MBT-70

MBT-70

XM803

M1 Abrams

MBT-70

XM803

M1 Abrams

USA

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.0	9.3	9.3

Class:

Medium tank

Research:110 000

Purchase:620 000

Show in game

Description

The 152-mm Gun-Launcher Main Battle Tank 70 (MBT-70), also known as the KPz-70 in Germany, was a collaborative U.S. and West German initiative to develop a new main battle tank to replace the existing M60 family of MBT during the 1960s. This was intended to combat the new generation of tanks designed by the Soviet Union for the Warsaw Pact. The new tank was planned to have sophisticated features like newly designed hydropneumatic suspension, dual-layer spaced armour, and a 152 mm XM150E5 gun/launcher that could fire both conventional ammunition and the Shillelagh missile for long-range engagement. The tank additionally featured a remotely controlled 20 mm weapon station on the turret roof. Overall, the tank provided nuclear, biological, and chemical protection for the tank crews (NBC protection capability). The tank was anticipated to remain in service into the 1990s, however the program experienced significant challenges from the start, with the United States Army and the German Bundeswehr having diverging doctrines that were not coordinated and were not resolved before the project was too far along to be modified. The Germans were sceptical of the combined gun and missile launcher, and the U.S. Congress was frustrated by the program's increasing budget without results. By the late 1960s, the MBT-70's development had gone far over the allocated funds, prompting West Germany to abandon the project in 1969. The U.S. continued development of the MBT-70 with the XM-803, a project intended to cut down on the costs of the MBT-70 by only utilising American components; however, this was also finally abandoned in 1971. Data and technology from the MBT-70/XM-803 project transferred to the development of the M1 Abrams, while West Germany built the Leopard 2 as its main battle tank.

Introduced in Update 1.71 "New E.R.A.", the MBT-70 offers players unique insights into the collaboration of tank development efforts by both the U.S. and West Germany. Despite the program's eventual demise, the MBT-70 gives several unique capabilities for Cold War U.S. Army ground forces players, particularly the capacity to launch anti-tank guided missiles from the gun barrel, which is unusual in Western MBTs but prevalent in Soviet MBTs. Overall, the MBT strikes a good balance between protection, speed, and firepower, allowing players to easily engage most threats.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull80 / 46 / 25

Turret168 / 168 / 35

Crew3 people

Visibility86 %

Unlike the Soviet T-64A (its main rival), the MBT-70 does not utilise composite armour, but an air gap that forces munitions penetrating the initial layers to lose their mass by fragmenting apart before moving to the next layer of armour. This general design concept has been in use as far back as World War II and is even used to this day on modern fighting vehicles.

Spaced armour works wonderfully well against shaped charge munitions or any other munition with explosive filler provided it is of a stronger protection rating. Proceeding weapons and munitions development has seen this benefit decreased with either more powerful or tandem-charge warheads and can be seen in-game against weapons that proceeded different designs of spaced armour. As such, the MBT-70 will find itself against weapons that were designed to defeat spaced armour such as the HOT-K3S ATGM and BAE Swingfire system that will penetrate it. However, the spaced armour in the MBT-70 works exactly as it was designed to do against older anti-tank missiles, HEAT, HE, and HESH munitions.

The tank mounts no external spaced armour. The armour on the side and rear of the tank is not worth mentioning as it will only stop light machine gun fire and some cannon fire on the turret. Adversary sabot rounds will penetrate clear through the engine and into the crew compartment most likely destroying the MBT-70 if engaged from behind.

An unconventional feature at the time was that the MBT-70 was designed to house all the crew members in the turret. Because of the autoloading system, the need for a loader was eliminated and due to an attempt to further lower the tanks silhouette, the driver was located to the turret with the gunner and commander. This can have potentially devastating consequences on the battlefield as the crew can easily be injured or knocked out by penetrating munitions entering the crew compartment.

