Difference between revisions of "Vickers Mk.7"

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{{About
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| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = other versions
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| link = Vickers MBT (Family)
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}}
 
{{Specs-Card
 
{{Specs-Card
 
|code=uk_vickers_mk7
 
|code=uk_vickers_mk7
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]].
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]].
  
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The Vickers Mk. 7 is a prototype tank design by Vickers during the '80s. The tank featured a capable fire control system, an effective and tested L11 120 mm gun, similar to those on the [[Chieftain (Family)]] and as a novelty for the British tech tree, the turret is mounted on the chassis of a [[Leopard 2A4|Leopard 2]].
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The Vickers Mk.7 is a prototype tank design by Vickers during the 1980s. The tank featured a capable fire control system, an effective and tested L11 120 mm gun, similar to those on the [[Chieftain (Family)|Chieftains]] and as a novelty for the British tech tree, the turret is mounted on the chassis of a [[Leopard 2A4|Leopard 2]].
  
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This very raw input in mobility from the Leopard's engine, matched with the sturdy Chobham armour inside the Vickers turret, grants the veteran tankers of the British tree a fairly unique and dynamic balance of mobility, firepower and armour; for a variety of playstyle options.
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This very raw input in mobility from the Leopard's engine, matched with the sturdy Chobham armour inside the Vickers turret, grants the veteran tankers of the British tree a fairly unique and dynamic balance of mobility, firepower and armour for a variety of playstyle options.
  
 
The tank is not only well balanced in the 3 main categories, but is also armed with improved TOGS, laser rangefinders and various smoke discharging equipment; turning this MBT into a dangerous opponent to meet on the battlefield.
 
The tank is not only well balanced in the 3 main categories, but is also armed with improved TOGS, laser rangefinders and various smoke discharging equipment; turning this MBT into a dangerous opponent to meet on the battlefield.
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''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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[[File:Vickers 7 surviving but crippled.jpg|thumb|right|In good position Vickers 7 is near immortal, but remember that enemy can simply break the tank instead. Call friends!]]
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The tank has hardened RHA panels behind the front exterior and a lot of composite lists sandwiched between them. Even the gun mantlet has at least 250 mm RHA protection, UFP has at least 300 mm RHA and the turret has anywhere between 350 to 480 mm RHA against kinetic shells. While it isn't perfect, it will often deflect low quality APFSDS.
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 +
Protection against chemical ammunition is also very high, although not perfect, turret and UFP being almost always capable to deflect even superior USSR HEAT-FS (only really reliably penetrable at the bottom portion) and completely blocking the rest.
 +
 +
Armour profile is not perfect, so it is possible to fire at the hull roof from a tall tank or high ground (200 mm RHA overall, but no chemical shielding), the turret neck (exposed weakspot with only 6 RHA, vulnerable to any overpressure and autocannons), optics (weird black square on top-left when looking at the tank from the front, 50-90 RHA), or simply fire any heavy chemical shell/ATGM at the very top (windows have poor overpressure shielding and are likely to give in to any amount of damage, at best having 35 RHA). The turret back is also poorly protected, with only 20 mm RHA and side fake panels shielding it, allowing any sufficiently strong HE or autocannon shell to obliterate turret crew. Although the ammo rack is easy to hit, it consists of inert part of the shells (darts), so it won't do much damage, if any, to the crew itself when hit.
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What makes {{PAGENAME}} really dangerous, is the ability to abuse high ground to become semi-indestructible. At 60 degrees, and especially at long range (above kilometer), the only places on the turret that are guaranteed to be penetrated by medium quality APFSDS like DM23 are the gun mantlet and the optics. It may even block weak ATGM at this point. Combined with high movement speed of this particular tank make it actually able to take a good position in time, unlike Challenger 1, making it a more worthy successor to the Chieftain 10, even if it's armour profile is less reliable.
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,032|rbMinHp=1,327}}
 
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,032|rbMinHp=1,327}}
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By British standards, the tank is extremely fast for how much armour it has. Firstly the tank quickly reaches 40 km/h, then accelerates towards 60 km/h (in AB quickly, in RB somewhat slowly). It can easily drive 60 km/h anywhere afterwards, and if not turned around or going uphill for a while it will accelerate to 80 km/h.
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It can also reverse quite quickly with -33 km/h (-36 km/h in AB), acceleration heavily depending on the driver crew skill.
  
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{main|L11A5 (120 mm)}}
 
{{main|L11A5 (120 mm)}}
  
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The Mk. 7 uses the same 120 mm L11A5 rifled gun as the [[Challenger Mk.3]]. Shell loadout is identical and works well for mid-Cold War era tanks such as the [[Type 90]], [[Leopard 2A4]], [[T-64B]]/[[T-72A]]/[[T-80B]], etc., but may struggle when fighting more modern vehicles such as the [[Leopard 2A5]], [[T-80U]], [[Leclerc]], etc.
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The Mk.7 uses the same 120 mm L11A5 rifled gun as the [[Challenger Mk.3]].
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The turret rotation speed is slightly faster, but vertical gun targeting speed is much slower. The base reload speed with first stage ammo rack is a second slower than the Challengers as well. While it isn't fatal, loss of the ready rack advantage may put the tank in a spot where others can fire back at it twice. When fighting over a capture point, immediate ready rack resupply on a cap is necessary to keep up with others.
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Shell loadout is identical, early shell works well for mid-Cold War era tanks such as the [[Type 90]], [[Leopard 2A4]], [[T-64B]]/[[T-72A]]/[[T-80B]], etc., but may struggle when fighting more modern vehicles such as the [[Leopard 2A5]], [[T-80U]], [[Leclerc]], etc. To properly fight in an uptier and to be able to penetrate these tanks at least at 500 m range the L26 shell is required.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
 
|-
 
! ''Arcade''
 
! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 29.5 || 40.8 || 49.6 || 54.8 || 58.4 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
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| rowspan="2" | 50 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 34.3 || 47.4 || 57.6 || 63.7 || 67.8 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Realistic''
 
! ''Realistic''
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| 18.4 || 21.7 || 26.4 || 29.1 || 31.0
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| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==== Ammunition ====
 
==== Ammunition ====
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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{{:L11A5 (120 mm)/Ammunition|Shot L23A1, Shell L31A7, L26, L34}}
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! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
−
|-
 
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
−
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 
−
|-
 
−
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
 
−
|-
 
−
| Shot L23 || APFSDS || 410 || 408 || 405 || 400 || 390 || 380
 
−
|-
 
−
| Shell L31A7 || HESH || 152 || 152 || 152 || 152 || 152 || 152
 
−
|-
 
−
| Shot L23A1 || APFSDS || 396 || 394 || 387 || 376 || 367 || 357
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
−
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 
−
|-
 
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
 
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! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 
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! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 
−
|-
 
−
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 
−
|-
 
−
| Shot L23 || APFSDS || 1,535 || 3.89 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
 
−
|-
 
−
| Shell L31A7 || HESH || 670 || 17.1 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 6,560 || 73° || 77° || 80°
 
−
|-
 
−
| Shot L23A1 || APFSDS || 1,535 || 3.89 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
−
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
 
−
|-
 
−
! Ammunition
 
−
! Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
−
! Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
−
! Screen radius<br>(m)
 
−
! Screen deploy time<br>(s)
 
−
! Screen hold time<br>(s)
 
−
! Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 
−
|-
 
−
| L34 || 670 || 17.1 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
  
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x300px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
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[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
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[[File:AmmoRacksVickersMk7Pt2.png|thumb|[[Ammo racks]] of the Vickers Mk. 7. Additional charges not visible in first image.]]
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<!-- '''Last updated: 2.19.0.76''' -->
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
−
| '''50''' || ''Projectiles''<br />''Propellants'' || 47 ''(+3)''<br>47 ''(+3)'' || 15 ''(+35)''<br>18 ''(+32)'' || ''10 (+40)''<br>15 ''(+35)'' || 7 ''(+43)''<br>9 ''(+41)'' || 1 ''(+49)''<br>4 ''(+46)'' || N/A<br>1 ''(+49)'' || No
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| '''50''' || ''Projectiles''<br>''Propellants'' || 18&nbsp;''(+32)''<br>48&nbsp;''(+2)'' || 12&nbsp;''(+38)''<br>18&nbsp;''(+32)'' || 7&nbsp;''(+43)''<br>15&nbsp;''(+35)'' || 4&nbsp;''(+46)''<br>10&nbsp;''(+40)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+49)''<br>4&nbsp;''(+46)'' || N/A<br>1&nbsp;''(+49)'' || No
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
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Notes:
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'''Notes:'''
  
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* Due to British two stage ammunition, projectiles are marked with numbers (1, 2, etc.), and propellants are marked with numbers preceded by C (C1, C2, etc.).
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* In the case of projectile racks 4 and 5: the rack is shared but the outer half of the ammunition is used as the ready rack and the inner half is stored ammo and thus considered as rack 4 for the purposes of determining load order.
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* In the case of projectiles racks 1 and 4 and propellants racks C3 and C6, the first half are taken out first, and the second half at a later time, and are therefore referred to as two racks.
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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== 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).'' -->
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The Vickers Mk.7 is a main battle tank, and thus a tank that should be on the frontlines being the first line of attack. It is considered one of, if not the best, armoured MBTs at the battle rating. This is due to its composition; a Leopard 2A4 hull which offers protection against all CE threats except [[9M133]] Kornet and is able to stop APFSDS rounds with <400 mm penetration, and a custom British turret similar to the [[Challenger 2]] which offers protection against all CE threats except 9M133 Kornet and APFSDS rounds with <405 mm penetration. Thanks to this, the Vickers Mk.7 can be used in a variety of engagements at both short and long ranges with high chances of survivability.
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The Vickers Mk.7 is a main battle tank, and thus a tank that should be on the frontlines being the first line of attack. It is considered one of the best armoured MBTs at its battle rating. This is due to its composition; a Leopard 2A4 hull which offers protection against all CE threats except [[9M133]] Kornet and is able to stop APFSDS rounds with <400 mm penetration, and a custom British turret similar to the [[Challenger 2]] which offers protection against all CE threats except 9M133 Kornet and APFSDS rounds with <405 mm penetration. Thanks to this, the Vickers Mk.7 can be used in a variety of engagements at both short and long ranges with high chances of survivability.
  
