Radkampfwagen 90

Radkampfwagen 90

Begleitpanzer 57

TAM 2C

Radkampfwagen 90

Begleitpanzer 57

TAM 2C

Germany

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.0	10.0	10.0

Class:

Light tank

Research:260 000

Purchase:710 000

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Description

The Radkampfwagen 90 is a rank VII German light tank with a battle rating of 10.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury".

General info

Survivability and armour

The Radkampfwagen 90, being a light tank, is surprisingly survivable. When talking about the survivability of this vehicle, it is best to separate the tank into two parts, the turret, and the hull.

The Hull

The hull of the Radkampfwagen 90 is the weakest part of the tank. While the hull does have "spaced armour", this is deceiving, as this will only protect you from HESH shells, and at 9.0, HESH is effectively useless, and in any case, most players will not be using it as their main shell. When hit by HEATFS, the hull of the Radwagen is very prone to hullbreak, but when hit with APFSDS, the tank can possibly survive a few hits, as long as the ammo is not detonated. In conclusion, the Radwagen's hull, at least from the front, can protect against non-apfsds autocannons, but the sides will be easily penned by even the Russian 14.5 mms, and the rear by American .50 cals.

The Turret

The turret of the Radkampfwagen 90 is surprisingly bouncy and well armoured. It features, at least on the front and sides, spaced armour, but as mentioned before, this will only protect you from HESH and small caliber AP and HE rounds. However, the turret of the Radwagen cannot be hullbroken. The turret face also features many weird angles, that have the possibility of ricocheting enemy rounds off of the sides. Another thing to note is that because of the large amounts of empty space in the turret, coupled with the lower damage of modern rounds, can allow you to survive multiple hits to the turret, even sometimes with enemy shells doing no damage. However, as with any armour, this should never be relied on, and should only be used as a last ditch effort.

In conclusion, you can take hits sometimes, but in any case, it is better to not get spotted or hit in the first place, and to get the first shot off.

Unlike other light tanks, with the exception of the turret ring, your front is immune to all heavy machine guns and most autocannon rounds (from IFVs and SPAA for example)!

This allows you to engage such vehicles with relative ease and destroy them whereas other light vehicles would get penetrated killed.

Armour Composition

• High Hardness Rolled Armour
• Rolled Homogeneous Armour
• Cast Homogeneous Armour
• Gun Steel

Armour	Front (Slope Angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	38 mm (75°) Upper Glacis 38 mm (46°) Frontal Plate Spaced Armour (29 mm HHRA, 200 mm Air, 38 mm RHA) Lower Glacis 10 mm Sponsons	10 mm Upper 29 mm Lower	15 mm Engine Compartment 10 mm Sponsons	20 mm Crew Compartment 10 mm Sponsons 5 - 15 mm Engine Deck
Turret	50 mm Upper Front Spaced Armour (38 mm HHRA, 127 mm Air, 84 mm RHA) Lower Front 33 mm (67°) Upper Mantlet Spaced Armour (33 mm HHRA, 120 mm Air, 26 mm RHA) Lower Mantlet 38 mm Mantlet Sides	Spaced Armour (38 mm HHRA, 127 mm Air, 84 mm RHA) Side Front Spaced Armour (16 mm HHRA, 80 mm Air, 29 mm RHA) Side Rear	29 mm + 10 mm	20 mm Turret Roof 50 mm Rear Mantlet Top

Table Key:

• HHRA = High Hardness Homogeneous Armour
• RHA = Rolled Homogeneous Armour

Notes:

• There is a lining of 16 mm RHA between the sponsons and the crew compartment, creating spaced armour on the sides of the vehicle.
• There are optics apertures at the sides of the turret, which have a 50 mm armour plate and a 8 mm armour plate, along with the 20 mm optics. These are essentially a hole in the spaced armour of the turret sides, but most rounds go through the spaced armour anyway so it isn't really a weakness.
• Turret Ring - 50 mm
• Tires and Suspension - 10 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	112	39	30.8	1,286	1,584	41.75	51.43
Realistic	101	36		734	830	23.83	26.95

Armaments

Main armament

The L7A3 105 mm gun mounted on the Radkampfwagen 90 is the same as the gun that the Leopard 1 series uses, and is the same in many aspects. Similar to the Leopard A1A1, the gun is equipped with a two-plane stabilizer allowing for firing on the move. The gun also has faster targeting speed at 5.1 degrees per second compared the the Leopard 1's 3.1 degrees per second in the vertical plane, but the turret traverse speed of the Radwagen, or horizontal targeting speed, certainly leaves something to be desired. A unique thing about this particular L7 is that it fires one of the best L7 APFSDS shells in the game, with higher penetration than even the first Rheinmetall 120 mm L44 APFSDS shell.

105 mm L7A3					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	22.85	31.62	38.40	42.47	45.18	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					14.28	16.80	20.40	22.56	24.00

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
DM12	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
DM502	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
DM23	APFSDS	337	335	330	322	314	306
DM33	APFSDS	408	405	398	389	379	370

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%
DM12	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.0	0.1	1,270	65°	72°	77°
DM502	HESH	732	14.85	0.4	0.1	4,310	73°	77°	80°
DM23	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
DM33	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Radkampfwagen 90

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
42	31 (+11)	28 (+14)	12 (+30)	1 (+41)	No

Notes:

• The 4th rack is a first stage ammo rack, so it refills from the other racks in the designated order.

