OF-40 Mk.2A

This page is about the Italian medium tank OF-40 Mk.2A. For other versions, see OF-40 (Family).

OF-40 Mk.2A

OF-40

▄Leopard 1A5

OF-40 Mk.2A

OF-40

▄Leopard 1A5

Italy

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.0	9.0	9.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:190 000

Purchase:520 000

Description

The OF-40 Mk.2A was a further upgrade of the OF-40 which included things such as an LLTV and a stabilized gun. Many consider the OF-40 Italy's first attempt at making an main battle tank post-WW2. The OF-40 was made after experience gained from the OTO Melara Leone project, it being a modified Leopard I.

Introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic", the playstyle of the OF-40 Mk.2A is very similar to that of the OF-40, although now the player has access to a stabilized 105 mm cannon, something which allows them to fire on the move with more accuracy. Like the OF-40, the Mk.2A does have slightly better armour when compared to the Leopard I, but even with this upgrade it has the exact same weakspots present on the OF-40. Mobility-wise, the tank does not disappoint, it's still able to keep up with the majority of tanks at the battle rating. The OF-40 Mk.2A is armed with a 105 mm cannon which is able to fire APFSDS, HEAT, and HESH munitions. The laser rangefinder from the OF-40 is kept. It does get access to night vision devices but still does not get access to thermals. Overall, this tank can be quite effective when the player can work around its weaknesses and make the most of its strengths.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull70 / 35 / 25

Turret68 / 47 / 30

Crew4 people

Visibility86 %

The protection of the OF-40 Mk.2A is not terrible, but it can't be relied upon. The protection is very similar to that of the German Leopard 1 tanks, due to the fact that the OF-40 was developed using the Leopard 1 as a basis. The hull and turret armour is very light, only being able to protect against HESH from the front, with HEAT and post-war armour piercing rounds such as APDS and APFSDS going right through. Due to the high number of angles, bounces can occur, but it can not be relied upon. On the other hand, low-calibre autocannons and all machine guns will not be able to penetrate from the front, and most (if not all) machine guns will not be able to penetrate the sides.

The driver, gunner, and commander are lined up in a row on the right side of the tank, allowing a potential knock-out if being shot at from the front; the tank will be able to keep fighting even if it loses two crewmembers since it starts with four. Additionally, unless the driver carries 20 rounds or less, the hull ammo rack next to the driver will be partially or completely full, depending on the amount. That means a shot coming from the front has a high chance of hitting and detonating ammunition.

Conclusion: This tank has a very conventional layout and has survivability similar to many other western tank designs from the Cold War, especially the Leopard 1. The best way to prevent this tank's destruction is to avoid enemy fire in the first place since most rounds will go straight through its armour.

Armour type:

• Rolled Homogeneous Armour - Hull and Turret
• High Hardness Rolled Armour - Turret
• Rubber-Fabric Screens - Sideskirts

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	70 mm (68°) Upper Glacis 50 mm (50°) Lower Glacis	35 mm Upper Crew Compartment 25 mm Upper Engine Compartment 30 mm Lower	25 mm	15 - 30 mm
Turret	30 - 68 mm (Various Angles) Turret front 30 mm (~58°) + 45 mm (Curved) Gun mantlet	Spaced: 30 mm + 80 mm air + 35 mm Forward Spaced: 12 mm + 120 mm + 35 mm Rearward	30 mm	20 - 40 mm

Notes:

• The turret sides use spaced armour, and are therefore stronger than they appear in the armour viewer.
• Beneath the angled outer portion of the gun mantlet is a curved 45 mm plate.
• There are 10 mm rubber-fabric screens protecting the upper suspension.
• The rear of the turret has 5 mm of structural steel in addition to the base armour.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB73 / 28 km/h

RB and SB66 / 26 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight43.0 t

Engine power

AB1 584 hp

RB and SB830 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB36.8 hp/t

RB and SB19.3 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	73	28	43	1,286	1,584	29.91	36.84
Realistic	66	26		734	830	17.07	19.3

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 515 → 6 230

RB4 688 → 6 469

SB5 800 → 8 004

Total cost of modifications158 200

268 000

Talisman cost2 600

Crew training150 000

Experts520 000

Aces2 100

Research Aces950 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

150 / 200 / 240 %

220 / 220 / 220 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 270 Suspension Research: 9 500 Cost: 15 000 380 Brake System Research: 9 500 Cost: 15 000 380 Filters Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 330 Transmission Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 560 Engine Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 560	Improved Parts Research: 2 000 Cost: 11 000 270 Improved FPE Research: 2 900 Cost: 15 000 380 Crew Replenishment Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 330	Horizontal Drive Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 270 105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 270 105mm_us_M416_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 270 Adjustment of Fire Research: 9 500 Cost: 15 000 380 Elevation Mechanism Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 330 105mm_usa_M735_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 330 Smoke grenade Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 330 Artillery Support Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 560 Laser rangefinder Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 560

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

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

Main armament

105 mm OTO Melara 105/52 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition61 rounds

First-order19 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-9° / 20°

105 mm OTO Melara 105/52					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	61	-9°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	38.1	52.7	64.0	70.8	75.3	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
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
M392A2	APDS	350	347	333	317	302	287
M393A2	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
M456	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
DM23	APFSDS	337	335	330	322	314	306

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%
M392A2	APDS	1,478	4	-	-	-	75°	78°	80°
M393A2	HESH	732	11.2	0.1	4	4.31	73°	77°	80°
M456	HEATFS	1,174	10.5	0.05	0.1	1.27	65°	72°	77°
DM23	APFSDS	1,455	4.2	-	-	-	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)
M416	732	11.6	16	5	25	50

