XM8

XM8

XM8

USA

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.7	9.7

Class:

Light tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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Description

The 105 mm Armored Gun System XM8 is a gift rank VI American light tank with a battle rating of 9.3 (AB) and 9.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced during Update "Ixwa Strike" as a reward for the Future Technology event.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull25 / 25 / 25

Turret25 / 25 / 25

Crew3 people

Visibility108 %

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.

Armour type:

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	25.4 mm (76°) Upper glacis 38.1 mm (29°) Lower plate	25.4 mm Top - Front 12.7 mm Top - Rear 25.4 mm Bottom	25.4 mm	25.4 mm
Turret	25.4-38.1 mm Turret front 25.4 mm Gun mantlet	25.4 mm	25.4 mm	25.4 mm
Cupola	25.4 mm	25.4 mm	25.4 mm	25.4 mm

Notes:

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB81 / 17 km/h

RB and SB73 / 15 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight17.6 t

Engine power

AB1 049 hp

RB and SB550 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB59.6 hp/t

RB and SB31.3 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)		Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse	Stock	AoA	Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	81	17	11.6	6	852	1,049	73.45	59.6
Realistic	73	15			486	550	41.9	31.25

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 118 → 5 556

RB3 051 → 5 436

SB3 908 → 6 964

Total cost of modifications186 800

306 000

Talisman cost2 700

Crew training175 000

Experts620 000

Aces2 100

Research Aces1 010 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 170 / 220 %

226 / 226 / 226 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 Suspension Research: 7 300 Cost: 11 000 320 Brake System Research: 7 300 Cost: 11 000 320 Filters Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 360 Transmission Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 480 Engine Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 480	Improved Parts Research: 2 300 Cost: 12 000 340 Improved FPE Research: 2 200 Cost: 11 000 320 Crew Replenishment Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 360 Level 3 Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 480	Horizontal Drive Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 105mm_us_M416_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 105mm_NATO_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 Adjustment of Fire Research: 7 300 Cost: 11 000 320 Airstrike Research: 7 300 Cost: 11 000 320 105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack Research: 7 300 Cost: 11 000 320 Elevation Mechanism Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 360 Artillery Support Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 360 NVD Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 360 Scout UAV Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 360 Improved optics Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 480 Laser rangefinder Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 480 105mm_usa_M735_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 480

Unlock order recommendations

The order of modifications should be well thought out. Below is a guide of which modifications to unlock first, but it is just a recommendation and can be modified or adapted depending on the tank commander's preferences.

Tier 1

The highest priority modifications when beginning the stock grind are parts and the M735 APFSDS round. Both of these modifications should be unlocked before moving on to tier 2, but the order of unlocking these two is up to the discretion of the commander. Once these two modifications are unlocked, moving on to tier 2 is recommended.

Tier 2

Most tier 2 modifications are minor but three are required to move on to tier 3. The highest priority should be FPE to allow the putting out of fires, a potentially life saving ability. After that the modifications in this tier aren't essential and can be picked by the commander; adjustment of fire and airstrike are the likeliest candidates but airstrike can be replaced by another if the player does not have any aircraft in the lineup to benefit from it. Once three modifications are unlocked in this tier the player can move on to tier 3.

Tier 3

The first priority in tier 3 ought to be the NVD because it allows the use of the gunner's thermal sight. The thermal sight may be low quality but it makes spotting enemies much easier in battle. After this one more modification is needed to progress to tier 4, but the choice is up to the vehicle commander. Filters and crew replenishment are both good choices (improving mobility and survivability respectively) but elevation mechanism is also a decent choice.

Tier 4

In tier 4 there are some pressing modifications such as engine (which improves mobility) and laser rangefinder which allows for greater accuracy at long range. C76A1 and the level 3 armor package are also good choices but those depend on commander preference - for some players level 3 may never be used due to its lessening of the vehicle's mobility, while C76A1 does not have a huge advantage over M735 and could be put off for later if necessary.

Finishing up

Now that tier 4 has been unlocked and priority modifications are purchased, all that is left to do is go back through and unlock more minor modifications. Some of the more useful ones include tracks, transmission, horizontal drive, adjustment of fire, and either filters, crew replenishment, or elevation mechanism (whichever of the three wasn't previously unlocked). The less important modifications which should be saved for last are improved optics, suspension, brake system, M416, and M393A2.

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

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

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

105 mm XM35 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Autoloader

Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader

Ammunition30 rounds

First-order21 rounds

Reload5.0 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

105 mm XM35					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	30	-10°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	__._	__._	__._	__._	__._	5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00
Realistic					__._	__._	__._	__._	__._

Ammunition

The C76A1 APFSDS, while not having the best normal penetration, has better penetrating characteristics at an angle than the M735.

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
M456	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
M393A2	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
C76A1	APFSDS	334	330	323	314	306	297
M735	APFSDS	353	350	342	333	322	312

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M456	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.05	0.1	1,270	65°	72°	77°
M393A2	HESH	732	14.85	0.05	0.1	4,310	73°	77°	80°
C76A1	APFSDS	1,509	3.6	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
M735	APFSDS	1,501	3.7	N/A	N/A	N/A	76°	77°	80°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M416	730	11.4	20	5	25	50

Ammo racks

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

Note:

• It is recommended to only bring 21 shells into battle, as the last 9 will be stored in the hull next to the driver.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 50°

Horizontal guidance-120° / 120°

7.62 mm M240 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate941 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	600 (200)	577	-10°/+50°	±120°

7.62 mm M240
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,500 (200)	941	-2°/+10°	N/A

Usage in battles

Play the XM8 like you play the M18, sneak around, lurk, and strike when they least expect it. One thing to note is, due to your armour, survivability, and mobility, you need to get out of there fast. Another tactic is sniping but it is not recommended due to its sub-par ammunition.

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".

Pros:

• 5-second autoloader allows for quick follow-up shots
• Can equip one of two protection levels (add-on armour package), giving flexibility to the player
• Frontally immune, and well-protected on the sides against autocannons at or below 30 mm, with the level 3 armour package
• Good levels of zoom on gunner optics
• Has 16 smoke grenades, 8 launched at a time fully covering 180 degrees front

Cons:

• Sub-par ammunition compared to vehicles in the BR bracket
• Inadequate transmission results in poor acceleration
• Overall mobility is below average for a light tank despite an above-average power-to-weight ratio
• Only has low resolution gunner thermals, no CITV or high resolution thermals
• Two out of three crew members are lined up on the right side of the turret making a crew knockout easy
• Ammunition carousel making ammo detonation a common occurrence
• The tank is wobbly and hard to control at higher speed
• High silhouette

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

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.