Difference between revisions of "M901"

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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
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{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a squadron rank {{Specs|rank}} American tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a squadron rank {{Specs|rank}} American tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]]. Based on the M113 chassis, this vehicle is equipped with the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM missile launcher.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== 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.''
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
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 +
[[File:M901 X-ray.png|thumb|x250px|right|Interior layout of the {{PAGENAME}} showing the location of ammo racks, crew and critical components.]]
 +
 
 +
The {{PAGENAME}} is based off the M113. It may look like a lightly armoured vehicle, but it features 44 mm of alloy 7039 on the sides and 38mm on the front. The front is angled to make frontal armour effective thickness to match the flat sides. Overall, This counts as about 21 mm of RHA. However, there is a hatch on front which is much about 40% thinner and make this effort rather fruitless, which is compensated by engine block being there to block some shots.
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 +
Overall, head-on this is only enough to stop 12.7 mm calibre machine gun fire from 600m away and if angled correctly able to stop some low caliber SPAA's from penetrating the hull and '''any''' APHE of its rank will detonate upon hitting it. Keep in mind, that SPAA have high fire rate and you must park it at least 600 m away and at an angle, or they will still manage some partial penetrations. The 30-35 mm SPAA and light tanks will penetrate this tank indefinitely at almost any range.
 +
 
 +
The top is also quite strong with 38 mm of alloy, which is equial about 18 mm RHA, which means hull might be able to sustain some inaccurate fighter strafe, but most of their 30 mm cannons or top-down attacks will still ruin the tank. If small Bombs or rockets miss, they might fail to penetrate, but armour will not save M901 when receiving a direct hit.
 +
 
 +
The crew, however, has excellent survivability when the vehicle is placed in a hull-down position. Two crew members, the loader and the commander, are located in the back part of the hull and there are no other critical components located there, so there is little reason to target them first. In the middle of the tank is the gunner operating the tower. Since the I-tow missile is launched from a launcher mounted on top of a tower, it is next to impossible to hit the tower base when hulldown and so the gunner is not exposed to direct fire. The driver is located at the front of the vehicle and is next to the engine block, which might block the shot.
 +
 
 +
Behind the engine block is the ammunition storage, if hit from the front with SPAA rounds or some types of conventional rounds, the engine block will eat up (absorb and protect the rest of the vehicle) most of the shots, however, if shot from the side or from the front with HEAT, pure AP, APDS and APDSFS rounds, this usually ends in disaster as it will go through the engine and cause an ammunition explosion or destroy a majority of the crew, one-shotting the vehicle.
 +
 
 +
When played from a hull-down position with only the launcher exposed, this vehicle is practically immune to damage, however, crossing open areas may result in taking a hit, thus losing an engine, a crew member or resulting in an ammo-rack explosion.
 +
 
 +
'''Armor Composition'''
 +
 
 +
* Aluminum Alloy 5083 - Main
 +
* Structural Steel - Front and Rear Fenders
 +
* Rubber-Fabric Screens - Fenders/Sideskirts
 +
* Gun Steel - Launcher
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
!Armour
 +
!Front (Slope angle)
 +
!Sides
 +
!Rear
 +
!Roof
 +
|-
 +
|Hull
 +
|38 mm (45'''°''') ''Upper Glacis''
 +
38 mm (26'''°''') ''Lower Glacis''
 +
 
 +
29 mm (45'''°''') ''Engine Maintenance Hatch''
 +
|44 mm ''Upper''
 +
32 mm ''Lower''
 +
|38 mm
 +
|38 mm
 +
|-
 +
|Turret
 +
| colspan="4" |10 mm All-Round ''Launcher''
 +
17 mm All-Round ''Launcher Supports''
 +
|-
 +
|Cupola
 +
|20 mm
 +
|20 mm
 +
|20 mm
 +
|16 mm
 +
|}
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards.''
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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 +
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=301|rbMinHp=188}}
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 +
The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is okay. The power-to-weight ratio is 17.45 HP/ton. The top speed for the {{PAGENAME}} is 64 km/h, though there are not many circumstances you will reach these speeds. Offroad, the {{PAGENAME}} will reach 20 km/h quite fast due to its high power-to-weight ratio and will reach its top speed of 38 km/h. In reverse it will easily reach -14 km/h, allowing you to get out of a bad situation.
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 +
This vehicle does not have neutral traverse, but still does turn quite fast.
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 +
However, the {{PAGENAME}} suffers in traversing hills with high angles such as getting up the west side of point "C" on the El Alamein map. This does limit the ability of this vehicle to get to good positions without being spotted and fired upon.
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Advise about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 
{{main|BGM-71C I-TOW}}
 
