Overview

Weapon accuracy for the SPH-2 depends entirely on the figures entered into the cannon. Gunners receive six dedicated instruments within the sighting display: the tilt dial, MIL scale, compass box, bearing tape, minimap, and map cursor readout. Every tool displays a separate metric, and their levels of precision vary. This reference details the data and resolution of every dial, presents a complete firing sequence, and reviews methods for correcting off-target rounds.

Dual Arcs

Targets situated between approximately 1,181 m and 2,629 m can be engaged using two distinct trajectories. Ranging between 20 and roughly 600 mils, the low trajectory delivers shells along a flat, rapid path. Operating from approximately 610 up to 1,390 mils, the high trajectory follows a steep, slower flight. Select the low trajectory when engaging mobile objectives or whenever short shell transit times are necessary. Employ the high trajectory when lobbing rounds over obstacles such as ridges, walls, or other cover. For distances spanning 780 m to 1,181 m, only the high trajectory can attain the objective.

Sight Instruments

The main map features a text readout positioned right next to the targeting crosshair. Coordinates appear in the format of x98.99 y50.77. Because a single map unit equals 100 m, both decimal positions represent individual metres. A reading of x98.99 denotes 9,899 m east, while y50.77 indicates 5,077 m north. Resolving down to 0.01 units or 1 m, this coordinate readout provides the greatest precision of any onboard instrument. Crews reference this display to obtain precise x and y values for both the artillery piece and the target when calculating bearing and range.

A square display situated in the lower-left portion of the interface functions as the minimap. Oriented with north at the top, the display places the vehicle marker directly in the middle. This map view also appears directly within the SPH-2 gun sight. On a 2560x1440 resolution display, each pixel across the minimap corresponds to approximately 1.48 m. The marker extends toward the muzzle, with its elongated axis projecting away from the dark dot to indicate the hull compass direction. This hull orientation aligns with the compass within a 2° margin.

Running along the upper boundary of the sighting view is the bearing tape. Graduation marks are spaced at intervals of 3°. At increments of 15°, each fifth hash mark appears elongated and carries a numeric label. The value positioned beneath the sight centerline marks gun aim and allows reading to one tenth of a degree. Gunners should rely on this specific gauge when aligning their weapon.

Positioned in the upper center of the view is the compass box, presenting integer heading values such as 353 N. This indicator underreports orientation relative to the bearing tape by roughly 1.3°. Across a sample of 23 frames, this discrepancy was documented at 1.28°. In testing, ten rounds laid using the compass box impacted approximately 1.3° rightward of the mark. Gun crews should avoid referencing this read-out during final targeting. Direct weapon laying through the bearing tape instead.

Along the right side of the optic sits the MIL scale, configured as a vertical sliding bar. Hash divisions are placed at gaps of 10 mils. Current cannon elevation corresponds to the numeral intersecting the broken center index. Marks positioned above the dashed index represent reduced mil settings, whereas marks beneath it signify elevated mil quantities. Actual tube elevation equals the displayed dial figure combined with 16.8 mrad (roughly 0.96 degrees). Because internal game logic factors in this correction automatically, operators enter the listed dial figure without calculating additions. Rather than gauging angle over the true horizon, the MIL scale measures turret elevation specifically relative to the chassis. When positioned across flat terrain, chassis inclination matches the horizon plane, making both readings identical. While resting on inclined surfaces, the scale ignores chassis slant, with analysis revealing no automated game routine that compensates mil angles for hull pitch.

Visible at the base of both driver and gunner views, the tilt dial depicts an armored vehicle symbol flanked by two seven-division scales. Flanking indicator arrows shift vertically in unison with chassis pitch, sliding upward whenever the vehicle front inclines skyward. Chassis roll is indicated by the tilt slant of the horizontal bars. Each single division mark on the pitch gauge reflects roughly 7°. Since this metric derives from observations taken on an individual incline, operators should regard it strictly as an approximation. In addition, the gauge indicates how far the turret has rotated relative to the chassis. Subtracting turret rotation angle from the sight bearing yields the true heading of the vehicle hull.

Fire Mission

  1. Coordinate acquisition. Determine map coordinates for the firing position and the intended objective. Bring up the full map screen and place the pointer directly over the friendly vehicle marker. Record the numerical x and y values presented in the cursor readout. Next, drag the pointer onto the designated strike zone and note down those respective coordinates.

