Difference between revisions of "AMX-30 (1972)"

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{{Specs-Card|code=fr_amx_30_1972}}
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{{About
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|about= French medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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|usage= other versions
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|link= AMX-30 (Family)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=fr_amx_30_1972
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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The AMX-30 was first issued in august 1966 with the first 5 units being assigned to 501''e Régiment de Chars de Combat'' (Combat Tank Regiment) with the first units being equiped with France's very own 105mm gun the CN-105-F1 designed in tandem with the Obus G spin stabilized High Explosive Anti-Tank round ;  a 12.7mm M2HB heavy machine gun for a co-axial, and a 7.62as seen on the AMX-30 in game. At the time it weighed a light 36 tons (metric) compared to the leopard's 40 tons, but due to its Hispano-Suiza 110 multi-fuel, and some problems to its transmission, it could only achieve 18.9 hp/ton to the leopard's 19.6 hp/ton
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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The '''AMX-30B''' is the second variant of the [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30 main battle tank family]]. Many enhancements were made during the production run. Beginning in 1972, the original coaxial M2HB Browning heavy machine gun was replaced with a dual-purpose 20 mm GIAT M693 autocannon capable of depressing from -8° and elevating to 40° in the vertical axis to provide improved deterrence against enemy lightly armoured vehicles and helicopters. Furthermore, all units of the first AMX-30 variant were upgraded to the newer AMX-30B specification.
  
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the AMX-30B mod. 1972 saw the replacement of the M2HB co-axial machine gun with a 20mm M693 autocannon with the ability to elevate from -8° to 40° (20° higher than the main gun) in order to target Light Armored Vehicles and Helicopters
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Introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]], the AMX-30B is essentially identical to the original batch of AMX-30s, with the main variation being the coaxial-mounted weaponry. The play style is similar in that players should stay with other stronger teammates and serve as a long-range support tank. Set up ambushes to disable tracks or take out one or two crew members of the enemy tank before retreating to cover. As most tanks that the AMX-30B encounters are easily able to penetrate its armour, it is advised to play more conservatively and not too aggressively during combat.
  
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as previously mentioned, the 105mm gun on the AMX-30 is france's own, and designed with a particular shell in mind, rather than the leopard's which is a licensed British L7 gun, which makes the Leopard's gun NATO compatible, thus making logistics easier. That is because the OCC 105 "Obus G" works by having the HEAT warhead mounted on bearings to and outer shell by bearings, thus keeping the accuracy of a normal rotating HEAT shell with the penetrative power of non-rotating HEAT Fin Stabilized shell, thus making the shot more accurate at longer ranges
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== General info ==
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=== Survivability and armour ===
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
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Being a derivative of the Euro-panzer project (like the Leopard) and that mobility and firepower were placed above almost all else, the AMX-30 was not built to get shot at by main battle tanks, or tanks for that matter.
 +
 
 +
;Hull
  
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that and the revision from a .50cal to a 20mm autocannon suggest this tank was modernized for long range combat in a highly mobile package which could be a reflection of the French's army exceptions, possibly that fighting over the fields of France .
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The lower front plate is 79 mm thick at 39° (which is not a lot at this BR) while the upper front plate is (again) 79 mm, this time at 68°. In other words, the hull will not defend the AMX-30 against anything heavier than an autocannon, although it could bounce some AP and APHE rounds when using the 8° of gun depression to its fullest, though to be safer, don't expose the front of the hull.
  
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== General info ==
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The sides and the rear of the hull are also lacklustre, with 30 mm protection and then the only strong point being the sponsons with 35 mm, expect most rounds larger than heavy machine guns to pass through. The sponsons themselves have only a 57 mm plate covering the front, not to mention it is angled up and to the side, it could potentially be a weak spot for anti-aircraft vehicles if they are at an angle compared to you.
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=== Survivability and armour ===
 
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being a derivative of the Euro-panzer project (like the leopard) and that mobility and firepower were placed above almost all else, i can comfortably say that the AMX-30 was not built to get shot at by main battle tanks, or tanks for that matter.
 
  
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<u>'''Hull Armor :'''</u>
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;Turret
  
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the lower front plate is 79mm thick at 39° (not a lot at 7.3) while the upper front plate is (again) 79mm this time at 68°, in other words the Hull will not defend you against anything heavier than an auto-cannon, although it could bounce some AP and APHE rounds when using the 8° of gun depression to its fullest, though to be safer, don't expose the front of the hull...
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Much like the Hull, the turret isn't really meant to protect against much. The turret is 80 mm thick around the gun (not counting the 150 mm gun ring since it's too small a target). The rest are mostly 60 mm thick apart from a 50 mm autocannon mantlet and a 35 mm plate for the viewport. The top and bottom of the mantlet are 30 mm thick, but it's at 78°, meaning it might be the toughest part yet, particularly since shot traps from the bottom of the mantlet don't seem common.
  
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...or the side/rear of the hull with 30mm side and rear protection with the the only "strong point" being the sponsons with 35mm, expect most rounds larger than heavy machine guns to pass through, the sponsons themselves have only a 57mm plate covering the front, not to mention it is angled up and to the side, it could potentially  be a weakspot for AA vehicles if they are at an angle compared to you.
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The turret cheeks maybe only 41.5 mm thick, but from the front, the angle makes the shot risky, though be aware it is still a potential target. If the tank is played using its mobility and peeking over ridges, the cupola is 60 mm and rather big, so be wary of APHE shells because if they penetrate there, you might lose the turret crew if not the entire tank.
  
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<u>'''Turret Armor:'''</u>
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The most likely target on the turret (maybe even the whole tank) is the turret top and "forehead", the armour plate directly above the mantlet is 30 mm thick with an angle of 71°, it might bounce ''some'' shells, but most APDS and HEAT will still go through. The problem is that sitting at the rear of the turret is the ready rack, which will most likely detonate if hit.
  
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Much like the Hull, the turret isn't really meant to protect against much the turret is 80mm thick around the gun (not counting the 150 gun ring since its too small a target), the rest of mostly 60mm thick appart from a 50mm autocannon mantelet and a 35mm plate for the view port the top and bottom of the mantelet is 30mm thick, but its at 78°, meaning it might be the toughest part yet, particularly since shot traps from the bottom of the mantelet don't seem common
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The turret side armour has nothing much speaking for it that the front armour has, as much like the hull, it isn't well armoured. Ricochets and bounces off this sector are quite rare and should be unexpected. Just make sure to keep your head on a swivel and have that turret hidden or pointing at your foe.
  
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the cheeks maybe only 41.5mm thick but from the front the angle makes the shot risky, though be aware it is still a potential target. though if you  play using the tank's mobility and peeking ridges. The cupola is 60mm and rather big, so be weary of APHE shells because if they penetrate there you might lose the turret crew if not the entire tank, (though i have yet to have this happen to me).
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;Modules and crew placement
  
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in my opinion the most likely target on the turret (maybe even the whole tank) is the turret top and "forehead", the armor plate directly above the mantelet is 30mm thick with an angle of 71°, it might bounce SOME shells but most APDS and HEAT will still go through the problem being that sitting at the rear of the turret is the ready rack, which will most likely detonate if hit.
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A particularity in the AMX-30's survivability is the placement of modules and crew. On the Leopard, shooting the left side of the upper front plate of the hull would knock out the driver, gunner, and commander all at once, thus completely neutralizing the tank and requiring a replacement crew to be deployed, and shooting the right side would detonate the ammo rack which holds 90% of the Leopard's ammo capacity
  
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going over the turret side swiftly, much like the hull it isn't whell armored, you can bounce over the turret rear but don't expect it to happen, just make sure to keep your head on a swivel and have that turret hidden or pointing at your foe
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This problem doesn't happen as much on an AMX-30 however, because of the tank's fuel tank being in front and beside the ammo rack, shots to the left side of the hull might not detonate the ammo rack there and (if you are lucky) might not even hit the gunner. As for the right side, the only crewman behind the driver is the loader.
  
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'''<u>Modules and crew placement:</u>'''
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In other words, whereas it would take one shot to disable or destroy a Leopard 1 through the hull, it may take more than one to defeat an AMX-30 this way. The downside, of course, is that you have 19 rounds of ammunition in a ready rack that will constantly fill itself, which means that 40% of your munitions is sitting behind the gunner and commander, making shots at the turret the enemy's priority
  
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a particularity in the AMX-30's survivability is the placement of modules and crew, for instance, on the leopard, shooting the left side of the upper front plate of the hull would kill the driver, gunner, and commander, thus completely neutralizing the tank and requiring a replacement crew to be deployed, and shooting the right side would detonate the ammo rack which is 90% of the leopard's ammo capacity
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Another drawback is that AMX-30's fuel tanks are inside the hull. Stock grinding without FPE is painful, since every penetrating hit ignites the fuel.
  
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this problem doesn't happen as much on an AMX-30 however, because of the tank's fuel tank being in front and beside the ammo rack, shots to the left side of the hull might not detonate the ammo rack there and (if you lucky) might not even hit the gunner ; and as for the right side, the only crewman behind the driver is the loader.
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A final note will be on the smoke shells and smoke grenades available on the AMX-30: use these without moderation! If targeted and multiple enemies are pointing/firing upon you, use the smoke grenades and relocate; if an enemy is keeping you pinned, try to catch him off guard and throw a smoke shell in his face then proceed.
  
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in other words, whereas it would take one shot to disable or kill a leopard 1 through the hull, it may take more than one to kill an AMX-30 this way.
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'''Armour type:'''
  
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the downside of course is that you have 22 rounds of ammunition in a ready rack that will constantly fill itself, which means that 40% of your munitions is sitting behind the gunner and commander, making shots at the turret the enemy's priority
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* Cast homogeneous armour
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* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull roof, Hull sides)
  