For defensive countermeasures, the tank is equipped with two quad barrel externally mounted smoke canister launchers on both sides of the turret, which can provide either a defensive screen for itself or friendly forces. These launchers can be fired in pairs of two. Keep in mind the smoke grenade launchers are operated by the gunner so should the gunner become incapacitated in a fight, the smoke will be unlaunchable until the gunner is replaced by another crew member or by the crew replenishment consumable.

Due to its low profile and effective array of camouflage options, the MBT-70 scores high marks in the concealability category. The addition of various foliage can further increase the ability to conceal the tank.

Armour type:

• Spaced armour (Hull front, Turret front)
• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	34* mm (57°) Front glacis 76.2 mm (65°) Lower glacis	23-34 mm (0-55°) Top 23-35 mm Bottom	25.4 mm (12°) Top 25 mm (60°) Bottom 12.7 mm (29-45°) Engine exhaust	20 mm Front 12.7 mm Engine deck
Turret	50-200 mm (0-75°)	12.7-38* mm (29-34°)	12.7* mm (27-80°)	20-50 mm Front 12.7 mm Rear turret
Cupola	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm

Spaced armour*	Front	Sides	Rear
Hull	200 mm Kinetic 170 mm Chemical	N/A	N/A
Turret	320 mm Kinetic 280 mm Chemical	38 mm sections: 320 mm Kinetic 280 mm Chemical 12.7 mm sections: 35 mm Kinetic 40 mm Chemical	35 mm Kinetic 40 mm Chemical

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 16 mm thick.
• Gun mantlet ring around the gun barrel is 305 mm thick.
• A 16 mm RHA plate separates the engine from the crew compartment
• Hull spaced armour configuration is 34 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 46 mm RHA.
• Turret spaced armour configuration is 38 mm RHA + 127 mm air + 130-33 mm RHA.
• Turret rear spaced armour configuration is 13 mm RHA + 38 mm air + 19 mm RHA.

The MBT-70 is still an average medium tank with weak side armour. Thus, flanking is a good strategy to take for a shot at the weak spots. Go for the ammo, which is located in front of the engine, or in the protruding end of the turret. If in a head on engagement, shoot it directly below the gun, but above the upper glacis. This spot has 250 mm of armour with no composite armour. This shot, if successful, should knock out most of the crew, and maybe even the horizontal drive, allowing for a flank in a fast vehicle.

Mobility

 

Controlled suspension

It is possible to adjust the ground clearance or more complex suspension positions

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB72 / 72 km/h

RB and SB65 / 65 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

8 back

Weight51.7 t

Engine power

AB2 814 hp

RB and SB1 475 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB54.4 hp/t

RB and SB28.5 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	72	72	51.7	2,286	2,814	44.22	54.43
Realistic	65	65		1,305	1,475	25.24	28.53

The MBT-70 handles like virtually no other vehicle (barring the KPz-70, its German twin) in the game in terms of its ability to pick up and maintain speed over various terrains. Its cross-country mobility is arguably the best currently available in the game, and is one of the many traits that makes the MBT-70 stand out.

The MBT-70 is equipped with a 1,470 horsepower air-cooled Continental V-12 diesel engine. This engine pack produces slightly less power compared to its German counterpart, but both vehicles handle essentially the same.

A highly advantageous feature is the hydropneumatic suspension system which not only provides great cross country mobility but allows the crew to position the vehicle in such a way to only expose the strongest armour at an enemy threat. The suspension can also be used to gain further gun depression by raising the rear of the tank and lowering the front, improving the tank's performance in hull-down scenarios.

