Difference between revisions of "AMX-30 ACRA"
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
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The '''AMX-30 Anti-Char Rapide Autopropulsé (ACRA)''' is a unique modification of the [[AMX-30 (1972)|AMX-30B (Model 1972)]], which is the second variant of the [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30 main battle tank family]]. The ACRA research and development program was initiated in France in 1961 and was designed as a supersonic anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) that could be deployed in any of the French Army's tanks. Due to the large associated expenses, state financing for the program was terminated by the last stage of testing the laser guiding system (which was the first of its kind in the world). GIAT, on the other hand, continued work at its own expense, hoping for future government orders. Engineers chose the AMX-30B (1972) as the missile's platform. Among the main turret equipment were a new smoothbore tank gun launcher, a sight, and an electronic guidance device. By 1974, field testing of the weapon platform was successful, but it was not accepted and placed into service. The key concern is the expensive cost of missile targeting technology, as well as the difficulties of using guided missiles in the absence of a tank gun. Instead, the HOT ATGM system, which was nearing completion at the time, was given priority. | The '''AMX-30 Anti-Char Rapide Autopropulsé (ACRA)''' is a unique modification of the [[AMX-30 (1972)|AMX-30B (Model 1972)]], which is the second variant of the [[AMX-30 (Family)|AMX-30 main battle tank family]]. The ACRA research and development program was initiated in France in 1961 and was designed as a supersonic anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) that could be deployed in any of the French Army's tanks. Due to the large associated expenses, state financing for the program was terminated by the last stage of testing the laser guiding system (which was the first of its kind in the world). GIAT, on the other hand, continued work at its own expense, hoping for future government orders. Engineers chose the AMX-30B (1972) as the missile's platform. Among the main turret equipment were a new smoothbore tank gun launcher, a sight, and an electronic guidance device. By 1974, field testing of the weapon platform was successful, but it was not accepted and placed into service. The key concern is the expensive cost of missile targeting technology, as well as the difficulties of using guided missiles in the absence of a tank gun. Instead, the HOT ATGM system, which was nearing completion at the time, was given priority. | ||
Latest revision as of 05:09, 5 November 2024
| This page is about the French medium tank AMX-30 ACRA. For other versions, see AMX-30 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The AMX-30 Anti-Char Rapide Autopropulsé (ACRA) is a unique modification of the AMX-30B (Model 1972), which is the second variant of the AMX-30 main battle tank family. The ACRA research and development program was initiated in France in 1961 and was designed as a supersonic anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) that could be deployed in any of the French Army's tanks. Due to the large associated expenses, state financing for the program was terminated by the last stage of testing the laser guiding system (which was the first of its kind in the world). GIAT, on the other hand, continued work at its own expense, hoping for future government orders. Engineers chose the AMX-30B (1972) as the missile's platform. Among the main turret equipment were a new smoothbore tank gun launcher, a sight, and an electronic guidance device. By 1974, field testing of the weapon platform was successful, but it was not accepted and placed into service. The key concern is the expensive cost of missile targeting technology, as well as the difficulties of using guided missiles in the absence of a tank gun. Instead, the HOT ATGM system, which was nearing completion at the time, was given priority.
Introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack", the AMX-30 ACRA is a special tank that can fire barrel-launched ATGMs, a characteristic not often found in Western main battle tanks. It is incredibly difficult for the enemy to avoid getting hit by the ACRA ATGMs due to their fast flight speed. However, as the ACRA ATGM requires the player to provide continual guidance during flight, the enemy may have a longer time window to return fire. Furthermore, while the fast flight speed of the ACRA ATGMs makes playing on larger maps much easier, firing at close to mid-range targets may be challenging due to the difficulties of making corrections in mid-flight. Nonetheless, it is a unique vehicle for players to experience when playing the French Army ground forces.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Cast homogeneous armour (front glacis, turret, cupola)
- Rolled homogeneous armour (hull sides, rear & roof)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 50 mm (76-79°) Upper glacis - Top 79 mm (68°) Upper glacis - Bottom 79 mm (45°) Lower glacis - Top 30 mm (75°) Lower glacis - Bottom 57 mm (35°) Hull over the tracks |
35 mm Top - Front 57 mm (35°) Top - Hull widening 35 mm (35°) Top - Centre 35 mm Top - Rear 30 mm Bottom 25 mm (70°) Belly |
30 mm (10°) Upper plate 30 mm Hull over the tracks 30 mm Lower plate 25 mm (70°) Belly |
79 mm (22°) Front glacis - Front 50 mm (11-14°) Front glacis - Rear 15 mm Rear 8 mm Radiator vents |
| Turret | 57-79 + 60 mm (19°) Gun mantlet 60 mm (19-24°) Turret front 30 mm (cylindrical) Telemeter |
41.5 mm (19-47°) 30 mm Telemeter 41.5 mm Cupola well |
30 mm (spherical) 20 mm (54-64°) Turret underside |
30 mm (2-20°) Gun mantlet 20 mm (2-21°) Turret |
| Cupola | 60 mm (cylindrical) | 60 mm Outer ring 20 mm Centre | ||
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
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 | 73 | 73 | 38 | 1,085 | 1,374 | 28.55 | 36.16 |
| Realistic | 66 | 66 | 619 | 720 | 16.29 | 18.95 | |
The gun is mounted on the well-proven AMX-30 chassis, providing adequate mobility slightly slower than the Leopard 1.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
|
Armaments
Main armament
The AMX-30 ACRA mounts a 142mm laser guided gun, capable of launching ACRA missiles and High Explosive rounds. It can carry 36 rounds, 16 in the turret and 20 in the hull, next to the driver, so you have the possibility to survive certain hull shots by carrying only 16 rounds. The gun reload is 15.6 seconds with a level 1 crew and can be upgraded to 12 seconds with a max crew.
The ACRA missile is notably fast, making the tank very useful on large maps. Be careful when shooting at the sides of enemy tanks, as the missiles function like HEAT rounds and tend to be absorbed by tracks or side fuel tanks if hit directly. Also akin to HEAT rounds, the ATGMs will fuse on shrubbery or wall/fences, so it is advised to find an open area or use your 12.7mm MG to clear out any obstacles before firing.
Another strength of having a barrel-launched ATGM is that you don't need to stop the tank to fire. However, as the missile is guided with a laser mounted with the gun, which is not stabilized, this in practice is rarely an advantage as you have to be still to accurately guide the missile in. This also means you cannot fire over obstacles like you can with wire guided missiles, as the laser needs a constant line-of-sight to the rear of the missile.
| 142 mm ACRA | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 36 | -8°/+20° | ±180° | N/A | 28.6 | 39.5 | 48.0 | 53.1 | 56.5 | 15.60 | 13.80 | 12.72 | 12.00 |
| Realistic | 17.9 | 21.0 | 25.5 | 28.2 | 30.0 | ||||||||
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 | ||
| MP ACRA | ATGM | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 |
| MUC | HE | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| MP ACRA | ATGM | 500 | 3,800 | 25 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 3.28 | 80° | 82° | 90° | ||
| MUC | HE | 700 | - | 23 | 0 | 0.1 | 3.58 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 20 (+16) | 1 (+35) | No |
Machine guns
| 12.7 mm M2HB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 800 (200) | 577 | -10°/+20° | N/A |
The M2HB coaxial heavy machine gun is a good anti-aircraft asset, it will shred any low-flying aircraft thanks to the extra 20 degrees of elevation. The only drawback is that the MG is coaxial, meaning the turret must rotate to track the targets. The .50 cal can also deal with armoured cars and SPAA vehicles when they're up close. The MG also has some use in knocking down fences and shrubs to clear out a path for the ACRA missile in urban environments.
| 7.62 mm A-A-F1N | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle | 2,100 (100) | 900 | -10°/+45° | ±120° |
The small calibre of the A-A-F1N machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.
Usage in battles
The AMX-30 ACRA is a very unique vehicle. As a vehicle that relies entirely on its ATGM for engaging enemy vehicles, the ACRA is more akin to something like the German RakJPz 2 (HOT) than it is to something like the AMX-30 series it's based on due to one single factor: its lack of a stabilizer.
While French vehicles lacking a stabilizer around the 8.X BR bracket is nothing new, the problem with the ACRA is that as the missile it fires dips significantly, flies fairly quickly and also has a lengthy reload, each and every shot fired has to count. When trying to fire on the move, chances are that your missile will hit the ground either immediately after launch as the missile dips into the ground, it hits the ground as your turret's sideways motion sends it spiraling towards the ground or it misses entirely due to both you and your target being on the move. This, unfortunately, limits the ACRA to a much more passive playstyle, much akin to the RakJPz 2 (HOT) mentioned earlier; both share a fairly lengthy reload, cannot fire on the move and lack any substantial armor to stop contemporary shells.
Not everything is doom and gloom for the ACRA, however, as in the long range fire support role the ACRA is a respectable long range sniper. With an ATGM that flies near double the speed of contemporary ATGMs around this BR, at range the missile can be an effective tool against enemies, especially moving ones. The AMX-10RC may outdo the vehicle in pure long range sniping as it has a Laser Rangefinder, Thermals and an effective APFSDS round, but against moving enemies the ability to compensate for enemy movement is fairly invaluable and the high speed of the missile limits any enemy reactionary movement to under 3-4 seconds.
