100 mm anti-tank gun M1977
The A407 100mm anti-tank gun M1977 is a Romanian rifled 100-mm anti-tank gun which serves as the main towed anti-tank gun of the Romanian Land Forces from 1975 until present. Versions of the M1977 gun were installed on main battle tanks (TR-77 and TR-85) and ship turrets on river monitors.
| A407 100mm anti-tank gun M1977 | |
|---|---|
 A407 gun of the 612th Anti-tank Battalion. | |
| Type | Anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | Socialist Republic of Romania |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1975–present |
| Wars | Gulf War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Arsenal Reşiţa |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3,150 kg (6,940 lb) |
| Length | 9.250 m |
| Barrel length | 4.630 m |
| Width | 2.250 m |
| Height | 1.530 m |
| Crew | 8 |
| Shell | 100 x 695 mmR |
| Caliber | 100 millimetres (3.9 in) |
| Elevation | −5°/+37° |
| Traverse | 27°30' left and right |
| Rate of fire | 7 to 15 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 900 m/s for HE 1400 m/s for APFSDS-T |
| Effective firing range | 1.040 m for AP 1.728 m for APFSDS-T |
| Maximum firing range | 20.600 m (HE) 4.000 m (AP) 3.000 m (HEAT) |
| Sights | mechanical sight, panoramic sight, optical sight, collimator |
History
The A407 100mm anti-tank gun was the first artillery piece designed in Romania after World War II. The first variant of the gun, the M1975 (M stands for Model) had a semi-automatic horizontal sliding wedge type breech lock. The second variant, M1977, had a more practical vertical sliding wedge breech block.[1]
The M1977 can be also used as a field gun at brigade level, as it has a maximum range of 20.6 kilometers. After 1992, the M1977 anti-tank guns were modernized with improved optical sights.[2] The gun can be towed with the DAC 665T truck and has a maximum road speed of 60 km/h on road and 30 km/h off-road.
Variants
- M1975 - used the horizontal sliding wedge breech lock.
- M1977 - used the vertical sliding wedge breech lock.
- M2002 - modernized version of M1977 with a FCS TAT-100.[3]
Adaptations:[4]
Operators
Iraq - At least one A407 anti-tank gun was captured in Iraq during the Gulf War by the US Army. The exact number of A407 artillery pieces exported by Communist Romania is unknown. The gun is now the property of the Ohio Army National Guard, the transportation unit (1486th Transportation Company) that captured it.
Israel - One was delivered in 1993.[5]
North Korea[6]
Romania - 208 M1977 towed anti-tank guns in 2010.[7]
References
- Citations
- Stroea A., page 146
- Stroea. A, page 148
- ROMARM description of M2002
- Stroea A., page 147
- UN Disarmament Archived 2008-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
- "Military Forces of North Korea". Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
- "IISS Military Balance 2010". Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- Bibliography
- Foss, Christopher F. (2005). Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005-2006. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2686-8.
- Stroea, Adrian; Băjenaru, Gheorghe (2010). Artileria română în date și imagini (Romanian artillery in data and images) (in Romanian). Editura Centrului Tehnic-Editorial al Armatei. ISBN 978-606-524-080-3.