ST-A3

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Rank 6 USA
F-5C Pack
This page is about the Japanese medium tank ST-A3. For other variants, see Type 61 (Family).
jp_st_a3.png
GarageImage ST-A3.jpg
ArtImage ST-A3.jpg
ST-A3
AB RB SB
6.7 6.7 6.7
Class:
Research:35 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:210 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The ST-A3 was the third and last finished prototype for the Type 61. Being part of the second phase of development for the Type 61, together with the ST-A4 it overcame the transmission problems the ST-A1/2 had, and the overall vehicle design was pretty much the same as the final production model. While the ST-A4 was a later prototype, it was completed earlier than the ST-A3, and due to the ease of manufacturing and enlarged cupola became the basis for the Type 61 MBT. This left the ST-A3 behind as a promising prototype incorporating an autoloader.

The ST-A3 was introduced in Update "Hot Tracks". While very similar to the final product being the Type 61 MBT, it comes with a 6-second autoloader with a first-stage of 11 shells, which makes it essentially a Type 61 with a 1-second faster reload regardless of crew damage. For tank combat, the ST-A3 in War Thunder has a commander cupola that is less at risk of being hit due to its small profile, the machine gun coming with a gun shield offers some spalling protection to the HMG and offers slightly higher elevation making for a better anti-air defense.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull50 / 35 / 20
Turret40 / 60 / 35
Crew4 people
Visibility96 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 45 mm (49-61°) Front glacis
50 mm (54°) Lower glaics
30 mm (30°) Top
35 mm Bottom
25 mm (13°) Top
20 mm (30°), 10 mm (59°) Bottom
12 mm
Turret 40 mm (4-78°) Turret front
80 mm (0-68°) Gun mantlet
40-60 mm (0-38°) 35 mm 18 mm
Cupola 30 mm 18 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

Due to its weak armour nearly every tank is a serious threat to the ST-A3, as well as a number of SPAA vehicles, however fast medium tanks such as the T-44, M46/M47 Patton or Panther II which can match its mobility are a painful to avoid, while anything with heavy armour (T29, T32, T34 and Tiger IIs) forces the reliance on the M431 shell HEAT-FS to punch through frontally, requiring multiple shots to overcome.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB51 / 9 km/h
RB and SB46 / 9 km/h
Number of gears7 forward
2 back
Weight35.0 t
Engine power
AB1 240 hp
RB and SB650 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB35.4 hp/t
RB and SB18.6 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 51 9 35 1,007 1,240 28.77 35.43
Realistic 46 9 575 650 16.43 18.57

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 514 → 4 603 Sl icon.png
RB4 111 → 5 385 Sl icon.png
SB5 351 → 7 009 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications61 600 Rp icon.png
102 700 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 800 Ge icon.png
Crew training61 000 Sl icon.png
Experts210 000 Sl icon.png
Aces890 Ge icon.png
Research Aces570 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
120 / 180 / 210 % Sl icon.png
178 / 178 / 178 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
2 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 700 Sl icon.png
155 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
2 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 700 Sl icon.png
155 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
5 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
5 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 700 Sl icon.png
155 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement jp.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_jp_M82_APCBC_ammo_pack
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
2 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 700 Sl icon.png
155 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_jp_M431_HEAT_ammo_pack
Research:
2 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 700 Sl icon.png
155 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods tank rangefinder.png
Rangefinder
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
5 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M313_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
5 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png

Armaments

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

Main armament

90 mm Type 61 cannon
Autoloader
Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader
Ammunition40 rounds
First-order11 rounds
Reload6.0 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 13°
Main article: Type 61 (90 mm)
90 mm Type 61 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Autoloader
Arcade 40 -10°/+13° ±180° - 22.8 31.6 38.4 42.5 45.2 6.00
Realistic 14.3 16.8 20.4 22.6 24.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
M318A1 shot APBC 194 190 177 162 148 136
M82 shot APCBC 185 182 170 155 142 130
M431 shell HEATFS 320 320 320 320 320 320
M71 shell HE 20 20 18 17 15 14
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
M318A1 shot APBC 914 10.98 - - - 47° 60° 65°
M82 shot APCBC 853 10.94 1.2 14 137.2 48° 63° 71°
M431 shell HEATFS 1,216 5.8 0.05 0.1 712.64 65° 72° 77°
M71 shell HE 823 10.55 0.2 0.1 925 79° 80° 81°
Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Screen radius
(m)
Screen deploy
time (s)
Screen hold
time (s)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
M313 821 10.7 13 5 20 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the ST-A3
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
40 32 (+8) 20 (+20) 12 (+28) (+39) No

