OF-40 (MTCA)

This page is about the premium Italian medium tank OF-40 (MTCA). For other versions, see OF-40 (Family).

OF-40 (MTCA)

OF-40 (MTCA)

Italy

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.3	9.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:8 730

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Description

The Carro Armato OTO Melara OF-40 (MTCA) is a premium gift rank VI Italian medium tank with a battle rating of 9.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy".

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull70 / 35 / 25

Turret68 / 47 / 30

Crew4 people

Visibility86 %

The OF-40 (MTCA) has very little in the way of armour - effectively identical to both OF-40 models in the tech tree - with just enough to protect its crew from most frontal attacks from light autocannons - however even then the turret ring and some other small weak spots are reasonably vulnerable. Despite this, the OF-40's steep constructional angles may on occasion bounce even APFSDS rounds, while the (minimalist) spaced armour in the turret may absorb some less-powerful chemical rounds. Regardless, the safest approach is to avoid enemy fire whenever possible.

The OF-40's survivability is comparable to the Leopard A1A1 (L/44), as most of the vehicle's ammunition is stored in the hull adjacent to the driver, with a small portion of the ammunition being placed in primary stowage below the loader. The unfortunate result is that almost any hull penetration in the front half of the vehicle is liable to destroy ammunition with a high chance of detonation. Additionally, the turret crew are very poorly spaced and a well-placed round can easily knock out the entire crew simultaneously.

The result of the lack of survivability and armour is that the OF-40 (MTCA) is not viable as a front-line MBT, but rather should be played in flanking or sniping roles.

Armour type:

• Rolled Homogeneous Armour - Hull and Turret
• High Hardness Rolled Armour - Turret
• Rubber-Fabric Screens - Sideskirts

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	70 mm (68°) Upper Glacis 50 mm (50°) Lower Glacis	35 mm Upper Crew Compartment 25 mm Upper Engine Compartment 30 mm Lower	25 mm	15 - 30 mm
Turret	30 - 68 mm (Various Angles) Turret front 30 mm (~58°) + 45 mm (Curved) Gun mantlet	Spaced: 30 mm + 80 mm air + 35 mm Forward Spaced: 12 mm + 120 mm + 35 mm Rearward	30 mm	20 - 40 mm

Notes:

• The turret sides use spaced armour, and are therefore stronger than they appear in the armour viewer.
• Beneath the angled outer portion of the gun mantlet is a curved 45 mm plate.
• There are 10 mm rubber-fabric screens protecting the upper suspension.
• The rear of the turret has 5 mm of structural steel in addition to the base armour.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB73 / 28 km/h

RB and SB66 / 26 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight43.0 t

Engine power

AB1 908 hp

RB and SB1 000 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB44.4 hp/t

RB and SB23.3 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	28	43	1,550	1,908	36.05	44.37
Realistic	66	26		884	1,000	20.56	23.26

The OF-40 (MTCA) has an improved engine over its tech tree predecessors, offering its driver a notably improved power-to-weight ratio of 23.26 hp/ton (RB, spaded), relative to the Mk.2A's 19.3. This is a significant improvement that is easily noticeable, and the MTCA comfortably displays better mobility characteristics than most of its contemporaries.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB3 017

RB3 113

SB3 970

Crew training10 000

Experts730 000

Aces2 000

Research Aces1 780 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 140 / 200 / 230 %

2 × 214 / 214 / 214 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment	Horizontal Drive 105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack 105mm_usa_M735_APDS_FS_ammo_pack 105mm_us_M416_Smoke_ammo_pack Adjustment of Fire Elevation Mechanism Smoke grenade Artillery Support 105mm_DM33_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Laser rangefinder

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Main armament

105 mm OTO Melara 105/52 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition61 rounds

First-order19 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-9° / 20°

105 mm OTO Melara 105/52					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	61	-9°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	38.1	52.7	64.0	70.8	75.3	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					23.8	28.0	34.0	37.6	40.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M392A2	APDS	303	302	296	277	257	252
M393A2	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
M456	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
DM23	APFSDS	337	335	330	322	314	306

