Difference between revisions of "Strv 121"
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | <!-- ''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 | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is the Swedish designation for the [[Leopard 2A4]], leased from Germany in early 1994 to replace the aging [[Strv 103 (Family)|Strv 103]] and the [[Strv 104]]. A total of 160 {{PAGENAME}}s were acquired from the leasing deal and all of the vehicles would be delivered to Sweden at the end of 1994 and early 1995. In Sweden, the {{PAGENAME}} would go through some changes like being equipped with Swedish radio equipment, reflective tape, and new lights for road traffic, but were also painted in Swedish army camouflage. The {{PAGENAME}} would serve until the early 2000s when they were initially phased out for the [[Strv 122A|Strv 122]]. |
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| + | The {{PAGENAME}} was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. With a similar playstyle as the other [[Leopard 2A4]]s, it is able to compete with the other nations' top MBTs like the [[T-80 (Family)|T-80]], [[M1A2 Abrams]], and [[Leclerc (Family)|Leclerc]]. The {{PAGENAME}} is agile and can manoeuvre around the battlefield with its high top speed, allowing it to reach capture points and good positions fast. The {{PAGENAME}} has a relatively vulnerable hull compared to the more well-armoured turret, and will excel in a hull-down position like most MBTs. Its 120 mm cannon gives it excellent firepower to deal with most opponents and has great penetration capability at further ranges, making it an excellent vehicle to have long distance engagements with enemies where the armour will have an improved chance of protecting the vehicle. | ||
== General info == | == General info == | ||
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==== Ammunition ==== | ==== Ammunition ==== | ||
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | Coaxial || | + | | Coaxial || 5,000 (200) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | Pintle || 2,000 ( | + | | Pintle || 2,000 (200) || 1,200 || -10°/+75° || ±180° |
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* Leopard 2 Strv 121. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product2392.html | * Leopard 2 Strv 121. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product2392.html | ||
| + | {{TankManufacturer KMW}} | ||
{{Sweden medium tanks}} | {{Sweden medium tanks}} | ||
Latest revision as of 12:00, 22 December 2023
| This page is about the Swedish medium tank Strv 121. For other versions, see Leopard 2 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Stridsvagn 121 is the Swedish designation for the Leopard 2A4, leased from Germany in early 1994 to replace the aging Strv 103 and the Strv 104. A total of 160 Strv 121s were acquired from the leasing deal and all of the vehicles would be delivered to Sweden at the end of 1994 and early 1995. In Sweden, the Strv 121 would go through some changes like being equipped with Swedish radio equipment, reflective tape, and new lights for road traffic, but were also painted in Swedish army camouflage. The Strv 121 would serve until the early 2000s when they were initially phased out for the Strv 122.
The Strv 121 was introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury". With a similar playstyle as the other Leopard 2A4s, it is able to compete with the other nations' top MBTs like the T-80, M1A2 Abrams, and Leclerc. The Strv 121 is agile and can manoeuvre around the battlefield with its high top speed, allowing it to reach capture points and good positions fast. The Strv 121 has a relatively vulnerable hull compared to the more well-armoured turret, and will excel in a hull-down position like most MBTs. Its 120 mm cannon gives it excellent firepower to deal with most opponents and has great penetration capability at further ranges, making it an excellent vehicle to have long distance engagements with enemies where the armour will have an improved chance of protecting the vehicle.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Strv 121's kinetic protection is reasonable, with the turret cheeks near-invulnerable to all but the most powerful rounds (e.g. CL3143) and the upper front plate capable of protecting against less powerful rounds (e.g. M735) - however besides these sections the remainder of the vehicle is largely vulnerable to high-powered kinetic rounds; of note are the weak lower front plate and the gun mantlet, both of which are reasonably visible targets, as well as the gunner's optics.
The vehicle sports significantly better all-round chemical protection, with an upper hull and turret essentially immune to all but the most powerful ATGMs frontally, with upwards of 800 mm worth of equivalent protection in places. Despite this, it's advisable to be wary of incoming ATGMs as a well-placed round may sneak past the heavily protected areas - and some missiles such as those of the ADATS will slice straight through even the turret cheeks.
As with most other MBTs, the Strv 121 is particularly vulnerable from the sides and back.
The Strv 121 is reasonably survivable, with some degree of crew spacing. However, from certain angles, the crew are placed in a straight line and successful penetration may impact three of the four crew members, resulting in a crew knock-out. In addition, well-placed side shots may impact all three turret crew members.
Ammunition is stored in the primary ammunition storage in the rear of the turret, or in the secondary storage next to the driver. The primary rack provides crew protection through the use of blow-out panels, however only has space for 15 rounds. When more than 16 rounds are taken to battle, ammunition will be stored in the significantly more vulnerable hull rack.
The Strv 121's protection proves acceptable for long-range combat, although it's ill-advised to remain in one location for any extended period of time to avoid opposing vehicles being able to hone their shots onto your weak spots. The Strv 121's protection should not be relied upon in urban or other close-range environments.
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 35 mm (53-82°) Upper glacis 40 mm (50-51°) Lower glacis 30 mm (82°) Driver's hatch |
10 mm (5°) Upper hull 35 mm Lower forward hull 20 mm Lower rear hull 5 mm Side Skirts 100 mm Composite screening |
20 mm (12-50°) All rear | 20 mm (0-8°) Hull roof incl. engine deck |
| Turret | 35 mm (0-6°) Cheeks incl. Gunner optics 35 mm (1°) Mantlet 120 mm Rear Mantlet Plate |
35 mm Forward 15 mm Rear |
10 mm (10°) Basket 20 mm (70°) Turret underside |
40 mm (82-85°) Forehead Armour 14 mm (72-77°) Forward sides 20 mm (89°) Rear turret incl. cupolas 5 mm (84°) Basket |
| Composite armour | Front | Sides |
|---|---|---|
| Hull | Upper+Lower glacis 90 - 350 mm Kinetic 243 - 600 mm Chemical |
|
| Turret | Turret cheeks 420 - 800 mm Kinetic 535 - 820 mm Chemical Gun mantlet 100 - 270 mm Kinetic 300 - 480 mm Chemical |
Side armour 194 - 260 mm Kinetic 280 - 400 mm Chemical |
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 76 | 35 | 55.2 | 2,032 | 2,862 | 36.81 | 51.85 |
| Realistic | 69 | 31 | 1,327 | 1,500 | 24.04 | 27.17 | |
The Strv 121 is powered by an MTU MB 838 Ca-M500 engine which produces a whopping 1,500 hp (1,100 kW), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of slightly over 27 hp per tonne, comparable to the ratio of the early Abrams and identical to the T-80U. As such, the Strv 121 is quite mobile despite weighing over 55 tonnes, comfortably able to reach 72 km/h on-road and well capable of keeping up with its competitors. This allows for an active, aggressive playstyle, using the Leopard's high speed and good acceleration characteristics to get into an early flanking position or take early cap points - though it is important to keep in mind that opposition forces might attempt the same.
The Strv 121 has a maximum reverse speed of 31 km/h which it reaches easily, allowing for a quick retreat in sub-optimal situations.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
The 120 mm kan Strv 121 is a domestic production of the famous 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 cannon and is mounted as the primary armament on the Strv 121, offering a balance of firepower, accuracy, and sustained rate of fire. The 121 has three rounds available to it: slsgr m/95, DM13 APFSDS and DM23 APFSDS. Of these, only DM13 is available when the vehicle is stock, with slsgr m/95 as a tier 2 and DM23 a tier 4 modification. The L/44 is reasonably accurate at long range with any ammunition, however minor round deviation may be evident at extreme ranges (over 2,000 m).
It's advisable to primarily rely on the best available APFSDS round for engaging other MBTs. HE should rarely be used but can prove to be useful for more experienced players.
| 120 mm kan Strv 121 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 42 | -9°/+20° | ±180° | Two-plane | 38.1 | 52.7 | 64.0 | 70.8 | 75.3 | 7.80 | 6.90 | 6.36 | 6.00 |
| Realistic | 23.8 | 28.0 | 34.0 | 37.6 | 40.0 | ||||||||
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 | ||
| DM13 | APFSDS | 393 | 390 | 384 | 376 | 367 | 359 |
| slsgr m/95 | HE | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| DM23 | APFSDS | 410 | 408 | 401 | 393 | 384 | 376 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| DM13 | APFSDS | 1,650 | 4.44 | - | - | - | 78° | 80° | 81° | |||
| slsgr m/95 | HE | 736 | 17.5 | 0 | 0.1 | 3.54 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| DM23 | APFSDS | 1,640 | 4.3 | - | - | - | 78° | 80° | 81° | |||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 16 (+26) | 1 (+41) | No |
First stage only: 16 rounds (15 in rack + 1 in gun), stored within blow-out protected compartment.