Machine guns

The coaxially mounted 7.62 mm MG3A1 is, in most situations, not useful. While being able to "blind" opponents by shooting at their optics, as with any MG, and able to easily dispatch of vehicles with exposed crew that have uptiered themselves, such as the M56, 2 factors really hold this MG back from being truly useful. These are:

• The MG is mounted coaxially, limiting its traverse and AA capabilities (especially against helicopters)
• This MG has very low penetration, as almost any thin armoured plate can withstand its fire

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,000 (1,000)	1,200	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

General Playstyle

The Radkampfwagen 90, due to it's speed, may be used in a flanking manner, being able to go around the enemy and surprise them where they do not expect. When flanking, it is recommended to use roads if possible, as the Radwagen is a wheeled vehicle, and rough terrain will slow it down. However, even offroad, the vehicle is still capable of speeds that are much higher than many other contemporary MBTs. The scouting ability of the Radwagen can also be very useful, as it can help you support your team without risking the possibility of being spotted/noticed by firing your gun. The only downside to this playstyle is that the Radwagen is unusually large in size, most notably the hull, which makes it easier to be spotted.

The Radkampfwagen may also be used in a playstyle of a fast MBT. While the hull of the Radwagen is weak, not really well armoured, and prone to hullbreak, and easy to hit, the turret of the vehicle has multiple well angled and very bouncy plates, both interior and exterior, which allows the turret to sometimes take hits without damage, or even ricochet some shells. This bouncy turret can be used in a hull-down position, like a ridgeline, or a pile or rubble. However, it is important to note that even though enemy shells have a chance of bouncing, it is best not to rely on this, and to use the vehicle's stabilizer and situational awareness to get the first shot off.

Arcade Battles

In Arcade, the playstyle of the Radwagen changes a bit. Due to markers that will tell everyone where the Radwagen is, flanking is not as good of a strategy. However, the vehicle retains all other advantages, and due to the slight engine boost in arcade, will be able to hit very high speeds even offroad. Of course, enemies will also be faster in general, which makes this extra speed redundant. The vehicle's scouting abilities are useful in aiding the team. Your gun, for its tier, is good, and its decently low shell drop will aid in those long range shots that are common in arcade. Just remember - this is a light vehicle in a gamemode where it can't really hide, so when playing this vehicle in Arcade, be cautious.

Realistic Battles

In Realistic, the Radwagen's speed and scouting abilities are even more prominent. As mentioned above, it can flank around the enemy with stealth, and either scout enemies for the team or quickly knock them out with its very punchy gun. The team also will benefit from its scouting abilities, as in a gamemode without enemy markers, intel of the enemies whereabouts can be crucial to the team's victory.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tires		Parts	Horizontal Drive	DM502	DM23
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	Airstrike
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	Improved optics	NVD
IV	Transmission	Engine	Smoke grenade	Artillery Support	DM33	Rangefinder

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Introduces a new play-style option for top-rank German lineups.
• Is very mobile and very fast on both roads and cross-country terrain.
• Has DM33 rounds available for research.
• Deadly when facing lower-ranked opponents.
• Very competitive, gun performs great even in higher tiered battles.
• 8.7 reload stock, can be further improved with crew training.
• Hull is resistant against most heavy machine guns.
• Spaced armour in the front and is resistant against low calibre SPAA and IFV fire.
• Same turret as the Leopard 2K, can sometimes bounce shots.
• Extremely effective in the hands of experienced players.
• Is not sluggish at low speed.

Cons:

• Does not have anti-aircraft machine gun.
• Hull can be hullbroken by HEAT and HE, turret cannot be hullbroken at all
• Slower reverse speed than other wheeled vehicle, though still respectable 31 kph
• Does not have thermal sights, putting it at a disadvantage of other vehicles at it's rank.
• Unlike other wheeled vehicles, the Radkampfwagen is very mobile across pretty much every terrain because of its high engine power
• Has a large profile
• Only average turret rotation of 24°/sec spaded, below average for such a mobile vehicle which would benefit from better gun handling (i.e. like the Rooikat)
• Is littered with ammo.
• Requires deep knowledge and keen situational awareness to play effectively.

History

In the early 1980s, the German Federal Ministry of Defence, known as the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (BMVg) in German, initiated a program to produce an eight-wheeled combat vehicle. The reason for the program's creation was the success of the Spähpanzer 2 Luchs and the Transportpanzer Fuchs, along with vehicles operated by other countries, such as the French AMX-10RC. Daimler-Benz was tasked with the construction of such a vehicle, and the requirements were for an 8 x 8 wheeled combat vehicle with a weight of less than 30 tons and a powerful armament and adequate armour. The first prototype was built in 1983, and was first known as the Demonstrationsfahrzeug Rad (demonstration vehicle wheeled) and then the Experimentalfahrzeug Rad (8×8), meaning experimental vehicle wheeled (8×8). It finally received the name Radpanzer 90, and it is known as the Radkampfwagen 90 in War Thunder. The final production model was completed in 1986. It featured a rear-mounted engine, had an independent suspension for the wheels, and the turret was that of the Leopard 1A3. The Radpanzer 90 never entered service, but the information gathered from the program was later used in the development of the GTK Boxer wheeled vehicle.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Radkampfwagen 90 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Radkampfwagen 90 Tank Review - Napalmratte

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

• [Devblog] Radkampfwagen 90: A leopard on wheels

Bibliography

• Radpanzer 90. (2020, February 22). In Wikipedia. https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radpanzer_90&oldid=197067150