MT-12 (2A19) Rapira

MT-12 (2A19) Lapira Story

During World War II (1939-1945) the Soviet Army learned the value of tank-killing, armor-piercing weapons in the face of the might of the Wehrmacht armored divisions. Most solutions focused on towed high-speed field guns with effective penetrating projectiles, and it was this way of thinking that the Soviets carried over into the Cold War era (1947-1991). In 1955, a new rifled anti-tank gun was introduced, which quickly became the standard weapon for the Army and other countries allied with the Soviet Union and subsequently foreign allies of this type. The MT-12 "Lapira" series has been in service with the Soviet Armed Forces in the late 1980s, but has since been in service with a variety of global operators from Algeria and Armenia to Ukraine and Uzbekistan - many of whom still use the MT-12 today.

Weapons (2017).

The MT-12 was also officially designated "2A19", also known as "T-12". This type entered service to replace the aging line of 100mm BS-3 series field guns in service since 1944 (WWII).

At the heart of the T-12 design is a selected 100mm projectile, fired from a smoothbore barrel. Compared to the BS-3, the MT-12 features an all-new barrel and an improved two-wheeler wagon with a gun shield - all based on lessons learned from World War II combat. The barrel is 63 caliber, making up a significant portion of the entire weapon system's total length of 31 feet.

The gun shield has a three-sided, angled appearance and is sloped towards basic ballistic protection - the sighting device cut out from the upper left corner is used for the aiming device. The carriage is designed with traditional two-wheeled rubber tires with trailing arms at the rear.

When the system is ready to launch, the wheels are lifted off the ground. The gun mounting hardware allows an elevation range of -6 to +20 degrees and a traverse of 27 degrees to the right or left of the centerline.

A well-trained rifleman can (theoretically) fire 14 rounds per minute, although rates of 4 to 6 rounds per minute are realistic. The crew consists of six people, and the weapon system requires a mobile vehicle for long trips, although rifle crews can pass over short distances (the entire weapon weighs 6,000 pounds).

The MT-12 fired a 12.5-pound armor-piercing, fin-stabilized case (tungsten) (APFSDS-T) projectile at a muzzle velocity of 5,170 feet per second to a range of 3,300 yards. Since the barrel of the MT-12 is smooth (not rifled), the projectile requires a built-in spring-loaded tail to stabilize in flight. Penetration at 3,300 yards is 5.5 inches of armor.

At 550 yards, the gun can penetrate nearly 10 inches of armor.

The weapon supports HEAT (High Explosive, Anti-Tank) and HE-FRAG (High Explosive, Fragmentation) projectiles and the 9K117 "Kastet" beam in addition to the typical armor-piercing, fin-stabilized rounds. - Ride-on laser guidance missile.

The MT-12 "Rapira" was the first variant, followed by the MT-12R "Ruta", which was equipped with RLPK-1 series radars for improved accuracy in smoky conditions. Introduced in 1981, the MT-12K Kastet supports the launch of the 9M117 Kastet missile.

Over 6,000 MT-12 guns in service in the USSR/Russia. The second largest operator is Ukraine, sometimes with around 400 units in stock.

Iraq was the former operator of the product, many of which were lost in the 1991 Gulf War, and the last stockpiles were destroyed during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and subsequent occupation. The former Yugoslav countries have transferred their MT-12 supplies to successor countries (mainly Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia) after the breakup.

The A407 is a locally designed Romanian model influenced by the MT-12 series. China copied the MT-12 as the Type 73, and the Type 86 may be some related offshoot, also 100mm

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes