could last longer throughout the battle.
* ''Sniping'': With the DM33 APFSDS round, the {{PAGENAME}} can now make use of the great distance in combat to deal damage while tanking incoming shots. Try also make use of hull-down positions whilst sniping.
* ''Flanking'': Due to the worse mobility compared to the 2A4, it is better to stick to more stationary tactics like ''hull-down'' and ''sniping''. However, with a little bit of caution, flanking can still be successful.
* ''Staying with nearby teammates:'' Try and stick to nearby teammates as this can improve your lifespan throughout the game.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent 120 mm gun, DM33 APFSDS is capable of penetrating up to 481 mm maximum at point-blank range
* Impenetrable turret cheeks, the add-on wedge armour makes the turret immune from every shell in the game (average of 850 mm against long rod APFSDS and 1,450 mm against HEAT)
* Good armour on the UFP (430 mm against APFSDS), immune to older shells; though many top tier tanks ( as of patch 2.3.0.110) posses shells which can go straight through
* Great gun handling: 40°/s turret rotation speed (with Ace crew) and -9°/+20° of vertical guidance
* Side turret covered by add-on armour can bounce early APFSDS shells
* Gunner optics are now mounted on top of the turret, removing the annoying weak spot present on the Leopard 2A4
* Cannon barrel and cannon breech absorbs impact rounds which may otherwise penetrate the turret and injure crews
* Gun breech and mantlet has a smaller profile than other western MBTs
* Very good thermal imaging quality (Generation 2 for Binoculars, 800 x 600, and Generation 1 for Gunner's view, 500 x 300)
* Very good all round tank especially when played properly

'''Cons:'''

* Lower glacis can still be penetrated by most shells (but is expected for most MBTs)
* 16 shells in the ready-rack may be insufficient when playing in Arcade Battles
* If your turret ammo rack is shot, you might survive but then you lose all your unloaded ammo storage
* Huge hull ammo-rack if more than 16 shells are carried consequently making the tank extremely vulnerable to HE shells
* A penetrating shot on the left side of the hull will most likely knock out the driver, gunner and commander, thus destroying the tank
* A penetrating shell on the right side of the hull will most likely hit the ammo-rack, destroying the tank
* Just like all Leopard series, raised engine deck means less gun depression when the turret is facing the rear
* The wedges can be shot off with several hits, though the turret cheeks alone provide 650 mm against KE
* Tank's weight is 4 tons increased while the engine is still the same, making the {{PAGENAME}} slower compared to the 2A4
* Despite all the added armour, the turret ring and driver's hatch are both easily penetrated, and the enemy will most likely aim at these two spots to disable or destroy the tank
* Is outperformed by its successor, the Leopard 2A6, in terms of firepower. The longer L/55 cannon on the Leopard 2A6 increases the performance of DM33 while also having access to the best APFSDS in the game, the DM53.

== History ==

In 1988, German engineers began work on modernizing the Leopard 2 main battle tank. Improvements were made to the tank's defensive capabilities, primarily the turret armour. Moreover, the 2A5 model was fitted with an electric stabiliser instead of the electro-hydraulic variant that the previous versions used.

The gunner received improved and less vulnerable optics, and the tank commander – a panoramic periscope with thermal imaging. The build of the driver's hatch was also modified, along with several other minor improvements made to the general design.

Leading to the 2A5 modernization program being officially approved by the military officials of Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. It is interesting to note that the models exported to the last two countries on the list were actually different from the ones issued to the German army – for instance, the Bundeswehr tanks received no extra frontal hull armour. Production of {{PAGENAME}} tanks began in 1995. Overall, 350 earlier-version Leopards were upgraded as a result of the program.

''- From [[wt:en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


{{Youtube-gallery|Htx2jqp0aEA|'''German ground forces Tier VI/VII''' - ''Oxy'' Leopard 2A5 at 27:52}}

== See also ==

[[File:GarageImage_Leopard_2A5_Cup.png|420px|thumb|right|␙ Leopard 2A5; Currently only owned by content creator Slickbee]]

;Related development

* [[Leopard 2A4]] - (Preceding vehicle)
* ␙ Leopard 2A5 - (YT 2019 Cup Prize)
* [[Strv 122A]]
* [[Strv 122B PLSS]]
{{Break}}

== External links ==


* [https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf MTU Defense Brochure]
* [[wt:en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en|[Devblog] Leopard 2A5: This Time We Are Dead Serious]]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard 2A6

2021-02-20T14:16:52Z

U58644986: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_leopard_2a6
|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 "New Power"]].

The succeeding variant of the [[Leopard 2A5]], the {{PAGENAME}} is distinguished by a longer gun barrel, the 120 mm Rh120 L/55, a 55 calibre (6.6 m) long gun, 11 calibres (1.32 m) longer than its predecessor.

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

[[File:Leopard 2A5 armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal KE protection of the {{PAGENAME}} against 3BM42 at 500 m.]]

The {{PAGENAME}} retains the same excellent armour than its predecessor, the hull remains well protected and the already impenetrable turret cheeks have more protection on the side of the turret. Add-on armour boosts the ability to protect against HEAT-FS and early ADFSDS rounds. The wedges on the front of the turret are able to be blown off if a round with enough energy hits it. The gunners optic is also moved into the roof to eliminate the weak spot which was easily penetrated by any tank.

[[File:Leopard 2A5 CE armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal CE protection of the {{PAGENAME}} against MIM-146.]]
Be aware of Soviet tanks though! Most of them will carry their HE rounds that can easily destroy you anywhere they hit. A hit directly to the turret will most likely send fragments into your hull, penetrate and lets your fuel tank explode or at least set a fire and knock out the gun barrel.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Armour !! Front (Slope angle)!!Sides!!Rear!!Roof
|-
|Hull
|35 mm (53-82°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (50-51°) ''Lower glacis''
|10 mm (5°) ''Upper hull'' 35 mm (0°) ''Lower forward hull'' 20 mm (0°) ''Lower rear hull''
|20 mm (12-50°) ''All rear''
|20 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck''
|-
|Turret
|80 mm (57-59°) ''Right cheek add-on'' 80 mm (55-58°) ''Left cheek add-on'' 30 mm (63°) ''Upper mantlet add-on'' 400 mm (1°) ''Mantlet armour'' 250 mm (9°) ''Mantlet shroud''
|80 mm (20-22°) ''Right add-on'' 80 mm (22°) ''Left add-on'' 35 mm (0°) ''Forward'' 15 mm (0°) ''Rear''
|20 mm (10°) ''Basket'' 20 mm (70°) ''Turret underside''
|35 - 40 mm (80-89°) ''Forehead Armour'' 14 mm (68-82°) ''Forward sides'' 20 mm (89°) ''Rear turret'' 20 mm (83°) ''Basket''
|-
!Composite armour
! colspan="2" |Front
! colspan="2" |Sides
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Hull
| colspan="2" |'''''Upper+Lower glacis''''' 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 600 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" | N/A
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Turret
| colspan="2" | '''''turret cheeks''''' 800 mm ''Kinetic'' 1200 mm ''Chemical''

'''''Gun mantlet (Center)''''' 
260 - 325 mm ''Kinetic'' 
600 - 690 mm ''Chemical''

'''''Gun mantlet (Outer)''''' 
425 - 460 mm ''Kinetic'' 
825 - 905 ''Chemical''

| colspan="2" | '''''Side armour''''' 260 mm ''Kinetic'' 230 - 285 mm ''Chemical''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* ''Upper hull'' and ''Lower rear hull'' overlap (10 + 20 mm thick)
* ''Upper mantlet add-on'' and ''Mantlet armour'' overlap (30 + 400 mm thick)
* Holes in the engine deck are covered by 8 mm of mesh

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,032|rbMinHp=1,327}}

The only drawback compared to the previous model would be the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility since, despite the half ton increase in weight, the engine remains the same, so the {{PAGENAME}} remains relatively slow and relatively unmanoeuvrable like the [[Leopard 2A5]], but it can still keep up with the other nations MBTs.
The engine remains the same MTU (MOTOREN-UND TURBINEN-UNION FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH) MB 873 Ka-501 engine which produces 1,500 hp (1,100 KW) at 2,600 RPM.

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

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

{{main|Rh120 L/55 (120 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} has access to the DM53 APFSDS shells, the APFSDS shell with the highest penetration as of Version 2.1.0.46. Such shell is able to penetrate [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[Challenger 2]] and [[T-80U]] more easily than its predecessor.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rh120 L/55 (120 mm)|120 mm Rh120 L/55]] || 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 || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 496 || 494 || 486 || 476 || 466 || 456
|-
| DM53 || APFSDS || 652 || 650 || 640 || 628 || 616 || 604
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS || 1,190 || 13.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,150 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,690 || 4.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM53 || APFSDS || 1,750 || 5 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 16 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* The 2nd Rack serves as First-Stage ammo stowage.

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

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| 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
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The {{PAGENAME}} remains as slow, but as well armoured, as its predecessor, but it has access to the DM53 round. With the new shell, the playstyle remains similar:

* ''Hull down'': In the 2A6, the turret is well armoured thanks to the add-on wedge armour, so a hull-down position can now leave the {{PAGENAME}} invulnerable. Even then try to find cover, so then the armour package can last longer throughout the battle.
* ''Sniping'': With the DM53 APFSDS round, the {{PAGENAME}} has an incredibly powerful gun with the highest penetrating shell in the game, therefore it can now make use of the great distance in combat to deal damage while tanking incoming shots. Making use of hull-down positions whilst sniping is recommended.
* ''Flanking'': Due to the {{PAGENAME}} inheriting the relatively slow mobility compared to the other vehicles sharing the same battle rating, it is better to stick to more stationary tactics like ''hull-down'' and ''sniping''. However, with a little bit of caution, flanking can still be successful.
* ''Staying with nearby teammates:'' Try and stick to nearby teammates as this can improve your lifespan throughout the game.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Incredibly powerful gun with the highest penetrating shell in the game, the DM53 with 650 mm of penetration at 100 m
* Impenetrable turret cheeks, the add-on wedge armour makes the turret immune from every shell in the game (average of 850 mm against long rod APFSDS and 1,450 mm against HEAT)
* Good armour on the UFP (430 mm against APFSDS), immune to older shells; though many top tier tanks ( as of patch 2.3.0.110) posses shells which can go straight through
* Great gun handling: 40°/s turret rotation speed (with Ace crew) and -9°/+20° of vertical guidance
* Side turret covered by add-on armour can bounce early APFSDS shells
* Gunner optics are now mounted on top of the turret, removing the annoying weak spot present on the Leopard 2A4
* Cannon barrel and cannon breech absorbs impact rounds which may otherwise penetrate the turret and injure crews
* Very good thermal imaging quality (Generation 2 for Binoculars, 800 x 600, and Generation 1 for Gunner's view, 500 x 300)

'''Cons:'''

* Lower glacis can still be penetrated by most shells (but is expected for most MBTs)
* 16 shells in the ready-rack may be insufficient when playing in Arcade Battles
* Huge hull ammo-rack if more than 16 shells are carried consequently making the tank extremely vulnerable to HE shells
* A penetrating shot on the left side of the hull will most likely knock out the driver, gunner and commander, thus destroying the tank
* A penetrating shell on the right side of the hull will most likely hit the ammo-rack, destroying the tank
* The wedges can be shot off with several hits, though the turret cheeks alone provide 650 mm against KE
* Despite all the added armour, the turret ring and driver's hatch are both easily penetrated, and the enemy will most likely aim at these two spots to disable or destroy the tank

== History ==

Following the rollout of the Leopard 2A5 modification with enhanced protection, German engineers, in cooperation with international partners, immediately began working on improving the MBTs firepower.

This was achieved by, among other minor modifications, lengthening the Rh 120 L44 cannon by 1,320 mm, thus creating the Rh 120 L55. As a result, the Leopard 2A6's firing range was extended in addition to other ballistic properties being improved.

Production of the vehicle began in the early 2000s by converting older Leopard 2A4 and A5 models to the new standard. Initially, around 225 Leopard 2A6s were produced for the German Bundeswehr. Apart from domestic use, the Leopard 2A6 also sees service with Dutch, Canadian, Greek and Portugese forces, among others. In particular, the Leopard 2A6 was deployed with Canadian forces to Afghanistan in 2007, marking its first operational use.

The Leopard 2A6 is still in service today and, along with other variants, forms the spearhead of the armoured units of the German Bundeswehr.

''- From [[wt:en/news/6927-development-leopard-2a6-deadlier-than-ever-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=germ_leopard_2a6 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|zesNf8kYsKg|'''The Shooting Range #229''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|BkompiilVQw|'''Should You Grind The {{PAGENAME}}?''' - ''Sako Sniper''|nUJ9BpfFxNA|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Leopard 2A6 Devblog Images" heights="200">
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 007.jpg|
File:Leopard 2A6 WTWallpaper 008.jpg|
</gallery>

== See also ==


* [[Leopard 2A5]] - Preceding vehicle

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6927-development-leopard-2a6-deadlier-than-ever-en|[Devblog] Leopard 2A6: Deadlier than ever]]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Talk:Leopard 2A6

2021-02-19T17:45:49Z

U58644986: Leopard 2A5 and 2A6 UFP armor listed as "extremely good" in current patch.

As of 19.2.2021, Leopard 2A5 and 2A6 wiki pages state in Pros section that "Extremely good armour on the UFP (430 mm against long rod APFSDS), immune to every shell in the game except DM33, M829, L26, OFL 120 G1, 3BM42 and CL3143"

I think that should be changed to something in lines of

"Armor on the UFP effective against older long rod APFSDS and ATGMS"

Reason is that many nations now posses shells (12 shells in total, with addition of M829A1, 3BM42M, L27A1, DTW-125) with enough penetration to go straight through UFP, over several vechiles. And addition of vechiles such as Canadian ADATS making chemical protection lacking as well. Armor is really effective only against first gen long rods of T-72As, T-64As and other vechiles of similiar BR and era.

Stating that UFP is "Extremely good" IMO can be misleading as to what is sufficient amout of protection at this rank.

Talk:Type 74 (F)

2020-11-22T11:48:13Z

U58644986: /* Type 93 105mm shell */ new section

== Type 93 105mm shell ==

"Strongest 105 mm APFSDS in-game (Type 93)" should be replaced with "Strongest 105 mm APFSDS in-game (Type 93) at 8.7BR", TAM-2C and CM11 both get DM63 105mm shell with 436mm pen@90°@10m albeit at higher BR