The MBT-70 features the standard NATO track and rubber block design. The rubber track blocks provide great traction both off-road and on-road, and minimize sliding during a short halt or drifting.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 516 → 6 232

RB4 490 → 6 196

SB5 824 → 8 037

Total cost of modifications182 100

306 000

Talisman cost2 700

Crew training175 000

Experts620 000

Aces2 100

Research Aces1 010 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

150 / 200 / 240 %

226 / 226 / 226 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 320 Suspension Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 290 Brake System Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 290 Filters Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390 Transmission Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 520 Engine Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 520	Improved Parts Research: 2 900 Cost: 15 000 320 Improved FPE Research: 2 600 Cost: 14 000 290 Crew Replenishment Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390	Horizontal Drive Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 320 152mm_XM410E1_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 320 Adjustment of Fire Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 290 152mm_usa_XM578E1_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 290 Elevation Mechanism Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390 Smoke grenade Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390 Artillery Support Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 520 Laser rangefinder Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 520

Unlock order recommendations

Tier 1

The first modification you should research is Parts, as only one module is needed to unlock Tier 2, and the other Tier 1 modules aren't needed immediately.

Tier 2

The first Tier 2 modifications you should research are FPE and the XM578A1 APFSDS shell. The MBT-70 catches fire often when hit, and even though teammates can assist you in extingushing it, playing without FPE is still painful. The other important module is the XM578E1 APFSDS shell. While the stock HEAT round may have more penetration, the APFSDS is more consistent damage-wise and doesn't catch on bushes, trees, and fences.

Tier 3

Three modifications are required to unlock Tier 4, and none of the Tier 3 modules are super important, so the order in which you research them doesn't matter as much. The recommended modules are Crew Repenishment, Smoke Grenades, and Elevation Mechanism. Filters can be swapped in for Elevation Mechanism, but doesn't add much and can be researched later.

Tier 4

Tier 4 contains the last two essential modifications, the Laser Rangefinder and NVD, which should be researched in that order. The MBT-70 unfortunately does not get access to a thermal imager, making the NVD module less important but still useful. Artillery Support is also helpful but doesn't affect the tank's performance much, so don't go straight for it.

Finishing Up

The rest of the modifications can be researched in any order, as none of the remaining modules are particularly influential. The least helpful modules, XM410E1, Brake System and Suspension can be left for last.

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

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

Main armament

152 mm XM150E5 gun/launcher

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

Ammunition48 rounds

First-order24 rounds

Reload7.5 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

152 mm XM150E5					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate rounds (seconds)	Reloading rate ATGM (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Autoloader	Autoloader
Arcade	48	-10°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	34.3	47.4	57.6	63.7	67.8	7.50	10.00
Realistic					21.4	25.2	30.6	33.8	36.0

One of the most important facets of a tank is its firepower. In this department, the MBT-70 is no slouch. The 152 mm gun launcher system is very similar to the one used on the M551 Sheridan, the main difference being a longer barrel. This change increases the MBT-70's accuracy at range and allows rounds to leave the barrel at higher velocities, thus improving their penetration and overall damage when compared to the Sheridan. The MBT-70 also has access to two experimental rounds unavailable to the Sheridan, which are an APFSDS round and a smoke round, as well as the M409A1 HEAT shell and MGM-51C Shillelagh ATGM shared with the Sheridan and M60A2 Starship. This wide range of munition choices gives the operator many options in pre-combat configuration which can either hinder or enhance the tanker's capability on the battlefield.

Additionally, the 152 mm gun launcher is auto-loaded, greatly reducing its time between followup shots on a target. For targeting, the option to equip a laser range finder is available. Additionally the 7.62 mm machine gun mounted in the turret can be used for range finding as well.

Because of the elevated engine deck, gun depression is significantly worse when firing or aiming the gun over the rear of the tank, but can be counteracted by raising the front of the tank using the hydropneumatic suspension.

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
XM578E1	APFSDS	285	281	270	254	239	223
M409A1	HEAT	380	380	380	380	380	380
MGM-51C	ATGM	431	431	431	431	431	431

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%
XM578E1	APFSDS	1,509	3.79	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°
M409A1	HEAT	754	18.9	0.05	0.1	3.73	62°	69°	73°

Missile details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Range (m)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
								0%	50%	100%
MGM-51C	ATGM	286	3,200	27.8	0.05	0.1	5.72	80°	82°	90°

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)
XM410E1	754	18.9	21	5	30	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the MBT-70

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
48	44 (+4)	33 (+15)	25 (+23)	7 (+41)	1 (+47)	No

Notes:

• Hull empty: 25 (+23) shells.
• Racks 4 and 5 deplete top row together first before emptying in the second row.
• The MBT-70 can carry only 6 missiles.

