STANAG 4385
STANAG 4385 is a NATO standard for the standardization of ammunition for smoothbore cannons in the 120 mm caliber. The ammunition described in this standard has a caliber of 120 × 570 mm.
Background and technology
The first smooth barrel cannon in this caliber was the German Rheinmetall 120 mm smooth barrel cannon L / 44 , which was developed for the Leopard 2 main battle tank in the 1970s and 1980s . Standardization became necessary when the US Army began using the M256 under license in the M1A1 Abrams .
With the sale of Leopard 2 and Abrams main battle tanks inside and outside NATO, this cannon was widely used in the “ western world ”.
The Rheinmetall 120 mm smoothbore gun was later also used by armies affiliated with NATO, such as the South Korean armed forces . The 120 mm smoothbore cannon of the Israeli Merkava battle tank (from version Mark III ) is also compatible with the STANAG 4385 , although it is not a licensed production of the Rheinmetall cannon, but was developed on its basis. The French Leclerc also owns a cannon that can fire ammunition according to STANAG 4385 .
For the use of ammunition according to STANAG 4385 it is also crucial that the chamber geometry of the cannon corresponds to the Interface Control Document (ICD).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Shot report on compatibility according to STANAG 4356 (English) (online PDF 1.82 MB) ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ 120 HE 120mm ammunition for NATO guns , website of Nexter (English) ( Memento from June 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ European Handbook for Defense Procurement - Expert Group 100 Ammunition. CEN, April 21, 2008, p. 19, accessed on June 3, 2014 (PDF, 14MB, English). ( Memento from June 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive )