Difference between revisions of "Stormer HVM"

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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_stormer_hvm}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=uk_stormer_hvm
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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<!--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.-->
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<!-- ''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 '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a variant of the Alvis Stormer AFV that was designed to provide short-range air defense for British ground forces. It was created in response to the growing danger of attack helicopters, such as the Soviet Mi-24 Hind. The British Army opted for the Starstreak missile due to its three-dart warhead, which can overcome both armour and countermeasures. The Stormer's chassis offered excellent crew protection and mobility, making it a suitable platform for the Starstreak missile. The vehicle can hold a maximum of 12 Starstreak missiles, which can destroy low-flying targets, including helicopters, jets, and drones, up to 7 km away. The Stormer HVM entered service in 1997 and was later deployed to Iraq. Oman also purchased some for their own defense needs, while Ukraine received some of the units. As air threats to Western forces diminished, the British Army retired the Stormer HVM in 2009 and sought more advanced alternatives like the Sky Sabre.
  
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[[File:GarageImage Stormer HVM.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
+
The {{Specs|name}} was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]]. It is a unique and powerful vehicle that can challenge any airborne opponent with its missiles. However, despite its capabilities, the Stormer HVM does have some drawbacks. One of the main drawbacks is its limited range. With a maximum range of 7 km, it will not be able to engage targets that are located further away. Additionally, the Stormer HVM's effectiveness may be reduced against highly manoeuvrable and fast-moving aerial threats. Overall, it is best used as an early-spawn vehicle to quickly neutralize helicopters and possibly engage lightly armoured targets.
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{{break}}
 
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].
 
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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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?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 +
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
  
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''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
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This tank uses the chassis of Scorpion, which you might be familiar with since [[Striker]]. As before, it can only take punishment from the front and it's best to avoid anything more serious than autocannon armed light tanks or [[KPz-70]], since most 9.0+ tanks have at least 100 mm gun along with their coaxial weapons.
  
−
This tank uses the chassis of Scorpion, which you might be familiar since [[Striker]]. As before, it can only take punishment from the front and it's best to avoid anything more serious than autocannon armed light tanks or [[KPz-70]], since most 9.0+ tanks have at least 100 mm gun along with their coaxial weapons. It is easy to "hull break" the hull by hitting it with 105 mm chemicals, artillery direct hits and 120 mm kinetic shells.
+
The launcher on the back was replaced with a turret carrying Starstreak HVM and search optics. The usually small camera next to commander cupola now has heavy optics and is much bigger as a result. The turret is much higher than the old launcher and is very hard to hide.
  
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The launcher on the back was replaced with a turret carrying Starstreak HVM and search optics. The usually small camera next to commander cupola now has heavy optics and is much bigger as a result. The turret is much higher than the old launcher and is very hard to hide.  
+
The missiles do not have any protection this time around and user should avoid being bombed and shot by artillery '''at any cost'''. Even a 7.62 mm machine gun can ignite missiles on a good hit. Even close artillery or HE miss might set off Starstreaks and cause the entire rack to explode, annihilating the carrier and probably taking it's allies nearby with it in process. Even if missiles did not explode, it is very likely that the hull will take enough overpressure damage to take out the crew.
  
−
The missiles do not have any protection this time around and you should avoid being bombed and shot by artillery '''at any cost'''. Even a close artillery or HE miss might set off firestreaks and cause your entire rack to explode, annihilating your carrier and probably taking your allies nearby with you in process.  
+
The missile carrier has very short burnout time, so even if it survived a strafe run from a gunship while just being set on fire, it will burn fast and explode in about 8 seconds.
  
−
As such, you should avoid fighting anything directly, if possible. To ensure not a single aircraft knows about your presence, an IRST system is used instead of radar - not even best helicopters around can detect you. In arcade mode, they can still see the Stormer, but you can be assured that optronic system will allow you to destroy them before they have even a chance to aim at it.
+
As such, Stormer should avoid fighting anything directly, if possible. To ensure not a single aircraft knows about its presence, an IRST system is used instead of radar - not even best helicopters around can detect it. In arcade mode, they can still see the Stormer, but the optronic system will allow the tank to destroy them before they have even a chance to aim at it.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''-->
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
−
As with [[Striker]], the tank is capable of driving both forward and backwards relatively fast even with no upgrades. The ability to drive forward and turn around at same time still relies on driver being maxed out, so your crew must be very high level.
+
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
−
The more you upgrade the chassis and engine, the more obscure position you can climb and take over in order to avoid being spotted and destroyed by other tanks.
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=355|rbMinHp=221}}
  
−
Do not race against japanese [[Type 90]] and italian scout tank [[Centauro ROMOR]], they are much faster.
+
As with [[Striker]], the {{PAGENAME}} is capable of driving both forward and backwards relatively fast even with no upgrades. The ability to drive forward and turn around at same time still relies on driver being maxed out, so your crew must be very high level.
  
−
== Armaments ==
+
The more you upgrade the chassis and engine, the more obscure position you can climb and take over in order to avoid being spotted and destroyed by other tanks.
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=== Main armament ===
 
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<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
 
  
−
Main article:  [[Starstreak HVM]]
+
Do not race against Japanese [[Type 90]] and Italian scout tank [[Centauro ROMOR]], they are much faster.
  
−
Stormer HVM is using surface-to-air [[Starstreak]] missiles and their unique properties make it hard to use them for anything else.
+
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
  
−
There are 8 of them mounted on the turret and there are 8 more spares in the back of the tank.
+
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 +
=== Main armament ===
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
 +
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 +
{{main|Starstreak}}
  
−
When first launched, the carrier missile drags the actual missiles away from Stormer and unleashes them at about ~600 m range. Until that point, the missile can be used as HE ATGM and if it hits enemy weak spot or suspension wheel it can do catastrophic damage.
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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+
|-
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Unfortunately, most of BR 9-10 medium tanks have either ERA or NERA screens all over them and will not take any damage from single missile and firing them randomly isn't going to do anything to them. Firing multiple missiles into their weakspots might take too much time and attracts their attention, resulting in inevitable Stormer HVM destruction. For this reason, fighting medium tanks of proper BR shouldn't be your priority.  
+
! colspan="5" | [[Starstreak]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
−
 
+
|-
−
Other SPAA, SPG and light tanks are fair game and you should try to destroy them via hull break if they try to attack Stormer HVM, as simply running away from them is rather difficult.
+
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
−
 
+
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
−
After 600 m, three missiles disassemble from carrier missile, and start increasing their speed to the extreme. To not lose control over their movement due to speed, they constantly spiral. Each one of them can be approximately counted as 105 mm HE. Due to their spiraling nature, aiming them at ground forces is practically pointless, unless you try to disintegrate tanks which have little to no armour, like [[Object 685]] - in the case of such tanks, if you somehow hit their weakspot, they still can hull break even from smaller missiles.
+
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
−
 
+
|-
−
To helicopters, the missiles usually are fatal, as they are almost bound to get hit by at least one of Starstreaks, and explosion either tears off the tail or knocks out the pilot. However, even in the case of this missile, there are cases when Support helicopters somehow survived direct hit, so you might want to launch another one if you aren't sure that they are done for.
+
! ''Arcade''
−
 
+
| rowspan="2" | 16 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 61.6 || 85.3 || 103.6 || 114.6 || 121.9 || rowspan="2" | 1.30 || rowspan="2" | 1.15 || rowspan="2" | 1.06 || rowspan="2" | 1.00
−
To use the missiles properly, you need to lock on to aerial target. The IRST system cannot tell you where the targets really are, just the direction they're in. Instead of wasting time while looking for them manually, simply lock onto any target on your "radar" display via hotkeys like with [[Chieftain Marksman]] and turret will near instantaneously turn towards them by itself.
+
|-
 +
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 41.6 || 49.0 || 59.5 || 65.8 || 70.0
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
[[File:Stormer HMV passive system lock on.jpg|none|thumb|500x400px]]
+
The {{PAGENAME}} uses surface-to-air Starstreak missiles and their unique properties make it hard to use them for anything else. There are 8 of them mounted on the turret and there are 8 more spares in the back of the tank.
  
−
As could be seen on screenshot above, in full IRST mode sniper crosshair tries to imitate the drag of missile as it tracks the aircraft, and by keeping sniper crosshairs on plane or helicopter you can guide your missiles towards an aircraft. Keeping '''an actual missile''' on target is more important, however, as system accuracy is generally far from stellar and it shouldn't be trusted too much.
+
The missiles are launched in two stages - the carrier missile and the "darts". The information in the stat-card is presented for the carrier missile and differs from the actual payload unleashed after ~450 m of flight. The main missile has a very bright engine flare, while the mini missiles are very dim and difficult to follow without thermal sight.  
  
−
{{Notice| "Targeting" and "leadership" on your crew should be maxed out. This SPAA cannot track targets properly without it and should not be used by a level 1 crew. You have been warned.|!}}
+
In spite of the indicated top speed, Starstreaks bleed their speed very fast when forced to chase jets at an angle, so consider practising fire discipline or look for spots from which you can hit them head-on or in the back.
  
−
Do note, that a plane approaching at a sharp angle will mess with turret automatic guidance, due to it passing by too fast.
+
The missiles are guided by a laser, which makes them trigger LWS upon launch, but also allows to guide multiple launches at once (generally, up to two) and renders jammers and most countermeasures useless.
  
−
[[File:Stormer HVM hit with weird lock-on data.jpg|none|thumb|500x400px]]
+
==== Ammunition ====
−
 
+
{{:Starstreak/Ammunition|Starstreak HVM}}
−
Stormer HVM has huge gaps in optics: 10-40X optics, which can be manually adgusted during AA duty, simply hitting "maximum zoom" will probably result in a miss at some angles of attack.
 
−
 
 
−
Since it is extremely inconvenient to toggle zoom level every time, one can remain in sniper seat and use radar display to lock-on to targets around. To toggle between targets on radar display use button "Select radar target to lock on" (default ALT+T) and then press "lock on" to lock onto it without looking for it manually or going out of sniper seat and messing up with your preferred zoom level. This also makes inability to tell the range towards enemy aircrafts more tolerable.
 
−
 
 
−
===Optics and night vision===
 
−
 
 
−
<!--
 
−
''Try to fill in the specifications of the tank optics. If you are having problems with it, refer to the [[Optics|optics gallery]] or [[Night Vision Devices|Night vision]] pages for examples. Remember, not every tank has optic magnification specified in X-ray and each NVD can only be used from their designated point of view.
 
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Try to explain how optics affect your gameplay on a tank. A comparsion to rival tanks of the rank is welcome. If the vehicle optic devices are unique in some way, or the way the optics are placed on a tank is affecting the gameplay in meaningful way, or damage to optics can disable some features or weapons of a tank, specify it here as well.''
 
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-->
 
  
 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
 +
<!-- '''Last updated: 2.7.0.173''' -->
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
! colspan="7" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
 
−
|-
 
−
! rowspan="3" |Type of optic
 
−
! rowspan="3" |Magnification
 
−
! colspan="5" |[[Night Vision Devices]]
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="3" |Image Intensifier
 
−
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Thermal Imager<br>Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
 
−
! rowspan="2" |Notes
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! {{Annotation|Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
+
! Full<br>ammo
−
! {{Annotation|Light Mult|By how much the image intensifier amplifies the existing light, primarily useful for comparing image intensifiers}}
+
! 1st<br>rack empty
−
! {{Annotation|Noise Level|How much noise is present in the image (how grainy the image is)}}
+
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 +
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Gunner's Sight
+
| '''16''' || 11&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 9&nbsp;''(+7)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+15)'' || No
−
| X10 - X40 || ? || ? || ? || ? ||
 
−
|-
 
−
! Commander's View
 
−
| X6 / 3PV || ? || ? || ? || ? ||
 
−
|-
 
−
! Driver's View
 
−
| X1 || ? || ? || ? || ? ||  
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
'''Notes''':
  
−
*Zoom specified in X-ray. Strongest optics in the game so far.
+
* Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
−
 
+
* Rack 4 (launcher) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 8 shells.
−
Optics are pivotal for this tank's gameplay. Current zoom level affects the tracking quality of the turret. The player's role in this is to find optimal zoom levels for tracking current target and to check if sensor system is keeping missile on target properly. If it does not, just correct missiles yourself.  
+
** The launcher gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
 +
** Once the launcher rack has been depleted, you can't shoot until at least one missile has been restocked .
 +
** Simply not firing when the launcher is ready to fire will move ammo from racks 1 and 2 into rack 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
 +
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 1 - 2.
  
