Leopard 2-140

[Mad Russian]

Leopard 2-140

As the 1990s began, Rheinmetall began developing a 140 mm smoothbore cannon as a future tank cannon. This was intended to counter new developments in Soviet-bloc armoured fighting vehicles, most especially persistent rumours that the next-generation Soviet main battle tank would be armed with either a 135 mm or 152 mm cannon. This program was contemplated as the third stage in the KWS program of modernizing Leopard 2 tanks. KWS I was the replacement of the L44 120 mm cannon with the 55-calibre model, KWS II was a modernization program that became the Leopard 2A5, and KWS III was the development of a new turret including a 140 mm smoothbore weapon system and an automatic loader, which would have resulted in the reduction of the crew to three soldiers. The final project design contained a lateral loading mechanism and had the main gun moved in the left turret side. Ammunition load for the main gun was 32 rounds, which were stored in a large ammunition bunker, covering the full turret rear. Moving the ammunition out of the crew's compartment would have resulted in a higher survivability in case of a penetration. The planned protection level was to be equal to the Leopard 2A5 or better. Command and control of the tank was supposed to be improved by the introduction of the ISIS system in its latest version. The KWS III was not adopted then, but development continued on the 140 mm weapon system, with Rheinmetall coordinating with Royal Ordnance from the UK and GIAT from France. To test out the weapon's capabilities, the 140 mm gun was mounted to a Leopard 2. The tank was not equipped with the new turret armour of the KWS III improvement program, nor with an automatic loader, and it also still had the electro-hydraulic turret drive. To cope with the extra weight of the main gun, counterweights were added to the turret rear. The tests were partially successful, with the gun showing superior penetration power, but also some difficulties with the handling.

(From Wikipedia)


Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

So, where are tank main guns going? Are we about at the upper limit of gun size do to size and weight restriction?

Good Hunting.

MR

[Tazak]

Rail guns, they're starting to appear on navy ships so it'll be a few years before the size and power requirements are reduced to a manageable size to fit into a tank hull but I can see them taking over from current tank guns

why - no explosive propellant required so increased crew survivability, projectiles can be smaller so either less overall weight or more 'slugs' can be carried, much higher velocities so greater penetration and longer range

[SwampYankee68]

Maybe no guns but AT missiles, like aircraft?

[kipanderson]

Hi,

As I understand it the aim is to increase the pressure and therefore the muzzle energy. This can be done by increasing the size the gun, but can also be done by stuffing more charge down a similarly gun.

The limiting factor to increasing the pressure of tank guns is the increase in ware caused by the increase in pressure. This leads to “pitting..” on the surface. Special treatments using chrome and such are being/ have been developed to help reduce this. Hence the new higher peruse Russian gun in the T14 has a new chrome lining.

Another technique used is to only increase the maximum pressure say by 10% but maintain that maximum pressure far further down the barrel. Believe it or not, but by the hyper standards of tank gun pressures the there is quite drop off after maximum is reached . This is the technique used in the L55 gun.

My guess is a tank gun that can fire the standard 120mm ammo and also higher pressure rounds by stuffing more charge down the barrel and maintaining the pressure longer. But these rounds only to be used in the very rare circumstance when up against an opponent that has the every latest tank armour. i.e. not in any of NATO wars of the last twenty years.

This is probably how the new, higher pressure T14 gun works. Also on offer for re-gunning earlier Russian tanks I believe. You can buy a T90 with the new gun if wish. So I read in Jane’s or some arms trade mag.

All interesting stuff,
All the best,
Kip.
PS. As yet... rail guns power pack too bulky for tanks. “Battery..” technology in all forms has not advanced over the last twenty years as hoped for. You still need huge storage space for a gun of the energy of a tank gun.

[Jakerson]

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian

So, where are tank main guns going? Are we about at the upper limit of gun size do to size and weight restriction?

Good Hunting.

MR

Largest limiting factor for tanks gun size is that larger the gun less ammo you can fit inside the tank. It is no sense to make a tank that can only have handful of rounds. Even when it would be cool to have 400mm gun, that fire rounds that weight more than average car. They used that sized railway guns in ww2 and ww1 and they where bit impractical. [;)]