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M392A2	APDS	1,478	4	N/A	N/A	N/A	75°	78°	80°
M393A2	HESH	732	14.85	0.1	4	4,310	73°	77°	80°
M456	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.05	0.1	1,270	65°	72°	77°
DM23	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	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)
M416	730	11.4	20	5	25	50

Ammo racks

• 

  Ammoracks 1-9

• 

  Ammoracks 10-12

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	12th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
61	55 (+6)	54 (+7)	47 (+14)	46 (+15)	39 (+22)	38 (+23)	31 (+30)	30 (+31)	23 (+38)	20 (+41)	16 (+45)	1 (+60)	No

Notes:

• Racks 11 and 12 are first stage ammo racks, meaning they will deplete when shots are fired but will then replenish from the other racks in the order from 1-9. Rack 11 depletes before rack 12, which is the last rack to deplete.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition400 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 65°

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 001 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,080 (200)	576	-8°/+20°	±120°

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,000 (200)	600	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

With an upgraded 1000 hp engine, the OF-40 (MTCA) is more manoeuvrable, similarly to other third generation main battle tanks. The OF-40 (MTCA) will get you to a better position than the rest of the tanks if not in an uptier situation.

The main weaponry on this tank is the same as the Leopard family. DM23 APFSDS shells are recommended for engaging armoured targets while you should also carry several M456 HEATFS and M416 smoke shells for special purposes.

The armour is not upgraded from the rest of OF-40 family. Although the OF-40 family has spaced armour all around the turret, you will not want to use this feature. While it is significantly more effective than the Leopard 1's turret armour, all main battle tanks can still penetrate you from all angles with ease using kinetic energy shells. The hull is as fragile as other Leopards, which is another reason why you don't want to take a shot.

Although the OF-40 (MTCA) has night vision devices, it lacks thermal sights for both the gunner and the commander. You might want to get in cover such as bushes and buildings first before opening fire. Avoid sitting in the opening at all time, always get in cover after shooting.

In summary, OF-40 MTCA is a mixture of the OF-40 Mk. 2 and the TAM: it is a great tank in mobility and fire power. However, lacking armour and thermal camera limits its usage on certain maps around open areas.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• One of the most mobile and speedy main battle tanks of its rank; notably more mobile than the Leopard A1A1 and L/44.
• Great gun handling - vertical and horizontal turret/gun speeds are some of the best
• Laser rangefinder and excellent optics permit easy sniping and long-range shots
• Plentiful selection of ammo; APDS, APFSDS, HESH, HEATFS, and smoke shells, handy for marking enemies or blocking their line of sight
• Spaced turret armour can save you from some autocannon fire, the front and sides are immune to HESH, and AP shot can bounce if angled
• 12.7 mm (.50 cal) commander's roof gun with 1,080 round ammo count is great for disabling light vehicles and fending off harassing planes and helicopters

Cons:

• Rather large profile; the turret is quite large while peeking over a hilltop or ridgeline (although it can bounce shots; see above)
• Low ready rack capacity (19+1); if carrying more than 20 shells, the spare rounds are placed next to the driver in the lightly armoured hull
• Not having thermals at 9.0 limits its potential in night battles as most of the opposition has access to thermals

History

The history of the OTO Melara OF-40 began during the late stages of the Cold War. Italy had begun to develop a new MBT for the first time since the Second World War, known as the OTO Melara 'Leone'. This tank was being jointly co-developed by Italy and Germany, based on the Leopard but with some notable differences, such as the turret and armament being made by OTO Melara. The design didn't generate enough interest and ultimately the project wouldn't go further than a single prototype. However, this would kickstart OTO Melara to begin developing tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles once again. One of their earliest being the OF-40, O standing for OTO, F standing for Fiat and 40 standing for the approximate weight of the tank in tons.

Unlike what many people believe, this tank was not based on any sort of Leopard, although it's evident by some of the design features that it would incorporate, that it at least drew inspiration from the Leopard. OTO Melara dealt with the armament, turret and FCS, whilst Fiat dealt with the hull, engine and transmission. In regards to the armament, it used a OTO Melara 105 mm rifled gun which was able to shoot most NATO standard ammunition, which included various HEAT, APDS, and HE rounds. Other armament included machine guns installed on top of the turret, either 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm. In terms of armour, the vehicle would offer slightly better protection than the Leopard tanks of the era, but it wasn't anything special. It also had access to smoke dischargers in case there was a need to disengage from a firefight. The base variant of the vehicle would use an MTU MB 838 KA 50 diesel engine, which allowed the vehicle to reach speeds of up to 60 km/h.

After a few prototypes were completed, it was time to market the vehicle. Initially they attempted to sell it to the Italian army, however it didn't go well due to them already having access to many Leopard MBTs in service. So they instead began to market the vehicle to various Middle Eastern nations, one being the UAE. The UAE at the time didn't really have any decent main battle tank force, and although the OF-40 might not have been the best during the era, they still ended up buying the vehicle and putting it in service. The tank would finally go ahead for full-scale production. According to some sources, the UAE ended up getting up to 100 units in total, alongside a new variant of the vehicle in the ARV variant.

Over time, the OF-40 Mk.1 began to show its age, thus a new variant was created which would be known as the OF-40 Mk.2. This vehicle would have a set of upgrades from the base variant, including the addition of a stabilizer, an LLTV and also new sensors and updates to the FCS (updated to use the Gallileo OG14L2A), such as the addition of a ballistic computer. The commander sight however was kept from the previous variant, being the French-made SFIM VS 580-B. The OF-40 Mk.2 would also serve in the UAE, where all previous Mk.1 variants would be retrofitted to the more modern variant.

A very rare and obscure variant would be the OF-40 MTCA. The OF-40 (Mk.2) MTCA would be modified to allow for the installation of the Fiat MTCA V-12 1,000 hp engine, which increased the tank's speed by quite a lot. Only one OF-40 would receive such a package, it is unknown what happened after the tests.

Other variants include the Palmaria and OTOMATIC, both based on a modified OF-40 hull. There was also the OF-40 Thetis, an OF-40 Mk.2 fitted with thermal imaging devices and extra armour, and lastly there was also the OF-40 Mk.3, an OF-40 which used the Palmaria hull with the Ariete preserie turret. Currently, all OF-40s in service with the UAE have been put into storage. One was converted to an HIFV by a company known as Sabiex. The UAE said that they wanted to donate these tanks to Kosovo but nothing materialized. Other OF-40 tanks and their variants currently reside in the 'Museo Della Melara' in La Speiza, Italy.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the OF-40 (MTCA) from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• Leopard 1 (Family)

External links

• [Shop] OF-40 Mk.2 MTCA pre-order
• https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/391690-oto-melara-of-40-variants-and-derivatives/
• https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/474469-of-40-thetis-mirabilandia-of-40/
• https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/277682-of-40-or-leopard-a5-for-new-top-tier-position/

OTO Melara
Light Tanks/IFVs
Centauro	Centauro I 105 · Centauro I 105 R · Centauro I 120 · VRCC
Dardo	Dardo · VCC-80/30 · VCC-80/60
Other	C13 T90 · R3 T106 FA
MBTs
OF-40	OF-40 · OF-40 Mk.2A · OF-40 (MTCA)
Ariete	Ariete (P) · Ariete · Ariete PSO · Ariete AMV
Other	M47 (105/55)
Tank Destroyers	M113A1 (TOW)
SPAA	R3 T20 FA-HS · SIDAM 25 · SIDAM 25 (Mistral) · OTOMATIC
Patrol Boats
Sparviero-class	Sparviero*
See Also	OTO
	*Built by OTO Melara in La Spezia under the Alinavi S.p.A. consortium