On the 30th of January 2018, starting from 8:00 CET (29th of January, 11 PM PST), the Open Beta servers will not be available for 4 hours due to the application of Update 0.23.4374



Please note that the Account Reset feature will be permanently disabled when this update goes live.

 
 

Ranked Battles

With the launch of this update, we are introducing the new Rank Battle mode. You can read more about it in our preview.

More information will be disclosed in a separate article.

New Vehicles

We are introducing the following vehicles:

• ST1 Tier 8 Progression Tank Destroyer (read more)
• Abrams AGDS Tier 9 Premium Tank Destroyer (reward for the Storyline Campaign, read more)

AI ATGM Changes

• ATGM rate of fire for all AI opponents reduced by 20 percent (with the exception of T-15 that gets a reduction of 60%)

Changes to Special Medals

We’ve made adjustments to some of the Special Medals currently available in the game to bring them more in line with the level of difficulty they were designed for. As such:

• Steel Sword will now require 7 to 9 kills (up from 5 to 8)
• Bronze Sword will now require 10 to 13 kills (up from 9 to 13)
• Iron Hawk will now require 10 spotted vehicles (up from 9)
• Iron Dragon will now require a player to deal at least 33 percent the total hitpoints of all enemies (down from 50 percent)

Important Changes and Fixes

• Fixed a number of game crashes, including the one happening when players attempted to change visual camouflage or when switching the tanks on the carousel
• Fixed the bugged (too low) PELE round damage for Wilk XC8
• Fixed the bugged kinetic shells on Type 80-II, ERC 90 and T-80 (their penetration of sloped surfaces was worse than that of other comparable rounds)
• Fixed the AI opponent ATGM behavior (AI opponents with multiple weapon systems will no longer only fire ATGMs)
• Fixed the black textures that appeared on multiple maps
• Fixed the missing platoon icons in battle and on the loading screen
• Reduced the amount of Reputation required for unlocking Tier 1 vehicle upgrades by 25%
• Reduced the amount of Reputation required to unlock Tier 2 vehicles to 1200 and Tier 3 vehicles to 6000
• Fixed a bug that caused the FV721 Fox and Fox Shark to not load ATGMs properly
• Fixed the bugged Type 79 armor

Vehicle Changes

• OT-64A Cobra now has the AFV “Designate Target” active ability
• Fixed multiple issues in the M1128 Stryker armor model
• Fixed the Chieftain 900 ammo rack model (previously, the bustle ammo rack was unintentionally missing from the vehicle)
• Fixed the T-64AV Hunter ammo rack model (a small ammo rack on the left side behind the frontal armor was missing)
• Fixed the bug that caused WWO Wilk cage armor to not work at all
• Fixed a bug with the spaced armor of the M8 Buford, causing it to behave incorrectly
• Fixed the incorrect upgraded side armor of the M8 Thunderbolt II
• Fixed the bug where the M1A2 SEP V3 Abrams gun breech and loader crewmember modules were missing (making them impossible to knock out)
• Fixed the turret ring damage model on WWO Wilk
• Fixed the missing fuel tank module on Challenger 2 after installing the upgraded armor kit
• Fixed the BMPT-72 autoloader module collision model, causing the autoloader to become damaged even when it shouldn’t have
• Fixed the incorrect mantlet thickness for Type 85-IIM (the canvas on top of the gun provided protection equivalent to 250mm of armor)

Other Changes

• Fixed the Spec Ops “Caribbean Crisis” camouflage on the following vehicles: Expeditionary Tank, Dragoon 300, FV433 Abbot, FV433 Abbot VE, LAV-150, Т-72B, Taifun II, Type 62, XM800T
• Fixed a bug where, in the third mission of the first Special Operation, players could sometimes see black artifacts on water
• Fixed the incorrect PvE Ricochet mission textures and objects appearing on the map
• Fixed the tutorial access to player’s Dossier
• Fixed the appearance of Spec Ops achievement icons in Dossier
• Fixed the incorrect behavior of AI opponents (some of them were “shaking” from left to right while standing on solid ground)
• Fixed the Roughneck (GLOPS) music score that ended prematurely
• Fixed the incorrect Wiesel HOT Wolf smoke grenade launcher textures
• Fixed the smoke and fire effects on ZBL-08
• Fixed the Dragoon 300 90 headlamps texture
• Fixed the T92 and T92 ACAV track model
• Fixed the incorrect FV721 Fox smoke effect
• Fixed the bugged M108 breech internal module (it wasn’t rotating with the turret)
• Fixed the bugged visual model for Centauro 120 and Centauro 120 Wolf gun sights
• Fixed the bugged Black Eagle track model
• Fixed the bugged BMD-2 and T-80U ammo rack explosion effect, causing the explosion to appear on an incorrect place
• Fixed the bugged WWO Wilk and BMPT Prototype visual model (camouflage not appearing where it should)
• Fixed the Chieftain Mk.6 incorrect textures of the backpacks and boxes carried on the turret
• Fixed the bugged Ramka-99 hull grenade launcher textures
• Fixed the M48A3 tracks that started to appear completely black on the destroyed vehicle model
• Fixed the position of commander and gunner sights on the Sabre AFV
• Fixed the bugged track texture of the Chieftain Mk.2 and the Chieftain Mk.10
• Fixed the bug where the destroyed model of the Scorpion 90 could be shot through
• Fixed the bugged track model on the T92 and the T92 ACAV
• Fixed the missing gun fire flame visual effect on the AMX 10 RCR Bastille Day
• Fixed the bugged shovel models on many vehicles – the tools (shovels, pickaxes) had incorrect black textures
• Fixed the broken gun model on the Chieftain Mk.10 destroyed model (the gun was levitating)
• Fixed the M60A3 ICE physical model (a part of it was missing, making the vehicle impossible to damage when firing at certain spots)
• Fixed the T-72A roadwheel and drive sprocket textures
• Fixed the Leopard 2A4 Evolution destroyed vehicle visual model
• Fixed the visual model holes in the Object 640 turret
• Fixed the M551 Sheridan incorrect dark textures and icon
• Fixed the Merkava IID destroyed vehicle model (multiple smaller issues)
• Fixed the Leopard 2AV China model on lowest details
• Removed the excessive mud from VBR wheels in the garage
• Fixed the bug where rotating a camera in first person view on the Swingfire produces a turret rotating sound even though the vehicle has no turret
• Fixed the BMP-1 missile texture
• Fixed the incorrect M456A1 HEAT shell icon
• Fixed the appearance of vehicle models on minimum graphics settings
• Fixed the appearance of fog when using simplified render
• Fixed the transition button from Retrofits to Upgrades screens
• Fixed the Reputation and Global Reputation tooltip to show correct values
• Fixed the giant rank icon sometimes appearing in the Barracks window
• Fixed the initial Caribbean Crisis game loading screen not appearing properly
• Fixed several smaller Garage UI issues like font sizes, layers etc.
• Added the correct Wildcard voiceovers to all Global Operations maps
• Fixed the bug where wildcard bombers were bombing a slightly different place than indicated on the minimap
• Fixed the Type 99A and Type 99A2 gun textures
• Fixed the T-14 Armata visual gun model
• Fixed a special sound effect when switching on the night vision mode (on the maps that support it)
• Fixed the T-62M headlight texture
• Fixed the Kampfpanzer 70 smoke effect
• Fixed the bug where M1A1 optics become black after applying any camouflage
• Ingame premium version of the ZBD-86 no longer appears with level 5 crew upon purchase (this was an unintentional bug)

On the 30th of January 2018, starting from 8:00 CET (29th of January, 11 PM PST), the Open Beta servers will not be available for 4 hours due to the application of Update 0.23.4374



Please note that the Account Reset feature will be permanently disabled when this update goes live.

