- Yes, as a tech tree vehicle
- Yes, as a premium vehicle
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- Yes, as a squadron vehicle
- No, I would not like to see the Vickers MBT Mk.7/2 in game.
History
The Vickers Mk.7/2 was an update to the familiar Vickers Mk.7 tank developed for export by, well, Vickers. Before the concept fell out due to the German ban on exporting Leopard 2 technology, Vickers was keen to attract sales and stay ahead of the proverbial curve. While the Vickers Mk.7 was a good start, only when refined into the final iteration of the Universal Turret concept did the Vickers Mk.7, now Mk.7/2, become world-class and cutting edge. So, what changed?
Outwardly, it’s obvious that the Mk.7 turret got a glow-up to become the Mk.7/2. The armor profile was revised, with the lower turret cheeks toned down significantly and the gun mantlet revised with larger turret face coverage. The stabilized periscopes on the turret roof got slimmed down a little bit, but it’s unclear if it was simply a change to the optics’ housing or a switch to a new optic system. Either way, the tank was equipped with two stabilized sights on the roof: for the commander, the French SFIM VA 580-10 with laser rangefinder, and for both the commander and gunner, the Philips UA 9090 second generation thermal imaging sight. The gunner had a 10x zoom telescopic optic with a laser rangefinder as well as a periscopic optic which is seen above and to the side of the gun mantlet buried into the armor. Finally, the smoke grenade launchers went from two banks of five to two banks of six and were moved to the turret rear, resting on the now-integrated Chobham side armor.
It’s unclear whether the Mk.7/2 was created during the Mk.7’s life span or after the export deal on the hulls had fallen through. The Mk.7/2 is known to have gone through firing trials at Lulworth, but other than that, information is scarce. As we know, neither the Mk.7 nor Mk.7/2 were able to be exported, though the technology from these projects was incorporated into the design of the turret of the Brasilian Osório main battle tank - another failed project. Don’t feel too bad, though - Vickers still had success with the Challenger and Challenger 2.
Why it should be added to War Thunder
The Vickers Mk.7/2 is a logical follow-on to the Vickers Mk.7. The idea for this suggestion came to me when I was thinking about what vehicles could be placed after the Mk.7 since the Challenger 2E was put in the leftmost tech line. In terms of firepower, mobility, and nearly everything you could care about, the Mk.7/2 would be identical to the Mk.7, but the armor layout on the turret would be superior, depending on how it’s implemented. The optics are an interesting puzzle to tackle in terms of the game’s systems. However, both this and the Vickers Mk.7 would/should have Generation 2 thermal sights for the gunner, since the thermal gunner sight in the gunner view is actually based on the roof optic, which is second generation.
Another option for its implementation, to give it more flavor and make it more attractive as a follow-on, would be to equip it with the Rh120 L/44 cannon, which reportedly had a ready rack of nine rounds when installed in the Universal Turret. While it doesn’t ever appear to have been fitted, it was fully compatible, and this would address one of the Mk.7’s major deficiencies, that being the Challenger’s ready rack coupled with a Leopard 2 reload.
Specifications
Vickers MBT Mk.7/2
Crew: 4
Weight: 55 tonnes
Engine: MTU 873 twelve-cylinder diesel engine (1,500 hp)
Max Speed:
- Stated: 70 km/h (43.5 mph)
- Actual: 80 km/h (49.7 mph)
Power/Weight Ratio: 27.3 hp/tonne
Armament:
- Primary: Royal Ordnance L11A5 120 mm cannon (35 rounds). - 10 / + 20 gun elevation angles
- Secondary: Hughes 7.62 mm chain gun coaxially mounted
Armor:
- Armor is much of the same as the Vickers Mk.7, though the profile of the turret has been revised.
- Turret front/sides: Chobham over welded steel
- Turret rear: steel
- Hull front: steel and composites
- Hull sides/rear: steel
Additional Equipment
- SFIM VA 580-10 commander’s sight
- Two-plane stabilized
- Laser rangefinder
- Zoom: x2 - x10
- Philips UA 9090 commander’s/gunner’s sight
- Two plane stabilized
- Second generation thermal imaging (625 lines)
- Two-plane gun stabilizer
- Gunner: laser rangefinder, x10 zoom optic
- 2 x 6 smoke grenade banks
Pictures
Sources:
