Difference between revisions of "Leclerc"

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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} French medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].
 +
 +
Developed by GIAT in the late 1980s, this variant of the Leclerc (the Serie 1) was the first production model. Despite this, it sports numerous modern technologies, a powerful NATO-compliant 120mm cannon equipped with an autoloader (as with many French tanks) and a powerful, advanced diesel engine with a gas turbine 'charger'.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
Line 11: Line 13:
 
[[File:Leclerc Serie 1 Protection Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Leclerc Serie 1 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]<!--''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?''
 
[[File:Leclerc Serie 1 Protection Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Leclerc Serie 1 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]<!--''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.''-->
 
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
−
The Leclerc is a very well protected MBT. It's not as strong as a [[Leopard 2A5]] and doesn't possess the strong [[Challenger 2]] turret. The armour consists of modular composite armour SXXI version include titanium, tungsten and semi-reactive layers. But, the Leclerc has only 3 crew members which is a significant disadvantage. However, this doesn't mean that you have weak armour and poor survivability, in fact, the Leclerc is one of the best-protected tanks in the game. The turret has a big weak spot being the box-shaped gun mantlet. Every MBT is able to penetrate this box and when they do, you will lose your gun breech almost every time. The cheeks are strong so it's not likely that you will be penetrated through these. The upper front plate is also quite strong and will help you a lot of the time. The sides and back of the Leclerc are very weak and every SPAA is able to do significant damage or will knock out the tank. The lower front plate is also very weak so take care of your driver!
+
[[File:Leclerc layout overview.png|thumb|Leclerc S1 Internal Layout]]
−
 
+
The Leclerc MBT is generally well protected with a well-designed layout resulting in good survivability. It does, however, have a number of prominent weak spots which are not easily hidden - most notable of which is the gun mantlet, which is mostly unprotected and can easily be penetrated to disable the cannon breech and often the tank commander, who sits on the exposed side of the mantlet (right side, looking from the front of the vehicle). The LFP (lower front plate) and UFP (upper front plate) are both weakly protected, with only the central front plate providing sufficient protection against incoming rounds. The Leclerc's turret cheeks are extremely well protected by modular composite armour, combining hard metals, semi-reactive and ceramic layers, protecting against even the most powerful kinetic rounds and most chemical rounds.
−
Although the Leclerc has only 3 crew members, the French Engineers made sure when they designed the tank, that the crew would be in such a position that the chances of being knocked out are as little as possible. This means that when you do get penetrated, it's likely that only 1 crew member will be knocked out. If the Leclerc didn't have an autoloader, this would be a problem because the fire rate would be dropping quite a bit. This means that the reloading process will not be reset and the fire rate will stay at 6 seconds.
 
−
 
 
−
Because the Leclerc has a good engine, you have very good speed. This makes the survivability of the Leclerc very good because aiming at you will become harder.  
 
  
−
In addition, the Leclerc has blown out panels in the back of the turret. That means that if a shell is fired through the side of the turret, the tank will survive.
+
Despite only seating three crew members, the Leclerc's survivability proves to be reasonable, with spaced out crew members, a blow-out compartment for the primary ammunition storage and the turret crew placed as low as feasible. As such, even successful penetration of the Leclerc is unlikely to disable the vehicle immediately - and even a vehicle fire or crew knockout will not stop the vehicle from reloading, ready to fire back. It is possible to destroy the Leclerc with one round by hitting the two crew on the right (viewed from the front).
−
 
 
−
Long story short. The Leclerc has very decent armour and good survivability. This makes the Leclerc a deathly tank and should not be underestimated!
 
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== 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.''-->
−
The Leclerc has V8X SACM (wärtsilä) 8-cylinder diesel engine which is able to produce 1500 hp. The transmission is an Automatic SESM with 8 gears. This gives the Leclerc a hp to ton ratio of 27.52. This makes the Leclerc a very manoeuvrable tank which is a very big plus point. The Leclerc has an average road speed of +50 km/h and 40 km/h off-road. The mobility can be used to drive quickly from point to point and gives the tank the ability to take strategic positions at the beginning of the match. The traverse rate of the Leclerc is decent and will do the job quite well.  
+
The Leclerc is powered by an excellent V8 diesel engine with a gas turbine auxiliary charger, producing a peak of 1474.5 horsepower at 2500 RPM, transferred to the drive sprockets via a transmission with 8 forward and 4 backward gears. With a maximum power-to-weight ratio of 27.01, the Leclerc is more than capable of reaching these speeds, with excellent acceleration and maneuverability characteristics to boot. The Leclerc will easily keep up with most of its counterparts such as the [[M1A2 Abrams]] or the [[Leopard 2A5]], and as such can comfortably reach strategic positions quickly or make its way into cap points with haste. It can also quickly escape sub-optimal situations, with a perfectly reasonable 38km/h reverse speed.
−
 
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" |Mobility Characteristics
 +
|-
 +
!Weight (tons)
 +
! colspan="1" |Add-on Armour
 +
weight (tons)
 +
! colspan="1" |Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan="2" |54.6|| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |N/A|| colspan="1" |78 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|70 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" |Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" |Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|2,285
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|1,304
 +
|1,474
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" |Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" |Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|41.85
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|23.88
 +
|27.00
 +
|}
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
Line 30: Line 67:
 
{{main|GIAT CN120-26 F1 (120 mm)}}
 
{{main|GIAT CN120-26 F1 (120 mm)}}
  
−
The Leclerc has a GIAT CN120-26/52 120mm tank gun. This tank gun fires either the APFSDS OFL 120 F1 shell or a standard HEAT shell. The APFSDS shell has a high-velocity, which is useful for hitting targets at range. It recommended that you research the APFSDS as quickly as possible just like the [[AMX-40]]. When you get the APFSDS, you'll be able to fire the second highest penetrating APFSDS in the game with a penetrating value of 528 mm at 0 degrees. You will have no trouble penetrating the upper front plate of a [[Leopard 2A5]] which is a very big advantage. Shoot this tank at the left side of the upper front plate because you can take out the driver, gunner and commander, destroying the [[Leopard 2A5]] in one shot. The turret can rotate very quickly and has high elevation and depression rates. Also, the Leclerc has an autoloader. This means that you will be able to fire a shell every 6 seconds without the dependency of the loader. This means that if the commander is taken out, the Leclerc will still be able to fire back without a reload nerf. All these factors combined makes the Leclerc very good at destroying tanks and has no trouble fighting any MBT in the game.
+
The Leclerc Serie 1 mounts a 120 mm GIAT CN120-26/52 smoothbore cannon, fitted with a two-plane stabiliser and an autoloading system. The CN120 is a competitive cannon, displaying excellent performance with the OFL 120 F1 APFSDS round, up to a maximum of 528 mm of penetration at 0°. Combined with the consistent 6 second reload (independent of crew), this 120 mm cannon is more than competitive when compared to the offerings on its contemporaries. However, it's important to note that the OFL 120 F1 round is a tier 4 modification, and as such a stock Leclerc will be required to use the OCC 120 G1 HEAT-FS round - which, while capable, can prove somewhat unreliable when used against late vehicles with ERA and composite armour.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" |[[GIAT CN120-26 F1 (120 mm)|GIAT CN120-26/52 120 mm]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" |Vertical guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" |Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" |40||-8°/+20°||±180°||Two-plane
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''||28.60||_.__||_.__||_.__||_.__
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic''||17.90||_.__||_.__||_.__||_.__
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
|6.00||6.00||6.00||6.00
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" |Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" |Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Type of
 +
warhead
 +
! colspan="6" |'''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
 +
|-
 +
!10m
 +
!100m
 +
!500m
 +
!1000m
 +
!1500m
 +
!2000m
 +
|-
 +
|OCC 120 G1||HEAT-FS||480||480||480||480||480||480
 +
|-
 +
|OFL 120 F1||APFSDS||528||527||519||511||503||494
 +
|}
  
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" |Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" |Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Type of
 +
warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity
 +
in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile
 +
Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" |''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" |''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" |''Explosive Mass in g'' ''(TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" |''Normalization At 30°''
 +
''from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" |''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
!0%
 +
!50%
 +
!100%
 +
|-
 +
|OCC 120 G1
 +
|HEAT-FS
 +
|1,100
 +
|14.4
 +
|N/A
 +
|0.1
 +
|2,150
 +
|N/A
 +
|65°
 +
|72°
 +
|75°
 +
|-
 +
|OFL 120 F1||APFSDS||1,790||3.8||N/A||N/A||4,100||N/A||78°||80°||81°
 +
|}
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
<!--''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.''-->
 
<!--''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.''-->
 
{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}
 
{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}
  
−
Equipped with an M2HB 12.7 mm (.50 calibre) coaxial machine gun. This machine gun is very weak and should not be used to shoot down planes or helicopters. The chance of destroying them is very small and the only thing you do is giving away your position. Try to spot enemy's using your machine gun if needed.  
+
The Leclerc mounts a single coaxial 12.7mm machine gun. While this coaxial mount limits it to +20° of elevation, if it can be placed on target it can prove effective against low-flying aircraft. Besides this, it can be useful for clearing out light obstacles, knocking out crew on open-top vehicles, and marking targets.
  