 
'''In urban combat:'''
 
'''In urban combat:'''
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''Battering Ram:''
 
''Battering Ram:''
  
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Vickers Mk.7 can be used as the tank who will push through the enemy line due to its armour. Be aware of how the chassis is poked between corners as the hull is only armoured in the frontal plate. Any shot fired at the track's sprocket can be fatal as there is no armour to stop the incoming shell. When fighting in an uptier, avoid being the battering ram as all 10.3-10.7 vehicles can punch through any part of the frontal armour (including turret) and destroy the tank in a couple of shots. Be aware of facing enemy tanks like the [[Leopard 2A6]] and [[Leclerc S2]] which have extremely powerful APFSDS rounds that will go through the Vickers Mk.7's armour like hot knife through butter. When in a downtier, you are able to be the battering ram as only a couple vehicles at the battlerating will be able to pierce through your armour (tanks like the [[Type 16]], [[T-62M-1]] and [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74]] will be able to punch through your armour between 8.7 and 9.7, be aware as they penetrate between 405 mm and 450 mm of armour with APFSDS). Try to stick with people behind you so friendlies can assist you if needed, sometimes who can pull you with a winch could save both's life.
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Vickers Mk.7 can be used as the tank who will push through the enemy line due to its armour. Be aware of how the chassis is poked between corners as the hull is only armoured in the frontal plate. Any shot fired at the track's sprocket can be fatal as there is no armour to stop the incoming shell. When fighting in an uptier, avoid being the battering ram as all 10.3-10.7 vehicles can punch through any part of the frontal armour (including turret) and destroy the tank in a couple of shots. Be aware of facing enemy tanks like the [[Leopard 2A6]] and [[Leclerc S2]] which have extremely powerful APFSDS rounds that will go through the Vickers Mk.7's armour like hot knife through butter. When in a downtier, you are able to be the battering ram as only a couple vehicles at the battle rating will be able to pierce through your armour (tanks like the [[Type 16]], [[T-62M-1]] and [[Type 74 (Family)|Type 74]] will be able to punch through your armour between 8.7 and 9.7, be aware as they penetrate between 405 mm and 450 mm of armour with APFSDS). Try to stick with people behind you so friendlies can assist you if needed, sometimes who can pull you with a winch could save both's life.
  
 
''Bastion defence:''
 
''Bastion defence:''
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''Sniper:''
 
''Sniper:''
  
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Thanks to the high velocity stock ammunition, the Vickers Mk.7 is able play as a sniper in long range maps. This, with the addition of the laser rangefinder and thermal imaging sights, makes the Vickers Mk.7 a fearful sniper as only certain tanks will be able to pierce your turret past 500 m. Be aware as, despite having a strong hull, always try to get in hulldown position in order to hide the frontal weakspots of your tank (lower frontal plate, turret ring). At longer ranges, enemies will take more time in order to hit and damage the Vickers Mk.7 if hulldown.
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Thanks to the high velocity stock ammunition, the Vickers Mk.7 is able play as a sniper in long range maps. This, with the addition of the laser rangefinder and thermal imaging sights, makes the Vickers Mk.7 a fearful sniper as only certain tanks will be able to pierce your turret past 500 m. Be aware and despite having a strong hull always try to get in hulldown position in order to hide the frontal weakspots of your tank (lower frontal plate, turret ring). At longer ranges, enemies will take even more time in order to hit and damage the Vickers Mk.7 when it is hulldown.
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You can always push your advantage by looking for any kind of high ground, be it a hill, an enormous dune that towers over the map, or any other. This will make Vickers 7 nearly impenetrable at its own BR and below, allowing you to take time to actually aim. Remember to move away after firing - although the turret armour is very tough, it is only barely able to stop APFSDS of your BR, giving shells with ~230+ mm penetration at 60 degrees to have a random low chance of penetrating the turret anyway. This is particularly important in AB, where enemies can see the yellow crosshair and may decide to "play the lottery" against you for the lack of better options. This tactic gives no real advantage against shells with extreme angled penetration of the Soviet or tanks of the next rank in general.
  
 
''Flanking:''
 
''Flanking:''
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* Accurate main gun; with HESH and smoke as support rounds
+
* Accurate main gun with HESH and smoke as support rounds
−
* Excellent mobility in all directions; also effective off-road mobility  
+
* Excellent mobility in all directions, also effective off-road mobility
−
* Respectable turret armour compared to some tanks at the battle rating; fearful when in downtier
+
* Respectable turret armour compared to some tanks at the battle rating; extremely powerful on high ground; fearful when in downtier
−
* High penetration stock APFSDS shell (410 mm at 100 m at 0°)
+
* Decent stock APFSDS shell (394 mm at 100 m at 0°)
 
* Powerful gun optics (4.0x - 12.0x FOV: 18-6), gun depression, TOGS and laser range finder: excellent tank hunting capabilities
 
* Powerful gun optics (4.0x - 12.0x FOV: 18-6), gun depression, TOGS and laser range finder: excellent tank hunting capabilities
 
* Two-piece ammunition is stored separately; reduced risk of detonation
 
* Two-piece ammunition is stored separately; reduced risk of detonation
 +
** Inert ammo rack behind the turret
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* Large and tall profile; difficult to conceal from tanks, aircraft or helicopters
+
* Large and tall profile; difficult to conceal from tanks, aircraft or helicopters, no ESS to evade guided missiles
−
* Difficulties when fighting sloped armour at long distances; chiefly Soviet [[T-72 (Family)]] or [[Leopard 2A6]]
+
* Difficulties when fighting sloped armour at long distances, chiefly Soviet [[T-72 (Family)]] or [[Leopard 2A6]]
−
* Ammo rack behind the turret with no blowout panels
+
* Even turret armour will not block modern APFSDS of the similar BR (like DM23 or DM33) unless angled, tanks that have shells with over 250 mm penetration at 60° like [[T-64B]] with 3BM42 and [[PTZ89]] with DYW1 will penetrate even at long range anyway
−
* Armour protection nearly useless against high velocity FIN-shells (e.g., [[Leopard 2A4|DM13]], [[T-64B|3BM42]], [[PTZ89|DYW1]])
+
* Weak spots in hull and turret: gun mantlet, turret back, driver position and armourless sides and weak LFP inherent from [[Leopard 2 (Family)]]
−
* Weak spots in hull and turret: Gun mantlet, driver position and armour-less sides and weak LFP inherent from [[Leopard 2 (Family)]]
+
** Poor insulation against overpressure damage, can even be overpressured from behind through the ammo rack on top of "normal" weak spots
  
 
== History ==
 
== 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).'' -->
 
<!-- ''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).'' -->
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After quite a few private tank ventures, and the unsatisfactory development of the Vickers Mark 4, also known as Valiant. The Vickers company brought another design aimed to develop a capable MBT. Either as a replacement for the Challenger Mk.1 then currently in service, or as a valuable modern tank for the exportation. With the support of the Krauss-Maffei company, Vickers matched the up-rated turret of the previous Mark 4 Valiant MBT, with an identical [[Leopard 2A4]] chassis. Thus creating in June 1985, what it became known as Vickers MBT Mark 7. 
+
After quite a few private tank ventures, and the unsatisfactory development of the Vickers Mark 4, also known as Valiant. The Vickers company brought another design aimed to develop a capable MBT. Either as a replacement for the Challenger Mk.1 then currently in service, or as a valuable modern tank for the exportation. With the support of the Krauss-Maffei company, Vickers matched the up-rated turret of the previous Mark 4 Valiant MBT, with an identical [[Leopard 2A4]] chassis. Thus creating in June 1985, what it became known as Vickers MBT Mark 7.
  
−
The Leopards' MTU 838 engine capabilities were well known, and the match with the improved Valiant's Mk 4 turret protected by the powerful Chobham Armour, resulted in an acceptable weight of over 54 tons, providing a top speed of 72 km/h. A speed which was unlikely from most British MBTs of the time - Specially from previous MBTs as the already out phased [[Chieftain (Family)|Chieftains]]. 
+
The Leopards' MTU 838 engine capabilities were well known, and the match with the improved Valiant's Mk 4 turret protected by the powerful Chobham Armour, resulted in an acceptable weight of over 54 tons, providing a top speed of 72 km/h. A speed which was unlikely from most British MBTs of the time - Specially from previous MBTs as the already out phased [[Chieftain (Family)|Chieftains]].
  
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Vickers' prototype got fitted with the L11 120 mm gun, the same gun as the contemporary Challenger 1. After these modifications, the Mark 7 went under trials in Egypt, September of the same year. In 1986, using some technologies of the defunct MBT-80 project,  the Mark 7 received even greater upgrades: 2nd generation thermal sights with increased resolution, improved stabilization systems for the main gun, reduced thermal and electromagnetic signatures and a new telescopic laser sight. Effectively reworking on the IFCS (Improved Fire Control System) for the 120 mm L11A5 cannon. Equally formidable, the Leopard 2 chassis matched perfectly this gunnery refits; turning the Mark 7 in a very steady tank while firing on the move.
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Vickers' prototype got fitted with the L11 120 mm gun, the same gun as the contemporary Challenger 1. After these modifications, the Mark 7 went under trials in Egypt, September of the same year. In 1986, using some technologies of the defunct MBT-80 project, the Mark 7 received even greater upgrades: 2nd generation thermal sights with increased resolution, improved stabilization systems for the main gun, reduced thermal and electromagnetic signatures and a new telescopic laser sight. Effectively reworking on the IFCS (Improved Fire Control System) for the 120 mm L11A5 cannon. Equally formidable, the Leopard 2 chassis matched perfectly this gunnery refits; turning the Mark 7 in a very steady tank while firing on the move.
  
−
Bittersweet experiences on the CAT 87 (Canadian Army Trophy) with the Army's Challengers 1 pitted against [[Leopard (Family)|Leopards 2/1]] and [[M1 Abrams]], made some interest on the Vickers Mk.7 project. Therefore, in October 1987, a comparison test on the Lulworth Gunnery Ranges was performed between a Challenger 1 and a Vickers Mark 7. CHIP (Challenger/Chieftain Improvement Programme) was looking for projects and new technologies to integrate into the serving Challengers 1. At the firing range, Challenger 1 hit seven out of the 8 targets in an engagement time of approximately 21.7 seconds. While the Vickers Mark 7 achieved successful hits to all 8 targets in only 12.5 seconds. This is likely due to old Chieftain's cannon and gunnery systems being fitted into the newer Challenger 1, with only slightly major gunnery improvements aside from TOGS - unlike the modernized Vickers Universal turret. 
+
Bittersweet experiences on the CAT 87 (Canadian Army Trophy) with the Army's Challengers 1 pitted against [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopards 1]] & [[Leopard 2 (Family)|2]] and [[M1 Abrams]], made some interest on the Vickers Mk.7 project. Therefore, in October 1987, a comparison test on the Lulworth Gunnery Ranges was performed between a Challenger 1 and a Vickers Mark 7. CHIP (Challenger/Chieftain Improvement Programme) was looking for projects and new technologies to integrate into the serving Challengers 1. At the firing range, Challenger 1 hit seven out of the 8 targets in an engagement time of approximately 21.7 seconds. While the Vickers Mark 7 achieved successful hits to all 8 targets in only 12.5 seconds. This is likely due to old Chieftain's cannon and gunnery systems being fitted into the newer Challenger 1, with only slightly major gunnery improvements aside from TOGS - unlike the modernized Vickers Universal turret.
  
−
This universal turret also made possible not only the installation of an IFCS but the modification for different gun mounts such as the Royal Ordinance's L7 105mm gun. The turret was made in this universal configuration since it was hoped this would suit any potential exportation customers needs, or at least, grow in interest for the British Army. While the army did recount experience in the Vickers Mk 7 and the technologies improvement on gunnery and target requisitioning, in the end, they not procured any contract for it. All the technology research and tests made between the Challenger 1 and the Mk.7 instead lead Vickers and the MOD to develop what was to be known as; the [[Challenger 2]]. 
+
This universal turret also made possible not only the installation of an IFCS but the modification for different gun mounts such as the Royal Ordnance's L7 105 mm gun. The turret was made in this universal configuration since it was hoped this would suit any potential exportation customers needs, or at least, grow in interest for the British Army. While the army did recount experience in the Vickers Mk 7 and the technologies improvement on gunnery and target requisitioning, in the end, they not procured any contract for it. All the technology research and tests made between the Challenger 1 and the Mk.7 instead lead Vickers and the MOD to develop what was to be known as; the [[Challenger 2]].
  
 
Without the interest of the British Army, high productions costs, international political situations and the dependency on a German-made hull, the Vickers Mk.7 did not succeed on the exportation market. Any further research was then halted and the project cancelled, with a single prototype built.
 
Without the interest of the British Army, high productions costs, international political situations and the dependency on a German-made hull, the Vickers Mk.7 did not succeed on the exportation market. Any further research was then halted and the project cancelled, with a single prototype built.
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== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_vickers_mk7 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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;Videos
 
{{Youtube-gallery|NHRUSJ79Re4|'''The Shooting Range #175''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:38 discusses the Vickers Mk.7.}}
 
{{Youtube-gallery|NHRUSJ79Re4|'''The Shooting Range #175''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:38 discusses the Vickers Mk.7.}}
  
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<!-- ''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;''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->'''Related development'''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
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'''Related development'''
  
 
* [[Leopard 2A4]]
 
* [[Leopard 2A4]]
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'''Preceded by'''
 
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* [[Vickers MBT]]
 
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* [[VFM5]]
 
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* [[Challenger Mk.2]]
 
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'''Succeeded by'''
 
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* [[Challenger Mk.3]]
 
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* [[Challenger 2]]
 
  
 
== 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;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
  
 
* [[wt:en/news/6438-development-vickers-mk-7-the-steel-centaur-en|[Devblog] Vickers Mk.7: The Steel Centaur]]
 
* [[wt:en/news/6438-development-vickers-mk-7-the-steel-centaur-en|[Devblog] Vickers Mk.7: The Steel Centaur]]
  
 +
{{Manufacturer Vickers-Armstrongs}}
 
{{Britain medium tanks}}
 
{{Britain medium tanks}}

Latest revision as of 17:13, 14 May 2024

This page is about the British medium tank Vickers Mk.7. For other versions, see Vickers MBT (Family).
Vickers Mk.7
uk_vickers_mk7.png
GarageImage Vickers Mk.7.jpg
ArtImage Vickers Mk.7.png
Vickers Mk.7
Britain flag.png Britain
VII Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
10.7 10.7 10.7
Class:
Research:300 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:830 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Vickers Mk.7 is a rank VII British medium tank with a battle rating of 10.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack".

The Vickers Mk.7 is a prototype tank design by Vickers during the 1980s. The tank featured a capable fire control system, an effective and tested L11 120 mm gun, similar to those on the Chieftains and as a novelty for the British tech tree, the turret is mounted on the chassis of a Leopard 2.

This very raw input in mobility from the Leopard's engine, matched with the sturdy Chobham armour inside the Vickers turret, grants the veteran tankers of the British tree a fairly unique and dynamic balance of mobility, firepower and armour for a variety of playstyle options.

The tank is not only well balanced in the 3 main categories, but is also armed with improved TOGS, laser rangefinders and various smoke discharging equipment; turning this MBT into a dangerous opponent to meet on the battlefield.

General info

Survivability and armour

Composite armour
Balanced protection against all types of ammunition
Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull80 / 35 / 20
Turret55 / 55 / 20
Crew4 people
Visibility95 %
In good position Vickers 7 is near immortal, but remember that enemy can simply break the tank instead. Call friends!

The tank has hardened RHA panels behind the front exterior and a lot of composite lists sandwiched between them. Even the gun mantlet has at least 250 mm RHA protection, UFP has at least 300 mm RHA and the turret has anywhere between 350 to 480 mm RHA against kinetic shells. While it isn't perfect, it will often deflect low quality APFSDS.

Protection against chemical ammunition is also very high, although not perfect, turret and UFP being almost always capable to deflect even superior USSR HEAT-FS (only really reliably penetrable at the bottom portion) and completely blocking the rest.

Armour profile is not perfect, so it is possible to fire at the hull roof from a tall tank or high ground (200 mm RHA overall, but no chemical shielding), the turret neck (exposed weakspot with only 6 RHA, vulnerable to any overpressure and autocannons), optics (weird black square on top-left when looking at the tank from the front, 50-90 RHA), or simply fire any heavy chemical shell/ATGM at the very top (windows have poor overpressure shielding and are likely to give in to any amount of damage, at best having 35 RHA). The turret back is also poorly protected, with only 20 mm RHA and side fake panels shielding it, allowing any sufficiently strong HE or autocannon shell to obliterate turret crew. Although the ammo rack is easy to hit, it consists of inert part of the shells (darts), so it won't do much damage, if any, to the crew itself when hit.