Ammo racks

• 

  Ammoracks 1-9

• 

  Ammoracks 10-12

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	12th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
61	55 (+6)	54 (+7)	47 (+14)	46 (+15)	39 (+22)	38 (+23)	31 (+30)	30 (+31)	23 (+38)	20 (+41)	16 (+45)	1 (+60)	No

Notes:

• Racks 11 and 12 are first stage ammo racks, meaning they will deplete when shots are fired but will then replenish from the other racks in the order from 1-9. Rack 11 depletes before rack 12, which is the last rack to deplete.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition400 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 65°

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 001 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,200 (200)	577	-10°/+65°	±180°

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,000 (200)	600	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The OF-40 MK.2A can be a truly powerful vehicle when used in the right hands. For people who are going through the stock grind, it is recommended that you play a support role, until you get access to the APFSDS round. The OF-40 MK.2A is not very armoured, compared to other vehicles it will face, the main weak spots are the hull and the sides. So for people who have just picked it up, either play as a support, sniper or flank, as the stock HEAT round is not very good to deal frontally with most of the enemies. One thing the OF-40 MK.2A has that its German rival doesn't have, is superior turret Armour. This means that you can easily go hull down on certain maps and manage to bounce a few things coming your way. Once you have gone through and researched most of its modifications, such as the APFSDS round and the engine upgrade, you should be ready to play a more offensive role. A good point you could take advantage of is your speed, your engine will be decent enough that you'll easily be with or ahead of your team most of the time. Use your speed at the start of matches to get to positions that enemies might not expect you, which might guarantee you the first shot in most engagements. Your gun is also very good at long ranges so it is also not a bad idea to keep your distances, since you cannot count on your survivalbility at all times. Do the same for night battles. This also should apply for all game modes, be aware that in Arcade battles the enemies are able to see your weak spots when they aim at you, so keep that in mind if you decide to go hull-down as an experienced player might just go for a different module, such as your cannon barrel or breech, and finish you off slowly.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great gun handling - the vertical and horizontal speeds of the turret/gun are among the best compared to contemporaries
• Optics have good zoom ranges permitting easy long-range shots
• Commander's machine gun is an upgrade from the regular OF-40; the 7.62 mm FN MAG is replaced with a 12.7 M2 with a big ammo count of 1,080 rounds
• The turret has flat, spaced plate armour on either side and slightly angled spaced armour towards the gun mantlet - can protect against some autocannon rounds, deflects AP shot if angled, and makes the turret sides immune to incoming HESH rounds
• Very mobile, rivalling the Leopard A1A1 and in some cases outrunning it!

Cons:

• Rather large and bulky turret makes it stick out above ridgelines and hilltops (but can bounce shots, see above)
• Not a very big amount of ammo (19+1) can be carried in the ready racks; bringing any more shells puts these next to the driver in the lightly armoured hull

History

Development

The OF-40 main battle tank (MBT) was delivered to the UAE after first being unveiled in 1980. After a number of issues were highlighted by the user, an improved version called the OF-40 Mk.2 was designed, beginning trials in August 1982. It was optimized for operations in the desert and had a number of other improvements.

Production and Service

All 18 OF-40 Mk.1 tanks in service with the UAE were upgraded to the Mk.2 standard, and 18 OF-40 Mk.2 tanks were delivered as well. As such, the UAE operated a total of 36 OF-40 Mk.2 tanks.

The UAE, despite the numerous improvements over the OF-40 Mk.1, were unsatisfied with the OF-40 Mk.2. They believed the mobility was too low and that the gun wasn't powerful enough. As such, it was replaced by the French Leclerc. Despite being removed from active duty units, 36 OF-40s were listed to be in storage or reserve as of 2014.

Devblog

After the end of WW2, the Italian industry completely stopped development and production of domestically designed tanks. During the Cold War, the Italian industry would produce armoured fighting vehicles for its own needs, however most of these vehicles were foreign designs built under license.

In the late 1970s, Oto Melara and Fiat began developing the first Italian post-WW2 tank, under a join private venture. As Oto Melara was already mass-producing the German Leopard 1 MBT under license for the Italian Army, its engineers possessed sufficient experience and know-how in order to develop their own tank.

The resulting vehicle, designated OF-40, turned out to be, somewhat unsurprisingly, very similar in design to the German Leopard 1 already in service with the Italian Army. Nonetheless, the OF-40 became the first domestically developed and produced Italian tank after WW2.

Despite the many similarities however, the Italian military proved reluctant in ordering the OF-40 for mass production. As a result of being unable to find a domestic operator, Oto Melara turned to the export market and soon found a willing buyer - the United Arab Emirates.

Shortly after, the OF-40 was upgraded to the Mk.2 version which, among other things, improved the vehicle's optics and rangefinder, added a two-plane stabilization system for the main gun, and an improved fire control system, allowing the vehicle to fire improved ammunition.

The OF-40 was only built in limited numbers and for a limited time, with the UAE being the only operator world-wide. The UAE still uses the OF-40 today, although in different roles, with proposals being made to convert the vehicle into a heavy IFV.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the OF-40 Mk.2A from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• OF-40 (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] OF-40 Mk.2A: Made in Italy

OTO Melara
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OF-40	OF-40 · OF-40 Mk.2A · OF-40 (MTCA)
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	*Built by OTO Melara in La Spezia under the Alinavi S.p.A. consortium