Centauro I 105

Centauro I 105

VCC-80/60

Centauro I 105 R

Centauro I 105

VCC-80/60

Centauro I 105 R

Italy

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.3	9.3

Class:

Light tank

Research:190 000

Purchase:520 000

Show in game

Description

The B1 Centauro was developed in response to an Italian Army requirement for a tank destroyer with the firepower of the Leopard 1 main battle tank then in service with the Italian Army, but with greater strategic mobility. The main mission of the B1 Centauro is to protect other, lighter, elements of the cavalry, using its good power-to-weight ratio, excellent range and cross country ability (despite the 8x8 wheeled design) and computerized fire control system to accomplish this mission. Centauro entered production in 1991 and deliveries were complete by 2006.

The Blindo pesante Centauro, Preserie is a Rank VI Italian tank destroyer with a battle rating of 9.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

General info

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.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards.

Armaments

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. Main gun being an Italian version of the British Royal_Ordnance_L7. 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.

Additional armament

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 how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.

Machine guns

Secondary weapons are a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and another 7.62 mm machine gun on the roof for anti-aircraft purposes

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).

Pros and cons

Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".

Pros:

• Easily the fastest and most agile tank in its battle rating range from 7.0 to 9.0
• Excellent reverse speed of 40 km/h
• Has a two-plane gun stabiliser
• High penetration on the HEATFS rounds (400 mm)
• One of the best top speeds in the game (110 km)
• Decent reload time, 8.7 seconds when stock, 7.7 with expert crew + all reloading skills, and 6.7 seconds with an aced crew
• Three types of ammunition available (APDS, HEATFS, HESH)
• Upper plate will occasionally bounce incoming shells due to its angle, even HEATFS and HESH!
• Has access to smoke grenades and smoke shells
• Low silhouette
• Hard to kill in a single shot due to crew placement
• Can perform a wide variety of roles, ranging from support, sniper and QRF
• A group of well-coordinated players in Centauros are unstoppable

Cons:

• Lacking in armour department, every gun at its BR can penetrate it including SPAA
• Has hull-break
• Rather difficult stock grind as the stock APDS post-penetration performance is rather poor
• Turret traverse is slow compared to other vehicles at the same battle rating such at the T95E1, BMP-2, and Warrior which you will face often
• Poor accuracy at a medium-long range when stock
• HEATFS is a tier 4 upgrade
• Doesn't come with stock HESH like the chieftain; has to be researched
• No explosive-filler shells (APHE, APCB)
• HEATFS while it has solid penetration, it deals only punctual damage; does not shrapnel well

History

Development of the B1 Centauro began during the 1980s after the Italian Army issued a set of requirements for a new vehicle that would have equivalent firepower to the Leopard 1 MBT in Italian service at the time, but with greater combat mobility.

In response to this, the Italian companies Fiat, Iveco and Oto Melara joined forces to begin developing the vehicle requested by the Italian Army. In this joint venture, Fiat and Iveco were developing the vehicle’s hull and power supply, whilst Oto Melara took care of the vehicle’s turret and weapon systems.

In 1986, the final prototype of the B1 Centauro project was unveiled on Sardinia. The presented vehicle was an eight-wheeled lightly armored tank destroyer, equipped with a derived modification of the L7 105mm cannon, capable of reaching a very high top speed and covering large distances under its own power.

Impressed by the B1 Centauro, the Italian Military placed orders for a number of vehicles, with the first ones entering service as early as 1992. Early on in its service life, the Centauro received an ERA upgrade package that allowed for the installation of ROMOR ERA packs on the vehicle’s hull and turret sides as well as rear.

B1 Centauros took part in most major conflicts that defined the '90s and early 2000s, most notably in former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and others. Apart from the Italian Army, other noteworthy operators of the Centauro include Spain, Jordan and Oman.

Around 400 B1 Centauros were built until 2006, including some other derived modifications of the vehicle filling other roles. The B1 Centauro still serves with the Italian as well as other armed forces to this day.

- From Devblog

Media

Skin and Camouflages for the Centauro in Warthunder Live.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] B1 Centauro: The Wheeled Cheetah
• [Wikipedia] B1 Centauro