{{main|BGM-71C I-TOW}}
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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The main weapon on the {{PAGENAME}} is the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM. It has up to 630 mm of penetration at 0 degrees at any distance since it carries a HEAT warhead. The post penetration of this missile is not amazing and in some circumstances, a follow-up missile may be needed. The missile is a second-generation ATGM so it is mouse controlled. It travels at a speed of 296 m/s. Due to the fuze sensitivity of 0.01 mm, any bush, fence or object in the way will trigger the missile into detonation and the lack of a machine gun means that these obstacles will become quite a nuisance.
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 +
The turret can angle down 30 degrees, which means it can fire down from almost any mountain or fire horizontally even when standing on a steep cliff. It also does not have an arming distance, therefoe it an fire at tanks even in an immediate surroundings.
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The vehicle is trying to put the launcher on the pad whenever it is moving, however, it is still possible to keep it unfolded by moving short distances at a time and stopping between them. Keep in mind that the vehicle will attempt to stow the launcher even when pushed by the enemy, making it impossible to shoot back, therefore all care should be taken to avoid such situations.
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 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="6" | BGM-71C I-TO mm BGM-71C I-TO
+
! colspan="5" | [[BGM-71C I-TOW]] ATGM || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
+
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
+
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
+
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="3" | 10 || -30°/+35° || ±180° || N/A
+
! ''Arcade''
 +
| rowspan="2" | 10 (2 preloaded<br>in launcher) || rowspan="2" | -30°/+35° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 46.62 || 46.62 || 56.61 || 62.60 || 66.60 || rowspan="2" | 13.00 || rowspan="2" | 11.50 || rowspan="2" | 10.60 || rowspan="2" | 10.00
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
+
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 31.50 || 31.50 || 38.25 || 42.30 || 45.00
 
|-
 
|-
! style="width:4em" | Mode
+
|}
! style="width:4em" | Stock
+
 
! style="width:4em" | Upgraded
+
==== Ammunition ====
! style="width:4em" | Prior + Full crew
+
BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM is a relatively potent missile, having above average penetration values and an excellent flight velocity. Its close Soviet counterpart, [[IT-1]], has {{#expr: (1-(500 / 630)) * 100 round 0}}% lower penetration and {{#expr: (1-(224 / 296)) * 100 round 0}}% lower velocity, on the other hand [[RakJPz 2 (HOT)]] has {{#expr: abs((1-(800 / 630)) * 100) round 0}}% higher penetration, but {{#expr: (1-(240 / 296)) * 100 round 0}}% lower velocity.
! style="width:4em" | Prior + Expert qualif.
+
 
! style="width:4em" | Prior + Ace qualif.
+
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
 
|-
 
|-
| ''Arcade'' || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
| I-TOW || ATGM || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630
 
|-
 
|-
| ''Realistic'' || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 +
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
+
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
 
|-
 
|-
| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
| I-TOW || ATGM || 296 || 19.0 || N/A || 0.01 || 2,080 || 80° || 82° || 90°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
 +
Ammo racks function in a somewhat weird way on the tank. The ammo counter when full will appear as 2/4, and so pre-match ammo selection will show as 5/5. It's due to the fact that a single ammunition load represents 2 missiles, with the first 2 loaded into the launcher at the start of the match.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
!
+
! Full<br>ammo
! Default magnification
+
! 1st<br>rack empty
! Maximum magnification
+
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 +
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 +
! 4th<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
! Main Gun optics
+
| '''5''' || 4&nbsp;''(+1)'' || 3&nbsp;''(+2)'' || 2&nbsp;''(+3)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+4)'' || No
| X4.0 || X8.0
 
|-
 
! Comparable optics
 
| colspan="2;" style="text-align:center;" | ???
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== 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).''
+
<!-- ''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).'' -->
  
