Difference between revisions of "CM25"

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=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== 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.'' -->
 
<!-- ''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.''
 
  
−
The vehicle profile is a basic rectangle with a slightly sloped front which increases protection from machine gun fire. Front has a hatch, which works as HESH screen. The main areas of the vehicle to target when attacking is the missile launcher, machine gun to disable its attack capability or a main vehicle shot.
+
The vehicle profile is a basic rectangle with a slightly sloped front which increases protection from machine gun fire. Front has a hatch, which works as HESH screen. The main areas of the vehicle to target when attacking is the missile launcher and machine gun to disable its attack capability, or a main vehicle shot to disable it completely.
  
−
The CM25 is meant to be a stand-off vehicle due to its role on the battlefield, and is not built to be on the front line. Even with the add-on armor comparing to the previous M113A1, the aluminium alloy armour will not stand up to much and as is will barely stop 12 mm machine gun fire when angled or far away. Anything of higher calibre is almost guaranteed to penetrate.
+
The CM25 is meant to be a stand-off vehicle due to its role on the battlefield, and is not built to be on the front line. Even with the add-on armour comparing to the previous [[M113A1 (TOW) (China)|M113A1]], the aluminium alloy armour will not stand up to much and will barely stop 12.7 mm machine gun fire when angled or far away. Anything of higher calibre is almost guaranteed to penetrate.
  
 
Try to hide as best as you can, or not only the gunner will suffer consequences, but the entirety of the crew as well.
 
Try to hide as best as you can, or not only the gunner will suffer consequences, but the entirety of the crew as well.
  
−
The gunner is exposed outside of the vehicle when directing the launcher and can be hit. Be aware, as the launcher's base and sometimes even the rangefinder, located next to the launcher, can trigger APHE fuse and cause it to explode in front of gunner's face, then the shrapnel flies back and shreds the virtually nonexistent roof armour, taking out everyone in the middle of the vehicle. Also, since the gunner stands within the opened roof hatch, if a chemical warhead hits rangefinder, then payload can enter vehicle through it and take out loader as well.
+
The gunner is exposed outside of the vehicle when directing the launcher and can be hit. Be aware, as the launcher's base, and sometimes even the rangefinder located next to the launcher, can trigger APHE fuse and cause it to explode in front of gunner's face, the shrapnel then flying back and shredding the virtually nonexistent roof armour, taking out everyone in the middle of the vehicle. Also, since the gunner stands within the opened roof hatch, if a chemical warhead hits the rangefinder, then payload can enter vehicle through it and take out loader as well.
  
−
Since the vehicle's armour is very thin, it sometimes does not detonate shells so armour-ripping shells causes less than fatal damage. However, only '''very''' high calibre shells with fuses of about 20-22 mm won't detonate, which are very rare at BR 8.3 battles, as almost everyone use 15 mm fuses at this point. The main key here is to avoid being hit at all, as if your tank will be angled during attack, the fuses would detonate anyway.
+
Since the vehicle's armour is very thin, it sometimes does not detonate shells so armour-piercing shells cause less than fatal damage. However, only '''very''' high calibre shells with fuses of about 20-22 mm won't detonate, which are very rare at the battle rating, as almost everyone use 15 mm fuses at this point. The main key here is to avoid being hit at all, as if your tank is angled during attack, the fuses would detonate anyway. The aforementioned shield on front can stop HESH from doing any damage at all, but it's not very reliable.
  
−
Vehicle also seems to not have hull break, as example, when an ATGM hits the side of the vehicle in arcade mode, it will only set it on fire. The mentioned shield on front can stop HESH from doing any damage at all, but it's not very reliable.
+
All in all, it's best to just get out of the way of other tanks and sneak around; this is a vehicle of strategy, not brute force.
 +
 
 +
'''Armour type:''' <!-- The types of armour present on the vehicle and their general locations -->
 +
<!-- Example: * Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Hull roof)
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area) -->
  
−
All in all, it's best to just get out of the way of other tanks and sneak around; this is a vehicle of strategy, not brute force.
 