Machine guns

20 mm Rh202 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition2 000 rounds

Belt capacity750 rounds

Reload10.0 s

Fire rate900 shots/min

Vertical guidance-15° / 75°

7.62 mm M73 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition6 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

The Rheinmetall Rh 202 20 mm auto cannon is highly effective at dealing with light armoured battlefield threats and on some tanks exposed sides or rears. In some situations, it may be more beneficial to utilise the 20 mm as it will allow the tank to deal damage rapidly while conserving the main cannon ammunition. The cannon is also highly effective at shooting down low flying attackers. Note that if the commander is knocked out, the 20 mm will be unable to be used.

20 mm Rh202
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	750 (750)	900	-9°/+65°	±180°

7.62 mm M73
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	6,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The tank plays very much like the M41A1 Walker Bulldog. Players familiar with the hit and run play style will easily adapt to the MBT-70. Its fast speed, especially with full upgrades and aced crew, allows it to manoeuvre into spots not typically accessible by less mobile tanks. Utilize this to an advantage to set up ambushes as this is how the MBT-70 will get most victories. It's important to recognize when an engagement is not beneficial to the tank so that it can re-position itself or escape from the threat.

Despite the initial appearance of strong frontal armour, it's important to remember when compared to its counterparts at its rank, it is not nearly enough to defeat threats head on such as the T-64A. Even ATGM from missile vehicles such as the Raketenjagdpanzer 2 HOT will penetrate the turret and upper glacis plate. Even other Rank V tanks can and will penetrate from the front. Because of the rather condensed placement of crew and ammunition, the MBT-70 will most likely be destroyed with one shot. Because of this, it is critical to get the first shot off in an engagement and ensure it is either an eliminating shot or one that cripples the threat to such a capacity that they either cannot engage, will instinctively panic and try to run to repair or determine the engagement location and direction.

The gun is especially versatile and powerful with a wide range of ammunition selection, but the cannon-launched ATGM's and sabot rounds will generally be able to get the job done in most situations. The 20 mm turret roof mounted cannon is great for taking out lightly armoured targets (to include some tanks, ATGM vehicles, etc), anti-air, and aircraft.

Essentially if this tanks is treated like a light tank or fast medium tank, the survivability will increase dramatically. The hydropneumatic suspension allows for positioning the tank in such ways that it can engage from non-conventional spots while exposing only the strongest armour at the threat. The low silhouette makes the tank especially difficult to hit at longer ranges and this can be further enhanced by the adjustable suspension depending on the situation. Because of the accurate cannon, the MBT-70 will also find it to be easy to engage at longer ranges, which will maximize the strengths while reducing the targets.

In summary, the MBT-70 is a great addition to any end game lineup as it provides great flexibility in almost all engagements and is well worth the time and investment to acquire.

Tactics

Ambushing is the MBT-70's strength. As covered previously, utilize the speed to get into firing positions quickly and cause chaos and confusion among the enemy. In arcade battles, an MBT-70 can usually reach key positions quicker than even some 10.0 BR main battle tanks. This is only provided if it consistently drives in a linear format.

The MBT-70 can also quickly capture objective points and when used properly, it can hold these positions so long as it does not stay in them for too long.

Scoot and shoot tactics will benefit the MBT-70, as well as terrain masking techniques.

Should the MBT-70 have to fight in closer engagement ranges or in close quarters, it is critical to always remember that the armour will not protect the tank reliably; however, the speed, fast rotating turret, and manoeuvrability will. Provided the player utilise these traits to its advantage, the MBT-70 will be able to control the fight. Recognise when the MBT-70 is being baited into an ambush and avoid them as the MBT-70 doesn't stand a great chance of conducting a counter ambush due to the weak armour, which will allow the MBT-70 to be destroyed easily at close range.

