Difference between revisions of "Ratel 20"

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(New Description Project)
(Added some detalization on this tank. May conflict a bit with the given description from previous edit, but i think this is easy to merge. Feel free to edit it, idk/idc.)
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The Ratel family of IFVs came to be in 1976 in South Africa to meet the needs of the South African Army. It pioneered many different areas of IFV development, such as being the first IFV in the world of a wheeled design to enter service worldwide, and the introduction of mine-protecting hulls on IFVs. The choice of a wheeled hull was due to the region's expansive deserts and relative lack of harsh terrain, as well as the longevity provided by wheels over tracked vehicles of similar types in maintenance. The Ratel 20 was the base variant of the Ratel family of IFVs, equipped with a 20 mm autocannon and MILAN anti-tank guided missiles. During its service with various militaries and international organizations, some of which still use the Ratels in active service, the Ratels provided valuable mobility and firepower to the lowest levels of the army, but were also often forced into situations beyond what they were originally designed for.  
 
The Ratel family of IFVs came to be in 1976 in South Africa to meet the needs of the South African Army. It pioneered many different areas of IFV development, such as being the first IFV in the world of a wheeled design to enter service worldwide, and the introduction of mine-protecting hulls on IFVs. The choice of a wheeled hull was due to the region's expansive deserts and relative lack of harsh terrain, as well as the longevity provided by wheels over tracked vehicles of similar types in maintenance. The Ratel 20 was the base variant of the Ratel family of IFVs, equipped with a 20 mm autocannon and MILAN anti-tank guided missiles. During its service with various militaries and international organizations, some of which still use the Ratels in active service, the Ratels provided valuable mobility and firepower to the lowest levels of the army, but were also often forced into situations beyond what they were originally designed for.  
  
−
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]]. Keeping in line with the previous [[Ratel 90]], the Ratel 20 is in terms of chassis virtually unchanged. The only noticeable difference from the Ratel 90 is the turret and as a result the tank's armament, switching out the low velocity 90 mm gun for the original base configuration of a 20 mm autocannon and 7 MILAN ATGMs. This brings with it some playstyle changes, such as being able to use terrain more aggressively due to the increased gun depression, while losing the ability to directly go through enemies with the autocannon. As the hull is underpowered for both the Ratel 20 and 90, it is recommended that you pick ground that has relatively mild terrain features (but not none) to utilize your tank's above average gun angles but also level enough that your tank doesn't struggle moving up and down a hill.  
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]]. Keeping in line with the previous [[Ratel 90]], the Ratel 20 is in terms of chassis virtually unchanged. The only noticeable difference from the Ratel 90 is the turret and as a result the tank's armament, switching out the low velocity 90 mm gun for the original base configuration of a 20 mm autocannon and 7 MILAN ATGMs. This brings with it some playstyle changes, such as being able to use terrain more aggressively due to the increased gun depression and possibility of launching anti-tank missiles without presenting an easy target at short range, while losing the ability to directly go through enemies as the autocannon is not strong enough to fight medium tanks head-on. As the hull is underpowered for both the Ratel 20 and 90, it is recommended that you pick ground that has relatively mild terrain features (but not none) to utilize your tank's above average gun angles but also level enough that your tank doesn't struggle moving up and down a hill.  
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
−
 
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
{{Specs-Tank-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.'' -->
 
<!-- ''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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The 20 version of Ratel is not very different from 90 at a first glance - the crew positioning and armour are identical and are quite poor. The turret and hull sides are vulnerable to 12.7 mm MG and the hull roof will implode if exploded by any kind of high explosives, but the armour is also thin enough to not trigger APHE at many angles of attack. The crew is quite tightly packed and there is only 3 of them, so a bad hit to the middle of the tank will easily destroy the tank in RB and is likely to make it useless in AB.
 +
 +
What is different is the ammunition placement - there are no longer random HEAT shells scattered across the tank, instead there are small boxex of 20 mm shells behind the driver head and a stack of ATGMs next to the engine on the left side. This greatly reduces chances of being obliterated in a single shot, although knowing opponent might just shoot the ATGM storage from the side, if they know where to aim and don't want to try hitting the crew for some reason.
 +
 +
The ATGM on top of the vehicle is a blessing and a curse at the same time - it's positioning allows to repel incoming tanks without exposing the tank itself, but it also can explode if hit hard enough and then overpressure the carrier, so at least some caution is adviced when fighting competent enemy.
 +
 +
Two smoke groups can be fired to create a 90 degree smoke screen in turret direction. The grenades fire rather far, so it will take longer than average to deploy, but it may also allow to use smoke offensively.
 +
 
