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T 12 antitank gun

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Type
  
Anti-tank gun

In service
  
1961 – present

Weight
  
2,750 kg (6,060 lb)

Place of origin
  
Soviet Union

Used by
  
See Operators

T-12 antitank gun

Wars
  
Gulf War Invasion of Dagestan War in Donbass

2A19 or T-12 is a Soviet smoothbore 100-mm anti-tank gun, which served as the main Eastern Bloc towed anti-tank gun from 1960s until the late 1980s.

Contents

History

The T-12 entered service in 1961, replacing the BS-3 100 mm field gun. It was typically deployed in the anti-tank units of armoured and motor rifle regiments to protect flanks against counter-attacks during rapid advances.

In 1970, it was replaced in production by the T-12A or MT-12 "Rapira", which features a new smooth bore gun, the 100 mm 2A29 gun, as well as a redesigned carriage and gun-shield to protect the crew from machine gun fire and shell splinters. Thanks to the redesigned carriage, which has a bigger wheel base, the MT-12 can be towed by the MT-LB, at speeds up to 60 km/h on road or 25 km/h cross-country.

The 2A29R "Ruta" or MT-12R is a version with a RLPK-1 radar for engaging targets in a poor visibility environment (smoke/fog). From 1981, the gun could fire laser beam-riding guided missiles 9M117 Kastet (weapon system 9K116) and carried the new designator 2A29K "Kastet" or MT-12K.

The weapon was planned to be superseded by the 2A45 Sprut-B 125 mm smooth bore anti-tank gun. Modern western tanks' frontal armour protection is in excess of what can be penetrated by a 100 mm gun from anything but point-blank range – even using the most modern APFSDS round. For a tank that can manoeuvre to take advantage of the enemy's weaknesses this is less of a problem – but for a weapon that is primarily defensive, this is a serious problem. Today, the T-12 is applied mostly in the role of ordinary artillery, using FRAG-HE shells.

Description

The gun requires a crew of six: commander, driver of the towing vehicle, gun layer, loader, and two ammunition crewmen. When the MT-LB is used as the transporter, 20 rounds are typically carried (10 APFSDS, 4 HE-Frag, 6 HEAT). Since the weapon is a smoothbore, all the ammunition is finned for accuracy during flight.

The standard equipment consists of the panoramic PG-1M sight for indirect fire, and an OP4M-40U telescope for direct fire. The APN-5-40 or APN-6-40 are used for direct fire by night.

The gun can be fitted with the LO-7 ski gear for travel across snow or swampy ground.

Ammunition

Note: penetration numbers for RHA at 90 degrees.

APFSDS

3BM-2

APFSDS-T Tungsten

  • Round weight: 19.34 kg (42.6 lb)
  • Projectile weight: 5.65 kg (12.5 lb)
  • Muzzle velocity: 1,575 m/s (5,170 ft/s)
  • Maximum range: 3,000 m (3,300 yd)
  • Penetration:
  • 230 mm at 500 m (9 in at 550 yd)
  • 180 mm at 2,000 m (7 in at 2,200 yd)
  • 140 mm at 3,000 m (5.5 in at 3,300 yd)
    • 3BM23/3UBM10

    APFSDS

  • Round weight: 19.9 kg (44 lb)
  • Projectile weight: 4.55 kg (10.0 lb)
  • Muzzle velocity: 1,548 m/s (5,080 ft/s)
  • Maximum range: 3,000 m (3,300 yd)
  • Penetration: 225 mm at 1000 m (8.8 in at 1100 yd)

    • HEAT

    3BK16M/3UBK8
  • Round weight: 23.1 kg (51 lb)
  • Projectile weight: 9.5 kg (21 lb)
  • Muzzle velocity: 975 m/s (3,200 ft/s)
  • Maximum range: 1,000 m (1,100 yd)
  • Penetration: 400 mm (16 in)

    • HE-FRAG

    3OF12/3OF35
  • Round weight: 28.9 kg (64 lb)
  • Projectile weight: 16.7 kg (37 lb)
  • Muzzle velocity: 700 m/s (2,300 ft/s)
  • Maximum range (indirect): 8,200 m (9,000 yd)

    • Guided projectile

    9K117 Kastet 3UBK10/3UBK10M

    Beam riding laser guided projectile.

  • Round weight: 24.5 kg (54 lb)
  • Projectile weight: 17.6 kg (39 lb)
  • Average speed: 300 m/s (980 ft/s)
  • Range: 100–5,000 m (110–5,470 yd)
  • Penetration: 550–600 mm (22–24 in)

    • Operators

    According to Jane's Armour and Artillery, the following countries have or had the T-12 and/or MT-12 in service:

    Current operators

  •  Algeria - 12
  •  Armenia - 36
  •  Azerbaijan - 30
  •  Belarus - 40
  •  Bosnia-Herzegovina - 90
  •  Bulgaria - 200
  •  Croatia - 133
  •  Cuba
  •  Georgia - 50
  •  Hungary - 106
  •  Kazakhstan - 125
  •  Kyrgyzstan - 15
  •  Moldova - 36
  •  Mongolia - 25+
  •  Russia - est. 6,000
  •  Turkmenistan - 48
  •  Ukraine - 400
  •  Uzbekistan - 39

    • Former operators

  •  Iraq - most destroyed in 1991 Gulf War or 2003 Invasion, none remain in service after 2003.
  • People's Republic of Kampuchea - passed onto successor state.
  •  Soviet Union - passed onto successor states.
  •  Yugoslavia - 138, passed onto successor states.

    • Romania

  • A407 - This artillery system was designed by Arsenal-Resita and is very similar to the MT-12. It can fire the same range of ammunition as the T-54/55 tank and has a maximum range of 2,200 m (HEAT) or 4,000 m (APC-T). Subversions are the A407M1 and the A407M2. In Romanian Army service, the A407 is known as the 100 mm anti-tank gun M1977 (Romanian: Tun antitanc calibrul 100-mm Model 1977) and is normally towed by the DAC 887R truck. It can also be towed with the DAC 665T truck. The Model 2002 is an improved version, fitted with the automatic fire control system TAT-100.

    • People's Republic of China

  • Type 73 - This appears to be a copy of the Soviet T-12.
  • Type 86 - This is a 100mm smoothbore anti-tank gun that has some similarities with the 85mm Type 56 (D-44). It fires ammunition of the fixed type, including the Type 73 HE, Type 73 HEAT, Type 73 APFSDS and Type 86 APFSDS to a maximum range of 1,800 m.

    • References

    T-12 antitank gun Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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