What makes Vickers Mk.7 really dangerous, is the ability to abuse high ground to become semi-indestructible. At 60 degrees, and especially at long range (above kilometer), the only places on the turret that are guaranteed to be penetrated by medium quality APFSDS like DM23 are the gun mantlet and the optics. It may even block weak ATGM at this point. Combined with high movement speed of this particular tank make it actually able to take a good position in time, unlike Challenger 1, making it a more worthy successor to the Chieftain 10, even if it's armour profile is less reliable.

Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 35 mm (53-82°) Upper glacis
40 mm (51°) Lower glacis
30 mm (82°) Driver's hatch 		10 mm + 10 mm (5°) Top - Front
20 mm + 10 mm (5°) Top - Rear
35 mm Bottom - Front
20 mm Bottom - Centre & rear
5 mm Side Skirts
20 mm (39°) Bottom - Belly 		20 mm (12°) Upper plate
20 mm (17°) Centre plate
20 mm (50°) Lower glacis 		30-35 mm (8°) Front
20 mm (0-8°) Centre and rear
5 mm Radiator vents
Turret 20 mm (3-53°) Turret front
30-35 mm (54-75°) Gun mantlet 		20mm (6°) Turret side 20 mm (0°) Turret rear 40 mm (0-12°)
20 mm Loader hatch
Cupola 20 mm (cylindrical) 20+20 mm Outer ring
20 mm Dome

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
  • A 20 mm plate reinforces the hull sides' top area.
  • A 8 mm plate separates the crew compartment from the engine compartment.
  • Additionally to the outer armour, composite armour is present:
Composite armour Front Sides
Hull Front glacis
90 - 350 mm Kinetic
243 - 600 mm Chemical 		N/A
Turret Turret cheeks
350 - 500 mm Kinetic
350 - 650 mm Chemical
Gun mantlet (Centre)
250 - 300 mm Kinetic
300 - 600 mm Chemical 		Side armour
150 mm Kinetic
315 mm Chemical

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB81 / 37 km/h
RB and SB73 / 33 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
4 back
Weight54.6 t
Engine power
AB2 862 hp
RB and SB1 500 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB52.4 hp/t
RB and SB27.5 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 81 37 54.6 2,032 2,862 37.22 52.42
Realistic 73 33 1,327 1,500 24.3 27.47

By British standards, the tank is extremely fast for how much armour it has. Firstly the tank quickly reaches 40 km/h, then accelerates towards 60 km/h (in AB quickly, in RB somewhat slowly). It can easily drive 60 km/h anywhere afterwards, and if not turned around or going uphill for a while it will accelerate to 80 km/h.

It can also reverse quite quickly with -33 km/h (-36 km/h in AB), acceleration heavily depending on the driver crew skill.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 561 → 6 786 Sl icon.png
RB4 415 → 6 569 Sl icon.png
SB5 165 → 7 685 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications243 000 Rp icon.png
409 000 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
150 / 200 / 250 % 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
460 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
440 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
440 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
5 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
28 000 Sl icon.png
460 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
3 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
18 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
28 000 Sl icon.png
460 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
440 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_britain_L23A1_APDSFS_ammo_pack
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
440 Ge icon.png
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
440 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Laser rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
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

120 mm L11A5 cannon
Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition50 rounds
First-order3 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.8 → 6.0 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: L11A5 (120 mm)

The Mk.7 uses the same 120 mm L11A5 rifled gun as the Challenger Mk.3.

The turret rotation speed is slightly faster, but vertical gun targeting speed is much slower. The base reload speed with first stage ammo rack is a second slower than the Challengers as well. While it isn't fatal, loss of the ready rack advantage may put the tank in a spot where others can fire back at it twice. When fighting over a capture point, immediate ready rack resupply on a cap is necessary to keep up with others.

Shell loadout is identical, early shell works well for mid-Cold War era tanks such as the Type 90, Leopard 2A4, T-64B/T-72A/T-80B, etc., but may struggle when fighting more modern vehicles such as the Leopard 2A5, T-80U, Leclerc, etc. To properly fight in an uptier and to be able to penetrate these tanks at least at 500 m range the L26 shell is required.

120 mm L11A5 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 50 -10°/+20° ±180° Two-plane 34.3 47.4 57.6 63.7 67.8 7.80 6.90 6.36 6.00
Realistic 21.4 25.2 30.6 33.8 36.0

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
Shot L23A1 APFSDS 396 394 387 376 367 357
Shell L31A7 HESH 152 152 152 152 152 152
L26 APFSDS 471 469 464 458 450 444
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Shot L23A1 APFSDS 1,535 3.89 - - - 78° 80° 81°
Shell L31A7 HESH 670 17.34 0.1 4 6.53 73° 77° 80°
L26 APFSDS 1,550 4.3 - - - 78° 80° 81°
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)
L34 670 17.1 20 5 25 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Vickers Mk.7
Full
ammo 		Ammo
type 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
50 Projectiles
Propellants 		18 (+32)
48 (+2) 		12 (+38)
18 (+32) 		7 (+43)
15 (+35) 		4 (+46)
10 (+40) 		1 (+49)
4 (+46) 		N/A
1 (+49) 		No

Notes:

  • In the case of projectile racks 4 and 5: the rack is shared but the outer half of the ammunition is used as the ready rack and the inner half is stored ammo and thus considered as rack 4 for the purposes of determining load order.