If the MBT-70 finds itself a victim of an ambush from an opponent, launch a smokescreen, escape, and reassess for a counter ambush.

The MBT-70 benefits greatly from squad play. A skilled lone MBT-70 is most certainly a threat on the battlefield, but two or even three MBT-70's working in conjunction with each other in a squad is an extreme danger to the opposing team as the use of squad tactics in combination with the great strengths of the tank can almost completely control the momentum of the conflict.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Composite armour greatly enhances its survivability on the battlefield
• Stock ammunition consists of the good MGM-51C "Shillelagh" guided missile, means no ammo costs for using it, plus a decent but inferior HEAT shell.
• Has access to APFSDS shells with great close-range penetrating power.
• Has a top mounted 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon installed which can also be used to defeat lightly armoured vehicles reliably with its 44 mm of penetration.
• Has access to hydropneumatic suspension, useful for hull down engagements.
• Extremely fast in both forwards and reverse.
• Fast acceleration.
• Autoloader means a consistent load rate of 7.5 seconds.

Cons:

• Mediocre reload rate of 7.5 seconds, lower than that of the equal-tiered KPz-70.
• Generally less protection from composite armour, relative to other Rank 6 tanks.
• Weak side armour and LFP.
• 20 mm AA gun overheats rather quickly with sustained firing.
• Ammo racks are easy targets and are not entirely covered by its composite armour.
• Vulnerable to the rear due to raised engine deck, it can be solved if hydropneumatic suspension are used.
• Cramped interior, loss of more than one crew member more likely when penetrated.

History

In the early 1960s, West Germany and the United States began work on a joint project to create a standardized new MBT design that would meet specific requirements set by both nations. The cause for this, was the introduction of the powerful Soviet 115mm smoothbore cannon, mounted on the T-62. The new cannon presented a serious issue for the respective primary fighting vehicles of the two nations - the Leopard 1 and M60. Thus, work on the joint project, designated MBT-70 in the US and KPz-70 in West Germany, began in 1964. Right from the start, development was plagued by disagreements between the numerous design team members, due to the differing engineering practices of the two sides. By the time the disagreements were settled, the project has already suffered from several delays, which in addition to other things, inflated the project's budget early on in its development life.

Nevertheless, the result of the combined effort of engineers from both sides was first put to the test in the mid '60s, after the first prototypes were manufactured. The KPz-70 MBT received an innovative design like no other tank before it, in addition to being equipped with some of the latest military equipment of the time, such as hydropneumatic suspension, an autoloading system and laser rangefinding, just to name a few.

However, whilst the MBT/KPz-70 did come equipped with some of the most high-tech equipment of its time, the vehicle did also come with its own set of unique problems. Considered to be way ahead of its time, the designers often faced challenges that neither the German or American side of the team was able to effectively address, making the vehicle quickly exceed both weight limitations as well as budget restrictions. Spiraling development costs and design disagreements eventually lead to the Germans backing out of the project in 1969 to continue work on one of their own designs, before the Americans also abandoned the project a couple years later in 1971, leaving a total of 14 prototypes built.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the MBT-70 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

MBT-70: Tank from the Future - War Thunder Official Channel

T-64A versus MBT-70 - War Thunder Official Channel

Best secondary armaments discusses the MBT-70 at 6:03 - War Thunder Official Channel

Best experimental vehicles discusses the MBT-70 at 5:27 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

• KPz-70 - German counterpart of the same vehicle.
• XM-803 - An American "budget" version of the vehicle.

External links

• [Devblog] KPz-70 & MBT-70 - A Warrior of Two Armies

General Motors Company (GM)
MBTs
MBT-70	MBT-70* · XM803
XM-1	XM1 (GM)
	*Designed in collaboration with the Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft.
Tank Destroyers	T114
Export
GMC CCKW	CCKW 353 (M45) · CCKW 353 AA
Note	General Motors has several divisions, including Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet.