Once appeared on the field of battle, the tank has become a nightmare for a long time infantryman.The first of these machines were virtually invulnerable, and fought with them just by digging anti-tank ditches and creating obstacles next barrage.
Then came the anti-tank guns, the power which by today's standards is ridiculous.Even while the tanks again, having increased armor, could not be afraid of most of these weapons.And then on the stage anti-tank guns.They were imperfect and cumbersome, but once the tankers began to respect them.
Do I need anti-tank guns today?
Many ordinary people believe that on the modern battlefield the "archaic" arms have no place: that the current tank armor is not always breaks even cumulative ammunition, what can we expect from some sort of guns!But this view is not entirely correct.There are samples of them who are able to deliver a lot of problems even very "advanced" machines.For example, antitank gun "Rapier" more Soviet production.
weapon is so interesting is that it should talk about separately.What we now do.
Background on
Around the middle of the 50s of the last century it became clear that the main antitank weapons in urgent need of increasing the combat power.The reason was the appearance of Americans own projects of heavy tanks.At that time, armed with a gun was CA D-10T and BS-3 (both - 100 mm).Techniques rightly assumed that their performance may not be enough.
easiest way to increase the size ... but this way led to the creation of huge, heavy and clumsy tools.And then, Soviet engineers decided to go back to smoothbore artillery, which in Russia has not been used here since 1860!What prompted them to take such a decision?
And the thing is high speed, to which must be dispersed armor-piercing shell in the barrel.Any error in the manufacture of the latter not only leads to a catastrophic fall in accuracy, but also increase the risk of destruction of the entire tool.With smooth barrel situation is quite the opposite.Its main advantage is the uniform worn.
Difficulties choice
But what is rifling find a replacement?After all, at their expense projectile maintains directional stability, allowing to conduct effective fire over long distances!Again, the solution found in the archives of the gunners.It turned out that for smooth-bore guns can be used feathered projectiles.The modern (at the time) technology allows you to make it not only the caliber (which coincides with the inner diameter of the gun), but also disclosed.Simply put, the shell of the blade opened after leaving the outside of the barrel (as the RPG-7).
first experiences and the first sample
first experiments have shown that for certain lined promising enemy tanks need at least a 105-mm gun.At the time, w intelligence received a report that the British design caliber gun similar to the hitherto unprecedented performance.Chief designer of the project - VY Afanasyeva - pledged to "catch up and overtake" competitors in the shortest possible time.Talented designer has not only runs out of time for this, but also provided the opportunity to install a new weapon in domestic tanks.To do this, it is slightly sacrificed ballistics, shortening the shell precisely to 1000 mm.
Thus was born the "Rapier" - anti-tank gun, a photo which has repeatedly given in this article.
what to use when you create it?
To expedite the work, we took carriage of the gun D-48, slightly changing its structure.But field trials soon showed that he was too hlipok for the new instruments.I had to redo this part from scratch.New tests gun with honor and was put into service.She is known as an instrument of the caliber of 105 mm, "T-12"."Rapier" modern sample largely differs from it.
trunk at the new gun was made of one-piece pattern.Length - 6510 mm.The designers chose to use active-reactive species muzzle brake.Breech is equipped with vertical wedges.The shooting was carried out directly from the wheels, additional fixation (by blocking suspension) is not required.
to you better than imagined, that is capable of a gun "Rapier", the characteristics of which we briefly painted, offer a look at the table.
| Caliber | 105 mm |
| Number of staff (calculation tools) | Six people |
| Weight |
3280 kg |
| Total length tools | 9980 mm |
| Projectile weight (depending on the performance), kg | 5,21 / 11,4 / 19,5 |
| firing range, the maximum | 8700 m |
Note that this is - not the modern gun "Rapier".It features the latest versions of its much more serious.
Feature
ammunition for anti-tank gun ammunition - the first case.Even the phenomenally long-range and reliable weapon into a "pumpkin", if it uses outdated, substandard shells.And the gun "Rapier", which shows the performance characteristics of our higher - the best evidence.
Ammunition for new weapons also brought a lot of trouble, because they had to develop anew.The main type - piercing and cumulative.To defeat the enemy personnel using a standard high-explosive type of shot.Study of calculation is made using educational piercing projectiles.A lot of problems delivered plumage of the latter, as the experience in the creation of something like that simply did not exist, and indeed smoothbore 100 mm gun has not yet been properly mastered by the domestic industry.
difficulty was that the projectile with unopened blades should reliably adhere to the stem channel without forming backlash.They were taken and then discarded dozens of concepts, but none satisfy all the requirements of designers.Oddly enough, but the work was the decision that was proposed in the beginning and rejected "because of the primitive."This once again confirmed that the most simple - is often the most reliable.
