Royal Ordnance L30
| Royal Ordnance L30 | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | L30 |
| Manufacturer country: | United Kingdom |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Royal Ordnance |
| Development year: | 1985 |
| Start of production: | 1989 |
| Weapon Category: | cannon |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : |
120 mm |
| Caliber length : | L / 55 |
| Elevation range: | −10 - +20 degrees |
| Side straightening area: | 360 ° |
The Royal Ordnance L3 is a British chariot cannon . It is the most modern rifled tank cannon in the world, since all tank-building nations apart from Great Britain have been relying on smoothbore cannons for a long time , as they can achieve higher penetration rates. The L30 pushes the concept of a tank cannon with a rifled barrel to its limits and almost achieves the performance of the Rheinmetall Rh120 or D-81 .
development
The L30 was developed by the Royal Ordnance Factory in Nottingham as the Challenger 2's main weapon in the 1980s . A possible installation in the Challenger 1 to increase combat value was considered. The cannon is based on the 120 mm Royal Ordnance L11 and 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 . The name of the prototype was EXP 32M1 experimental gun or XL30E3 .
technology
The L30 is a rifled cannon in 120 mm caliber with a barrel length of 55 calibers. It fires divided ammunition, which consists of three parts. The loader loads the projectile and the propellant charge individually. The third part is the ignition cartridge called the vent tube , which is automatically fed from a magazine when the breech is closed and ignites the propellant charge through the breech when the trigger is pulled. The tube is manufactured using the electroslag remelting process and, like the cartridge chamber, is hard chrome-plated to increase its service life. The tube service life is given as 400 shots. The lock is a two-part semi-automatic wedge lock. The cartridge is ignited electrically. The cannon is equipped with a smoke extractor and encased in a thermal protective cover.
ammunition
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| Type designation | Ammunition type | Initial speed (m / s) | Weight bullet (kg) | Explosives weight (kg) | particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L15A4 | APDS | 1370 | 10.36 | - | only for L11 |
| L20A1 | (AP) DS Ob | 1451 | 5.8 | - | Practice floor |
| L23 | APFSDS | 1534 | 8th | - | Tungsten-Nickel-Copper Penetrator |
| L26 CHARM 1 | APFSDS | n / A | 8.5 | - | depleted uranium, for L30A1 |
| L27 CHARM 3 | APFSDS | n / A | n / A | - | depleted uranium, for L30A1 |
| L31 | HESH | 670 | 17.1 | 4.2 | Squeeze head grenade |
| L32 | HESH ex | 670 | 17.1 | - | Practice bullet, without explosives |
| L34 SMOKE | Smoke grenade | 670 | 17.3 | 4.2 | phosphorus |
Users
- about 400 Challenger 2
- 38 Challenger 2
Web links
- Stefan Kotsch: 120 mm L11 / L30A1. The ammunition for the 120 mm L11 and L30A1 cannons. In: Main battle tanks in detail. Retrieved February 8, 2019 .
- L30. www.army-guide.com, accessed on February 8, 2019 (English).
- Royal Ordnance L11A5. www.onwar.com, accessed February 8, 2019 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ The British Challenger 2 Tank. tanknutdave.com, accessed February 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Stefan Kotsch: 120 mm L11 / L30A1. The ammunition for the 120 mm L11 and L30A1 cannons. In: Main battle tanks in detail. Retrieved February 8, 2019 .