WMA301

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VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
WMA301
cn_wma_301.png
GarageImage WMA301.jpg
WMA301
AB RB SB
8.7 9.0 9.0
Purchase:8 730 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

The WMA301 is a premium rank VI Chinese light tank with a battle rating of 8.7 (AB) and 9.0 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Red Skies".

Based on the same WZ551 chassis as the ZSL-92 APC and the PTL02 assault gun, the WZ301 is an export-only vehicle of Mainland China made by the NORINCO Factory 256 at Chongqing. The most noticeable differences from the PTL02 are the newly-designed welded turret that somewhat resembles the ZTZ96A in terms of the arrowhead shape, and the replacement of the original 100 mm smoothbore gun with a standard 105 mm rifled gun. This assault gun saw service in different African countries and in Myanmar, serving as a quick-response assault gun for the buyers and a fast-moving addition to their inventory.

Anyone familiar with the PTL02 can adjust to the WMA301 easily. It is a very similar vehicle for the most part, the main difference lying in its armament. The 105 mm rifled gun has a similar ammunition selection to the T-69 II G with a new addition being the GP105 gun-launched ATGM. The WMA301's APFSDS is less potent that the PTL02's top round, but it has access to a proximity fused HE round for fending off helicopters and a powerful tandem-warhead ATGM for defeating heavy targets, making it a very versatile vehicle. With good positioning and situational awareness, the WMA301 can contribute in almost any situation.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull10 / 8 / 6
Turret30 / 20 / 15
Crew5 people
Visibility136 %

Both the WMA301 and its cousin the PTL02 share the very same WZ551 chassis, the WMA301 only having very slight modifications to the fighting compartment. So the WMA301 shares the same flaw of being very lightly-armoured hull: avoid anything with a HMG or any autocannon vehicles (including aircraft) at all costs, because it is very likely you will not have a second chance to return fire and knock the enemy out. On close inspection, it can be seen that WMA301's hull armor uses high-hardness armour in some areas instead of standard RHA, but considering that the plates are still identically thin to the PTL02's, the improvement in protection is negligible.

Also, its overall height is still high, so it will easily be spotted by enemies albeit with the combination of thin armour and large, empty volume will occasionally frustrate enemies firing subcalibre rounds. Penetration is essentially guaranteed, but minimal spalling is created and a hastily aimed shot may not catch many crew members or important modules in the line of fire. On the other hand, HE shells with a high explosive mass will often transmit shockwaves into the vehicle's interior and knock out the crew with overpressure damage. Other chemical rounds like HEAT and HESH might inflict overpressure damage but with a much lower probability. Bombs, rockets, and artillery shells are similarly dangerous.

The WMA301's turret is slightly more resilient than the PTL02's from the front. The turret face is made of high-hardness RHA and the arrowhead shape leads to greater sloping. This does not make a significant difference in practice; at best, it might shrug off some light autocannon fire at a distance.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • High-hardness rolled armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 10 mm (33°) Driver viewport glacis
10 mm (78°) Upper Glacis
10 mm (40°) Lower Glacis
8 mm (25°) Top
10 mm (6°) Bottom
8mm (27°) Wheel wells
6 mm (4°) Upper plate
6 mm (48°) Lower glacis
10 mm (12°) Front glacis
6 mm Driver hatch
6 mm Centre
Turret 30 mm (54°) Upper turret front
30 mm (30°) Lower turret front
30 mm (0°) Gun mantlet
20 mm (21°) Frontal
20 mm (4°) Rear
15 mm (5°) 10 mm (12°)
10 mm (13°) Centre
Cupola 10 mm (cylindrical) 10 mm

Notes:

  • 5 mm structural steel storage boxes covering the turret rear
  • Lower hull sides, driver viewport glacis, lower glacis, driver's compartment cupolas, rear turret side armor, rear hull armor, and turret front consist of high-hardness RHA
  • Gun mantlet consists of cast homogeneous armour
  • Wheels are 10 mm thick

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB95 / 8 km/h
RB and SB85 / 8 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
1 back
Weight19.0 t
Engine power
AB611 hp
RB and SB320 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB32.2 hp/t
RB and SB16.8 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 95 8 19 496 611 26.11 32.16
Realistic 85 8 283 320 14.89 16.84

Since the WMA301 is essentially a PTL02 with a different turret, the whole power train and the suspension system are totally the same as the latter, powered by the same Deutz DBF8L413F and ZF 5S-111GPA transmission, so they share the same top speed at 85 km/h and the subpar reverse at -7 km/h. Surprisingly, it has the same weight as the PTL02 despite the new features.

Like its domestic cousin, to make the most out of the good top speed, it will need to navigate on hard terrain (roads, urban surfaces) for best results. If players must be used on hilly and soft terrain maps, try your best not to get stuck since the lack of mobility will absolutely be the death sentence of this vehicle.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB2 568 Sl icon.png
RB2 706 Sl icon.png
SB3 145 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts730 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 000 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 780 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 120 / 160 / 200 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 214 / 214 / 214 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new wheels.png
Tires
Mods new car suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement cn.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_china_HE_VT_ammo_pack
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_TYPE83_HESH_ammo_pack
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods airstrike.png
Airstrike
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_china_ATGM_ammo_pack
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods tank ammo.png
105mm_china_APDS_FS_ammo_pack
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD
Mods scout streak.png
Scout UAV
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Mods scouting.png
Improved optics
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder

Armaments

Laser rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.
Thermal imager
Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

105 mm WMA301 cannon
Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition30 rounds
First-order12 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
8.7 → 6.7 s
Vertical guidance-4° / 18°
Main article: WMA301 (105 mm)

Since the WMA301 is an export vehicle and the compatibility to mainstream ammunitions is essential, it chose a 105 mm gun as its main armament; based on the ZPL94 gun found on T-69 II G but with lower recoil. It can fires both NATO and NORINCO's 105 mm ammunitions ranging from HEATFS to APFSDS, as well as HE-VT rounds.

105 mm WMA301 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 30 -4°/+18° ±180° Two-plane 24.8 34.3 41.6 46.0 48.9 8.71 7.70 7.10 6.70
Realistic 15.5 18.2 22.1 24.4 26.0

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
Type-83 HEAT HEATFS 400 400 400 400 400 400
DTB-1 HE-VT* 21 21 21 21 21 21
Type-83 HESH HESH 127 127 127 127 127 127
GP105 ATGM (tandem) 750 750 750 750 750 750
Type-83 APDS APFSDS 337 335 330 322 314 306
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%
Type-83 HEAT HEATFS 1,173 11 0.05 0.1 1,270 65° 72° 77°
DTB-1 HE-VT* 825 16.2 0 0.1 1,660 79° 80° 81°
Type-83 HESH HESH 730 15 0.05 0.1 4,310 73° 77° 80°
GP105 ATGM (tandem) 370 18.8 0.2 0.1 4,620 80° 82° 90°
Type-83 APDS APFSDS 1,455 3.79 N/A N/A N/A 78° 80° 81°

During the late 1990s, Mainland China has acquired 100 mm gun-launched ATGM technologies from Russia, so the WMA301 also comes with a powerful GP105 tandem ATGM which owners of T-55AM-1 may find familiar. The good travel speed and high TNT equivalent are identical to the Soviet 9M117 Bastion, but it now has a tandem warhead and higher penetration. GP105's whopping 750 mm of penetration it can take down practically anything it will ever meet at its BR. This is less than the ZBD86's HJ-73E ATGM, but still more than generous - even high-tier Soviet behemoths like the T-64B or T-72B, featuring ERA and strong composite armour, can be defeated by GP105. As a beam-riding missile, GP105 is immune to IRCM and can be guided on the move if necessary.

The Type 83 APFSDS round is the same as found on the ZTZ59D1 and shares all traits of it, which is still sufficient for its BR but it might struggle when it faces Russian MBTs with higher protection at longer ranges. For example, a fully spaded T-72A with the add-on armour can be difficult to penetrate outside of the standard Soviet weak spots of the driver's port and lower glacis, whereas the PTL02's DYW PT86-100 round can penetrate the T-72's hull quite easily. The APFSDS is still the best all-purpose round since it has a high muzzle velocity and is a kinetic projectile that will not be disrupted by bushes, fences, and contemporary ERA.