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final note will be on the Smoke shells and smoke grenades available on the AMX-30 : use without moderation ! if you have been targeted and multiple enemies are pointing/firing upon you, use grenades and relocate; if an enemy is keeping you pinned try to catch him off guard and throw a smoke shell in his face then proceed.
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{| class="wikitable"
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|-
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! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
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|-
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| Hull || 79 mm (57-68°), 50 mm (52-76°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 79 mm (0-57°), 30 mm (75°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35-57 mm (0-35) <br> 30 mm ''Bottom'' <br> 25 mm (70°) ''Belly'' || 30 mm (10°) ''Top'' <br> 30 mm ''Center'' <br> 25 mm (70°) ''Bottom'' || 15 mm <br> 8 mm ''Engine grille''
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|-
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| Turret || 30-150 mm (0-79°) ''Gun mantlet'' <br> 30 mm (61-75°) ''Turret front top'' || 41.5 mm (19-47°) || 30 mm (1-64°) <br> 20 mm (54-64°) ''Turret underside'' || 20 mm
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|-
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| Cupola || 80 mm || 80 mm || 80 mm || 20 mm
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|}
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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The Mobility of the AMX-30 is great is almost every respect, it has slightly lower acceleration than a leopard or STB-1 but it till gets the job done about as well, it doesn't struggle much off road, but do remind yourself that the gun is not stabilized, firing on the move might hit occasionally and might scare them off but shooting straight means stopping, something you should NEVER do when targeted by enemy tanks. my only gripe is spinning the hull when the tank as stopped, as it is a bit slow and can get you in some trouble if you have to react fast.  
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
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reminder, the tank as -8° elevation to the front of the tank, and (like the leopard) cannot depress over the back, so don't get flanked, ever (considering the mobility of this tank, if your outflanked you either stayed still too long, took the unfortunate path or didn't pay enough attention).
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,116|rbMinHp=637}}
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The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is great in almost every respect. It has slightly lower acceleration than a Leopard or [[STB-1]], but it still gets the job done about as well. It doesn't struggle much off road, but remember that the gun is not stabilized. Firing on the move might hit occasionally and might scare them off, but shooting straight means stopping, something you should '''never''' do when targeted by enemy tanks.
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 +
Keep also in mind that the tank as -8° elevation to the front of the tank, and (like the Leopard) cannot depress over the back, so don't get flanked, ever (considering the mobility of this tank, if you're outflanked you either stayed still too long, took the unfortunate path, or didn't pay enough attention).
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 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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the main armament on the AMX-30 (1972) is [[wikipedia:105_mm_Modèle_F1|CN-105-F1]]<nowiki/>this gun was specifically designed for the use of the tank's OCC-105 spin stabilized HEAT shell, which works by spinning an outer shell using the gun's rifling in order to provide aerodynamic stability while the inner shell (the actual warhead) is suspended by bearings in order to minimize rotation, which reduces the penetrative power of said shell. it is for all intents and purposes, a slightly different HEAT-FS shell though is supposed to be more accurate at longer ranges. in game the accuracy boost is debatable though i will say that misses do happen and sometimes at crucial points, it is not the main concern
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
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{{main|CN-105-F1 (105 mm)}}
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The main armament on the AMX-30 (1972) is the [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|CN-105-F1]]. This gun was specifically designed for the use of the tank's OCC-105 spin stabilized HEAT shell, which works by spinning an outer shell using the gun's rifling in order to provide aerodynamic stability while the inner shell (the actual warhead) is suspended by bearings in order to minimize rotation, which would reduce the penetrative power of said shell. It is for all intents and purposes a slightly different HEATFS shell.
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The main concern is that HEAT shells, particularly modern ones, are sensitive to impact, they might fly through some foliage and some fences, but it is best to destroy the destructible terrain first before firing (where the 20 mm comes in handy, more on that later), though you must remember that on maps like [[Sinai|Sinai]] where houses can be shot through without being shot down, you are at a disadvantage because if you are seen, enemies with AP shells of any sort can and will be able to shoot through the building and hit you, while chemical shells (including HE, HEAT, and HEATFS) can't.
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 +
But do not underestimate the power of its HEAT shell, it still is quite deadly, harder to bounce, and it keeps penetration over a range, not to mention you get similar performance to a Leopard's HEATFS from stock and thus without the associated price. All in all, firepower-wise, the tank is not bad.
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The shrapnel of the round in post-penetration damage might not be as plentiful as APHE rounds, but with a reload speed of 8.7 seconds stock, provided you aim for crew and modules, you can spit out about 7 HEAT shells penetrating anything from 200 mm at 60° to 400 mm at 90° every minute. Once fully upgraded, you go from 8.7 seconds reload for about 7 shots per minute to 6.7 seconds reload for about 9 shots a minute. It isn't the best out there, but it does fire fast.
  
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the main concern is that HEAT shells, particularly modern ones, are <u>sensitive to impact</u>, they might fly through some foliage and some fences, but it is best to <u>destroy the destructible terrain first</u>, before firing, (where the 20mm comes in handy, more on that later) though you must remember that on maps like Sinaï where houses can be shot through without being shot down, you are at a disadvantage, because if you are seen, enemies with AP shells of any sort can and will be able to shoot through the building and hit you, while HE shells (including HEAT and HEAT-FS) can't.
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A word of warning before talking of the gun's flexibility though, knowing your enemy's tank is crucial, but most importantly you must know and remember the location of A) the gunner, in order to prevent him from firing, and B) the ammo racks, in order to knock out the enemy, should you catch him off guard or incapacitate his gunner.
  
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but do not underestimate the power of its HEAT shell, it still is quite deadly, harder to bounce, and it keeps penetration over range, not to mention, you get similar performance to a leopard's HEAT-FS from stock and thus without the associated price, all in all, firepower-wise, its not bad.
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As for gun handling, it's quite exceptional. The turret rotation is okay stock at 36°/s and is fast once you get the "horizontal turret drive" module unlocked at 50°/s. The turret elevation isn't slow either, meaning that acquiring, tracking, and changing targets is relatively easy on this tank, you can even track some propeller driven aircraft (more on that later).
  
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the shrapnel of the round might not be as plentiful as APHE rounds but with a <u>reload speed of 8.7 seconds stock</u>* (* : and by stock i mean, if you never bothered upgrading your loader's reload speed) provided you aim for crew and modules, you can spit out about 7 <u>HEAT shells penetrating anything from 200mm at 60° to 400mm at 90°</u> every minute. and once fully upgraded you go from 8.7 seconds reload for about 7 shots per minute to 6.7 seconds reload for about 9 shots a minute, it isnt the best out there, but <u>it does fire fast</u>
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The elevation angles aren't too bad, though could be better considering the high roof and aforementioned "forehead" of the turret, the gun only goes 8° down when fully depressed, it is worse than tanks like the Leopard and Centurions that can depress 9° and 10° respectively, but do remember it is still better than the Vickers' 7° and the T-54's 4° of depression so don't be too afraid of peeking over small hills and ridges, just be quick to pop up and back down when necessary.
  