 +
==== Optics and night vision ====
 +
The Leclerc receives night vision imagers once the tier 4 modification 'NVD' is researched. This unlocks 800 x 600 resolution thermal sights for both the gunner and commander, as well as standard image intensifiers for all crew (available in third person view in AB/RB additionally)
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="7" |{{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="3" |Type of optic
 +
! rowspan="3" |Magnification
 +
! colspan="5" |[[Night Vision Devices]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" |Image Intensifier
 +
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Thermal Imager<br>Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
 +
! rowspan="2" |Notes
 +
|-
 +
!{{Annotation|Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
 +
!{{Annotation|Light Mult|By how much the image intensifier amplifies the existing light, primarily useful for comparing image intensifiers}}
 +
!{{Annotation|Noise Level|How much noise is present in the image (how grainy the image is)}}
 +
|-
 +
!Gunner's Sight
 +
|8.0x - 12.0x||--||--||--||800 x 600||Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
 +
|-
 +
!Commander's View
 +
|6.0x||--||--||--||800 x 600||Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
 +
|-
 +
!Driver's View
 +
|1.0x||1200 x 800||7.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
 +
|}
 
==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).''-->
  
−
The Leclerc is a very strong MBT because of it's armour, speed and powerful gun. This means that the Leclerc is a good cap contester and is able to take caps without trouble. Try to flank your enemy's with your speed. Cover your lower front plate because without a driver you're a sitting duck. Take 22 shell's max in order to keep the storage next to the driver empty. If you take more, the enemy will have no trouble setting the ammunition on fire and blow the tank apart. At the beginning of a match, you need to make sure you take strategic points before the enemy team. This means that you never should rush in. Take care of the mini-map and search for potential weak spots. Try to outflank your enemy in order to push. You can knife fight effectively but it's not desirable. The chance of getting destroyed is very big and it's not worth the risk. But when you do get in a knife fight, the chance of you winning is very big. But then again (and I can't stress this enough), flank your enemy!
+
The Leclerc is an extremely capable MBT, and can be deadly in the right hands. It can prove somewhat vulnerable in close-range engagements, where its numerous weak points are easily targeted, and as such it's preferable to make use of its high round velocity to snipe, or its excellent mobility to flank enemies.
  
 +
'''Rural Combat'''
 +
 +
The Leclerc's OFL 120 F1 round, with its 1,790 m/s muzzle velocity and high penetration values is a potent sniping round. As such, on open maps (such as [[Kursk (Ground Forces)|Kursk]] or [[Maginot Line (Ground Forces)|Maginot Line]]), it's recommended to operate the Leclerc as a sniper - this allows it to both employ these round characteristics optimally and avoid the Leclerc's large weak spots being easy targets. On maps where flanking is viable (for example, the eastern hill on Maginot Line), the Leclerc's excellent power to weight ratio can be used to access and push through these routes.
 +
 +
'''Urban Combat'''
 +
 +
The Leclerc is less comfortable in urban combat situations, although still more than capable. On maps such as [[Alaska]], it's preferable to take flanking routes around the edges of urban regions where possible or cap points on the outskirts of the map (such as the A point in Alaska Domination), avoiding close quarters. In situations where avoiding close quarters is mostly impossible, it's best to play conservatively and maintain full awareness of enemy presence (audio is extremely important information in War Thunder - you can hear most vehicles coming!). Fortunately the Leclerc has a respectable reverse speed of 38 km/h and providing your engine, transmission and driver remain intact after a penetration it's more than capable of reversing out of trouble.
 +
 +
'''Notable Targets'''
 +
 +
<u>[[Challenger 2]]:</u> The CR2's turret cheeks are essentially immune to even OFL 120 F1 - and the Challenger is deadly accurate at long range. As such, sniping matches with the Challenger 2 should be avoided at all costs, instead attempt to flank it where possible. If there is no opportunity to get closer, move around between shots and try to land a shot on the gun mantlet or the UFP/LFP.
 +
 +
<u>[[M1A1 Abrams|M1A1]]/[[M1A2 Abrams]]:</u> The Abrams is a deadly opponent, and thanks to the crew and module spacing will often survive multiple shots. In any engagement, first try to disable the cannon breech - this avoids the Abrams firing back and with your quick reload you'll often have time to disable its mobility entirely.
 +
 +
<u>[[Leopard 2A5]]:</u> The Leopard 2A5 is a dangerous opponent, with a small gun mantlet weak spot and impenetrable turret cheeks. Fortunately, the OFL 120 F1 round can punch straight through the hull. If the opportunity for a hull shot does not arise, try to shoot through the gun mantlet or turret ring where possible.
 
===Modules===
 
===Modules===
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
Line 63: Line 232:
 
| Filters||
 
| Filters||
 
| Crew Replenishment
 
| Crew Replenishment
−
| Elevation Mechanism||Smoke grenade||
+
| Elevation Mechanism||Laser rangefinder||Smoke grenade
 
|-
 
|-
 
| IV
 
| IV
 
| Transmission||Engine
 
| Transmission||Engine
 
|  
 
|  
−
| Artillery Support||OFL 120 F1||Laser rangefinder
+
| Artillery Support||OFL 120 F1||NVD
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
−
It is recommended to research the modules in the following order:
+
The OFL 120 F1 round is the most important module to research for the Leclerc, followed closely by NVD (thermals help maintain a comfortable advantage over opponents).  
−
 
 
−
Parts - FPE - Adjustment of fire - Smoke grenade - Crew Replenishment - OFL 120 F1 (APFSDS) - Engine - Transmission - Filters - Artillery Support - .... the rest is your choice.
 
  
−
The most important module to get however is the OFL 120 F1 for the APFSDS shell, as without it the competitiveness of the tank is quite low compared to its adversaries.  
+
Parts and FPE should be the first modules researched, followed by Adjustment of Fire, Crew Replenishment, your choice of Laser Rangefinder or Smoke Grenades, then OFL 120 F1, NVD, and ideally mobility upgrades afterwards.  
  
 
===Pros and cons===
 
===Pros and cons===
Line 82: Line 249:
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* Has an autoloader
+
* Six second autoloader is very competitive
−
* Possess advanced protection of composite armour in turret and hull
+
* Extremely good composite protection on turret cheeks and centre frontal plate
−
* Perfect dynamics of armour, firepower, and mobility
+
* Well-spaced crew and modules
−
* Good crew layout
+
* Blow-out contained primary ammunition storage
−
* Good mobility
+
* Extremely mobile, with excellent acceleration and maneuverability characteristics
 +
* Very effective 528 mm kinetic round
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* Small crew of three
+
* Only three crew members
−
* Big weak spot at the gun mantlet
+
* Numerous large vulnerabilities
 +
* Only HEAT-FS available stock, has to research APFSDS as a tier 4 modification
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Revision as of 02:08, 11 December 2019

Rank VII | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
Leclerc
fr_leclerc_s1.png
Leclerc
France flag.png France
VIII Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
12.0 12.0 12.0
Class:
Research:400 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:1 080 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Leclerc.jpg


The Leclerc Serie 1 is a rank VIII French medium tank with a battle rating of 12.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy".

Developed by GIAT in the late 1980s, this variant of the Leclerc (the Serie 1) was the first production model. Despite this, it sports numerous modern technologies, a powerful NATO-compliant 120mm cannon equipped with an autoloader (as with many French tanks) and a powerful, advanced diesel engine with a gas turbine 'charger'.

General info

Survivability and armour

Leclerc Serie 1 Protection Density Visualisation
Leclerc S1 Internal Layout

The Leclerc MBT is generally well protected with a well-designed layout resulting in good survivability. It does, however, have a number of prominent weak spots which are not easily hidden - most notable of which is the gun mantlet, which is mostly unprotected and can easily be penetrated to disable the cannon breech and often the tank commander, who sits on the exposed side of the mantlet (right side, looking from the front of the vehicle). The LFP (lower front plate) and UFP (upper front plate) are both weakly protected, with only the central front plate providing sufficient protection against incoming rounds. The Leclerc's turret cheeks are extremely well protected by modular composite armour, combining hard metals, semi-reactive and ceramic layers, protecting against even the most powerful kinetic rounds and most chemical rounds.