−
In case if enemy plane escaped your system's grasp, you still can hit "maximum zoom" button and try to chase it with missiles manually.
+
===Radars===
  
−
Due to half-manual aim of the tank, unlocking Night Vision devices is a priority - If you cannot see your target during the night, it will be '''extremely''' hard for you to compensate for system errors.
+
Stormer HMV uses special infrared search devices to detect targets. They have a significantly shorter range than "normal" radar and cannot tell the range towards target until specifically locked onto it. They also scan Stormer HVM surroundings approximately 6 times a second even when locked on, which makes bypassing it next to impossible.  
  
−
In case of <600 m tank duels, maximum zoom can be exploited to aim missile straight into the enemy tank weakspot. Do not shake the scope after missile launch, or it will miss.
+
It is so sensitive, that it may spot random shells when they are fired and fly across the battlefield. The search system will react to flares launched during night battles, flooding it with fake targets and can lock onto rockets or flares launched by helicopters. It is possible to lock onto them by accident from sniper seat as well, but once the enemy aircraft was locked onto, the tracker will ignore everything else.
  
−
===Sensor System===
+
Infrared detectors are invisible to "radar detectors" and will not alert helicopters or supersonic jets of SPAA presence. There is no benefit in powering it down as of now.
  
−
Stormer HMV uses special infrared search devices to detect targets. While they have significantly shorter range than radar and cannot tell the range towards target until specifically locked onto it, they can tell which targets are friendly and do not target them, or at least specifically mark them as "friendly". They also scan Stormer HVM surroundings approximately 3 times a second even when locked on, which makes bypassing it next to impossible.
+
Trees and smokes can completely block IRST system - if you cannot see your opponent yourself through thick forest, neither will the system.
  
−
Infrared detectors are invisible to "radar detectors" and will not alert helicopters or sonic jets of your presence or lock-on. There is no benefit in powering it down as of now.
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
! colspan="5" | Thales ADAD - Passive Infared Search
+
! colspan="5" | Thales ADAD - Passive Infrared Search
 
|-
 
|-
 
! {{Annotation|Maximum<br/>Detection<br/>Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
 
! {{Annotation|Maximum<br/>Detection<br/>Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
Line 125: Line 117:
 
! {{Annotation|Minimum<br/>relative speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be detectable by the radar}}
 
! {{Annotation|Minimum<br/>relative speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be detectable by the radar}}
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ~7,000? m || ? m || 360° || ??? || any?
+
| ~8,000 m || N/A || 360° || -__°/+__° || N/A
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="5" | Thales ADAD - (Passive Infared Track)
+
! colspan="5" | Thales ADAD - Passive Infrared Track
 
|-
 
|-
 
! {{Annotation|Maximum<br/>Tracking<br/>Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
 
! {{Annotation|Maximum<br/>Tracking<br/>Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
Line 135: Line 127:
 
! {{Annotation|Minimum<br/>target speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be tracked by the radar}}
 
! {{Annotation|Minimum<br/>target speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be tracked by the radar}}
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ~6,000? m || ? m || 360° || ??? || any ?
+
| ~8,000 m || N/A || 360° || -__°/+__° || N/A
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
==Usage in battles==
+
== 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).''
+
<!-- ''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).'' -->
 +
 
 +
It is best to hide from sight of others when using this SPAA - move around battlefield and use terrain and caves as a hiding spot for yourself. At the same time, you want to have at least some form of high ground so that when enemy aircraft accidentally exposes itself, you can put an end to it immediately. Exploit mobility upgrades to stand on mountain edges, if necessary.
 +
 
 +
Avoid participating in direct combat with medium tanks at any cost, as you definitely will not help in winning the fight directly and they might use the gigantic ammo rack as a way to destroy your allies. The only logical exception is if you are supporting allied ATGM tank by removing hostile tank ERA and turning their attention towards you, then immediately retreat. Any attempts to do sneaky shots on medium tanks should only be done if you are sure it's worth it.
 +
 
 +
In case if you managed to spot hostile SAM, you can try to remove them by igniting their missiles to help your team achieve air superiority. Remember, you cannot fire on move, so if they will also notice you and have actual guns, the tables will turn immediately. At long range you can fire at least three times before missiles of most other SAM tanks would reach you.
 +
 
 +
Using forests as cover is less reliable than just using terrain, as IRST will likely fail to detect your opponents through trees, unlike radar which only get its signal halved in power.
 +
 
 +
In case if you have nothing better to do at the moment or spotted an enemy tank, you can scout it from a remote location. Do not try to scout if enemy team is actively searching for you.
 +
 
 +
{{Notice| Be aware, that while Stormer HVM itself is nigh undetectable in RB, it still uses laser pointer to guide missiles. Some modern helicopters and some tanks have Laser Warning System and will receive attack alert on launch, and probably will try to dodge. Do not expect every static target to never move.|!}}
 +
 
 +
'''General missile behaviour and ground targets:'''
 +
 
 +
;First Launch
 +
 
 +
The carrier missile drags the actual missiles away from Stormer at a speed of about 800 m/s and unleashes them at about ~450 m range. Until that point, the missile can be used as a weak form of HE ATGM and if it hits enemy light tank or SPG weak spot it can do fatal overpressure damage.
 +
 
