100 mm anti-tank gun M1977
Encyclopedia
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.
. 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.
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. 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.
Adaptations:
At least one A407 anti-tank gun was captured in Irak 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 that captured it.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
rifled
Rifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
100-mm anti-tank gun which serves as the main towed anti-tank gun of the Romanian Land Forces
Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.The Romanian Land Forces were founded on...
from 1975 until present. Versions of the M1977 gun were installed on main battle tanks (TR-77 and TR-85
TR-85
The TR-85 is a main battle tank designed for the armed forces of Romania. Based on the TR-77-580 , the TR-85 tank was developed from 1978 to 1985 and produced from 1986 until 1990. A modernization program was initiated in March 1994 in order to upgrade the TR-85 tanks to NATO standards...
) and ship turrets.
History
The A407 100mm anti-tank gun was the first artillery piece designed in Romania after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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.
The M1977 can be also used as a field gun
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
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. 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 FCSFire-control systemA fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
TAT-100.
Adaptations:
- A 308 - tank gunTank gunA tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are large-caliber high-velocity guns, capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high explosive anti-tank rounds, and in some cases guided missiles. Anti-aircraft guns can also be mounted to tanks.-Overview:Tank guns are a specific...
used for TR-77 and TR-85 main battle tanks. - A 430 - 100 mm gun used for ship turretsGun turretA gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
.
Operators
- 208 M1977 towed anti-tank guns in 2010. - one was delivered in 1993.At least one A407 anti-tank gun was captured in Irak during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
by the US Army. The exact number of A407 artillery pieces exported by Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
is unknown. The gun is now the property of the Ohio Army National Guard
Ohio Army National Guard
The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio Military Reserve and the Ohio Air National Guard...
, the transportation unit that captured it.