Sholef
Contents
Description
The Sholef V1 (lit. "Gunslinger V1") is an Israeli prototype self-propelled howitzer developed by Soltam Systems during the 1970s. Based on a modified Merkava Mk.3 chassis, the Sholef incorporated numerous advanced systems into the vehicle, notably GPS, inertial navigation, and a fire control computer. Despite the project being prioritised by the IDF, it was ultimately cancelled in the early 1990s due to high cost. Instead, the IDF chose to upgrade existing M109 howitzers with the new M185 howitzer that was meant to be used by the Sholef instead.
Introduced during Update "Seek & Destroy" as a reward for Battle Pass: Season XVI, "Skilled Marksman", the Sholef is an advanced SPH based on the hull of the Merkava Mk.3 MBT. Although the chassis lacks any composite armour, it is still quite thick and sloped enough that it can take some hits from kinetic rounds. However, just like any other modern SPH, the Sholef's turret is large and thin, making it a juicy target for anyone, especially for various autocannon-armed IFVs that start to appear at the Sholef's BR. In terms of firepower, the Sholef is a big step up from the Rochev by having access to an autoloader and powerful conventional HE shell, capable of defeating most tanks it will face.
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.
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
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 | 59 | 13 | 60 | 1,278 | 1,717 | 21.3 | 28.62 |
| Realistic | 54 | 12 | 796 | 900 | 13.27 | 15 | |
Modifications and economy
2 × 140 / 210 / 230 % 2 × 178 / 178 / 178 % | Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
| 155 mm Soltam M845 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Autoloader |
| Arcade | 75 | -3°/+60° | ±180° | - | 9.7 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | 11.90 |
| Realistic | 6.5 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | |||||
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 | ||
| M107 | HE | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 |
| M401 (PF) | HE-VT | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| M401 | HE | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| M107 | HE | 684 | 43.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 9.14 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| M401 | HE | 684 | 43.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 12 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Proximity-fused shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| M401 (PF) | HE-VT | 684 | 43.1 | 0 | 0 | 300 | 3 | 12 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle (loader) | 1,800 (200) | 1,000 | -10°/+50° | -120°/+80° |
| Pintle (commander) | 1,800 (200) | 1,000 | -10°/+50° | -80°/+120° |
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
Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".
Pros:
- Has an access to the most powerful HE shell in Ground Forces, capable of defeating most opponent it may face
- Can deal with enemy aircraft or helicopter at distance with HE-VT rounds and high gun elevation
- Great gun handling and fast turret traverse speed
- Access to an autoloader that provides significant boost in rate of fire
- Frontal hull armour is thick and sloped enough to stop some kinetic rounds
- Good overall mobility
Cons:
- Very large profile, can be easily spotted
- Huge and thin turret can be easily shredded by enemies, especially those with autocannons
- Weak side armour, therefore heavily reliant on frontal hull armour or the enemy not using chemical rounds
- The entire back of the turret is an ammo rack
- No access to deliciated anti-tank rounds, may struggle against tanks with ERAs
- Very poor gun depression (-3), struggle to perform in hilly terrains
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
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Israel tank destroyers | |
|---|---|
| Artillery | M109 · Rochev · Sholef |
| ATGM | Zachlam Tager · Giraf |
| Israel premium ground vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Medium tanks | M-51 (W) · Magach 3 (ERA) · Sho't Kal Dalet · Merkava Mk.2D · Ra'am Sagol |
| Tank destroyers | Sholef |
