Strv 103A - Revision history

U44629479: Edits

2024-11-07T21:26:09Z

Edits

U12017485: /* Pros and cons */ Clarified

2024-11-06T22:53:41Z

‎Pros and cons: Clarified

U44629479 at 20:17, 2 November 2024

2024-11-02T20:17:28Z

U123060633: /* Pros and cons */

2024-09-26T21:18:39Z

‎Pros and cons

U38088265 at 18:12, 23 July 2024

2024-07-23T18:12:26Z

U91965995: Description / Survivability update

2024-07-23T06:17:32Z

Description / Survivability update

U103691029: /* Main armament */ Autoloader

2024-04-17T02:41:49Z

‎Main armament: Autoloader

U38088265: /* Description */

2023-11-23T10:05:14Z

‎Description

U120313908: /* Description */

2023-11-21T21:34:56Z

‎Description

U28244977: Strv-103A is not an SPG; changed "SPG" to "vehicle".

2023-02-09T20:20:34Z

Strv-103A is not an SPG; changed "SPG" to "vehicle".

@@ Line 178: / Line 178: @@
 * Slow aiming, significant delay between "travel" mode and "aiming" mode
 * When caught exposed it can be easily penetrated by most of the MBTs, making the tank very situational
-* Unusually compact interior makes any penetrating shot that much deadlier
+* Unusually compact interior makes any penetrating shot much more devastating
 * Only three crew members
 * Gun is prone to damage

@@ Line 170: / Line 170: @@
 * Low profile
 * Very short reload time
-* Extremely survivable
+* In favourable terrain and positioning it can become difficult to spot and penetrate
-** Effectively sloped front armour
+* Can be controlled by one crew member
 * Gunner and Commander perform the same roles, so there is no crew switch if either is knocked out
@@ Line 178: / Line 177: @@
 * Slow aiming, significant delay between "travel" mode and "aiming" mode
-* Vulnerable to flanking
+* When caught exposed it can be easily penetrated by most of the MBTs, making the tank very situational
 * Only three crew members
 * Gun is prone to damage
 * Catches fire often when shot from the side and sometimes from the front, FPE is mandatory for survival
 == History ==

@@ Line 183: / Line 183: @@
 * Catches fire often when shot from the side and sometimes from the front, FPE is mandatory for survival
 * Any detonation next to the hull can cause the tank (and, subsequently, the gun) to violently rock
-* Due to the abundance of APFSDS firing guns at 8.3 and above it's armour is almost useless in anything short of a full downtier.
+* Due to the abundance of APFSDS firing guns at 8.3 and above its armour is almost useless in anything short of a full downtier.
 == History ==

@@ Line 183: / Line 183: @@
 * Catches fire often when shot from the side and sometimes from the front, FPE is mandatory for survival
 * Any detonation next to the hull can cause the tank (and, subsequently, the gun) to violently rock
 == History ==

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''Strv 103A''' was the first production variant of the [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103 family]]. It was delivered after the trials of the [[Strv 103-0|"zero series"]] provided satisfactory results. An order of 70 units was placed by the Army with a cost of 500 million kr (SEK). The first batch was delivered in 1964, and was quite liked by their crews. However, the vehicle also had some shortcomings, most notably in the form of its 300 HP engine, which was considered somewhat underpowered. This was remedied in the Strv 103B in 1970, with the gas turbine engine having its engine power increased to 490 HP.
+The '''Strv 103A''' was the first production variant of the [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103 family]]. It was delivered after the trials of the [[Strv 103-0|"zero series"]] provided satisfactory results. An order of 70 units was placed by the Army with a cost of 500 million kr (SEK). The first batch was delivered in 1964, and was quite liked by their crews. However, the vehicle also had some shortcomings, most notably in the form of its 300 hp engine, which was considered somewhat underpowered. This was remedied in the Strv 103B in 1970, with the gas turbine engine having its engine power increased to 490 hp.
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. A unique vehicle in shape, it is a very unorthodox vehicle in design even beyond its turretless design. With a 4 second autoloader, almost invisible profile when hunkered behind a hill and laser rangefinder alongside its highly sloped frontal armor the Strv 103 is a juggernaut at long range. Almost no tank in the game at its Battle Rating save for the [[Ikv 91]] (Which is in the same tree and is very unlikely to be on the enemy team), [[OF-40]], [[VIDAR]] and a select few others can compete in the same league as the Strv 103 with their laser rangefinders, but with the 103's superior and extremely consistent reload rate it is second to none at holding down long sightlines. However, the Strv 103 is somewhat clunky to use in close quarters, due to its reliance on hull aiming, and unless the enemy bounces their shot or fails to do any meaningful damage you can easily be caught out and rushed down. The front armor of the Strv 103 is something to keep note of - it can deflect many APDS and even HEATFS rounds to the upper plate due to its extreme angle, although some rounds can still make their way through - but the side armor is not, so making sure nobody flanks you is a top priority. Alongside this, the Strv 103 is prone to taking engine or transmission damage when being fired upon - another reason to stay at range, lest your enemy simply move sideways and shoot your weak sides as you sit there immobilized without a turret.
+The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. A unique vehicle in shape, it is a very unorthodox vehicle in design even beyond its turretless design. With a 4 second autoloader, almost invisible profile when hunkered behind a hill, and laser rangefinder, alongside its highly sloped frontal armour, the Strv 103 is a juggernaut at long range. Only the [[Ikv 91]], [[OF-40]], [[VIDAR]], and a select few others can compete in the same league as the Strv 103 with their laser rangefinders, but with the 103's superior and extremely consistent reload rate it is second to none at holding down long sightlines. However, the Strv 103 is somewhat clunky to use in close quarters, due to its reliance on hull aiming, and unless the enemy bounces their shot or fails to do any meaningful damage you can easily be caught out and rushed down. The front armour of the Strv 103 is something to keep note of - it can deflect many APDS and even HEATFS rounds to the upper plate due to its extreme angle, although some rounds can still make their way through - but the side armour is not, so making sure nobody flanks you is a top priority. Alongside this, the Strv 103 is prone to taking engine or transmission damage when being fired upon - another reason to stay at range, lest your enemy simply move sideways and shoot your weak sides as you sit there immobilized without a turret.
 Long story short, the Strv 103 is a very specific kind of vehicle. Unlike the [[Ikv 91]] which is essentially made of paper and fires slower, higher arcing shells, the Strv 103 can be the closest thing to a heavy tank at this BR if positioned and played correctly. However, improper positioning or being caught out in a crossfire can also very easily lead to a painful death as your crew and FPE charges slowly get whittled down. Utilizing your very low profile, long range dominance as well as the ability to survive on 1 crew member will be the key for victory in the Strv 103.
 == General info ==
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 <!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
-The Strv 103 has an extremely angled upper front plate - this high angle means so long as you angle the plate slightly upwards against enemy fire, almost all rounds will either fail to penetrate or simply shatter / bounce off due to said extreme angle. Normal APHE rounds and French AP rounds also stand little chance against the upper plate unless they are able to fire downwards into the plate - something you should never let anyone do, given the actual thickness of the plate is only 40 mm!
+The Strv 103 has an extremely angled upper front plate - this high angle means so long as you angle the plate slightly upwards against enemy fire, almost all rounds will either fail to penetrate or simply shatter/bounce off due to said extreme angle. Normal APHE rounds and French AP rounds also stand little chance against the upper plate unless they are able to fire downwards into the plate - something you should never let anyone do, given the actual thickness of the plate is only 40 mm!
 However, should you expose your lower hull too much when firing, enemies can penetrate the lower hull of the Strv 103 with a decent chance of success. It is highly advised to try and prevent this from ever happening, as while this only very rarely (against APHE or HEATFS) penetrates into the crew compartment, it almost certainly knocks out either the engine or transmission of the tank, immobilizing it.
 A penetrating shot into the upper plate via HEATFS is still possible sometimes, and if this does happen there is a high likelihood that it will set off a fire due to the frontal fuel tank behind the upper plate. If your gun and transmission are unharmed, consider firing a shot back at the offender before using FPE, as it is always best to ''not'' take fire while you repair or reposition lest it actually immobilize you.
-As mentioned in the description of the vehicle, the Strv 103 has fairly poor side armor. Being shot from the side or rear will most likely result in either instant death or a slow and painful death as the enemy disables your engine and slowly whittles down your crew.
+The Strv 103 has fairly poor side armour. Being shot from the side or rear will most likely result in either instant death or a slow and painful death as the enemy disables your engine and slowly whittles down your crew.
-A more [[Strv 103C]]-notable problem but something that still comes up in the 103A is facing APFSDS in the form of the [[T95E1]] or 9.0 uptiers - against darts, your armor '''will not hold up 99% of the time.''' Tread lightly if you see a vehicle capable of firing even a semi-capable MBT caliber gun, and make sure to knock them out first out of everyone else as they pose the greatest threat to your long-ranged playstyle and armor scheme.7
+A more [[Strv 103C]]-notable problem but something that still comes up in the 103A is facing APFSDS in the form of the [[T95E1]] or 9.0 uptiers - against darts, your armour will not hold up 99% of the time. Tread lightly if you see a vehicle capable of firing even a semi-capable MBT caliber gun, and make sure to knock them out first out of everyone else as they pose the greatest threat to your long-ranged playstyle and armour scheme.
 '''Armour type:'''
@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 ! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 ! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
-!Autoloader
+! Autoloader
 |-
 ! ''Arcade''
-| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+12° || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || 33.6 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
+| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+12° || rowspan="2" | - || rowspan="2" | - || 33.6 || 33.6 || 40.8 || 45.1 || 48.0 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
 |-
 ! ''Realistic''
@@ Line 97: / Line 97: @@
 ==== Ammunition ====
-The ammunition echoes previous Strv 101, but with addition of Slpprj m/62 which can cut through almost any tank within BR range. Coupled with extremely low profile of the tank, the gun can penetrate any LFP of any tank on the field and will often easily cut through the turrets of most heavy tanks.
+The ammunition echoes previous Strv 101, but with addition of Slpprj m/66 which can cut through almost any tank within BR range. Coupled with extremely low profile of the tank, the gun can penetrate any LFP of any tank on the field and will often easily cut through the turrets of most heavy tanks.
-Slpprh M/61 has better penetration against flat surfaces (like the turrets of some American heavy tanks), but has much worse angled penetration than M/62. Angled penetration is much more important at the rank VI, even more so when the enemy has high ground, so prioritize upgraded ammunition over the standard one.
+Slpprj m/61 has better penetration against flat surfaces (like the turrets of some American heavy tanks), but has much worse angled penetration than m/66. Angled penetration is much more important at the rank VI, even more so when the enemy has high ground, so prioritize upgraded ammunition over the standard one.
 Since the tank is super short, it makes sense to use HESH to shoot above destroyed enemies once it becomes impossible to shoot the remaining opponents directly with APDS. Remember to immediately pull the hull down to the ground, as HESH trajectory forces the tank to expose its LFP completely.
-{{:L74 (105 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/61, slpprj m/62, slsgr m/61A, rökgr m/61, slspgr m/61}}
+{{:L74 (105 mm)/Ammunition|slpprj m/61, slpprj m/66, slsgr m/61A, rökgr m/61, slspgr m/61}}
 ==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''Strv-103A''' was the first production variant of the Strv 103 family. It was delivered after the trials of the ''"zero series"'' proved satisfactory results. An order of 70 units was placed by the Army with a cost of 500 million kr (SEK). The first batch was delivered in 1964, and was a liked vehicle by their crews. However it also came with some problems, like the engine, that was unreliable, specifically, it was a 300hk gas turbine engine that was underpowered and unneficient, thus it needed to be replaced for a more capable engine in the Strv 103B.
+The '''Strv 103A''' was the first production variant of the [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103 family]]. It was delivered after the trials of the [[Strv 103-0|"zero series"]] provided satisfactory results. An order of 70 units was placed by the Army with a cost of 500 million kr (SEK). The first batch was delivered in 1964, and was a liked vehicle by their crews. However it also came with some problems, like the engine, that was unreliable, specifically, it was a 300hk gas turbine engine that was underpowered and unneficient, thus it needed to be replaced for a more capable engine in the Strv 103B.
-The '''{{Specs|name}}'''was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. It is a unique tank in the Swedish tree which is a MBT, although by its appearance it would seem to instead be a tank destroyer. It is also known as ''S-Tank'' or ''Door Stop''. It plays the same as the Strv 103-0. It's armor depends on how angled it is, and while it is able to bounce most conventional shells, the HEAT warheads are a big threat, since even if the crew remains intact, they will destroy or damage the transmission and the engine. The Strv 103 needs to be played calmly, as a sniper behind your team, using your variable suspension to peak over hills, attacking unsuspected enemies and change position if you find yourself targeted by enemy vehicles.
+The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. It is a unique tank in the Swedish tree which is a MBT, although by its appearance it would seem to instead be a tank destroyer. It plays the same as the Strv 103-0. Its armour depends on how angled it is, and while it is able to bounce most conventional shells, HEAT warheads are a big threat, since even if the crew survives, they will destroy or damage the transmission and the engine, disabling movement of both the hull and gun. The Strv 103 needs to be played calmly, as a sniper behind your team, using your variable suspension to peek over hills, attacking unsuspected enemies and changing position if you find yourself targeted by enemy vehicles.
 == General info ==
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 Front has a fuel tank near transmission, the very first penetrating hit taken always destroys it and sets the vehicle on fire, but this only happens once per spawn, making FPE a mandatory upgrade to actually use the tank to its full potential. After the fuel tank is gone, the transmission and additional RHA screens will prevent most enemy shells (except for the HEAT) from doing practically anything to the tank as long as LFP was not hit directly and penetrated. Not even G6 HE or FV4005 HESH can do anything, as long as they hit low enough to only hit the frontal part of the tank. In that regard, the tank is effectively superior to [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54/55]], which is a feat unheard of.
 Unfortunately, there is a single weak spot on the Strv 103A front - the commander cupola. It can be easily penetrated by nearly anything on the battlefield, and while it is very small and can be concealed with bushes, it still can be hit with explosives to decimate the entirety of the crew. Airburst HE-VT will also likely penetrate it.
 Side, rear and top armour of the vehicle are very weak. Most aircraft can also penetrate the roof, especially if they have 20 mm rounds or larger. Therefore, it is necessary to control surroundings of the tank - as long as enemy cannot hit the very back, or at least land a clean shot into the middle (where the crew resides), it will take a long time for them to figure out where to shoot, probably long enough for the crew to repair tracks and/or transmission and turn the vehicle around.
 Taking only half the ammunition can prevent shots from the right from destroying the tank, taking only a quarter of ammunition can prevent overhead HEAT shots and LFP hits from hitting the ammo rack on the left, but this is not efficient, considering how survivable the tank is already and how fast it can run out of ammunition.
 With a total of three crew members, survivability after taking hits tend to be slim. However, the Strv 103 series are the only tanks that can operate with only one crew member in RB!
 '''Armour type:'''
@@ Line 97: / Line 97: @@
 ==== Ammunition ====
 The ammunition echoes previous Strv 101, but with addition of Slpprj m/62 which can cut through almost any tank within BR range. Coupled with extremely low profile of the tank, the gun can penetrate any LFP of any tank on the field and will often easily cut through the turrets of most heavy tanks.
 Slpprh M/61 has better penetration against flat surfaces (like the turrets of some American heavy tanks), but has much worse angled penetration than M/62. Angled penetration is much more important at the rank VI, even more so when the enemy has high ground, so prioritize upgraded ammunition over the standard one.

