Strf 9040 BILL

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This page is about the Swedish light tank Strf 9040 BILL. For other versions, see CV90 (Family).
Strf 9040 BILL
sw_strf_9056.png
GarageImage Strf 9040 BILL.jpg
Strf 9040 BILL
AB RB SB
10.7 10.0 10.0
Class:
Research:300 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:830 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

Since its introduction in early 1998, the Strf 9040 was criticized for its lack of guided munitions against tanks; most IFVs like the Marder, the BMP-2, and the Bradley used ATGMs to engage heavily armoured targets. Thus, a demonstrator was ordered, using the Strf 9040A as a basis. The vehicle was heavily modified to use the Rbs 56 BILL II ATGM launcher, the launch mechanism was actually very similar to the one used by the Bradley, the launcher could fold itself, and be used from inside the vehicle, while the reload required manual loading from the outside. The system was promising, but issues in development cancelled the project.

The Stridsfordon 9040 BILL was introduced in Update "Starfighters" (then as strf 9056). It is a very versatile IFV, one of the most critical aspects about Swedish IFVs is the lack of ATGMs like the ones found in other IFVs. However, this has access to both the powerful 40 mm cannon of other Strf 9040s and the Rbs 56 ATGM. Unlike other missiles, the Rbs 56 does not have a conventional HEAT warhead; instead of exploding on impact, it has a proximity fuze and explodes on the top of enemy tanks, this means that it should be aimed 2-3 metres above the enemy tank. This is a dangerous process since it requires precision, it's a good idea to disable the enemy tank's gun and tracks using the 40 mm cannon, and then use the ATGM.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull20 / 16 / 20
Turret20 / 20 / 20
Crew4 people
Visibility101 %

The Strf 9040 BILL does not have the MEXAS armour package of the Strf 9040C and Lvkv 9040C, and as such, the protection is very limited. The frontal arc of the vehicle can protect against heavy machine guns but the sides and rear of both the hull and turret are vulnerable even to .50 calibre (12.7 mm) heavy machine guns. The frontal arc can not protect against cannons of even 20 mm in calibre, except on the upper glacis which has a shallow enough angle to cause armour piercing rounds of types other than APDS and APFSDS to ricochet. The turret front and lower glacis on the other hand do not have such angles and can not cause ricochets in the same way, allowing low calibre cannons to penetrate. HEAT and HESH rounds will penetrate the frontal armour without a problem.

The crew placement of the Strf 9040 BILL is both potentially helpful and harmful. A shot to the front left side of the hull would result in the knocking out of the driver, commander, and loader. This is potentially devastating as that is three out of five crew members taken out in one shot, with only one more lost resulting in a vehicle knockout. A shot to the right side of the vehicle's front would knock out the engine and if it had enough penetration would go through and take out the gunner and loader, two out of five crew members but also causing the vehicle to be immobilized. As before stated, the engine can absorb projectiles, preventing them from passing into the crew compartment if they don't have high enough penetration, but it does immobilize the vehicle and potentially allow the enemy to get another shot off immediately afterwards. In terms of ammunition stowage, all 40 mm ammunition is stowed in the base of the turret basket and the hull underneath the turret basket. This prevents most hits from causing a cook-off of 40 mm ammunition except for particularly low hits. On the other hand, the missile stowage is at the rear of the hull and takes up a significant volume, making the missile ammunition a large target. Additionally, the missile launcher has missiles in it which can also be detonated by incoming rounds.

Overall, the Strf 9040 BILL has very light armour and insufficient protection meaning nearly all weapons larger than machine guns can penetrate it. Sometimes the internal arrangement will save from knocking out the vehicle, but most hits will likely be destructive. The upper glacis can block some shots because of the high angle, but this can not be relied upon. Finally, the ammunition stowage - particularly the missile stowage - takes up a large volume of the vehicle and can be set off very easily.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour - hull, turret sides/rear
  • Cast homogeneous armour - turret front
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 20 mm (78°) Upper glacis
20 mm (29°-41°-52°) Lower glacis
6 + 10 mm (Spaced) Upper
10 mm Lower
20 mm 20 mm Roof
6 mm Rear roof crew hatch
Turret 20 mm (35°) - 20 mm (50°) Turret front
35 mm (Various Angles) Gun mantlet
20 mm
Cupola 20 mm

Notes:

  • There is a 10 mm RHA plate between the front of the vehicle and the driver and also between the engine and crew compartments
  • Tracks, suspension - 20 mm
  • Sideskirts, turret rear stowage boxes - 5 mm

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB78 / 51 km/h
RB and SB70 / 46 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
4 back
Weight23.7 t
Engine power
AB1 049 hp
RB and SB550 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB44.3 hp/t
RB and SB23.2 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 78 51 23.7 852 1,049 35.95 44.26
Realistic 70 46 486 550 20.51 23.21

As the Strf 9040 BILL lacks the add-on modular armour of the 90C variants, it has a noticeably lighter feel on the move. The low weight combined with high-output Scania engine leads to an agile and swift moving vehicle, able to do sneaky flanking manoeuvres and capable of climbing steep hills to get into ambush positions. When played right, the Strf 9040 BILL is quicker than the Strf 90C, and is able to surprise enemies by showing up in unexpected places.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 971 → 6 647 Sl icon.png
RB3 415 → 5 716 Sl icon.png
SB4 581 → 7 668 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications245 400 Rp icon.png
400 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 900 Ge icon.png
Crew training240 000 Sl icon.png
Experts830 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 100 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 140 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
140 / 180 / 230 % Sl icon.png
238 / 238 / 238 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement sw.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods airstrike.png
Airstrike
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
40mm_sw_kan_HE_VT_ammo_pack
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods scouting.png
Improved optics
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
20 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods scout streak.png
Scout UAV
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
26 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Laser rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.
Thermal imager
Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Autoloader
Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader
Ammunition234 rounds
First-order24 rounds
Reload0.2 s
Vertical guidance-8° / 35°

The Strf 9040 BILL, like the two other Strf 9040 variants (the Strf 90C and Lvkv 90C), is armed with a Bofors L/70 40 mm anti-aircraft gun repurposed as an omnipurpose (anti-tank, anti-aircraft) gun. The automatic cannon boasts a rapid fire rate, a magazine holding 24 shells, and a complete maximum load of 234 shells. The gun's internal 24-shell magazine is quickly replenished, and is usually enough to deal with both enemy armour, helicopters, and airplanes. It does however carry a risk of surprising the player by running empty - thanks to its high rate of fire. The shells carried are the same as on the Lvkv 90C - the spårljuspansarprojektil m/90 (APFSDS-T), spårljusspränggranat m/90 (HE-T), and kulspränggranat m/90 (HE-VT). The former two are stock shells - the latter is unlocked through research, on the 2nd tier, and has a proximity fuse, very helpful against air targets.

The Strf 9040 BILL also carries a 7.62 mm Ksp 39C, coaxial to the main gun, placed in its turret cheek. The most unusual armament is however the Robot 56 "BILL 2 - Bofors, Infantry, Light & Lethal". The dual-missile launcher, mounted on the right side of the turret, can be devastating to enemy armour behind cover. Its missiles fly above the point of aim, detonating above the vehicle, firing its explosively formed penetrator through the turret roof or engine deck, thus hitting areas with the lowest armour protection. A well-aimed hit can destroy a target in a single hit by igniting ammunition, igniting fuel tanks, or knocking out crew. The missiles do however have a limited range of only 2,200 m, and a relatively low speed of 250 m/s. Used carefully, the vehicle's load of 8 missiles can easily knock out 8 enemy tanks!

40 mm akan m/70B Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Fire rate Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 234 300 -8°/+35° ±180° Two-plane 33.2 46.0 55.8 61.7 65.7 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20
Realistic 20.8 24.4 29.7 32.8 34.9

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
slpprj m/90 APFSDS 143 142 137 130 123 116
slsgr m/90 HE 11 11 9 8 6 5
kulsgr m/90 HE-VT* 11 11 9 7 6 5
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%
slpprj m/90 APFSDS 1,465 0.5 - - - 78° 80° 81°
slsgr m/90 HE 988 0.96 0.1 0.1 174.4 79° 80° 81°
Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Arming
distance (m)
Trigger
radius (m)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
kulsgr m/90 HE-VT* 1,015 0.88 0.1 0.1 500 4 190.8 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Strf 9040 BILL
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
234 186 (+48) 138 (+96) 90 (+144)
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
42 (+192) 24 (+210) (+234) No

Additional armament

Ammunition8 rounds
Belt capacity2 rounds
Fire rate145 shots/min
Fire on the moveup to 6 km/h
Rbs 56 missile Reloading rate (seconds)
Capacity (Belt) Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Full Expert Aced
8 (2) -19°/+29° N/A N/A 20.00 20.00 20.00 20.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
RB 56 BILL II ATGM (OTA) 510 510 510 510 510 510
Missile details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Range
(m)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Arming
distance (m)
Trigger
radius (m)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
RB 56 BILL II ATGM (OTA) 250 2,200 10.9 0.05 0.1 10 3 2.72 80° 82° 90°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Strf 9040 BILL
Full
ammo
Visual
discrepancy
8 No

Notes:

  • Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
  • It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

Machine guns

Ammunition1 500 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reload8.0 s
Fire rate649 shots/min
7.62 mm ksp 39 C
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 4,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The Strf 9040 BILL is a highly agile fighting machine, it offers great speed and handling. Its relatively small size compared to other tanks on the battlefield allows it to hide and sneak up upon its prey, and equipped with gunner thermal sights the Strf 9040 BILL can easily take advantage and pounce on unsuspecting tankers with the 40 mm Bofors cannon which offers up to 143 mm of penetration per round.

Unfortunately, the 143 mm is not able to penetrate every tank from the front; to overcome this, it is important to disorientate/surprise the enemy tanker. Blind their sights with the rapid-fire from the 40 mm Bofors, then target their cannon so they cannot knock out the Strf 9040 BILL in one hit like a pen going through a piece of paper.

Once their cannon has been taken out, the enemy tank will retire either using smoke to cover their withdrawal or immediately going to reverse. If they go into reverse without using smoke, knock out their tracks and flank them so their rear compartments can be shot at. The rear compartments (engine bay and further towards the end of the tank) are the weakest. Shooting the engine will cause the engine to catch on fire, then shooting rounds along the side will knock out the crew.

If the enemy tanker reverses, goes over an object in its path and ends up exposing the underside (belly) of the tank, a few rounds targeted in this area from the 40 mm Bofors will knock it out.

One of the key strategic advantages which the Strf 9040 BILL has over its competitors is its Rbs 56 ATGMs. These ATGMs are not like normal ATGMs. Instead, these explode above the target, allowing the blast to penetrate the roof of the enemy tank and knock the crew out. This means when any tank tries to use the terrain or an object to hide, fire the Rbs 56 ATGM towards the target but make sure it's not too high, about 3-5 feet above it, for the best results. If the ATGM is too high when it explodes, the energy from the blast will be reduced and less damage will occur. The missile is already flying above the aiming point in the gunner's sight, so it is not needed to aim above the enemy target except to go over the terrain and cover.

Air Threats

One of the major weaknesses of the Strf 9040 BILL is its weak armour, this means almost any round can penetrate the tank and knock it out. While it has great mobility, the armour is weak which means air threats can easily destroy this tank. However, it does not mean it's game over. Instead, it's critical to find cover behind buildings to pop out, when the enemy aircraft fires at the Strf 9040 BILL, withdraw behind it. When in the open, pop smoke and stay in the smoke until the threat has gone. It's important to time smoke correctly, the Strf 9040 BILL only has one shot at using it.

