Difference between revisions of "TAM"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
The '''Tanque Argentino Mediano''' or '''TAM''' (English: ''Argentine Medium Tank'') is an Argentine medium tank (classified as a light tank in-game) introduced into the [[:Category:Germany ground vehicles|german tech tree]] in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to 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 the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg ‎|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (shortened to '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''', English translated as: ''Argentine Medium Tank'') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tanks {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].
 +
 
 +
It's arguably the best BR 8.7 tank that Germany has to offer, with slightly better mobility than the A1A1 and the ability to scout. The minimal armour and hullbreak detract from it though. Similar to the A1A1, it shares a horrible stock grind against the hordes of new 8.7 premiums, but holds its own very nicely once APFSDS is unlocked.
  
 
== 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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
The armour is composed of welded steel, providing protection up to 32 mm.
  
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
The front can defend against 12.7 mm machine gun ammo, but the side armour is only proof against standard machine guns of 7.62 mm. However, most enemies that can be faced will usually have a 12.7 mm machine gun or larger in their possession, making it so even a burst of bullets could riddle the TAM with holes. With this in mind, take caution when flanking a tank with a disabled gun to get a side shot, as you can easily lose a few crew members to machine gunfire. This becomes less of an issue after unlocking the APFSDS round when side shots are rarely as necessary.
 +
 +
The TAM also is hull-breakable, and so rounds that hit have a chance of instantly destroying the vehicle.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
 +
! rowspan="2" | Game Mode
 +
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristics
 +
! colspan="2" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
! colspan="2" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
! {{Annotation|Max Speed|Maximum Speed (km/h)}}
 +
! {{Annotation|Weight|Vehicle Weight (tons)}}
 +
! {{Annotation|AoA Weight|Add on Armour Weight (tons)}}
 +
! Stock
 +
! Upgraded
 +
! Stock
 +
! Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
! Arcade
 +
| 83 || rowspan="2" | 30.5 || rowspan="2" | N/A || 1116 || ____ || 36.59 || __.__
 +
|-
 +
! {{Annotation|Realistic|Simulator uses Realistic FMs}}
 +
| 75 || 637 || ____ || 20.89 || __.__
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Mobility is not bad, with a max of 75 km/h (RB) on the road in forward and -50 km/h in reverse. Off-road mobility is quite average, especially on flat terrain, but there is a poor steering response.
  
 
== 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 flexibilty 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.''
+
<!--''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|FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)|105 mm FMK.4 Modelo 1L]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 50 || -7°/+18° || ±180° || Two-plane
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 22.8 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 14.28 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 8.7 || 7.7 || 7.1 || 6.7
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
=== Additional armament ===
+
===== Ammunition =====
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| DM13|| APDS || 303 || 302 || 296 || 277 || 257 || 252
 +
|-
 +
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
 +
|-
 +
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
 +
|-
 +
| DM23 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| DM13|| APDS || 1,478 || 4.00 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 75° || 78° || 80°
 +
|-
 +
| DM502 || HESH || 730 || 14.85 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 4,310 || +0° || 73° || 77° || 80°
 +
|-
 +
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.50 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,270 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
 +
|-
 +
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || ? || 78° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Ammunition
 +
! Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! ''Screen radius <br /> in m''
 +
! ''Screen time <br /> in s''
 +
! ''Screen hold time <br /> in s:''
 +
! ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
|-
 +
| M416 || 730 || 11.4 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
 +
{{main|FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
The TAM is equipped with two machine guns with a total of 4,000 rounds.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 2,000 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 2,000 (200) || 60 || -__°/+__° || ±__°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== 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 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).''-->
 +
The TAM could be played as an assassin, scout, or as a support vehicle on the battlefield. This variety of role is capable due to the powerful 105 mm cannon with an ammunition variety akin to the [[Leopard A1A1]], at the same time the thin armour prohibits any head-on combat which encourages fighting behind the front lines or from the flanks. Keep an eye out as an enemy that can be faced will be able to destroy the TAM if they so much as get a bead on with their armaments.
  
== Usage in the battles ==
+
The best way to use the TAM is to exploit the scouting ability to mark enemies on the map, then call in friendlies to do the heavy fighting against them. While the team keeps the enemy busy, take pot shots with the 105 mm to also pick off the enemy as their attention is diverted from the TAM.
''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 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 ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize 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 - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
*
+
* Good firepower for such a light vehicle
 +
* Very accurate gun, lands rounds with pinpoint accuracy
 +
* Faster and more manoeuvrable than the Begleitpanzer 57
 +
* Wide variety of ammo - APFSDS, APDS, HEAT-FS, HESH, and smoke shells
 +
* Unlike other tanks, the gun doesn't bounce at high speed - very good stabilizator
 +
* Commander's machine gun has a very high elevation limit, letting you shoot at planes and helicopters passing by
 +
* Little armour sometimes lets you survive AP shots as they pass through the tank without dealing much damage
 +
* Absurdly fast traverse and elevation rates
 +
* Turret is on the back, by reversing out of cover, you don't expose the whole vehicle
 +
* First ammo rack has more than enough shells for a battle
 +
* Cheap repair cost
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
*
+
* Very thin armour providing little to no protection
 +
* Ammunition price is quite high (APFSDS shells are 600 Silver Lions each), each round fired from the TAM is much more expensive than the same shell from a Leopard A1A1
 +
* Impossible to depress the gun when facing backwards
 +
* Difficult stock grind due to incredibly high module costs
 +
* Turret is on the back, in some situations, you will have to expose the whole tank to shoot, especially if you need gun depression (engine deck stops the gun from depressing)
 +
* Unlike other German tanks, {{PAGENAME}} does not have a great zoom capability (just x8.00)
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an 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></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''-->
 +
During the 1960s, Argentina was looking far and wide for offers to update its ageing fleet of WW2-era tanks. After obtaining some vehicles, the U.S. refused to make further vehicle sales. This forced Argentina to shift their attention towards the European market, resulting in the purchase of a number of French AMX-13s and its variants.
 +
 
