Centauro I 105 R

Centauro I 105 R

Centauro I 105

Centauro I 120

Centauro I 105 R

Centauro I 105

Centauro I 120

Italy

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.7	9.7

Class:

Light tank

Research:110 000

Purchase:620 000

Show in game

Description

The Blindo pesante Centauro, Serie 2, ROMOR is a rank VI Italian tank destroyer with a battle rating of 9.3 (AB) and 9.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

The Centauro I 105 R is a variant of the Centauro B1, but with the improvement of ROMOR-A ERA present on the hull and turret.

General info

Survivability and armour

The Centauro ROMOR, like its B1 base variant, prioritizes speed and mobility at the expense of armour and protection. It tries to rectify the lack of armour through angling of armour plates and the ROMOR-A ERA. The hull is a high-hardness monocoque fashioned from rolled homogenous armour of varying thicknesses depending of the plate. The turret is very much the same as the hull, with a low profile cupola for both the gunner and commander. Additionally, the turret has 15 mm of rolled homogenous armour added to the top of the turret, increasing total thickness to roughly 30 mm of armour on the roof. The driver is separated from the engine via an 8 mm thick partition. This partition, if penetrated, will create extra internal shrapnel. The position of the radiator directly below the upper front plate adds extra protection as it has a chance of absorbing or bouncing kinetic penetrators.

The main feature which separates the ROMOR from the base B1 Centauro is obviously the addition of ROMOR-A ERA, which has increased protection again chemical weapons. The ERA is bolted to the turret cheeks/sides and the sides of the chassis. There are significantly more panels on the left side of the hull and right side of the turret. The ERA, which is a reactive element sandwiched between 2 metal plates, offers 30mm of protection against kinetic rounds and 300 mm against chemical rounds. Despite the armour and the addition of the ERA, the Centauro ROMOR can only effectively stop rounds up to a diameter of 14.5 mm. Most rounds at the rank with a diameter greater than 100 mm will one-shot the Centauro due to the hullbreak feature regardless of the round type(kinetic/chemical). The only exception to the hull break mechanic is the upper front plate and gun mantlet which has a decreased chance to hull break.

Armour type:

• Rolled Homogeneous Armor - Main
• ROMOR-A - ERA

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	15 mm (80°) Upper Glacis 35 mm (45°) Lower Glacis	25 mm	20 mm	10 - 20 mm
Turret	25 mm (19°)Turret front 40 mm (6°-51°-56°) Gun mantlet	25 mm	15+15 mm Left section 15 mm Right section	15 + 15 mm Front 15 mm Rear
Additional armor	10 mm + ROMOR-A ERA Turret Cheeks	10 mm + ROMOR-A ERA Turret Sides 10 mm + ROMOR-A ERA Rear Hull Sides	5 mm Turret Rear 20 mm Hull Rear	N/A

Notes:

• ROMOR-A has protection against 30 mm of kinetic rounds and 300 mm against chemical rounds.
• The ROMOR-A ERA does not cover the entire sides of the hull and turret, only significant portions.

• The wheels and suspension bars are 10 mm thick.
• The rear of the turret is covered with 5 mm of structural steel.

• There are also interior armor plates between the engine and the crew compartment:

Spaced Armour	Front (Slope angle)
Hull	8 mm (except driver view port)

Notes:

• The engine is separated from the driver position and the crew compartment by a RHA armour plate.
• The driver viewport is a weak spot as it is the only place where the inner armour does not overlap with the external armour. It is a small spot though.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	123	25	28	739	992	26.39	35.43
Realistic	110	23		460	520	16.43	18.57

The Centauro I 105 R has an advanced powertrain and engine system. The vehicle is powered by an IVECO 8662 Turbocharged V6 aftercooled diesel engine mated to an automatic transmission with five forward gears and 2 reverse gears. In-game it provides 460 HP at 2400 RPM stock and 520 HP at 2400 RPM fully upgraded. The drivetrain is single differential twin shaft design in an H-style configuration. This system allows the Centauro ROMOR to reach a speed of up to 110 km/h on roads and solid surfaces. On more difficult terrain like snow, mud, and sand, the speed and acceleration of the Centauro are decreased drastically due to a loss of traction. Each wheel on the Centauro is independently suspended via hydro-pneumatic suspension which provides a smooth ride for the crew and allows the gun to maintain stability even at high speeds over rough terrain. All wheels are equipped with disc brakes which allow the Centauro to decrease speed quickly and get gun on target. While steering, the first, second and fourth wheel turn according to input. This allows for a tight turn radius of 9 m. These features give the Centauro the ability to move quickly and fire accurately on the move, often surprising unsuspecting enemies.

Armaments

Main armament

105 mm OTO Melara 105/52					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	40	-6°/+16°	±180°	Two-plane	20.1	27.8	33.7	37.3	39.7	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					13.6	16.0	19.4	21.4	22.8

The Centauro I 105 R is equipped with the mean 105mm OTO-Melara 105/52 with a two-plane stabiliser. The cannon is similar to other NATO-style 105 mm cannons like the L7A3 found on German vehicles and the American M68. A such, it fires standard NATO ammunition like M456 HEAT-FS. In comparison to the previous model of the Centauro, the Centauro I 105 R fields APFSDS rounds, an all-new round for the AFV. While the HEAT-FS can penetrate most vehicles, the APFSDS rounds are a sure bet to destroy almost any tank. The kinetic rounds are basically guaranteed to penetrate or one-shot any tank that may be seen at 9.0. Depending on the round fired, the round has very little to no bullet drop. The gun is accurate and easy to aim. Though the cannon may be lacking slightly in depression, the effectiveness of the gun more than makes up for it.