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a word of warning before talking of the gun's flexibility though, knowing your enemy's tank, is crucial, but most importantly you must know and <u>remember the location of : A) the gunner</u>, in order to prevent him from firing, and <u>B) the ammo racks</u>, in order to one shot the enemy should you catch him off guard or kill his gunner.
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|105 mm CN-105-F1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 47 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
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|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
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|-
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|}
  
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as for the gun handling, its quite exceptional, the <u>turret rotation</u> is okay <u>stock at 36°/s</u>, and is fast once you get the "horizontal turret drive" <u>module unlocked</u> at <u>50°/s</u> and the turret elevation isn't slow either, meaning that acquiring, tracking, and changing targets is relatively easy on this tank, you can even track some propeller driven aircraft (more on that later).
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==== Ammunition ====
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For ammo loadouts, it is suggested to bring 20-25 rounds of HEAT, 3-6 rounds of Smoke, and no HE rounds. That is because despite the 47 rounds capacity, in a normal game you won't fire that many HEAT rounds, thus 20 shells for the more ammo conserving folk or 25 rounds for the more trigger happy recommend. You may take more if you really need to, but you can get away with just that many if you make a stop by a capture zone to replenish.
  
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the elevation angles aren't too bad, though could be better, considering the high roof and aforementioned "forehead" of the turret, the <u>gun only goes 8° down when fully depressed</u>, it is worse than tanks like the leopard and centurions depress 9 and 10° respectively but do remember it is still better than the Vickers' 7° and the T-54s' 4° of depression so <u>don't be too afraid of peeking</u> small hills and ridges, just <u>be quick to pop up and back down</u> when necessary.
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The smoke rounds, depending on your playstyle, you might not need often, but when you do, they are life-saving as they can allow you to lay a smoke screen right in front of you or your team when you're out of smoke grenades (or if you've yet to unlock them yet) and they can blind snipers allowing you and your team to move up.
  
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As for ammo loadouts, i suggest 20-25 rounds of HEAT, 3-6 rounds of Smoke, and no HE rounds
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The HE shells are very situational since the 20 mm is almost always a better alternative. You don't need it to overpressurise light vehicles since the HEAT shell already does that, the only use would be for a target that is too far to hit effectively with the 20 mm, but where a HEAT shell might be unnecessary.
  
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that is because despite the 50 rounds capacity in a normal game you won't fire that many HEAT rounds, thus 20 shells for the more ammo conserving folk or 25 rounds for the more trigger happy is all i recommend, you may take more if you really need to, but you can get away with just that many if you make a stop by a capture zone to replenish.
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{{:CN-105-F1 (105 mm)/Ammunition|OCC 105 F1, OE 105 F1 Mle.60, OFPH 105 F1}}
  
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the smoke rounds, depending on your play-style you might not need often, but when you do, i assure you that they are life saving, as they can allow you to lay a smoke screen right in front of you or your team when you're out of smoke grenades (or if you've yet to unlock them yet) and they can blind snipers allowing you and your team to move up.
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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[[File:Ammoracks_AMX-30B2.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the AMX-30B2 (identical).]]
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<!-- '''Last updated: 2.1.0.50''' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
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! 3rd<br>rack empty
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! 4th<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
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|-
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| '''47''' || 20&nbsp;''(+27)'' || 19&nbsp;''(+28)'' || 9&nbsp;''(+38)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+46)'' || No
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|-
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|}
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'''Notes''':
  
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the HE shells are very situational, since, the 20mm is almost always a better alternative, you don't need it to hull break light vehicles since the HEAT shell already does that, the only use i would find for it is a target that is too far to hit effectively with the 20mm but where a HEAT shell might over penetrate or be overkill.
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* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
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* Rack 2, 3 and 4 are first stage ammo racks. They total 19 shells.
 +
* These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
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* The depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 3 - 4 - 1.
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* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 1 into rack 4 then 3, then 2. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
  
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=== Additional armament ===
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==== Optics and night vision ====
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if it isn't obvious by now, the secondary on the AMX-30 is not a machine gun but an auto-cannon, it fires in a belt of 1 High Explosive Fragmentation (HEF) round followed by one Armor Piercing round (AP) with both of these rounds being incendiary tracer rounds (I-T) in other words, it alternates between explosive rounds that are great from helicopters, planes and exposed crew, whilst burning and tracing the round ; and an armor piercing round for light armored targets, whilst burning and tracing the round.
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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! colspan="7" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
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|-
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! rowspan="3" |Type of optic
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! rowspan="3" |Magnification
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! colspan="5" |[[Night Vision Devices]]
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|-
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! colspan="3" |Image Intensifier
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! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Thermal Imager<br>Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
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! rowspan="2" |Notes
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|-
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! {{Annotation|Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
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! {{Annotation|Light Mult|By how much the image intensifier amplifies the existing light, primarily useful for comparing image intensifiers}}
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! {{Annotation|Noise Level|How much noise is present in the image (how grainy the image is)}}
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|-
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! Gunner's Sight
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| X6.8 - X8.0 || 800 x 600 || 8.0 || High || Not Fitted || Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
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|-
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! Commander's View
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| X6 || 800 x 600 || 8.0 || High || Not Fitted || Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
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|-
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! Driver's View
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| X1 || 800 x 600 || 5.0 || High || Not Fitted || Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
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|-
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|}
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 +
=== Machine guns ===
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
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<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
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{{main|20F2 (20 mm)|A-A-F1N (7.62 mm)}}
  
−
the only times where you would not be firing your 20mm gun is either : 1) there are no targets, 2) it would give your sniping position or your flanking attack away, 3) you are too far away to hit/damage anything, 4) you are trying to cool the weapon down (yes it can overheat) 5) you're reloading/un-jamming it.
+
The secondary on the AMX-30 is not a machine gun, but an autocannon. It fires a belt with a composition of 1 High Explosive Fragmentation (HEF) round, followed by one Armour Piercing round (AP) with both of these rounds being incendiary tracer rounds (I-T). Alternating between explosive rounds that are great from helicopters, planes and exposed crew, whilst burning and tracing the round, and an armour piercing round for lightly armoured targets, whilst burning and tracing the round.
  
−
in almost every other circumstance firing the 20mm is preferably though some times more than others, because this secondary is useful at 4 things in particular :
+
The only times where you would not be firing your 20 mm gun is either: 1) there are no targets, 2) it would give your sniping position or your flanking attack away, 3) you are too far away to hit/damage anything, 4) you are trying to cool the weapon down (yes it can overheat) 5) you're reloading/un-jamming it.
  
−
1) destroying fences, walls, trees, bushes, ... and any other destructible environment your HEAT shell would detonate upon before reaching your target
+
In almost every other circumstance, firing the 20 mm is preferably though some times more than others, because this secondary is useful at four things in particular :
  
−
2) destroying light vehicles, exposed crew and even other tanks should you have the side or rear of the target to shoot at
+
# destroying fences, walls, trees, bushes, ... and any other destructible environment your HEAT shell would detonate upon before reaching your target
 +
# destroying light vehicles, exposed crew and even other tanks should you have the side or rear of the target to shoot at
 +
# shooting down planes, as they are preparing or exiting an attack run
 +
# and lastly, destroying the exposed modules (canons, guns, tracks, ERA blocks) of any tank if you can't destroy it outright
  
−
3) shooting down planes, as they are preparing or exiting an attack run
+
There is only one belt to use, so make use of the HE-AP combination in the belt. The autocannon gets one thousand rounds to use, which means 500 rounds of crew-injuring HE and 500 rounds of tank damaging AP, with a fire rate not too slow nor too fast that allows for sustained suppressive fire.
  
−
4) and lastly, destroying the exposed modules (canons, guns, tracks, ERA blocks) of an any tank if you can't kill it outright
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[20F2 (20 mm)|20 mm 20F2]]
 +
|-
 +
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 +
|-
 +
| Coaxial || 1,000 (500) || 740 || 0°/+20° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
as for ammunition, you don't get a choice as to the belt, the HE-AP is the only one you get and you get one thousand rounds of it, which means 500 rounds of crew-injuring HE and 500 rounds of tank damaging AP, with a fire rate not too slow nor too fast, allowing for sustained suppressive fire.
+
Considering the fact that the 20 mm co-axial is not only powerful enough but flexible enough to shoot down planes with, the A-A-F1N machine gun just seems like an outlier in terms of providing firepower. It could be useful to attack exposed crew members, but this is very rare with the type of enemy vehicles seen in matches. The best use of this machine gun would probably to annoy the enemy, or draw their attention without using the valuable 20 mm autocannon shells.
  
−
=== Machine guns ===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
−
considering the fact that the 20mm co-axial is not only powerful enough but flexible enough to shoot down planes with, the only use i find for the 7.62 mm AAN-F1 machine gun is if you don't want to give yourself away by turning/firing the turret, it suppose it could be useful in realistic or simulator in order to attack exposed crew without wasting shells, but the only situations i use it in is to annoy the enemy when they know where i'm hiding and the only part of me exposed is the  cupola and the commander's machine gun.
+
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[A-A-F1N (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm A-A-F1N]]
 +
|-
 +
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 +
|-
 +
| Pintle || 2,100 (100) || 900 || -10°/+45° || ±120°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
== Usage in battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
Line 101: Line 225:
 
* Tank is relatively fast and mobile
 
* Tank is relatively fast and mobile
 
* Turret rotation and elevation is fast
 
* Turret rotation and elevation is fast
−
* 20mm auto-canon is good against : light tanks, planes and obstacles
+
* 20 mm autocannon is good against light tanks, planes, and obstacles
 
* HEAT shells have good penetration
 
* HEAT shells have good penetration
−
* has access to smoke shells and smoke grenades
+
* Has access to smoke shells and smoke grenades
−
* gunner and driver are not aligned --> hard to disable in one shot
+
* Gunner and driver are not aligned, meaning the tank is harder to disable in one shot
−
* Hull ammo rack surrounded by fuel tank
+
* Hull ammo rack surrounded by a fuel tank
−
 
+
* Has a good rangefinder as a modification, making long-range engagements easier
−
*
 
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* Armor is bad
+
* Armour is unsatisfactory against enemy armaments
−
* only 8° of gun depression
+
* Only 8° of gun depression
−
* cannot depress the gun over the engine deck
+
* Cannot depress the gun over the engine deck
−
* HEAT can't go through obstacles
+
* HEAT shell can't go through obstacles
−
* rear turret ready-rack prone to getting shot, even from the front
+
* Ready-rack at turret rear is prone to getting shot, even from the front
−
* high cupola makes it easier to spot  
+
* High cupola design makes it easier to spot
−
 
 
−
*
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
''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: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
−
== Read also ==
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;Skins
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fr_amx_30_1972 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|wJkQW4kSJjM|'''French MBTs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:17 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|NHRUSJ79Re4|'''The Shooting Range #175''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:50 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}
 +
 
 +
== 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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
  
−
''ETC.''
+
== External links ==
 +
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''other literature.'' -->
  
−
== Sources ==
+
* [[wt:en/news/5206-development-amx-30-mod-1972-next-generation-en|[Devblog] AMX-30 Mod. 1972: Next Generation]]
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
* [[wikipedia:AMX-30|[Wikipedia] AMX-30]]
 +
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/France/AMX-30.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> AMX-30]
  
−
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
+
{{TankManufacturer AMX}}
−
* ''other literature.''
+
{{France medium tanks}}

Latest revision as of 07:25, 4 January 2024

Rank VII | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
This page is about the French medium tank AMX-30 (1972). For other versions, see AMX-30 (Family).
AMX-30 (1972)
fr_amx_30_1972.png
GarageImage AMX-30 (1972).jpg
AMX-30 (1972)
France flag.png France
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
8.0 8.0 8.0
Class:
Research:120 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:340 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The AMX-30B is the second variant of the AMX-30 main battle tank family. Many enhancements were made during the production run. Beginning in 1972, the original coaxial M2HB Browning heavy machine gun was replaced with a dual-purpose 20 mm GIAT M693 autocannon capable of depressing from -8° and elevating to 40° in the vertical axis to provide improved deterrence against enemy lightly armoured vehicles and helicopters. Furthermore, all units of the first AMX-30 variant were upgraded to the newer AMX-30B specification.

Introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance", the AMX-30B is essentially identical to the original batch of AMX-30s, with the main variation being the coaxial-mounted weaponry. The play style is similar in that players should stay with other stronger teammates and serve as a long-range support tank. Set up ambushes to disable tracks or take out one or two crew members of the enemy tank before retreating to cover. As most tanks that the AMX-30B encounters are easily able to penetrate its armour, it is advised to play more conservatively and not too aggressively during combat.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull79 / 35 / 30
Turret80 / 41 / 30
Crew4 people
Visibility88 %

Being a derivative of the Euro-panzer project (like the Leopard) and that mobility and firepower were placed above almost all else, the AMX-30 was not built to get shot at by main battle tanks, or tanks for that matter.

Hull

The lower front plate is 79 mm thick at 39° (which is not a lot at this BR) while the upper front plate is (again) 79 mm, this time at 68°. In other words, the hull will not defend the AMX-30 against anything heavier than an autocannon, although it could bounce some AP and APHE rounds when using the 8° of gun depression to its fullest, though to be safer, don't expose the front of the hull.

The sides and the rear of the hull are also lacklustre, with 30 mm protection and then the only strong point being the sponsons with 35 mm, expect most rounds larger than heavy machine guns to pass through. The sponsons themselves have only a 57 mm plate covering the front, not to mention it is angled up and to the side, it could potentially be a weak spot for anti-aircraft vehicles if they are at an angle compared to you.

Turret

Much like the Hull, the turret isn't really meant to protect against much. The turret is 80 mm thick around the gun (not counting the 150 mm gun ring since it's too small a target). The rest are mostly 60 mm thick apart from a 50 mm autocannon mantlet and a 35 mm plate for the viewport. The top and bottom of the mantlet are 30 mm thick, but it's at 78°, meaning it might be the toughest part yet, particularly since shot traps from the bottom of the mantlet don't seem common.

The turret cheeks maybe only 41.5 mm thick, but from the front, the angle makes the shot risky, though be aware it is still a potential target. If the tank is played using its mobility and peeking over ridges, the cupola is 60 mm and rather big, so be wary of APHE shells because if they penetrate there, you might lose the turret crew if not the entire tank.

The most likely target on the turret (maybe even the whole tank) is the turret top and "forehead", the armour plate directly above the mantlet is 30 mm thick with an angle of 71°, it might bounce some shells, but most APDS and HEAT will still go through. The problem is that sitting at the rear of the turret is the ready rack, which will most likely detonate if hit.

The turret side armour has nothing much speaking for it that the front armour has, as much like the hull, it isn't well armoured. Ricochets and bounces off this sector are quite rare and should be unexpected. Just make sure to keep your head on a swivel and have that turret hidden or pointing at your foe.

Modules and crew placement

A particularity in the AMX-30's survivability is the placement of modules and crew. On the Leopard, shooting the left side of the upper front plate of the hull would knock out the driver, gunner, and commander all at once, thus completely neutralizing the tank and requiring a replacement crew to be deployed, and shooting the right side would detonate the ammo rack which holds 90% of the Leopard's ammo capacity

This problem doesn't happen as much on an AMX-30 however, because of the tank's fuel tank being in front and beside the ammo rack, shots to the left side of the hull might not detonate the ammo rack there and (if you are lucky) might not even hit the gunner. As for the right side, the only crewman behind the driver is the loader.

In other words, whereas it would take one shot to disable or destroy a Leopard 1 through the hull, it may take more than one to defeat an AMX-30 this way. The downside, of course, is that you have 19 rounds of ammunition in a ready rack that will constantly fill itself, which means that 40% of your munitions is sitting behind the gunner and commander, making shots at the turret the enemy's priority

Another drawback is that AMX-30's fuel tanks are inside the hull. Stock grinding without FPE is painful, since every penetrating hit ignites the fuel.

A final note will be on the smoke shells and smoke grenades available on the AMX-30: use these without moderation! If targeted and multiple enemies are pointing/firing upon you, use the smoke grenades and relocate; if an enemy is keeping you pinned, try to catch him off guard and throw a smoke shell in his face then proceed.

Armour type:

  • Cast homogeneous armour
  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull roof, Hull sides)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 79 mm (57-68°), 50 mm (52-76°) Front glacis
79 mm (0-57°), 30 mm (75°) Lower glacis 		35-57 mm (0-35)
30 mm Bottom
25 mm (70°) Belly 		30 mm (10°) Top
30 mm Center
25 mm (70°) Bottom 		15 mm
8 mm Engine grille
Turret 30-150 mm (0-79°) Gun mantlet
30 mm (61-75°) Turret front top 		41.5 mm (19-47°) 30 mm (1-64°)
20 mm (54-64°) Turret underside 		20 mm
Cupola 80 mm 80 mm 80 mm 20 mm

Mobility

Reverse gearbox
Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed
Speedforward / back
AB73 / 73 km/h
RB and SB66 / 66 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
5 back
Weight36.0 t
Engine power
AB1 374 hp
RB and SB720 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB38.2 hp/t
RB and SB20.0 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 73 73 36 1,116 1,374 31 38.17
Realistic 66 66 637 720 17.69 20

The mobility of the AMX-30 (1972) is great in almost every respect. It has slightly lower acceleration than a Leopard or STB-1, but it still gets the job done about as well. It doesn't struggle much off road, but remember that the gun is not stabilized. Firing on the move might hit occasionally and might scare them off, but shooting straight means stopping, something you should never do when targeted by enemy tanks.

Keep also in mind that the tank as -8° elevation to the front of the tank, and (like the Leopard) cannot depress over the back, so don't get flanked, ever (considering the mobility of this tank, if you're outflanked you either stayed still too long, took the unfortunate path, or didn't pay enough attention).

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 184 → 5 773 Sl icon.png
RB4 661 → 6 432 Sl icon.png
SB6 608 → 9 119 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications98 200 Rp icon.png
162 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training98 000 Sl icon.png
Experts340 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 300 Ge icon.png
Research Aces780 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
140 / 200 / 240 % Sl icon.png
202 / 202 / 202 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
6 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
6 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
10 000 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
4 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement fr.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
6 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
10 000 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
6 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_fr_CN105_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
6 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
10 000 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
6 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
10 000 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods tank rangefinder.png
Rangefinder
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

105 mm CN-105-F1 cannon
Ammunition47 rounds
First-order19 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.7 → 6.7 s
Vertical guidance-8° / 20°
Main article: CN-105-F1 (105 mm)

The main armament on the AMX-30 (1972) is the CN-105-F1. This gun was specifically designed for the use of the tank's OCC-105 spin stabilized HEAT shell, which works by spinning an outer shell using the gun's rifling in order to provide aerodynamic stability while the inner shell (the actual warhead) is suspended by bearings in order to minimize rotation, which would reduce the penetrative power of said shell. It is for all intents and purposes a slightly different HEATFS shell.

The main concern is that HEAT shells, particularly modern ones, are sensitive to impact, they might fly through some foliage and some fences, but it is best to destroy the destructible terrain first before firing (where the 20 mm comes in handy, more on that later), though you must remember that on maps like Sinai where houses can be shot through without being shot down, you are at a disadvantage because if you are seen, enemies with AP shells of any sort can and will be able to shoot through the building and hit you, while chemical shells (including HE, HEAT, and HEATFS) can't.

But do not underestimate the power of its HEAT shell, it still is quite deadly, harder to bounce, and it keeps penetration over a range, not to mention you get similar performance to a Leopard's HEATFS from stock and thus without the associated price. All in all, firepower-wise, the tank is not bad.

The shrapnel of the round in post-penetration damage might not be as plentiful as APHE rounds, but with a reload speed of 8.7 seconds stock, provided you aim for crew and modules, you can spit out about 7 HEAT shells penetrating anything from 200 mm at 60° to 400 mm at 90° every minute. Once fully upgraded, you go from 8.7 seconds reload for about 7 shots per minute to 6.7 seconds reload for about 9 shots a minute. It isn't the best out there, but it does fire fast.

A word of warning before talking of the gun's flexibility though, knowing your enemy's tank is crucial, but most importantly you must know and remember the location of A) the gunner, in order to prevent him from firing, and B) the ammo racks, in order to knock out the enemy, should you catch him off guard or incapacitate his gunner.

As for gun handling, it's quite exceptional. The turret rotation is okay stock at 36°/s and is fast once you get the "horizontal turret drive" module unlocked at 50°/s. The turret elevation isn't slow either, meaning that acquiring, tracking, and changing targets is relatively easy on this tank, you can even track some propeller driven aircraft (more on that later).

The elevation angles aren't too bad, though could be better considering the high roof and aforementioned "forehead" of the turret, the gun only goes 8° down when fully depressed, it is worse than tanks like the Leopard and Centurions that can depress 9° and 10° respectively, but do remember it is still better than the Vickers' 7° and the T-54's 4° of depression so don't be too afraid of peeking over small hills and ridges, just be quick to pop up and back down when necessary.

105 mm CN-105-F1 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 47 -8°/+20° ±180° N/A 28.6 39.5 48.0 53.1 56.5 8.71 7.70 7.10 6.70
Realistic 17.9 21.0 25.5 28.2 30.0

Ammunition

For ammo loadouts, it is suggested to bring 20-25 rounds of HEAT, 3-6 rounds of Smoke, and no HE rounds. That is because despite the 47 rounds capacity, in a normal game you won't fire that many HEAT rounds, thus 20 shells for the more ammo conserving folk or 25 rounds for the more trigger happy recommend. You may take more if you really need to, but you can get away with just that many if you make a stop by a capture zone to replenish.

The smoke rounds, depending on your playstyle, you might not need often, but when you do, they are life-saving as they can allow you to lay a smoke screen right in front of you or your team when you're out of smoke grenades (or if you've yet to unlock them yet) and they can blind snipers allowing you and your team to move up.

The HE shells are very situational since the 20 mm is almost always a better alternative. You don't need it to overpressurise light vehicles since the HEAT shell already does that, the only use would be for a target that is too far to hit effectively with the 20 mm, but where a HEAT shell might be unnecessary.