Despite only seating three crew members, the Leclerc's survivability proves to be reasonable, with spaced out crew members, a blow-out compartment for the primary ammunition storage and the turret crew placed as low as feasible. As such, even successful penetration of the Leclerc is unlikely to disable the vehicle immediately - and even a vehicle fire or crew knockout will not stop the vehicle from reloading, ready to fire back. It is possible to destroy the Leclerc with one round by hitting the two crew on the right (viewed from the front).

Mobility

The Leclerc is powered by an excellent V8 diesel engine with a gas turbine auxiliary charger, producing a peak of 1474.5 horsepower at 2500 RPM, transferred to the drive sprockets via a transmission with 8 forward and 4 backward gears. With a maximum power-to-weight ratio of 27.01, the Leclerc is more than capable of reaching these speeds, with excellent acceleration and maneuverability characteristics to boot. The Leclerc will easily keep up with most of its counterparts such as the M1A2 Abrams or the Leopard 2A5, and as such can comfortably reach strategic positions quickly or make its way into cap points with haste. It can also quickly escape sub-optimal situations, with a perfectly reasonable 38km/h reverse speed.

Mobility Characteristics
Weight (tons) Add-on Armour

weight (tons)

Max speed (km/h)
54.6 N/A 78 (AB)
70 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 2,285
Realistic/Simulator 1,304 1,474
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 41.85
Realistic/Simulator 23.88 27.00

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: GIAT CN120-26 F1 (120 mm)

The Leclerc Serie 1 mounts a 120 mm GIAT CN120-26/52 smoothbore cannon, fitted with a two-plane stabiliser and an autoloading system. The CN120 is a competitive cannon, displaying excellent performance with the OFL 120 F1 APFSDS round, up to a maximum of 528 mm of penetration at 0°. Combined with the consistent 6 second reload (independent of crew), this 120 mm cannon is more than competitive when compared to the offerings on its contemporaries. However, it's important to note that the OFL 120 F1 round is a tier 4 modification, and as such a stock Leclerc will be required to use the OCC 120 G1 HEAT-FS round - which, while capable, can prove somewhat unreliable when used against late vehicles with ERA and composite armour.

GIAT CN120-26/52 120 mm
Capacity Vertical guidance Horizontal guidance Stabilizer
40 -8°/+20° ±180° Two-plane
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 28.60 _.__ _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 17.90 _.__ _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of

warhead

Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
OCC 120 G1 HEAT-FS 480 480 480 480 480 480
OFL 120 F1 APFSDS 528 527 519 511 503 494
Shell details
Ammunition Type of

warhead

Velocity

in m/s

Projectile

Mass in kg

Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent): Normalization At 30°

from horizontal:

Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
OCC 120 G1 HEAT-FS 1,100 14.4 N/A 0.1 2,150 N/A 65° 72° 75°
OFL 120 F1 APFSDS 1,790 3.8 N/A N/A 4,100 N/A 78° 80° 81°

Machine guns

Main article: M2HB (12.7 mm)

The Leclerc mounts a single coaxial 12.7mm machine gun. While this coaxial mount limits it to +20° of elevation, if it can be placed on target it can prove effective against low-flying aircraft. Besides this, it can be useful for clearing out light obstacles, knocking out crew on open-top vehicles, and marking targets.

Optics and night vision

The Leclerc receives night vision imagers once the tier 4 modification 'NVD' is researched. This unlocks 800 x 600 resolution thermal sights for both the gunner and commander, as well as standard image intensifiers for all crew (available in third person view in AB/RB additionally)

Leclerc Optics
Type of optic Magnification Night Vision Devices
Image Intensifier Thermal Imager
Resolution 		Notes
Resolution Light Mult Noise Level
Gunner's Sight 8.0x - 12.0x -- -- -- 800 x 600 Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
Commander's View 6.0x -- -- -- 800 x 600 Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)
Driver's View 1.0x 1200 x 800 7.0 High N/A Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 4)

Usage in battles

The Leclerc is an extremely capable MBT, and can be deadly in the right hands. It can prove somewhat vulnerable in close-range engagements, where its numerous weak points are easily targeted, and as such it's preferable to make use of its high round velocity to snipe, or its excellent mobility to flank enemies.

