Meet the AS90, a self-propelled howitzer with a 155 mm gun coming to Great Britain’s ground force tree to bolster lineups and bring some fun!
AS90: A Tank Destroyer (self-propelled howitzer) for Great Britain at Rank IV
At a glance:
- 155 mm L31 howitzer gun
- Explosive ammunition (HE, HE-VT)
- Excellent rate of fire!
Vehicle History
In the 1970s, Great Britain, Germany and Italy were looking to replace their aging self-propelled howitzers. They created a project together called the SP70. The project was going poorly and British engineers decided to work on their own howitzer in parallel. Once the SP70 had failed due to not meeting requirements, the AS90 project received requirements and funding from the MoD. These vehicles were built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering and first entered service with the British Army in 1992, with 179 purchased, replacing the the FV433 Abbot and M109.
The AS90 was first used by the British Army in Bosnia and Kosovo in 1993 as part of NATO peacekeeping missions in the Yugoslav Wars. AS90s were also used in 2003 during the Iraq War.
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Introducing the AS90!
Today we’re talking about the heavily requested AS90 self-propelled howitzer, coming to the game in the next major update. Featuring a large 155 mm artillery gun, quick rate of fire and excellent ammunition choices, the AS90 is set to be a fun addition to British lineups. Let’s dive deeper into what this machine is all about!
Did you know? “AS90” stands for “Artillery System for the 1990s”.
Like many other self-propelled howitzers in War Thunder, the AS90 features a beefy 155 mm L31 cannon that reloads fast: it can fire 3 rounds in 10 seconds, after which the reload speed reduces to 6 rounds per minute (10 seconds per shot). As with all vehicles with the 155 mm gun, the AS90 can fire a standard HE round which will be your main choice against enemy tanks. It can also fire HE-VT for use against aircraft though if you want to give that a try!
The AS90 can reach a top speed of 55 km/h on paved surfaces. While not the best top speed, it still allows this vehicle to get into favourable positions in relatively good time.
As with all self-propelled howitzers, the AS90 has a large turret that is exposed to incoming fire. Thanks to a crew of 6, survivability is not too bad, but any well-placed shot into the turret will knock out most of the crew or hit some ammo, detonating the vehicle.
That’s the AS90 done! This self-propelled howitzer brings Great Britain some cool domestic 155 mm fun, perfect to fit into several ground lineups. Until it’s added, make sure to check out other dev blogs that are due to come your way soon!
Please note that the vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before being added to the game.
You can kick-start and greatly speed up the research of the AS90 with these packs:
Echoes of Overlord Pack
This pack includes:
- Sherman VC Firefly (Rank III, Great Britain)
- A30 “Avenger” (Rank III, Great Britain)
- Crusader III AA Mk II (Rank III, Great Britain)
- Premium Account for 15 days
- 1000 Golden Eagles
Pre-order - Vickers GBT155 Pack
This pack includes:
- Vickers GBT155* (Rank IV, Great Britain)
- Pre-order bonus: unique “Big Ben” title
- Pre-order bonus: unique “Keep Calm and Fire First” decal
- Premium account for 7 days
- 1000 Golden Eagles
*available after the next major update.