 
 

Ranked Battles

With the launch of this update, we are introducing the new Rank Battle mode. You can read more about it in our preview.

More information will be disclosed in a separate article.

New Vehicles

We are introducing the following vehicles:

• ST1 Tier 8 Progression Tank Destroyer (read more)
• Abrams AGDS Tier 9 Premium Tank Destroyer (reward for the Storyline Campaign, read more)

AI ATGM Changes

• ATGM rate of fire for all AI opponents reduced by 20 percent (with the exception of T-15 that gets a reduction of 60%)

Changes to Special Medals

We’ve made adjustments to some of the Special Medals currently available in the game to bring them more in line with the level of difficulty they were designed for. As such:

• Steel Sword will now require 7 to 9 kills (up from 5 to 8)
• Bronze Sword will now require 10 to 13 kills (up from 9 to 13)
• Iron Hawk will now require 10 spotted vehicles (up from 9)
• Iron Dragon will now require a player to deal at least 33 percent the total hitpoints of all enemies (down from 50 percent)

Important Changes and Fixes

• Fixed a number of game crashes, including the one happening when players attempted to change visual camouflage or when switching the tanks on the carousel
• Fixed the bugged (too low) PELE round damage for Wilk XC8
• Fixed the bugged kinetic shells on Type 80-II, ERC 90 and T-80 (their penetration of sloped surfaces was worse than that of other comparable rounds)
• Fixed the AI opponent ATGM behavior (AI opponents with multiple weapon systems will no longer only fire ATGMs)
• Fixed the black textures that appeared on multiple maps
• Fixed the missing platoon icons in battle and on the loading screen
• Reduced the amount of Reputation required for unlocking Tier 1 vehicle upgrades by 25%
• Reduced the amount of Reputation required to unlock Tier 2 vehicles to 1200 and Tier 3 vehicles to 6000
• Fixed a bug that caused the FV721 Fox and Fox Shark to not load ATGMs properly
• Fixed the bugged Type 79 armor

Vehicle Changes

• OT-64A Cobra now has the AFV “Designate Target” active ability
• Fixed multiple issues in the M1128 Stryker armor model
• Fixed the Chieftain 900 ammo rack model (previously, the bustle ammo rack was unintentionally missing from the vehicle)
• Fixed the T-64AV Hunter ammo rack model (a small ammo rack on the left side behind the frontal armor was missing)
• Fixed the bug that caused WWO Wilk cage armor to not work at all
• Fixed a bug with the spaced armor of the M8 Buford, causing it to behave incorrectly
• Fixed the incorrect upgraded side armor of the M8 Thunderbolt II
• Fixed the bug where the M1A2 SEP V3 Abrams gun breech and loader crewmember modules were missing (making them impossible to knock out)
• Fixed the turret ring damage model on WWO Wilk
• Fixed the missing fuel tank module on Challenger 2 after installing the upgraded armor kit
• Fixed the BMPT-72 autoloader module collision model, causing the autoloader to become damaged even when it shouldn’t have
• Fixed the incorrect mantlet thickness for Type 85-IIM (the canvas on top of the gun provided protection equivalent to 250mm of armor)

Other Changes

• Fixed the Spec Ops “Caribbean Crisis” camouflage on the following vehicles: Expeditionary Tank, Dragoon 300, FV433 Abbot, FV433 Abbot VE, LAV-150, Т-72B, Taifun II, Type 62, XM800T
• Fixed a bug where, in the third mission of the first Special Operation, players could sometimes see black artifacts on water
• Fixed the incorrect PvE Ricochet mission textures and objects appearing on the map
• Fixed the tutorial access to player’s Dossier
• Fixed the appearance of Spec Ops achievement icons in Dossier
• Fixed the incorrect behavior of AI opponents (some of them were “shaking” from left to right while standing on solid ground)
• Fixed the Roughneck (GLOPS) music score that ended prematurely
• Fixed the incorrect Wiesel HOT Wolf smoke grenade launcher textures
• Fixed the smoke and fire effects on ZBL-08
• Fixed the Dragoon 300 90 headlamps texture
• Fixed the T92 and T92 ACAV track model
• Fixed the incorrect FV721 Fox smoke effect
• Fixed the bugged M108 breech internal module (it wasn’t rotating with the turret)
• Fixed the bugged visual model for Centauro 120 and Centauro 120 Wolf gun sights
• Fixed the bugged Black Eagle track model
• Fixed the bugged BMD-2 and T-80U ammo rack explosion effect, causing the explosion to appear on an incorrect place
• Fixed the bugged WWO Wilk and BMPT Prototype visual model (camouflage not appearing where it should)
• Fixed the Chieftain Mk.6 incorrect textures of the backpacks and boxes carried on the turret
• Fixed the bugged Ramka-99 hull grenade launcher textures
• Fixed the M48A3 tracks that started to appear completely black on the destroyed vehicle model
• Fixed the position of commander and gunner sights on the Sabre AFV
• Fixed the bugged track texture of the Chieftain Mk.2 and the Chieftain Mk.10
• Fixed the bug where the destroyed model of the Scorpion 90 could be shot through
• Fixed the bugged track model on the T92 and the T92 ACAV
• Fixed the missing gun fire flame visual effect on the AMX 10 RCR Bastille Day
• Fixed the bugged shovel models on many vehicles – the tools (shovels, pickaxes) had incorrect black textures
• Fixed the broken gun model on the Chieftain Mk.10 destroyed model (the gun was levitating)
• Fixed the M60A3 ICE physical model (a part of it was missing, making the vehicle impossible to damage when firing at certain spots)
• Fixed the T-72A roadwheel and drive sprocket textures
• Fixed the Leopard 2A4 Evolution destroyed vehicle visual model
• Fixed the visual model holes in the Object 640 turret
• Fixed the M551 Sheridan incorrect dark textures and icon
• Fixed the Merkava IID destroyed vehicle model (multiple smaller issues)
• Fixed the Leopard 2AV China model on lowest details
• Removed the excessive mud from VBR wheels in the garage
• Fixed the bug where rotating a camera in first person view on the Swingfire produces a turret rotating sound even though the vehicle has no turret
• Fixed the BMP-1 missile texture
• Fixed the incorrect M456A1 HEAT shell icon
• Fixed the appearance of vehicle models on minimum graphics settings
• Fixed the appearance of fog when using simplified render
• Fixed the transition button from Retrofits to Upgrades screens
• Fixed the Reputation and Global Reputation tooltip to show correct values
• Fixed the giant rank icon sometimes appearing in the Barracks window
• Fixed the initial Caribbean Crisis game loading screen not appearing properly
• Fixed several smaller Garage UI issues like font sizes, layers etc.
• Added the correct Wildcard voiceovers to all Global Operations maps
• Fixed the bug where wildcard bombers were bombing a slightly different place than indicated on the minimap
• Fixed the Type 99A and Type 99A2 gun textures
• Fixed the T-14 Armata visual gun model
• Fixed a special sound effect when switching on the night vision mode (on the maps that support it)
• Fixed the T-62M headlight texture
• Fixed the Kampfpanzer 70 smoke effect
• Fixed the bug where M1A1 optics become black after applying any camouflage
• Ingame premium version of the ZBD-86 no longer appears with level 5 crew upon purchase (this was an unintentional bug)

The Type 90-II Chinese Main Battle Tank prototype is a rather interesting piece of Chinese machinery, built, unlike many of the previous Chinese vehicles, from scratch instead of by upgrading some older, obsolete design.