'''Armour type:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
  
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{{Specs-Tank-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.'' -->
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 +
The mobility is identical to the Ratel 90. While it is slightly lighter, expecting this tank to drive any faster or to handle better than a giant armoured bus is unreasonable. As before, wheeled configuration allows it to accelerate faster on paved roads or off a hill and to carry its momentum when going off-road, which is necessary to get to the points of interest faster than other tanks.
 +
 +
In RB: when off road it will go -18 km/h in reverse, or begrudgingly drive 30 km/h forward with very slow acceleration past that mark. On a road it can drive around 72 km/h mark if given enough time to accelerate.
 +
 +
In AB: when off road it will go -20 km/h in reverse, or drive around 60 km/h forward with slow acceleration past that mark. Driving off a hill might push it to 72 km/h easily. When driving on a road, it might reach 96 km/h, but it might start sliding at this point and easily lose control if turned too hard.
  
 
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=437|rbMinHp=249}}
 
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=437|rbMinHp=249}}
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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.'' -->
 
<!-- ''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.'' -->
 
{{main|GI-2 (20 mm)}}
 
{{main|GI-2 (20 mm)}}
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 +
The 90 mm cannon was replaced by a 20 mm autocannon. The turret is not very different, so someone used to Ratel 90 will not find it too difficult to adapt to it's behavior. The cannon can aim higher than usual, allowing it to aim at the sky when needed, but it may require a hill to aim above tank itself.
 +
 +
Autocannon fire rate is reasonably high, and the ammunition belts consist of 150 shells, so suppressing fire is an option, but the cannon can overheat if it fires 70 shots without pause, so if the target cannot be suppressed or destroyed with this ammunition amount, it is better to attack with ATGM immediately or to think of a better plan.
 +
 +
It might be unnecessary to mention, but tank commander should always stay realistic about using this weapon - almost all medium tanks (as well as heavy tanks) are built to ignore the 20 mm autocannon, so in a direct engagement with heavier vehicles the autocannon can only be used to damage their externals (such as the tracks or cannons) and maybe engines or commander cupolas (as they sometimes have less armour than the rest of the tanks)
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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==== Ammunition ====
 
==== Ammunition ====
 +
 +
All of the 20 mm belts consist of HVAP and HEFI in different proportions.
 +
 +
HEFI is a rather straightforward anti-air shell - it deals heavy damage upon hitting the aircraft or open-topped SPG and is useless against fully enclosed tanks.
 +
 +
HVAP has a rather high flat penetration for the calibre, but has abysmal angled penetration, to a point of being unable to penetrate the hull of some heavily angled light SPG and tanks. It also lacks the stopping power of the APDS and cannot overpenetrate engines, so while it can set them on fire, it will not hit anything past the engine decks (unless there are holes that could be punched through).
  
 
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
 
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
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<!-- ''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
 
{{main|MILAN}}
 
{{main|MILAN}}
 +
 +
As an additional weapon (or, rather, a replacement for the 90 mm), the tank carries Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) launcher on its top-right side. The ATGM in question is MILAN, which is one of the easier missiles to control and navigate, as it is rather agile and forgiving. The missile is controlled via sniper crosshairs as it is semi-automatic, which means that it doesn't block the driver controls when fired, unlike other early missiles, but requires the target to be visible the entire time.
 +
 +
The control point can be swapped between the 20 mm autocannon and the launcher itself with a special hotkey, but the missile Line-Of-Sight (LOS) is calculated off the 20 mm regardless. To hit the target past 160 m, tank autocannon must see the target, or at least the missile itself, otherwise the missile will automatically fall down. The only way to counteract this is to fire the missile into the sky and redirect it into the enemy at the very last second, but even this might be pushing the limits of the tank.
 +
 +
If directly controlled, the ATGM launcher can turn about 30 degrees away from the main gun horizontally, aim 5 degrees down or 15 degrees up. This mostly mirrors the usual angles of attack of the main gun.
 +
 +
In terms of the damage, consider MILAN as a very big HEAT shell with very high penetration - angle of attack most of the times means nothing, as the missile flight path can be corrected at any time, but low explosive mass (in TNT equivalent) means that the hit must be directed into some kind of a fatal weak spot, be it a big ammo rack or the crew compartment. The missile also has rather low overpressure damage, but a direct hit on light tank weakspots with less than 15 mm of armour may prove fatal anyway.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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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 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).'' -->
 
<!-- ''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).'' -->
−
Use your excellent mobility on roads to flank the enemy and use your autocannon to hit side and rear armour. If you ever come face to face with a heavily armoured vehicle, use your ATGM. On rough terrain, support your teammates and use your ATGMs to pick off targets passing by. You can also help repair teammates and destroy lightly-armoured targets with your autocannon. Since your 20 mm isn't very useful against most tanks from the front, use it to take out tracks and gun barrels. The ratel is very long and hard to hide so always be careful that you are not exposing sections of your vehicle that the enemy can see.
+
Use your excellent mobility on roads to flank the enemy and use your autocannon to hit side and rear armour. If you ever come face to face with a heavily armoured vehicle, use your ATGM. On rough terrain, support your teammates and use your ATGMs to pick off targets passing by. You can also help repair teammates and destroy lightly-armoured targets with your autocannon. Since your 20 mm isn't very useful against most tanks from the front, use it to take out tracks and gun barrels. The ratel is very long and hard to hide so always be careful that you are not exposing sections of your vehicle that the enemy can see. If opponent is charging your position and is closer than 200 m away, you can pull the launcher out and use it directly to stop them even if the autocannon is unable to control the missile.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* [[MILAN]] ATGM has good penetration values and overpressure capabilities
+
* [[MILAN]] ATGM has good penetration values and is very easy to control, very hard to miss
−
* Ratel chassis is decently mobile once fully upgraded; also great reverse speed of 17 km/h
+
** Although missile launcher cannot truly control the missiles, it still can fire at anyone closer than 160 m directly without exposing the tank itself, which can be powerful both in offence and defence
 +
* Ratel chassis is decently mobile when roads are present once fully upgraded; also has great reverse speed of 17 km/h
 
* 20 mm GI-2 gun has a high rate of fire and a useful elevation of +38°; perfect against low flying aircraft
 
* 20 mm GI-2 gun has a high rate of fire and a useful elevation of +38°; perfect against low flying aircraft
  
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* Large size; difficult to conceal and manoeuvre on urban maps
 
* Large size; difficult to conceal and manoeuvre on urban maps
−
* No stabilizer; the vehicle must stop to use the GI-2 cannon effectively
+
* ATGM cannot be fired on the move, so unlike the Ratel 90 this tank often cannot "just rush" positions
−
* Low engine power; the wheels also struggles on snow, sand or mud
+
* No stabilizer; the vehicle must stop to use the GI-2 cannon against medium/heavy tanks or over longer ranges
−
* GI-2 cannon has poor performance against sloped thin armour as those on [[BMP-1 (Family)]], [[R3 T106 FA]] or [[AUBL/74]]
+
* Low engine power; the wheels also struggle on snow, sand or mud
−
* Armour is unreliable and poor; only 3 crew members and a large ATGMs rack
+
* HVAP loaded into GI-2 cannon has poor performance against even light sloped armour plates as those on [[BMP-1 (Family)]], [[2S1]], [[C13 T90]], etc
 +
* Armour is unreliable and poor; only 3 crew members and a large ATGM rack
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Revision as of 17:42, 30 May 2024

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Chinese A-5C Pack
This page is about the British light tank Ratel 20. For other versions, see Ratel (Family).
Ratel 20
uk_ratel_20.png
GarageImage Ratel 20.jpg
ArtImage Ratel 20.jpg
Ratel 20
Britain flag.png Britain
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
6.7 6.7 6.7
Class:
Research:27 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:185 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Ratel family of IFVs came to be in 1976 in South Africa to meet the needs of the South African Army. It pioneered many different areas of IFV development, such as being the first IFV in the world of a wheeled design to enter service worldwide, and the introduction of mine-protecting hulls on IFVs. The choice of a wheeled hull was due to the region's expansive deserts and relative lack of harsh terrain, as well as the longevity provided by wheels over tracked vehicles of similar types in maintenance. The Ratel 20 was the base variant of the Ratel family of IFVs, equipped with a 20 mm autocannon and MILAN anti-tank guided missiles. During its service with various militaries and international organizations, some of which still use the Ratels in active service, the Ratels provided valuable mobility and firepower to the lowest levels of the army, but were also often forced into situations beyond what they were originally designed for.

The Ratel 20 is a rank IV British light tank with a battle rating of 6.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Ixwa Strike". Keeping in line with the previous Ratel 90, the Ratel 20 is in terms of chassis virtually unchanged. The only noticeable difference from the Ratel 90 is the turret and as a result the tank's armament, switching out the low velocity 90 mm gun for the original base configuration of a 20 mm autocannon and 7 MILAN ATGMs. This brings with it some playstyle changes, such as being able to use terrain more aggressively due to the increased gun depression and possibility of launching anti-tank missiles without presenting an easy target at short range, while losing the ability to directly go through enemies as the autocannon is not strong enough to fight medium tanks head-on. As the hull is underpowered for both the Ratel 20 and 90, it is recommended that you pick ground that has relatively mild terrain features (but not none) to utilize your tank's above average gun angles but also level enough that your tank doesn't struggle moving up and down a hill.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull20 / 10 / 10
Turret12 / 10 / 10
Crew3 people
Visibility84 %

The 20 version of Ratel is not very different from 90 at a first glance - the crew positioning and armour are identical and are quite poor. The turret and hull sides are vulnerable to 12.7 mm MG and the hull roof will implode if exploded by any kind of high explosives, but the armour is also thin enough to not trigger APHE at many angles of attack. The crew is quite tightly packed and there is only 3 of them, so a bad hit to the middle of the tank will easily destroy the tank in RB and is likely to make it useless in AB.

What is different is the ammunition placement - there are no longer random HEAT shells scattered across the tank, instead there are small boxex of 20 mm shells behind the driver head and a stack of ATGMs next to the engine on the left side. This greatly reduces chances of being obliterated in a single shot, although knowing opponent might just shoot the ATGM storage from the side, if they know where to aim and don't want to try hitting the crew for some reason.

The ATGM on top of the vehicle is a blessing and a curse at the same time - it's positioning allows to repel incoming tanks without exposing the tank itself, but it also can explode if hit hard enough and then overpressure the carrier, so at least some caution is adviced when fighting competent enemy.

Two smoke groups can be fired to create a 90 degree smoke screen in turret direction. The grenades fire rather far, so it will take longer than average to deploy, but it may also allow to use smoke offensively.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet)
  • Wheel (tires, suspension rods)
  • Bulletproof glass (driver windows)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 15 mm (30°) Front plate
10 mm (75°) Upper Glacis
20 mm (30°) Lower plate 		8 mm (26°) Top
10 mm (2-27°) Bottom 		10 mm (0-43°) 6 mm
Turret 12 mm (30°) Turret front
12 mm (8°) Gun mantlet 		10 mm (17-21°) 10 mm (16°) 10 mm (16°) Front part
10 mm Rear part
8 mm Gunner hatch
Cupola 8-10 mm (spherical) 8 mm (46-85°) Hatch

Notes:

  • Wheels and suspension are 10 mm thick.
  • Belly is 8 mm thick.
  • Unlike Ratel 90, the radiator's armour is 10 mm instead of 5 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB117 / 20 km/h
RB and SB106 / 18 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
2 back
Weight18.9 t
Engine power
AB538 hp
RB and SB282 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB28.5 hp/t
RB and SB14.9 hp/t

The mobility is identical to the Ratel 90. While it is slightly lighter, expecting this tank to drive any faster or to handle better than a giant armoured bus is unreasonable. As before, wheeled configuration allows it to accelerate faster on paved roads or off a hill and to carry its momentum when going off-road, which is necessary to get to the points of interest faster than other tanks.

In RB: when off road it will go -18 km/h in reverse, or begrudgingly drive 30 km/h forward with very slow acceleration past that mark. On a road it can drive around 72 km/h mark if given enough time to accelerate.

In AB: when off road it will go -20 km/h in reverse, or drive around 60 km/h forward with slow acceleration past that mark. Driving off a hill might push it to 72 km/h easily. When driving on a road, it might reach 96 km/h, but it might start sliding at this point and easily lose control if turned too hard.

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 117 20 18.9 437 538 23.12 28.47
Realistic 106 18 249 282 13.17 14.92

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 114 → 3 069 Sl icon.png
RB2 594 → 3 766 Sl icon.png
SB3 459 → 5 022 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications47 600 Rp icon.png
86 700 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 500 Ge icon.png
Crew training52 000 Sl icon.png
Experts185 000 Sl icon.png
Aces710 Ge icon.png
Research Aces480 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
100 / 140 / 170 % Sl icon.png
166 / 166 / 166 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new wheels.png
Tires
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods new car suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_Oerlikon_HE_ammo_pack
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
4 400 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_Oerlikon_AP_ammo_pack
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods airstrike.png
Airstrike
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods scouting.png
Improved optics
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

20 mm GI-2 cannon
Ammunition1 200 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate750 shots/min
Vertical guidance-8° / 38°
Main article: GI-2 (20 mm)

The 90 mm cannon was replaced by a 20 mm autocannon. The turret is not very different, so someone used to Ratel 90 will not find it too difficult to adapt to it's behavior. The cannon can aim higher than usual, allowing it to aim at the sky when needed, but it may require a hill to aim above tank itself.

Autocannon fire rate is reasonably high, and the ammunition belts consist of 150 shells, so suppressing fire is an option, but the cannon can overheat if it fires 70 shots without pause, so if the target cannot be suppressed or destroyed with this ammunition amount, it is better to attack with ATGM immediately or to think of a better plan.

It might be unnecessary to mention, but tank commander should always stay realistic about using this weapon - almost all medium tanks (as well as heavy tanks) are built to ignore the 20 mm autocannon, so in a direct engagement with heavier vehicles the autocannon can only be used to damage their externals (such as the tracks or cannons) and maybe engines or commander cupolas (as they sometimes have less armour than the rest of the tanks)

20 mm GI-2 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 1,200 (150) 750 -8°/+38° ±180° N/A 22.7 31.4 38.1 42.1 44.8 10.40 9.20 8.48 8.00
Realistic 14.2 16.7 20.2 22.4 23.8

Ammunition

All of the 20 mm belts consist of HVAP and HEFI in different proportions.

HEFI is a rather straightforward anti-air shell - it deals heavy damage upon hitting the aircraft or open-topped SPG and is useless against fully enclosed tanks.

HVAP has a rather high flat penetration for the calibre, but has abysmal angled penetration, to a point of being unable to penetrate the hull of some heavily angled light SPG and tanks. It also lacks the stopping power of the APDS and cannot overpenetrate engines, so while it can set them on fire, it will not hit anything past the engine decks (unless there are holes that could be punched through).

  • Default: HVAP-T · HEFI-T
  • M594: HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HVAP-T
  • M601: HVAP-T · HVAP-T · HEFI-T

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
HVAP-T 57 52 37 24 15 10
HEI-T* 6 6 4 3 2 2
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
HVAP-T 1,100 0.11 - - - 66° 70° 72°
HEI-T* 1,054 0.12 0.1 0.1 27.2 - - -

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Ratel 20
Full
ammo 		Ammo
type 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
10
1,200 		Clips
Rounds 		9 (+1)
1,080 		8 (+2)
960 		7 (+3)
840 		6 (+4)
620 		4 (+6)
480 		3 (+7)
360 		2 (+8)
240 		1 (+9)
120 		Yes

Notes:

  • Ammunition is modelled as 10 clips of 120 rounds.
  • The visual discrepancy concerns the number of clips: 10 clips can be fired but only 8 are modeled.

Additional armament

MILAN ATGM
Ammunition7 rounds
Vertical guidance-5° / 15°
Horizontal guidance-30° / 30°
Flight speed200 m/s
Range2 000 m
Fire on the moveup to 5 km/h
Main article: MILAN

As an additional weapon (or, rather, a replacement for the 90 mm), the tank carries Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) launcher on its top-right side. The ATGM in question is MILAN, which is one of the easier missiles to control and navigate, as it is rather agile and forgiving. The missile is controlled via sniper crosshairs as it is semi-automatic, which means that it doesn't block the driver controls when fired, unlike other early missiles, but requires the target to be visible the entire time.

The control point can be swapped between the 20 mm autocannon and the launcher itself with a special hotkey, but the missile Line-Of-Sight (LOS) is calculated off the 20 mm regardless. To hit the target past 160 m, tank autocannon must see the target, or at least the missile itself, otherwise the missile will automatically fall down. The only way to counteract this is to fire the missile into the sky and redirect it into the enemy at the very last second, but even this might be pushing the limits of the tank.

If directly controlled, the ATGM launcher can turn about 30 degrees away from the main gun horizontally, aim 5 degrees down or 15 degrees up. This mostly mirrors the usual angles of attack of the main gun.

In terms of the damage, consider MILAN as a very big HEAT shell with very high penetration - angle of attack most of the times means nothing, as the missile flight path can be corrected at any time, but low explosive mass (in TNT equivalent) means that the hit must be directed into some kind of a fatal weak spot, be it a big ammo rack or the crew compartment. The missile also has rather low overpressure damage, but a direct hit on light tank weakspots with less than 15 mm of armour may prove fatal anyway.

MILAN missile
Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer
7 ±5° N/A N/A

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
MILAN ATGM 530 530 530 530 530 530
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%
MILAN ATGM 200 2,000 6.7 0.05 0.1 1.83 80° 82° 90°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Ratel 20
Full
ammo 		Visual
discrepancy
7 No

Notes:

  • Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
  • It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.
  • The missiles deplete from 1 to 7.

Machine guns

7.62 mm Browning MG4 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition3 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
7.62 mm Browning MG4 machine gun
Ammunition3 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate500 shots/min
Main article: Browning MG4 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm Browning MG4
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 3,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A
Pintle 3,000 (250) 500 -10°/+3° ±120°

Usage in battles

Use your excellent mobility on roads to flank the enemy and use your autocannon to hit side and rear armour. If you ever come face to face with a heavily armoured vehicle, use your ATGM. On rough terrain, support your teammates and use your ATGMs to pick off targets passing by. You can also help repair teammates and destroy lightly-armoured targets with your autocannon. Since your 20 mm isn't very useful against most tanks from the front, use it to take out tracks and gun barrels. The ratel is very long and hard to hide so always be careful that you are not exposing sections of your vehicle that the enemy can see. If opponent is charging your position and is closer than 200 m away, you can pull the launcher out and use it directly to stop them even if the autocannon is unable to control the missile.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • MILAN ATGM has good penetration values and is very easy to control, very hard to miss
    • Although missile launcher cannot truly control the missiles, it still can fire at anyone closer than 160 m directly without exposing the tank itself, which can be powerful both in offence and defence
  • Ratel chassis is decently mobile when roads are present once fully upgraded; also has great reverse speed of 17 km/h
  • 20 mm GI-2 gun has a high rate of fire and a useful elevation of +38°; perfect against low flying aircraft

Cons:

  • Large size; difficult to conceal and manoeuvre on urban maps
  • ATGM cannot be fired on the move, so unlike the Ratel 90 this tank often cannot "just rush" positions
  • No stabilizer; the vehicle must stop to use the GI-2 cannon against medium/heavy tanks or over longer ranges
  • Low engine power; the wheels also struggle on snow, sand or mud
  • HVAP loaded into GI-2 cannon has poor performance against even light sloped armour plates as those on BMP-1 (Family), 2S1, C13 T90, etc
  • Armour is unreliable and poor; only 3 crew members and a large ATGM rack

History

Development

A UN Ratel-20 IFV in the Royal Tank Museum, Jordan.
A UN Ratel-20 IFV in the Royal Tank Museum, Jordan.

Named after the tenacious honey badger[1], the Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle's development began in 1970 when the South African Defence Force required armoured vehicles which could cover the vast distances of the African plains. These requirements prioritised strong firepower and good protection to enable mechanised infantry to play their role within a highly mobile warfare doctrine. The SADF were already using British APCs, but these aligned with the British doctrine of mobilised infantry dismounting for engagements which was counter-intuitive to the direction of the diverging South African structure[2]. The SADF also used South African-designed armoured vehicles, yet these were liable to breakdowns and weapon failures which peaked during the South African Border War, exposing the weaknesses of older and cheaper IFV models and exposing the necessity for complete replacement to the more durable and reliable Ratel models. The South African derivative of the AML, the Eland was successful as a reconnaissance vehicle with remarkable self-defence, and this would inspire the design of the Ratel which shares visual similarity[2].

Combat usage

The Ratel would enter production in 1975 and see immediate success in the Angolan War from 1978. Despite a design based around flat terrain and infantry combat, the Ratel found itself excelling in challenging mountainous terrain and rainforests, fulfilling additional combat and support roles. In later produced modular variants, the Ratel utilised the cannon turret of the Eland, ATGMs, and also support platforms such as observation and logistics[3].

The Ratel-20 would see combat in Operation Reindeer, 1978, Operation Sceptic, 1980, Operation Askari, 1983, and Operation Excite, 1988 for the SADF in Angola[2]. It still serves several African nations in the present day, including South Africa which maintains over one thousand Ratel IFVs in total comprising a significant percentage of the SADF's land fighting capability, and Ratel-20s have been used extensively by countries participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions[4].

Media

Skins
Videos
The Shooting Range #244 - Pages of History section at 03:36 discusses the Ratel 20.

See also

Other vehicles based on the Ratel chassis:

Vehicles of similar design and role:

External links

Bibliography
  1. ↑ Scheepers, M., Pretorius, F. (2021) 'Loss of military equipment by the SADF at the Battle at Indungo during the Border War, 31 October 1987', Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 49, Nr 2, pp. 58-9.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harmse, K., Dunstan, S. (2017) South African Armour of the Border War 1975–89. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, pp. 18-47.
  3. ↑ O'Malley, T.J. (1996) Fighting Vehicles: Armoured Personnel Carriers and Infantry Fighting Vehicles. London: Merlin Publications, pp. 98-9.
  4. ↑ Wezeman, P. (2011). 'South African Arms Supplies to Sub-Saharan Africa', Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.


Sandock-Austral
Ratel  Ratel 90 · Ratel 20 · ZT3A2
Eland  Eland 90 Mk.7

Britain light tanks
A13  A13 Mk I · A13 Mk I (3rd R.T.R.) · A13 Mk II · A13 Mk II 1939
A15  Crusader II · Crusader "The Saint" · Crusader III
A17  Tetrarch I
IFV  Warrior · Desert Warrior (Kuwait)
Wheeled  Daimler Mk II · AEC Mk II · Fox · Vickers Mk.11
Other  VFM5
South Africa 
SARC  SARC MkIVa · SARC MkVI (2pdr) · SARC MkVI (6pdr)
Ratel  Ratel 90 · Ratel 20
Rooikat  Rooikat Mk.1D · Rooikat 105 · Rooikat MTTD
Other  Concept 3 · Eland 90 Mk.7
USA  Stuart I · Stuart III

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