2A46 125 mm gun
2A46 125 mm gun | |
---|---|
![]() 2A46M1 in Motovilikha Plants museum | |
Type | Smoothbore tank gun |
Place of origin | USSR |
Service history | |
In service | Since 1970 |
Specifications | |
Weight |
2A46: 2675 kg 2A46M: 2400 kg |
Length |
2A46: 6350 mm 2A46M: 6381 mm |
| |
Caliber | 125 mm |
Muzzle velocity |
APDS: 1715-1800 m/s HEAT: 905-950 m/s HE: 760 m/s |
Effective firing range |
APDS / HEAT: 3000 m HE: 4000 m ATGM: 5000 m |
The 2A46 (also called D-81TM) is a 125 mm/L48 smoothbore cannon of Soviet origin used in several main battle tanks. It was designed by OKB-9 in Sverdlovsk.
Description
It was developed by the Spetstekhnika Design Bureau in Ekaterinburg in the 1960s originally for the T-64A tank. They were subsequently manufactured at Artillery Plant No. 9 in Ekaterinburg and Motovilikha in Perm. Versions include 2A46, 2A46M, 2A46M-1, 2A46M-2, 2A46M-4, 2A46M-5 and the Ukrainian KBA-3.
The 2A46 can fire armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) and high-explosive fragmentation (HEF) projectiles. The ammunition for the 2A46 gun is in two pieces: the projectile is loaded first, followed by a separate propellant charge.
The early version of the 2A46 suffered from a short barrel life, but this was subsequently rectified on the 2A46M version.
The Ukrainian KBA guns are derived from the 2A46 gun.
Projectile specifications for 2A46 and 2A46M[1][2][3][4][5][6] Note: There are different ways to measure penetration value. NATO uses the 50% (This means that 50% of the shell had to go through the plate), while the Soviet/Russia standard is higher (80% had to go through). According to authorities like Paul Lakowski, the difference in performance can reach as much as 8%[7] | ||||||
Shell index | Projectile index | Charge index | Shell weight, kg | Projectile weight, kg | Charge weight, kg | Penetration, mm/deg[note 1] |
APDS shells | ||||||
3VBM3 | 3BM9/3BM10 | 4Zh40 | 19.6 | 5.67 | 5.0/5.0+3.4 | 140/60° |
3VBM6 | 3BM12/3BM13 | 4Zh40 | 19.6 | 5.67 | 5.0/5.0+3.4 | 150/60° |
3VBM7 | 3BM15/3BM16 | 4Zh40 | 20.0 | 5.9 | 5.0/5.0+3.4 | 150/60° |
3VBM8 | 3BM17/3BM18 | 4Zh40 | 20.0 | 5.9 | 5,0/5,0+3,4 | 150/60° |
3VBM9 | 3BM22/3BM23 | 4Zh40 | 20.2 | 6.55 | 5,0/5,0+3,4 | 170/60° |
3VBM11 | 3BM26/3BM27 | 4Zh63 | 20.43 | 7.05 | 5.3/5.3+2.9 | 200/60° |
3VBM12 | 3BM29/3BM30 | 210/60° | ||||
3VBM13 | 3BM32/3BM38 | 4Zh63 | 20.55 | 7.05 | 5.3/5.3+2.9 | 250/60° |
3VBM17 | 3BM42/3BM44 | 4Zh63 | 20.4 | 7.05 | 5.3/5.3+2.9 | 230/60° |
3VBM19 | 3BM42M/3BM44M | 4Zh63 | 20.4 | 7.05 | 5.3/5.3+2.9 | 270/60° |
3VBM20 | 3BM46/3BM48 | 4Zh63 | 20.4 | 7.05 | 5.3/5.3+2.9 | 300/60° |
125-mm KE[note 2] | 6.7 | 5.5/5.5+3.3 | ||||
ZPS 125 mm APFSDS-T[note 3] | 4Zh63 | 5.855/5.855+3.0 | 230/60° | |||
125-I[note 4] | 23.0 | 7.37 | 220/61,5° | |||
125-II[note 5] | 23.0 | 7.44 | 300/60° | |||
HEAT Shells | ||||||
3VBK7 | 3BK12(M) | 4Zh40 | 29.0 | 19.0 | 5.0 | 220/60° |
3VBK10 | 3BK14(M) | 4Zh40 | 29.0 | 19.0 | 5.0 | 220/60° |
3VBK16 | 3BK18(M) | 4Zh40 | 29.0 | 19.0 | 5.0 | 260/60° |
3VBK17 | 3BK21B | 4Zh52 | 29.0 | 19.0 | 10.0 | 260/60° |
3VBK25 | 3BK29(M) | 4Zh52 | 28.4 | 18.4 | 10.0 | 300/60° |
3VBK27 | 3BK31 | 19.0 | 350/60°[note 6] | |||
125-mm HEAT[note 7] | 19.0 | 200/60° | ||||
125-mm HEAT-T[note 8] | 33.0 | 23.0 | 10,0 | |||
125-mm HEAT-T[note 9] | 19.5 | 200/60° | ||||
M88[note 10] | ||||||
HE shells | ||||||
3VOF22 | 3OF19 | 4Zh40 | 33.0 | 23.0 | 5.0 | — |
3VOF36 | 3OF26 | 4Zh40 | 33.0 | 23.0 | 5.0 | — |
Practice HEAT shells | ||||||
3VP5 | 3P11 | 4Zh40 | 29.0 | 19.0 | 5.0 | |
Practice APDS shells | ||||||
3VP6 | 3P31/3P35 | 4Zh40 | 19.5 | 5.2 | 5.0/5.0+4.3 | — |
Practice HE shells | ||||||
3VP24 | 3P23 | 4Zh40 | 33.0 | 23.0 | 5.0 | — |
Training shells | ||||||
3VPU4 | 3PU12 | 4PU105 | 19.1 | 9.6 | — | |
3VPU5 | 3PU13 | 4PU105 | 28.5 | 19.0 | — | |
3VPU6 | 3PU14 | 4PU105 | 32.5 | 23.0 | — | |
Inert | — | 4Kh33 | — | — | 13 | — |
Guided weapons for 2A46-2, 2A46M and their variants | ||||||
ATGMs[8][9][10][11][12] | ||||||
9M112 | 9D129 | 33.2 | 250/60° | |||
9M112M | 300/60° | |||||
9M112M2 | 31.1 | 24 | 300..350/60° | |||
9M124 | 33.6 | 27.9 | 450/60° | |||
3UBK14 | 9M119 | 9Kh949 | 23.3 | 16.5 | 7.1 | 325..375/60° |
Sokol-1 | 4Zh63 | 23.0 | 5.3 | 350/60° | ||
Explosive ATGMs[13][14] | ||||||
3UBK14F | 9M119F | 9Kh949 | 23.6 | 16.5 | 7.1 | — |
3UBK14F1 | 9M119F1 | 9Kh949 | 23.3 | 16.5 | 6.8 | — |
Guided weapons for 2A46M and its variants | ||||||
3UBK20 | 9M119M | 9Kh949 | 24.3 | 17.2 | 7.1 | 325..375/60° |
3UBK20M | 9M119M1 | 9Kh949 | 24.3 | 17.2 | 7.1 | 425..450/60° |
AP shells for 2A46M-5 | ||||||
3VBM22 | 3BM59 | 4Zh96 | 750/0° | |||
3VBM23 | 3BM60 | 4Zh96 | 700/0° | |||
??? | 3BM69 | 900/0° | ||||
??? | 3BM70 | 800/0° |
Tanks using the 2A46
![](../I/m/2A46_operators.png)
The 2A46 has been used in numerous tanks, almost exclusively Soviet/Russian designs or foreign derivatives thereof
See also
- 125 mm smoothbore ammunition
- 2A45 Sprut - Soviet towed 125 mm anti-tank gun
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
- Royal Ordnance L11 and L30: British 120-mm rifled equivalents
- GIAT CN120-26/52 : French 120-mm equivalent
- Rheinmetall 120 mm gun : German 120-mm equivalent
- IMI 120 mm gun : Israeli 120-mm equivalent
Sources
References
- ↑ 2А46ТО1. 125-мм танковые пушки 2А26, 2А46, 2А46-1, 2А46М, 2А46М-1, 2А46-2. Техническое описание и инструкция по эксплуатации. Часть 3. Боеприпасы.
- ↑ Рособронэкспорт (2003) [Land forces weapons. Export catalogue]. "Вооружение сухопутных войск". Каталог экспортного вооружения. «Интервестник». p. 120.
- ↑ А. В. Карпенко (2001). "Часть 1". Каталог современного российского вооружения и конверсионной техники на международных выставках вооружений и военной техники (1992-2001 гг.). С-Пб.: «Бастион». p. 336.
- ↑ А. Хлопотов. (2009). "Танк Т-72БА: посредственная модернизация или модернизация по средствам?". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра. М.: Техинформ (10): 20.
- ↑ Jane’s Ammunition Handbook 2001—2002
- ↑ Суворов С. (2003). "Танк Т-64". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра (Журнал). М.: «Техинформ» (11): 28. ISSN 1682-7597.
- ↑ http://dziennikzbrojny.pl/artykuly/art,5,19,9828,wojska-ladowe,czolgi,pokonac-pancerz-czesc-iii-dane-amunicji-apfsds-t
- ↑ "Противотанковая управляемая ракета "9М119 9М117"". Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ↑ А. В. Карпенко, Ракетные танки, стр. 36
- ↑ "Комплекс управляемого танкового вооружения 9К112 Кобра". Информационно-новостная система «Ракетная техника». Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ↑ Энциклопедия XXI век. Оружие и технологии России. Том 12. Средства поражения и боеприпасы, стр. 185
- ↑ Р. Ангельский. (2006). ""Кобры" стерегут страну советов". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра. М.: Техинформ (07): 19.
- ↑ "Выстрел 3УБК14Ф с управляемой ракетой 9М119Ф". Завод имени В.А. Дегтярёва. Archived from the original on 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
- ↑ "Выстрел 3УБК14Ф1 с управляемой ракетой 9М119Ф1". Завод имени В.А. Дегтярёва. Archived from the original on 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
Notes
External links
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