But, as is common for the Chinese tanks of the 1970s and 1980s, its development is somewhat shrouded in mystery and confusing reports appear on numerous Chinese and western websites and in other publications.

For one, the Type 90 MBT was not an evolution of the Type 85, although it used the same weapon system. It was basically a new attempt for a third generation tank based on the lessons learned from a T-72 that the Chinese had acquired earlier in the 1980s from Romania. While the whole vehicle had the typical Chinese shapes of the late 1980s and 1990s, when China moved away from the classic Type 59-style cast turret and replaced it with a new welded one, the suspension is different from that of the Type 85 series and can be traced back to the abovementioned T-72.

Secondly, the Type 90 was built for export – specifically, the export to Pakistan. Its internal name was BW123 – the BW part signified specifically an export vehicle (WZ was used for domestic ones). In other words, it was not designed as a third generation MBT for Chinese use, that role eventually fell to Type 96 and Type 99 MBTs.

By the time a prototype called Type 90-II was introduced in 1991, Pakistan had already ordered around 200 Chinese Type 85-IIAP tanks but there was always room for a better deal and a lot of the Pakistani experience went into the design of the original Type 90-II.

The Type 90-II prototype, developed by NORINCO, weighed 48 tons and had a crew of three. It was basically a mashup of older Chinese technologies from Type 80 and Type 85 MBTs and Soviet upgrades.



It was armed with a copy of the Soviet 125mm 2A46 smoothbore called Type 83 with a carousel autoloading mechanism reverse-engineered from the Romanian T-72 that had roughly the same performance as its Soviet counterpart. The rate of fire was between 6 and 8 rounds per minute and the gun could fire the same type of ammunition as the Soviet one with APFSDS, HEAT and HE rounds being the standard loadout. The vehicle carried 39 rounds.

Some sources claim that the vehicle could also fire gun-launched guided missiles, specifically a copy of the Soviet 9K119 Refleks system. It’s possible, but, given the fact that:

• The installation of such system onto a tank is not a matter of just bolting it together and ramming a guided missile shell into the gun barrel
• The vehicle was, instead, equipped with a fire control system comparable to the Type 85-IIM with a laser rangefinder and a two-axis stabilizer, which did not feature the missile firing capability

That’s likely not the case.

The base armor of the vehicle was from steel but layers of composite were added to the turret and hull front. The exact protection levels are not known but are assumed to be roughly the same as a base T-72 model. Somewhere along the line, an explosive reactive armor kit came along, but it was not present on the base Type 90-II model.

The engine choice was somewhat unique. Instead of powering their new creation with a standard Chinese engine of the era, the Chinese offered a wide scale of imported engines and transmissions for the vehicle with the baseline being the Ukrainian 6TD diesel from Kharkov producing some 1200hp. This made the vehicle quite fast; its maximum speed was 62 km/h, not a bad value for its 48 tons.



Other engines have been tested as well, however, including:

• British Perkins Condor CV12 engine from the Challenger MBT (also producing 1200hp)
• German MTU diesel engine (allegedly)
• French 1500 diesel engine (allegedly)

Here’s where things get really hazy. The Pakistanis apparently didn’t like first prototype all too much. Some sources claim an improved version called the Type-90-IIA with French engine didn’t go through either due to the French embargo on Pakistan following the 1998 nuclear tests.

The Pakistanis, at this point, also became more involved in the vehicle development, which eventually led to an improved version called Type 90-IIM, more commonly known under the name MBT-2000, that Pakistan purchased and mass-produced from 2001 under the name of Al-Khalid, but that was a different vehicle from the early Type 90-II prototype and would likely deserve a slot of its own in the game.

The Type 90-II therefore became an origin point of a whole line of export MBTs from the 1990s and 2000s, including:

• MBT-2000 (Al Khalid)
• VT-1A

While several hundred VT-1As and MBT-2000s were produced, the Type 90-II itself remained a prototype vehicle only.



In Armored Warfare, the Type 90-II is a Tier 6 Main Battle Tank of the Zhang-Feng branch. Unlike its predecessors, it can fire guided missiles and does have an ERA kit available for additional protection. It also features both the experimental diesel engines (the British Condor and the Ukrainian 6TD).

Gameplay-wise, mid-Tier Chinese vehicles behave like Russian tanks, but with more focus on single shot damage at the expense of mobility. These tanks are generally sluggish and not well-protected, but pack quite a punch. The Type 90-II is no exception, sticking to the standard early Chinese MBT gameplay.

We hope you like it and will see you on the battlefield!

The Type 90-II Chinese Main Battle Tank prototype is a rather interesting piece of Chinese machinery, built, unlike many of the previous Chinese vehicles, from scratch instead of by upgrading some older, obsolete design.



But, as is common for the Chinese tanks of the 1970s and 1980s, its development is somewhat shrouded in mystery and confusing reports appear on numerous Chinese and western websites and in other publications.

For one, the Type 90 MBT was not an evolution of the Type 85, although it used the same weapon system. It was basically a new attempt for a third generation tank based on the lessons learned from a T-72 that the Chinese had acquired earlier in the 1980s from Romania. While the whole vehicle had the typical Chinese shapes of the late 1980s and 1990s, when China moved away from the classic Type 59-style cast turret and replaced it with a new welded one, the suspension is different from that of the Type 85 series and can be traced back to the abovementioned T-72.

Secondly, the Type 90 was built for export – specifically, the export to Pakistan. Its internal name was BW123 – the BW part signified specifically an export vehicle (WZ was used for domestic ones). In other words, it was not designed as a third generation MBT for Chinese use, that role eventually fell to Type 96 and Type 99 MBTs.

By the time a prototype called Type 90-II was introduced in 1991, Pakistan had already ordered around 200 Chinese Type 85-IIAP tanks but there was always room for a better deal and a lot of the Pakistani experience went into the design of the original Type 90-II.

The Type 90-II prototype, developed by NORINCO, weighed 48 tons and had a crew of three. It was basically a mashup of older Chinese technologies from Type 80 and Type 85 MBTs and Soviet upgrades.



It was armed with a copy of the Soviet 125mm 2A46 smoothbore called Type 83 with a carousel autoloading mechanism reverse-engineered from the Romanian T-72 that had roughly the same performance as its Soviet counterpart. The rate of fire was between 6 and 8 rounds per minute and the gun could fire the same type of ammunition as the Soviet one with APFSDS, HEAT and HE rounds being the standard loadout. The vehicle carried 39 rounds.