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
OCC 105 F1 HEAT 400 400 400 400 400 400
OE 105 F1 Mle.60 HE 25 25 25 25 25 25
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%
OCC 105 F1 HEAT 1,000 10.95 0.05 0.1 1.02 62° 69° 73°
OE 105 F1 Mle.60 HE 700 12.1 0 0.1 2 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)
OFPH 105 F1 700 11.4 20 5 25 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the AMX-30B2 (identical).
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
47 20 (+27) 19 (+28) 9 (+38) 1 (+46) No

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • Rack 2, 3 and 4 are first stage ammo racks. They total 19 shells.
  • These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
  • The depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 3 - 4 - 1.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 1 into rack 4 then 3, then 2. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Optics and night vision

AMX-30 (1972) Optics
Type of optic Magnification Night Vision Devices
Image Intensifier Thermal Imager
Resolution 		Notes
Resolution Light Mult Noise Level
Gunner's Sight X6.8 - X8.0 800 x 600 8.0 High Not Fitted Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
Commander's View X6 800 x 600 8.0 High Not Fitted Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)
Driver's View X1 800 x 600 5.0 High Not Fitted Image intensifier unlocked by "NVD" modification (tier 4)

Machine guns

20 mm 20F2 automatic cannon (coaxial)
Ammunition1 000 rounds
Belt capacity500 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
13.0 → 10.0 s
Fire rate740 shots/min
Vertical guidance0° / 20°
7.62 mm A-A-F1N machine gun
Ammunition2 100 rounds
Belt capacity100 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate900 shots/min
Main articles: 20F2 (20 mm), A-A-F1N (7.62 mm)

The secondary on the AMX-30 is not a machine gun, but an autocannon. It fires a belt with a composition of 1 High Explosive Fragmentation (HEF) round, followed by one Armour Piercing round (AP) with both of these rounds being incendiary tracer rounds (I-T). Alternating between explosive rounds that are great from helicopters, planes and exposed crew, whilst burning and tracing the round, and an armour piercing round for lightly armoured targets, whilst burning and tracing the round.

The only times where you would not be firing your 20 mm gun is either: 1) there are no targets, 2) it would give your sniping position or your flanking attack away, 3) you are too far away to hit/damage anything, 4) you are trying to cool the weapon down (yes it can overheat) 5) you're reloading/un-jamming it.

In almost every other circumstance, firing the 20 mm is preferably though some times more than others, because this secondary is useful at four things in particular :

  1. destroying fences, walls, trees, bushes, ... and any other destructible environment your HEAT shell would detonate upon before reaching your target
  2. destroying light vehicles, exposed crew and even other tanks should you have the side or rear of the target to shoot at
  3. shooting down planes, as they are preparing or exiting an attack run
  4. and lastly, destroying the exposed modules (canons, guns, tracks, ERA blocks) of any tank if you can't destroy it outright

There is only one belt to use, so make use of the HE-AP combination in the belt. The autocannon gets one thousand rounds to use, which means 500 rounds of crew-injuring HE and 500 rounds of tank damaging AP, with a fire rate not too slow nor too fast that allows for sustained suppressive fire.

20 mm 20F2
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,000 (500) 740 0°/+20° N/A

Considering the fact that the 20 mm co-axial is not only powerful enough but flexible enough to shoot down planes with, the A-A-F1N machine gun just seems like an outlier in terms of providing firepower. It could be useful to attack exposed crew members, but this is very rare with the type of enemy vehicles seen in matches. The best use of this machine gun would probably to annoy the enemy, or draw their attention without using the valuable 20 mm autocannon shells.

7.62 mm A-A-F1N
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 2,100 (100) 900 -10°/+45° ±120°

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Tank is relatively fast and mobile
  • Turret rotation and elevation is fast
  • 20 mm autocannon is good against light tanks, planes, and obstacles
  • HEAT shells have good penetration
  • Has access to smoke shells and smoke grenades
  • Gunner and driver are not aligned, meaning the tank is harder to disable in one shot
  • Hull ammo rack surrounded by a fuel tank
  • Has a good rangefinder as a modification, making long-range engagements easier

Cons:

  • Armour is unsatisfactory against enemy armaments
  • Only 8° of gun depression
  • Cannot depress the gun over the engine deck
  • HEAT shell can't go through obstacles
  • Ready-rack at turret rear is prone to getting shot, even from the front
  • High cupola design makes it easier to spot

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

Skins
Videos
French MBTs discusses the AMX-30 (1972) at 2:17 - War Thunder Official Channel
The Shooting Range #175 - Pages of History section at 04:50 discusses the AMX-30 (1972).

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


Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX)
Light tanks 
AMX-13  AMX-13-M24 · AMX-13 (FL11) · AMX-13 · AMX-13 (SS.11) · AMX-13-90 · AMX-13 (HOT)
Armoured cars  AMX-10RC
Medium tanks  AMX M4 · AMX-50 (TOA100)
MBTs 
AMX-30  AMX-30 · AMX-30 ACRA · AMX-30 (1972) · AMX-30B2 · AMX-30B2 BRENUS · AMX-30 Super
AMX-32/40  AMX-32 (105) · AMX-32 · AMX-40
Heavy tanks  AMX-50 Surbaissé · AMX-50 Surblindé
Tank destroyers  ELC bis · AMX-50 Foch
SPAAGs  AMX-13 DCA 40 · AMX-30 S DCA
Export  AMX-13

France medium tanks
M4 Derivatives  M4A1 (FL10) · M4A4 (SA50)
AMX-50  AMX M4 · AMX-50 (TOA100) · AMX-50 (TO90/930)
AMX-30  AMX-30 · AMX-30 (1972) · AMX-30B2 · AMX-30B2 BRENUS · AMX-30 ACRA · AMX-30 Super
AMX-32/40  AMX-32 · AMX-32 (105) · AMX-40
Leclerc  Leclerc · Leclerc S2 · Leclerc SXXI · Leclerc AZUR
Other  D2 · S.35 · Lorraine 40t
Germany  Panther "Dauphiné"
USA  ▄M4A1 · ▄M4A3 (105) · ▄M4A4 · ▄M26

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