 +
Carrier missile does shrapnel-like damage and it will deteriorate after hitting '''any''' obstacles, so it is necessary for an explosion to hit the target weak spot directly, almost like with HESH. The explosion range also seems to be halved compared to HE. '''Anything''', including simplest forms of side skirts, will block SAM from destroying an enemy tank. Most of BR 9-10 tanks have not just side skirts but either ERA or NERA screens all over them and will not take any damage from single missile and hitting those randomly is going to only damage machine guns and the screens.
 +
 
 +
At short ranges other SPAA, SPG and light tanks are fair game and it is preferable to try and destroy them via overpressure damage if they try to attack Stormer HVM, as simply running away from them is rather difficult.
 +
 
 +
;After ~450 m
 +
 
 +
Three missiles disassemble from carrier missile and start increasing their speed to the extreme, easily reaching 1178 m/s in a straight line. To not lose control over their movement due to speed, they constantly spiral. Missiles have acceptable agility and will instantly react to any scope movements, so aim them using sniper mode. Be quick and precise, if possible.
 +
 
 +
They have minimal penetration and, mostly due to their spiralling nature, aiming them at ground forces is practically pointless, unless you try to disintegrate tanks which have little to no armour, like other SPAA or ATGM tanks - in the case of such tanks, if you somehow hit their weak spot, they still can be destroyed by smaller missiles, so it is worth trying.
 +
 
 +
Medium tanks will shrug off Starstreaks and usually it does little more than just annoy them.
 +
 
 +
[[File:Stormer HMV passive system lock on.jpg|right|thumb|325px|Make sure there aren't any trees around or the lock will become unstable.]]
 +
'''Against air targets:'''
 +
 
 +
To helicopters, the missiles usually are fatal, as they are almost bound to get hit by at least one of Starstreaks, and explosion either tears off the tail or knocks out the pilot. However, even in the case of this missile, there are cases when Support helicopters somehow survived a direct hit, so you might want to launch two attacks at once just to be sure. You might want to stay a bit closer to the middle of the battlefield just because top ATGM helicopters have a 1 km range advantage over Starstreak missiles, but such positioning will also make you easier to find.
 +
 
 +
To use the missiles against moving aircraft (mainly, planes) properly, you need to lock on to an aerial target. The IRST system cannot tell you where the targets really are, just the direction they're in, so if you already see the plane, it's probably better to lock on from the sniper sight. If you don't already see them, instead of wasting time while looking for them manually, simply lock onto any target on your "radar" display via hotkeys from third person view like with [[Chieftain Marksman]] and the turret will near instantaneously turn towards them by itself. Keep in mind that the system can target allies and random things like shells, fires and flares, so don't immediately fire if turret turns towards your airfield.
 +
[[File:Stormer HVM hit with weird lock-on data.jpg|right|thumb|325px]]
 +
 
 +
As could be seen on the screenshots, in full IRST mode sniper crosshair tries to imitate the drag of missile as it tracks the aircraft, and by keeping sniper crosshairs on plane or helicopter you can guide your missiles towards an aircraft. Keeping '''an actual missile''' on target is more important, however, as system accuracy is generally far from stellar and it shouldn't be trusted too much.
 +
 
 +
{{Notice| "Targeting" and "leadership" on your crew should be maxed out. This SPAA cannot track targets properly without it and should not be used by a level 1 crew. You have been warned.|!}}
  
−
===Modules===
+
Do note, that a plane approaching at a sharp angle will mess with turret automatic guidance, due to it passing by too fast. It is also very difficult for the darts to catch up to jets not flying straight away from or towards the Stormer HVM at speeds above 600 km/h, as the missiles either bleed their speed very fast or just pass them by as they gain a sudden speed boost. Due to this, Stormer HVM struggles with manoeuvrable CAS planes.
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
 
−
! Tier
+
It's better to attack when jet is further than 3 km away, slows down or flies in a straight line, so that you can attempt to adjust the shot yourself. If you want to attack planes at shorter ranges, you must acquire thermal sight to be able to comprehend what happens during the missile launch, as otherwise the missiles are too difficult to properly see and it becomes nigh impossible to "catch" the moment when they get the sudden speed boost, which generally happens at exactly 1 km range. Even with thermal sights calibrated to the user preference, without rigorous practice such attack will probably result in a miss more than once.
−
! colspan="2"|Mobility
+
 
−
! Protection
+
The Stormer HVM has huge gaps in optics: 10-40X optics, which can be manually adjusted during AA duty, simply hitting "maximum zoom" will probably result in a miss at some angles of attack.
−
! Firepower
 
−
|-
 
−
| I
 
−
| Tracks||
 
−
| Parts
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
| II
 
−
| Suspension||Brake System
 
−
| FPE
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
| III
 
−
| Filters||
 
−
| Crew Replenishment
 
−
| Smoke grenade
 
−
|-
 
−
| IV
 
−
| Transmission||Engine
 
−
|
 
−
| Artillery Support
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
  
−
===Pros and cons===
+
=== Pros and cons ===
−
<!--Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
* Unique anti-air missiles - triple missile with one of the highest speeds in-game
+
 
−
* Missile acts as HE ATGM at up to about 600 m range, can be used to attack enemy tank weak spots and chassis, or to create a huge dust cloud in RB
+
* Invisible to anti-radar - helicopters do not receive radar alert from it, greatly reducing the chances of it being detected and targeted with rockets or missiles
 +
* Unique anti-air missiles - triple missile with one of the highest speeds in a straight line in-game
 +
* Has far more agreeable rearm sequence and timings than the latter [[ADATS (M113)]]
 +
* While triple missiles only explode on contact, they still can manoeuvre at maximum speed and always spiral, which allows them to bypass rocket walls, Vulcan gun fire and other countermeasures. Proximity missile attack from [[XM1069]], [[ZPRK 2S6]] and other such SAM SPAA in same circumstances would fail due to their missiles getting a false positive and exploding without reaching the target (which subsequently results in their user being hit by a rocket rain), which makes the Stormer in some ways better against helicopters
 +
** Missiles are also immune to flares, IRCM and chaff; If the Stormer HVM is locked on it is nearly impossible to just block them
 
