I’ve been grinding the British 8.7 lineup lately, and honestly, the Chieftain Mk.5 feels like it’s stuck in the past compared to its rivals. While tanks like the Chinese 59D1 , Soviet T-55AM-1 , and Japanese Type 74 dominate with laser rangefinders (LRF) and better mobility, the Chieftain struggles to keep up. Let’s talk about why adding an LRF to the Mk.5 isn’t just fair—I personally think it’s historically accurate and necessary for balance .
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The Chieftains (all of them) have completely incorrect engines and sounds.
They all also have incorrect armour thicknesses over the upper cast plate.
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I dont think the Mk5 had LRF unfortunately.
There might have been a variant of the Mk5 or something that did, but i’m not well read up on the Chieftains. It is one of the main upgrades for the Mk10 though.
Chieftain armour needs buffs, Its mobility is underperforming and they might be a tad too high of a BR, maybe better suited at 8.3.
But LRF unfortunately might not be an option for it unless you have sources for it
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Trust me, they can’t go to 8.3, 7.3/7’s suffer enough.
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Im not sure at this point, as chieftain marks are confusing, but we have a later variant of 5, that should have it iirc.
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Ranging machine gun and no MRS: what on earth suggests the Mk.5 in game is a later variant
and no I don’t think the Mk.5 needs a LRF, and tbh I don’t understand the obsession with them
Mk.3 upgrade.
it’s right there:
Production Mk.3 and 5 did not have LRF.
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T-55AM-1 literally fires an equivalent round.
Type 74 is limited to HEATFS.
And Chinese tanks tend to be under-BR’d.
In my opinion, most of the vehicles made by Gaijin, except for those used in World War II, are just stereotypical creations with similar appearances.
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1. Introduction of Laser Rangefinders on the Chieftain
Historical records state that in 1970 the Chieftain Mk.3/3 was upgraded with a Barr & Stroud LF2 laser rangefinder, replacing the conventional ranging gun. This upgrade made the Chieftain the first main battle tank to feature a laser rangefinder as part of its fire control system, significantly enhancing its engagement capabilities.
2. The Chieftain Mk.5 Upgrade
Later variants, including the Chieftain Mk.5, received similar upgrades during their mid-life modernization (sometimes designated as Mk.5/L). These modifications included not only improved engines and NBC systems but also the integration of laser rangefinding—confirming that both the Mk.3 and Mk.5 were historically equipped with laser rangefinders.
3. Supporting References
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According to the FV4201 Chieftain page on French Wikipedia, “en 1970, les Chieftain Mk.3/3 reçurent un télémètre laser Barr & Stroud LF2,” which translates to the Chieftain Mk.3/3 receiving the LF2 laser rangefinder in 1970. This makes it the first tank to be so equipped.fr.wikipedia.org
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Multiple forum discussions affirm that early Chieftains were upgraded with laser rangefinders as part of their IFCS (Improved Fire Control System) packages, and that later Chieftain variants (including the Mk.5) were modified to incorporate laser rangefinding.army-guide.com
The historical evidence shows that starting with the Mk.3/3 upgrade in 1970, and later through mid-life updates to the Mk.5, British Chieftain tanks were indeed fitted with laser rangefinders. Maybe we can wait for some upgraded Chieftains.
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the standard chieftain mk5 did NOT have a TLS. If we got a mk5p (Iraqi export cheiftain) that did have the TLS seen on the mk10.
not having a auto zeroing rangefinder isn’t the end of the world that low either, and the ranging gun is genuinely useful
Hello
If you have evidence historical evidence to support this, then please submit a report here with those sources: Community Bug Reporting System
LRFs are not added purely for balancing reasons. The vehicle needs to have had it historically for it to be possible in game.
Please also note that:
Wikpedia, 3rd party blogs / websites and encyclopedia sources are not accepted as sources, as they are generally very unreliable and susceptible to inaccurate information.
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