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 With a superbly sloped upper front hull armour, incoming kinetic rounds are nearly guaranteed to harmlessly bounce off, even at point blank ranges, though chemical rounds will typically do at least some damage, particularly HEAT. Overall, unless the enemy tank is very tall, STRV 103A can simply mock kinetic tanks by rocking down and up between shots. This is done to ensure that the fragile LFP never gets targeted - the tank nose should always point down when reloading and preferably when moving around as well. The sloped armour is not nearly as effective against APFSDS, so late rank VI and VII will cut through it without any issue.
-Front has a fuel tank near transmission, the very first penetrating hit taken always destroys it and sets the SPG on fire, but this only happens once per spawn, making FPE a mandatory upgrade to actually use the tank to its full potential. After the fuel tank is gone, the transmission and additional RHA screens will prevent most enemy shells (except for the HEAT) from doing practically anything to the tank as long as LFP was not hit directly and penetrated. Not even G6 HE or FV4005 HESH can do anything, as long as they hit low enough to only hit the frontal part of the tank. In that regard, the tank is effectively superior to [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54/55]], which is a feat unheard of.
+Front has a fuel tank near transmission, the very first penetrating hit taken always destroys it and sets the vehicle on fire, but this only happens once per spawn, making FPE a mandatory upgrade to actually use the tank to its full potential. After the fuel tank is gone, the transmission and additional RHA screens will prevent most enemy shells (except for the HEAT) from doing practically anything to the tank as long as LFP was not hit directly and penetrated. Not even G6 HE or FV4005 HESH can do anything, as long as they hit low enough to only hit the frontal part of the tank. In that regard, the tank is effectively superior to [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54/55]], which is a feat unheard of.
 Unfortunately, there is a single weak spot on the Strv 103A front - the commander cupola. It can be easily penetrated by nearly anything on the battlefield, and while it is very small and can be concealed with bushes, it still can be hit with explosives to decimate the entirety of the crew. Airburst HE-VT will also likely penetrate it.
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 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=sw_strv_103a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
@@ Line 207: / Line 208: @@
 == 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.''
@@ Line 212: / Line 214: @@
 == External links ==
 ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
 * ''other literature.''