Armored Warfare News

Commanders!

Today, we’d like to tell you more about an upcoming high-Tier vehicle that will become obtainable in October – the American MPF Light Tank.



Right off the bat – the name for this vehicle is not official with the most common designation used being something like “Mobile Protected Firepower General Dynamics prototype.” That designation tells you pretty much all the basic info about this tank – it’s a prototype by General Dynamics, participating in the Mobile Protected Firepower program. As such, it is an offshoot (or an evolution, of you will) of the Griffin design described in a dedicated article.

The Mobile Protected Firepower program was launched a few years ago to give the Airborne units something they've been lacking since the 1990s – a proper Light Tank replacing the M551 Sheridan, which can now be only seen in museums. Following several expos and a series of negotiations, two companies decided to submit their proposals in earnest – General Dynamics with its new platform and BAE with its Light Tank, which is essentially an overhauled version of the old Armored Ground System from the 1990s. In U.S. service, these vehicles are supposed to replace the M1128 Stryker, which is suffering from multiple issues and a decision was taken in May 2021 to phase the entire platform out.



Contrary to some rumors, the General Dynamics MPF prototype isn’t based on the Abrams – not even the turret. However, the turret does have a layout similar to that of the Abrams, which is an intentional choice to ease the training of new crews.

The whole thing weighs roughly 38 tons and offers STANAG 4569 Level 6 frontal protection in its basic form, making it frontally resistant to 30mm autocannons. The hull itself is reported to be made of aluminum and steel alloys with the option to be upgraded with extra composite plating or an Iron Fist APS. Much like the Abrams, it has a crew of four – the gun is loaded manually from a bustle-mounted ammo rack.



The gun the vehicle’s armed with is a low-recoil M35 105mm rifled cannon firing standard NATO ammunition – definitely an upgrade over the Stryker, which cannot fire full charge ammo and is reduced to using proprietary armor-piercing ammunition. The nominal rate of fire is listed as 12 rounds per minute. Additionally, the vehicle is fitted with cutting-edge optics and FCS based on the M1A2C, which include:

• CITV panoramic commander optics
• Raytheon gun optics
• Pilar V acoustic gunshot detection system
• AI firing assistant

The vehicle is propelled by a brand-new engine by Cummins called ACE (Advanced Combat Engine), a very compact opposite-piston Diesel producing some 1000hp. It is paired with the Allison 3040 MX Cross-Drive automatic transmission, allowing it to go as fast as 80 km/h. The suspension is hydropneumatic, non-adjustable instead of the usual torsion bar system, which does, amongst other things, reduce the vehicle’s height considerably.

Performance-wise, the General Dynamics proposal looks comparable to its BAE counterpart. Both companies together received 750 million USD to deliver 12 prototypes each. The prototype of this vehicle was first show to public in April 2020 and both MPF prototypes were delivered for testing to the 82nd Airborne Division stationed in Fort Bragg in December of the same year. The testing is currently ongoing with the winner bound to be declared in the summer of 2022. Full scale production is expected in 2025.



In Armored Warfare, the MPF Light Tank will be a Tier 10 Premium Light Tank.

But before we get into any details, here’s the usual disclaimer:

The numbers below are very preliminary as the vehicle has not been properly tested. They are sure to change and should only be discussed as an indicator of how we’d like to set the vehicle up.

With that being said:

As Light Tanks go, the MPF will definitely be on the heavier side of the spectrum. It may not be the most agile vehicle on the battlefield (despite its excellent maximum speed), but it will be well-armored for this vehicle type. Its already formidable base armor (more akin to MBTs than LTs) will be reinforced by NERA elements covering the lower frontal plate, sides and frontal turret.



Additionally, the vehicle will be fitted with the Iron Fist APS and will feature the Supercharged APS Active Ability. Add a decent hitpoint pool to it and you’ll have a tank that can go toe to toe with many MBTs, at least for a limited time.

We’ve also upgraded the firepower compared to the real-life prototype. Instead of a 105mm rifled cannon, the MPF will be fitted with the 120mm XM291 smoothbore with advanced ammunition:

• DM63A1 APFSDS (850mm of penetration, 600 damage)
• M325 HEAT-MP (950mm of penetration, 720 damage)

With the reload time being 5 seconds, we’re looking at the 7200 and 8640 damage per minute respectively. Add solid accuracy to the mix (0.099) and you have a lot of firepower in a rather compact package.