Your turret also helps in this regard, as you don't have to constantly turn the vehicle itself around to engage enemies in a different direction. The mobility of the AMX-30 hull is also still there, letting you get around the map adequately. Firing on the move or near elevated ground, however, as mentioned earlier can be a problem to keep in mind. This is due to the missile's larger-than-normal dip after firing, which requires some hefty separation between the launcher and the ground to ensure the missile hits the enemy and not a patch of dirt in front of you. Overall, if used as a long range fire support vehicle, the ACRA can deliver some impressive results, even though the vehicle itself may not be the spearhead of an armored assault.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good mobility
- Fast flight speed of the ACRA ATGM, almost twice as fast as contemporary ATGMs of its BR
- Can fire ATGMs on the move
- ATGM has high penetration for the BR
- Turreted nature allows for more versatile usage of terrain
Cons:
- Armor is inadequate for stopping contemporary shells
- Gun scope is not stabilized; it is near impossible to accurately guide the missile on the move on any uneven terrain
- Tank has to keep itself exposed while guiding the ATGM, giving the enemy a longer window to return fire
- High speed of the ACRA ATGM can make corrections at mid-range difficult
- Reload is around twice as long as most tanks of this battle rating, meaning mistakes are significantly more punishing
- HEAT warhead may deal inconsistent damage
- Turret creates a taller profile compared to other ATGM vehicles
History
The AMX-30 ACRA was a prototype modification of the AMX-30 main battle tank developed in the late 1960s for the French army. Similar to the American M551 Sheridan, the prototypes were fitted with a 142 mm cannon to fire the prototype missile "Anti-Char Rapide Autopropulsé" (Self-Propelled Rapid Anti-Tank Missile), or ACRA in short. The vehicle was also fitted with an enlarged turret capable of fitting larger-calibre cannons of 120 mm. The prototypes were cancelled in 1972 due to rising development costs for the ACRA missile, which was later replaced by the HOT ATGM.
The AMX-30 was a highly successful French main battle tank (MBT) of the 1960s and 1970s with over 3,000 vehicles built in total. The AMX-30 family served as the main French MBT until the introduction of the Leclerc MBT in the 1990s; as well, a myriad of variants were created including anti-tank and anti-aircraft versions (such as the AMX-30R Roland missile battery). One of the most unique anti-tank variants was the AMX-30 ACRA, centred around the ACRA ATGM.
The ACRA, or Anti-Char Rapide Autopropulsé (Self-Propelled Rapid Anti-Tank Missile) was a prototype French anti-tank missile system designed to destroy enemy tanks. The missile was fired from a 142 mm smoothbore gun and accelerated to a speed of over 2520 km/h during flight. The weapon could be fitted with a 2 kg shaped charge warhead or a similar high-explosive warhead for use against personnel.
An AMX-30 was specially modified with an enlarged turret to fire the ACRA missile, along with a 142 mm smoothbore cannon that could also fire HE ammunition. The vehicle's enlarged turret could've also accommodated larger cannons such as a 120 mm cannon. Despite this, the weapon system had key limitations - primarily, the cost of the ACRA missile had skyrocketed to over 1 million francs per shot. As well, the missile could not be fired from helicopters, further limiting its effectiveness in battle. As a result, the ACRA missile system was cancelled in 1972, marking the demise of the AMX-30 ACRA. The role of the ACRA missile system would be fulfilled by the HOT, a more versatile ATGM fired from both ground vehicles and helicopters.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Other comparable gun/launcher tanks
External links
| Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX) | |
|---|---|
| Light tanks | |
| AMX-13 | AMX-13-M24 · AMX-13 (FL11) · AMX-13 · AMX-13 (SS.11) · AMX-13-90 · AMX-13 (HOT) |
| Armoured cars | AMX-10RC |
| Medium tanks | AMX M4 · AMX-50 (TOA100) |
| MBTs | |
| AMX-30 | AMX-30 · AMX-30 ACRA · AMX-30 (1972) · AMX-30B2 · AMX-30B2 BRENUS · AMX-30 Super |
| AMX-32/40 | AMX-32 (105) · AMX-32 · AMX-40 |
| Heavy tanks | AMX-50 Surbaissé · AMX-50 Surblindé |
| Tank destroyers | ELC bis · AMX-50 Foch |
| SPAAGs | AMX-13 DCA 40 · AMX-30 S DCA |
| Export | AMX-13 |
| France medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| M4 Derivatives | M4A1 (FL10) · M4A4 (SA50) |
| AMX-50 | AMX M4 · AMX-50 (TOA100) · AMX-50 (TO90/930) |
| AMX-30 | AMX-30 · AMX-30 (1972) · AMX-30B2 · AMX-30B2 BRENUS · AMX-30 ACRA · AMX-30 Super |
| AMX-32/40 | AMX-32 · AMX-32 (105) · AMX-40 |
| Leclerc | Leclerc · Leclerc S2 · Leclerc SXXI · Leclerc AZUR |
| Other | D2 · S.35 · Lorraine 40t |
| Germany | Panther "Dauphiné" |
| USA | ▄M4A1 · ▄M4A3 (105) · ▄M4A4 · ▄M26 |
