AMX-40

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VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
AMX-40
fr_amx_40.png
AMX-40
AB RB SB
9.7 9.7 9.7
Class:
Research:220 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:620 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage AMX-40.jpg


The AMX-40 is a rank VI French medium tank with a battle rating of 9.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X".

The AMX 40 represents a massive shift in the French tank tree, with the addition of a stabilizer, whereas all other vehicles, with the exception of the American vehicles (Sherman M4A1, Jumbo.) have no actual stabilizer. Many players might find themselves hesitating to fire a shot as soon as a target is seen because there is usually time to think before the gun is stabilized, but at this rank, French players might find themselves having a hard time shooting before their enemy.

General info

Survivability and armour

The frontal armour of the AMX-40 consists mainly of a composite armour section at the front of the hull with a 35 mm thick (Rolled Homogeneous Armor) upper glacis plate and spaced turret armour. Despite the presence of both spaced and composite armour throughout the front of the vehicle, the vehicle struggles to resist the ammunition fired at it from its BR contemporaries save for the occasional bounce from the steep armour angles present on the upper glacis plate and the roof of the turret. The AMX-40 contains 4 crew members where half are seated on the left half of the vehicle and the other two are situated on the right half. This provides a moderate level of survivability since shots that connect too far left or right of the centre of the tank will likely only knock out two of the four crew, potentially granting the driver another opportunity. The vehicle's cannon breech is also quite large which grants it more survivability in its ability to absorb shrapnel. In addition to this, the AMX-40 features a blow-out panel for the rear turret ammunition, which is capable of storing up to 19 rounds. This grants the tank increased survivability, as side shots that explode the blow-out ammunition generally do not destroy the vehicle upon detonation.

Overall the armour of the AMX-40 is for the most part, sufficient at protecting it from auto-cannon and SPAAG fire. Besides that, drivers of the AMX-40 will quickly find that its armour is inadequate at protecting it from its contemporaries and it is suggested that drivers instead make use of the above average mobility of the vehicle to ensure a degree of survivability.

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 78 31 43.7 2,015 2,480 46.11 56.75
Realistic 71 28 1,150 1,300 26.32 29.75

This tank has very good speed, both forward and reverse with all options.

Armaments

Main armament

120 mm GIAT CN120-25 G1 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 40 -7°/+20° ±180° Two-plane __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__ 8.7 7.7 7.1 6.7
Realistic __.__ __.__ __.__ 23.5 __.__

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
OCC 120 G1 HEATFS 480 480 480 480 480 480
OFL 120 G1 APFSDS 394 393 388 382 376 370
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%
OCC 120 G1 HEATFS 1,050 14.3 0.05 1 2,150 65° 72° 77°
OFL 120 G1 APFSDS 1,650 3.8 N/A N/A N/A 78° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the AMX-40
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
40 20 (+20) 19 (+21) 15 (+25) 10 (+30) (+35) n/a


Machine guns

20 mm 20F2
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 800 (500) 740 0°/+20° N/A
7.62 mm A-A-F1N
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 2,150 (100) 900 -10°/+45° ±120°

Usage in battles

AMX-40 should be used as a better AMX-30. It should be used almost the same way since the lack of armour but high speed makes it almost the same.

When in urban combat:

Flanking:

The AMX-40 is one of the most mobile MBTs at its battle rating and has nice agility when traversing. Speed should be the main feature of combat, "Hit n' Run" should be used, engage to disable or destroy and escape as fast as you can, use smoke if needed.

Front line:

Although not recommended due to the low armour, it can withstand some ATGMs and HEAT-FS as well as autocannons from IFV and SPAA. Stabilizer makes a huge upgrade to the tank as it can poke and shoot from corners without stopping at all, making engagements much more quicker than with AMX-30's. Composite armour will sometimes stop powerful rounds, do not expect to stop a round with this as it is not meant to stop high calibre APFSDS or even HEAT-FS. It will stop low calibre APFSDS (25 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm) at relative close ranges and anti tank grenades and rockets (PG-9).

Support:

Despite being an MBT, it can also be somewhat used as an IFV due to the 20 mm autocannon which can penetrate the sides of MBTs and/or destroy modules such as tracks, barrels or set engines on fire, sometimes firing the main gun is not even needed. Be aware that Soviet and Russian MBT's will stop penetration of your 20mm HVAP due to the side armour. When engaging them, focus on firing at tracks and barrels, use your main gun to destroy them.

*Note, OFL 120 G1 has penetration of a 105 mm APFSDS, it is only able to penetrate T-72A frontal plate. Tanks like T-72B, T-72B3, T-80B and T-80U will completely stop your round. Aim for the tank sides.

When in rural combat:

Sniping:

The AMX-40 has pretty decent optics and thermal sight, with addition of OFL 120 G1 APFSDS, which make the AMX-40 suitable for sniping. Use your speed to your advantage and move once you destroy a target or two to keep you safe from potential revenge attacks with CAS, use smoke grenades to cover your escape or when you have been hit.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive Laser rangefinder
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism OFL 120 G1 Smoke grenade
IV Transmission Engine ESS Artillery Support NVD

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • GIAT 120 mm gun is a big improvement over the AMX-30's 105 mm gun
  • Good mobility; about the same as on the AMX-30, with great forward and reverse acceleration and speed
  • Sports a 20 mm coaxial cannon for use against lightly armoured targets
  • Decent frontal armour
  • Composite armour allows for a more balanced survivability

Cons:

  • Overall armour can still be penetrated by the majority of the guns at its rank
  • Turret turn speed is slower than most of the top rank VI tanks, close combat can turn deadly quickly for the AMX-40

History

Development of the AMX-40 began as a private venture of the French GIAT company in the early 1980s, with the aim to create a new export vehicle, in anticipation of increased demand for military equipment from middle eastern countries. GIAT engineers decided to base the new vehicle off the AMX-32, which itself was an improved export version of the successful AMX-30 main battle tank. However, compared to his predecessors, the AMX-40 was to feature vastly improved firepower, mobility and protection. As a true first in the French postwar tank development history, the AMX-40 would receive a two-plane stabilizer for its 120mm smoothbore cannon. Although the tank's turret and cannon were mostly adopted from the AMX-32, increases in weight from new components led to the fact that the hull of the vehicle had to be redesigned from scratch.

The work on the first prototype was nearing completion in 1983 and the vehicle was first shown off at the Eurosatory exhibition in the same year. Following testing in 1984, two further prototypes were constructed, featuring a number of improvements over the first one. By now, the French Ministry of Defense had started to back the promising project and GIAT soon afterwards transferred all three prototypes for comprehensive troop assessments. A final, fourth prototype was constructed in 1985. Each prototype was unique, featuring a number of external and internal differences with the main one usually concerning powerplant options.

In the late 1980s, the vehicle's development stagnated as active development was largely replaced with an active marketing campaign, in an effort to find a potential buyer for the new vehicle. Despite France's best efforts to market the vehicle, even going as far as showing off some of the prototypes in a competition in summer of 1986 in Saudi Arabia, a buyer couldn't be found. Spain was the only country showing some interest in potentially buying the AMX-40, but in the end, nothing came out of it either. By failing to find a buyer, domestic interest in the AMX-40 also faded and eventually resulted in the project being closed in 1990. Ultimately, the four constructed prototypes of the AMX-40 can only be considered as transitional designs, bridging the gap between the old second generation French MBTs, like the AMX-30 and the upcoming modern designs, such as the Leclerc.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins
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


France medium tanks
M4 Derivatives  M4A1 (FL10) · M4A4 (SA50)
AMX-50  AMX M4 · AMX-50 (TOA100) · AMX-50 (TO90/930)
AMX-30  AMX-30 · AMX-30 (1972) · AMX-30B2 · AMX-30B2 BRENUS · AMX-30 ACRA · AMX-30 Super
AMX-32/40  AMX-32 · AMX-32 (105) · AMX-40
Leclerc  Leclerc · Leclerc S2 · Leclerc SXXI · Leclerc AZUR
Other  D2 · S.35 · Lorraine 40t
Germany  Panther "Dauphiné"
USA  ▄M4A1 · ▄M4A3 (105) · ▄M4A4 · ▄M26