Difference between revisions of "XM803"
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− | {{Specs-Card|code=us_xm_803}} | + | {{Specs-Card |
+ | |code=us_xm_803 | ||
+ | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}} | ||
+ | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''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.'' --> | <!-- ''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.'' --> | ||
− | + | The '''Tank, Combat, Full-Tracked, 152 mm Gun/Launcher XM-803''', developed from the [[MBT-70]], was part of the abandoned collaborative U.S. and West German initiative to develop a new main battle tank to replace the existing [[M60 (Family)|M60 family of MBT]] during the 1960s. The program experienced significant challenges from the start, with the United States Army and the German Bundeswehr having diverging doctrines that were not coordinated and were not resolved before the project was too far along to be modified. By the late 1960s, West Germany abandoned the project and the U.S. solely funded the project for the next few years. The MBT-70 was redesigned and designated the XM-803, as an attempt to modify the MBT-70 design into a low-cost substitution using entirely U.S.-made components, resulting in the strikingly similar XM-803 prototype. The biggest cost savings came from switching to less expensive steel armour plates. Costs were also decreased by using an engine built in the U.S. instead of West Germany. The prototype was a little heavier and a little slower compared to the original MBT-70. Despite these savings, the XM-803 design began to match the MBT-70 in sophistication as development progressed and was ultimately terminated. The XM-803 program was cancelled by Congress in December 1971, and work on a new tank program began, the XM-1, which ultimately resulted in the production-model [[M1 Abrams]] MBT. | |
− | + | ||
− | The ''' | + | Introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]], the XM-803 offers players unique insights into the pathway of U.S. tank development that ultimately leads to the current-day M1 Abrams MBT. Despite the program's eventual demise, the XM-803 gives several unique capabilities for Cold War U.S. Army ground forces players, particularly the capacity to launch anti-tank guided missiles from the gun barrel, which is unusual in Western MBTs but prevalent in Soviet MBTs. The XM-803 performs very similarly to its ancestor, the MBT-70; however, it suffers from a slightly lower top speed and lacks the original 20 mm cannon mounted on the turret roof. Overall, the MBT strikes a good balance between protection, speed, and firepower, allowing players to easily engage most threats. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
− | <!--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.--> | + | {{Specs-Tank-Armour}} |
+ | <!-- ''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.'' --> | ||
− | The | + | The XM-803's frontal armour is only effective versus full-calibre AP and APHE rounds and certain APDS rounds. Almost all large calibre (76 mm and up) have no trouble slicing through it, even when hitting the frontal armour at an angle. Large calibre HEAT-FS too has no problem going through, although the large fuel tank behind the frontal hull armour can sometimes absorb most damage. The fuel tank is also completely separate from the rest of the tank, and as a result often burns out without damaging the rest of the vehicle. Because the armour has a layer of air in it, it is very effective against HESH rounds. All the spalling generated by the HESH round when it hits the first plate will get absorbed by the plate behind it. One big weak spot on the turret it the left (when facing it) turret cheek. This is because this part of the turret is not protected by spaced armour and only consists of 177.8 mm thick CHA plate, which most chemical and kinetic energy projectiles can penetrate with ease. |
'''Armour type:''' | '''Armour type:''' | ||
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! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof | ! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | Hull || 38.1 mm (64°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 76 mm (63°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm ''Top'' <br> 25.4 mm ''Bottom'' || 25.4 mm (12°) ''Top'' <br> 25.4 mm (67°) ''Bottom'' <br> 5 mm (13°) ''Engine exhaust'' || 25.4 mm ''Front'' <br> 5-12.7 mm ''Engine deck'' | + | | Hull || 38.1 mm (64°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 76 mm (63°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm ''Top'' <br> 25.4 mm ''Bottom'' || 25.4 mm (12°) ''Top'' <br> 25.4 mm (67°) ''Bottom'' <br> 5 mm (13°) ''Engine exhaust'' || 25.4 mm ''Front'' <br> 5-12.7 mm ''Engine deck'' |
|- | |- | ||
| Turret || 38.1-203 mm (0-75°) || 12.7-38.1* mm (29-34°) || 12.7* mm (27-84°) || 25.4-76 mm ''Front'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Rear turret'' | | Turret || 38.1-203 mm (0-75°) || 12.7-38.1* mm (29-34°) || 12.7* mm (27-84°) || 25.4-76 mm ''Front'' <br> 12.7 mm ''Rear turret'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | | Cupola || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm | |
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | |} |
+ | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | ! Spaced armour* !! Front !! Sides !! Rear | + | ! Spaced armour* !! Front !! Sides !! Rear |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Hull || 250 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 240 mm ''Chemical'' | + | | Hull || 250 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 240 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Turret || 270-300 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 220-350 mm ''Chemical'' || '''38 mm sections:''' <br> 200 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 220 mm ''Chemical'' <br> '''12.7 mm sections:''' <br> 50 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 60 mm ''Chemical'' || 30 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 40 mm ''Chemical'' | + | | Turret || 270-300 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 220-350 mm ''Chemical'' || '''38 mm sections:''' <br> 200 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 220 mm ''Chemical'' <br> '''12.7 mm sections:''' <br> 50 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 60 mm ''Chemical'' || 30 mm ''Kinetic'' <br> 40 mm ''Chemical'' |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
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=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Mobility}} | ||
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> | <!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> | ||
− | {{tankMobility|abMinHp= | + | {{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,937|rbMinHp=1,106}} |
The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is worse than that of the MBT-70. In its stock configuration, it has a horsepower/ton ratio of 21.39, while with all upgrades this increases to 24.08 HP/t. The top speed (both forward and reverse) is 64 km/h (40 mph) with 8 gears for both directions. The tank can reach its top speed quickly on flat roads, while on more difficult terrain the top speed drops by around 20 km/h. The tank has neutral steering and good turning ability on all terrains. | The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is worse than that of the MBT-70. In its stock configuration, it has a horsepower/ton ratio of 21.39, while with all upgrades this increases to 24.08 HP/t. The top speed (both forward and reverse) is 64 km/h (40 mph) with 8 gears for both directions. The tank can reach its top speed quickly on flat roads, while on more difficult terrain the top speed drops by around 20 km/h. The tank has neutral steering and good turning ability on all terrains. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Modifications and economy === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Economy}} | ||
== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Armaments}} | ||
=== Main armament === | === Main armament === | ||
− | <!--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.--> | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} |
− | + | <!-- ''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.'' --> | |
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" |
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− | | | + | ! colspan="5" | [[XM150E5 (152 mm)|152 mm XM150E5]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate rounds (seconds) || Reloading rate ATGM (seconds) |
|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer | |
+ | ! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced | ||
+ | ! Autoloader | ||
+ | ! Autoloader | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! ''Arcade'' |
+ | | rowspan="2" | 53 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 40.0 || 55.4 || 67.2 || 74.3 || 79.1 || rowspan="2" | 7.50 | ||
+ | | rowspan="2" |10.00 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! ''Realistic'' |
− | + | | 25.0 || 29.4 || 35.7 || 39.5 || 42.0 | |
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|} | |} | ||
− | ===== Ammunition ===== | + | ==== Ammunition ==== |
− | {| class="wikitable | + | {{:XM150E5 (152 mm)/Ammunition|XM578E1, M409A1, XM410E1, MGM-51C}} |
− | + | ||
+ | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
+ | [[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|right|thumb|x200px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] | ||
+ | <!-- '''Last updated:''' --> | ||
+ | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Full<br>ammo |
− | ! | + | ! 1st<br>rack empty |
− | ! | + | ! 2nd<br>rack empty |
+ | ! 3rd<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 4th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 5th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! Visual<br>discrepancy | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | | '''53''' || 48 ''(+5)'' || 46 ''(+7)'' || 34 ''(+19)'' || 27 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+52)'' || No | |
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+ | '''Notes:''' | ||
− | + | * Rack 5 is a first-stage ammo rack, meaning it depletes first but refills from the other racks in the order they are listed. As such, it is the last rack to deplete. | |
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=== Machine guns === | === Machine guns === | ||
− | <!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}} |
− | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}} | |
+ | <!-- ''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.'' --> | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%" |
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− | ! colspan="7 | + | ! colspan="5" | [[M85 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M85]] |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal |
− | ! | ||
− | ! | ||
− | ! | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | Pintle || 1,080 (180) || 626 || -15°/+60° || ±180° |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%" |
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− | ! colspan=" | + | ! colspan="5" | [[M73 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M73]] |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal |
|- | |- | ||
− | + | | Coaxial || 6,000 (250) || 500 || - || - | |
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|} | |} | ||
== Usage in 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).'' --> |
− | The | + | The XM-803, like the MBT-70, is a very good flanker. To get the most out of this tank you must use its high speed and acceleration to flank the enemy or set up ambushes. Its gun and ammunition are good enough to penetrate most lower BR tanks with ease, although when up-tiered you will have to resort to aiming for the weak spots of opponents. The HEAT round you get is free, and will easily penetrate tanks with plain steel armour, but it's lacking when facing tanks with composite armour, and it has a rather mediocre muzzle velocity, making aiming and leading at longer ranges more difficult. The APFSDS round has decent penetration and will penetrate most opponents with relative ease. It also has very high muzzle velocity, almost 1,500 m/s, making aiming even at longer ranges easy. The ATGM is very useful and free, it's very good at long ranges, and is very effective against stationary or slow-moving helicopters. |
− | + | When faced with an enemy around a corner, one can attempt to bait shots by only exposing the frontal hull - opponents will often shoot this, only to find, much to their dismay, that there is nothing of value inside and you may not even have to use your fire extinguisher to put it out due to the fact that it is separate from the rest of the tank. | |
− | + | While the armour may seem impressive at first, it won't protect you against most guns at and around its battle rating. Most tanks at this rank have access to powerful APFSDS and HEATFS rounds, which have no trouble penetrating you. Knowing this, you mustn't rely on your armour to protect you. | |
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=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
− | <!--'' | + | <!-- ''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:''' | ||
− | * Stock | + | * Effective ammunition choice (Stock ATGM, stock HEAT shell, powerful APFSDS) |
− | * Can fire | + | * Can fire ATGMs without restriction, even when moving at full speed |
− | |||
− | |||
* Good mobility and acceleration, high speed both forwards and backwards | * Good mobility and acceleration, high speed both forwards and backwards | ||
− | * Top mounted 50 cal can allow you to damage low-flying aircraft | + | * Top mounted .50 cal can allow you to damage low-flying aircraft |
* Frontal Fuel tank behind the spaced armour which can sometimes absorb enemy chemical energy rounds | * Frontal Fuel tank behind the spaced armour which can sometimes absorb enemy chemical energy rounds | ||
− | * | + | * Steady reload time thanks to the autoloader: losing a crew member will not impact the reload speed, and it still functions when putting out a fire |
* Has smoke grenade launchers | * Has smoke grenade launchers | ||
− | |||
* Turret mantlet is strong, can resist even certain APFSDS rounds | * Turret mantlet is strong, can resist even certain APFSDS rounds | ||
− | * Has hydropneumatic suspension | + | * Has hydropneumatic suspension |
* Excellent dual zoom of 8x and 12x | * Excellent dual zoom of 8x and 12x | ||
− | |||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
− | |||
* The spaced armour is not composite armour and cannot provide adequate protection against most guns of its rank | * The spaced armour is not composite armour and cannot provide adequate protection against most guns of its rank | ||
− | * Frontal | + | * Frontal armour can be penetrated even by some APHE rounds |
* Weak sides and LFP | * Weak sides and LFP | ||
* Hydropneumatic suspension only works for up and down | * Hydropneumatic suspension only works for up and down | ||
− | + | * Ammo racks are large, can be easily hit, and do not have blowout panels | |
− | * Ammo racks are large | ||
* Vulnerable to the rear due to raised engine deck | * Vulnerable to the rear due to raised engine deck | ||
− | |||
* Cramped interior, loss of more than one crew member more likely when penetrated | * Cramped interior, loss of more than one crew member more likely when penetrated | ||
− | * Poor roof | + | * Poor roof armour protection on the ammo and engine section |
− | * | + | * Chemical projectiles (HEAT and ATGM) will struggle a lot at this battle rating as vehicles with ERA protection are common, especially on Soviet vehicles. |
== History == | == History == | ||
− | <!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the | + | <!-- ''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).'' --> |
− | Once it became apparent that the MBT-70 project was doomed to fail in the early | + | Once it became apparent that the MBT-70 project was doomed to fail in the early '70s due to high costs and reliability issues, the U.S. Congress decided to cut their losses on the project by cancelling the MBT-70, and instead, diverted funding to the development of a new project called XM803. |
− | The XM803 was, in essence, envisioned to be a | + | The XM803 was, in essence, envisioned to be a "budget version" of the MBT-70. Although the new vehicle would heavily be based on the MBT-70, inheriting many of its design solutions, it would also try to drastically reduce production costs by using more conventional and only American-made parts. Although this meant that the XM803 had to give up some of its high-tech equipment in favour of lower production costs, it was projected that the influence of these changes on the XM803's combat performance would be minimal. |
Despite showing favourable performance and being seen as a promising design by the Army, the XM803 still remained a comparably expensive tank to produce even with the applied changes over the MBT-70. Moreover, neither the MBT-70 nor the XM803 seemed to offer any substantial increase in combat performance over the already in service M60 Patton to justify the high production cost. This ultimately led to the Congress cancelling work on the XM803 only a short while after the cancellation of the MBT-70. In the late 1970s, some funding of the two failed projects would, later on, find its way to support the development of an entirely new, but this time around, more conventional tank project. That tank, of course, being the legendary M1 Abrams itself. | Despite showing favourable performance and being seen as a promising design by the Army, the XM803 still remained a comparably expensive tank to produce even with the applied changes over the MBT-70. Moreover, neither the MBT-70 nor the XM803 seemed to offer any substantial increase in combat performance over the already in service M60 Patton to justify the high production cost. This ultimately led to the Congress cancelling work on the XM803 only a short while after the cancellation of the MBT-70. In the late 1970s, some funding of the two failed projects would, later on, find its way to support the development of an entirely new, but this time around, more conventional tank project. That tank, of course, being the legendary M1 Abrams itself. | ||
− | ''- From [ | + | ''- From [[wt:en/news/5536-development-xm803-the-second-chance-en|Devblog]]'' |
== Media == | == Media == | ||
− | <!--Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.--> | + | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> |
+ | |||
+ | ;Skins | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_xm_803 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Videos | ||
{{Youtube-gallery|yxrFP5uW_J8|'''The Shooting Range #104''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the XM-803.|ryfyneZ7390|'''The Shooting Range #106''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 12:39 discusses the XM-803.}} | {{Youtube-gallery|yxrFP5uW_J8|'''The Shooting Range #104''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the XM-803.|ryfyneZ7390|'''The Shooting Range #106''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 12:39 discusses the XM-803.}} | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
− | ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:'' | + | <!--''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.''--> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Related development | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[MBT-70]] | ||
+ | * [[KPz-70]] | ||
− | + | ;<nowiki>Similar vehicles with large-calibre gun/launcher systems:</nowiki> | |
− | * | + | |
+ | * [[M551]] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
− | <!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | + | <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' |
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
− | + | * ''other literature.'' --> | |
− | * ''other literature.''--> | ||
− | * [ | + | * [[wt:en/news/5536-development-xm803-the-second-chance-en|[Devblog] XM803: The Second Chance]] |
+ | {{TankManufacturer GM}} | ||
{{USA medium tanks}} | {{USA medium tanks}} | ||
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]] | [[Category:ATGM vehicles]] |
Revision as of 08:20, 28 April 2024
Contents
Description
The Tank, Combat, Full-Tracked, 152 mm Gun/Launcher XM-803, developed from the MBT-70, was part of the abandoned collaborative U.S. and West German initiative to develop a new main battle tank to replace the existing M60 family of MBT during the 1960s. The program experienced significant challenges from the start, with the United States Army and the German Bundeswehr having diverging doctrines that were not coordinated and were not resolved before the project was too far along to be modified. By the late 1960s, West Germany abandoned the project and the U.S. solely funded the project for the next few years. The MBT-70 was redesigned and designated the XM-803, as an attempt to modify the MBT-70 design into a low-cost substitution using entirely U.S.-made components, resulting in the strikingly similar XM-803 prototype. The biggest cost savings came from switching to less expensive steel armour plates. Costs were also decreased by using an engine built in the U.S. instead of West Germany. The prototype was a little heavier and a little slower compared to the original MBT-70. Despite these savings, the XM-803 design began to match the MBT-70 in sophistication as development progressed and was ultimately terminated. The XM-803 program was cancelled by Congress in December 1971, and work on a new tank program began, the XM-1, which ultimately resulted in the production-model M1 Abrams MBT.
Introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X", the XM-803 offers players unique insights into the pathway of U.S. tank development that ultimately leads to the current-day M1 Abrams MBT. Despite the program's eventual demise, the XM-803 gives several unique capabilities for Cold War U.S. Army ground forces players, particularly the capacity to launch anti-tank guided missiles from the gun barrel, which is unusual in Western MBTs but prevalent in Soviet MBTs. The XM-803 performs very similarly to its ancestor, the MBT-70; however, it suffers from a slightly lower top speed and lacks the original 20 mm cannon mounted on the turret roof. Overall, the MBT strikes a good balance between protection, speed, and firepower, allowing players to easily engage most threats.
General info
Survivability and armour
The XM-803's frontal armour is only effective versus full-calibre AP and APHE rounds and certain APDS rounds. Almost all large calibre (76 mm and up) have no trouble slicing through it, even when hitting the frontal armour at an angle. Large calibre HEAT-FS too has no problem going through, although the large fuel tank behind the frontal hull armour can sometimes absorb most damage. The fuel tank is also completely separate from the rest of the tank, and as a result often burns out without damaging the rest of the vehicle. Because the armour has a layer of air in it, it is very effective against HESH rounds. All the spalling generated by the HESH round when it hits the first plate will get absorbed by the plate behind it. One big weak spot on the turret it the left (when facing it) turret cheek. This is because this part of the turret is not protected by spaced armour and only consists of 177.8 mm thick CHA plate, which most chemical and kinetic energy projectiles can penetrate with ease.
Armour type:
- Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour
Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hull | 38.1 mm (64°) Front glacis 76 mm (63°) Lower glacis |
35 mm Top 25.4 mm Bottom |
25.4 mm (12°) Top 25.4 mm (67°) Bottom 5 mm (13°) Engine exhaust |
25.4 mm Front 5-12.7 mm Engine deck |
Turret | 38.1-203 mm (0-75°) | 12.7-38.1* mm (29-34°) | 12.7* mm (27-84°) | 25.4-76 mm Front 12.7 mm Rear turret |
Cupola | 25.4 mm | 25.4 mm | 25.4 mm | 25.4 mm |
Spaced armour* | Front | Sides | Rear |
---|---|---|---|
Hull | 250 mm Kinetic 240 mm Chemical |
N/A | N/A |
Turret | 270-300 mm Kinetic 220-350 mm Chemical |
38 mm sections: 200 mm Kinetic 220 mm Chemical 12.7 mm sections: 50 mm Kinetic 60 mm Chemical |
30 mm Kinetic 40 mm Chemical |
Notes:
- Road wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
- A 6.35 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
- The crew is protected by a 6.35mm thick turret basket
- Hull spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 51 mm RHA.
- Turret spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 127 mm CHA.
- Turret rear side spaced armour configuration is 12.7 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 25.4 mm RHA
- Turret rear spaced armour configuration is 12.7 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 12.7 mm RHA.
Mobility
Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
Arcade | 72 | 33 | 51.7 | 1,937 | 2,385 | 37.47 | 46.13 |
Realistic | 64 | 30 | 1,106 | 1,250 | 21.39 | 24.18 |
The mobility of the XM803 is worse than that of the MBT-70. In its stock configuration, it has a horsepower/ton ratio of 21.39, while with all upgrades this increases to 24.08 HP/t. The top speed (both forward and reverse) is 64 km/h (40 mph) with 8 gears for both directions. The tank can reach its top speed quickly on flat roads, while on more difficult terrain the top speed drops by around 20 km/h. The tank has neutral steering and good turning ability on all terrains.
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Main armament
152 mm XM150E5 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate rounds (seconds) | Reloading rate ATGM (seconds) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Autoloader | Autoloader |
Arcade | 53 | -10°/+20° | ±180° | Two-plane | 40.0 | 55.4 | 67.2 | 74.3 | 79.1 | 7.50 | 10.00 |
Realistic | 25.0 | 29.4 | 35.7 | 39.5 | 42.0 |
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 | ||
XM578E1 | APFSDS | 285 | 281 | 270 | 254 | 239 | 223 |
M409A1 | HEAT | 380 | 380 | 380 | 380 | 380 | 380 |
MGM-51C | ATGM | 431 | 431 | 431 | 431 | 431 | 431 |
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% | ||||||||||
XM578E1 | APFSDS | 1,509 | 3.79 | - | - | - | 78° | 80° | 81° | |||
M409A1 | HEAT | 754 | 18.9 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 3.73 | 62° | 69° | 73° |
Missile details | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Range (m) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | ||||
0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
MGM-51C | ATGM | 286 | 3,200 | 27.8 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 5.72 | 80° | 82° | 90° |
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) |
XM410E1 | 754 | 18.9 | 21 | 5 | 30 | 50 |
Ammo racks
Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
53 | 48 (+5) | 46 (+7) | 34 (+19) | 27 (+26) | 1 (+52) | No |
Notes:
- Rack 5 is a first-stage ammo rack, meaning it depletes first but refills from the other racks in the order they are listed. As such, it is the last rack to deplete.
Machine guns
12.7 mm M85 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
Pintle | 1,080 (180) | 626 | -15°/+60° | ±180° |
7.62 mm M73 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
Coaxial | 6,000 (250) | 500 | - | - |
Usage in battles
The XM-803, like the MBT-70, is a very good flanker. To get the most out of this tank you must use its high speed and acceleration to flank the enemy or set up ambushes. Its gun and ammunition are good enough to penetrate most lower BR tanks with ease, although when up-tiered you will have to resort to aiming for the weak spots of opponents. The HEAT round you get is free, and will easily penetrate tanks with plain steel armour, but it's lacking when facing tanks with composite armour, and it has a rather mediocre muzzle velocity, making aiming and leading at longer ranges more difficult. The APFSDS round has decent penetration and will penetrate most opponents with relative ease. It also has very high muzzle velocity, almost 1,500 m/s, making aiming even at longer ranges easy. The ATGM is very useful and free, it's very good at long ranges, and is very effective against stationary or slow-moving helicopters.
When faced with an enemy around a corner, one can attempt to bait shots by only exposing the frontal hull - opponents will often shoot this, only to find, much to their dismay, that there is nothing of value inside and you may not even have to use your fire extinguisher to put it out due to the fact that it is separate from the rest of the tank.
While the armour may seem impressive at first, it won't protect you against most guns at and around its battle rating. Most tanks at this rank have access to powerful APFSDS and HEATFS rounds, which have no trouble penetrating you. Knowing this, you mustn't rely on your armour to protect you.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Effective ammunition choice (Stock ATGM, stock HEAT shell, powerful APFSDS)
- Can fire ATGMs without restriction, even when moving at full speed
- Good mobility and acceleration, high speed both forwards and backwards
- Top mounted .50 cal can allow you to damage low-flying aircraft
- Frontal Fuel tank behind the spaced armour which can sometimes absorb enemy chemical energy rounds
- Steady reload time thanks to the autoloader: losing a crew member will not impact the reload speed, and it still functions when putting out a fire
- Has smoke grenade launchers
- Turret mantlet is strong, can resist even certain APFSDS rounds
- Has hydropneumatic suspension
- Excellent dual zoom of 8x and 12x
Cons:
- The spaced armour is not composite armour and cannot provide adequate protection against most guns of its rank
- Frontal armour can be penetrated even by some APHE rounds
- Weak sides and LFP
- Hydropneumatic suspension only works for up and down
- Ammo racks are large, can be easily hit, and do not have blowout panels
- Vulnerable to the rear due to raised engine deck
- Cramped interior, loss of more than one crew member more likely when penetrated
- Poor roof armour protection on the ammo and engine section
- Chemical projectiles (HEAT and ATGM) will struggle a lot at this battle rating as vehicles with ERA protection are common, especially on Soviet vehicles.
History
Once it became apparent that the MBT-70 project was doomed to fail in the early '70s due to high costs and reliability issues, the U.S. Congress decided to cut their losses on the project by cancelling the MBT-70, and instead, diverted funding to the development of a new project called XM803.
The XM803 was, in essence, envisioned to be a "budget version" of the MBT-70. Although the new vehicle would heavily be based on the MBT-70, inheriting many of its design solutions, it would also try to drastically reduce production costs by using more conventional and only American-made parts. Although this meant that the XM803 had to give up some of its high-tech equipment in favour of lower production costs, it was projected that the influence of these changes on the XM803's combat performance would be minimal.
Despite showing favourable performance and being seen as a promising design by the Army, the XM803 still remained a comparably expensive tank to produce even with the applied changes over the MBT-70. Moreover, neither the MBT-70 nor the XM803 seemed to offer any substantial increase in combat performance over the already in service M60 Patton to justify the high production cost. This ultimately led to the Congress cancelling work on the XM803 only a short while after the cancellation of the MBT-70. In the late 1970s, some funding of the two failed projects would, later on, find its way to support the development of an entirely new, but this time around, more conventional tank project. That tank, of course, being the legendary M1 Abrams itself.
- From Devblog
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
- Similar vehicles with large-calibre gun/launcher systems:
External links
General Motors Company (GM) | |
---|---|
MBTs | |
MBT-70 | MBT-70* · XM803 |
XM-1 | XM1 (GM) |
*Designed in collaboration with the Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft. | |
Tank Destroyers | T114 |
Export | |
GMC CCKW | CCKW 353 (M45) · CCKW 353 AA |
Note | General Motors has several divisions, including Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet. |
USA medium tanks | |
---|---|
M2 | M2 |
M3 | M3 Lee · ▃Grant I |
M4 | M4 · Calliope · M4A1 · M4A1 (76) W · M4A2 · M4A2 (76) W · M4A3 (105) · M4A3 (76) W · M4/T26 |
M26 Pershing | T20 · T25 · M26 · M26 T99 · M26E1 |
M46/47/48 Patton | M46 · M46 "Tiger" · M47 · M48A1 · T54E1 · T54E2 |
M60 | M60 · M60A1 (AOS) · M60A1 RISE (P) · M60A2 · M60A3 TTS · M728 CEV · 120S |
MBT-70 | MBT-70 · XM803 |
M1 Abrams | XM1 (Chrysler) · XM1 (GM) |
M1 Abrams · M1 KVT · IPM1 | |
M1A1 · M1A1 HC · M1A1 Click-Bait | |
M1A2 Abrams · M1A2 SEP · M1A2 SEP V2 | |
Other | T95E1 |
Australia | M1A1 AIM |
Canada | M4A5 |
Israel | ▃Magach 3 (ERA) · ▃Merkava Mk.1 · ▃Merkava Mk.2B · ▃Merkava Mk.3D |
Turkey | M60 AMBT |