Some sources claim that the vehicle could also fire gun-launched guided missiles, specifically a copy of the Soviet 9K119 Refleks system. It’s possible, but, given the fact that:

• The installation of such system onto a tank is not a matter of just bolting it together and ramming a guided missile shell into the gun barrel
• The vehicle was, instead, equipped with a fire control system comparable to the Type 85-IIM with a laser rangefinder and a two-axis stabilizer, which did not feature the missile firing capability

That’s likely not the case.

The base armor of the vehicle was from steel but layers of composite were added to the turret and hull front. The exact protection levels are not known but are assumed to be roughly the same as a base T-72 model. Somewhere along the line, an explosive reactive armor kit came along, but it was not present on the base Type 90-II model.

The engine choice was somewhat unique. Instead of powering their new creation with a standard Chinese engine of the era, the Chinese offered a wide scale of imported engines and transmissions for the vehicle with the baseline being the Ukrainian 6TD diesel from Kharkov producing some 1200hp. This made the vehicle quite fast; its maximum speed was 62 km/h, not a bad value for its 48 tons.



Other engines have been tested as well, however, including:

• British Perkins Condor CV12 engine from the Challenger MBT (also producing 1200hp)
• German MTU diesel engine (allegedly)
• French 1500 diesel engine (allegedly)

Here’s where things get really hazy. The Pakistanis apparently didn’t like first prototype all too much. Some sources claim an improved version called the Type-90-IIA with French engine didn’t go through either due to the French embargo on Pakistan following the 1998 nuclear tests.

The Pakistanis, at this point, also became more involved in the vehicle development, which eventually led to an improved version called Type 90-IIM, more commonly known under the name MBT-2000, that Pakistan purchased and mass-produced from 2001 under the name of Al-Khalid, but that was a different vehicle from the early Type 90-II prototype and would likely deserve a slot of its own in the game.

The Type 90-II therefore became an origin point of a whole line of export MBTs from the 1990s and 2000s, including:

• MBT-2000 (Al Khalid)
• VT-1A

While several hundred VT-1As and MBT-2000s were produced, the Type 90-II itself remained a prototype vehicle only.



In Armored Warfare, the Type 90-II is a Tier 6 Main Battle Tank of the Zhang-Feng branch. Unlike its predecessors, it can fire guided missiles and does have an ERA kit available for additional protection. It also features both the experimental diesel engines (the British Condor and the Ukrainian 6TD).

Gameplay-wise, mid-Tier Chinese vehicles behave like Russian tanks, but with more focus on single shot damage at the expense of mobility. These tanks are generally sluggish and not well-protected, but pack quite a punch. The Type 90-II is no exception, sticking to the standard early Chinese MBT gameplay.

We hope you like it and will see you on the battlefield!

Commanders!

The Merc edition is back and this time, for good. It consists of five different vehicles, each with its unique play style – anyone can found their ideal machine amongst the Merc vehicles!



Starting today, the following MERC vehicles will be available permanently (including for Gold) in the Web Shop:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank

The Merc vehicles come with Level 5 crew and unique camouflage – don’t miss them! The following two vehicles also become available for Gold:

• BMD-2 Black Eagle Tier 5 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle
• Stingray 2 Black Eagle Tier 7 Premium Light Tank

 
 

Between January 26 and January 30, 2018, the following missions will be active:

• Win 3 battles in any mode to receive 3 Synthetic Oil consumables
• Win 7 battles in any mode to receive a Platinum Loot Crate

Additionally, from January 26 to February 9, 2018, the abovementioned MERC Vehicles will be available in the following special bundles:

 
 

The LAV-150 90 is a four-wheeled light fighting vehicle by Cadillac Gage. Originally designed as an affordable, all-steel multi-purpose scout, the Commando, as it's also known, received new teeth in the form of a 90mm Cockerill cannon. This unusually powerful weapon for its Tier allows the LAV-150 to knock out a wide variety of targets – including tanks.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 13% discount, containing:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 3 days of Premium Time
• 3 Gold Loot Crates

 

 

 
 

The 2S14 Zhalo-S is an experimental light, highly mobile, Soviet self-propelled gun from the 1980s. It is armed with an 85mm cannon on a BTR-70 wheeled chassis. Despite its unusually low caliber, the gun was very capable of defeating older vehicles, but it lacked the penetration of 125mm guns, a fact that ultimately doomed the project. The surviving prototype is currently located in the Kubinka Tank Museum.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 20% discount, containing:

• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 7 days of Premium Time
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 2 Platinum Loot Crates
• 500 Gold

 


 
 

The AMX-10P PAC 90 is a fire support variant of the French AMX-10P tracked infantry fighting vehicle. Designed in the late 1960s, the AMX-10P served in the French military for more than three decades before being officially replaced by the VBCI in 2008. In Armored Warfare, the AMX-10P PAC 90 Fox is a Tier 4 Tank Destroyer. The 90mm GIAT gun gives this AMX-10P a serious punch and makes it a dangerous opponent for all vehicles around its Tier in Armored Warfare. It is also very light and agile, making it a suitable introduction to the Tank Destroyer class for every player.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 20% discount, containing:

• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 7 days of Premium Time
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 2 Platinum Loot Crates
• 500 Gold

 

 
 
 

Germany and the United States cooperated in the 1960s and 70s to create the ultimate Main Battle Tank to replace the aging Patton tank series in service. The MBT-70 prototype tank was the U.S. result of the development program. It was exceptionally well armed with a 152mm gun, capable of firing guided missiles and equipped with cutting edge technology, but high costs and endless delays in development led to the cancellation of this project and the subsequent adoption of a more reasonable design – the Abrams.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 21% discount, containing:

• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 10 Gold Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 15 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 1.100 Gold

Prime Bundle with 32% discount, containing:

• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• 15 Platinum Loot Crates
• 15 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 50 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 2.200 Gold

 

 

 
 

When it was designed, the VFM Light Tank by Vickers was expected to be a success. Produced for export, it was just what customers required – MBT-level firepower (thanks to its 105mm Royal Ordnance L7 gun) on a light, tracked and – most importantly – affordable chassis. What the designers at Vickers didn’t anticipate was the end of the Cold War, which flooded the market with surplus cheap armor, sealing the fate of this otherwise excellent vehicle.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 21% discount, containing:

• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 10 Gold Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 15 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 1.100 Gold

Prime Bundle with 32% discount, containing:

• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank
• 15 Platinum Loot Crates
• 15 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 50 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 2.200 Gold

 

 

Two bundles with multiple Merc vehicles are also available:



Small Merc Bundle with 33% discount, containing:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 15 Platinum Loot Crates
• 15 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 30 days of Premium Time
• 2.500 Gold

Large Merc Bundle with 44% discount, containing:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank
• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• 50 Platinum Loot Crates
• 50 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 10.000 Gold

 

 

Please note:

• This event starts on January 26, 16:00 CET (7 AM PST)
• This event ends on February 9, 16:00 CET (7 AM PST)
• Every bundle can only be purchased once per account
• Every bundle is delivered either to the EU server or to the NA server, based on your server selection
• If you already owned a bundle vehicle, you will instead receive its Compensation Value in Gold instead

We hope that you will enjoy this offer and will see you on the battlefield!

Commanders!

The Merc edition is back and this time, for good. It consists of five different vehicles, each with its unique play style – anyone can found their ideal machine amongst the Merc vehicles!



