Sho't Kal Alef

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This page is about the Israeli medium tank Sho't Kal Alef. For other versions, see Sho't (Family).
Sho't Kal Alef
il_centurion_shot_kal_alef.png
GarageImage Sho't Kal Alef.jpg
Sho't Kal Alef
AB RB SB
8.0 8.0 8.0
Class:
Research:105 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:300 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Sho't Kal Alef was the first serial modernisation of the Sho't. After the Six-Day War in 1967, it became clear that the basic version of the Sho't had become seriously outdated, as its 20-pounder gun, antiquated fire control system (FCS), and weak, fuel-hungry engine could not provide sufficient firepower, good mobility, and reliability for the vehicle. A decision was made in 1969 to upgrade all existing Sho't tanks to the Sho't Kal level - with a new American 105 mm M68 gun, a more powerful diesel engine and transmission, a new FCS, and a modified commander's cupola. As early as 1970, the first modernised prototypes entered service with the IDF (Israel Defence Forces). The tanks were first used during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, after which they underwent further modifications, primarily concerning armour protection.

The Sho't Kal Alef was introduced in Update "Wind of Change". Players familiar with the British Centurion Mk 10 or Swedish Strv 101 will immediately the similar improvement in mobility, made possible by the installation of a new Continental AVDS-1790-2A engine. Also, thanks to the installation of the American M68 gun, the Sho't Kal Alef has access to a new set of ammunition, including a more powerful HEATFS shell and previously unavailable HESH shell. However, as the hull is still inherited from the Centurion Mk.5, its overall protection is inferior to competitors - even APCR and solid-shot rounds can pose a significant threat to the vehicle.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull76 / 50 / 38
Turret152 / 89 / 89
Crew4 people
Visibility119 %

At longer ranges, the Alef looks exactly like a Centurion Mk 10 where its 105 mm gun gives it away; but upon closer inspection to the Alef, it is in fact a Centurion Mk 5 with additional headlights and no weld-on applique armour on its UFP, meaning the overall protection is exactly the same as the pre-Mk 10 series of Centurion tanks. Most shells at the battle rating are lethal to its survival as 76.2 mm of armour at 58° cannot really withstand Cold War or late WWII shells, and due to the fact that Centurions have a cramped interior space, penetrating shots are very likely to knock out most of the crew or in some cases detonate all ammunition on board.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 76.2 mm (58°) Front glacis
76.2 mm (47-48°) Lower glacis
50.8 (12°) + 6 mm 38 mm (8-12°) 29 mm
8-14 mm Engine deck
Turret 152 mm (6-27°) Turret front
152 mm Gun mantlet
89 mm (5-12°) 89 mm (1-18°) 50.8 mm Border of turret
29 mm Center of turret
Cupola 152 mm 90 mm 29 mm

Notes:

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB53 / 13 km/h
RB and SB48 / 12 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
2 back
Weight51.8 t
Engine power
AB1 431 hp
RB and SB750 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB27.6 hp/t
RB and SB14.5 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 53 13 51.8 1,162 1,431 22.43 27.63
Realistic 48 12 663 750 12.8 14.48

The Sho't Kal has an upgraded powerplant to the Continental AVDS-1790-2A diesel engine and Allison CD-850-6A transmission, giving it vastly improved mobility over previous Centurion models and pushing it up to 48 km/h. While the engine pack doesn't give the Alef a better power-weight ratio than foes like Leopard 1 or T-54s, it will allow the Sho't Kal to keep up with most of its NATO contemporaries.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 086 → 5 638 Sl icon.png
RB4 517 → 6 233 Sl icon.png
SB6 184 → 8 533 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications87 600 Rp icon.png
146 700 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 100 Ge icon.png
Crew training86 000 Sl icon.png
Experts300 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 200 Ge icon.png
Research Aces720 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
130 / 190 / 230 % Sl icon.png
196 / 196 / 196 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
6 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
4 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement il.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
6 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_us_M416_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_usa_HEAT_FS_ammo_pack
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods night vision device.png
NVD
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition72 rounds
First-order11 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.7 → 6.7 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: M68 (105 mm)
105 mm M68 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 72 -10°/+20° ±180° Two-plane 19.0 26.4 32.0 35.4 37.6 8.71 7.70 7.10 6.70
Realistic 11.9 14.0 17.0 18.8 20.0

Ammunition

The stock M728 APDS is more than enough to gun down late war tanks and early Cold War medium tanks. However, when facing late German or Soviet heavy tanks, the penetration of the M728 is in fact lower than British/German L28A1/DM13, so either hit the enemy from the sides or aim for weak spots to make sure they don't have the chance to send a shot at you.

The M393A2 HESH is identical to other 105 mm HESH rounds, having high explosive content to knock out vehicles right away with overpressure while the overall performance of the shell is mixed, not to mention its slow and high-arcing ballistics; so either take this shell for detonating lighter vehicles or sniping stationary targets that expose their vulnerable spots. A solid hit is very likely to send enemies straight back to the hanger.

The M456 HEATFS, while mostly sufficient to penetrate even heavy tanks of the era with relative ease, will have a hard time penetrating tanks with composite armour like T-55AMD-1 or ERA like T-69 II G. It is still sufficient to knock out lighter vehicles with overpressure damage.

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
M728 APDS 265 263 252 240 228 216
M393A2 HESH 127 127 127 127 127 127
M456 HEATFS 400 400 400 400 400 400
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
M728 APDS 1,426 4.53 - - - 75° 78° 80°
M393A2 HESH 732 11.2 0.1 4 4.31 73° 77° 80°
M456 HEATFS 1,174 10.5 0.05 0.1 1.27 65° 72° 77°
Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Screen radius
(m)
Screen deploy
time (s)
Screen hold
time (s)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
M416 732 11.6 16 5 25 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Sho't Kal Dalet (identical)
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
72 68 (+4) 63 (+9) 33 (+39) 25 (+47) 12 (+60) (+67) (+71) No

Since the Sho't Kal can carry more shells than the original Sho't, this will further increase the risk of ammunition cook-off; so it is advised to only bring at most 25 shells to clear out most of the ammo racks.

Machine guns

Ammunition3 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
Ammunition2 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
Main article: L3A1 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm L3A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 2,000 (250) 500 -10°/+50° ±180°
Coaxial 3,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A

This upgrade for the fleet of Centurions only changed the machine guns into the ones in NATO service, so only 2 L3A1 (M1919A3) are available which is harmless to armoured vehicles but not to exposed crews; they can also be used as last-ditch options to gun down strafing aircraft but the odds of success are minimal.

Usage in battles

Sho't Kal Alef feels like a Centurion Mk 10 or its Swedish cousin Strv 101 with its 105 mm gun; for the players who are already familiar to previous Centurions, they will find themselves at home very quickly as the handling of the Alef is very similar, if not better thanks to the new powerplants during the upgrade, making it feel like a hybrid of Magach 1 and Sho't. The overall playstyle is similar to other Centurions as well: providing volleys of fire with its accurate gun and sufficient speed to keep up with allies which might not have stabilizers. If players do not feel confident in its protection, staying behind heavy tanks and providing supporting fire is also viable as the enemies will likely be concentrated on the "breakthrough tank" instead of its supporting vehicles.

Players do have to keep in mind that, despite the upgraded gun, the armour itself is identical to earlier Centurions with only 3 inches (or 76.2 mm) of RHA protecting the vehicle. This means that players should be extra careful on where to go and try not to expose the hull to enemies, as it can be penetrated with ease with kinetic shells or HEATFS of the era. It also only has an L3A1 as its anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the commander side of the turret, so be extra careful of aircraft as this machine gun poses little threat to them.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Higher mobility to Sho't thanks to the new powerplant
  • Powerful 105 mm gun
  • Night-battle capable thanks to NVD
  • Fully-stabilized gun

Cons:

  • Retains the same protection of Sho't (or pre-Mk 9 Centurion tanks)
  • Cramped interior space and ammunition placement
  • Relatively slow in terms of a medium tank
  • No HMGs for gunning down light vehicles or aircraft

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Images

Valley of Tears.png
Skins

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Israeli Ordnance Corps (חיל החימוש)
Medium Tanks  M-51 · M-51 (W)
MBTs 
Magach  Magach 1 · Magach 2 · Magach 3 · Magach 3 (ERA) · ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · Magach 5
  Magach 6 · Magach 6A · Magach 6B · Magach 6C · Magach 6R · Magach 6M · Gal Batash
Sho't  Sho't · Sho't Kal Alef · Sho't Kal Gimel · Sho't Kal Dalet · ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Tiran  Tiran 4 · Tiran 4S
Merkava  ▃Merkava Mk.1 · Merkava Mk.1B · Merkava Mk.2B · ▃Merkava Mk.2B · Merkava Mk.2D
  Merkava Mk.3B · Merkava Mk.3C · ▃Merkava Mk.3D · Merkava Mk.4B · Merkava Mk.4M
Tank destroyers  Zachlam Tager
See Also  Chrysler Defense · Department of Tank Design · Morozov Design Bureau

Israel medium tanks
M-51  M-51 · M-51 (W)
Magach  Magach 1 · Magach 2 · Magach 3 · Magach 3 (ERA) · Magach 5 · Magach 6
  Magach 6A · Magach 6B · Magach 6B Gal · Gal Batash · Magach 6C · Magach 6M · Magach 6R · Magach Hydra · Magach 7C
Tiran  Tiran 4 · Tiran 4S · Tiran 6
Sho't  Sho't · Sho't Kal Alef · Sho't Kal Gimel · Sho't Kal Dalet
Merkava  Merkava Mk.1B · Merkava Mk.2B · Merkava Mk.2D · Merkava Mk.3B · Merkava Mk.3C · Ra'am Sagol
  Merkava Mk.4B · Merkava Mk.4M · Merkava Mk.4 LIC