OF-40 Mk.2A

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 Carro Armato OTO Melara OF-40 Mk.2A (shortened as OF-40 Mk.2A) is a rank VI Italian medium tank with a battle rating of 9.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

General info

Survivability and armour

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 armor is very light, only being able to protect against HESH from the front, with HEAT and post-war armor 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-caliber 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 one-shot 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 armor.

Armor Composition:

• Rolled Homogeneous Armor - Hull and Turret
• High Hardness Rolled Armor - 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 armor, and are therefore stronger than they appear in the armor 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 armor.

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	73	28	43	1,286	1,584	29.91	36.84
Realistic	66	26		734	830	17.07	19.3

Armaments

Main armament

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	38.10	52.71	64.00	__.__	75.29	8.71	7.70	_.__	6.70
Realistic					23.80	28.00	34.00	__.__	40.00

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
M392A2	APDS	303	302	296	277	257	252
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) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M392A2	APDS	1,478	4	N/A	N/A	N/A	75°	78°	80°
M393A2	HESH	732	14.85	0.4	0.1	4,310	73°	77°	80°
M456	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.05	1	1,270	65°	72°	77°
DM23	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	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	730	11.4	20	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
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,080 (200)	576	-8°/+20°	±120°

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

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).

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive	M393A2
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	M456	NVD
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	M416	Smoke grenade
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	DM23	Laser rangefinder

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 armored 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

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• OF-40 - predecessor

External links

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