Mobility-wise, we’ve also pushed the limits of realism a bit further. Thanks to its 1000hp diesel engine, the maximum speed will reach 80 km/h (95 km/h with an extra module) but the acceleration won’t be all that great with 0 to 32 km/h in 4.46 seconds. On the upside, the vehicle will feature active suspension, which means that the usual gun depression and elevation of -7/+20 will improve to -10/+23.

And last but not least, there’s the viewrange (430m) and camouflage factor (15% or 17% with an upgraded module). While the viewrange value will be adequate, the camouflage factor will prevent you from playing long-range sniper effectively.



In summation, this vehicle will be a front line fighter that usually doesn’t have to hide behind a row of MBTs and doesn’t need to be afraid to take some damage. It will feature a number of defensive capabilities such as the APS and the ability to hide its lower frontal plate behind terrain obstacles, but with its poor camouflage, it will only make a mediocre long-range fire support vehicle. Its place is in the thickest of fighting and that’s how it’s meant to be played. As a result, this Light Tank will be relatively forgiving even in unskilled hands.

We hope that you will enjoy it and, as always:

See you on the battlefield!

Commanders!

Today, we’re launching the first episode of the Storyline Campaign in the form of Episode 1. For more information about the campaign itself, please visit the Storyline Campaign Hub.

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For more info, please visit the website announcement.

Commanders!

Today we’ve prepared the following items for you:

• AFT-10 Tier 10 Premium Tank Destroyer
• ZTQ-15 Tier 9 Premium Light Tank (and the Electra and Serenity skins for it available separately)
• Sea Dragon skin for the Type 99A Main Battle Tank
• VT-5 Tier 9 Premium Light Tank
• Type 96B Tier 8 Premium Main Battle Tank
• Type 89 Tier 7 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle
• Northern Wind Loot Crate with Battle Coins and Battle Coin Boosters

Between September 16 and 23, 2021, the following items will be available:


[h2]AFT-10[/h2]


The AFT-10 is a tracked ATGM carrier based on a ZBD-04 IFV hull that carries eight massive Red Arrow-10 guided missiles. In their latest version, these modern ATGMs are capable of devastating even the most modern MBTs at extreme distances and the AFT-10 was designed to do just that – to stop enemy assaults dead in their tracks. You can read more about it in our dedicated article.

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In Armored Warfare, the AFT-10 is a Tier 10 Premium Tank Destroyer. Its massive ATGM launcher immediately draws comparison with another Tier 10 vehicle, the Kornet-EM. But where Kornet-EM is all about speed, stealth and missile ambushes, the AFT-10 is about one thing and one thing only – uncompromising firepower. It is capable of unleashing devastating missile salvos that can knock out even Tier 10 MBTs in seconds. Additionally, its missiles have a very high penetration value, which means that no matter the angle, no target is truly safe from its reach.

The AFT-10 Tier 10 Premium TD is available in our Web Shop via Loot Crates. Collect 100 blueprint pieces from these crates to obtain the vehicle.






[h2]ZTQ-15[/h2]


The ZTQ-15 is the current most modern domestic Chinese Light Tank and is reserved for the Chinese military only with its export counterpart, VT-5, offered for export. The ZTQ-15 Light Tank is intended to be used in mountainous regions of China where standard MBTs are all but impossible to operate. You can learn more about it in our dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the ZTQ-15 is a Tier 9 Premium Light Tank. It combines excellent mobility with plenty of firepower as well as adequate protection for its Tier and vehicle class. It also features several neat elements that increase its value on the battlefield, such as its active suspension and the ability to launch guided missiles from its gun or its advanced ERA. For players who prefer fast-paced, high-risk and high-reward combat style, it’s one of the best options out there.



We are separately offering the brand-new Electra skin for this vehicle in a bundle, which includes:

• Electra skin for the ZTQ-15 LT
• 14 days of Premium Time
• 3.000 Gold

The Serenity skin for this vehicle is also available in a similar bundle:

• Serenity skin for the ZTQ-15 LT
• 14 days of Premium Time
• 3.000 Gold

[h2]Sea Dragon skin for Type 99A[/h2]


This gorgeous sea dragon-themed blue skin is available for the Type 99A Tier 9 progression Main Battle Tank. Harness the ferocity of this mighty mystical animal and intimidate your enemies with your awesome war paint!



