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  • New 130mm MBT gun

    It finally happened: a new MBT gun caliber. Not the 140-rummoured for years, but a 130mm, courtesy of the folks that designed the 120 that arms half the western world.

    And, with a 130mm HE round, can it not pull double-duty as indirect fire artillery? Won't replace a 155, but...

  • #2
    Originally posted by jlvfr View Post
    It finally happened: a new MBT gun caliber. Not the 140-rummoured for years, but a 130mm, courtesy of the folks that designed the 120 that arms half the western world.

    And, with a 130mm HE round, can it not pull double-duty as indirect fire artillery? Won't replace a 155, but...
    Negative on the indirect fire artillery. Tank cannon trajectory is too flat. It's a line of site weapon only.
    “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
    Mark Twain

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
      Negative on the indirect fire artillery. Tank cannon trajectory is too flat. It's a line of site weapon only.
      Right, forgot that an MBT has an elevation too small for this...

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      • #4
        It's been occasionally done. There was an M48 tank company in Vietnam, B Co. 1-69 Armor, that actually was briefly employed in an indirect mode at Ben Het. If I further recall, they even built ramps.
        "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
        "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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        • #5
          So...does Rheinmetall expect sales from retro-fitting this gun to existing vehicles or is this going onto a new tank?
          "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
          "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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          • #6
            Originally posted by S2 View Post
            So...does Rheinmetall expect sales from retro-fitting this gun to existing vehicles or is this going onto a new tank?
            This article states it's for a new gun, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was used to update tanks with turrets big enough to fit it...






            Edit: forgot article link...
            Last edited by jlvfr; 14 Jun 16,, 15:22.

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            • #7
              They're supposedly gonna offer a remodeled Leo 2 turret with it as a potential upgrade. Systemwise, the gun is built for a relatively easy upgrade from the 120mm L/55. It's a longterm project though, with planned serial production from 2025.

              Rheinmetall is apparently also working on a 120mm upgrade, L/55A1, which might be introduced from 2018.

              The main problem of the 140mm was the ammunition weight btw. Heavy enough that manual loading would not be possible. Hence requiring entirely new turrets and internal reconfiguration to accomodate the autoloader.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by kato View Post
                The main problem of the 140mm was the ammunition weight btw. Heavy enough that manual loading would not be possible. Hence requiring entirely new turrets and internal reconfiguration to accomodate the autoloader.
                Yeah, that would almost be like loading a 155 round; if I am not mistaken, loading arty rounds requires a loading tray and a rammer, not something you could do by hand.
                "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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                • #9
                  Can always resurrect this ,lol


                  Click image for larger version

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                  The T28 Super Heavy Tank was an American heavily armored tank self-propelled gun designed for the United States Army during World War II. The 100-ton vehicle was initially designated a heavy tank, it was re-designated as the 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95 in 1945, and then renamed in 1946 as the Super Heavy Tank T28.

                  The T28/T95 was designed to be used for attacking the heavy defenses expected of the German Siegfried Line. The gun selected was known to have very good performance against concrete and “expected to be extremely effective at reducing heavy fortifications”



                  The need for an assault tank was first identified in 1943, Ordnance proposing that 25 vehicles could be ready for operations. A conference in March 1944 between Ordnance Department and Army Ground Forces resulted in agreement to build five. The Pacific Car and Foundry Company were supplied with the design in March 1945, completed final design and had the first hull welded by August. By the time the first tank was completed and ready for combat, the war was over. The plan for five was reduced to two.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by tankie View Post
                    Can always resurrect this ,lol

                    The T28 Super Heavy Tank was an American heavily armored tank self-propelled gun designed for the United States Army during World War II. The 100-ton vehicle was initially designated a heavy tank, it was re-designated as the 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95 in 1945, and then renamed in 1946 as the Super Heavy Tank T28.
                    That's a 105mm... not a 130. So the insides of the tank would probably be too small, since most of it's weight was old school brute-force armour...

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by jlvfr View Post
                      That's a 105mm... not a 130. So the insides of the tank would probably be too small, since most of it's weight was old school brute-force armour...
                      Surprising what a bit of upgrading can do , its got the chassis for it lol

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                      • #12
                        You Brits did something similar towards the end of the War with your "Tortoise", but the gun was a bit smaller:

                        Click image for larger version

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                        "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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                        • #13
                          Well, if we're going for madness-in-armour, may I present the TOG II...

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                          • #14
                            Well, if we're at it... Char 2C. With a bigger gun, at least on the bis. And a couple decades earlier...

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                            It's a real pity there's none left in museums. The last survivor was supposedly photographed in Sowjet hands in East Germany in 1948.

                            Armour was about comparable to a T-34, which is no small feat in 1917.

                            One of the design studies for a successor in 1940 called for a 135mm gun (or alternatively using a 155mm as used in one Char 2C prototype). That design was round-binned as there were no 135mm guns available.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
                              Negative on the indirect fire artillery. Tank cannon trajectory is too flat. It's a line of site weapon only.
                              Negative, wit some prep work like building ramps to get the right elevation, tanks can do artillery barrages. The last time the US did so on a wide scale was Korea. We even trained to do so on the Patton as a 19E. Don't know if the 19k guys did or not.
                              Attached Files
                              Last edited by zraver; 26 Jun 16,, 01:19.

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