Olifant Mk.2

This page is about the British medium tank Olifant Mk.2. For the other version, see Olifant Mk.1A.

Olifant Mk.2

Rooikat MTTD

TTD

Olifant Mk.2

Rooikat MTTD

TTD

Britain

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.3	9.3

Class:

Medium tank

Research:110 000

Purchase:620 000

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Description

The Olifant Mk.2 is a rank VI British medium tank with a battle rating of 9.3 (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

ESS

Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull76 / 51 / 38

Turret152 / 89 / 20

Crew4 people

Visibility129 %

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	___ mm	___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom	___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Turret	___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Cupola	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm

Notes:

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB65 / 24 km/h

RB and SB58 / 22 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

3 back

Weight60.5 t

Engine power

AB2 003 hp

RB and SB1 050 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB33.1 hp/t

RB and SB17.4 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	65	24	60.5	1,627	2,003	26.89	33.11
Realistic	58	22		929	1,050	15.36	17.36

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 949 → 6 235

RB4 029 → 6 361

SB5 149 → 8 130

Total cost of modifications184 100

305 000

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: 15 000 360 Suspension Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 Brake System Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 Filters Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 360 Transmission Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 470 Engine Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 470	Improved Parts Research: 2 900 Cost: 15 000 360 Improved FPE Research: 2 600 Cost: 14 000 320 ESS Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 360 Crew Replenishment Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 360 Smoke grenade Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 470	Horizontal Drive Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 360 105mm_NATO_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 360 Adjustment of Fire Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 NVD Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 Elevation Mechanism Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 360 Laser rangefinder Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 360 Artillery Support Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 470 105mm_DM33_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 470

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 GT-8 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition64 rounds

First-order13 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 18°

105 mm GT-8					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	64	-10°/+18°	±180°	Two-plane	21.4	29.6	36.0	39.8	42.4	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					13.4	15.8	19.1	21.2	22.5

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
M456	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
M111	APFSDS	337	335	330	322	314	306
DM63	APFSDS	436	434	426	416	406	396

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°
M111	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
DM63	APFSDS	1,455	4.3	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Olifant Mk.2

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
64	60 (+4)	55 (+9)	47 (+17)	33 (+31)	14 (+50)	7 (+57)	5 (+59)	1 (+63)	No

Note:

• Racks 6, 7 and 8 are first-stage ammo racks.

Machine guns

7.62 mm Browning MG4 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition6 750 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

7.62 mm Browning MG4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	6,750 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

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).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• M111 APFSDS round is a tier 1 module, and provides a large upgrade in lethality compared to stock HEATFS round
• Mobility is satisfactory when upgraded, allowing for reliable 30 km/h in cross-country performance with decent acceleration
• Access to laser rangefinder and 2nd generation gunner/commander thermals, allowing for quick and reliable target acquisition
• Has access to 105 mm DM63 APFSDS
• Good gun depression angle (-10°)

Cons:

• Poor stock mobility, sluggish acceleration
• Struggles to keep pace with other MBTs despite its more powerful engine
• Default HEATFS round, many opponents at its tier feature integrated composite armour or add-on ERA., resulting in poor lethality
• Add-on armour provides little protection against kinetic rounds, and offers inadequate defense against many chemical rounds of its tier
• Three out of four crew in a poorly armoured turret and a large driver-adjacent ammo rack result in poor survivability

History

Development

The South African Defense Force (SADF) began planning to replace the Olifant Mk1B main battle tank (MBT) in the late 1980's. Foreign designs such as the French Leclerc and British Challenger 2 were studied and it was planned that the new MBT was to have an entirely new hull from the Olifant Mk1B. But, due to a greater need of the budget for the navy and air force, a new tank was scratched from plans in 1988. Instead, an upgrade of the Olifant Mk1B would have to suffice.

The main areas that were upgraded on the Olifant Mk2 were the mobility, crew ergonomics, and fire control system (FCS).

Design

General

The Olifant Mk2 maintains the standard crew of four and the general layout from the preceding Olifant variants but with improvements to specific areas such as mobility and fire control system (FCS).

For increased ergonomics, two water tanks are fitted in the turret to store a total of 101 liters of water for the crew. The water tanks can be accessed from the loader and commander's stations.

Mobility

One of the Olifant Mk2's two largest improvements over the Olifant Mk1B was its mobility. The engine was still the Continental 29 liter turbocharged air cooled engine, but it was modified to increase the horsepower output to 1,040 horsepower (an increase of 190 horsepower). The transmission of the Olifant Mk1B was retained, which had four forward and two reverse gears. The Olifant Mk2 could achieve a maximum speed of 58 km/h (the same speed as the Mk1B) but it accelerated 25% faster than the Mk1B. The improved torsion bar suspension of the Mk1B was also retained.

The fuel capacity of the Olifant Mk2 was reduced from 1,382 litres to 1,285 litres compared to the Mk1B. Despite the reduced fuel load, the maximum range remained at approximately 360 km - the same as on the Mk1B.

Armament

The armament of the Olifant Mk2 was retained from the Olifant Mk1B.

The main armament of the Olifant Mk2 consisted of a 105 mm GT3B rifled gun, which was a variant of the Royal Ordnance L7 that was produced in South Africa by Lyttleton Engineering Works (LEW). The gun was fitted with a thermal sleeve as standard.

Four types of ammunition were carried for the 105 mm gun: M9210 HE, M456 HEAT, M9718 APFSDS, and white phosphorus smoke shell. A total of 64 105 mm shells were carried in the tank.

The electrical turret and gun control system fitted to the Olifant Mk2 allowed for a full 360 degree rotation of the turret in 16 seconds. The extended turret bustle at the rear of the turret helped to increase space for storage and equipment, but more importantly it balanced out the heavy armour on the frontal side of the turret. This helped to reduce strain on the turret control system.

A new fire control system (FCS) was used that included hunter-killer capability, in which the gunner and commander could each search for targets and control the turret systems. The gunner's sight was fitted with thermal imaging and the commander also received an independent thermal viewer (CITV). The gunner was provided with a targeting screen that displayed the sight image along with the data from the ballistic computer and integrated laser rangefinder, and the commander could also view the image from the gunner's sight. The FCS included an automatic tracking function in which the turret would automatically track a target selected by the gunner or commander even while on the move. The gun was fully stabilized, allowing for a good hit-on-the-move capability and the FCS allowed a high accuracy in general.

Secondary armament was provided by a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun with 6,600 rounds of ammunition carried.

Armour

The armour of the Olifant Mk2 was identical to that of the Olifant Mk1B. The base armour was the same as on the Olifant Mk1A but a layer of passive composite armour was added (spaced from the base armour) on the turret and also on the upper glacis of the hull. The hull floor was changed to a double layered design in order to better protect against mines and explosives. The armoured sideskirts were also improved in regards to the Olifant Mk1A in order to increase protection against handheld anti-tank weapons such as the RPG-7.

A fire suppression system was installed in both the crew and engine compartments for automatic extinguishing of fires. Two banks of four smoke grenades each are fitted on each side towards the rear of the turret. An engine exhaust smoke system is fitted to allow the generation of a smoke screen by injecting fuel into the engine exhaust.

Production and Service

A total of 26 Olifant Mk2 tanks were built starting in 2005, entering service with the South African National Defense Forces (SANDF; replaced the SADF in 1994). Four of the Olifant Mk2 tanks were used for training as of 2018 and the other 22 were in storage. They had not yet seen combat.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Olifant Mk.2 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #242 - Metal Beasts section at 00:28 discusses the Olifant Mk.2.

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

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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