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
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=== 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.'' -->
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''
 
  
−
{{tankMobility}}
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=305|rbMinHp=190}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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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|BGM-71 TOW}}
 
{{main|BGM-71 TOW}}
−
''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.''
+
 
 +
The placement of weapon is high enough to fire over cover, however, advantages also at times spawn disadvantages and in this case, with the vehicle gunner standing tall outside of the vehicle, he has no protection and can easily be hit, despite the rest of vehicle being concealed.
 +
 
 +
The launcher has a rather limited arc of fire - 45 degrees in either direction, which isn't compensated by missile's characteristics like in case of [[Swingfire]] or armour like in case of [[IT-1]]. If you want to fire over cover, the best bet is to stay far away from the enemy and cover, or right in front of the cover, however, this still probably won't protect the gunner. The gun depression, at 20 degrees, excels almost every other tank and allows the player to use many surprising positions to attack. Note that the depression is far less when the launch tube is positioned above the machine gun.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="5" | [[BGM-71 TOW]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
! colspan="5" | [[BGM-71 TOW]] ATGM || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
 
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
 
|-
 
|-
−
| I-TOW || ATGM || __ || __ || __ || __ || __ || __
+
| I-TOW || ATGM || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630
 
|-
 
|-
−
| TOW-2B || ATGM || __ || __ || __ || __ || __ || __
+
| TOW-2B || ATGM || 430 || 430 || 430 || 430 || 430 || 430
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
−
! colspan="10" | Shell details
+
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Range<br>(m)
 
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
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! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 
|-
 
|-
−
| I-TOW || ATGM || ___ || _.__ || __ || _._ || ___ || __° || __° || __°
+
| I-TOW || ATGM || 296 || 3,750 || 19 || 0 || 0.01 || 2,080 || 80° || 82° || 90°
 
|-
 
|-
−
| TOW-2B || ATGM || ___ || _.__ || __ || _._ || ___ || __° || __° || __°
+
| TOW-2B || ATGM || 309 || 3,750 || 22.6 || 0 || 0.01 || 4,100 || 80° || 82° || 90°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
−
The placement of weapon is high enough to fire over cover, however, advantages also at times spawn disadvantages and in this case, with the vehicle gunner standing tall outside of the vehicle, he has no protection and can easily be hit, despite the rest of vehicle being concealed.
 
−
 
−
The launcher has a rather limited arc of fire - 45 degrees in either direction, which isn't compensated by missile's characteristics like in case of [[Swingfire]] or armour like in case of [[IT-1]]. If you want to fire over cover best bet is to stand far away from the enemy and cover, or right in front of the cover, however, this still probably won't protect the gunner. The gun depression, at 20 degrees, excels almost every other tank and allows the player to use many surprising positions to attack. Note that the depression is far less when the launch tube is above the MG.
 
  
 
=== 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)}}
−
''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.''
 
  
−
The single 12.7 mm machine gun can be effective when fighting against open-topped or lightly armored vehicles (eg AUBL 74, Gepard) or to cause some confusion/distraction to the enemy vehicles as the CM25 reloads.
+
The single 12.7 mm machine gun can be effective when fighting against open-topped or lightly armoured vehicles (eg [[AUBL/74]], [[Gepard]]) or to cause some confusion/distraction to the enemy vehicles as the CM25 reloads.
 +
 
 +
At this battle rating, this vehicle is limited to keeping helicopters from getting too comfy, since they too have thin to no armour, other aircraft should be left to the designated anti-air vehicles. As a last resort, the ATGM can be used.
  
−
At this battle rating, this vehicle is limited to keeping helicopters from getting too comfy, since they too have thin to no armour, the rest of aircrafts should be left to the designated anti-air vehicles. As a last resort, the ATGM can be used.
 
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
|-
 
|-
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
|-
 
|-
−
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
+
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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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).'' -->
−
''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 best way one should use this vehicle would be to stay away from the active combat areas, hide, and use the exposed gunner and TOW launcher to your advantage. The exposed launcher allows the vehicle to hide behind solid cover while still being able to fire from over it, giving the enemy a much harder time in spotting and shooting you. Staying away from the combat zones maximises your survivability, in addition to taking advantage of the TOW missiles' extremely long range, allowing you to pick off targets from beyond the range of conventional rounds.
 
The best way one should use this vehicle would be to stay away from the active combat areas, hide, and use the exposed gunner and TOW launcher to your advantage. The exposed launcher allows the vehicle to hide behind solid cover while still being able to fire from over it, giving the enemy a much harder time in spotting and shooting you. Staying away from the combat zones maximises your survivability, in addition to taking advantage of the TOW missiles' extremely long range, allowing you to pick off targets from beyond the range of conventional rounds.
  