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
M393A2	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
M735	APFSDS	353	350	342	333	322	312
DM33	APFSDS	408	405	398	389	379	370

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	0.0	0.1	1,270	65°	72°	77°
M393A2	HESH	732	14.85	0.4	0.1	4,310	73°	77°	80°
M735	APFSDS	1,501	3.7	N/A	N/A	N/A	76°	77°	80°
DM33	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	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)
M416	730	11.4	20	5	25	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Centauro (identical).

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
40	29 (+11)	17 (+23)	12 (+28)	1 (+39)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Racks 3 and 4 are first stage ammo racks. They totals 16 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
• These racks are also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 3 - 1 - 2.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-2 into rack 4 then 3. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

The Centauro I 105 R has four ammo racks. Two are located in the rear of the hull while one ready rack is in the rear of the turret and the other ready rack on the right side of the gunner. None of them is in wet storage or has blowout panels. If the ammo is hit by a penetrating shot, it has a high chance of exploding and killing all your turret crew.

Machine guns

The Centauro ROMOR is equipped with two 7.62 mm Beretta MG42/59 machine guns with a high rate of fire. One machine gun is coaxial and operates on the same axes as the main cannon. The other machine gun is mounted to the left of the commander's cupola and moves independently from the rest of the turret. This gives it 360-degrees of rotation. These machine guns are minorly effective against helicopters and slow-moving planes. A large number of bullets are required to take down these targets. Otherwise, the machine guns are ineffective against armoured targets such as enemy tanks and IFVs. They can be used to take down foliage and light obstructions in order to clean lines of travel or sight. If fired at an enemy turret it has the potential to obscure the gunner's view, making it harder for the enemy to shoot you. Otherwise, the machine guns are unremarkable.

7.62 mm Beretta MG42/59
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4500	800 rpm	N/A	N/A
Commander's cupola	2000	800 rpm	-6°/+16°	±140°

Usage in battles

Like the Centauro, the Centauro ROMOR is extremely fast. It should be played in a similar way to its predecessor, using mobility to get to advantageous positions quickly, however, new tools give it both pros and cons. The mobility and the acceleration are slightly limited due to the addition of the heavy ERA armour making it harder to crest ridges and hills. The ERA doesn't offer much in protection against rounds as mentioned before and is slightly burdensome. However, the new APFSDS rounds give it new tank destroying capabilities and allow the Centauro ROMOR to more easily penetrate highly armoured targets. The gunner thermals and laser rangefinder allow the Centauro ROMOR to be a better sniper than most other vehicles in-game and give it the capability to control entire sectors of the map. The large size and lack of neutral steer make it difficult to engage in close-quarters combat in urban scenarios. These situations should be avoided at all costs. Holding a corner isn't viable in this vehicle either, due to the turret being located in the rear and the large chassis. The Centauro is most effective when used to flank or to reach advantageous positions quickly, flank, or snipe from distance.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tires		Parts	Horizontal Drive	M393A2	M735
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	Airstrike	NVD
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	Improved optics	M416
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	LWS/LR	DM33

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Added ERA improves protection against HEAT ammo and ATGMs
• APFSDS offers improved penetration in comparison to APDS ammunition
• Extremely mobile
• Night vision devices and generation 1 gunner thermals

Cons:

• ERA increases the weight of the vehicle, slightly decreasing mobility
• Little to no protection against most projectiles
• Hullbreakable by chemical and armour-piercing rounds
• Large size
• Rear-ward turret placement
• Easily destroyed by planes and helicopters

History

Development of the B1 Centauro began during the 1980s after the Italian Army issued a set of requirements for a new vehicle that would have equivalent firepower to the Leopard 1 MBT in Italian service at the time, but with greater combat mobility and the ability to reach greater points of strategic control.

In response to this, the Italian companies Fiat, Iveco and Oto Melara joined forces in a consortium to begin developing the vehicle requested by the Italian Army. In this joint venture, Fiat and Iveco were developing the vehicle’s hull and power supply, whilst Oto Melara took care of the vehicle’s turret and weapon systems.

In 1986, the final prototype of the B1 Centauro project was unveiled on Sardinia. The presented vehicle was an eight-wheeled lightly armoured tank destroyer, equipped with a derived modification of the L7 105mm cannon, capable of reaching a very high top speed and covering large distances under its own power.

Impressed by the B1 Centauro, the Italian Military placed orders for a number of vehicles, going in production in 1991 with the first ones entering service as early as 1992. In 1993 following a competition between firms to develop an ERA package for Centauros based in Somalia, British Royal Ordinance designed the ROMOR-A ERA armour set. 10 Sets of the ERA armour were sent directly to Somalia to equip the Centauro's stationed there and 10 sets to Italy for further testing. The ROMOR-A ERA has the unique advantage of being easy to attach in the field, having no risk of exploding when handled, and only being triggered by large projectiles. These factors gave the Italian army significant flexibility in the application of the ERA.

B1 Centauros took part in most major conflicts that defined the ‘90s and early 2000s, most notably in former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and others. Apart from the Italian Army, other noteworthy operators of the Centauro include Spain, which produced licensed copies, Jordan and Oman.

Around 400 B1 Centauros were built until 2006, including some other derived modifications of the vehicle filling other roles. The B1 Centauro still serves with the Italian as well as other armed forces to this day.

Media

Videos

• Skin and Camouflages for the Centauro ROMOR in live.warthunder.com

Videos

Type 16 vs Centauro ROMOR - War Thunder Official Channel

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

• [Devblog] B1 Centauro: The Wheeled Cheetah
• [Wikipedia] B1 Centauro
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] B1 Centauro IFV (1986)
• [Army Recognition] Centauro 105mm Anti-tank armoured vehicle
• [Esercito] “Centaur” Tank