- Yes, as a TT vehicle
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- Yes, as a premium vehicle
- No
- 10.0 with DTW-2
- 10.3 with DTW-2
- 10.3 with DTC02-105
- 10.7 with DTW-2
- 10.7 with DTC02-105
- 11.0 with DTC02-105
- Battlerating higher than 11.0
- I am not interested in this vehicle
History
The NORINCO ST-1 was an export version of the ZBL08-modified wheeled assault gun. Unlike the relationship between the WMA301 and PTL02 however, the ST-1 features a redesigned turret at the rear, replacing the prior infantry compartment. In the 2000s and onward, China has secured a decent number of deals in South America, namely a deal with Venezuela, featuring VN1, VN16 and VN18 as well as WS long range MLRS systems. However, China has yet to develop a dedicated, customer-specific modification for the vehicles being served to South America.
One of the few photos of a ST-1BR
By early 2022, Brazil began seeking a new purchasement of a new batch of wheeled assault guns/tank destroyers, in a project named VBCCAV-MSR. For NORINCO, if the deal has been striked, would be the biggest export the company has made in South America in its history, and seeking to secure the deal, has developed the specifically modified ST-1BR tank based on the ST-1. The most notable feature here is the combat compartment has been refitted with a VT5 turret, a light tank for exports, highly similar but not a variant of the ZTQ15. Besides the improved turret protection, it also features the software alongside all of the features such as the fire control system, protection layout, and an autoloader.
Brazilian officers in China, examining the vehicle
The ST-1BR competed against the Canadian LAV-700AG, featuring a XC-8 turret on a LAV-700 chassis, and the Centauro II, refitted with an 105mm OTO-Melera gun and manual loading. The ST-1BR eventually lost to the Centauro II, namely due to the convenience of IVECO offering production lines in factories already working in Brazil, with other less relevant factors such as ease of logistics politics. However, the ST-1BR is still not as good as the Centauro II purely by looking at the statistics. Its transmission, protection and fire controls were somewhat inferior to the Centauro II.
Design
The ST-1BR features a rear-mounted turret similar to the ST-1, as opposed to the center-mounted turret on the ZLT11. The biggest difference and the unique selling point here is the VT5 turret: the VT5 is equipped with a tail-bin autoloader, and very rarely for a light tank, is further protected with blowout panels. The rate of fire of the VT5, like the ZTQ15, is said to be possibly from 15 rounds to 12 rounds a minute, reloading every 4 or 5 seconds. The turret of the ST-1BR is modified to host a low-recoil 105mm rifled gun, present on many export Chinese vehicles, with the aim to adapt 105x617R NATO rounds as well as domestic rounds produced by China. The VT5 features a gen II/III gunner thermal sight and a gen III commander NVD, which was proven to be the biggest shortcoming of the vehicle when compared to the Centauro II. The VT5 turret also features laser range finder, LWS, and smoke grenades slaving to LWS. Uniquely, the ST-1, as well as the BR modification, and the ST-3 are able to act as indirect fire support vehicles with their fire controls. Protection wise, the turret features armor plates that would result in circa 80mm of RHA equivalent when considering angles. It can be improved with FY-5 HERA, giving it over 300mm of kinetic resistance and 600mm of HEAT resistance, yet there are no proofs that the ST-1BR can do so.
The hull however, was largely unchanged, based off of the VN1 hence the ZBL08 chassis, the engine, NORINCO BF6M-1015CP, provides the vehicle with a 440 horsepower of mobility. With the new turret, the vehicle weighing 28 tons, would see a decrease of mobility. This however, should still be sufficient to propel the vehicle to a 100 km/h road speed. The transmission was largely unchanged, with the H-shaped transmission providing 9 forward gears and a reverse one. The protection of the hull would be rather sub-par, estimated to be on the level of level III/IV of NATO STANAG 4659, resistant to 23mm API-T rounds frontally, and 12.7mm BMG/DSHK from the sides. Given its role as a wheeled assault gun, it may still be acceptable to most customers.
Roles in war thunder
Currently, China seems to be developing a new generation of wheeled IFVs and subsequent tank destroyers. Before the said design would be realized, the ST-1BR would act as one of the top brass for Chinese wheeled tanks. With its 4-5 seconds reload, the vehicle would be able to quickly engage multiple armored targets on a flank, or provide fire support as a sniper tank. The shell is up for debate, the DYW-2 already in game on the ZLT11, with a 491mm pen at point blank vertical. The DTC02-105 was said to feature 600mm-ish point blank vertical using the Swiss formula, or deducing from the angled performance on export sources. Other rounds, such as the DTB-1 and GP105, would grant the vehicle abilities to provide support against low-altitude helicopters as well as engage enemies at long range.
Meanwhile the ST-1BR would not feature any outstanding protection like the radkampfwagen 90, it would surely be significantly better than the ZLT11, with the ability to resist autocannons frontally. Its mobility would however, be similar, and the biggest flaw in-game would still be the reverse and a rather large target profile over 3 meters tall. The sacrifice being a rear-placed turret reducing its viability in urban maps, but players of the Chinese tree would already be able to familiarize themselves with the PTL02 or WMA301.
Overall, with improving CAS additions over the recent two years, China would see an improved number of playstyle choices with a new wheeled tank destroyer. Even though most players in higher tier China would be reluctant to play around CAS due to undesirable performance, its potential as a flanker and scout still stands.
Specifications
Specifications(ST-1BR)
Crew: three(commander, driver, gunner)
Weight: 28 tons
Length: 9 meters
Width: 3.05 meters
Height: 3.5 meters
Engine: Norinco HuaChai BF6M-1015CP, with 440 horsepower at 2300 RPM
Road speed: up to 110 km/h
Operational range: 700 km
Gears: Nine forward, one reverse
Amphibious capabilities: none
Hydropneumatic suspensions: 370mm to 540mm off-ground, defaulted at 400mm
Armaments:
One 105mm ZPL98A rifled gun, with up to 30 rounds of ammo
Autoloader ready-rack: 16
One 7.62mm coax machine gun
One 12.7mm HMG for the commander or one 35mm AGL
Auxiliary devices:
LRF/LWS, with the ability to slave smoke grenades to the LWS
Six smoke grenades
Gen II/III gunner thermals
Gen III commander NVD
References
References list
https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/t/new-chinese-military-export-vehicles-thread.6148/page-40
NORINCO ST1 8x8 Wheeled Tank Destroyer (TD)
VBC Cav – ST1-BR, a proposta chinesa – Tecnodefesa
Brazilian army ditches Norinco ST1 and selects Italian-made Centauro II combat vehicle – Global Defense Corp
https://armyrecognition.com/airshow_china_2014_zhuhai_news_coverage_report_uk/the_new_chinese_st1_105mm_gun_8x8_tank_destroyer_armoured_vehicle_at_airshow_china_2014_1211141.html
遗憾出局！中国ST-1BR型轮式战车落选，意大利“人马座-II”拿下巴西大订单！ - 知乎
CIO Centauro II wins the Brazilian VBC CAV MSR 8x8 bid - EDR Magazine