−
It is also worth noting the -20 degrees launcher depression as, even though it may not be as impressive as the -30 degrees launcher depression of the [[M901]], it is still very capable in adapting to uneven terrain and firing from behind hills. However, note that the depression angles are severely limited when the launcher is facing the pintle-mounted machine gun, to roughly only -3 degrees. Therefore, you should try to always have the front of the hull facing the direction of the battlefield, to avoid the launcher suddenly jerking up when the machine gun gets into the way, which will also guide the missile upwards (if launched), and therefore miss the target. Horizontal guidance is also limited, and the launcher will stop rotating at ±45 degrees. The best way to counter this drawback will be to play it like other turret-less tank destroyers, like the [[ISU-122 (China)|ISU-122]] and the [[ISU-152 (China)|ISU-152]], which must rotate the hull to assist with aiming at extreme angles.
+
It is also worth noting the -20 degrees launcher depression as, even though it may not be as impressive as the -30 degrees launcher depression of the [[M901]], it is still very capable in adapting to uneven terrain and firing from behind hills. However, note that the depression angles are severely limited when the launcher is facing the pintle-mounted machine gun, to roughly only -3 degrees. Therefore, you should try to always have the front of the hull facing the direction of the battlefield, to avoid the launcher suddenly jerking up when the machine gun gets into the way, which will also guide the missile upwards (if launched), and therefore miss the target. Horizontal guidance is also limited, and the launcher will stop rotating at ±45 degrees. The best way to counter this drawback will be to play it like other turret-less tank destroyers, like the [[ISU-122 (China)|ISU-122]] and the [[ISU-152 (China)|ISU-152]], which must rotate the hull to assist with aiming at extreme angles.
  
 
Even though the CM25 is mounted with a heavy machine gun, attempting to combat helicopters and planes is not recommended unless the situation is desperate, as doing so will only grab unwanted attention from both the air and ground. Aircraft at this rank are often equipped with HE rockets, only one of which is necessary to destroy your vehicle thanks to the hull-break mechanic, and if not, the vast majority of aircraft-mounted guns will be able to penetrate from any angle.
 
Even though the CM25 is mounted with a heavy machine gun, attempting to combat helicopters and planes is not recommended unless the situation is desperate, as doing so will only grab unwanted attention from both the air and ground. Aircraft at this rank are often equipped with HE rockets, only one of which is necessary to destroy your vehicle thanks to the hull-break mechanic, and if not, the vast majority of aircraft-mounted guns will be able to penetrate from any angle.
  
−
If you find yourself in a close quarters situation, the best method of survival will be to use the machine gun to cause some levels of distraction, while attempting to retreat to the nearest cover. Do note that your machine gun does have a relatively impressive penetration of 31 mm at close range, which can allow you to take out lightly armoured targets like the [[M3 Bradley]] (in the turret with some luck), [[AUBL/74]], [[Falcon]] etc., yet should still be avoided if possible due to these vehicles possessing much better close quarters capabilities and will have no problem in shredding the CM25.
+
If you find yourself in a close quarters situation, the best method of survival will be to use the machine gun to cause some levels of distraction, while attempting to retreat to the nearest cover. Do note that your machine gun does have a relatively impressive penetration of 31 mm at close range, which can allow you to take out lightly armoured targets like the [[M3 Bradley]] (in the turret with some luck), [[AUBL/74]], [[Falcon]] etc., yet should still be avoided if possible due to these vehicles possessing much better close quarters capabilities and will have no problem in shredding the CM25.
  