This skin is available as a part of a bundle, which contains the following items:

• Sea Dragon skin for the Type 99A MBT
• 3 days of Premium Time
• 500 Gold

[h2]VT-5[/h2]


The VT-5 is a modern Chinese Light Tank that was developed specifically with export in mind. There are many reasons why a country without its own tank development should opt to purchase a Light Tank instead of a full-scale Main Battle Tank. It’s equally as fast if not faster with equal firepower but, what is most important, it is affordable. The VT-5 excels in all these categories. While its armor cannot match that of an MBT, it can protect its crew against most infantry threats thanks to its ERA and cage armor sets. It also has a powerful 105mm gun capable of firing guided missiles, it is packed with advanced electronics and is supremely agile thanks to its 1000hp diesel engine. Simply put, wraps cutting edge technologies up into an affordable bundle. You can learn more about it in a dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the VT-5 is a very powerful Tier 9 Premium Light Tank. Fast and agile, it features solid levels of protection (the configuration in the game is the one featuring the ERA kit as well as the turret cage armor) and a good rate of fire. Additionally, its gun is capable of firing guided missiles. It’s an ideal machine for players who value speed and agility, as it offers plenty of both. The VT-5 is capable of dancing around its opponents on the battlefield, outperforming even some AFVs in mobility.






[h2]Type 96B[/h2]


The Type 96B MBT, as its name suggests, is an evolution of the Type 96A, featuring such elements as an upgraded fire control system and a much more powerful engine, resulting in considerably better mobility and speed. Unlike the Type 96A, however, the Type 96B is a prototype, designed for the Chinese military team to use during the annual Tank Biathlon event in Russia. In 2017, the Chinese team won the second place, being defeated only by Russia. You can learn more about its history in our dedicated article!



In Armored Warfare, the Type 96B is a Tier 8 Premium Main Battle Tank. Gameplay-wise, it’s very agile and fast for its class and uses advanced ammunition, making it highly suitable for players who prefer mobility over armor protection, even though it can take a lot of punishment as well.






[h2]Type 89[/h2]


The Type 89 Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the current Japanese service IFV. It was built in very small numbers between 1989 and 2004. The low-production meant that, with the development costs sunk into it, each unit was incredibly expensive. In fact, to date, the Type 89 is the most expensive IFV in the world. Otherwise it’s generally unremarkable – last generation steel armor, a 35mm autocannon and massive guided missiles (that were also meant for landing ship destruction instead of just anti-tank combat) are generally being all phased out by now. The Type 89 is, however, still waiting for its replacement. You can read more about it in our dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the Type 89 is a Tier 7 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle that is capable of not only deploying Mechanized Infantry, but also to destroy its targets at long distances using its powerful guided missiles. It is also fast and maneuverable, but does not feature thick armor.






[h2]Northern Wind Loot Crate[/h2]


This Loot Crate contains Northern Wind Battle Coins and Boosters.

• Battle Coins are the primary currency of the Northern Wind Battle Path campaign and are used to progress through it and to obtain its prizes.
• Battle Coin Boosters are usable only during an active Battle Path and increase your Battle Coin income by 900 percent for two hours.

Please note that you have to obtain the access to a Battle Path to use both items.

Also please note that you may not purchase more than 30 loot crates of one type per day.





We hope that you will enjoy the offer and, as always:

See you on the battlefield!

On the 16th of September 2021, starting from 8:00 CEST, the server will not be available for two hours due to a planned server maintenance.



Please note that the maintenance can be extended beyond the abovementioned timeframe. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Commanders!

Update 0.37 is going to bring multiple new features to the game and today, we’d like to tell you about the first one, which is also one of the more important ones. In September, we’re going to be introducing Burlak's replacement – the TAM 2IP Tier 7 Premium Light Tank.



The name TAM stands for “Tanque Argentino Mediano”, or Argentinian Medium Tank in English, making it fairly self-explanatory, because that’s what TAM is about. As many things Argentinian, it is of German origin and its history goes all the way back to the 1970s.

South America in general is, when it comes to arms, a really interesting place, depending how you look at things. After the Second World War, the continent was flooded with cheap American surplus with a considerable portion of obsolete WW2 armored vehicles ending south of the Mexican Gulf. Nothing strange about that, but many South American militaries would then upgrade and keep these vehicles operation for decades. Some derivatives of WW2 vehicles are currently still in service.

This strange state of things is based on the principle that you don’t really need cutting edge armor when your opponent has the same junk as you. Combine it with the usual poverty and political instability in these countries (preventing any side from selling them modern tech) and you have a perfect recipe for making really old armor last forever.