===Modules===
+
;Hull down
 +
 
 +
In a battle, this vehicle is best played hull-down, preferably behind a rock so that rounds won't dip and hit the main chassis, if this is not possible, try to find a ridge to hide behind or a depression in the terrain. Since your launcher is the only thing exposed, expect for your launcher to get hit and receive a 10-second repair. (Note for stock vehicles, you will still be able to fire). Some players will be smarter and will shoot HESH rounds at you, the splash damage will be enough to either hull-break or knock out the rest Since you only have 12 missiles (2 in the launcher, 10 stowed away) you will have to be patient and skilled at using this missile. If in the right hands, it is incredibly strong and can hold an important spot and single handily deny the enemy any chance of taking an area. This will reward you a large number of targets destroyed as well as gaining a large number of points from people shooting at you launcher.
 +
 
 +
However, there is a couple of issues. The launcher can only be deployed when stationary and has a deployment time before you are able to train the gun sights on the target and open fire. The reload also requires the launcher to traverse to the rear of the vehicle and further lengthening the reload. one way to combat this is to have the rear end of the vehicle to the target, therefore reducing the time taken to traverse the launcher back to the firing position.
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 +
;SPAA duty
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 +
Apart from shooting at tanks, the ATGM can also be used on helicopters as there is no drop on ATGMs. If playing hull down, it might also be quite hard for helicopters to spot you, therefore making it a potent weapon against an enemy helicopter. Planes will be harder to hit as they will be moving at a faster speed.
 +
 
 +
'''Urban combat'''
 +
 
 +
The M901 does not fare too well in urban combat - due to the speed of the ATGM it is quite hard to readjust the missile direction in case of a miss and having to stop to fire the ATGM will result in an unpleasant experience. However, if you are forced to take this vehicle out in an urban environment, the best strategy will be to follow your teammates, hide behind cover and wait for your teammates to bait the enemy out.
 +
 
 +
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
 +
 
 +
* [[M113A1 (TOW)]]: this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with a much slimmer TOW launcher. The launcher only has 90 degrees horizontal rotation and 20 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains slightly worse than the M901. Also, its launcher has a very small profile meaning it is harder to spot so you must deal with the M113A1 (TOW) carefully. However, its gunner is fully exposed and is prone to being knocked out or detonating chemical shells. In a battle, your M901 and the M113A1 (TOW) might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Try to spot it first and fire at the gunner/launcher. Its gunner/launcher will detonate your missile and the shrapnel will splash down, killing all the crew or cause a hull break. But watch out for its 12.7 mm MG, it might damage your launcher or penetrate the hull in some cases.
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 +
=== Modules ===
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
! Tier
 
! Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
+
! colspan="2" | Mobility
 
! Protection
 
! Protection
 
! Firepower
 
! Firepower
 
|-
 
|-
 
| I
 
| I
| Tracks||
+
| Tracks
 +
|
 
| Parts
 
| Parts
|  
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| II
 
| II
| Suspension||Brake System
+
| Suspension
 +
| Brake System
 
| FPE
 
| FPE
|  
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| III
 
| III
| Filters||
+
| Filters
 +
|
 
| Crew Replenishment
 
| Crew Replenishment
|  
+
| NVD
 
|-
 
|-
 
| IV
 
| IV
| Transmission||Engine
+
| Transmission
|  
+
| Engine
 +
|
 
| Smoke grenade
 
| Smoke grenade
 
|-
 
|-
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=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== 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 certain definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
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<!-- ''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:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
* Use pairs of I-TOW, designed for fast long-range attacks
+
* Uses pairs of I-TOW, designed for fast long-range attacks
* Of all horizontal ATGM launchers currently in the game, has best launcher depression
+
* Has the best launcher depression of all horizontal ATGM launchers in the game
* Tower is very tall, making it hard to exploit APHE and HESH to destroy the tank instantly
+
* If forced to participate in close quarters combat, can fire even point blank, although it may end up destroying itself in process
 +
* Tower is very tall, making it hard to exploit APHE and HESH to destroy the tank instantly when hull-down
 
* Superior to [[M113A1 (TOW)|export Italian version]] in almost every way possible
 
* Superior to [[M113A1 (TOW)|export Italian version]] in almost every way possible
 +
* Has night vision and thermal sights
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
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* Sniper scope is located in the launcher, so during reloading it moves together with the launcher, forcing the operator to keep watch on target with binoculars
 
* Sniper scope is located in the launcher, so during reloading it moves together with the launcher, forcing the operator to keep watch on target with binoculars
 
* Sometimes, just a bit short of firepower to penetrate tanks with heavy ERA or NERA plating in one hit (although in RB most of such tanks are your allies)
 
* Sometimes, just a bit short of firepower to penetrate tanks with heavy ERA or NERA plating in one hit (although in RB most of such tanks are your allies)
 +
* Repairs for the launcher can become quite frustrating and lose some opportunities to hit an enemy target
  
 
== History ==
 
== 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: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
+
<!-- ''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: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
[[File:M901 TOW missile vehicle (1985).jpg|thumb|right|M901 in Germany during the Reforger "Central&nbsp;Guardian" 1985 exercise]]
 +
M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) is a variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier introduced in 1979 as a highly mobile tank destroyer that could engage not only armored targets but also fortifications while offering maximum protection for the crew. The vehicle could be transported by air, parachute-dropped and ford water up to 1 meter deep with no preparation. Last vehicle of the series was produced in 1998, totaling 3,315 units built over the years.
 +
 
 +
It's called "improved" due to being an upgrade over the [[M113A1 (TOW)|M113A1 with TOW launcher mounted]] instead of the standard [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|M2 Browning]] for the chassis. Its SEI 901 TUA launcher was capable of rapid deployment, could accurately hit targets with the first missile and fire the second one as soon as the first impacted the target. It was reloaded manually within 40 seconds. That said though, it had to be stowed when moving above 5 mph (8 km/h) to avoid damage to the launcher. As a secondary weapon M901 carried [[M60D (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M60 machine gun]] operated by the gunner. A total of 10 missiles and 2,000 machine gun rounds were stored.
 +
 
 +
A number of variants of the M901 existed, notably:
 +
 
 +
* M901 - equipped with first-generation TOW missiles, M113A1 chassis (in-game variant)
 +
* M901A1 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A2 chassis
 +
* M901A3 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A3 chassis
 +
 
 +
The in-game launcher uses the BGM-71C I-TOW missiles, which were the most advanced missiles available on the M901, featuring an increased range and an improved shape-charge warhead. The missile could be fired at targets up to 3,750 meters away, with an arming distance of 65 meters. Missile's average speed at the maximum range was 187.5 m/s.
 +
 
 +
Currently, the largest operators of the M901 ITV are Saudi Arabia (335 units), Greece (320) and Egypt (262), a total of 1313 units remains in operation between 10 countries.
 +
 
 +
{{Clear|right}}
 +
[[File:M901 details.png|800px|center|thumb|Details of the M901 ITV in the A3 variant]]
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=tank_destroyer&vehicle=us_m901_itv Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|qoZv-sA80aI|'''Squadron Vehicles''' discusses the M901 at 00:38  - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression'''  discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:42 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
+
<!-- ''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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''-->
+
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
  
 
Other vehicles based off the M113 platform:
 
Other vehicles based off the M113 platform:
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== External links ==
 
== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
 
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
 +
 
 +
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=106 [Military Factory<nowiki>]</nowiki> M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle)]
  
 
{{USA tank destroyers}}
 
{{USA tank destroyers}}
{{USA squadron vehicles}}
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{{USA squadron ground vehicles}}
  
[[Category:Squadron vehicles]]
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[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

Revision as of 15:08, 19 August 2020

VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
M901
us_m901_itv.png
M901
Research:400 000 Specs-Card-Activity.png
Purchase:450 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

GarageImage M901.jpg


The Combat Vehicle, Anti-tank, Improved TOW Vehicle, M901 is a squadron rank VI American tank destroyer with a battle rating of 8.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy". Based on the M113 chassis, this vehicle is equipped with the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM missile launcher.

General info

Survivability and armour

Interior layout of the M901 showing the location of ammo racks, crew and critical components.

The M901 is based off the M113. It may look like a lightly armoured vehicle, but it features 44 mm of alloy 7039 on the sides and 38mm on the front. The front is angled to make frontal armour effective thickness to match the flat sides. Overall, This counts as about 21 mm of RHA. However, there is a hatch on front which is much about 40% thinner and make this effort rather fruitless, which is compensated by engine block being there to block some shots.

Overall, head-on this is only enough to stop 12.7 mm calibre machine gun fire from 600m away and if angled correctly able to stop some low caliber SPAA's from penetrating the hull and any APHE of its rank will detonate upon hitting it. Keep in mind, that SPAA have high fire rate and you must park it at least 600 m away and at an angle, or they will still manage some partial penetrations. The 30-35 mm SPAA and light tanks will penetrate this tank indefinitely at almost any range.

The top is also quite strong with 38 mm of alloy, which is equial about 18 mm RHA, which means hull might be able to sustain some inaccurate fighter strafe, but most of their 30 mm cannons or top-down attacks will still ruin the tank. If small Bombs or rockets miss, they might fail to penetrate, but armour will not save M901 when receiving a direct hit.

The crew, however, has excellent survivability when the vehicle is placed in a hull-down position. Two crew members, the loader and the commander, are located in the back part of the hull and there are no other critical components located there, so there is little reason to target them first. In the middle of the tank is the gunner operating the tower. Since the I-tow missile is launched from a launcher mounted on top of a tower, it is next to impossible to hit the tower base when hulldown and so the gunner is not exposed to direct fire. The driver is located at the front of the vehicle and is next to the engine block, which might block the shot.

Behind the engine block is the ammunition storage, if hit from the front with SPAA rounds or some types of conventional rounds, the engine block will eat up (absorb and protect the rest of the vehicle) most of the shots, however, if shot from the side or from the front with HEAT, pure AP, APDS and APDSFS rounds, this usually ends in disaster as it will go through the engine and cause an ammunition explosion or destroy a majority of the crew, one-shotting the vehicle.

When played from a hull-down position with only the launcher exposed, this vehicle is practically immune to damage, however, crossing open areas may result in taking a hit, thus losing an engine, a crew member or resulting in an ammo-rack explosion.

Armor Composition

  • Aluminum Alloy 5083 - Main
  • Structural Steel - Front and Rear Fenders
  • Rubber-Fabric Screens - Fenders/Sideskirts
  • Gun Steel - Launcher
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 38 mm (45°) Upper Glacis

38 mm (26°) Lower Glacis

29 mm (45°) Engine Maintenance Hatch

44 mm Upper

32 mm Lower

38 mm 38 mm
Turret 10 mm All-Round Launcher

17 mm All-Round Launcher Supports

Cupola 20 mm 20 mm 20 mm 16 mm

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 70 17 11.8 301 404 25.51 34.24
Realistic 65 15 188 212 15.93 17.97

The mobility of the M901 is okay. The power-to-weight ratio is 17.45 HP/ton. The top speed for the M901 is 64 km/h, though there are not many circumstances you will reach these speeds. Offroad, the M901 will reach 20 km/h quite fast due to its high power-to-weight ratio and will reach its top speed of 38 km/h. In reverse it will easily reach -14 km/h, allowing you to get out of a bad situation.

This vehicle does not have neutral traverse, but still does turn quite fast.

However, the M901 suffers in traversing hills with high angles such as getting up the west side of point "C" on the El Alamein map. This does limit the ability of this vehicle to get to good positions without being spotted and fired upon.

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: BGM-71C I-TOW

The main weapon on the M901 is the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM. It has up to 630 mm of penetration at 0 degrees at any distance since it carries a HEAT warhead. The post penetration of this missile is not amazing and in some circumstances, a follow-up missile may be needed. The missile is a second-generation ATGM so it is mouse controlled. It travels at a speed of 296 m/s. Due to the fuze sensitivity of 0.01 mm, any bush, fence or object in the way will trigger the missile into detonation and the lack of a machine gun means that these obstacles will become quite a nuisance.

The turret can angle down 30 degrees, which means it can fire down from almost any mountain or fire horizontally even when standing on a steep cliff. It also does not have an arming distance, therefoe it an fire at tanks even in an immediate surroundings.

The vehicle is trying to put the launcher on the pad whenever it is moving, however, it is still possible to keep it unfolded by moving short distances at a time and stopping between them. Keep in mind that the vehicle will attempt to stow the launcher even when pushed by the enemy, making it impossible to shoot back, therefore all care should be taken to avoid such situations.

BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 10 (2 preloaded
in launcher)
-30°/+35° ±180° N/A 46.62 46.62 56.61 62.60 66.60 13.00 11.50 10.60 10.00
Realistic 31.50 31.50 38.25 42.30 45.00

Ammunition

BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM is a relatively potent missile, having above average penetration values and an excellent flight velocity. Its close Soviet counterpart, IT-1, has 21% lower penetration and 24% lower velocity, on the other hand RakJPz 2 (HOT) has 27% higher penetration, but 19% lower velocity.

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
I-TOW ATGM 630 630 630 630 630 630
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%
I-TOW ATGM 296 19.0 N/A 0.01 2,080 80° 82° 90°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M901

Ammo racks function in a somewhat weird way on the tank. The ammo counter when full will appear as 2/4, and so pre-match ammo selection will show as 5/5. It's due to the fact that a single ammunition load represents 2 missiles, with the first 2 loaded into the launcher at the start of the match.

Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
5 (+1) (+2) (+3) (+4) No

Usage in battles

Hull down

In a battle, this vehicle is best played hull-down, preferably behind a rock so that rounds won't dip and hit the main chassis, if this is not possible, try to find a ridge to hide behind or a depression in the terrain. Since your launcher is the only thing exposed, expect for your launcher to get hit and receive a 10-second repair. (Note for stock vehicles, you will still be able to fire). Some players will be smarter and will shoot HESH rounds at you, the splash damage will be enough to either hull-break or knock out the rest Since you only have 12 missiles (2 in the launcher, 10 stowed away) you will have to be patient and skilled at using this missile. If in the right hands, it is incredibly strong and can hold an important spot and single handily deny the enemy any chance of taking an area. This will reward you a large number of targets destroyed as well as gaining a large number of points from people shooting at you launcher.

However, there is a couple of issues. The launcher can only be deployed when stationary and has a deployment time before you are able to train the gun sights on the target and open fire. The reload also requires the launcher to traverse to the rear of the vehicle and further lengthening the reload. one way to combat this is to have the rear end of the vehicle to the target, therefore reducing the time taken to traverse the launcher back to the firing position.

SPAA duty

Apart from shooting at tanks, the ATGM can also be used on helicopters as there is no drop on ATGMs. If playing hull down, it might also be quite hard for helicopters to spot you, therefore making it a potent weapon against an enemy helicopter. Planes will be harder to hit as they will be moving at a faster speed.

Urban combat

The M901 does not fare too well in urban combat - due to the speed of the ATGM it is quite hard to readjust the missile direction in case of a miss and having to stop to fire the ATGM will result in an unpleasant experience. However, if you are forced to take this vehicle out in an urban environment, the best strategy will be to follow your teammates, hide behind cover and wait for your teammates to bait the enemy out.

Enemies worth noting:

  • M113A1 (TOW): this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with a much slimmer TOW launcher. The launcher only has 90 degrees horizontal rotation and 20 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains slightly worse than the M901. Also, its launcher has a very small profile meaning it is harder to spot so you must deal with the M113A1 (TOW) carefully. However, its gunner is fully exposed and is prone to being knocked out or detonating chemical shells. In a battle, your M901 and the M113A1 (TOW) might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Try to spot it first and fire at the gunner/launcher. Its gunner/launcher will detonate your missile and the shrapnel will splash down, killing all the crew or cause a hull break. But watch out for its 12.7 mm MG, it might damage your launcher or penetrate the hull in some cases.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts
II Suspension Brake System FPE
III Filters Crew Replenishment NVD
IV Transmission Engine Smoke grenade

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Uses pairs of I-TOW, designed for fast long-range attacks
  • Has the best launcher depression of all horizontal ATGM launchers in the game
  • If forced to participate in close quarters combat, can fire even point blank, although it may end up destroying itself in process
  • Tower is very tall, making it hard to exploit APHE and HESH to destroy the tank instantly when hull-down
  • Superior to export Italian version in almost every way possible
  • Has night vision and thermal sights

Cons:

  • Hits to the tower base can annihilate the tank, so it needs taller hull-down spots, than other carriers
  • While carrier is travelling, the launcher is put onto a pad on the back, and it takes about 3 to 5 seconds for it to deploy back, which means, any surprise attack on the tank will likely succeed with minimal resistance
  • Only reloads after second launched ATGM hit something, can't be ordered to reload just one missile or to cut off the leading early
  • Sniper scope is located in the launcher, so during reloading it moves together with the launcher, forcing the operator to keep watch on target with binoculars
  • Sometimes, just a bit short of firepower to penetrate tanks with heavy ERA or NERA plating in one hit (although in RB most of such tanks are your allies)
  • Repairs for the launcher can become quite frustrating and lose some opportunities to hit an enemy target

History

M901 in Germany during the Reforger "Central Guardian" 1985 exercise

M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) is a variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier introduced in 1979 as a highly mobile tank destroyer that could engage not only armored targets but also fortifications while offering maximum protection for the crew. The vehicle could be transported by air, parachute-dropped and ford water up to 1 meter deep with no preparation. Last vehicle of the series was produced in 1998, totaling 3,315 units built over the years.

It's called "improved" due to being an upgrade over the M113A1 with TOW launcher mounted instead of the standard M2 Browning for the chassis. Its SEI 901 TUA launcher was capable of rapid deployment, could accurately hit targets with the first missile and fire the second one as soon as the first impacted the target. It was reloaded manually within 40 seconds. That said though, it had to be stowed when moving above 5 mph (8 km/h) to avoid damage to the launcher. As a secondary weapon M901 carried 7.62 mm M60 machine gun operated by the gunner. A total of 10 missiles and 2,000 machine gun rounds were stored.

A number of variants of the M901 existed, notably:

  • M901 - equipped with first-generation TOW missiles, M113A1 chassis (in-game variant)
  • M901A1 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A2 chassis
  • M901A3 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A3 chassis

The in-game launcher uses the BGM-71C I-TOW missiles, which were the most advanced missiles available on the M901, featuring an increased range and an improved shape-charge warhead. The missile could be fired at targets up to 3,750 meters away, with an arming distance of 65 meters. Missile's average speed at the maximum range was 187.5 m/s.

Currently, the largest operators of the M901 ITV are Saudi Arabia (335 units), Greece (320) and Egypt (262), a total of 1313 units remains in operation between 10 countries.

Details of the M901 ITV in the A3 variant

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Other vehicles based off the M113 platform:

External links


USA tank destroyers
M10  M10 GMC
M36  M36 GMC · M36B2
T95  T28 · T95
M109  M109A1
ATGM  LOSAT · M901 · ADATS
Wheeled  M3 GMC · T55E1
Other  M8 HMC · M50 · M56
China  ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2)

USA squadron ground vehicles
M901