 
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
 
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
  
−
* [[Helicopters]] eg. AH-1, UH-1, etc: helicopters are always a great threat to you. Although at the start of the match they cannot equip ATGMs, they are still able to carry lots of deadly rockets, posing a great threat to the CM25's weak hull. When an enemy helicopter is roaming nearby and showering the ground with rockets, the safest option is to stay in cover or be stationary, to make it harder for the helicopter to see you. Your only effective defensive weapon against them is the 12.7 mm MG (unless you are very skilled and can manually guide the ATGM to hit them). Only open fire when the helicopter is extremely near, for example within 400 m. Your MG can only damage light helicopters like the UH-1 but not armoured ones. Continuously spray bullets at it until it starts to turn towards you, and quickly retreat back into cover as any helicopter can easily destroy you with a few rockets.
+
* [[Helicopters]] eg. AH-1, UH-1, etc: helicopters are always a great threat to you. Although at the start of the match they cannot equip ATGMs, they are still able to carry lots of deadly rockets, posing a great threat to the CM25's weak hull. When an enemy helicopter is roaming nearby and showering the ground with rockets, the safest option is to stay in cover or be stationary, to make it harder for the helicopter to see you. Your only effective defensive weapon against them is the 12.7 mm MG (unless you are very skilled and can manually guide the ATGM to hit them). Only open fire when the helicopter is extremely near, for example within 400 m. Your MG can only damage light helicopters like the UH-1 but not armoured ones. Continuously spray bullets at it until it starts to turn towards you, and quickly retreat back into cover as any helicopter can easily destroy you with a few rockets.
−
* [[M60A1 RISE (P)]], [[M60A3 TTS]]: these tanks are covered with ERA which are pretty much designed to counter chemical warheads like your TOW missiles. When the CM25's TOW missile hits them, their ERA always detonate, leaving the tanks themselves unharmed, so it is not recommended to shoot them when their ERA are still present. If they are quite far away, you can choose to break their gun barrels or tracks to make them defenceless or immobile. If they are close enough, you can use your 12.7 mm MG to destroy their ERA first. Do not spray, fire in quick bursts and focus on a few blocks of ERA, as the bullets seem to spread out a lot in a continuous fire which will decrease the damage to the ERA you want to destroy. The MG is rather effective at destroying these modules. Once those ERA are gone use the TOW to hit the uncovered areas. The most straightforward method is to just fire a missile at them, destroying a bunch of ERA and fire another one at the uncovered area. However this method will give them more than 10 seconds of reaction time so make sure that you are well concealed and will not get spotted before the next missile is loaded.
+
* [[M60A1 RISE (P)]], [[M60A3 TTS]]: these tanks are covered with ERA which are pretty much designed to counter chemical warheads like your TOW missiles. When the CM25's TOW missile hits them, their ERA always detonate, leaving the tanks themselves unharmed, so it is not recommended to shoot them when their ERA are still present. If they are quite far away, you can choose to break their gun barrels or tracks to make them defenceless or immobile. If they are close enough, you can use your 12.7 mm MG to destroy their ERA first. Do not spray, fire in quick bursts and focus on a few blocks of ERA, as the bullets seem to spread out a lot in a continuous fire which will decrease the damage to the ERA you want to destroy. The MG is rather effective at destroying these modules. Once those ERA are gone use the TOW to hit the uncovered areas. The most straightforward method is to just fire a missile at them, destroying a bunch of ERA and fire another one at the uncovered area. However this method will give them more than 10 seconds of reaction time so make sure that you are well concealed and will not get spotted before the next missile is loaded.
 
* [[M901]]: this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with an interesting and unique TOW launcher. The launcher has 360 degrees horizontal rotation and 30 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains better than the CM25. Furthermore, its gunner is not exposed which increases its fighting capacity, so you must deal with the M901 carefully. In a battle, your CM25 and the M901 might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Do not get hit by it, as your gunner/launcher will detonate its missile and the shrapnel will splash down, knocking out all the crew or causing a hull break. Try to fire first or hide until his attention shifts.
 
* [[M901]]: this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with an interesting and unique TOW launcher. The launcher has 360 degrees horizontal rotation and 30 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains better than the CM25. Furthermore, its gunner is not exposed which increases its fighting capacity, so you must deal with the M901 carefully. In a battle, your CM25 and the M901 might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Do not get hit by it, as your gunner/launcher will detonate its missile and the shrapnel will splash down, knocking out all the crew or causing a hull break. Try to fire first or hide until his attention shifts.
  
