Strv 104

Description

The Stridsvagn 104 were the last serving Centurion in the Swedish Army, in 1983-1987 where 80 of the oldest Strv 102 were to go through another renovation that were in dire need of modernization to extend their service. Strv 104 were upgraded with a new diesel engine and gearbox which would greatly improve the maneuverability of the vehicle. Along with that came many features inspired by an American-Israeli modified hull, which were designated Panturion, that proved to be superior to the British modifications. All 80 selected Strv 102 would go through the renovation assigned to Hägglunds & Söner AB in Örnsköldsvik. These improvements were worth-while for the Swedish Army, the new improvements increased the efficency of maintenance, making it easier to maintain the tanks in the field. These changes extended the service life but they would be phased out for the Strv 121 in the mid 1990's, all the remaining Strv 104 were then redeployed to Gotland where they would serve till late 90's early 2000.

It was introduced in Update "Raining Fire" to improve the line up for the small Swedish tech-tree, Strv 104 have a similar playstyle to the Centurion's but are more familiar to the Israeli Sho't. An improved vehicles equipped with ERA bricks giving it an improved protection against HEAT ammunition mainly, but also improved engine giving it a greater maneuverability around the terrain on the different maps. Strv 104 also comes with the improved APFSDS Slpprj m/80 giving it a greater penetration at range compared to the older APDS Slpprj m/66 improving its lethality against well armoured vehicles and gives it the ability to engage hostiles at further range where the Strv 104's armour have a better chance to be efficent, But can still easily be knocked out by vehicles T-72A, AMX-32 or Merkava's.

General info

Survivability and armour

Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.

Armour type:

Notes:

Mobility

The top speed of the Strv 104 is 13 km/h (8 mph) higher than the Centurion Mk 10.

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Strv 104

Notes:

• Ammo rack 5 is a ready rack. It has a capacity of 6 projectiles.
• Full reload speed will be realized as long as shells are available in the ready rack 6. If the ready rack is empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-4 into rack 5. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
• The ammo rack depletion order is: 6 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5.
• Ammo racks on the floor are emptied by removing the most left top shell in a rack.
• Packing 17 (+31) shells creates a relatively safe layout for front engagements without excessive risk of ammo explosion.

Machine guns

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• ERA provides some protection against HEAT-FS, but will do nothing to stop APFSDS and little to stop most ATGMs
• The front compartment is now a fuel tank instead of an ammo rack, removing a weakness present in most Centurions
• Has an unlockable APFSDS shell which can deal with pretty much anything it faces

Cons:

• Armour is the same as the Centurion Mk 10, but must face against stronger enemy ammunition
• APFSDS is a tier 4 modification
• Atrocious mobility when stock, and even with all engine upgrades it is still slower than the vast majority of its contemporaries

History

During the 80s, it was found necessary to do something about the oldest Centurions in Swedish service, which were mostly worn out. The decision was therefore made to let 80 of the Strv 102s undergo a chassis modification in the period 1983-1987. In order to find out what type of powertrain should be chosen, a tank had been sent over to Vickers in England where it was fitted with a diesel engine and the same type of gearbox as in the Chieftain. It underwent comparative testing with a Centurion chassis procured in 1977 from Israel. This turretless tank was fitted with a powertrain assembled in Holland, a Continental diesel engine of the same type as in the M60 "Patton" and an Allison automatic transmission.^[1]

The American-Israeli concept proved superior to the English one, which the Swedish army ordered as an upgrade for eighty selected tanks. With the 1983-1987 upgrade of the older tanks to a configuration that received the designation Stridsvagn 104, the technical life was extended to the year 2000.^[1]

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Strv 104 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

See also

Related Development

• Strv 81
• Strv 101
• Strv 105

External links

• [OINTRES.SE] Strv 81/101/102/104 Centurion (Swedish)

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Lindström, Rickard O. 2014. "Strv 81/101/102/104 Centurion." ointres.se. Last modified September 20, 2014. Website (Archive)