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IT-1, the Soviet Missile Tank

The IT-1 was the first and last fully missile-equipped tank in the USSR whose missile armament was its primary offensive power. As a means of destroying enemy armoured vehicles, the IT-1 (Istrebitel’ tankov pervyj, EN: Tank Destroyer One) has fifteen ZM7 ‘Drakon’ anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

The IT-1 was based on the T-62 main battle tank, but the chief designer L. N. Kartsev installed a missile launcher for ATGMs in the cast turret instead of a classic tank gun. In 1968, the vehicle was put into series production with the aim of reinforcing Soviet Army divisions in critical armoured approach routes from potential opponents. As a result, 110 IT-1 tanks were produced up to 1970, most of which served in battalions near the western border of the USSR.

The tank’s hull is solidly armoured: the T-62 base and semi-spherical cast turret create good sloping angles for the armour plates that in many cases protect the missile tank from being destroyed by the first hit. For our IT-1 model, we completely recreated the T-62 chassis and the complex reloading animation of the ATGM launcher – check out how the mechanism works in our video.

The IT-1 will be a top-range vehicle in the Soviet SPG line. The T-62 chassis allows the tank to be among the first to take advantageous positions on the battlefield, and to quickly change its position in the heat of battle. The vehicle has no cannon, but its powerful second-generation ATGMs can destroy any target with one direct hit on a critical section of the opponent. The tank’s ammunition complement of 15 missiles is enough for intensive combat both in a breakthrough and in an ambush.

The IT-1 awaits you in the Soviet armour hangar in War Thunder 1.59 "Flaming Arrows", and it has every chance to become a hugely popular tank in high-rank battles. See you on the battlefields of War Thunder.