Strf 9040 BILL
| This page is about the Swedish light tank Strf 9040 BILL. For other versions, see CV90 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Stridsfordon 9040 BILL is a rank VII Swedish light tank with a battle rating of 10.7 (AB) and 10.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Starfighters".
General info
Survivability and armour
The Strf 9040 BILL does not have the MEXAS armour package of the Strf 9040C and Lvkv 9040C, and as such, the protection is very limited. The frontal arc of the vehicle can protect against heavy machine guns but the sides and rear of both the hull and turret are vulnerable even to .50 calibre (12.7 mm) heavy machine guns. The frontal arc can not protect against cannons of even 20 mm in calibre, except on the upper glacis which has a shallow enough angle to cause armour piercing rounds of types other than APDS and APFSDS to ricochet. The turret front and lower glacis on the other hand do not have such angles and can not cause ricochets in the same way, allowing low calibre cannons to penetrate. HEAT and HESH rounds will penetrate the frontal armour without a problem.
The crew placement of the Strf 9040 BILL is both potentially helpful and harmful. A shot to the front left side of the hull would result in the knocking out of the driver, commander, and loader. This is potentially devastating as that is three out of five crew members taken out in one shot, with only one more lost resulting in a vehicle knockout. A shot to the right side of the vehicle's front would knock out the engine and if it had enough penetration would go through and take out the gunner and loader, two out of five crew members but also causing the vehicle to be immobilized. As before stated, the engine can absorb projectiles, preventing them from passing into the crew compartment if they don't have high enough penetration, but it does immobilize the vehicle and potentially allow the enemy to get another shot off immediately afterwards. In terms of ammunition stowage, all 40 mm ammunition is stowed in the base of the turret basket and the hull underneath the turret basket. This prevents most hits from causing a cook-off of 40 mm ammunition except for particularly low hits. On the other hand, the missile stowage is at the rear of the hull and takes up a significant volume, making the missile ammunition a large target. Additionally, the missile launcher has missiles in it which can also be detonated by incoming rounds.
Overall, the Strf 9040 BILL has very light armour and insufficient protection meaning nearly all weapons larger than machine guns can penetrate it. Sometimes the internal arrangement will save from knocking out the vehicle, but most hits will likely be destructive. The upper glacis can block some shots because of the high angle, but this can not be relied upon. Finally, the ammunition stowage - particularly the missile stowage - takes up a large volume of the vehicle and can be set off very easily.
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour - hull, turret sides/rear
- Cast homogeneous armour - turret front
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 20 mm (78°) Upper glacis 20 mm (29°-41°-52°) Lower glacis |
6 + 10 mm (Spaced) Upper 10 mm Lower |
20 mm | 20 mm Roof 6 mm Rear roof crew hatch |
| Turret | 20 mm (35°) - 20 mm (50°) Turret front 35 mm (Various Angles) Gun mantlet |
20 mm | ||
| Cupola | 20 mm | |||
Notes:
- There is a 10 mm RHA plate between the front of the vehicle and the driver and also between the engine and crew compartments
- Tracks, suspension - 20 mm
- Sideskirts, turret rear stowage boxes - 5 mm
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 | 78 | 51 | 23.7 | 852 | 1,049 | 35.95 | 44.26 |
| Realistic | 70 | 46 | 486 | 550 | 20.51 | 23.21 | |
As the Strf 9040 BILL lacks the add-on modular armour of the 90C variants, it has a noticeably lighter feel on the move. The low weight combined with high-output Scania engine leads to an agile and swift moving vehicle, able to do sneaky flanking manoeuvres and capable of climbing steep hills to get into ambush positions. When played right, the Strf 9040 BILL is quicker than the Strf 90C, and is able to surprise enemies by showing up in unexpected places.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
The Strf 9040 BILL, like the two other Strf 9040 variants (the Strf 90C and Lvkv 90C), is armed with a Bofors L/70 40 mm anti-aircraft gun repurposed as an omnipurpose (anti-tank, anti-aircraft) gun. The automatic cannon boasts a rapid fire rate, a magazine holding 24 shells, and a complete maximum load of 234 shells. The gun's internal 24-shell magazine is quickly replenished, and is usually enough to deal with both enemy armour, helicopters, and airplanes. It does however carry a risk of surprising the player by running empty - thanks to its high rate of fire. The shells carried are the same as on the Lvkv 90C - the spårljuspansarprojektil m/90 (APFSDS-T), spårljusspränggranat m/90 (HE-T), and kulspränggranat m/90 (HE-VT). The former two are stock shells - the latter is unlocked through research, on the 2nd tier, and has a proximity fuse, very helpful against air targets.
The Strf 9040 BILL also carries a 7.62 mm Ksp 39C, coaxial to the main gun, placed in its turret cheek. The most unusual armament is however the Robot 56 "BILL 2 - Bofors, Infantry, Light & Lethal". The dual-missile launcher, mounted on the right side of the turret, can be devastating to enemy armour behind cover. Its missiles fly above the point of aim, detonating above the vehicle, firing its explosively formed penetrator through the turret roof or engine deck, thus hitting areas with the lowest armour protection. A well-aimed hit can destroy a target in a single hit by igniting ammunition, igniting fuel tanks, or knocking out crew. The missiles do however have a limited range of only 2,200 m, and a relatively low speed of 250 m/s. Used carefully, the vehicle's load of 8 missiles can easily knock out 8 enemy tanks!
| 40 mm akan m/70B | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 234 | 300 | -8°/+35° | ±180° | Two-plane | 33.2 | 46.0 | 55.8 | 61.7 | 65.7 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 |
| Realistic | 20.8 | 24.4 | 29.7 | 32.8 | 34.9 | |||||||||
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 | ||
| slpprj m/90 | APFSDS | 143 | 142 | 137 | 130 | 123 | 116 |
| slsgr m/90 | HE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| kulsgr m/90 | HE-VT* | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Shell details | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||
| slpprj m/90 | APFSDS | 1,465 | 0.5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 78° | 80° | 81° |
| slsgr m/90 | HE | 988 | 0.96 | 0 | 0.1 | 174.4 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| kulsgr m/90 | HE-VT* | 1,015 | 0.88 | 0 | 0.1 | 190.8 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 234 | 186 (+48) | 138 (+96) | 90 (+144) |
| 4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
| 42 (+192) | 24 (+210) | 0 (+234) | No |
Additional armament
| Rbs 56 missile | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Belt) | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| 8 (2) | -19°/+29° | N/A | N/A | 20.00 | 20.00 | 20.00 | 20.00 |
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 | ||
| RB 56 BILL II | ATGM | 510 | 510 | 510 | 510 | 510 | 510 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Range (m) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||
| RB 56 BILL II | ATGM | 250 | 2,200 | 10.9 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 2,720 | 80° | 82° | 90° |
Ammo racks
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| Full ammo |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|
| 8 | No |
Notes:
- Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
- It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm ksp 39 C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 4,000 (250) | 500 | N/A | N/A |
Usage in battles
The Strf 9040 BILL is a highly agile fighting machine, it offers great speed and handling. Its relatively small size compared to other tanks on the battlefield allows it to hide and sneak up upon its prey, and equipped with gunner thermal sights the Strf 9040 BILL can easily take advantage and pounce on unsuspecting tankers with the 40 mm Bofors cannon which offers up to 143 mm of penetration per round.
Unfortunately, the 143 mm is not able to penetrate every tank from the front; to overcome this, it is important to disorientate/surprise the enemy tanker. Blind their sights with the rapid-fire from the 40 mm Bofors, then target their cannon so they cannot knock out the Strf 9040 BILL in one hit like a pen going through a piece of paper.
Once their cannon has been taken out, the enemy tank will retire either using smoke to cover their withdrawal or immediately going to reverse. If they go into reverse without using smoke, knock out their tracks and flank them so their rear compartments can be shot at. The rear compartments (engine bay and further towards the end of the tank) are the weakest. Shooting the engine will cause the engine to catch on fire, then shooting rounds along the side will knock out the crew.
If the enemy tanker reverses, goes over an object in its path and ends up exposing the underside (belly) of the tank, a few rounds targeted in this area from the 40 mm Bofors will knock it out.
One of the key strategic advantages which the Strf 9040 BILL has over its competitors is its Rbs 56 ATGMs. These ATGMs are not like normal ATGMs. Instead, these explode above the target, allowing the blast to penetrate the roof of the enemy tank and knock the crew out. This means when any tank tries to use the terrain or an object to hide, fire the Rbs 56 ATGM towards the target but make sure it's not too high, about 3-5 feet above it, for the best results. If the ATGM is too high when it explodes, the energy from the blast will be reduced and less damage will occur. The missile is already flying above the aiming point in the gunner's sight, so it is not needed to aim above the enemy target except to go over the terrain and cover.
Air Threats
One of the major weaknesses of the Strf 9040 BILL is its weak armour, this means almost any round can penetrate the tank and knock it out. While it has great mobility, the armour is weak which means air threats can easily destroy this tank. However, it does not mean it's game over. Instead, it's critical to find cover behind buildings to pop out, when the enemy aircraft fires at the Strf 9040 BILL, withdraw behind it. When in the open, pop smoke and stay in the smoke until the threat has gone. It's important to time smoke correctly, the Strf 9040 BILL only has one shot at using it.