Starting today, the following MERC vehicles will be available permanently (including for Gold) in the Web Shop:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank

The Merc vehicles come with Level 5 crew and unique camouflage – don’t miss them! The following two vehicles also become available for Gold:

• BMD-2 Black Eagle Tier 5 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle
• Stingray 2 Black Eagle Tier 7 Premium Light Tank

 
 

Between January 26 and January 30, 2018, the following missions will be active:

• Win 3 battles in any mode to receive 3 Synthetic Oil consumables
• Win 7 battles in any mode to receive a Platinum Loot Crate

Additionally, from January 26 to February 9, 2018, the abovementioned MERC Vehicles will be available in the following special bundles:

 
 

The LAV-150 90 is a four-wheeled light fighting vehicle by Cadillac Gage. Originally designed as an affordable, all-steel multi-purpose scout, the Commando, as it's also known, received new teeth in the form of a 90mm Cockerill cannon. This unusually powerful weapon for its Tier allows the LAV-150 to knock out a wide variety of targets – including tanks.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 13% discount, containing:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 3 days of Premium Time
• 3 Gold Loot Crates

 

 

 
 

The 2S14 Zhalo-S is an experimental light, highly mobile, Soviet self-propelled gun from the 1980s. It is armed with an 85mm cannon on a BTR-70 wheeled chassis. Despite its unusually low caliber, the gun was very capable of defeating older vehicles, but it lacked the penetration of 125mm guns, a fact that ultimately doomed the project. The surviving prototype is currently located in the Kubinka Tank Museum.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 20% discount, containing:

• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 7 days of Premium Time
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 2 Platinum Loot Crates
• 500 Gold

 


 
 

The AMX-10P PAC 90 is a fire support variant of the French AMX-10P tracked infantry fighting vehicle. Designed in the late 1960s, the AMX-10P served in the French military for more than three decades before being officially replaced by the VBCI in 2008. In Armored Warfare, the AMX-10P PAC 90 Fox is a Tier 4 Tank Destroyer. The 90mm GIAT gun gives this AMX-10P a serious punch and makes it a dangerous opponent for all vehicles around its Tier in Armored Warfare. It is also very light and agile, making it a suitable introduction to the Tank Destroyer class for every player.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 20% discount, containing:

• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 7 days of Premium Time
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 2 Platinum Loot Crates
• 500 Gold

 

 
 
 

Germany and the United States cooperated in the 1960s and 70s to create the ultimate Main Battle Tank to replace the aging Patton tank series in service. The MBT-70 prototype tank was the U.S. result of the development program. It was exceptionally well armed with a 152mm gun, capable of firing guided missiles and equipped with cutting edge technology, but high costs and endless delays in development led to the cancellation of this project and the subsequent adoption of a more reasonable design – the Abrams.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 21% discount, containing:

• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 10 Gold Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 15 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 1.100 Gold

Prime Bundle with 32% discount, containing:

• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• 15 Platinum Loot Crates
• 15 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 50 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 2.200 Gold

 

 

 
 

When it was designed, the VFM Light Tank by Vickers was expected to be a success. Produced for export, it was just what customers required – MBT-level firepower (thanks to its 105mm Royal Ordnance L7 gun) on a light, tracked and – most importantly – affordable chassis. What the designers at Vickers didn’t anticipate was the end of the Cold War, which flooded the market with surplus cheap armor, sealing the fate of this otherwise excellent vehicle.



Aside from the permanent offer (including the one from Gold), It is available in the following bundles:

Improved Bundle with 21% discount, containing:

• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank
• 5 Gold Loot Crates
• 10 Gold Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 15 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 15 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 1.100 Gold

Prime Bundle with 32% discount, containing:

• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank
• 15 Platinum Loot Crates
• 15 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 50 Gold Crew Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Commander Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Reputation Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Credits Insignia tokens
• 50 Gold Global Reputation Insignia tokens
• 2.200 Gold

 

 

Two bundles with multiple Merc vehicles are also available:



Small Merc Bundle with 33% discount, containing:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• 15 Platinum Loot Crates
• 15 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 30 days of Premium Time
• 2.500 Gold

Large Merc Bundle with 44% discount, containing:

• LAV-150 90 Merc Tier 3 Premium Tank Destroyer
• Zhalo-S Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• AMX-10P PAC 90 Merc Tier 4 Premium Tank Destroyer
• VFM5 Merc Tier 6 Premium Light Tank
• MBT-70 Merc Tier 6 Premium Main Battle Tank
• 50 Platinum Loot Crates
• 50 Platinum Battlefield Glory 12-hour Boost Tokens
• 10.000 Gold

 

 

Please note:

• This event starts on January 26, 16:00 CET (7 AM PST)
• This event ends on February 9, 16:00 CET (7 AM PST)
• Every bundle can only be purchased once per account
• Every bundle is delivered either to the EU server or to the NA server, based on your server selection
• If you already owned a bundle vehicle, you will instead receive its Compensation Value in Gold instead

We hope that you will enjoy this offer and will see you on the battlefield!

The Type 79 Main Battle Tank is the ultimate mass-produced evolution of the Type 69 – while the vehicle is also sometimes designated as Type 69-III, enough upgrades have been added to it to earn it a new name.



The Type 79 basically starts where the Type 69 left off – with a twist. The first thing to mention when discussing the Chinese armor upgrades and proposals of the late 1970s and the early 1980s is the thawing of the relations between China and the West, including the United States of America. The decade-long Vietnam War was put aside in favor of the improvement of the relationships and, as one of the results, China gained access to previously restricted western technologies. Not all of them of course, but where diplomacy failed, subterfuge and espionage were often successfully employed to get the Chinese military what it wanted.

One of the top items on the Chinese shopping list was the famous British Royal Ordnance 105mm L7 rifled tank cannon. Widely used by NATO in one form or another, it was a weapon to be reckoned with, completely outclassing the old generation of Soviet T-54/55 Main Battle Tanks. Naturally, since the Type 59 and Type 69 both were based on the Type 59 MBT, which in turn was a T-54A copy, the Chinese were very keen on obtaining the weapon for themselves and to arm their tanks with something similar.

And so, in the late 1970s, they managed to set up a bogus Austrian trade company and purchase at least one of these guns for themselves. This approach would not work for the much closely guarded 120mm smoothbore but for the time being, the Chinese were satisfied. The gun was wrapped up, shipped to China and promptly examined and copied by the Chinese experts from NORINCO.



The result was a weapon called Type 83 rifled cannon, roughly comparable in performance to the L7. And, since the gun was rather compact, there was no reason not to use it to re-arm the Type 69-II version to further increase its firepower.

The initial version was, as stated above, registered as a sub-variant of the Type 69 MBT designated Type 69-III. Chronologically, it was in fact the first attempt to mass produce a major vehicle upgrade based on western technologies along with no fewer than 42 new or improved domestic elements.

The Type 69-III was, in core, the same vehicle as the Type 69-II, featuring steel armor on both the hull and the turret – the hull sloped armor was, once again, only 100mm thick (albeit under a favorable slope) while the turret front was approximately 200mm thick. The protection level was, however, improved by the installation of:

• NBC system (overpressure-based)
• Automatic fire suppression system with the detection time of 10ms and reaction time of 60ms
• Improved smoke generator from the Type 69-II

Additionally, the vehicle was equipped with anti-HEAT side skirt armor.

