Otobreda 127/54 Compact

The Otobreda 127mm/54 Compact (127/54C) gun is a dual purpose naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Oto Melara. It uses the 127mm round which is also used in the 5 inch/ 54 gun, albeit that this gun calibre is measured in United States customary units rather than metric. The gun uses an automatic loading system where 66 127mm rounds of various kinds can be stored ready-to-fire in three loader drums (each holding 22 rounds). The barrel is water-cooled. Currently the gun is still in use by navies around the world but it is slowly being replaced by the Otobreda 127/64 for new vessels, such as the German Navy's F125-class frigate and Italian Navy's FREMM.

Otobreda 127mm/54C
Otobreda 127mm/54C on Venezuelan frigate Mariscal Sucre (F-21)
TypeNaval gun
Place of originItaly
Service history
Used bySee users
Production history
DesignerOto Melara
VariantsOtobreda 127/64
Specifications
Barrel length270 in (6.9 m)
Crewremote controlled

Shell127x835mmR
shell weight: 29 to 31 kg (64 to 68 lb)
Caliber127 mm (5.0 in)
Elevation−15°/+83°
Traverse360°
speed: 40°/s
Rate of fire40 rounds/min
Effective firing range±30 km (100 km with guided VULCANO ammunition)
Feed systemMagazine capacity:
66 ready rounds

OTO Melara 127/64

edit

A replacement of the 127/54 compact, Oto Melara started the design in 1992, and completed it in 2003.[1] The new lightweight gun, weighing 17 tons without magazine or ammunition handling, has a rate of fire of 35 rpm, and can fire the long range guided Vulcano ammunition.

Operators

edit
 
Operators of the Oto Melara 127 Naval Gun in blue

The Otobreda 127/54 Compact is used in the following countries and ship classes:

Current operators

edit
  Argentina
  Canada
  Italy
  Japan
  Netherlands
  Nigeria
  Peru
  • Lupo-class frigate
  South Korea
  Venezuela
  • Lupo-class frigate

See also

edit

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2012-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
edit