Rural Combat

The Leclerc's OFL 120 F1 round, with its 1,790 m/s muzzle velocity and high penetration values is a potent sniping round. As such, on open maps (such as Kursk or Maginot Line), it's recommended to operate the Leclerc as a sniper - this allows it to both employ these round characteristics optimally and avoid the Leclerc's large weak spots being easy targets. On maps where flanking is viable (for example, the eastern hill on Maginot Line), the Leclerc's excellent power to weight ratio can be used to access and push through these routes.

Urban Combat

The Leclerc is less comfortable in urban combat situations, although still more than capable. On maps such as Alaska, it's preferable to take flanking routes around the edges of urban regions where possible or cap points on the outskirts of the map (such as the A point in Alaska Domination), avoiding close quarters. In situations where avoiding close quarters is mostly impossible, it's best to play conservatively and maintain full awareness of enemy presence (audio is extremely important information in War Thunder - you can hear most vehicles coming!). Fortunately the Leclerc has a respectable reverse speed of 38 km/h and providing your engine, transmission and driver remain intact after a penetration it's more than capable of reversing out of trouble.

Notable Targets

Challenger 2: The CR2's turret cheeks are essentially immune to even OFL 120 F1 - and the Challenger is deadly accurate at long range. As such, sniping matches with the Challenger 2 should be avoided at all costs, instead attempt to flank it where possible. If there is no opportunity to get closer, move around between shots and try to land a shot on the gun mantlet or the UFP/LFP.

M1A1/M1A2 Abrams: The Abrams is a deadly opponent, and thanks to the crew and module spacing will often survive multiple shots. In any engagement, first try to disable the cannon breech - this avoids the Abrams firing back and with your quick reload you'll often have time to disable its mobility entirely.

Leopard 2A5: The Leopard 2A5 is a dangerous opponent, with a small gun mantlet weak spot and impenetrable turret cheeks. Fortunately, the OFL 120 F1 round can punch straight through the hull. If the opportunity for a hull shot does not arise, try to shoot through the gun mantlet or turret ring where possible.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism Laser rangefinder Smoke grenade
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support OFL 120 F1 NVD

The OFL 120 F1 round is the most important module to research for the Leclerc, followed closely by NVD (thermals help maintain a comfortable advantage over opponents).

Parts and FPE should be the first modules researched, followed by Adjustment of Fire, Crew Replenishment, your choice of Laser Rangefinder or Smoke Grenades, then OFL 120 F1, NVD, and ideally mobility upgrades afterwards.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Six second autoloader is very competitive
  • Extremely good composite protection on turret cheeks and centre frontal plate
  • Well-spaced crew and modules
  • Blow-out contained primary ammunition storage
  • Extremely mobile, with excellent acceleration and maneuverability characteristics
  • Very effective 528 mm kinetic round

Cons:

  • Only three crew members
  • Numerous large vulnerabilities
  • Only HEAT-FS available stock, has to research APFSDS as a tier 4 modification

History

Development of the Leclerc main battle tank dates back to 1964, when the French military initiated a study on possible replacements for the AMX-30 tank, about to be introduced into service at the time. By the early ‘70s, the inferiority of the AMX-30 compared to more modern Soviet T-series MBTs had become obvious. As a result, work on developing a replacement officially began, with first specifications being drawn up by 1977.

In 1980, France and Germany began joint development of a new main battle tank. However, similarly to the previous Europanzer development decades ago, the joint effort quickly came to an end shortly afterwards due to various disagreements, with France continuing work on its own.

The new main battle tank was intended to offer cutting-edge performance by making use of the latest equipment available. However, as the per unit price was projected to be substantial, France sought partnership with another state to reduce these costs. Eventually, a partnership was established with the UAE, who would be the second and only other primary operator of the new tank, other than France itself.

Thus, in 1986 the tank received its name “Leclerc”, with six initial prototypes being produced. Mass production subsequently started in 1990 and went on until 2007. During production, the Leclerc was built in various batches and series, each introducing various tweaks and changes to the design, while some also incorporated major upgrades.

The Leclerc saw service as part of a number of UN peacekeeping missions, primarily in Kosovo and Lebanon, with reported favourable performance. Most recently, the UAE deployed a number of its Leclercs to Yemen, with some vehicles getting damaged. As of the end of production in 2007, a total of around 860 Leclercs were built for both French and UAE forces combined.

- From Devblog

Media

Leclerc tank in Saumur museum tank

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


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

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