* Good speed of chassis
 
* Good speed of chassis
−
* X10-40 optics allow it to track enemy until the very end
+
* X10-40 optics and powerful thermal scope allow it to track enemy until the very end of the map
−
* Invisible to anti-radar (helicopters)
+
* Can scout as well, when isn't busy
 +
* Carrier missile can be used against light and some older medium tanks at close range, many hostile ATGM and SAM tanks have no armour whatsoever, being somewhat vulnerable to mini-missiles as well
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
* High profile
+
 
−
* Defences are inadequate against tanks with weapons bigger than 20 mm autocannon
+
* High profile of ammo rack, which is also a weak spot, which can be ignited even by 7.62 mm machine guns or close artillery miss. Any damage to the missiles causes entire vehicle to explode, unlike with [[Striker]]
−
* Lock-on does not provide a 100% accurate targeting solution
+
* On top of high profile, ammo racks visually remind players of [[XM1069]] and will likely make ground forces drop everything and immediately attack it - stealth approach is required at all times
−
* Turret and the optical system sometimes fail to track planes properly, relying on the crew and operator skills to compensate, especially noticeable when unappropriate zoom level is used
+
* Two-stage launch, lack of proximity fuse, questionable lock-on accuracy and speed bleed on turns make it difficult for missiles to hit jets, at least at ranges below 3,000 m
−
* Due to a huge gap in optics zoom levels, the operator is often required to manually adjust scope, instead of just hitting "maximum zoom" button, and to lock on different planes by using radar display without leaving sniper seat to save time
+
* Hull defences are inadequate against tanks and aircraft with weapons bigger than 20 mm autocannon, even if your ammo rack happened to be empty
−
* After dispersing, triple missiles constantly spiral, making precise long-range aiming at ground forces pointless
+
* While technically invisible, the Stormer HVM will still trigger laser Warning Systems on launch, potentially spooking away targets which have LWS (though usually they only have a second to react before missiles hit them)
−
* Most tanks are immune to triple missile attack even from the side and they can only hull break light tanks or other SPAA when hit them in a weakspot
+
* Lock-on does not provide a 100% accurate targeting solution - turret and the optical system sometimes fail to track planes properly, relying on the crew and operator skills to compensate, especially noticeable when the inappropriate zoom level is used
 +
* Lock-on can become unstable around trees and immediately breaks if visual contact is lost
 +
* Due to a huge gap in optics zoom levels, the operator is often required to manually adjust scope, instead of just hitting "maximum zoom" button, and to lock on different aircraft without leaving the sniper seat
 +
* After dispersing, triple missiles constantly spiral, making precise long-range aiming at ground forces pointless, not to mention that most tanks in its natural battle rating range are immune to triple missile attack unless hit at a perfectly flat angle
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
<!--Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground 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></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. 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).-->
+
<!-- ''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).'' -->
−
In the mid-1980’s it became clear that supersonic aircraft and strike helicopters proved to be dangerous against ground troops. To counter these threats back in 1986, the British Ministry of Defence began development of the “Starstreak HVM” (High-Velocity Missile) anti-aircraft missile system. The production was done by the Shorts Missile Systems company. On the 1st of September in 1997, the famous Starstreak anti-aircraft missile system had been put into service by the British Army. Initially, it was developed in 3 different variants: portable, stationary and mobile, although later they additionally developed an air version but it didn’t find a practical application.
+
In the mid-1980's it became clear that supersonic aircraft and strike helicopters proved to be dangerous against ground troops. To counter these threats back in 1986, the British Ministry of Defence began development of the "Starstreak HVM" (High-Velocity Missile) anti-aircraft missile system. The production was done by the Shorts Missile Systems company. On the 1st of September in 1997, the famous Starstreak anti-aircraft missile system had been put into service by the British Army. Initially, it was developed in 3 different variants: portable, stationary and mobile, although later they additionally developed an air version but it didn't find a practical application.
  
 
The armoured personnel carrier Stormer was created by using the propulsion system, the transmission and chassis of the light scouting FV101 Scorpion tank for the mobile version of the system. In 1975 on the base of this armoured personnel carrier, the self-propelled anti-tank missile system FV102 Striker was created. Since the vehicle proved itself well, it was decided to additionally create the self-propelled anti-aircraft system Alvis Stormer HVM on its platform.
 
The armoured personnel carrier Stormer was created by using the propulsion system, the transmission and chassis of the light scouting FV101 Scorpion tank for the mobile version of the system. In 1975 on the base of this armoured personnel carrier, the self-propelled anti-tank missile system FV102 Striker was created. Since the vehicle proved itself well, it was decided to additionally create the self-propelled anti-aircraft system Alvis Stormer HVM on its platform.
Line 199: Line 218:
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
 +
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_stormer_hvm Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|VNoalq4WIt4|'''The Shooting Range #151''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the Stormer HVM.|luvhoX8Ht1I|'''New anti-air defence''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 6:16 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
''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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
−
<!--Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
+
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
−
* ''other literature.''-->
+
 
−
* [[wt:en/news/6208-development-alvis-stormer-hvm-control-of-the-skies-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Alvis Stormer HVM: Control of the skies!]]
+
* [[wt:en/news/6208-development-alvis-stormer-hvm-control-of-the-skies-en|[Devblog] Alvis Stormer HVM: Control of the skies!]]
  