new solution
core in this case is asked to make stainless maraging steel.Tip-splitter shell - the most common of stamped sheet steel, which makes some parts of the tail stabilizer.Plumage "boom" was cast from a special aluminum alloy, and later found out that aluminum is required in addition anodizing.The tracer pressed into the inside of the tail and further fixed to the threaded connection and the core.
lot of work was a leading belt shell: in the end, settled on the triple option, the elements of which have been linked obtyuriruyuschim copper ring.Once the projectile leaves the barrel channel aerodynamic forces simply tear the band, and the "Arrow", to reveal the tail, rushes to the tanks.At a distance of 750 meters of the deviation is not more than 2.5 degrees on the horizontal line of sight.
features other types of shots
cumulative standard and high-explosive shots were of similar construction.In their case, the projectile body and is rigidly connected to the rear hub, which is attached to the tail.The difference is the absence of obtyuriruyuschego belt and diameter similar to those for the barrel.For cumulative projectiles used sleeve with five blades feathering, and in the case of high-explosive shot - six.
cumulative and high-explosive shots imposes no such high demands on the sleeve, but because it did out of the ordinary (plated lacquer) steel.Sabot projectiles same type fitted out exclusively in high-quality brass sleeve that does not wear out as weapons."Rapier" - a gun at the time very expensive, so experts were looking for any way to increase its service life.
Completion shells
But with the adoption of different types of shots problems have just begun, as they all require major improvements.In particular, great piercing projectiles penetrated vertically arranged layers of armor, but they cope with the slanted far less convincing.The projectile or went into the armor for some impossible angle, or simply ricochet.On the sites were broken dozens of decommissioned tanks, while experts have found a solution acceptable to all.
New elements in the design
took just add to the construction of the "boom" of the additional core is highly durable alloy.Once this part has been implemented (weighing only 800 g) made of tungsten carbide, shooting immediately showed fantastic results: penetrated by oblique armor improved by 60%!
Soon all these characteristics have been tested in practice.Cannon "Rapier" combat use of which began during the incident in the Golan Heights, has shown excellent results on penetration.
further development of the project
Very soon, a new gun, and drew attention to the Soviet tankers.They appealed to the power and the low-recoil smoothbore gun and light weight.There were hastily collected the first samples that immediately made a lasting impression on the military.
being mounted on the chassis of the T-54, a new 100-mm gun, "Rapier" punched training target (written off housing the same T-54), right through, and with exorbitant distances.From the sheep, who played the role of the crew, almost nothing left.
In 1960, modified to the required state gun "Rapier" began to mount on the chassis experienced (on the basis of the T-55).Shortly thereafter, all the tests have been completed D54 as the new smoothbore gun shown its absolute superiority.Unlike the "infantry" modifications that tank shells on this series is not a muzzle brake.After only six months tank gun "Rapier" (photos of which can be seen in this material) was put into service under the symbol 2A20 "Stiletto."
fact that the caliber of 100 mm, it was not particularly necessary.Considering the fact that the Soviet tanks never been exorbitant size and weight, and muzzle brake greatly increases the return, its installation in the domestic tank building was practiced only in cases where all other methods have been tried clearing and not given the desired result.
New modifications
In the early 1970s the gun "Rapier" is modified again.The work of scientists and engineers has become an instrument of the T-12A (2A29).Metallurgists and chemists have found a way to produce a stronger stems, which automatically gave the foundation for the testing of new reinforced ammunition.
Once again, the carriage has been completely redesigned, resulting in a failed almost completely to get rid of the vibration when shooting, practical rate has grown by almost half.It was developed and adopted by the sight for night shooting, as well as complex radar designed for both night and daytime when visibility is poor (dust storms, for example).Externally this modification is very easy to distinguish, as the muzzle brake gun looks like a salt shaker.
Simultaneously modification 2A29 adopted a completely new piercing projectiles with working part made of a single piece of tungsten alloy.Mass of ammunition rose slightly, but the firing range increased by approximately 30%.Following a new edition of instructions for calculating the gun battle.It said that the shooting improved munitions from the old "Rapier" 2A19 is strictly prohibited, as possible rupture of the barrel.
Since 1971, a series went updated Tank "Rapier" under the T-12A - 2A20M1 "Stiletto."
Conclusion
Today these weapons are considerably out of date.It is believed that the gun "Rapier" can not guarantee the steady penetration of the armor of modern tanks, but in certain circumstances it is quite cope with their responsibilities.
Thus, during the Yugoslav conflict was used by all parties with very good results.Experts note that this tool is ideal for controlling light armored vehicles of the enemy (which is heavier than domestic BMP twice).In addition, the gun "Rapier" (pictured above), almost certainly can hit most of the tanks of NATO in the side and stern.This suggests that the "old lady" is still too early to go to bed.
