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2A46 125 mm gun

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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 (Artillery Plant No. 9) in Yekaterinburg.

2A46 125 mm gun
2A46M-1 in Motovilikha Plants museum
TypeSmoothbore tank gun
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In serviceSince 1970
Production history
DesignerSpetstekhnika Design Bureau
Produced1970–present
Specifications
Mass2A46: 2,675 kg
2A46M: 2,400 kg
Length2A46: 6,350 mm
2A46M: 6,381 mm
Barrel length6,000 mm L48
Caliber125 mm
Muzzle velocityAPFSDS: 1,715-1,800 m/s

HEAT: 905-950 m/s

HE: 760 m/s
Effective firing rangeAPFSDS / HEAT: 3,000 m

HE: 4,000 m

ATGM: 5,000 m

Description

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It was developed by the Spetstekhnika Design Bureau in Ekaterinburg in the 1960s originally for the T-64 tank. They were subsequently manufactured at Artillery Plant No. 9 in Ekaterinburg and Motovilikha in Perm. Other variations include 2A46M, 2A46M-1, 2A46M-2, 2A46M-4, 2A46M-5, and Ukrainian KBA-3 and Chinese ZPT-98.

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 rectified on the 2A46M-1 version. Depending on the version it offers 510.0 MPa (73,970 psi) or from the 2A46M-1 650.0 MPa (94,270 psi) Pmax chamber pressure.[1]

The Ukrainian KBA-3 guns are based on the 2A46 gun. In addition, the Chinese ZPT-98 is based on 2A46M imported from Russia's T-72 or T-80.[2]

Projectiles

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Projectile specifications for 2A46 and 2A46M[3][4][5][6][7][8]
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%[9]
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 245mm/0°, 140mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM6 3BM12/3BM13 4Zh40 19.6 5.67 5.0/5.0+3.4 380mm/0°, 140mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM7 3BM15/3BM16 4Zh40 20.0 5.9 5.0/5.0+3.4 400mm/0°, 150mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM8 3BM17/3BM18 4Zh40 20.0 5.9 5,0/5,0+3,4 265mm/0°, 150mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM9 3BM22/3BM23 4Zh40 20.2 6.55 5,0/5,0+3,4 420mm/0°, 170mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM11 3BM26/3BM27 4Zh63 20.43 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 410mm/0°, 200mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM12 3BM29/3BM30 6.55 360mm /0°, 210mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM13 3BM32/3BM38 4Zh63 20.55 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 395mm/0°, 230mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM17 3BM42/3BM44 ("Mango") 4Zh63 20.4 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 450mm/0°, 230mm/60° @ 2km
—- 3BM44-2 (“Mango-2”) 480mm/0°, 280mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM19 3BM42M/3BM44M ("Lekalo") 4Zh63 20.4 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 ???mm/0°, ???mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM20 3BM46/3BM48 ("Svinets") 4Zh63 20.4 7.05 5.3/5.3+2.9 495mm/0°, 290mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM22 3BM59 ("Svinets-1") 8.8 ???mm/0°, 315mm/60° @ 2km
3VBM23 3BM60 ("Svinets-2") 8.1 ???mm/0°, 300mm/60° @ 2km
125-mm TAPNA 6.7 5.5/5.5+3.3 460mm/0°, 270mm/60° @ 2km
ZPS Pronit[note 2] 4Zh63 5.855/5.855+3.0 430mm/0°, 250mm/60° @ 2km
125-I[note 3] 23.0 7.37 430mm/0°, 250mm/60° @ 2km
125-II / DTW-125 [note 4] 23.0 7.44 515mm/0°, 300mm/60° @ 2km
125-III / DTC10-125 [note 5] ???mm/0°, 330mm/60° @ 2km [1]
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[10][11][12][13][14]
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[15][16]
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 540/0° @ 2km
3VBM23 3BM60 4Zh96 515/0° @ 2km
??? 3BM69 ???/0°
??? 3BM70 ???/0°

Variants

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Soviet Union and Russia

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  • 2A46-1 / DT-81TM (1970): Used on T-64A and T-72A.
  • 2A46-2 / DT-81K (1976): Used on T-64B and T-80B.
  • 2A46M (1981): Used on T-72AV, and T-72B.
  • 2A46M-1 (1981): Used on T-64BV, T-72B, T-80BV and T-80U.
  • 2A46M-2 (1992): Used on T-72S, T-90, T-90A, and T-90S tanks.
  • 2A46M-4: Used on Object 640 (aka, Black Eagle) [citation needed]
  • 2A46M-5: Used on T-90M, T-80BVM, and T72B3 Obr2017.
  • 2A82-1M: Used on T-14 Armata.[17]

Source:[18]

China

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Ukraine

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Tanks using the 2A46

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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

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Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

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Sources

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References

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  1. ^ "Vasiliy Fofanov's Modern Russian Armor Page". Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  2. ^ a b Charlie Gao (20 December 2021). "Chinese Tanks Still Lag Behind Other Top Armies". The national interest. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  3. ^ 2А46ТО1. 125-мм танковые пушки 2А26, 2А46, 2А46-1, 2А46М, 2А46М-1, 2А46-2. Техническое описание и инструкция по эксплуатации. Часть 3. Боеприпасы.
  4. ^ Рособронэкспорт (2003) [Land forces weapons. Export catalogue]. "Вооружение сухопутных войск". Каталог экспортного вооружения. «Интервестник». p. 120.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ А. Хлопотов. (2009). "Танк Т-72БА: посредственная модернизация или модернизация по средствам?". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра (10). М.: Техинформ: 20.
  7. ^ Jane’s Ammunition Handbook 2001—2002
  8. ^ Суворов С. (2003). "Танк Т-64". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра (Журнал) (11). М.: «Техинформ»: 28. ISSN 1682-7597.
  9. ^ "Pokonać pancerz! Część III – dane amunicji APFSDS-T". Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  10. ^ "Противотанковая управляемая ракета "9М119 9М117"". Archived from the original on 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  11. ^ А. В. Карпенко, Ракетные танки, стр. 36
  12. ^ "Комплекс управляемого танкового вооружения 9К112 Кобра". Информационно-новостная система «Ракетная техника». Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  13. ^ Энциклопедия XXI век. Оружие и технологии России. Том 12. Средства поражения и боеприпасы, стр. 185
  14. ^ Р. Ангельский. (2006). ""Кобры" стерегут страну советов". Техника и вооружение: вчера, сегодня, завтра (7). М.: Техинформ: 19.
  15. ^ "Выстрел 3УБК14Ф с управляемой ракетой 9М119Ф". Завод имени В.А. Дегтярёва. Archived from the original on 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  16. ^ "Выстрел 3УБК14Ф1 с управляемой ракетой 9М119Ф1". Завод имени В.А. Дегтярёва. Archived from the original on 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  17. ^ "Overview". www.militaryperiscope.com. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  18. ^ "120mm and 125mm Main Guns". fofanov.armor.kiev.ua. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  19. ^ "Ukrainian Tanks". www.pmulcahy.com. Retrieved 2022-12-23.

Notes

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  1. ^ Standard RHA plates at 2000 m
  2. ^ Polish variant
  3. ^ Chinese 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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