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • Rack 4 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 11 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
  • This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3.
  • If you pack 20 (+20) shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-3 into rack 4. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Machine guns

Ammunition800 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reload8.0 s
Fire rate575 shots/min
Vertical guidance-5° / 50°
Ammunition4 500 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reload8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
12.7 mm M2HB
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 800 (200) 575 -5°/+50° ±180°
7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 4,500 (250) 500 - -

Usage in battles

ST-A3 (1).png

As the last built ST-A project (ST-A4 was completed earlier) before it resolved into the Type 61, the ST-A3 shouldn't come as a surprise as to how similar it is to its end-product. While the turret has a different commander cupola and a .50 gun shield; the main surprise of this prototype lies in its auto-loader. Ramming shells into the breech with a 6-second reload, it achieves a faster reload rate compared to all its other brothers in pursuit to become the Type 61 and even overcome the Type 61 as it would adopt from the ST-A4 which would have more ammo load and be a less expensive tank to produce.

Because of this addition of an auto-loader, it still plays very similar to a Type 61 with a constant reload rate of 6 seconds, regardless of crew status unless the auto-loader rack of 11 rounds is empty. The ST-A3 has excellent horizontal traverse and gun depression combined with a fairly mobile chassis, making it a good choice for progressing from turret down, to hull down and firing at the opposition before retreating back to turret down cover.

Its mobility is quite good at getting it to position, where it can ambush tanks early in the game or change position when required, particularly when disengaging when its position is discovered.

Its lack of armour and the decent but not overwhelmingly powerful gun means it is not a wonderful frontline tank to hold a defensive position when the opposition knows its position, as its armour is unlike to prevent any opposition rounds from penetrating and dealing damage, leaving the user to more often than not, rely on luck when engaging opposition frontally.

The biggest issue with the Type 61 (Family) is shot selection; Should one choose the M431 shell HEAT-FS which will punch through most opposition tanks, but do little damage? Or use the M318A1 AP round, M82 shot APHE rounds for more damage, but will struggle to penetrate opposition frontally at times?

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 6 second autoloader, compared to the 7.5 second ace reload on any other ST-A or Type 61
  • Fast turret rotation
  • Excellent gun depression
  • Good forward speed and mobility
  • Good acceleration
  • Shell choice:
    • Great post-penetration damage on the M82 APCBC shell
    • High penetration M431 HEAT-FS shell for tougher targets
  • Smaller cupola profile in exchange for a slightly more noticeable .50 gunshield compared to the Type 61 tank

Cons:

  • 90 mm Type 61 cannon can struggle to overcome certain opposing tanks frontally without relying on M431 HEAT-FS shell
  • Very thin overall armour, any tank gun will make short work of the ST-A3, and even certain SPAAs can give the tank trouble
  • The reverse speed of -8 km/h can hinder the tank at times
  • Outer rear part of the engine deck prevent the gun from depressing
  • Tall profile due to the gunshield covering the top .50 cal - taller than the Type 61

History

Following Japan's remilitarization in the wake of the outbreak of the Korean War, Japanese engineers began working on the first domestic postwar tank designs. Taking on board the experience of working with American WWII tanks in service at the time, as well as incorporating some of the lessons learned from the Korean conflict, Japanese tank designers came up with a series of prototypes in the late 1950s.

The ST-A3 was created as one of the later prototypes and was based on the previous design - the ST-A2. Featuring a 90 mm cannon coupled with an autoloading mechanism in the rear of the turret, the design was considered successful, but ultimately wasn't ordered into production due to concerns over its cost. As a result, the ST-A3 was modified into the ST-A4 by having its autoloading mechanism removed and eventually entered production as the Type 61 medium tank in 1961.

Only two ST-A3 prototypes were constructed and closely resembled the later production model Type 61 visually.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins
Images

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Japan medium tanks
Type 97  Chi-Ha · Chi-Ha Kai · Chi-Ha Kai TD · Chi-Ha Short Gun
Type 1  Chi-He · Chi-He (5th Regiment) · Ho-I
Type 3  Chi-Nu · Chi-Nu II
Type 4  Chi-To · Chi-To Late
Type 5  Chi-Ri II
Type 61 MBT  ST-A1* · ST-A2* · ST-A3* · Type 61
Type 74 MBT  ST-B2* · Type 74 (C) · Type 74 (E) · Type 74 (F) · Type 74 (G)
Type 90 MBT  Type 90 · Type 90 (B) · Type 90B "Fuji"
Type 10 MBT  TKX (P)* · TKX* · Type 10
Other  Ka-Chi
USA  ▅M4A3 (76) W · ▅M47
  *Prototype