War Thunder: First look at the FV4030/3 

The FV 4030/3 is the main event reward for the 'Enter the Serpent' event', which is ongoing in War Thunder. With the event coming to an end in a few days, it is time to look at how the tank can perform in the game. As you all know, it is a highly modified Chieftain tank and was later used as the basis for designing the Challenger 1 series of tanks for the British Army.

This article will briefly discuss the history of the FV 4030/3 and then talk about what it can bring to the game.

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War Thunder: A brief history of the FV 4030/3

The FV 4030/3 is also known as the Shir 2 (Image via Gaijin Entertainment)

The FV 4030/3 was a highly modified Chieftain tank with a newly designed hull and turret. It was designed for the Imperial Iranian Army as the Shir 2. Since the Imperial Iranian Government collapsed in 1979, no orders were received for the FV 4030/3 and it was eventually developed into the Challenger 1.

The new features that the FV 4030/3 had, like the redesigned turret and the Chobham composite armor, were used further to develop the Challenger 1. This is why the Challenger 1 and the Shir 2 look so similar.

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How will the FV 4030/3 perform in War Thunder?

The Shir 2 lacks mobility like most high-tier British tanks (Image via Gaijin Entertainment)

The FV 4030/3 plays very similarly to the Challenger Mk.2. However, the armor is a little weaker, and you do not get access to thermal sights. This can become an issue as the tank sits at Rank VI, Battle Rating 9.7. If you move up in tiers, most tanks you face will have thermals and shells that can easily kill you.

The 120 mm rifled cannon is excellent at taking out anything you face. With an Ace crew, you can bring your reload speed down to 5 seconds, which will make it even better for you to fight in urban environments. The gun can fire the L23 APFSDS, as well as APDS, HESH, and smoke rounds.

However, the biggest downside of this main battle tank is its mobility. Although it can reach a max speed of 56 kmph, its acceleration is very slow. This is because the tank weighs over 62 tonnes but only has a 1200 HP engine. However, an advantage of its mobility is that you can reverse at a speed of 37 kmph. This will come in handy if your gun gets knocked out and need to disengage quickly.

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Overall, the FV430/3 is a decent addition to the British tech tree in War Thunder. Also, if you do not want to keep it, you can grind out the Coupon Upgrade for the vehicle and sell it on the Gaijin Market.

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Check out more articles on War Thunder:

• Best beginner nation explored
• Endgame nations tier list
• Cross-platform features explored