Strv 121

This page is about the Swedish medium tank Strv 121. For other versions, see Leopard 2 (Family).

Strv 121

Strv 105

Strv 122A

Strv 121

Strv 105

Strv 122A

Sweden

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.7	10.7	10.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:300 000

Purchase:830 000

Show in game

Description

The Stridsvagn 121 is the Swedish designation for the Leopard 2A4, leased from Germany in early 1994 to replace the aging Strv 103 and the Strv 104. A total of 160 Strv 121s were acquired from the leasing deal and all of the vehicles would be delivered to Sweden at the end of 1994 and early 1995. In Sweden, the Strv 121 would go through some changes like being equipped with Swedish radio equipment, reflective tape, and new lights for road traffic, but were also painted in Swedish army camouflage. The Strv 121 would serve until the early 2000s when they were initially phased out for the Strv 122.

The Strv 121 was introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury". With a similar playstyle as the other Leopard 2A4s, it is able to compete with the other nations' top MBTs like the T-80, M1A2 Abrams, and Leclerc. The Strv 121 is agile and can manoeuvre around the battlefield with its high top speed, allowing it to reach capture points and good positions fast. The Strv 121 has a relatively vulnerable hull compared to the more well-armoured turret, and will excel in a hull-down position like most MBTs. Its 120 mm cannon gives it excellent firepower to deal with most opponents and has great penetration capability at further ranges, making it an excellent vehicle to have long distance engagements with enemies where the armour will have an improved chance of protecting the vehicle.

General info

Survivability and armour

Composite armour

Balanced protection against all types of ammunition

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Self-entrenching equipment

Creation of ramparts and trenches in soft ground

Armourfront / side / back

Hull35 / 25 / 20

Turret25 / 25 / 15

Crew4 people

Visibility95 %

Frontal armour display of the Strv 121.

The Strv 121's kinetic protection is reasonable, with the turret cheeks near-invulnerable to all but the most powerful rounds (e.g. CL3143) and the upper front plate capable of protecting against less powerful rounds (e.g. M735) - however besides these sections the remainder of the vehicle is largely vulnerable to high-powered kinetic rounds; of note are the weak lower front plate and the gun mantlet, both of which are reasonably visible targets, as well as the gunner's optics.

The vehicle sports significantly better all-round chemical protection, with an upper hull and turret essentially immune to all but the most powerful ATGMs frontally, with upwards of 800 mm worth of equivalent protection in places. Despite this, it's advisable to be wary of incoming ATGMs as a well-placed round may sneak past the heavily protected areas - and some missiles such as those of the ADATS will slice straight through even the turret cheeks.

As with most other MBTs, the Strv 121 is particularly vulnerable from the sides and back.

The Strv 121 is reasonably survivable, with some degree of crew spacing. However, from certain angles, the crew are placed in a straight line and successful penetration may impact three of the four crew members, resulting in a crew knock-out. In addition, well-placed side shots may impact all three turret crew members.

Ammunition is stored in the primary ammunition storage in the rear of the turret, or in the secondary storage next to the driver. The primary rack provides crew protection through the use of blow-out panels, however only has space for 15 rounds. When more than 16 rounds are taken to battle, ammunition will be stored in the significantly more vulnerable hull rack.

The Strv 121's protection proves acceptable for long-range combat, although it's ill-advised to remain in one location for any extended period of time to avoid opposing vehicles being able to hone their shots onto your weak spots. The Strv 121's protection should not be relied upon in urban or other close-range environments.

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	35 mm (53-82°) Upper glacis 40 mm (50-51°) Lower glacis 30 mm (82°) Driver's hatch	10 mm (5°) Upper hull 35 mm Lower forward hull 20 mm Lower rear hull 5 mm Side Skirts 100 mm Composite screening	20 mm (12-50°) All rear	20 mm (0-8°) Hull roof incl. engine deck
Turret	35 mm (0-6°) Cheeks incl. Gunner optics 35 mm (1°) Mantlet 120 mm Rear Mantlet Plate	35 mm Forward 15 mm Rear	10 mm (10°) Basket 20 mm (70°) Turret underside	40 mm (82-85°) Forehead Armour 14 mm (72-77°) Forward sides 20 mm (89°) Rear turret incl. cupolas 5 mm (84°) Basket

Composite armour	Front	Sides
Hull	Upper+Lower glacis 90 - 350 mm Kinetic 243 - 600 mm Chemical
Turret	Turret cheeks 420 - 800 mm Kinetic 535 - 820 mm Chemical Gun mantlet 100 - 270 mm Kinetic 300 - 480 mm Chemical	Side armour 194 - 260 mm Kinetic 280 - 400 mm Chemical

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB76 / 35 km/h

RB and SB69 / 31 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight55.2 t

Engine power

AB2 862 hp

RB and SB1 500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB51.8 hp/t

RB and SB27.2 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	76	35	55.2	2,032	2,862	36.81	51.85
Realistic	69	31		1,327	1,500	24.04	27.17

The Strv 121 is powered by an MTU MB 838 Ca-M500 engine which produces a whopping 1,500 hp (1,100 kW), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of slightly over 27 hp per tonne, comparable to the ratio of the early Abrams and identical to the T-80U. As such, the Strv 121 is quite mobile despite weighing over 55 tonnes, comfortably able to reach 72 km/h on-road and well capable of keeping up with its competitors. This allows for an active, aggressive playstyle, using the Leopard's high speed and good acceleration characteristics to get into an early flanking position or take early cap points - though it is important to keep in mind that opposition forces might attempt the same.

