Subsystems / Cannon / 2A72
2A72
General Facts
- TYPE
Autocannon - ORIGIN
USSR
- NICKNAMES
ZTM-1 (Ukranian production) - DESIGNED
Early 1980's - DESIGNER
Tulamashzavod - PRODUCTION
Mid 1980's - PRODUCERS
Russia - Tulamashzavod
Ukraine - Precision Mechanics Plant
USSR - Tulamashzavod
- QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Fires powerful ammunition
Limited weight
Low recoil impulse
Reduced accuracy due to recoilling barrel
Introduction
The 2A72 is a late Cold War era 30mm autocannon of Soviet origin. It was developed as a less complex and lighter alternative to the widely used 2A42. Studies revealed that the 2A42 was virtually always used at the low rate of fire setting. By modifying and simplifying the 2A42 design it could be produced at lower cost and be used for a wider range of applications. The 2A72 is used both as main armament and as a coaxial weapon for the 100mm 2A70 low pressure cannon.
Design
The 2A72 is a much simplified design based on the 2A42 consisting of only 349 parts instead of 578. Unlike the 2A42 it is not gas operated but recoil operated. A new design muzzle brake is used in order to retain enough recoil to cycle the weapon.
Firepower
The 2A72 fires the common 30x165mm round of which several types are available. The rate of fire is 330 rpm which is effectively similar to the earlier 2A42 that was hardly used at the higher rate of fire setting. The effective range is 1.5 km versus armored vehicles. The effective range for the high explosive rounds is about 2 km versus infantry, vehicles and aircraft although it has a slant range of 4 km.
Platforms
The 2A72 is mainly used as a coaxial weapon on the BMP-3 and as main armament for the BTR-80A. Other applications include the BMD-4 and various Chinese combat vehicles.
2A72
2A72: The 2A72 is a lightweight autocannon that fires the powerful 30x165mm round. There are no variants of the 2A72, although it can be considered a derivative of the older and heavier 2A42.
- Specifications:
- 2A72
Type | Autocannon |
---|---|
Caliber | 30x165mm Soviet |
Mechanism | Recoil operated, electrically powered |
Barrel | rifled, 16 grooves, 716 mm right hand twist |
Dimensions | ? |
---|---|
Weight | 84 kg overall, 36 kg barrel |
Feeding | ? |
Rate of fire | 330 rpm |
Muzzle velocity | 960 m/s |
---|---|
Recoil | 6 kN |
Remarks | Muzzle brake, 6.000 round service life |