- Yes
- No
Hello again, in this suggestion we’ll be having a look at a system that is exceptionally rare for France, the VAB TA.23 which is armed with both missiles and guns.
From the start, this SPAA was intended as a product for the export market, specifically Egypt was seen as a potential buyer for it. That intention is important to know, because it has influenced the further development, but also the most curious fact about this vehicle.
It is based on the VAB chassis, a chassis well-known for its flexibility. It came in 2 main variants, a 4x4 and a 6x6 variant. They shared almost everything except for an extra pair of wheels. The 6x6 variant was especially useful for operations on soft surfaces, as the 6x6 configuration had a lower ground pressure and thus better mobility on surfaces such as soft sand. It is still powered by the same 220hp engine which allows it to reach a top speed of 92 km/h on land.
As far as the weapon system goes, this is where it gets interesting. It is basically a SANTAL system with 2 guns strapped to it, these guns however, are not a French type, they are the 23mm 2A14 cannons. As the 2A14s a mass-produced and rather common cannon to find on SPAA systems, it was a rather safe bet to develop a turret with this armament. For many possible customers, the cannon and ammunition would already be in their inventory, thus lowering the adoption hurdle for the system. Earlier prototypes of the TA.23 feature an armament combining the 23mm cannons with a set of 6 Mistral missiles, but as development continued, specifically with Egypt, these would eventually be replaced with the Egyptian Sakr Eye instead. The container of the Mistral itself was also still undergoing development, which, in combination with the switching of the missiles themselves, explains differences in the look of the missiles above the guns between pictures.
Of course, a system of this era could not just be shooting blind, it also featured a radar. The set in question is the RA20S, a well-known system already present in-game on vehicles such as the Stormer AD. This is a search and track radar which allows the user to both spot and track incoming targets, helping guide the guns to get a good firing solution.
The VAB TA.23 would not end up being adopted by Egypt, but this was not the end of the road of the system as a whole. Development of the turret continued until it was eventually finalized with the Sakr Eye missiles and mounted on top of an M113 chassis to become the Sinai-23. In that form it would eventually be adopted into Egyptian service.
Characteristics:
- Crew: 4 (driver, gunner, commander, loader)
- Weight: roughly 14 tons
- Engine: Renault MIDS six-cylinder, liquid-cooled supercharged diesel engine providing 220hp.
- Maximum speed: 92 km/h
Weapons:
- 2x 2A14 23mm cannons
- 6x Mistral OR 6x Sakr Eye
In-game:
The VAB TA.23 Mistral possess a unique niche that no other french vehicle is able to fill. It’s the only SPAA that has both guns and missiles equipped. While it might not have the sheer power of a 35mm SPAA, it trades that off for a larger amount of ready-to-fire missiles. This vehicle would be a very welcome addition at 9.7 to offer a more flexible SPAA system to the lineup beside the Roland. The 23mm gun also features armour piercing rounds with up to 51mm of penetration, allowing the vehicle to actually attempt to offensive tank on tank action as well, something the Roland can hardly do.
Despite not filling a gap in a BR range, I do feel like this vehicle fills a capability gap, one that most other trees already have filled. It would be nice if France doesn’t fall behind on this one.
As far as gameplay goes, there’s no other french spaa that really offers anything similar right now. You have the speed and mobility of the SANTAL but you’re not forced to hide at all times. This can allow its users to pick their positions more aggressively, allowing more unexpected angles to shoot planes down from.