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! colspan="2" | Firepower
 
! colspan="2" | Firepower
 
|-
 
|-
−
|I
+
| I
−
|Tracks
+
| Tracks
 
|
 
|
−
|Parts
+
| Parts
−
|Horizontal drive
+
| Horizontal Drive
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
−
|II
+
| II
−
|Suspension
+
| Suspension
−
|Brake System
+
| Brake System
−
|FPE
+
| FPE
−
|TOW-2B
+
| TOW-2B
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
−
|III
+
| III
−
|Filters
+
| Filters
 
|
 
|
−
|Crew Replenishment
+
| Crew Replenishment
−
|Elevation Mechanism
+
| Elevation Mechanism
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
−
|IV
+
| IV
−
|Transmission
+
| Transmission
−
|Engine
+
| Engine
 
|
 
|
−
|NVD
+
| NVD
−
|Smoke grenade
+
| Smoke grenade
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
<!-- ''Summarise 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 - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 
<!-- ''Summarise 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 - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
−
''Summarise 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 - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
 
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
 
* Amazing 20 degrees depression adapts all rough terrains with ease
 
* Amazing 20 degrees depression adapts all rough terrains with ease
−
* Adequate mobility (64 km/h top speed) allows it to get to positions in time, not much slower than common MBTs like the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54]], [[M48A1]], etc
+
* Adequate mobility (64 km/h top speed) allows it to get to positions in time, not much slower than common MBTs like the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54]], [[M48A1]], etc
 
* Default I-TOW ATGM has a great penetration of 630 mm, and range of 3.75 km
 
* Default I-TOW ATGM has a great penetration of 630 mm, and range of 3.75 km
 
* Researchable TOW-2B gains the top attack capacity, which is a great advantage when hunting opponents behind obstacles
 
* Researchable TOW-2B gains the top attack capacity, which is a great advantage when hunting opponents behind obstacles
 
* Heavy MG can take out lightly armoured vehicles and low-flying planes/helicopters
 
* Heavy MG can take out lightly armoured vehicles and low-flying planes/helicopters
 
* A extended gunner and launcher allows the vehicle to fire with its whole hull in cover
 
* A extended gunner and launcher allows the vehicle to fire with its whole hull in cover
−
 
−
*
 
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
 
* Fully exposed gunner is very vulnerable to everything
 
* Fully exposed gunner is very vulnerable to everything
−
* Weak armour protection reduces survivability, especially against rapid-firing SPAAs like the [[Gepard]], [[M163]], [[Chieftain Marksman]], etc
+
* Weak armour protection reduces survivability, especially against rapid-firing SPAAs like the [[Gepard]], [[M163]], [[Chieftain Marksman]], etc
−
* While not so slow, it can still get outrun by lots of opponents like the [[Leopard I|Leopard Is]], [[Centauro|Centauros]], etc
+
* While not so slow, it can still get outrun by lots of opponents like the [[Leopard I|Leopard Is]], [[Centauro|Centauros]], etc
 
* Is a big and soft target for ground pounders, even for WW2 planes
 
* Is a big and soft target for ground pounders, even for WW2 planes
 
* Cannot fire ATGM on the move, which can be fatal in a close quarter sudden encounter
 
* Cannot fire ATGM on the move, which can be fatal in a close quarter sudden encounter
 
* Not so fast in a turn
 
* Not so fast in a turn
 
* Gun depression is very limited above the MG
 
* Gun depression is very limited above the MG
−
 
−
*
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Revision as of 11:35, 31 October 2020

RANK 5 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
CM25
cn_cm_25.png
CM25
China flag.png China
VI Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
8.7 8.7 8.7
Class:
Research:160 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:450 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage CM25.jpg


The CM25 is a rank VI Chinese tank destroyer with a battle rating of 8.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Raining Fire".

General info

Survivability and armour

The vehicle profile is a basic rectangle with a slightly sloped front which increases protection from machine gun fire. Front has a hatch, which works as HESH screen. The main areas of the vehicle to target when attacking is the missile launcher and machine gun to disable its attack capability, or a main vehicle shot to disable it completely.

The CM25 is meant to be a stand-off vehicle due to its role on the battlefield, and is not built to be on the front line. Even with the add-on armour comparing to the previous M113A1, the aluminium alloy armour will not stand up to much and will barely stop 12.7 mm machine gun fire when angled or far away. Anything of higher calibre is almost guaranteed to penetrate.

Try to hide as best as you can, or not only the gunner will suffer consequences, but the entirety of the crew as well.

The gunner is exposed outside of the vehicle when directing the launcher and can be hit. Be aware, as the launcher's base, and sometimes even the rangefinder located next to the launcher, can trigger APHE fuse and cause it to explode in front of gunner's face, the shrapnel then flying back and shredding the virtually nonexistent roof armour, taking out everyone in the middle of the vehicle. Also, since the gunner stands within the opened roof hatch, if a chemical warhead hits the rangefinder, then payload can enter vehicle through it and take out loader as well.

Since the vehicle's armour is very thin, it sometimes does not detonate shells so armour-piercing shells cause less than fatal damage. However, only very high calibre shells with fuses of about 20-22 mm won't detonate, which are very rare at the battle rating, as almost everyone use 15 mm fuses at this point. The main key here is to avoid being hit at all, as if your tank is angled during attack, the fuses would detonate anyway. The aforementioned shield on front can stop HESH from doing any damage at all, but it's not very reliable.

All in all, it's best to just get out of the way of other tanks and sneak around; this is a vehicle of strategy, not brute force.

Armour type:

Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull ___ mm ___ mm Top
___ mm Bottom 		___ mm ___ - ___ mm
Turret ___ - ___ mm Turret front
___ mm Gun mantlet 		___ - ___ mm ___ - ___ mm ___ - ___ mm
Cupola ___ mm ___ mm ___ mm ___ mm

Notes:

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 70 17 12 305 410 25.42 34.17
Realistic 65 15 190 215 15.83 17.92

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: BGM-71 TOW

The placement of weapon is high enough to fire over cover, however, advantages also at times spawn disadvantages and in this case, with the vehicle gunner standing tall outside of the vehicle, he has no protection and can easily be hit, despite the rest of vehicle being concealed.

The launcher has a rather limited arc of fire - 45 degrees in either direction, which isn't compensated by missile's characteristics like in case of Swingfire or armour like in case of IT-1. If you want to fire over cover, the best bet is to stay far away from the enemy and cover, or right in front of the cover, however, this still probably won't protect the gunner. The gun depression, at 20 degrees, excels almost every other tank and allows the player to use many surprising positions to attack. Note that the depression is far less when the launch tube is positioned above the machine gun.

BGM-71 TOW ATGM Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 10 -20°/+25° ±45° N/A __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__ _.__ _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__

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
I-TOW ATGM 630 630 630 630 630 630
TOW-2B ATGM 430 430 430 430 430 430
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Range
(m) 		Projectile
Mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
I-TOW ATGM 296 3,750 19 0 0.01 2,080 80° 82° 90°
TOW-2B ATGM 309 3,750 22.6 0 0.01 4,100 80° 82° 90°

Ammo racks

Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
10 __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __

Machine guns

Main article: M2HB (12.7 mm)

The single 12.7 mm machine gun can be effective when fighting against open-topped or lightly armoured vehicles (eg AUBL/74, Gepard) or to cause some confusion/distraction to the enemy vehicles as the CM25 reloads.

At this battle rating, this vehicle is limited to keeping helicopters from getting too comfy, since they too have thin to no armour, other aircraft should be left to the designated anti-air vehicles. As a last resort, the ATGM can be used.

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 1,000 (200) 577 -10°/+50° ±120°

Usage in battles

The best way one should use this vehicle would be to stay away from the active combat areas, hide, and use the exposed gunner and TOW launcher to your advantage. The exposed launcher allows the vehicle to hide behind solid cover while still being able to fire from over it, giving the enemy a much harder time in spotting and shooting you. Staying away from the combat zones maximises your survivability, in addition to taking advantage of the TOW missiles' extremely long range, allowing you to pick off targets from beyond the range of conventional rounds.

It is also worth noting the -20 degrees launcher depression as, even though it may not be as impressive as the -30 degrees launcher depression of the M901, it is still very capable in adapting to uneven terrain and firing from behind hills. However, note that the depression angles are severely limited when the launcher is facing the pintle-mounted machine gun, to roughly only -3 degrees. Therefore, you should try to always have the front of the hull facing the direction of the battlefield, to avoid the launcher suddenly jerking up when the machine gun gets into the way, which will also guide the missile upwards (if launched), and therefore miss the target. Horizontal guidance is also limited, and the launcher will stop rotating at ±45 degrees. The best way to counter this drawback will be to play it like other turret-less tank destroyers, like the ISU-122 and the ISU-152, which must rotate the hull to assist with aiming at extreme angles.

Even though the CM25 is mounted with a heavy machine gun, attempting to combat helicopters and planes is not recommended unless the situation is desperate, as doing so will only grab unwanted attention from both the air and ground. Aircraft at this rank are often equipped with HE rockets, only one of which is necessary to destroy your vehicle thanks to the hull-break mechanic, and if not, the vast majority of aircraft-mounted guns will be able to penetrate from any angle.