  • Helicopters - The best way to find an enemy helicopter is to use thermal sights and scan the air. Once spotted they can then be destroyed with the ATGMs or the 40 mm autocannon with ease. To knock down the helicopter, aim for the cockpit: a few shots will destroy the helicopter. Using the ATGM, either directly hit the helicopter or aim the ATGM slightly above it, utilising the top-attack capabilities of the missile.
  • Aircraft - These are fast, sneaky, and powerful. The easiest time to shoot them down is when they come towards the vehicle or when they overshoot it. However, most of the time it is incredibly unlikely that the Strf 9040 BILL will shoot them down. Instead, it is important to stay alive and not get knocked out. To do this, use the terrain to hide and if that does not work, fire a few shots from the 40 mm Bofors towards them, this will deter them from engaging the vehicle.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Lovely mobility
  • Access to deadly top attack missiles, able to destroy enemy tanks hiding behind cover
  • Multipurpose 40 mm shells, great for tank side armour and air vehicles
  • Access to generation 2 thermals for both gunner and commander - Along with the CV 90105 TML, the BILL is the only Strf 90 that has CITV
  • Two-plane stabilizer
  • Access to the scouting mechanic
  • Wide FOV for the gunner
  • Able to fire missiles on the move (albeit at the very slow speed of 5 km/h)
  • Missile launchers do not explode when hit by enemy APFSDS shells
  • Missiles are immune to IR jamming
  • Missile penetrates over 500 mm of steel - no roof of any armoured vehicle can withstand this

Cons:

  • Stabilizer only works up to 30km/h
  • Tanks with ERA on top of the turret (especially Russian tanks) renders the missiles less effective
  • Does not have access to the improved Slpprj m/01 APFSDS shell with 170 mm of penetration the Strf 9040C has
  • Unreliable armour
  • It takes time to deploy the missile launcher before the missiles can be fired
  • The 40 mm gun chews through ammo very quickly, and replenishing the first stage ammo rack takes time; also only 6 missiles
  • Aiming too high above the enemy vehicle ensures the missile does next to no damage to said enemy vehicle
  • Missiles are not as effective versus helicopters or spacious tank fighting compartments (like on M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams)
  • Low zoom in the gunsight

History

Testing

As the Strf 9040 began deliveries in 1998 serious questions were being raised regarding the lethality towards heavily armoured vehicles. Systems like the Bradley IFV and BMP-2 already utilized guided munitions early in their life cycle to combat armoured threats more effectively, something the Swedish IFV had yet to mount. To test the lethality of such weaponry, a demonstrator was ordered in 1999 of the then-current production variant, the Strf 9040A. This vehicle was extensively modified in the fire control system and turret to fit the Rbs 56 BILL II ATGM launcher. The system could fold outwards when engaged and smoothly fold back down when moving, similar to the Bradley. This could all be done from the turret, while reloading had to be done externally by climbing the rear of the vehicle and opening the specialized hatch on the top.

Results

The Strf 9040 BILL's trials seemed promising as its lethality was increased. Though issues with sightline visibility plagued the design from the start, forcing a cancellation of the project shortly after. Sweden continued using both systems, although now separate from each other. Both of these systems have seen a lengthy lifespan as the Rbs 56 was retired in 2013, while the Strf 9040 continues being used far into the future.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Other members of the CV90 family
  • Strf 9040C - Base variant with a 40 mm autocannon.
  • CV 90105 TML - Premium variant equipped with a 105 mm cannon.
  • Lvkv 9040C - Self-propelled anti-aircraft variant with a higher elevation range for 40 mm cannon.
  • CV 90120 - A variant with a 120 mm cannon.

External links


BAE Systems AB
Light Tanks 
CV90  Strf 9040B · Strf 9040C · Strf 9040 BILL · CV 90105 · CV 90120
MBTs 
Strv 122  Strv 122A · Strv 122B PLSS
SPAA 
CV90  Lvkv 9040C
See Also  AB Bofors · Hägglund & Söner · KMW

Sweden light tanks
L-60  Strv m/38 · Strv m/39 · Strv m/39 TD · Strv m/40L
Strv m/41  Strv m/41 S-I · Strv m/41 S-II
Ikv 91  Ikv 91 · Ikv 91-105
CV 90  Strf 9040B · Strf 9040C · Strf 9040 BILL
  CV 90105 · CV 90120
Wheeled  Pbil m/40 · U-SH 405
Other  Strv m/31 · Strv 74 · Pbv 501
Finland  Vickers Mk.E · ▄T-26E · BT-42 · ▄PT-76 · CV9030FIN · CT-CV 105HP