Machine guns

7.62 mm L8A2 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition2 000 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate1 001 shots/min
Main article: L8A2 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm L8A2
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 2,000 (200) 600 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The Vickers Mk.7 is a main battle tank, and thus a tank that should be on the frontlines being the first line of attack. It is considered one of the best armoured MBTs at its battle rating. This is due to its composition; a Leopard 2A4 hull which offers protection against all CE threats except 9M133 Kornet and is able to stop APFSDS rounds with <400 mm penetration, and a custom British turret similar to the Challenger 2 which offers protection against all CE threats except 9M133 Kornet and APFSDS rounds with <405 mm penetration. Thanks to this, the Vickers Mk.7 can be used in a variety of engagements at both short and long ranges with high chances of survivability.

In urban combat:

Close quarters combat is one of the most risky engagements in the game, but thanks to the superb armour of the Vickers Mk.7, it is able to have multiple engagement modes when in CQC.

Battering Ram:

Vickers Mk.7 can be used as the tank who will push through the enemy line due to its armour. Be aware of how the chassis is poked between corners as the hull is only armoured in the frontal plate. Any shot fired at the track's sprocket can be fatal as there is no armour to stop the incoming shell. When fighting in an uptier, avoid being the battering ram as all 10.3-10.7 vehicles can punch through any part of the frontal armour (including turret) and destroy the tank in a couple of shots. Be aware of facing enemy tanks like the Leopard 2A6 and Leclerc S2 which have extremely powerful APFSDS rounds that will go through the Vickers Mk.7's armour like hot knife through butter. When in a downtier, you are able to be the battering ram as only a couple vehicles at the battle rating will be able to pierce through your armour (tanks like the Type 16, T-62M-1 and Type 74 will be able to punch through your armour between 8.7 and 9.7, be aware as they penetrate between 405 mm and 450 mm of armour with APFSDS). Try to stick with people behind you so friendlies can assist you if needed, sometimes who can pull you with a winch could save both's life.

Bastion defence:

Due to the high survivability, the Vickers Mk.7 is able to hold defensive positions (cap points, strategic locations, etc) quite well, as well as repelling and counter-attacking any aggressor with ease. Due to its powerful engine and transmission, it is able to move forward, fire, and move backwards in quick succession.

*Note: the Vickers Mk.7 most prominent weak spot in the turret is the mantlet, always be on the lookout to hide it as much as possible or by wobbling your turret a little so enemies have a smaller chance to hit the mantlet.

In rural combat:

Due to the longer ranges compared to the urban combat, the Vickers Mk.7 is able to use multiple techniques and combat roles to fulfil the player's preference.

Sniper:

Thanks to the high velocity stock ammunition, the Vickers Mk.7 is able play as a sniper in long range maps. This, with the addition of the laser rangefinder and thermal imaging sights, makes the Vickers Mk.7 a fearful sniper as only certain tanks will be able to pierce your turret past 500 m. Be aware and despite having a strong hull always try to get in hulldown position in order to hide the frontal weakspots of your tank (lower frontal plate, turret ring). At longer ranges, enemies will take even more time in order to hit and damage the Vickers Mk.7 when it is hulldown.

You can always push your advantage by looking for any kind of high ground, be it a hill, an enormous dune that towers over the map, or any other. This will make Vickers 7 nearly impenetrable at its own BR and below, allowing you to take time to actually aim. Remember to move away after firing - although the turret armour is very tough, it is only barely able to stop APFSDS of your BR, giving shells with ~230+ mm penetration at 60 degrees to have a random low chance of penetrating the turret anyway. This is particularly important in AB, where enemies can see the yellow crosshair and may decide to "play the lottery" against you for the lack of better options. This tactic gives no real advantage against shells with extreme angled penetration of the Soviet or tanks of the next rank in general.

Flanking:

As much as crazy it sounds, the Vickers Mk.7 has an impressive speed of 75 km/h even with all the armour. Thanks to this, the Vickers Mk.7 is able to move around and push behind enemy lines and retreat or move to wherever is needed. Thanks to the stabilizer, it is able to fire on the move if needed for a quick "Hit 'n' Run" tactic. It has a slow reload rate (7.8 seconds stock) which can cause issues when engaging targets in a fast manner. Use smoke if needed to retreat and relocate.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Accurate main gun with HESH and smoke as support rounds
  • Excellent mobility in all directions, also effective off-road mobility
  • Respectable turret armour compared to some tanks at the battle rating; extremely powerful on high ground; fearful when in downtier
  • Decent stock APFSDS shell (394 mm at 100 m at 0°)
  • Powerful gun optics (4.0x - 12.0x FOV: 18-6), gun depression, TOGS and laser range finder: excellent tank hunting capabilities
  • Two-piece ammunition is stored separately; reduced risk of detonation
    • Inert ammo rack behind the turret

Cons:

  • Large and tall profile; difficult to conceal from tanks, aircraft or helicopters, no ESS to evade guided missiles
  • Difficulties when fighting sloped armour at long distances, chiefly Soviet T-72 (Family) or Leopard 2A6
  • Even turret armour will not block modern APFSDS of the similar BR (like DM23 or DM33) unless angled, tanks that have shells with over 250 mm penetration at 60° like T-64B with 3BM42 and PTZ89 with DYW1 will penetrate even at long range anyway
  • Weak spots in hull and turret: gun mantlet, turret back, driver position and armourless sides and weak LFP inherent from Leopard 2 (Family)
    • Poor insulation against overpressure damage, can even be overpressured from behind through the ammo rack on top of "normal" weak spots

History

After quite a few private tank ventures, and the unsatisfactory development of the Vickers Mark 4, also known as Valiant. The Vickers company brought another design aimed to develop a capable MBT. Either as a replacement for the Challenger Mk.1 then currently in service, or as a valuable modern tank for the exportation. With the support of the Krauss-Maffei company, Vickers matched the up-rated turret of the previous Mark 4 Valiant MBT, with an identical Leopard 2A4 chassis. Thus creating in June 1985, what it became known as Vickers MBT Mark 7.

The Leopards' MTU 838 engine capabilities were well known, and the match with the improved Valiant's Mk 4 turret protected by the powerful Chobham Armour, resulted in an acceptable weight of over 54 tons, providing a top speed of 72 km/h. A speed which was unlikely from most British MBTs of the time - Specially from previous MBTs as the already out phased Chieftains.

Vickers' prototype got fitted with the L11 120 mm gun, the same gun as the contemporary Challenger 1. After these modifications, the Mark 7 went under trials in Egypt, September of the same year. In 1986, using some technologies of the defunct MBT-80 project, the Mark 7 received even greater upgrades: 2nd generation thermal sights with increased resolution, improved stabilization systems for the main gun, reduced thermal and electromagnetic signatures and a new telescopic laser sight. Effectively reworking on the IFCS (Improved Fire Control System) for the 120 mm L11A5 cannon. Equally formidable, the Leopard 2 chassis matched perfectly this gunnery refits; turning the Mark 7 in a very steady tank while firing on the move.

Bittersweet experiences on the CAT 87 (Canadian Army Trophy) with the Army's Challengers 1 pitted against Leopards 1 & 2 and M1 Abrams, made some interest on the Vickers Mk.7 project. Therefore, in October 1987, a comparison test on the Lulworth Gunnery Ranges was performed between a Challenger 1 and a Vickers Mark 7. CHIP (Challenger/Chieftain Improvement Programme) was looking for projects and new technologies to integrate into the serving Challengers 1. At the firing range, Challenger 1 hit seven out of the 8 targets in an engagement time of approximately 21.7 seconds. While the Vickers Mark 7 achieved successful hits to all 8 targets in only 12.5 seconds. This is likely due to old Chieftain's cannon and gunnery systems being fitted into the newer Challenger 1, with only slightly major gunnery improvements aside from TOGS - unlike the modernized Vickers Universal turret.

This universal turret also made possible not only the installation of an IFCS but the modification for different gun mounts such as the Royal Ordnance's L7 105 mm gun. The turret was made in this universal configuration since it was hoped this would suit any potential exportation customers needs, or at least, grow in interest for the British Army. While the army did recount experience in the Vickers Mk 7 and the technologies improvement on gunnery and target requisitioning, in the end, they not procured any contract for it. All the technology research and tests made between the Challenger 1 and the Mk.7 instead lead Vickers and the MOD to develop what was to be known as; the Challenger 2.

Without the interest of the British Army, high productions costs, international political situations and the dependency on a German-made hull, the Vickers Mk.7 did not succeed on the exportation market. Any further research was then halted and the project cancelled, with a single prototype built.

While the fate might seem short-lived, the Vickers Mk.7 proved to be an invaluable leap forward in the modernized MBT development. Not only regarding the CR2 but also because in 1986 the Universal Vickers turret was reproduced to be used by Engesa, on the Brazilian EE-T1 Osório Main Battle Tank

Media

Skins
Videos
The Shooting Range #175 - Metal Beasts section at 00:38 discusses the Vickers Mk.7.

See also

Related development

External links


Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
Ships 
Tribal-class  HMS Eskimo · HMCS Haida
Invincible-class  HMS Invincible*
Kongō-class  IJN Kongo**
Tanks 
Light Tanks  VFM5*** · Vickers Mk.11***
Light Tank Mk VI  Light AA Mk I
Light Tank Mk VII  Tetrarch I
Light Tank Mk VIII  Alecto I
Tank, Infantry, Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI · Archer
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7***
Heavy Tanks  Independent****
Export  ▂МК-IX "Valentine" · Vickers Mk.E****
See also  Vickers-Armstrongs Aircraft Limited
  *Previously Armstrong Whitworth
  **Built for Japan
  ***Vickers Defence Systems
  ****Previously Vickers Limited

Britain medium tanks
Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI
Cromwell  Cromwell I · Cromwell V · Cromwell V (RP-3)
Cromwell derivatives  Challenger · Avenger · Comet I · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" · Charioteer Mk VII
Centurion  Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10 · Centurion Action X · FV4202
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7
Chieftain  Chieftain Mk 3 · Chieftain Mk 5 · Chieftain Mk 10
Challenger 1  Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Challenger 2  Challenger 2 · Challenger 2 (2F) · Challenger 2 TES · Challenger 2 OES · Challenger 2E · Challenger 2 Black Night
Challenger 3  Challenger 3 TD
Australia  A.C.I · A.C.IV · Centurion Mk.5/1
South Africa  Olifant Mk.1A · Olifant Mk.2 · TTD
India  Vijayanta · Bhishma TWMP
Israel  ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Jordan  Khalid
Sweden  ▄Strv 81 (RB 52)
USA  Grant I · Sherman II · Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"

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