There are, of course, exceptions to this. Argentina, for one, prides itself in having developed domestic industry and wealth to match and being armed with leftover junk in the 1970s just wouldn’t do, especially not when your northern neighbor is large Brazil, with whom you have an ongoing land dispute over the Alto Paraná basin.

The Argentinians first tried to get some more American equipment in addition to their old M3 halftracks and Firefly Shermans, but the USA wouldn’t sell. Europe was the next best option and Argentina managed to obtain 80 AMX-13 Light Tanks in addition to 180 AMX-13 based APCs. Not bad, but not exactly groundbreaking and no match for more modern tanks that were starting to appear in the 1970s.

To deal with the situation, Argentina launched a program together with Germany in 1973 to develop a new tank in the medium category. Realistically, the TAM is more a Light Tank than anything else, but the reason they went for the Medium designation was to differentiate it from the AMX-13 Light Tank, which really is a lot lighter.

The reason why they chose this weight and capability category was simple – price and, more importantly, Argentina’s infrastructure. For one, Argentina is a diverse country when it comes to terrain types, and its roads and bridges couldn’t support sixty-ton behemoths. What Argentina was looking for was something with the firepower of an MBT, but in the 30 ton category.



Additionally, Argentina was looking to use the same chassis for a number of other variants, primarily an IFV, but also an SPG, a self-propelled rocket launcher, a command vehicle and several more. Part interchangeability was the key here, as not only it was a practical solution, but it was also something Argentina was used to from the AMX-13 chassis.

The result of the endeavor was a platform based on the West German Marder IFV. The tank variant, which we’re discussing today, had fairly light steel-only armor (frontal protection against 40mm autocannons), although the engine was located in the front, adding to the survival chances of the crew considerably.

The tank was armed with a variant of the Royal Ordnance L7 105mm rifled cannon, which was an excellent choice at the time, offering both great firepower and access to NATO standard ammunition. The gun was modified in Germany and license-manufactured with some modifications in Argentina under the designation FM K.4 Modelo 1L. The vehicle was powered by a 720hp MTU MB883 Ka500 diesel engine, giving it, as you can imagine, excellent mobility, since it was so light. Its maximum speed was 75 km/h.

Overall, it surpassed Brazil’s M41 Walker Bulldogs in practically every way, giving Argentina a distinctive edge. But, unfortunately, the production was delayed and hampered by budget cuts. The production ran between 1979 and 1983, when it was stopped due to a lack of funding. It was renewed a decade later, in 1994, if only for a year. Overall, 256 TAM tanks were built and 218-231 (sources vary) are still in service to this day alongside Austrian SK-105 Kürassier Light Tanks.



Which is a problem for Argentina. By now, these tanks are fairly obsolete and Brazil has long since replaced its Walker Bulldogs for Leopard 1 and M60A3TTS MBTs. The TAM tanks were never exported, although not for the lack of trying. Potentially interested parties included Malaysia, Panama and Ecuador, but each of these tenders fell through for one reason or another. Argentina even attempted to export the tank to Iran and was prevented by doing so by Saudi Arabia and Israel’s influence. As a result, the production plant closed in 1995 and all the produced TAMs stayed in Argentina.

Since 2010, there have been several attempts to upgrade the TAM with Argentina ordering 74 of its TAM tanks modernized to the 2IP standard with the entire upgrade process taking place in Argentina at Arsenal Group 601 (Agrupación de Arsenales 601).

However, so far, all of them have have failed due the lack of money. The first one was the TAM 2C prototype by Elbit with multiple firepower-related upgrades, but was never accepted because it was too expensive. In 2015, another prototype was unveiled – the TAM 2IP.



Right off the bat, it’s clear that there’s only one reason behind this upgrade – the lack of funding to procure new MBTs. While buying new tanks might sound easy (and there are many options on the market), it is anything but. The tanks represent only a fraction of the total costs with the rest being the supply chain, training, repair facilities, ammunition and many other elements. In this regard, it makes sense that the Argentinians would choose to upgrade. With that being said, it seems that many of TAM 2C’s firepower upgrades – including new FCS and gun optics – have been dropped.

On the other hand, the vehicle received a new passive composite armor set that is based on IMI’s Iron Wall design, which is mostly effective against various EFP-type threats. This is a weird choice. Against kinetic threats, the armor offers relatively poor (STANAG 3659 Level 4) protection against 14.5mm machinegun bullets, which would make the combined side armor resistant to something like 30mm autocannons. EFP threats typically exist only in asymmetrical warfare, not something such a light vehicle would be very useful in.

A prototype of the TAM 2IP variant was delivered in 2016 in order to undergo military trials – and that was it. In retrospect, it’s clear that the project once again fell apart due to Argentina’s chronic funding shortage. Relatively recently, in February 2021, news broke out about “Argentina and Israel returning to former cooperation” with the first deliveries of upgraded TAM tanks scheduled for 2026. It seems that at least in this sense, the TAM and the Armata program have a lot in common.



In Armored Warfare, the TAM 2IP will be a Tier 7 Premium Light Tank.

But before we get into any details, here’s the usual disclaimer:

The numbers below are very preliminary as the vehicle has not been properly tested. They are sure to change and should only be discussed as an indicator of how we’d like to set the vehicle up.

With that being said:

While featuring thin armor and average acceleration only, this Light Tank will be all about one thing – damage output, making it especially suitable for PvE. On the other hand, it will also feature a very special ability called Laser Lock, which will come in handy in all sorts of situations. But let’s start, as usual, with its armor.

The armor’s there – and that’s about all that can be said about it. This tank’s thin steel plates will protect it roughly against 30mm autocannons, but little else. No APS or any other special systems will be present.



Moving on to its mobility – the vehicle weighs 30 tons and is powered by a 1000hp diesel engine, which is more than in real life, but we need to make sure the acceleration doesn’t lag behind what’s expected of this vehicle class. We’re looking at a maximum speed of 75 km/h. It will take 3.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 32 km/h, although this value will be possible to reduce to 3 seconds by unlocking an additional progression module. Additionally, the Override Active Ability will be available from the start.

And, finally, there’s the firepower. Not to worry, things get better here. Much better. You see, the tank is armed with a 105mm rifled gun that’s very decent even in its basic form, which includes 3.8 second reload time, 0.1 accuracy and the following shells:

• M774 APFSDS (620mm penetration, 400 damage, 6316 damage per minute)
• M393A3 HESH (410mm penetration, 380 damage, 6000 damage per minute)

Furthermore, an improved APFSDS shell can be unlocked via additional progression:

• M1060 CV APFSDS (690mm penetration, 450 damage, 7105 damage per minute)

But that’s not all. Additional Progression will also give you a choice between two firepower upgrades.



The first upgrade will be a two-round Ready Rack for the gun with two seconds between shots, followed by 4.3 seconds of reloading time. To save you the number crunching – you will effectively trade a little damage per minute (roughly 100 points) for the ability to double tap. This can come in handy in situations where burst damage is more valuable than sustained fire.

The second choice will be a new Active Ability called Laser Lock. This is a brand-new mechanism unique to this vehicle. Pressing the Active Ability button will toggle the ability on and off. When activated, several things happen:

• A red laser beam appears, aiming at your target with ever increasing intensity and a timer begins
• After a short while, the beam reaches its maximum intensity, activating the ability in earnest
• At that point, you gain nearly perfect accuracy. Effectively, your gun will fire at the point you are aiming at with laser accuracy

This beam does not influence your camouflage factor, but it is visible whether you are spotted or not. In other words, it will draw attention to your position and will allow the enemies to fire at your position blindly. Deactivating the ability also takes a little time and is followed by a 10 second cooldown. Please note:

• The laser beam cannot pass through foliage, buildings or vehicles, but it does pass through smoke
• Its accuracy is not absolute – while it does reduce the aim circle size to nearly a point and improves accuracy on the move, violent gun and turret movements will result in an aim circle size increase (this is to prevent several unintended situations and abuse of the ability)

Once again, please note that the abovementioned feature description hasn’t been tested yet and represents the initial stage of the feature. Changes are not only possible, but also likely. Feel free to submit your feedback on our Discord!



As for the rest of the vehicle’s traits, it’ll have 430m of view range, 25% camouflage factor and a hull traverse rate of 36.55 degrees per second.

At first glance, the TAM 2IP will be a rather standard damage dealer and a versatile Light Tank, but in reality, the playstyle will definitely depend on the final version of the Laser Lock ability. As you can imagine, this ability will require thorough testing, which is why the tank itself will not be available (even on the Alabino map) right upon the launch of Update 0.37. Instead, the Burlak contract will be prolonged by 9 days with the TAM 2IP contract only launching after September 30, 2021.

Either way, we hope that you will enjoy this new Contract reward and, as always:

See you on the battlefield!