 
{{Britain anti-aircraft vehicles}}
 
{{Britain anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Latest revision as of 16:26, 27 May 2024

Introducing Wiki 3.0
Stormer HVM
uk_stormer_hvm.png
GarageImage Stormer HVM.jpg
Stormer HVM
Britain flag.png Britain
VII Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
10.3 10.3 10.3
Class:
Research:150 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:830 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png

Description

The FV4333 Stormer HVM is a variant of the Alvis Stormer AFV that was designed to provide short-range air defense for British ground forces. It was created in response to the growing danger of attack helicopters, such as the Soviet Mi-24 Hind. The British Army opted for the Starstreak missile due to its three-dart warhead, which can overcome both armour and countermeasures. The Stormer's chassis offered excellent crew protection and mobility, making it a suitable platform for the Starstreak missile. The vehicle can hold a maximum of 12 Starstreak missiles, which can destroy low-flying targets, including helicopters, jets, and drones, up to 7 km away. The Stormer HVM entered service in 1997 and was later deployed to Iraq. Oman also purchased some for their own defense needs, while Ukraine received some of the units. As air threats to Western forces diminished, the British Army retired the Stormer HVM in 2009 and sought more advanced alternatives like the Sky Sabre.

The FV4333 Stormer HVM was introduced in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy". It is a unique and powerful vehicle that can challenge any airborne opponent with its missiles. However, despite its capabilities, the Stormer HVM does have some drawbacks. One of the main drawbacks is its limited range. With a maximum range of 7 km, it will not be able to engage targets that are located further away. Additionally, the Stormer HVM's effectiveness may be reduced against highly manoeuvrable and fast-moving aerial threats. Overall, it is best used as an early-spawn vehicle to quickly neutralize helicopters and possibly engage lightly armoured targets.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull25 / 13 / 13
Turret13 / 13 / 13
Crew3 people
Visibility188 %

This tank uses the chassis of Scorpion, which you might be familiar with since Striker. As before, it can only take punishment from the front and it's best to avoid anything more serious than autocannon armed light tanks or KPz-70, since most 9.0+ tanks have at least 100 mm gun along with their coaxial weapons.

The launcher on the back was replaced with a turret carrying Starstreak HVM and search optics. The usually small camera next to commander cupola now has heavy optics and is much bigger as a result. The turret is much higher than the old launcher and is very hard to hide.

The missiles do not have any protection this time around and user should avoid being bombed and shot by artillery at any cost. Even a 7.62 mm machine gun can ignite missiles on a good hit. Even close artillery or HE miss might set off Starstreaks and cause the entire rack to explode, annihilating the carrier and probably taking it's allies nearby with it in process. Even if missiles did not explode, it is very likely that the hull will take enough overpressure damage to take out the crew.

The missile carrier has very short burnout time, so even if it survived a strafe run from a gunship while just being set on fire, it will burn fast and explode in about 8 seconds.

As such, Stormer should avoid fighting anything directly, if possible. To ensure not a single aircraft knows about its presence, an IRST system is used instead of radar - not even best helicopters around can detect it. In arcade mode, they can still see the Stormer, but the optronic system will allow the tank to destroy them before they have even a chance to aim at it.

Mobility

Reverse gearbox
Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed
Speedforward / back
AB87 / 87 km/h
RB and SB80 / 80 km/h
Number of gears7 forward
7 back
Weight13.5 t
Engine power
AB477 hp
RB and SB250 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB35.3 hp/t
RB and SB18.5 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 87 87 13.5 355 477 26.3 35.33
Realistic 80 80 221 250 16.37 18.52

As with Striker, the Stormer HVM is capable of driving both forward and backwards relatively fast even with no upgrades. The ability to drive forward and turn around at same time still relies on driver being maxed out, so your crew must be very high level.

The more you upgrade the chassis and engine, the more obscure position you can climb and take over in order to avoid being spotted and destroyed by other tanks.

Do not race against Japanese Type 90 and Italian scout tank Centauro ROMOR, they are much faster.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 527 → 6 871 Sl icon.png
RB4 481 → 6 802 Sl icon.png
SB5 132 → 7 790 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications239 900 Rp icon.png
408 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 900 Ge icon.png
Crew training240 000 Sl icon.png
Experts830 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 100 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 140 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
160 / 200 / 240 % Sl icon.png
238 / 238 / 238 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
18 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
28 000 Sl icon.png
410 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
15 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
23 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
15 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
23 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
21 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
33 000 Sl icon.png
480 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
21 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
33 000 Sl icon.png
480 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
5 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
28 000 Sl icon.png
410 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
4 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
23 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
18 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
28 000 Sl icon.png
410 Ge icon.png
Mods airstrike.png
Airstrike
Research:
15 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
23 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
21 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
33 000 Sl icon.png
480 Ge icon.png
Mods scouting.png
Improved optics
Research:
21 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
33 000 Sl icon.png
480 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.
Thermal imager
Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

Starstreak HVM SAM
Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition16 rounds
First-order8 rounds
Belt capacity1 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
1.3 → 1.0 s
Fire rate60 shots/min
Vertical guidance-10° / 60°
Fire on the moveup to 12 km/h
Main article: Starstreak
Starstreak missile Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 16 -10°/+60° ±180° Two-plane 61.6 85.3 103.6 114.6 121.9 1.30 1.15 1.06 1.00
Realistic 41.6 49.0 59.5 65.8 70.0

The Stormer HVM uses surface-to-air Starstreak missiles and their unique properties make it hard to use them for anything else. There are 8 of them mounted on the turret and there are 8 more spares in the back of the tank.

The missiles are launched in two stages - the carrier missile and the "darts". The information in the stat-card is presented for the carrier missile and differs from the actual payload unleashed after ~450 m of flight. The main missile has a very bright engine flare, while the mini missiles are very dim and difficult to follow without thermal sight.

In spite of the indicated top speed, Starstreaks bleed their speed very fast when forced to chase jets at an angle, so consider practising fire discipline or look for spots from which you can hit them head-on or in the back.

The missiles are guided by a laser, which makes them trigger LWS upon launch, but also allows to guide multiple launches at once (generally, up to two) and renders jammers and most countermeasures useless.

