An improved Japanese Type 81 SAM System with multiple vehicles is coming in the Leviathans major update for Japan!

Tan-SAM kai: An SPAA (SAM) for Japan at Rank VIII

At a glance:

• One fire control vehicle and two launchers!
• Two types of missiles: ARH and IR
• High speed
• Very large in size, with no armor

Introducing the Tan-SAM kai!

The new mechanics of Multi-Vehicle SAM Systems will significantly increase the combat capabilities of the Type 81(C) system, a familiar vehicle if you’ve progressed through the Japanese ground forces tree. Today we’re presenting a newer Tan-SAM kai system, consisting of a radar vehicle and two launchers, plus an arsenal of new missiles, one of which includes an active radar homing seeker (ARH). Let’s get right into it!

In the Leviathans major update for War Thunder, the Tan-SAM kai comes to the game using the brand-new Multi-Vehicle SAM System mechanic! It features three vehicles — a target acquisition and designation system (TADS) with a radar, and two missile launchers. This new vehicle solves one of the main problems with the Type 81 (C), which was its inability to detect air targets, thanks to the TADS vehicles. There are two types of missiles that the launchers are able to fire, including the familiar all-aspect Type 81C that has an IR head, photocontrast channel, good overloads and and jamming immunity, plus a new missile with an active radar homing head (ARH).

As we spoke about in the Multi-Vehicle SAM System blog, most of these new vehicles will be considered fully destroyed when the radar vehicle is lost — but the Tan-SAM kai is different! This is because the launcher vehicles can operate autonomously, without target designation from the radar vehicle — when the radar vehicle is destroyed or the radar has been turned off, then target designation for the ARH missiles is no longer possible. Despite this, you can still try to launch missiles towards a target in the hopes that the enemy will fall into the locking area of the homing head, as the Tan-SAM kai possess the “Maddog” ARH missile launch mode! Let us explain — when the missile is launched in the direction of a suspected enemy target, the missile may (or may not!) lock onto whoever is in the direction of flight and will go after them, including allied aircraft. Yeah, we can see how this one is going to work out! Make sure to be careful when using these missiles when you no longer have a radar vehicle or have turned off the radar.

The three vehicles that the Tan-SAM kai consists of are built on the chassis of a three-axle Isuzu Type 73 army truck. This truck has good driving abilities and can accelerate to almost 100 km/h. As you might have seen, the Tan-SAM kai is a large vehicle, making it vulnerable to attacks from the ground and air, plus there’s no real armor at all. When you spawn in, it would be a logical idea to place the vehicles at some distance from each other so that you avoid being taken out all at once.

That’s all for now! We’re waiting for the Leviathans major update to come out, and are getting ready to use Multi-Vehicle SAM Systems ourselves. Keep an eye out for more blogs and see you soon!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

You can greatly speed up the research with these packs:

Kick-start your Japanese vehicles research with this pack:

You can greatly speed up the research of the Tan-SAM kai with this pack: