Strv 103-0

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Rank IV USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Tu-1 Pack
This page is about the premium Swedish medium tank Strv 103-0. For other versions, see Strv 103 (Family).
Strv 103-0
sw_strv_103_0.png
GarageImage Strv 103-0.jpg
Strv 103-0
AB RB SB
8.0 8.0 8.0
Purchase:8 380 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

The Strv 103 "zero series" was a preproduction order for the army after the successful display of the S1 and S2 prototypes. 10 units of these series were built, and they were used to test how the Strv 103 would perform in Swedish defense doctrine. The tanks were also tested in order to evaluate logistics, organization, their compatibility with other tank units, and crew training. These trials ended in 1966, following an order placed by the Swedish Army for 70 Strv 103As in 1964. The first batch of these new tanks was delivered in 1967, a year after the "zero series" trials ended.

It was introduced as a pack vehicle in Update 1.95 "Northern Wind". The Strv 103 is a heavily angled tank, with relatively thin armour but a 77-degree slope. This allows the tank bounce most conventional shells like APCBC and even APDS, however it is very vulnerable to HEAT and HEAT-FS projectiles, since those are able to penetrate the tank with ease, and even if the crew is not injured, disabling the engine or transmission immobilizes the tank, and gun, since this is fixed to the hull. So it's better used as a sniper, using its variable suspension to peek over hills and retain a low profile.

The Strv 103-0 was removed from the store after the May 2021 sale but was reintroduced in Update "Direct Hit" as a premium vehicle purchasable in-game for Golden Eagles.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull40 / 30 / 30
Turret0 / 0 / 0
Crew3 people
Visibility73 %
Msg-info.png With a superbly sloped front hull armour, incoming kinetic rounds are prone to harmlessly bounce off, though chemical rounds will typically do some damage. Side, rear and top armour of the vehicle are weak, most aircraft can penetrate the roof, especially if they have 20 mm rounds or larger. With a total of three crew members, survivability after taking hits tend to be slim. However, the Strv 103 series are the only tanks that can operate with only one crew member! A major drawback is without transmission/engine you can no longer manoeuvre the hull to aim left or right. Check out the Strv 103 Family here!
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 40 mm (77°) Upper Glacis
40 mm (74°) Lower Glacis
30 mm +10 mm Upper
30 mm Lower
30 mm 20 mm
Cupola 35 mm 35 mm 35 mm 20 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • The crew compartment is lined with an internal 10 mm RHA plate.
  • Storage boxes are 10 mm thick.

Mobility

 
Controlled suspension
It is possible to adjust the ground clearance or more complex suspension positions
Speedforward / back
AB56 / 49 km/h
RB and SB50 / 44 km/h
Number of gears7 forward
6 back
Weight35.0 t
Engine power
AB1 030 hp
RB and SB540 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB29.4 hp/t
RB and SB15.4 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 56 49 35 732 1,030 20.91 29.43
Realistic 50 44 478 540 13.66 15.43

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB2 897 Sl icon.png
RB3 301 Sl icon.png
SB4 496 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts550 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 300 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 550 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 140 / 200 / 240 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 202 / 202 / 202 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement sw.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_us_M416_Smoke_ammo_pack
Mods night vision device.png
NVD
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_sweden_APDS_ammo_pack

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.

Main armament

Autoloader
Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader
Ammunition50 rounds
Reload4.0 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 12°
Main article: L74 (105 mm)
105 mm L74 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 50 -10°/+12° N/A N/A 33.6 33.6 40.8 45.1 48.0 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00
Realistic 21.0 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
slpprj m/61 APDS 358 355 341 324 308 293
slpprj m/66 APDS 272 269 258 246 233 222
slsgr m/61A HE 23 23 23 23 23 23
slspgr m/61 HESH 127 127 127 127 127 127
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%
slpprj m/61 APDS 1,500 4 - - - 75° 78° 80°
slpprj m/66 APDS 1,450 4.53 - - - 75° 78° 80°
slsgr m/61A HE 680 15.5 0 0.1 1.83 79° 80° 81°
slspgr m/61 HESH 760 11.4 0.1 4 3.15 73° 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)
rökgr m/61 330 18.7 20 5 25 50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Strv 103-0
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
50 46 (+4) 41 (+9) 36 (+14) 31 (+19) 26 (+24)
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
8th
rack empty
9th
rack empty
10th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
21 (+29) 16 (+34) 11 (+39) (+44) (+49) No

Note:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.

Machine guns

Ammunition1 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reload8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: ksp 58 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm ksp 58
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 500 (250) 600 N/A N/A
Coaxial 500 (250) 600 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The Strv 103-0 is a heavily angled tank offering 40 mm armour sloped at 77 degrees able to bounce almost any kinetic round in the game from the front. However a HEAT-FS round will penetrate right though the armour. It also lacks any ERA or composite protection, its rear armour is 30 mm thick, the flat sides have an additional 10 mm plate bringing their total thickness to 40 mm, and the roof is a measly 20 mm thick.

In order to stay alive, it is important to always have your front pointing towards the enemy. Its 105 mm L74 cannon is able to offer a maximum penetration of 303 mm. It may seem low compared to other tanks in-game, however with a skilled commander who utilise the map and who can stay stealthy is able to become the Tanker version of the legendary Viking called Erik the Red.

One of the great advantages of this tank is its pure survivability, its crew is all located behind the engine and transmission. However one of the weaknesses is also this crew survivability, any shot that is able to penetrate from the side will knockout the engine and transmission, worse case causing fires or disabling the tank in combat allowing the enemy tanker to flank to the rear or sides and fire a single shot into the Strv 103-0 ammo racks or crew compartments.

The ideal playstyle is to play the tank as an ambusher, stay in the bushes then pop out and fire, reverse and then move to another location, with the idea being to press the attack from their rear and cause mayhem, however if you stay at range, it can function well as a sniper thanks to its good gun depression, rangefinder, small profile and good reverse speed.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Operational with only 1 crew member remaining
  • The gun has good penetration and damage
  • Four second reload time makes it much easier to knock out enemy tanks
  • The frontal armour is heavily sloped
  • Has a tiny profile, making it much easier to hide in realistic and simulator battles
  • Because the engine is located at the front most shots will not go through the whole tank if they penetrate and will simply be absorbed
  • Has a 10 mm gun shield that will block most shrapnel.
  • Ammo rarely explodes because it is located far in the back

Cons:

  • The sloped frontal armour becomes redundant if angled incorrectly
  • Very thin side and rear armour, any gun larger than a machine gun can go through
  • The turret is fixed to the hull and cannot swivel
  • APFSDS, HEAT, APDS and ATGM projectiles will go straight through the front armor, most of the time no matter the angle
  • Very vulnerable front lower glacis plate
  • HE is almost always insta kill on every inch of the tank

History

Strv 103-0 is the prototype series before the head series with Strv 103A was delivered to the Swedish army. After the trial of the two trial vehicles S1 and S2 in 1961, Sweden ordered 10 pre-series Strv 103 which would become the 0-series. They were not finished until 1963, where they were put on trial to be combined with different vehicles to see how to efficiently utilize the tank system in squad and organization attempts. These attempts would have a great impact on how the Strv 103 would be shaped and molded and so the evaluation of the Strv 103 began that would last from 1963 till 1966. It only took half a year before it was decided that the Strv 103 "S" would become Sweden's new tank.

The trials with the 0-series worked well, the test results from the field testings, squad and organization attempts were favourable for the Strv 103-0 and it was not until 1964 that Sweden placed an order in a total value of around 500 million kr (SEK) which would total in 70 Strv 103 being produced to the first main series Strv 103 which would be designated Strv 103A. The main series tank order delivery started by 1967 giving the 0-series to be put to trials until the end of 1966.

Devblog

In the immediate postwar years, Sweden began looking for a replacement to the Centurion tanks, then in service with its army. The most straightforward solution was to once again look into the export market for potential candidates, although engineers were already working on a domestic design - the Kranvagn. While this process was ongoing, an engineer by the name of Sven Berge came up with a radical new tank design in 1956.

This new vehicle featured a turretless design with a cannon fixed to the hull, which would be trained onto its targets with the precise use of an adjustable suspension system. The design was based on results from a study on tank crew casualties during WWII and the Korean War, which showed a correlation between tank height and hit probability. As such, the 'S-Tank' was kept very small in dimensions and low in profile, while also utilizing some innovative new engineering solutions, such as a mixed power plant consisting of a diesel engine and a gas turbine.

In 1959, the Swedish government approved the construction and testing of two prototypes. In 1960, a pre-production batch of 10 vehicles of the '0-serie' was ordered for field trials, which went on into the mid '60s. Generating more than favorable test results, the vehicle was formally ordered into production and procured as the 'Stridsvagn 103'.

Despite its original purpose being to replace the Centurion tanks in the Swedish Army, the Strv 103 ended up serving alongside it for a number of decades, until it was ultimately decommissioned in the late 1990s. By that time, 290 Strv 103s were built, spanning over five variants.

Media

Skins
Images
Videos

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


AB Bofors
MBTs 
Strv 103  Strv 103-0 · Strv 103A · Strv 103С
Tank Destroyers  SAV 20.12.48 · Bkan 1C
SPAA  Lvkv 42
Radar  VEAK 40
SAM  ASRAD-R*
See Also  BAE Systems AB
  *Saab Bofors Dynamics

Sweden medium tanks
Strv m/42  Lago I · Strv m/42 EH · Ikv 73 · Strv m/42 DT · Pvkv IV
Centurion derivatives  Strv 81 · Strv 81 (RB 52) · Strv 101 · Strv 104 · Strv 105
Strv 103  Strv 103-0 · Strv 103A · Strv 103С
Strv 121/122  Strv 121 · Christian II · Strv 122A · Strv 122B PLSS · Strv 122B+
Other  Sherman III/IV · T 80 U
Finland 
WWII  ▄T-28 · ▄T-34 · ▄Pz.IV · ▄T-34-85
Post War  ▄Comet I · ▄Charioteer Mk VII · ▄T-54 · ▄T-55M · ▄T-72M1 · ▄Leopard 2A4 · ▄Leopard 2A6
Norway  Leopard 1A5NO2

Sweden premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  ▄T-26E · Strv m/39 · Pbil m/40 · Strv m/41 S-I · CV9035DK · CV 90105
Medium tanks  Sherman III/IV · Strv 81 (RB 52) · Strv 103-0 · Leopard 1A5NO2 · Christian II
Heavy tanks  ▄KV-1 m1942 · Kungstiger
Tank destroyers  Ikv 73 · SAV 20.12.48 · VIDAR