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TL;DR: A canceled, more lightly armed, variant of the BA-6M.
History:
Ever since their successful trial-by-fire in the First World War, armored cars have been a mainstay in any modern military. Their ability to move quickly while still retaining the possibility of carrying heavy armaments solidified them as valuable vehicles for various supporting roles. This led to their explosive development post-WWI, with most major nations dumping tons of time and money into research and development. On the Soviet front, this effort resulted in the BA-I and BA-27 designs, both based on preexisting military truck chassis to allow for easier construction and mass production. While the BA-I and BA-27s were both decent vehicles for their time, they were quickly becoming outdated thanks to their poor short 37mm armament. This would eventually lead to the BA-I being developed into the BA-3, which would feature a new 45mm gun mounted in a new turret, which was shared with other Soviet vehicles of the time. The BA-3 and BA-6 would see decent success in production, with 221 and 386 examples being built respectively. Despite this, the Soviets weren’t content with keeping the BA-6 around by 1937 and began development on its successor, which would take its first form in the same year as the BA-6M. This vehicle would actually reduce the overall armor profile with the addition of a new 10mm thick and smaller conical turret equipped with the same 45mm cannon as its predecessor. In addition to this, it would be fitted with the more powerful GAZ-M1 50hp engine. This would increase overall mobility but wouldn’t impact top speed by much, if at all. Weight was also reduced to below that of the original BA-6 as a result of the modernization; 4800kg vs 5120kg. At the same time, work on an even lighter development of the BA-6 was underway. It received the same upgraded engine and smaller turret of the BA-6M, however, instead of a 45mm cannon, it mounted a 12.7mm DK heavy machine gun, the direct predecessor of the 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun. The lighter armament and ammunition load would bring the weight down to 4300kg. This lighter version would receive the index BA-9 and was obviously not intended to fight other enemy armor. It’s far more likely to have been intended for anti-infantry, internal security, and point defense duties. Both the BA-6M and BA-9 would be approved for production, however, neither of them would actually see it in a big way. The BA-6M supposedly saw up to only 20 examples built and, although it was approved for a run of 100 vehicles, the BA-9 would not proceed past the two original prototypes of it due to a lack of DK machine gun production and an unwillingness to allocate ones already in service. Although the BA-9 would slip quietly into the cracks on Soviet armored car history, the BA-6M would go on to be the direct predecessor of the most mass produced Soviet armored car pre-1941, the BA-10. What happened to the BA-9 prototypes is unknown, however, it is said that one was sent to Moscow and the other to Leningrad. It is possible that both were lost in the intense fighting in the respective cities and then scrapped without knowledge or consideration for their rarity.
Place In War Thunder:
The BA-11, while not the best early armored car, is very well liked among those who have it due to it offering an experience not found in the tech tree. Although the BA-11’s very limited production run of only 17 vehicles led to it being a premium event vehicle in War Thunder, there’s a still quite a few early Soviet armored cars that could see a place in the tech tree. Even though its approval for production was cut short, the BA-9 would make for a decent reserve in a potential Soviet wheeled/armored car line should Gaijin update the UI to support additional lines. The DK HMG with its high ROF and decent penetration combined with the mobility and surprising survivability of the BA chassis could easily result in a deadly shredder if left unaccounted for. Playstyle would be similar to the American M2A2. The main differences would be a larger profile, thinner armor, and lower top speed, traded for a few extra millimeters of penetration. While the lower top speed would be a noticeable drawback, the larger profile could easily work to your advantage as your crew is spread further apart and thus could result in fewer crew killed if you position your hull correctly. This would work in tandem with your thinner armor, preventing many rounds from fusing in the first place. Of course, the BA-9 is not a vehicle to be used in direct confrontation. You’d want to stick to positions that show you the sides of your enemies and have easy escape routes so your DK can do work and you can disappear. Out of sight and out of mind will be your main philosophy. As previously stated, the BA-9 would fit in perfectly as a reserve for a wheeled line, however, due to its non-mass produced nature, it could easily see addition in more limited ways like a reward for a holiday mini-event.
Specifications:
Armament: 12.7mm DK HMG and 1x 7.62mm MG
Dimensions: 4.65m, 2.30m, 2.15m (L,W,H)
Weight: 4300kg
Armor: 6-10mm
Crew: 4
Ammunition: Same as GAZ-AA (DShK) in-game,
Speed: 53~kph
Horsepower: 50hp
Pictures:
Front View:Rear View:3/4th View:
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA-3/6
The BA-3, BA-6, and BA-9 Armored Car
Soviet BA-3 and BA-6
Автомодельное бюро: БА-9
Средний бронеавтомобиль БА-9
Броневики Ижорского завода - Магазин МасШтаб