If you find yourself in a close quarters situation, the best method of survival will be to use the machine gun to cause some levels of distraction, while attempting to retreat to the nearest cover. Do note that your machine gun does have a relatively impressive penetration of 31 mm at close range, which can allow you to take out lightly armoured targets like the M3 Bradley (in the turret with some luck), AUBL/74, Falcon etc., yet should still be avoided if possible due to these vehicles possessing much better close quarters capabilities and will have no problem in shredding the CM25.

Enemies worth noting:

  • Helicopters eg. AH-1, UH-1, etc: helicopters are always a great threat to you. Although at the start of the match they cannot equip ATGMs, they are still able to carry lots of deadly rockets, posing a great threat to the CM25's weak hull. When an enemy helicopter is roaming nearby and showering the ground with rockets, the safest option is to stay in cover or be stationary, to make it harder for the helicopter to see you. Your only effective defensive weapon against them is the 12.7 mm MG (unless you are very skilled and can manually guide the ATGM to hit them). Only open fire when the helicopter is extremely near, for example within 400 m. Your MG can only damage light helicopters like the UH-1 but not armoured ones. Continuously spray bullets at it until it starts to turn towards you, and quickly retreat back into cover as any helicopter can easily destroy you with a few rockets.
  • M60A1 RISE (P), M60A3 TTS: these tanks are covered with ERA which are pretty much designed to counter chemical warheads like your TOW missiles. When the CM25's TOW missile hits them, their ERA always detonate, leaving the tanks themselves unharmed, so it is not recommended to shoot them when their ERA are still present. If they are quite far away, you can choose to break their gun barrels or tracks to make them defenceless or immobile. If they are close enough, you can use your 12.7 mm MG to destroy their ERA first. Do not spray, fire in quick bursts and focus on a few blocks of ERA, as the bullets seem to spread out a lot in a continuous fire which will decrease the damage to the ERA you want to destroy. The MG is rather effective at destroying these modules. Once those ERA are gone use the TOW to hit the uncovered areas. The most straightforward method is to just fire a missile at them, destroying a bunch of ERA and fire another one at the uncovered area. However this method will give them more than 10 seconds of reaction time so make sure that you are well concealed and will not get spotted before the next missile is loaded.
  • M901: this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with an interesting and unique TOW launcher. The launcher has 360 degrees horizontal rotation and 30 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains better than the CM25. Furthermore, its gunner is not exposed which increases its fighting capacity, so you must deal with the M901 carefully. In a battle, your CM25 and the M901 might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Do not get hit by it, as your gunner/launcher will detonate its missile and the shrapnel will splash down, knocking out all the crew or causing a hull break. Try to fire first or hide until his attention shifts.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE TOW-2B
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine NVD Smoke grenade

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Amazing 20 degrees depression adapts all rough terrains with ease
  • Adequate mobility (64 km/h top speed) allows it to get to positions in time, not much slower than common MBTs like the T-54, M48A1, etc
  • Default I-TOW ATGM has a great penetration of 630 mm, and range of 3.75 km
  • Researchable TOW-2B gains the top attack capacity, which is a great advantage when hunting opponents behind obstacles
  • Heavy MG can take out lightly armoured vehicles and low-flying planes/helicopters
  • A extended gunner and launcher allows the vehicle to fire with its whole hull in cover

Cons:

  • Fully exposed gunner is very vulnerable to everything
  • Weak armour protection reduces survivability, especially against rapid-firing SPAAs like the Gepard, M163, Chieftain Marksman, etc
  • While not so slow, it can still get outrun by lots of opponents like the Leopard Is, Centauros, etc
  • Is a big and soft target for ground pounders, even for WW2 planes
  • Cannot fire ATGM on the move, which can be fatal in a close quarter sudden encounter
  • Not so fast in a turn
  • Gun depression is very limited above the MG

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

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


China tank destroyers
PLA 
Gun vehicles  PLZ83 · PLZ83-130 · PTZ89
Missile vehicles  AFT09
ROC 
Missile vehicles  CM25
USA 
Gun vehicles  ␗M8 HMC · LVT(A)(4) (ZiS-2) · ␗M10 GMC · ␗M36 GMC
Missile vehicles  ␗M113A1 (TOW)
USSR 
Gun vehicles  ␗SU-76M · ␗ISU-152 · ␗ISU-122 · ␗SU-100

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