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Starstreak HVM SAM 30 30 30 30 30 30
Missile details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Range
(m) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Starstreak HVM SAM 1,178 7,000 14 0.5 0.1 1.57 80° 82° 90°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Stormer HVM
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
16 11 (+5) 9 (+7) 1 (+15) No

Notes:

  • Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • Rack 4 (launcher) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 8 shells.
    • The launcher gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
    • Once the launcher rack has been depleted, you can't shoot until at least one missile has been restocked .
    • Simply not firing when the launcher is ready to fire will move ammo from racks 1 and 2 into rack 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
    • The depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 1 - 2.

Radars

Stormer HMV uses special infrared search devices to detect targets. They have a significantly shorter range than "normal" radar and cannot tell the range towards target until specifically locked onto it. They also scan Stormer HVM surroundings approximately 6 times a second even when locked on, which makes bypassing it next to impossible.

It is so sensitive, that it may spot random shells when they are fired and fly across the battlefield. The search system will react to flares launched during night battles, flooding it with fake targets and can lock onto rockets or flares launched by helicopters. It is possible to lock onto them by accident from sniper seat as well, but once the enemy aircraft was locked onto, the tracker will ignore everything else.

Infrared detectors are invisible to "radar detectors" and will not alert helicopters or supersonic jets of SPAA presence. There is no benefit in powering it down as of now.

Trees and smokes can completely block IRST system - if you cannot see your opponent yourself through thick forest, neither will the system.


Thales ADAD - Passive Infrared Search
Maximum
Detection
Range 		Minimum
Detection
Range 		Max Azimuth
Scan Angle 		Max Elevation
Scan Angle 		Minimum
relative speed
~8,000 m N/A 360° -__°/+__° N/A
Thales ADAD - Passive Infrared Track
Maximum
Tracking
Range 		Minimum
Tracking
Range 		Azimuth Tracking
Angle 		Elevation Tracking
Angle 		Minimum
target speed
~8,000 m N/A 360° -__°/+__° N/A

Usage in battles

It is best to hide from sight of others when using this SPAA - move around battlefield and use terrain and caves as a hiding spot for yourself. At the same time, you want to have at least some form of high ground so that when enemy aircraft accidentally exposes itself, you can put an end to it immediately. Exploit mobility upgrades to stand on mountain edges, if necessary.

Avoid participating in direct combat with medium tanks at any cost, as you definitely will not help in winning the fight directly and they might use the gigantic ammo rack as a way to destroy your allies. The only logical exception is if you are supporting allied ATGM tank by removing hostile tank ERA and turning their attention towards you, then immediately retreat. Any attempts to do sneaky shots on medium tanks should only be done if you are sure it's worth it.

In case if you managed to spot hostile SAM, you can try to remove them by igniting their missiles to help your team achieve air superiority. Remember, you cannot fire on move, so if they will also notice you and have actual guns, the tables will turn immediately. At long range you can fire at least three times before missiles of most other SAM tanks would reach you.

Using forests as cover is less reliable than just using terrain, as IRST will likely fail to detect your opponents through trees, unlike radar which only get its signal halved in power.

In case if you have nothing better to do at the moment or spotted an enemy tank, you can scout it from a remote location. Do not try to scout if enemy team is actively searching for you.

Msg-important.png Be aware, that while Stormer HVM itself is nigh undetectable in RB, it still uses laser pointer to guide missiles. Some modern helicopters and some tanks have Laser Warning System and will receive attack alert on launch, and probably will try to dodge. Do not expect every static target to never move.

General missile behaviour and ground targets:

First Launch

The carrier missile drags the actual missiles away from Stormer at a speed of about 800 m/s and unleashes them at about ~450 m range. Until that point, the missile can be used as a weak form of HE ATGM and if it hits enemy light tank or SPG weak spot it can do fatal overpressure damage.

Carrier missile does shrapnel-like damage and it will deteriorate after hitting any obstacles, so it is necessary for an explosion to hit the target weak spot directly, almost like with HESH. The explosion range also seems to be halved compared to HE. Anything, including simplest forms of side skirts, will block SAM from destroying an enemy tank. Most of BR 9-10 tanks have not just side skirts but either ERA or NERA screens all over them and will not take any damage from single missile and hitting those randomly is going to only damage machine guns and the screens.

At short ranges other SPAA, SPG and light tanks are fair game and it is preferable to try and destroy them via overpressure damage if they try to attack Stormer HVM, as simply running away from them is rather difficult.

After ~450 m

Three missiles disassemble from carrier missile and start increasing their speed to the extreme, easily reaching 1178 m/s in a straight line. To not lose control over their movement due to speed, they constantly spiral. Missiles have acceptable agility and will instantly react to any scope movements, so aim them using sniper mode. Be quick and precise, if possible.

They have minimal penetration and, mostly due to their spiralling nature, aiming them at ground forces is practically pointless, unless you try to disintegrate tanks which have little to no armour, like other SPAA or ATGM tanks - in the case of such tanks, if you somehow hit their weak spot, they still can be destroyed by smaller missiles, so it is worth trying.

Medium tanks will shrug off Starstreaks and usually it does little more than just annoy them.

Make sure there aren't any trees around or the lock will become unstable.

Against air targets:

To helicopters, the missiles usually are fatal, as they are almost bound to get hit by at least one of Starstreaks, and explosion either tears off the tail or knocks out the pilot. However, even in the case of this missile, there are cases when Support helicopters somehow survived a direct hit, so you might want to launch two attacks at once just to be sure. You might want to stay a bit closer to the middle of the battlefield just because top ATGM helicopters have a 1 km range advantage over Starstreak missiles, but such positioning will also make you easier to find.

To use the missiles against moving aircraft (mainly, planes) properly, you need to lock on to an aerial target. The IRST system cannot tell you where the targets really are, just the direction they're in, so if you already see the plane, it's probably better to lock on from the sniper sight. If you don't already see them, instead of wasting time while looking for them manually, simply lock onto any target on your "radar" display via hotkeys from third person view like with Chieftain Marksman and the turret will near instantaneously turn towards them by itself. Keep in mind that the system can target allies and random things like shells, fires and flares, so don't immediately fire if turret turns towards your airfield.

