VCAC Mephisto

* Default
* Magic

## Crew

* Commander
* Driver
* Gunner
* Loader

The **VCAC Mephisto** is a Tier 8 progression Tank Destroyer under Francine De Laroche's dealership.

## History

Class: Tank Destroyer

Developed: 1980s

Service: 1990+

Vehicles Built: 177

Operators: France, Qatar, Cyprus, Lebanon

The Mephisto name officially stands for “Module Elévateur Panoramique HOT Installé Sur Tourelle Orientable” but let’s face it; in reality, someone just really wanted to have a vehicle called Mephisto and had to justify it somehow. Either way, it is an anti-tank version of the ubiquitous French VAB AFV.

The AFV itself is a rather unremarkable product of the 1970s but its roots lie deep in the 1960s when the French decided that their infantry units would be equipped with both tracked APCs (resulting in the AMX-10P) and wheeled ones. Two companies competed for the future light wheeled AFV project, now called VAB (“Vehicule de l’Avant Blindé”), Panhard and Renault. Between 1972 and 1973, several prototypes of 4-wheeled and 6-wheeled vehicles were built by both companies and in May 1974, the 4x4 version by Renault was officially accepted in service under the designation VAB. Its mass-production started in 1976. Several thousand of them were built between 1976 and 1993 both for France (3.975 vehicles in various configurations) and for export, which included a 6-wheel variant.

One of the variants produced both for France and for Export was called VCAC (“Véhicule de Combat Anti-Char” – Anti-Tank Combat Vehicle) and was fitted with the Euromissile Mephisto turret armed with four HOT missiles. This was a dedicated tank killer, replacing the troop-carrying capacity with a massive loading system.

It is unclear as to when the production of this vehicle started, when it ended and how many were made. Various sources suggest that the vehicle is still in service in France (scheduled to be replaced by another platform in the next decade) with some 135 made for the French. Qatar allegedly operates 24 of these, Cyprus has 18 and around a dozen originally French vehicles were sold recently to Lebanon. The VAB itself participated in a large number of peacekeeping missions (wherever the French were involved) and the Mephisto allegedly participated in Operation Desert Storm.

## Vehicle Traits

* Unmanned Turret: This vehicle features a remotely-controlled or low-profile turret that receives reduced damage.
* Missiles Only: This vehicle is only armed with anti-tank guided missiles or unguided rockets, making it only viable in mid-to-long-range combat, since both are often difficult to aim at short distances.
* Missile Salvo: This vehicle may fire multiple ATGMs or unguided rockets in a short period of time, potentially overwhelming enemy defenses such as the APS.
* Stealthy: This vehicle does not lose any camouflage when moving at any speed, which is handy primarily for scouting.
* Complete Smoke Cover: This vehicle fires its smoke launchers in all directions to provide complete concealment.

## Upgrades

### Armor

VCAC Mephisto Stock Armor
 This vehicle's light armor offers basic protection from autocannons and machineguns.

### Weapon

**Stats:**

* **Magazine Type**: Clip
* **Magazine Size**: 4
* **Reload within Magazine**: 3.00 s
* **Burst Fire Rate**: 20.00 rd/min
* **Depression/Elevation**: -5.0° / 5.0°

## Abilities

**Description:**Temporarily improves your vehicle's acceleration, maximum speed and hull traverse values at the cost of increased camouflage penalty for movement. In other words, activating this ability makes your vehicle easier to spot when moving.

**Description:**This ability allows you to fall back quickly by temporarily improving your camouflage factor and acceleration. However, it also reduces your vision range and reload speed.

## Footnotes

1. ↑ 180 for Non-Penetrating Hits
2. ↑ 380 for Non-Penetrating Hits
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 HOT-3 ATGM and Semi-Automatic ATGM Targeting System are mutually exclusive; equipping one upgrade will unequip the other.
4. ↑ 180 for Non-Penetrating Hits
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Improved Liner and Experimental Smoke Grenades are mutually exclusive; equipping one upgrade will unequip the other.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 SHARK Hard Kill APS and IR Targeting System are mutually exclusive; equipping one upgrade will unequip the other.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Improved Thermal Imager and Improved Cooling System are mutually exclusive; equipping one upgrade will unequip the other.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Silent ATGM Launch System and IR Camouflage System are mutually exclusive; equipping one upgrade will unequip the other.

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