Strv 81

This page is about the Swedish medium tank Strv 81. For other versions, see Centurion (Family).

Strv 81

Strv 74

Strv 101

Strv 81

Strv 74

Strv 101

Sweden

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	7.7	7.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:95 000

Purchase:270 000

Show in game

Description

The Stridsvagn 81 was the Swedish designation for the Centurion Mk 3. Sweden acquired a batch of 80 Centurion Mk 3 in 1953, and another batch of 160 in 1955 with a few modifications from the later Mk 5 version like a new barrel with bore evacuator. The Strv 81 would serve in the Swedish army from 1953 until the 2000s as the backbone of the Swedish armoured forces alongside the Strv 103. They had an extensive service and would be modernized a few times throughout their service to meet standards as time progressed, becoming the Strv 102 and 104, but would eventually be replaced by the more modern Strv 121.

Introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury", the Strv 81 represents a Swedish-camouflaged Centurion Mk 3. Its gameplay is very similar to that of modern main battle tanks. Players never have to worry about opponents appearing around corners and stopping to take aim with the two-plane fully automatic stabilization system. Even with aggressive manoeuvring, the gun sights are fully stabilized, ensuring that the player always fires first upon spotting an enemy. The introduction of the 84 mm QF 20-pounder tank gun, which can penetrate up to 384 mm of armour at point-blank range with armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) ammunition, significantly improves firepower. This basically allows the player to engage the opponent's heavy tanks on their own terms, serving as a true ancestor to the main battle tank doctrine.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull76 / 51 / 38

Turret152 / 89 / 89

Crew4 people

Visibility119 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

Armour	Front	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	50.8 mm Border of turret 29 mm Centre of turret
Cupola	152 mm	90 mm	90 mm	29 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB39 / 14 km/h

RB and SB35 / 12 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

2 back

Weight50.8 t

Engine power

AB1 240 hp

RB and SB650 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB24.4 hp/t

RB and SB12.8 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	39	14	50.8	1,007	1,240	19.82	24.41
Realistic	35	12		575	650	11.32	12.8

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 041 → 5 467

RB4 566 → 6 177

SB6 435 → 8 706

Total cost of modifications76 700

127 200

Talisman cost2 000

Crew training78 000

Experts270 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces670 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 200 / 220 %

190 / 190 / 190 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 230 Suspension Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 155 Brake System Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 155 Filters Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 220 Transmission Research: 6 500 Cost: 10 000 280 Engine Research: 6 500 Cost: 10 000 280	Improved Parts Research: 3 400 Cost: 8 600 230 Improved FPE Research: 2 300 Cost: 5 800 155 Crew Replenishment Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 220	Horizontal Drive Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 230 Adjustment of Fire Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 155 84mm_britain_20pdr_APDS_ammo_pack Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 155 Elevation Mechanism Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 220 Smoke grenade Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 220 Artillery Support Research: 6 500 Cost: 10 000 280 84mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 6 500 Cost: 10 000 280

Armaments

Main armament

84 mm kan Strv 81 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition65 rounds

First-order8 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.1 → 6.3 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

84 mm kan Strv 81					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	65	-10°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	19.0	26.4	32.0	35.4	37.7	8.19	7.25	6.68	6.30
Realistic					11.9	14.0	17.0	18.8	20.0

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
slpprj	APCBC	232	229	216	201	187	173
slpprj m/54	APDS	384	380	363	343	324	306
slsgr m/53	HE	20	20	20	20	20	20

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%
slpprj	APCBC	1,000	9.1	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°
slpprj m/54	APDS	1,430	3.22	-	-	-	75°	78°	80°
slsgr m/53	HE	600	7.88	0.2	0.1	1.59	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)
rökgr m/53	250	9.3	9	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
65	63 (+2)	61 (+4)	53 (+12)	45 (+20)	37 (+28)	29 (+36)	9 (+56)	5 (+60)	1 (+64)	No

Ammo racks of the Centurion Mk 3 (identical)

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Racks 8 and 9 are first stage ammo racks. They total 8 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
• These racks are also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 8 - 9 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 7.
• If you pack 29 (+36) shells, it will keep most of the hull empty of ammo.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-7 into racks 9 then 8. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Machine guns

7.62 mm ksp m/39B machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition3 750 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate649 shots/min

8 mm ksp m/39B
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	3,750 (250)	649	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The Strv 81 is an effective medium tank if played to its strengths. If one wants to keep it simple, just use the powerful gun to snipe from distance. More advanced tankers can utilize the not too impressive max speed (35 km/h (22mph)) to move with this medium tank into the flanks of enemy tanks (close to the border of a map) and search for positions like hills and ridges where one can make use of the amazing -10° gun depression to hide the vulnerable lower plate of this tank. Once in such a position, one should use the binoculars to scout for enemies without exposing the turret. If an enemy tank is spotted that could be a potential threat (dangerous tank / faced towards you) pop out a little bit and start to take out the enemies gunner/cannon barrel/cannon breech to prevent him from returning fire. Now utilize the quick reload to take out one crew member after the other to finish your opponent. If an enemy is spotted who is exposing their side or even the rear while not aiming towards you, shoot the engine first to immobilize and possibly even ignite the enemy tank, preventing him to take cover. The next shots should again disable the gun of the enemy, now finish your prey by shooting all crew members or if you feel lucky shoot an ammo rack.