Stormer HVM hit with weird lock-on data.jpg

As could be seen on the screenshots, in full IRST mode sniper crosshair tries to imitate the drag of missile as it tracks the aircraft, and by keeping sniper crosshairs on plane or helicopter you can guide your missiles towards an aircraft. Keeping an actual missile on target is more important, however, as system accuracy is generally far from stellar and it shouldn't be trusted too much.

Msg-important.png "Targeting" and "leadership" on your crew should be maxed out. This SPAA cannot track targets properly without it and should not be used by a level 1 crew. You have been warned.

Do note, that a plane approaching at a sharp angle will mess with turret automatic guidance, due to it passing by too fast. It is also very difficult for the darts to catch up to jets not flying straight away from or towards the Stormer HVM at speeds above 600 km/h, as the missiles either bleed their speed very fast or just pass them by as they gain a sudden speed boost. Due to this, Stormer HVM struggles with manoeuvrable CAS planes.

It's better to attack when jet is further than 3 km away, slows down or flies in a straight line, so that you can attempt to adjust the shot yourself. If you want to attack planes at shorter ranges, you must acquire thermal sight to be able to comprehend what happens during the missile launch, as otherwise the missiles are too difficult to properly see and it becomes nigh impossible to "catch" the moment when they get the sudden speed boost, which generally happens at exactly 1 km range. Even with thermal sights calibrated to the user preference, without rigorous practice such attack will probably result in a miss more than once.

The Stormer HVM has huge gaps in optics: 10-40X optics, which can be manually adjusted during AA duty, simply hitting "maximum zoom" will probably result in a miss at some angles of attack.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Invisible to anti-radar - helicopters do not receive radar alert from it, greatly reducing the chances of it being detected and targeted with rockets or missiles
  • Unique anti-air missiles - triple missile with one of the highest speeds in a straight line in-game
  • Has far more agreeable rearm sequence and timings than the latter ADATS (M113)
  • While triple missiles only explode on contact, they still can manoeuvre at maximum speed and always spiral, which allows them to bypass rocket walls, Vulcan gun fire and other countermeasures. Proximity missile attack from XM1069, ZPRK 2S6 and other such SAM SPAA in same circumstances would fail due to their missiles getting a false positive and exploding without reaching the target (which subsequently results in their user being hit by a rocket rain), which makes the Stormer in some ways better against helicopters
    • Missiles are also immune to flares, IRCM and chaff; If the Stormer HVM is locked on it is nearly impossible to just block them
  • Good speed of chassis
  • X10-40 optics and powerful thermal scope allow it to track enemy until the very end of the map
  • Can scout as well, when isn't busy
  • Carrier missile can be used against light and some older medium tanks at close range, many hostile ATGM and SAM tanks have no armour whatsoever, being somewhat vulnerable to mini-missiles as well

Cons:

  • High profile of ammo rack, which is also a weak spot, which can be ignited even by 7.62 mm machine guns or close artillery miss. Any damage to the missiles causes entire vehicle to explode, unlike with Striker
  • On top of high profile, ammo racks visually remind players of XM1069 and will likely make ground forces drop everything and immediately attack it - stealth approach is required at all times
  • Two-stage launch, lack of proximity fuse, questionable lock-on accuracy and speed bleed on turns make it difficult for missiles to hit jets, at least at ranges below 3,000 m
  • Hull defences are inadequate against tanks and aircraft with weapons bigger than 20 mm autocannon, even if your ammo rack happened to be empty
  • While technically invisible, the Stormer HVM will still trigger laser Warning Systems on launch, potentially spooking away targets which have LWS (though usually they only have a second to react before missiles hit them)
  • Lock-on does not provide a 100% accurate targeting solution - turret and the optical system sometimes fail to track planes properly, relying on the crew and operator skills to compensate, especially noticeable when the inappropriate zoom level is used
  • Lock-on can become unstable around trees and immediately breaks if visual contact is lost
  • Due to a huge gap in optics zoom levels, the operator is often required to manually adjust scope, instead of just hitting "maximum zoom" button, and to lock on different aircraft without leaving the sniper seat
  • After dispersing, triple missiles constantly spiral, making precise long-range aiming at ground forces pointless, not to mention that most tanks in its natural battle rating range are immune to triple missile attack unless hit at a perfectly flat angle

History

In the mid-1980's it became clear that supersonic aircraft and strike helicopters proved to be dangerous against ground troops. To counter these threats back in 1986, the British Ministry of Defence began development of the "Starstreak HVM" (High-Velocity Missile) anti-aircraft missile system. The production was done by the Shorts Missile Systems company. On the 1st of September in 1997, the famous Starstreak anti-aircraft missile system had been put into service by the British Army. Initially, it was developed in 3 different variants: portable, stationary and mobile, although later they additionally developed an air version but it didn't find a practical application.

The armoured personnel carrier Stormer was created by using the propulsion system, the transmission and chassis of the light scouting FV101 Scorpion tank for the mobile version of the system. In 1975 on the base of this armoured personnel carrier, the self-propelled anti-tank missile system FV102 Striker was created. Since the vehicle proved itself well, it was decided to additionally create the self-propelled anti-aircraft system Alvis Stormer HVM on its platform.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins
Videos
The Shooting Range #151 - Metal Beasts section at 00:32 discusses the Stormer HVM.
New anti-air defence discusses the Stormer HVM at 6:16 - 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 vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Britain anti-aircraft vehicles
Crusader AA  Crusader AA Mk I · Crusader AA Mk II
Wheeled  Staghound AA · AEC AA
Radar SPAAG  Chieftain Marksman
Missile SPAA  Stormer AD · Stormer HVM
Other  Light AA Mk I · Falcon
Canada  Skink · ADATS (M113)
South Africa  Ystervark · Bosvark · ZA-35

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