2A46 125 mm gun

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.

2A46 125 mm gun
2A46M1 in Motovilikha Plants museum
TypeSmoothbore tank gun
Place of originUSSR
Service history
In serviceSince 1970
Specifications
Mass2A46: 2675 kg
2A46M: 2400 kg
Length2A46: 6350 mm
2A46M: 6381 mm
Barrel length6000 mm L48
Caliber125 mm
Muzzle velocityAPFSDS: 1715-1800 m/s

HEAT: 905-950 m/s

HE: 760 m/s
Effective firing rangeAPFSDS / HEAT: 3000 m

HE: 4000 m

ATGM: 5000 m

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 versions of the 2A46 suffered from a relatively short barrel life, but this was subsequently rectified on the 2A46M-1 version. Depending on the version it offers 510.00 MPa (73,969 psi) or from the 2A46M-1 650.00 MPa (94,275 psi) Pmax chamber pressure.[1]

The Ukrainian KBA guns are unlicensed copies of the 2A46 gun.

Projectile specifications for 2A46 and 2A46M[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Note: There are different ways to measure penetration value. NATO uses the 50% (This means that 50% of the projectile 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%[8]
Round index Projectile index Charge index Round weight, kg Projectile weight, kg Charge weight, kg Penetration, mm/deg[note 1]
APFSDS Rounds
3VBM3 3BM9/3BM10 4Zh40 19.6 5.67 5.0/5.0+3.4 245/0°, 70-150/60°
3VBM6 3BM12/3BM13 4Zh40 19.6 5.67 5.0/5.0+3.4 280/0°, 110/60°
3VBM7 3BM15/3BM16 4Zh40 20.0 5.9 5.0/5.0+3.4 310/0°, 120-150/60°
3VBM8 3BM17/3BM18 4Zh40 20.0 5.9 5,0/5,0+3,4 310/0°, 150/60°
3VBM9 3BM22/3BM23 4Zh40 20.2 6.55 5,0/5,0+3,4 380/0°, 170/60°
3VBM11 3BM26/3BM27 4Zh63 20.43 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 410/0°, 200/60°
3VBM12 3BM29/3BM30 6.55 430/0°, 210/60°
3VBM13 3BM32/3BM38 4Zh63 20.55 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 500/0°, 250/60°
3VBM17 3BM42/3BM44 ("Mango") 4Zh63 20.4 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 450/0°, 230/60°
3VBM19 3BM42M/3BM44M ("Lekalo") 4Zh63 20.4 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 650/0°, 270/60°
3VBM20 3BM46/3BM48 ("Svinets") 4Zh63 20.4 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 650/0°, 300/60°
3VBM22 3BM59 ("Svinets-1") 8.8 830/0°, 410/60°
3VBM23 3BM60 ("Svinets-2") 8.1 740/0°, 350/60°
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 Rounds
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 Rounds
3VOF22 3OF19 4Zh40 33.0 23.0 5.0 —
3VOF36 3OF26 4Zh40 33.0 23.0 5.0 —
Practice HEAT Rounds
3VP5 3P11 4Zh40 29.0 19.0 5.0
Practice APFSDS Rounds
3VP6 3P31/3P35 4Zh40 19.5 5.2 5.0/5.0+4.3 —
Practice HE Rounds
3VP24 3P23 4Zh40 33.0 23.0 5.0 —
Training Rounds
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[9][10][11][12][13]
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[14][15]
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 projectiles for 2A46M-5
3VBM22 3BM59 4Zh96 750/0°
3VBM23 3BM60 4Zh96 700/0°
??? 3BM69 900/0°
??? 3BM70 800/0°

Tanks using the 2A46
See also: T-72 operators and variants
Map with 2A46 operators in blue with former operators in red

The 2A46 has been used in numerous tanks, almost exclusively Soviet/Russian designs or foreign derivatives:

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

Sources

References
  1. "Vasiliy Fofanov's Modern Russian Armor Page". Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  2. 2А46ТО1. 125-мм танковые пушки 2А26, 2А46, 2А46-1, 2А46М, 2А46М-1, 2А46-2. Техническое описание и инструкция по эксплуатации. Часть 3. Боеприпасы.
  3. Рособронэкспорт (2003) [Land forces weapons. Export catalogue]. "Вооружение сухопутных войск". Каталог экспортного вооружения. «Интервестник». p. 120.
  4. 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.
  5. А. Хлопотов. (2009). "Танк Т-72БА: посредственная модернизация или модернизация по средствам?". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра. М.: Техинформ (10): 20.
  6. Jane’s Ammunition Handbook 2001—2002
  7. Суворов С. (2003). "Танк Т-64". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра (Журнал). М.: «Техинформ» (11): 28. ISSN 1682-7597.
  8. "Pokonać pancerz! Część III – dane amunicji APFSDS-T". Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  9. "Противотанковая управляемая ракета "9М119 9М117"". Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  10. А. В. Карпенко, Ракетные танки, стр. 36
  11. "Комплекс управляемого танкового вооружения 9К112 Кобра". Информационно-новостная система «Ракетная техника». Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  12. Энциклопедия XXI век. Оружие и технологии России. Том 12. Средства поражения и боеприпасы, стр. 185
  13. Р. Ангельский. (2006). ""Кобры" стерегут страну советов". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра. М.: Техинформ (07): 19.
  14. "Выстрел 3УБК14Ф с управляемой ракетой 9М119Ф". Завод имени В.А. Дегтярёва. Archived from the original on 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  15. "Выстрел 3УБК14Ф1 с управляемой ракетой 9М119Ф1". Завод имени В.А. Дегтярёва. Archived from the original on 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-02-23.

Notes
  1. Standard RHA plates at 2000 m
  2. Slovakian and Czech variants
  3. Polish variant
  4. Chinese variant
  5. Chinese variant
  6. ERA armor.
  7. Bulgarian variant
  8. Iranian variant
  9. Polish variant
  10. Yugoslavian variant
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