We’re happy to present to our players the first South African armoured vehicles as a separate branch of the British tech tree. Meet the Olifant Mk1A, a heavily modified South African variant of the Centurion Mk3 and Mk5 main battle tank, developed in the late ‘70s as a means to modernize the fleet of Centurion tanks in South African service.

Olifant Mk1A, main battle tank, Great Britain, rank VI

Pros

• Excellent firepower
• Improved mobility

Cons

• No advanced armor

In War Thunder, the Olifant Mk1A will be a new main battle tank arriving at the top ranks of the British ground forces tree as part of the brand new South African subtree, coming to the game with the release of the “Ixwa Strike” major update. Combining features found on some of the later Centurion models as well as the familiar Sho’t Kal Dalet premium tank, the Olifant Mk1A offers its aspiring commanders a well rounded combat vehicle, bound to soon become a staple of any British tanker’s high tier lineup!

At a distance, tankers could be forgiven for mistaking the Olifant Mk1A for the Centurion Mk.10 as both vehicles share a great deal of visual similarities overall. Apart from the visual similarities, both vehicles also feature a near identical weapons arsenal - in the case of the Olifant Mk1A this being the GT-3 105 mm rifled cannon, a South African modification of the well-known L7 cannon. Retaining the signature high rate of fire and superb ballistic properties, the GT-3 cannon also allows tankers to fire a wider assortment of subcaliber and chemical munitions, including powerful APFSDS and HEAT-FS rounds!

Furthermore, one area in which the Olifant Mk1A offers a major upgrade over the standard British Centurion models is mobility. Namely, unlike its British relatives, the Olifant Mk1A is equipped with a 750 horsepower Continental diesel engine, allowing the vehicle to reach a much higher top speed of 45 km/h on roads, while also managing to get up to 15 km/h in reverse. In this regard, the Olifant Mk1A offers similar levels of improved mobility as the Sho’t Kal Dalet, already familiar to some tankers.

However, while tankers will certainly welcome the improvements to mobility, it’s also worth noting that the Olifant Mk1A doesn’t feature any upgrades in protection compared to the later Centurion versions. As a result, and as most seasoned Centurion commanders are aware of, the Olifant Mk1A won’t particularly excel at close quarter brawls as its armor, while not thin, can’t reliably shield the crew and vital components from the powerful ammunition types fired at high tier battles. To that extent, tankers will be better off using the Olifant Mk1A as a second line support vehicle in more urban or long range marksman on wide, moren open battlefields. Either way, the fantastic cannon and good mobility allow tankers to perform well in both roles.

The Olifant Mk1A is arriving to higher ranks of the British ground forces tree as part of the South African subtree with the release of the “Ixwa Strike” major update coming soon. In the meantime, stay tuned to the news to learn more about all the exciting new additions awaiting you in the upcoming major War Thunder update. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

The War Thunder Team