Machine guns
The Strv 121 is equipped with one pintle-mounted machine gun and one coaxial machine gun. These can be used as an anti-air deterrent or for clearing out light obstacles and crew from open vehicles.
| 7.62 mm ksp 94 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 5,000 (200) | 1,200 | N/A | N/A |
| Pintle | 2,000 (200) | 1,200 | -10°/+75° | ±180° |
Usage in battles
The Strv 121 may feel somewhat sluggish when stock, but unlike the German Leopard 2A4 that the Strv 121 is based off of, the 121 gets DM13 stock. This allows for more aggressive early research play than its German brother.
The 121 can be used comfortably in both urban and rural environments, providing the vehicle's weaknesses are kept in mind. While it is capable in most forms of engagement, it does lack the precision of the British Challenger MBTs or the extreme round velocities of the Russian T-64/T-80 series. The 121 also has a particularly large and blocky profile, making for a particularly visible target in many situations.
Considering the above, a Strv 121 player should utilize its great mobility and competitive gun to get into early positions to pick off unsuspecting targets, rather than attempting to engage opposing forces head-on.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Powerful engine, high top speed and acceleration
- Good neutral steering system
- Good gunner sight magnification for long-range engagements
- Reasonably high-velocity kinetic rounds
- Competitive DM23 APFSDS
- Turret armour can prove effective for hull-down engagements
- Primary ammunition is contained within a storage unit with blow-out panels
Cons:
- Hull armour is mediocre, particularly against kinetic rounds
- The gunner's optics are a weak spot, enemies who know how to aim can cripple your gun and kill your crew
- The gun mantlet is relatively weak while being quite prominent, penetration can disable the gun or knock turret crew out
- The turret cheeks can be penetrated by most APFSDS rounds when hit at the right angle
- Secondary ammunition storage is extremely vulnerable, although this is avoidable by carrying no more than 16 rounds
- Both machine guns are relatively light calibre, suffer from mediocre gun elevation and will not prove to be much more an annoyance to aircraft, particularly helicopters
- Does not get access to HEAT-FS like the 2A4, instead gets access to the slsgr m/95 HE round as a tier II modification
History
When the Swedish Military decided to procure the German-built Leopard Improved (Strv 122), they decided to also lease Leopard 2A4 tanks from Germany as part of the deal. 160 Leopard 2A4s were delivered in 1994, with the stipulation that they would be returned after 15 years. The Bundeswehr was willing to loan out their tanks because of the requirement that they reduce the amount of military equipment in service, due to the end of the Cold War. When the contract ended, 20 vehicles were purchased and kept[1].
The Swedish Leopard 2A4s were designated as the Stridsvagn (Strv) 121. They came from various production series - known as losung - from losung 1 (built in 1979) to losung 5 (built in 1987). As such, there were some minor external variations among the Strv 121 tanks.
Media
- Skins
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
References
- Bibliography
- Leopard 2 Strv 121. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product2392.html
| Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) | |
|---|---|
| MBTs | |
| Leopard 1 | Leopard I · Leopard A1A1 · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 1A5 · C2A1 |
| Leopard 2 | PT-16/T14 mod. · Leopard 2K · Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M · Leopard 2 PL · Leopard 2A5 · Leopard 2 PSO · Leopard 2A6 · Leopard 2A7V |
| KPz-70 | KPz-70* |
| *By the Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft consortium, in collaboration with the General Motors Company. | |
| IFVs | PUMA |
| SPAAs | Gepard · Gepard 1A2 |
| Export | |
| Leopard 1 | ▄Leopard 1A5 · Leopard 1A5NO2 |
| Leopard 2 | Strv 121 · ▄Leopard 2A4 · ◔Leopard 2A4 · ▄Leopard 2A6 · Leopard 2A7HU |
| See Also | BAE Systems AB |
| Sweden medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| Strv m/42 | Lago I · Strv m/42 EH · Ikv 73 · Strv m/42 DT · Pvkv IV |
| Centurion derivatives | Strv 81 · Strv 81 (RB 52) · Strv 101 · Strv 104 · Strv 105 |
| Strv 103 | Strv 103-0 · Strv 103A · Strv 103С |
| Strv 121/122 | Strv 121 · Christian II · Strv 122A · Strv 122B PLSS · Strv 122B+ |
| Other | Sherman III/IV · T 80 U |
| Finland | |
| WWII | ▄T-28 · ▄T-34 · ▄Pz.IV · ▄T-34-85 |
| Post War | ▄Comet I · ▄Charioteer Mk VII · ▄T-54 · ▄T-55M · ▄T-72M1 · ▄Leopard 2A4 · ▄Leopard 2A6 |
| Norway | Leopard 1A5NO2 |
