Radkampfwagen 90

Radkampfwagen 90

Begleitpanzer 57

TAM 2C

Radkampfwagen 90

Begleitpanzer 57

TAM 2C

Germany

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.0	10.0	10.0

Class:

Light tank

Research:260 000

Purchase:710 000

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Description

The Radkampfwagen 90 is a rank VII German light tank with a battle rating of 10.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury".

General info

Survivability and armour

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.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	112	39	30.8	1286	1,584	41.75	51.43
Realistic	101	36		734	830	23.83	26.95

Armaments

Main armament

The L7A3 105mm gun mounted on the Radkampfwagen 90 is the same as the gun that the Leopard 1 series uses, and is the same in many aspects. Similar to the Leopard A1A1, the gun is equipped with a two-plane stabilizer allowing for firing on the move. The gun also has faster targeting speed at 5.1 degrees per second compared the the Leopard 1's 3.1 degrees per second in the vertical plane, but the turret traverse speed of the Radwagen, or horizontal targeting speed, certainly leaves something to be desired. A unique thing about this particular L7 is that it fires one of the best L7 APFSDS shells in the game, with higher penetration than even the first Rheinmetall 120mm L44 APFSDS shell.

Note: When looking at the gun article and the penetrations, the ones that this vehicle uses are: DM12 HEATFS, DM502 HESH, DM23 APFSDS, and DM33 APFSDS.

Machine guns

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt capacity)	Rate of fire (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
Coaxial	4,000 (1,000)	1,200	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

General Playstyle

The Radkampfwagen 90, due to it's speed, may be used in a flanking manner, being able to go around the enemy and surprise them where they do not expect. When flanking, it is recommended to use roads if possible, as the Radwagen is a wheeled vehicle, and rough terrain will slow it down. However, even offroad, the vehicle is still capable of speeds that are much higher than many other contemporary MBTs. The scouting ability of the Radwagen can also be very useful, as it can help you support your team without risking the possibility of being spotted/noticed by firing your gun. The only downside to this playstyle is that the Radwagen is unusually large in size, most notably the hull, which makes it easier to be spotted.

The Radkampfwagen may also be used in a playstyle of a fast MBT. While the hull of the Radwagen is weak, not really well armoured, and prone to hullbreak, and easy to hit, the turret of the vehicle has multiple well angled and very bouncy plates, both interior and exterior, which allows the turret to sometimes take hits without damage, or even ricochet some shells. This bouncy turret can be used in a hull-down position, like a ridgeline, or a pile or rubble. However, it is important to note that even though enemy shells have a chance of bouncing, it is best not to rely on this, and to use the vehicle's stabilizer and situational awareness to get the first shot off.

Arcade Battles

In Arcade, the playstyle of the Radwagen changes a bit. Due to markers that will tell everyone where the Radwagen is, flanking is not as good of a strategy. However, the vehicle retains all other advantages, and due to the slight engine boost in arcade, will be able to hit very high speeds even offroad. Of course, enemies will also be faster in general, which makes this extra speed redundant. The vehicle's scouting abilities are useful in aiding the team. Your gun, for its tier, is good, and its decently low shell drop will aid in those long range shots that are common in arcade. Just remember - this is a light vehicle in a gamemode where it can't really hide, so when playing this vehicle in Arcade, be cautious.

Realistic Battles

In Realistic, the Radwagen's speed and scouting abilities are even more prominent. As mentioned above, it can flank around the enemy with stealth, and either scout enemies for the team or quickly knock them out with its very punchy gun. The team also will benefit from its scouting abilities, as in a gamemode without enemy markers, intel of the enemies whereabouts can be crucial to the team's victory.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Introduces a new playstyle option for top-rank German lineups
• Complement the lack of scout vehicles top-rank German lineups
• Has DM23 APFSDS rounds as stock ammunition
• Is very mobile and very fast on both roads and cross-country terrain
• Has DM33 rounds available for research
• Deadly when facing lower-ranked opponents
• Remains competitive even when uptiered and gun still performs well even at 10.3
• 8.7 reload stock, can be further improved with crew training
• Hull is resistant against most heavy machine guns
• Spaced armour in the front and is resistant against low calibre SPAA
• Same turret as the Leopard 2K, can sometimes bounce shots
• Extremely effective in the hands of experienced players
• Is not sluggish at low speed

Cons:

• Does not have anti-aircraft machine gun
• Can be hull-broken
• Slower reverse speed than other wheeled vehicles
• Does not have thermal sights, putting it at a disadvantage of other vehicles of similar BR
• Wheeled vehicles means it will suffer on certain terrain and cannot pivot turn
• Has a large profile because of large turret
• Slower than average turret rotation
• Is littered with ammo
• Requires deep knowledge and keen situational awareness to play effectively

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

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] Radkampfwagen 90: A leopard on wheels