The best choice to pierce enemy tanks is obviously the slpprj m/54 (APDS) although it is quite expensive in terms of Silver Lions. The slpprj (APCBC) works in most situation as well but lacks penetration compared to the slpprj m/54 APDS shot. The amazing penetration characteristics of this APDS shot enables this gun to pierce front plates of all Panther models (apart from the Panther II) to ranges up to 2,000 m. T-44s and Panther IIs front plates can be penetrated to ranges up to almost 1,000 m. Keep in mind though that the front plate of the T-44 is angled at 60°, so it bounces even this powerful APDS shot quite often. Even the front plate of the mighty Tiger II is not able to stop this APDS shot if not angled and the range is shorter than 100 m.

In a head to head situation with an enemy tank approaching try to angle the centurion not more than 5° degrees to either side since the side armour is quite weak (50.8 mm), try to hide your lower front plate which is a massive weak spot, while reloading turn the turret 10° to the right to maximize chances of bouncing shots (right side of the turret front has some extra armour) and keeping the gunner alive.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful and high penetrating gun, the stock round is adequate and APDS can punch through anything it will face
• Has a base reload time of 8.1 seconds, which can be lowered further into around 7.4 seconds (which is on average two seconds faster than its competitors)
• Excellent gun depression and elevation
• Extremely strong gun mantlet
• Somewhat bouncy armour
• Gunner is on the right side of the tank
• Neutral steering can turn on the spot without having to switch into 1^st gear
• Good manoeuvrability
• Good reverse speed
• Gun stabilizer

Cons:

• Low top speed
• Ammo rack in the front, penetration through the lower glacis will likely end up destroying or detonating the ammo rack
• Top armour covering the engine compartments is 8 mm
• APDS shot causes only punctual damage (aim carefully)
• No explosive filler on any AP shells
• Weak side armour, do not angle the hull too much

History

The Strv 81 was the designation given to 240 British Centurion Mk 3s equipped with Swedish communication equipment. As the first Centurion type used by the Swedish army, the vehicles were fielded extensively during the Cold War as a counter to the numerous T-54/T-55 MBTs fielded by the Soviet Army. The Strv 81s would later be complemented by the Strv 101, a variant of the Centurion Mk 10, and later followed by the Strv 102 and Strv 104. These "Swedish Centurions" would continue service until the introduction of more advanced MBTs such as the Leopard 2 in Swedish service.

After the end of the Second World War, Sweden was in a tight spot in terms of armoured vehicles, as the Soviet forces near its borders possessed significant numbers of IS-series and T-44 tanks, along with the wartime-era T-34 tank variants. Most of these tanks far outclassed the Strv m/41 and m/42 tanks that equipped the Swedish army at the time. As a result, Swedish tank designers were immediately tasked with the development of a new medium tank. However, most of these designs failed to produce strong results, and thus, the Swedish army began the search for a new foreign-built medium tank.

The Swedish army considered two main tank designs: the M46 Patton and the Centurion Mk 3. The Swedish army decided to buy the Centurion, but Britain was unwilling to sell the tanks immediately due to the Korean War. As a result, the Swedish army began considering French-built tanks, notably the AMX-13. However, in late 1952, the British army agreed to sell Sweden 80 Centurion Mk 3 tanks with the order fulfilled 1953-1954. After testing with Swedish specialists, the first 80 Centurion Mk 3s were delivered to Sweden as the Strv 81 - these tanks were virtually identical to the British version.

In 1955, Sweden ordered an additional 160 Centurion Mk 3s, this time with modifications to the gun barrel to reduce fumes reentering the turret after firing. This made for a total of 240 Strv 81s in Swedish service, replacing the highly obsolete Strv m/41 and m/42 tanks of the wartime era. The Strv 81s were later complemented by the Strv 101s, which were British-built Centurion Mk 10s. Together, the Swedish Centurions served for a long time in Swedish service, later variants serving until 2001 when they were replaced by the variants of the German Leopard 2.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Strv 81 from live.warthunder.com.

Images

• 

  Strv 81 with '80401' Market Camouflage

• 

  Strv 81 with Desert (Late) Camouflage

• 

  Strv 81 with Quadricolor Deforming Camouflage

• 

  Strv 81 with Standard Camouflage

• 

  Strv 81 with Tricolor Summer Camouflage

• 

  Strv 81 with Tricolor Winter Deforming Camouflage

• 

  Strv 81 with Unicolor Winter Camouflage

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• Strv 81 (RB 52)
• Strv 81 (RB 52) (Great Britain)
• Centurion Mk 3

Related development

• Strv 101
• Strv 104
• Strv 105

Similar role vehicles

• M47
• M48A1
• Leopard 1
• T-54 (1947)

External links

Bibliography

• Rickard O. Lindström. (2014, September 20) in ointres https://www.ointres.se/strv_81_101_102_104_centurion.htm

Department of Tank Design
Medium Tanks
Sherman Firefly	Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"
MBTs
Centurion	Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Action X · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10
Challenger*	Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Tank Destroyers
Achilles	Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.)
Centurion-based	Conway · FV4005
Export
Sherman Firefly	Sherman Ic · ▄Sherman Vc
Centurion	Centurion Mk.5/1 · Strv 81 · Strv 81 (RB 52) · ▄Strv 81 (RB 52) · Strv 101 · Strv 104** · Strv 105** · Sho't
See also	US Ordnance Department · Israeli Ordnance Corps · Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
	*By successor, the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment
	**Swedish modernizations incorporating innovations from the Israeli Sho't Kals.