The Type 83 HEAT-FS round is nothing special, only having very slight improvements over the Type 1973 HEAT-FS used by the PTL02. Against most targets it is simply less useful than the APFSDS. HESH rounds have low penetration and poor ballistics, successful impacts creating wide but shallow sprays of spalling. The HEAT-FS and HESH rounds are generally obsolete, as their only advantages over the APFSDS are their ability to cause overpressure damage through their explosive content, but the aforementioned GP105 can perform the same role as well; in fact, GP105 has a higher TNT equivalent than both the HEAT-FS and HESH. Using HESH rounds as an last-ditch option to knock out hull down vehicles by splashing turret roofs might occasionally be viable.

Last but not least is the DTB-1 HE-VT round, seen previously on the T-69 II G. Although it is useful to deal with helicopters or low-flying aircraft in very shallow dives, this should be done with caution since anything that flies is the last thing the WMA301 wants to face. For anti-helicopter duties, locate the target using the WMA301's thermal sights, lase them with the laser rangefinder, and fire the round with enough lead to catch them comfortably within the proximity fuse radius. Keep in mind that DTB-1 has a rather low muzzle velocity and it is difficult to hit helicopters that are moving unpredictably and/or staying at long range. Actual aircraft are difficult to hit since the WMA301 doesn't have as much gun elevation as a proper SPAA. Serious anti-air duties are best left to the WZ305 or PGZ09.

Ammo racks

Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
30 __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __

Machine guns

Ammunition600 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
6.5 → 5.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Vertical guidance-6° / 85°
Ammunition1 000 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate700 shots/min

The turret-mounted 12.7 mm QJC88A HMG has already become the standardized HMG for most PLAGF vehicles after the 1990s and this exported assault gun was no exception. The main usage of the HMG is to deal with lightly protected vehicles and low-flying aircraft including helicopters. It can also effectively damage gun barrels, tracks, optics, MG, and ERA to assist teammates in destroying enemies, though this may require a lot of fire. Players who dealt with the paltry 50-round belt capacity of the 12.7 mm DShK machine guns of previous PLA vehicles will be happy to know that the QJC88A has a much more generous 150-round belt capacity.

The 7.62 mm MG, on the other hand, is only useful in clearing obstacles such as fences, marking out enemy positions on the minimap, or knocking out exposed crew on certain vehicles (eg. M113 TOW). It lacks the penetration to pierce through even lightly armoured vehicles.

12.7 mm QJC88A
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 500 (150) 700 -3°/+60° ±180°
7.62 mm Type 86
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 800 (250) 700 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Like its domestic cousin, the WMA301's main advantages lie in its mobility and gun sight.

With its 85 km/h speed, flanking is the key to avoid any direct fire from pretty much any vehicle armed with at least a heavy machine gun. Because of the negligible protection found on this vehicle, take all precautions and avoid rushing into direct fire at all costs, you will not have the luxury of having the second chance to return fire. Being one of the slowest wheeled assault guns in the game, taking vantage points might not be possible considering the inferior top speed that only gets worse in off-road situations. The thin armour and poor reverse speed punish poor positioning, so think carefully about what spots allow the WMA301 to spot and engage enemies without being overly exposed to incoming fire. Complicated terrains are problematic for this vehicle and it tends to do better in urban combat. Any aircraft is a lethal threat, with either guns or rockets, so keep away from their sight. Use smoke grenades to mask your position if there are no buildings or other forms of large cover to hide behind. Helicopters in particular will have an easy time spotting and destroying the WMA301, so do not attract their attention and make use of the heavy machine gun, gun-launched ATGM, and as a last ditch, HE-VT if they get very close.

Whatever the situation, APFSDS and ATGM are a must for the WMA301 and they come with the tank as it is a premium vehicle. The Type 83 APFSDS can handle most targets at its BR and anything else with ERA or strong composite armor can be dealt with by the ATGM. With the same 2nd generation thermal gunner's sight and a laser rangefinder found on the PTL02, being a mid-field runner for hit-and-run attacks or staying behind and sniping careless targets are both viable roles for the WMA301.

Enemies worth noting
  • Rooikat, Centauro, M1128: these wheeled vehicles perform a similar flanking role on the battlefield. Therefore you will often encounter them while flanking or on your way to flank. These vehicles are generally faster, both forwards and backwards, have better gun depression or better optics/ammo, so they may already be at a cap point before you. If this is the case, ambush around their location and passively hunt them down, as the WMA301's rather slow acceleration and bad reverse prevents it from being offensive in terms of mobility. The Rooikat lacks thermal sights, making it easier to spot and destroy preemptively. The M1128 has an unmanned turret, good thermal sights for all crew members, and slat armour that occasionally interferes with HEAT-FS rounds. A well placed APFSDS round to the turret or crew compartment may be able to knock them out instantly, but if they survive, a follow-up ATGM's 4.62 kg of TNT equivalent should be able to finish the job.
  • AMX-10RC: a contemporary French 6x6 wheeled light tank armed with a 105 mm gun, APFSDS rounds, and thermal sights for the gunner. The AMX-10RC has a rather low profile compared to other wheeled tanks and can be a dangerous sniper. Unlike the other wheeled vehicles mentioned previously, the AMX-10RC does not have any sort of gun stabilizer. Try to attack it when it is on the move and cannot shoot accurately.
  • Gepard, Type 87, M3 Bradley, BMP-2, etc.: these vehicles are fast and armed with fully-stabilized autocannons that will very easily rip through the WMA301. Keep a safe distance and try to ambush them.
  • Dardo, M3A3 Bradley: these IFVs can sling a pair of powerful top-attack TOW-2B ATGMs that can easily destroy the WMA301 even if it is hiding behind cover. The TOW-2B also has 4.10 kg of TNT equivalent and a 3 meter proxmity fuse, which is very bad news - the operator only needs to send a TOW-2B in the WMA301's general location to trigger lethal overpressure damage. The Dardo is particularly dangerous since it does not need to deploy its launcher before firing and has a very quick autocannon that can mow down the WMA301 down in a heartbeat. If these IFVs are on the field, hang back and be very cautious, only attacking when they are distracted. If they become aware of your position, immediately deploy smoke grenades and retreat as quickly as possible behind tall terrain features.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Deadly 105 mm cannon with high velocity, adequate rate of fire and great accuracy
  • Gen 2 gunner thermal greatly enhances search-and-destroy ability
  • Various ammunition: from APFSDS to unique HE-VT to gun-launched tandem ATGM
  • Competitive top speed on hard surfaces
  • Roof-mounted HMG is lethal against helicopters and light vehicles (eg. M113)
  • 2 salvos of smoke grenades provide helpful concealment
  • Turn radius is quite small for a wheeled vehicle, beneficial in urban areas
  • Has laser rangefinder to assist long-range shooting

Cons:

  • Abysmal reverse speed of only -7 km/h, is fatally slow for a wheeled vehicle
  • Poor agility on soft surfaces like mud, sand and snow
  • Poor gun depression
  • Bouncy suspension, hard to aim when driving on rough terrain
  • Extremely thin hull armour, can be easily penetrated by MG like M2HB
  • Tall profile, easy to get spotted and shot at
  • APFSDS is less powerful at longer ranges (>2,000m) and will struggle to penetrate well-protected tanks (eg. T-62M-1, T-72A)

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.


China light tanks
Type 63  Object 211 · Type 63 · ZTS63
Type 62  Type 62
WZ551  PTL02 · WMA301
ZBL08  ZLT11
Type 86  ZBD86
WZ502  ZBD04A
ROC  M41D · M64
Type 59  QN506
USA  ␗M8 LAC · ␗M3A3 Stuart · ␗M3A3 (1st PTG) · ␗M5A1 · ␗M24 · ␗M18 GMC · ␗M41A3
USSR  ␗T-26 · T-26 No.531 · ␗PT-76

China premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  T-26 No.531 · ␗M3A3 (1st PTG) · ␗M41A3 · M64 · WMA301
Medium tanks  ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · T-34-85 No.215 · Т-62 №545 · ZTZ59A · Type 69-IIa · T-69 II G · ZTZ96A (P)
Heavy tanks  IS-2 No.402