JaPz.K A2

JaPz.K A2

TAM

Begleitpanzer 57

JaPz.K A2

TAM

Begleitpanzer 57

Germany

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.7	8.7	8.7

Class:

Light tank

Research:94 000

Purchase:520 000

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Description

The JaPz.K A2 is a rank VI German light tank with a battle rating of 8.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Ixwa Strike".

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull20 / 14 / 12

Turret40 / 20 / 20

Crew3 people

Visibility88 %

Even though it is angled at 62°, the hull armour of the JaPz.K A2 is relatively weak. In most cases, it will stop 20 mm cannons but any bigger calibre will have no problems punching right trough the hull armour which in most cases leads to an instant death, as the crew is sitting tightly packed together. Rapid firing autocannons such as the ones mounted on the Gepard or the ZSU-37-2 will have no problems shredding the Kürassier in less than a second.

Armour type:

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	20 mm (62°) Frontal Glacis 20 mm (49°) Bottom Glacis	14 mm Top hull side 14 mm Bottom hull side	12 mm	5-10 mm
Turret	20-40 mm (19-69°) Turret front 40 mm (cylindrical) Gun Mantlet	20-40 mm	10-20 mm	10 mm
Cupola	10 mm(60°)	10 mm	10 mm	10 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB76 / 10 km/h

RB and SB68 / 9 km/h

Number of gears12 forward

2 back

Weight18.0 t

Engine power

AB611 hp

RB and SB320 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB33.9 hp/t

RB and SB17.8 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	76	10	18	496	611	27.56	33.94
Realistic	68	9		283	320	15.72	17.78

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 215 → 5 381

RB3 439 → 5 756

SB4 117 → 6 891

Total cost of modifications157 700

260 400

Talisman cost2 600

Crew training150 000

Experts520 000

Aces2 100

Research Aces950 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 170 / 210 %

220 / 220 / 220 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Suspension Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Brake System Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Filters Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Transmission Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 420 Engine Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 420	Improved Parts Research: 2 500 Cost: 13 000 390 Improved FPE Research: 1 900 Cost: 9 900 290 Crew Replenishment Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Smoke grenade Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 420	Horizontal Drive Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 105mm_fr_CN105_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Adjustment of Fire Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Airstrike Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Laser rangefinder Research: 6 300 Cost: 9 900 290 Elevation Mechanism Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 105mm_fr_CN105_APDSFS_ammo_pack Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Scout UAV Research: 8 400 Cost: 13 000 390 Artillery Support Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 420 Improved optics Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 420 NVD Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 420

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 PzK M57 cannon

Autoloader

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

Ammunition42 rounds

First-order12 rounds

Reload4.0 s

Vertical guidance-6° / 13°

In terms of weaponry, the JaPz.K A2 carries the 105 mm PzK M57 which is very effective at dispatching almost every enemy tank with a well placed shot. It possesses an autoloader with a fixed 4-second reload time and a ready rack of 12 rounds. After the 12 rounds have been depleted, the user has to wait until the ready rack replenishes at least one round. This can be quite problematic as it takes a lot of time when in the heat of the battle.

Another important aspect is that the gun is not stabilized. Combined with the low weight of the vehicle, the player can have a hard time to lay its gun if coming from full stop or when firing consecutive shots due to recoil.

105 mm PzK M57					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Autoloader
Arcade	38	-6°/+13°	±180°	N/A	28.6	39.5	48.0	53.1	56.5	4.00
Realistic					17.9	21.0	25.5	28.2	30.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
OCC 105 F1	HEAT	400	400	400	400	400	400
OE 105 F1 Mle.60	HE	25	25	25	25	25	25
OFL 105 G1	APFSDS	346	344	335	326	315	306

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
OCC 105 F1	HEAT	1,000	10.95	0.05	0.1	1.02	62°	69°	73°
OE 105 F1 Mle.60	HE	700	12.1	0	0.1	2	79°	80°	81°
OFL 105 G1	APFSDS	1,475	3.41	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°

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)
OFPH 105 F1	700	11.4	20	5	25	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the JaPz.K A2

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
38	38 (+0)	13 (+25)	7 (+31)	1 (+37)	Yes

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• The visual discrepancy concerns the number of rounds: 42 shells are modeled but only 38 shells can be fired. Rack 1 is therefore always empty.
• Rack 3 and 4 (autoloader magazines) are first stage ammo racks. They total 12 shells.
  • These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied first.
  • As the JaPz.K A2 is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
  • Once the autoloader magazines have been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader. The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 2 into rack 4 then 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
  • The depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 2.

Machine guns

7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition2 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

The JaPz.K A2 has access to the 7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun. While it lacks any sort effective penetration, its high rate of fire can dispatch exposed crew members easily. The single belt contains 1,000 rounds with average velocity. It is largely inadequate against armour and should be used exclusively to dispatch exposed crew members or to destroy environmental objects such as fences with ease.

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	1,000 (1,000)	1,200	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

With 3rd generation thermals on gunner optics, a laser rangefinder and one of the best APFSDS rounds at its rank against sloped armour, the JaPz.K A2 is a very potent sniper. Stick to areas with long lines of sight and utilize your superior long range firepower. Do not attempt to brawl, ever. The lack of stabilizer combined with the low weight of the vehicle means your gun will jump all over the place and will be slow to bring on target compared to its peers. Shots fired on the move are achievable only through sheer luck and it is almost impossible to squeeze a first shot if coming to a stop from full speed. If forced to close quarters combat like on urban maps, avoid direct confrontation: flank or ambush. The latter can be done extremely well due to your small size, excellent mobility and 4-second reload time.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 12-round autoloader with a 4-second reload time
• Strong APFSDS shells
• Has a smoke grenade launcher with 2 salvos
• Has access to night vision device and 3rd generation thermal imager on gunner optics
• Has access to a laser rangefinder with automatic sight adjustment
• Commander gun controls, able to shoot back with an unconscious gunner

Cons:

• Has thin armour that can be penetrated even by .50 cal machine guns
• Lacks a stabilizer
• No roof-mounted MG for anti-air purposes
• Has only 3 crew members sitting close to each other
• Very unstable gun: high recoil and low accuracy while moving
• APFSDS is unlocked only at tier III
• Mediocre mobility for a light tank
• If the magazine runs out of rounds, the user has to wait until it is refilled to engage

History

The SK-105 Kürassier was developed in Austria by Saurer-Werk in response to military requests for a lightweight and mobile anti-tank vehicle. The first prototype arrived in 1967, with pre-production vehicles following in 1971. The vehicle consisted of a oscillating turret weapons platform possessing a potent 105mm cannon, atop the modified chassis of the already existing Saurer APC.

After its creation, the vehicle was adopted by the Austrian military, with a total of 286 being operated until the 1990s, while hundreds more were exported to countries around the world including Argentina, Morocco, Tunisia, and others. Argentina's order totalled 118 vehicles. In November 2005 the first prototype of the Patagón was delivered. This vehicle was to be a modernisation of the JaPz.K A2, replacing the original turrets with surplus AMX-13 (105) turrets, however the project was abandoned in 2008 due to authorities "considering the manufacture of the 40 planned units uneconomical".

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the JaPz.K A2 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #267 - Metal Beasts section at 00:27 discusses the JaPz.K A2.

See also

• AMX-13 - Similar tank designation and oscillating turret design
• SK-105A2 - Domestic service version

External links

• [Wikipedia] SK-105 Kürassier
• [tanks-encyclopedia] SK-105 Kurassier