- Helicopters - The best way to find an enemy helicopter is to use thermal sights and scan the air. Once spotted they can then be destroyed with the ATGMs or the 40 mm autocannon with ease. To knock down the helicopter, aim for the cockpit: a few shots will destroy the helicopter. Using the ATGM, either directly hit the helicopter or aim the ATGM slightly above it, utilising the top-attack capabilities of the missile.
- Aircraft - These are fast, sneaky, and powerful. The easiest time to shoot them down is when they come towards the vehicle or when they overshoot it. However, most of the time it is incredibly unlikely that the Strf 9040 BILL will shoot them down. Instead, it is important to stay alive and not get knocked out. To do this, use the terrain to hide and if that does not work, fire a few shots from the 40 mm Bofors towards them, this will deter them from engaging the vehicle.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Lovely mobility
- Access to deadly top attack missiles, able to destroy enemy tanks hiding behind cover
- Multipurpose 40 mm shells, great for tank side armour and air vehicles
- Access to generation 2 thermals for both gunner and commander - Along with the CV 90105 TML, the BILL is the only Strf 90 that has CITV
- Access to the scouting mechanic
- Wide FOV for the gunner
- Able to fire missiles on the move (albeit at the very slow speed of 5 km/h)
- Missile launchers do not explode when hit by enemy APFSDS shells
- Missile penetrates over 500 mm of steel - no roof of any armoured vehicle can withstand this
Cons:
- Tanks with ERA on top of the turret (especially Russian tanks) renders the missiles less effective
- Does not have access to the improved Slpprj m/01 APFSDS shell with 170 mm of penetration the Strf 9040C has
- Unreliable armour
- Two-plane stabilizer disengages at speeds over 10 km/h - The gun then swings violently up or downwards
- It takes time to deploy the missile launcher before the missiles can be fired
- The 40 mm gun chews through ammo very quickly, and replenishing the first stage ammo rack takes time; also only 6 missiles
- Missiles can be destroyed by Hard Kill APS
- Aiming too high above the enemy vehicle ensures the missile does next to no damage to said enemy vehicle
- Missiles are not as effective versus helicopters or spacious tank fighting compartments (like on M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams)
- Low zoom in the gunsight
History
Testing
As the Strf 9040 began deliveries in 1998 serious questions were being raised regarding the lethality towards heavily armoured vehicles. Systems like the Bradley IFV and BMP-2 already utilized guided munitions early in their life cycle to combat armoured threats more effectively, something the Swedish IFV had yet to mount. To test the lethality of such weaponry, a demonstrator was ordered in 1999 of the then-current production variant, the Strf 9040A. This vehicle was extensively modified in the fire control system and turret to fit the Rbs 56 BILL II ATGM launcher. The system could fold outwards when engaged and smoothly fold back down when moving, similar to the Bradley. This could all be done from the turret, while reloading had to be done externally by climbing the rear of the vehicle and opening the specialized hatch on the top.
Results
The Strf 9040 BILL's trials seemed promising as its lethality was increased. Though issues with sightline visibility plagued the design from the start, forcing a cancellation of the project shortly after. Sweden continued using both systems, although now separate from each other. Both of these systems have seen a lengthy lifespan as the Rbs 56 was retired in 2013, while the Strf 9040 continues being used far into the future.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Other members of the CV90 family
- Strf 9040C - Base variant with a 40 mm autocannon.
- CV 90105 TML - Premium variant equipped with a 105 mm cannon.
- Lvkv 9040C - Self-propelled anti-aircraft variant with a higher elevation range for 40 mm cannon.
- CV 90120 - A variant with a 120 mm cannon.
External links
| BAE Systems AB | |
|---|---|
| Light Tanks | |
| CV90 | Strf 9040B · Strf 9040C · Strf 9040 BILL · CV 90105 · CV 90120 |
| MBTs | |
| Strv 122 | Strv 122A · Strv 122B PLSS · Strv 122B+ |
| SPAA | |
| CV90 | Lvkv 9040C |
| See Also | AB Bofors · Hägglund & Söner · KMW |
| Sweden light tanks | |
|---|---|
| L-60 | Strv m/38 · Strv m/39 · Strv m/39 TD · Strv m/40L |
| Strv m/41 | Strv m/41 S-I · Strv m/41 S-II |
| Ikv 91 | Ikv 91 · Ikv 91-105 |
| CV 90 | Strf 9040B · Strf 9040C · Strf 9040 BILL |
| CV 90105 · CV 90120 | |
| Wheeled | Pbil m/40 · U-SH 405 |
| Other | Strv m/31 · Strv 74 · Pbv 501 |
| Finland | Vickers Mk.E · ▄T-26E · BT-42 · ▄PT-76 · CV 9030FIN · CT-CV 105HP |
| Denmark | CV 9035DK |