The Strv 121 has a maximum reverse speed of 31 km/h which it reaches easily, allowing for a quick retreat in sub-optimal situations.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 350 → 6 785

RB4 212 → 6 570

SB4 927 → 7 686

Total cost of modifications243 900

404 000

Talisman cost2 900

Crew training240 000

Experts830 000

Aces2 100

Research Aces1 140 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

150 / 200 / 250 %

238 / 238 / 238 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 18 000 Cost: 28 000 490 Suspension Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 270 Brake System Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 270 Filters Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 350 Transmission Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 460 Engine Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 460	Improved Parts Research: 5 400 Cost: 28 000 490 Improved FPE Research: 3 000 Cost: 15 000 270 Crew Replenishment Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 350	Horizontal Drive Research: 18 000 Cost: 28 000 490 Adjustment of Fire Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 270 Dozer Blade Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 270 120mm_DM_HE_FS_ammo_pack Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 270 Elevation Mechanism Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 350 Smoke grenade Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 350 NVD Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 350 Artillery Support Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 460 120mm_DM_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 460 Laser rangefinder Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 460

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

120 mm kan Strv 121

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition42 rounds

First-order15 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

7.8 → 6.0 s

Vertical guidance-9° / 20°

The 120 mm kan Strv 121 is a domestic production of the famous 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 cannon and is mounted as the primary armament on the Strv 121, offering a balance of firepower, accuracy, and sustained rate of fire. The 121 has three rounds available to it: slsgr m/95, DM13 APFSDS and DM23 APFSDS. Of these, only DM13 is available when the vehicle is stock, with slsgr m/95 as a tier 2 and DM23 a tier 4 modification. The L/44 is reasonably accurate at long range with any ammunition, however minor round deviation may be evident at extreme ranges (over 2,000 m).

It's advisable to primarily rely on the best available APFSDS round for engaging other MBTs. HE should rarely be used but can prove to be useful for more experienced players.

120 mm kan Strv 121					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	42	-9°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	38.1	52.7	64.0	70.8	75.3	7.80	6.90	6.36	6.00
Realistic					23.8	28.0	34.0	37.6	40.0

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
DM13	APFSDS	393	390	384	376	367	359
slsgr m/95	HE	36	36	36	36	36	36
DM23	APFSDS	410	408	401	393	384	376

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%
DM13	APFSDS	1,650	4.44	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°
slsgr m/95	HE	736	17.5	0	0.1	3.54	79°	80°	81°
DM23	APFSDS	1,640	4.3	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Strv 121

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
42	16 (+26)	1 (+41)	No

First stage only: 16 rounds (15 in rack + 1 in gun), stored within blow-out protected compartment.

Machine guns

7.62 mm ksp 94 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

7.62 mm ksp 94 machine gun

Ammunition2 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

The Strv 121 is equipped with one pintle-mounted machine gun and one coaxial machine gun. These can be used as an anti-air deterrent or for clearing out light obstacles and crew from open vehicles.

7.62 mm ksp 94
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,000 (200)	1,200	N/A	N/A
Pintle	2,000 (200)	1,200	-10°/+75°	±180°

Usage in battles

The Strv 121 may feel somewhat sluggish when stock, but unlike the German Leopard 2A4 that the Strv 121 is based off of, the 121 gets DM13 stock. This allows for more aggressive early research play than its German brother.

The 121 can be used comfortably in both urban and rural environments, providing the vehicle's weaknesses are kept in mind. While it is capable in most forms of engagement, it does lack the precision of the British Challenger MBTs or the extreme round velocities of the Russian T-64/T-80 series. The 121 also has a particularly large and blocky profile, making for a particularly visible target in many situations.

Considering the above, a Strv 121 player should utilize its great mobility and competitive gun to get into early positions to pick off unsuspecting targets, rather than attempting to engage opposing forces head-on.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful engine, high top speed and acceleration
• Good neutral steering system
• Good gunner sight magnification for long-range engagements
• Reasonably high-velocity kinetic rounds
• Competitive DM23 APFSDS
• Turret armour can prove effective for hull-down engagements
• Primary ammunition is contained within a storage unit with blow-out panels

Cons:

• Hull armour is mediocre, particularly against kinetic rounds
• The gunner's optics are a weak spot, enemies who know how to aim can cripple your gun and kill your crew
• The gun mantlet is relatively weak while being quite prominent, penetration can disable the gun or knock turret crew out
• The turret cheeks can be penetrated by most APFSDS rounds when hit at the right angle
• Secondary ammunition storage is extremely vulnerable, although this is avoidable by carrying no more than 16 rounds
• Both machine guns are relatively light calibre, suffer from mediocre gun elevation and will not prove to be much more an annoyance to aircraft, particularly helicopters
• Does not get access to HEAT-FS like the 2A4, instead gets access to the slsgr m/95 HE round as a tier II modification

History

When the Swedish Military decided to procure the German-built Leopard Improved (Strv 122), they decided to also lease Leopard 2A4 tanks from Germany as part of the deal. 160 Leopard 2A4s were delivered in 1994, with the stipulation that they would be returned after 15 years. The Bundeswehr was willing to loan out their tanks because of the requirement that they reduce the amount of military equipment in service, due to the end of the Cold War. When the contract ended, 20 vehicles were purchased and kept.

The Swedish Leopard 2A4s were designated as the Stridsvagn (Strv) 121. They came from various production series - known as losung - from losung 1 (built in 1979) to losung 5 (built in 1987). As such, there were some minor external variations among the Strv 121 tanks.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Strv 121 from live.warthunder.com.

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

References

Bibliography

• Leopard 2 Strv 121. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product2392.html