 +
In 1973 however, the Ministry of Defense drew up a set of requirements for a completely new combat vehicle that would be produced domestically and would to enter service by 1980. Despite knowing what they wanted, Argentinian engineers lacked the technical know-how in order to actually design and produce such a vehicle. Faced with this problem, the Argentinian government sought collaboration with a foreign company in order to design and build the vehicle they wanted. Eventually, a contracted was signed with the German Thyssen-Henschel company, a joint development effort soon ensued.
 +
 
 +
The TAM (Tanque Argentino Mediano, eng: Argentinian Medium Tank), as it would be designated, was based off the German Marder IFV and equipped with a modification of the British, the Royal Ordnance L7A3 cannon that was produced in Germany. The first two prototypes of the TAM were built in 1976 and 1977 respectively and underwent extensive testing over the course of two years.
 +
 
 +
After successfully passing testing, the TAM was put into mass production in 1979. The vehicles were armed with FMK.4 Modelo 1L cannons, which was a domestic licensed copy of the original German cannon. The government ordered 200 vehicles of the IFV variant. However, economic difficulties resulted in the order being only partially fulfilled before production was restarted later on. Argentina was also very keen on exporting the TAM to other countries, but despite interest and some contracts being signed, the TAM was never widely exported for various reasons.
 +
 
 +
A total of around 280 TAMs were built and most of them still serve in the Argentinian army, albeit with upgraded equipment. The TAM was never deployed in any combat operations to this date.
 +
 
 +
''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5740-development-tam-replacing-the-old-guard-en Devblog]''
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!--''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''-->
 +
[[File:TAM.jpg|thumb]]
  
== Read 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.''
  
''ETC.''
+
== External links ==
 +
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''encyclopedia page on tank;''
 +
* ''other literature.''-->
  
== Sources ==
+
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5740-development-tam-replacing-the-old-guard-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> TAM - Replacing The Old Guard]
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5714-development-tam-and-m247-sergeant-york-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> TAM and M247 Sergeant York]
  
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
+
{{Germany light tanks}}
* ''other literature.''
 

Revision as of 14:34, 6 February 2020

VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
germ_thyssen_henschel_tam.png
TAM
AB RB SB
8.7 8.7 8.7
Class:
Research:160 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:450 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage TAM.jpg


The Tanque Argentino Mediano (shortened to TAM, English translated as: Argentine Medium Tank) is a rank VI German light tanks with a battle rating of 8.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.81 "The Valkyries".

It's arguably the best BR 8.7 tank that Germany has to offer, with slightly better mobility than the A1A1 and the ability to scout. The minimal armour and hullbreak detract from it though. Similar to the A1A1, it shares a horrible stock grind against the hordes of new 8.7 premiums, but holds its own very nicely once APFSDS is unlocked.

General info

Survivability and armour

The armour is composed of welded steel, providing protection up to 32 mm.

The front can defend against 12.7 mm machine gun ammo, but the side armour is only proof against standard machine guns of 7.62 mm. However, most enemies that can be faced will usually have a 12.7 mm machine gun or larger in their possession, making it so even a burst of bullets could riddle the TAM with holes. With this in mind, take caution when flanking a tank with a disabled gun to get a side shot, as you can easily lose a few crew members to machine gunfire. This becomes less of an issue after unlocking the APFSDS round when side shots are rarely as necessary.

The TAM also is hull-breakable, and so rounds that hit have a chance of instantly destroying the vehicle.

Mobility

Game Mode Mobility characteristics Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Max Speed Weight AoA Weight Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 83 30.5 N/A 1116 ____ 36.59 __.__
Realistic 75 637 ____ 20.89 __.__

Mobility is not bad, with a max of 75 km/h (RB) on the road in forward and -50 km/h in reverse. Off-road mobility is quite average, especially on flat terrain, but there is a poor steering response.

Armaments

Main armament

105 mm FMK.4 Modelo 1L
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
50 -7°/+18° ±180° Two-plane
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 22.8 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__
Realistic 14.28 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
8.7 7.7 7.1 6.7
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
DM13 APDS 303 302 296 277 257 252
DM502 HESH 127 127 127 127 127 127
DM12 HEATFS 400 400 400 400 400 400
DM23 APFSDS 337 335 330 322 314 306
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
DM13 APDS 1,478 4.00 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 75° 78° 80°
DM502 HESH 730 14.85 0.4 0.1 4,310 +0° 73° 77° 80°
DM12 HEATFS 1,173 10.50 0.0 0.1 1,270 +0° 65° 72° 75°
DM23 APFSDS 1,455 3.79 N/A N/A N/A  ? 78° 80° 81°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Screen radius
in m
Screen time
in s
Screen hold time
in s:
Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
M416 730 11.4 20 5 25 50

Machine guns

The TAM is equipped with two machine guns with a total of 4,000 rounds.

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
2,000 (200) 600 N/A N/A
Pintle mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
2,000 (200) 60 -__°/+__° ±__°

Usage in battles

The TAM could be played as an assassin, scout, or as a support vehicle on the battlefield. This variety of role is capable due to the powerful 105 mm cannon with an ammunition variety akin to the Leopard A1A1, at the same time the thin armour prohibits any head-on combat which encourages fighting behind the front lines or from the flanks. Keep an eye out as an enemy that can be faced will be able to destroy the TAM if they so much as get a bead on with their armaments.

The best way to use the TAM is to exploit the scouting ability to mark enemies on the map, then call in friendlies to do the heavy fighting against them. While the team keeps the enemy busy, take pot shots with the 105 mm to also pick off the enemy as their attention is diverted from the TAM.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good firepower for such a light vehicle
  • Very accurate gun, lands rounds with pinpoint accuracy
  • Faster and more manoeuvrable than the Begleitpanzer 57
  • Wide variety of ammo - APFSDS, APDS, HEAT-FS, HESH, and smoke shells
  • Unlike other tanks, the gun doesn't bounce at high speed - very good stabilizator
  • Commander's machine gun has a very high elevation limit, letting you shoot at planes and helicopters passing by
  • Little armour sometimes lets you survive AP shots as they pass through the tank without dealing much damage
  • Absurdly fast traverse and elevation rates
  • Turret is on the back, by reversing out of cover, you don't expose the whole vehicle
  • First ammo rack has more than enough shells for a battle
  • Cheap repair cost

Cons:

  • Very thin armour providing little to no protection
  • Ammunition price is quite high (APFSDS shells are 600 Silver Lions each), each round fired from the TAM is much more expensive than the same shell from a Leopard A1A1
  • Impossible to depress the gun when facing backwards
  • Difficult stock grind due to incredibly high module costs
  • Turret is on the back, in some situations, you will have to expose the whole tank to shoot, especially if you need gun depression (engine deck stops the gun from depressing)
  • Unlike other German tanks, TAM does not have a great zoom capability (just x8.00)

History

During the 1960s, Argentina was looking far and wide for offers to update its ageing fleet of WW2-era tanks. After obtaining some vehicles, the U.S. refused to make further vehicle sales. This forced Argentina to shift their attention towards the European market, resulting in the purchase of a number of French AMX-13s and its variants.

In 1973 however, the Ministry of Defense drew up a set of requirements for a completely new combat vehicle that would be produced domestically and would to enter service by 1980. Despite knowing what they wanted, Argentinian engineers lacked the technical know-how in order to actually design and produce such a vehicle. Faced with this problem, the Argentinian government sought collaboration with a foreign company in order to design and build the vehicle they wanted. Eventually, a contracted was signed with the German Thyssen-Henschel company, a joint development effort soon ensued.

The TAM (Tanque Argentino Mediano, eng: Argentinian Medium Tank), as it would be designated, was based off the German Marder IFV and equipped with a modification of the British, the Royal Ordnance L7A3 cannon that was produced in Germany. The first two prototypes of the TAM were built in 1976 and 1977 respectively and underwent extensive testing over the course of two years.

After successfully passing testing, the TAM was put into mass production in 1979. The vehicles were armed with FMK.4 Modelo 1L cannons, which was a domestic licensed copy of the original German cannon. The government ordered 200 vehicles of the IFV variant. However, economic difficulties resulted in the order being only partially fulfilled before production was restarted later on. Argentina was also very keen on exporting the TAM to other countries, but despite interest and some contracts being signed, the TAM was never widely exported for various reasons.

A total of around 280 TAMs were built and most of them still serve in the Argentinian army, albeit with upgraded equipment. The TAM was never deployed in any combat operations to this date.

- From Devblog

Media

TAM.jpg

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


Germany light tanks
Pz.II  Pz.II C · Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.II C TD · Pz.II F · Pz.Sfl.Ic
Sd.Kfz.234  Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 TD
Marder  Marder A1- · Marder 1A3 · Begleitpanzer 57 · DF105
  PUMA
Wheeled  Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41) · Class 3 (P) · Radkampfwagen 90
Other  Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS
Argentina  TAM · TAM 2C · TAM 2IP · JaPz.K A2
Czechoslovakia  Pz.35(t) · Pz.38(t) A · Pz.38(t) F · Pz.38(t) n.A. · Sd.Kfz. 140/1
France  Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK
Lithuania  Vilkas
USA  leKPz M41
USSR  SPz BMP-1