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The CN120-26, also simply referred to as Modèle F1 (F1 model) is a French smoothbore 120mm tank gun of 52 calibers designed by the EFAB of Bourges and produced by Giat Industries .
| CN120-26 | |
|---|---|
 close-up view of the CN120-26 muzzle | |
| Type | smoothbore tank gun |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1992-present |
| Used by | French Army, UAE Army and the Royal Jordanian Army |
| Wars | Yemeni Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | EFAB of Bourges |
| Designed | 1980s |
| Manufacturer | Giat Industries |
| Produced | 1990-2007 |
| No. built | 800+ |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2740 kg |
| Length | 6.931 m (22 ft 8.9 in) |
| Barrel length | 6.24 m (20 ft 6 in) or 52 calibers |
| Shell | 120×570mm NATO |
| Calibre | 120 mm (4.72 in) |
| Action | automatic vertical sliding-wedge breech |
| Breech | vertical sliding-wedge |
| Recoil | 400 mm |
| Elevation | -8° to +17° |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Rate of fire | up to 12 rounds per minute[1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 1790 m/s (APFSDS) |
| Feed system | autoloader |
| Sights | HL 60 or HL 130 |
Description edit
The 120 mm smoothbore gun F1 has been designed for installation in the Leclerc main battle tank. The smooth-bore gun is chrome-plated, fitted with a thermal sleeve and has a vertical sliding breech mechanism. It is also fitted with a muzzle reference system (MRS) and the tropicalized variant of the Leclerc is fitted with a compressed air system for removing propellant fumes.[2]
In the Leclerc application, the gun is fed by a 22-rounds bustle-mounted automatic loader designed by Creusot-Loire Industries. The 120 mm F1 gun fires the same 120×570mm ammunition as the German Rh-120 and American M256 smoothbore guns. The French 120 mm F1 gun is, however, 1 m longer than the L/44 version of the Rh-120, which increases muzzle velocity and armour penetration of APFSDS projectiles; it also gives a longer effective range.[3]
Additional specifications edit
- Maximum service chamber pressure: 670 MPa (97,000 psi)[4]
- Recoil effort at trunnions: 550 kN (APFSDS fired at +51 °C)
- Overall weight: 2740 kg
- Recoiling gun mass: 1995 kg
Operators edit
Current operators edit
-
Base of the gun on a Leclerc
See also edit
- CN120-25 120 mm gun: French equivalent, developed by Établissement d'Études et de Fabrication d'Armements de Bourges (EFAB) in 1979.
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era edit
- L11A5 120 mm rifled gun: British rifled equivalent, developed by Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) in 1957.
- 2A46 125 mm gun: Russian 125-mm equivalent, developed by Spetstekhnika Design Bureau in 1960s.
- Rheinmetall 120 mm gun: German equivalent, developed by Rheinmetall in 1974.
- EXP-28M1 120 mm rifled tank gun: Experimental British weapon of the late 1970s/early 1980s. Was to have equipped the MBT-80.
- IMI 120 mm gun: Israeli equivalent, developed by Israeli Military Industries in 1988.
- OTO Breda 120 mm gun: Italian equivalent, developed by OTO Melara in 1988.
- L30A1 120 mm rifled gun: British rifled equivalent, developed by ROF Nottingham in 1989.
- JSW 120 mm gun: Japanese equivalent, developed by Japan Steel Works in 2008.
- CN08 120 mm gun: South Korean equivalent, developed by Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and WIA in 2008.
- 2A82-1M 125 mm gun: New Russian 125-mm equivalent, developed by Uralvagonzavod in 2014.
- MKE 120 mm tank gun: Turkish equivalent, developed by Otokar and Hyundai WIA in 2016.
References edit
- ^ Ferrard, Stéphane; Gerard, Turbe (1992). The Leclerc System. Bosquet. p. 109. ISBN 9781852601416.
- ^ Chassillan, Marc (2005). Char Leclerc : De la guerre froide aux conflits de demain. Editions Techniques pour l'Automobile et l'Industrie. p. 191. ISBN 978-2726894385.
- ^ Foss, Christopher (1993). Jane's Armoured Fighting Vehicle Retrofit Systems 1993-94. London: ane's Information Group. p. 33. ISBN 978-0710610799.
- ^ "AUSA '86". International Defense Review. 19 (12). Interavia S.A: 1809. December 1986. ISSN 0020-6512.
External links edit