It was powered by the 580hp 121150L-7BW diesel. This engine, along with its 5-gear gearbox, allowed the 37.5 ton vehicle to go as fast as 50 km/h on roads (30-35 km/h off-road).

The biggest improvement was, once again, its firepower. The tank was armed with the Type 83 rifled gun with a new thermal shroud that could fire NATO standard 105mm shells, including APFSDS, HEAT and HE rounds. The gun was also equipped with a muzzle reference system. The vehicle carried 44 rounds of 105mm ammunition.

The Fire Control System was comparable to the one of the Type 69-II, consisting of:

• TLRLA laser rangefinder (covered ranges from 300m to 3000m)
• BCLA ballistic computer
• TSGA gun sights
• New TSFC twin-axis gun stabilizer

The combination of these technologies allowed the tank to achieve 80 percent accuracy at 1000 meters when firing from short stops, a significant improvement to the previous results. Additionally, the night vision equipment was significantly improved to a second generation one both for the gunner and the driver, significantly improving the tank’s night fighting capabilities.



The first prototype of the Type 69-III MBT was built – or, more specifically, converted – in 1981 while two more prototypes (more advanced ones) were built in 1983. These Type 69-III prototypes went through a rigorous cycle of testing, including:

• Driving tests (at least 1000km were driven both during winter and summer)
• Firepower tests (especially the accuracy)
• Protection tests (including the vehicle’s resistance against electromagnetic interference)

The tests were successful and proved that the vehicle was ready for mass-production, which started in 1984. It appeared in public for the first time on October 1, 1984 during the 35th National Day of the People's Republic of China military parade in Beijing but it took fourteen more months before the tank was formally accepted in service in January 1986 under the name of Type 79.

Unlike the Type 69-II, the Type 79 was not exported and was produced in limited number for domestic use. It was never widespread, however, and the production numbers are estimated to be between 300 and 800 vehicles, some of which remain in service to this day, used mostly by reserve units. It’s worth noting that there was also an experimental vehicle called Type 79-II, featuring advanced technologies such as:

• Thermal imager
• Improved stabilizer
• Improved smoke launcher
• Slat “basket” armor on the turret

A prototype was produced in 1984 but this variant was never produced mass-produced.



In Armored Warfare, the Type 79 is a Tier 3 Main Battle Tank of the Zhang-Feng branch. The Chinese vehicles are somewhat specific in the game by the fact that China caught up with the whole tanks arms race relatively late. As such, the low-Tier vehicles use generally obsolete platforms with better technology. Gameplay-wise, low-to-mid Tier vehicles behave like Russian tanks, but with more focus on single shot damage at the expense of mobility. These tanks are generally sluggish and not well-protected, but pack quite a punch.

We hope you like them and will see you on the battlefield!

The Type 79 Main Battle Tank is the ultimate mass-produced evolution of the Type 69 – while the vehicle is also sometimes designated as Type 69-III, enough upgrades have been added to it to earn it a new name.



The Type 79 basically starts where the Type 69 left off – with a twist. The first thing to mention when discussing the Chinese armor upgrades and proposals of the late 1970s and the early 1980s is the thawing of the relations between China and the West, including the United States of America. The decade-long Vietnam War was put aside in favor of the improvement of the relationships and, as one of the results, China gained access to previously restricted western technologies. Not all of them of course, but where diplomacy failed, subterfuge and espionage were often successfully employed to get the Chinese military what it wanted.

One of the top items on the Chinese shopping list was the famous British Royal Ordnance 105mm L7 rifled tank cannon. Widely used by NATO in one form or another, it was a weapon to be reckoned with, completely outclassing the old generation of Soviet T-54/55 Main Battle Tanks. Naturally, since the Type 59 and Type 69 both were based on the Type 59 MBT, which in turn was a T-54A copy, the Chinese were very keen on obtaining the weapon for themselves and to arm their tanks with something similar.

And so, in the late 1970s, they managed to set up a bogus Austrian trade company and purchase at least one of these guns for themselves. This approach would not work for the much closely guarded 120mm smoothbore but for the time being, the Chinese were satisfied. The gun was wrapped up, shipped to China and promptly examined and copied by the Chinese experts from NORINCO.



The result was a weapon called Type 83 rifled cannon, roughly comparable in performance to the L7. And, since the gun was rather compact, there was no reason not to use it to re-arm the Type 69-II version to further increase its firepower.

The initial version was, as stated above, registered as a sub-variant of the Type 69 MBT designated Type 69-III. Chronologically, it was in fact the first attempt to mass produce a major vehicle upgrade based on western technologies along with no fewer than 42 new or improved domestic elements.

The Type 69-III was, in core, the same vehicle as the Type 69-II, featuring steel armor on both the hull and the turret – the hull sloped armor was, once again, only 100mm thick (albeit under a favorable slope) while the turret front was approximately 200mm thick. The protection level was, however, improved by the installation of:

• NBC system (overpressure-based)
• Automatic fire suppression system with the detection time of 10ms and reaction time of 60ms
• Improved smoke generator from the Type 69-II

Additionally, the vehicle was equipped with anti-HEAT side skirt armor.

It was powered by the 580hp 121150L-7BW diesel. This engine, along with its 5-gear gearbox, allowed the 37.5 ton vehicle to go as fast as 50 km/h on roads (30-35 km/h off-road).

The biggest improvement was, once again, its firepower. The tank was armed with the Type 83 rifled gun with a new thermal shroud that could fire NATO standard 105mm shells, including APFSDS, HEAT and HE rounds. The gun was also equipped with a muzzle reference system. The vehicle carried 44 rounds of 105mm ammunition.

The Fire Control System was comparable to the one of the Type 69-II, consisting of:

• TLRLA laser rangefinder (covered ranges from 300m to 3000m)
• BCLA ballistic computer
• TSGA gun sights
• New TSFC twin-axis gun stabilizer

The combination of these technologies allowed the tank to achieve 80 percent accuracy at 1000 meters when firing from short stops, a significant improvement to the previous results. Additionally, the night vision equipment was significantly improved to a second generation one both for the gunner and the driver, significantly improving the tank’s night fighting capabilities.



The first prototype of the Type 69-III MBT was built – or, more specifically, converted – in 1981 while two more prototypes (more advanced ones) were built in 1983. These Type 69-III prototypes went through a rigorous cycle of testing, including:

• Driving tests (at least 1000km were driven both during winter and summer)
• Firepower tests (especially the accuracy)
• Protection tests (including the vehicle’s resistance against electromagnetic interference)

The tests were successful and proved that the vehicle was ready for mass-production, which started in 1984. It appeared in public for the first time on October 1, 1984 during the 35th National Day of the People's Republic of China military parade in Beijing but it took fourteen more months before the tank was formally accepted in service in January 1986 under the name of Type 79.

Unlike the Type 69-II, the Type 79 was not exported and was produced in limited number for domestic use. It was never widespread, however, and the production numbers are estimated to be between 300 and 800 vehicles, some of which remain in service to this day, used mostly by reserve units. It’s worth noting that there was also an experimental vehicle called Type 79-II, featuring advanced technologies such as:

• Thermal imager
• Improved stabilizer
• Improved smoke launcher
• Slat “basket” armor on the turret

A prototype was produced in 1984 but this variant was never produced mass-produced.



In Armored Warfare, the Type 79 is a Tier 3 Main Battle Tank of the Zhang-Feng branch. The Chinese vehicles are somewhat specific in the game by the fact that China caught up with the whole tanks arms race relatively late. As such, the low-Tier vehicles use generally obsolete platforms with better technology. Gameplay-wise, low-to-mid Tier vehicles behave like Russian tanks, but with more focus on single shot damage at the expense of mobility. These tanks are generally sluggish and not well-protected, but pack quite a punch.

We hope you like them and will see you on the battlefield!

Commanders!

In the future, we’ll be introducing a new progression Armored Fighting Vehicle – a heavy wheeled armored car from South Africa called Rooikat. Unlike other vehicles of its class, this one has quite an interesting development history.



Most history books on post-war armor development focus on the clash between NATO and Warsaw Pact designs – but there were other conflicts around the globe. Many were essentially proxy wars in former colonies where both sides were supported by one superpower or another. One example of this was seen in South Africa.

There was conflict in the South-West Africa region, ruled in the early sixties by South Africa. A resistance movement called South-West African People's Organization sprung up (it was founded by Andimba Toivo ya Toivo and Sam Nujoma) and its militant wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), started conducting raids on South-African troops from its bases in Zambia from 1966 as part of an ongoing guerrilla war. In 1968, the region was renamed Namibia and with the 1975 independence of Angola, the guerrilla movement gained more and more power in the area until the war ended in 1990. South-African units struck back by attacking PLAN bases in Angola and the war, at times, became rather bloody. However, at no point were large heavily armored formations involved. The conflict was mostly in the guerrilla war category but the intensity grew during the seventies and eighties and it was then that Rooikat development began.

The war in Namibia was quite different from what military strategists in Europe were expecting. There was no threat from large enemy tank forces – the Namibian rebels had practically no armor. What they had were some obsolete T-34 tanks (a gift from Cuba, which supported the insurgency), some obsolete APCs and a larger number of various technicals and gun trucks, mostly armed with heavy machineguns and low-caliber automatic cannons of Soviet origin. There was no need for the South-Africans to deploy large numbers of tanks in such a conflict – what they actually needed was a vehicle capable of withstanding 23mm (or lighter) fire, since the guerrillas were especially fond of the 23mm ZSU-23-2 twin AA guns, used in a ground support role.

Sometimes the Rooikat vehicle family is referred to as "wheeled tanks" but this is essentially incorrect. It was never designed to fulfill the role of a main battle tank and going up against one with such thin armor would be suicidal and the same goes for certain duties traditionally reserved for tanks - such as line breakthrough missions. On the other hand, the vehicle was supposed to cover large areas so a large operational radius was one of the main requirements (even at the cost of increasing vehicle size to house additional fuel tanks). Size itself was not really an issue – the vehicle did not need to be stealthy because on the dry plains of Africa the biggest unmasking factor was the dust raised by vehicle movement, often visible for miles. As well as ambushes, the vehicle was to be used on combat patrol type missions and during movement the dust was a dead giveaway anyway. However, the large size of the vehicle could actually be helpful in overcoming various obstacles.

The South-African military did not insist on its new vehicle being amphibious (something both the American and Soviet militaries were insisting on) as there was no point in that: the rivers in Africa were either completely dry or (during the rainy season) so wild that they could not be traversed anyway. One thing that was very important to the South Africans was speed. The vehicle had to be able to pursue fleeing Namibian gun trucks and technicals so the vehicle was required to move with at least a speed of 100 km/h – this effectively meant that anything tracked was out of the question. Another advantage to the wheeled design was linked to the mines the Namibians were using. A detracked vehicle is immediately immobilized, while an armored vehicle with more than two wheels per side can keep on moving. As for the armament, the new vehicle was to be equipped with a 76mm to 105mm gun with powerful enough shells to knock out older armor and also to devastate various structures with high explosive shell fire. It was with these requirements that Rooikat development got underway.



The development process started in 1976 with three different vehicles (all using the 8x8 wheel configuration) being presented to the South African military. The first was based on the Ratel IFV, the second on the Eland 90 (itself a modification of the Panhard AML 90) and the third on the Alvis Saracen armored car. All of these prototypes were armed with the 77mm HV gun (originally used on the British Comet cruiser tank in the Second World War). The 1979 tests of all these vehicles, however, resulted in failure (neither vehicle was able to satisfy army demands) and as a result the army started a new program called XDM (eXperimental Development Model). This program was to be concluded in the early eighties.

Numerous prototypes were considered, including:

• 6x6, 22 tons, with a 76mm gun
• 8x8, 24 tons, also with a 76mm gun
• 8x8, 42 tons with a 105mm L7 gun in an Olifant Mk.IB turret (nicknamed Bismarck for its size and turret shape)

Variants with frontal and rear engines were considered and, after a very difficult series of trials, the 8x8 Model 2B rear-engine variant was declared the winner, even though the 105mm gun was considered needlessly powerful. In 1985, another prototype of the vehicle was ordered, this time with a 76mm gun and the plan was to conclude the trials by October 1988. This model was named Rooikat (Caracal in Afrikkans). Five prototypes were built and factory-trialed during the next development stage (named AMD – Advanced Development Model). Phase three (EMD - Engineering Development Model) followed and consisted of four 0-series vehicles intended for official military trials. The EMD phase also aimed to fix any remaining details and issues and to prepare the vehicle for mass-production.

The 28 ton vehicle suspension was of the 8x8 type (although the driver could select 8x4 drive instead) with special attention being paid to driving over landmines – the Rooikat could keep moving even if it lost two wheels on one side. The vehicle was made of steel and could resist Soviet 23mm shell fire. It was powered by a 563hp 10-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 6-gear automatic transmission and could reach up to 120 km/h. It was armed with a 76mm L/62 GT4 gun (based on the OTO Breda Compact design). Using tungsten-core 1610 m/s muzzle velocity APFSDS-T ammunition, this gun could penetrate T-54/55 and T-62 armor from any angle at 2000 meters (its maximum range was 3000 meters).

The Rooikat was produced by the company Reumech, which had earlier produced the 6x6 Ratel IFVs. The turrets were produced by LIW (part of the Denel group). Reumech was the primary supplier, however, and was responsible for marketing and also attempted to offer the vehicle to foreign customers. The first mass-produced Rooikats were built in 1989 and officially entered service in the South African army in 1990.



Times, however, had changed during the 15 years of development. Namibia had received its independence, the war was over and there were far heavier and more dangerous armored vehicles in the region. So Rooikat tasks were adapted to the new situation. The vehicle was now to be used for deep raids into enemy territory and for fast flanking maneuvers, attacking behind enemy lines and disrupting the supply chain.

Despite this change of purpose, the Rooikat remains an effective fighting vehicle practically to this day. There are multiple variants of this heavy AFV, including a 105mm tank destroyer, an anti-aircraft vehicle project and a specialized recon variant. All these were generally offered for export after 1990 but with little success. The market was flooded with surplus armor from Soviet stocks and many potential buyers went instead for the older but much cheaper Russian origin vehicles. The Rooikat was therefore produced in significant numbers only for the South African military and its only combat use to this day is the 1988 South African intervention in Lesotho. There are currently about 240 Rooikats serving in South Africa.

In Armored Warfare, the Rooikat will be a Tier 5 progression Armored Fighting Vehicle. The variant in the game will be armed with a 76mm gun. Due to its weight, it won’t be as fast as other AFVs of the same Tier, but it will feature relatively thick armor and high view range.

We hope you’ll like it and will see you on the battlefield!

Commanders!

In the future, we’ll be introducing a new progression Armored Fighting Vehicle – a heavy wheeled armored car from South Africa called Rooikat. Unlike other vehicles of its class, this one has quite an interesting development history.



Most history books on post-war armor development focus on the clash between NATO and Warsaw Pact designs – but there were other conflicts around the globe. Many were essentially proxy wars in former colonies where both sides were supported by one superpower or another. One example of this was seen in South Africa.

There was conflict in the South-West Africa region, ruled in the early sixties by South Africa. A resistance movement called South-West African People's Organization sprung up (it was founded by Andimba Toivo ya Toivo and Sam Nujoma) and its militant wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), started conducting raids on South-African troops from its bases in Zambia from 1966 as part of an ongoing guerrilla war. In 1968, the region was renamed Namibia and with the 1975 independence of Angola, the guerrilla movement gained more and more power in the area until the war ended in 1990. South-African units struck back by attacking PLAN bases in Angola and the war, at times, became rather bloody. However, at no point were large heavily armored formations involved. The conflict was mostly in the guerrilla war category but the intensity grew during the seventies and eighties and it was then that Rooikat development began.

The war in Namibia was quite different from what military strategists in Europe were expecting. There was no threat from large enemy tank forces – the Namibian rebels had practically no armor. What they had were some obsolete T-34 tanks (a gift from Cuba, which supported the insurgency), some obsolete APCs and a larger number of various technicals and gun trucks, mostly armed with heavy machineguns and low-caliber automatic cannons of Soviet origin. There was no need for the South-Africans to deploy large numbers of tanks in such a conflict – what they actually needed was a vehicle capable of withstanding 23mm (or lighter) fire, since the guerrillas were especially fond of the 23mm ZSU-23-2 twin AA guns, used in a ground support role.

Sometimes the Rooikat vehicle family is referred to as "wheeled tanks" but this is essentially incorrect. It was never designed to fulfill the role of a main battle tank and going up against one with such thin armor would be suicidal and the same goes for certain duties traditionally reserved for tanks - such as line breakthrough missions. On the other hand, the vehicle was supposed to cover large areas so a large operational radius was one of the main requirements (even at the cost of increasing vehicle size to house additional fuel tanks). Size itself was not really an issue – the vehicle did not need to be stealthy because on the dry plains of Africa the biggest unmasking factor was the dust raised by vehicle movement, often visible for miles. As well as ambushes, the vehicle was to be used on combat patrol type missions and during movement the dust was a dead giveaway anyway. However, the large size of the vehicle could actually be helpful in overcoming various obstacles.

The South-African military did not insist on its new vehicle being amphibious (something both the American and Soviet militaries were insisting on) as there was no point in that: the rivers in Africa were either completely dry or (during the rainy season) so wild that they could not be traversed anyway. One thing that was very important to the South Africans was speed. The vehicle had to be able to pursue fleeing Namibian gun trucks and technicals so the vehicle was required to move with at least a speed of 100 km/h – this effectively meant that anything tracked was out of the question. Another advantage to the wheeled design was linked to the mines the Namibians were using. A detracked vehicle is immediately immobilized, while an armored vehicle with more than two wheels per side can keep on moving. As for the armament, the new vehicle was to be equipped with a 76mm to 105mm gun with powerful enough shells to knock out older armor and also to devastate various structures with high explosive shell fire. It was with these requirements that Rooikat development got underway.



The development process started in 1976 with three different vehicles (all using the 8x8 wheel configuration) being presented to the South African military. The first was based on the Ratel IFV, the second on the Eland 90 (itself a modification of the Panhard AML 90) and the third on the Alvis Saracen armored car. All of these prototypes were armed with the 77mm HV gun (originally used on the British Comet cruiser tank in the Second World War). The 1979 tests of all these vehicles, however, resulted in failure (neither vehicle was able to satisfy army demands) and as a result the army started a new program called XDM (eXperimental Development Model). This program was to be concluded in the early eighties.

Numerous prototypes were considered, including:

• 6x6, 22 tons, with a 76mm gun
• 8x8, 24 tons, also with a 76mm gun
• 8x8, 42 tons with a 105mm L7 gun in an Olifant Mk.IB turret (nicknamed Bismarck for its size and turret shape)

Variants with frontal and rear engines were considered and, after a very difficult series of trials, the 8x8 Model 2B rear-engine variant was declared the winner, even though the 105mm gun was considered needlessly powerful. In 1985, another prototype of the vehicle was ordered, this time with a 76mm gun and the plan was to conclude the trials by October 1988. This model was named Rooikat (Caracal in Afrikkans). Five prototypes were built and factory-trialed during the next development stage (named AMD – Advanced Development Model). Phase three (EMD - Engineering Development Model) followed and consisted of four 0-series vehicles intended for official military trials. The EMD phase also aimed to fix any remaining details and issues and to prepare the vehicle for mass-production.

The 28 ton vehicle suspension was of the 8x8 type (although the driver could select 8x4 drive instead) with special attention being paid to driving over landmines – the Rooikat could keep moving even if it lost two wheels on one side. The vehicle was made of steel and could resist Soviet 23mm shell fire. It was powered by a 563hp 10-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 6-gear automatic transmission and could reach up to 120 km/h. It was armed with a 76mm L/62 GT4 gun (based on the OTO Breda Compact design). Using tungsten-core 1610 m/s muzzle velocity APFSDS-T ammunition, this gun could penetrate T-54/55 and T-62 armor from any angle at 2000 meters (its maximum range was 3000 meters).

The Rooikat was produced by the company Reumech, which had earlier produced the 6x6 Ratel IFVs. The turrets were produced by LIW (part of the Denel group). Reumech was the primary supplier, however, and was responsible for marketing and also attempted to offer the vehicle to foreign customers. The first mass-produced Rooikats were built in 1989 and officially entered service in the South African army in 1990.



Times, however, had changed during the 15 years of development. Namibia had received its independence, the war was over and there were far heavier and more dangerous armored vehicles in the region. So Rooikat tasks were adapted to the new situation. The vehicle was now to be used for deep raids into enemy territory and for fast flanking maneuvers, attacking behind enemy lines and disrupting the supply chain.

Despite this change of purpose, the Rooikat remains an effective fighting vehicle practically to this day. There are multiple variants of this heavy AFV, including a 105mm tank destroyer, an anti-aircraft vehicle project and a specialized recon variant. All these were generally offered for export after 1990 but with little success. The market was flooded with surplus armor from Soviet stocks and many potential buyers went instead for the older but much cheaper Russian origin vehicles. The Rooikat was therefore produced in significant numbers only for the South African military and its only combat use to this day is the 1988 South African intervention in Lesotho. There are currently about 240 Rooikats serving in South Africa.

In Armored Warfare, the Rooikat will be a Tier 5 progression Armored Fighting Vehicle. The variant in the game will be armed with a 76mm gun. Due to its weight, it won’t be as fast as other AFVs of the same Tier, but it will feature relatively thick armor and high view range.

We hope you’ll like it and will see you on the battlefield!