  2. Ballistic calculation. Calculate the required range along with the azimuth. Subtract gun location from target coordinates to find the delta offsets across x and y. Multiplying straight-line Euclidean distance between both coordinates by 100 converts the measurement to metres. Azimuth corresponds to the degree angle calculated clockwise relative to true north. To illustrate, deploying an artillery unit at x 10.00 y 20.00 targeting x 22.00 y 36.00 yields dx = 12 alongside dy = 16. This separation equals 20 map units, representing an effective distance of 2,000 m. The resulting firing direction measures 36.9°.

  3. Profile selection. Select the preferred ballistic profile. Deploy the low trajectory against mobile targets or when minimizing travel time is paramount. Switch to the high trajectory when lobbing projectiles past ridges, walls, or surrounding terrain cover.

  4. Chassis stabilization. Engage chassis stabilization whenever terrain conditions permit. Locking the chassis requires 2.0 s, whereas disengaging the lock takes 1.0 s. Engaging stabilization requires a nearly stationary vehicle (speed not exceeding 0.1) situated on terrain sloping no more than 20 degrees. During active stabilization the vehicle remains immobilized, and main gun fire is inhibited throughout state transitions. Experiencing a sufficiently severe collision cancels the locked state.

  5. Bearing traverse. Rotate the turret toward the computed azimuth. From the gunner station, slew the mount until the target heading sits squarely on the middle of the bearing tape. Rely exclusively on the tape scale rather than the compass box.

  6. Sight elevation. Adjust the main gun elevation. Find the specified mil angle for your distance on the ballistic table, aligning that figure with the center marker of the MIL scale. Apply elevation compensations as detailed later if elevation differentials exist or if the chassis sits at an incline.

  7. Shot observation. Discharge the round and track its flight. Firing the Expensive round activates a tracking perspective that trails the projectile during transit. Pinpoint the point of detonation across the map and evaluate impact crater offset from the objective. Operators can execute minor mid-air guidance corrections with the Expensive projectile (using an input scale of 0.02). In contrast, no flight steering capability exists for the Standard ammunition type.

  8. Elevation adjustment. When using low-angle trajectories, increasing mil elevation extends projectile impact distance. Conversely, raising mil elevation on high-angle trajectories reduces overall flight range. Modify elevation in small increments before sending subsequent rounds downrange.

Spotting Corrections

Utilize the onboard camera of the Expensive munition to observe terminal impact. Track the descending shell and locate the newly formed crater on the tactical chart. Contrast the impact site with target coordinates to determine distance divergence and directional deviation. The majority of errant artillery strikes stem from three primary factors.

  • Height variance. Standard ballistic charts presuppose that the cannon and objective share identical altitude levels. Elevation differences between artillery and objective cause rounds to fall either short or beyond the mark. Against an objective approximately 100 m above the battery, three recorded test rounds struck within roughly 20 m. Apply altitude compensation whenever possible, or reposition the vehicle to match target height.

  • Chassis inclination. Because the MIL dial measures relative to the chassis and tests showed no game mechanic integrating vehicle pitch into elevation calculations, parking on slopes leaves tilt uncompensated. When analyzing actual impact recordings, manually factoring the tilt dial pitch into dialed elevation cut median deviation roughly in half, dropping from 59 m to 34 m. Positioning the vehicle on completely flat ground provides the most straightforward solution. Deploying vehicle outriggers secures the chassis without altering the orientation of the gun tube.

  • Compass discrepancy. Readings taken from the compass box sit approximately 1.3° below the bearing tape. Shells directed via this compass indicator impact roughly 1.3° laterally off target. Laying the gun via the bearing tape eliminates this source of error entirely.

The cannon mechanism exhibits high mechanical repeatability. Consecutive rounds fired under identical dial configurations landed within roughly 4 m of one another, with dispersion never exceeding 12 m. When impacts consistently cluster in the wrong area, erroneous sight settings are at fault rather than weapon spread, requiring gunners to correct dials rather than firing identical solutions.

Sources

  • Official WARDOGS Community Wiki: Aiming the SPH-2 (CC BY-SA 4.0)