Autoloader

Last updated

An autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ammunition into crew-served weapons without being an integrated part of the gun itself. The term is generally only applied to larger weapons, such as naval weapons, tanks, and artillery; that would otherwise have a dedicated person or persons loading them. [1] [2]

Contents

An autoloader extracts a shell and propellant charge from the ammunition storage rack/compartment and loads it into a magazine or belt, if the gun has one, or directly into the chamber of the gun if it does not. It often replaces a human loader. Automation can streamline and speed the loading process, resulting in a more effective design.

The potential benefits of an autoloader in a vehicle is a higher firerate and a smaller turret and crew amount. The autoloader takes up internal space and could need room in the turret ring like the Des Moines-class cruiser or require an extended turret bustle like the Type 90 tank, and is also more mechanically complex than manual loading.

History

Autoloaders were developed at the beginning of World War II. Their first combat use was in "tank-buster" aircraft such as the 75 mm (3.0 in) caliber Bordkanone BK 7.5 cannon-equipped Henschel Hs 129 B-3. Every Soviet and Russian-derived tank since the T-64 main battle tank has used an autoloader. Their use has been mostly shunned by American and British tanks, despite the American T22E1 medium tank being one of the first tank designs to use an autoloader. [3]

After the middle 20th century, autoloading became common on large 76.2 mm (3.00 in) caliber or greater naval guns. The size of the shells, when combined with the more elaborate autoloading facilities available in the wider spaces of a ship, makes an autoloader much faster than human loaders. For example, the US 5"/38 Mark 12 can load about 20 rounds per minute. [4]

The advent of jet aircraft, and the rate of fire required to engage them, hastened the adoption of automatic loaders on naval artillery. Development was often problematic, and reliability was seriously compromised in many cases. The US 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun was derated from 40 rounds per minute to 34 to improve reliability. [5] The US 3"/70 Mark 37 [6] actually spent more time in design (13 years) than in service (12 years) due to severe unreliability. These problems are largely of the past and the field has advanced a great deal.

Features

The American M1128 mobile gun system autoloader holds up to 18 rounds. MobileGS.jpg
The American M1128 mobile gun system autoloader holds up to 18 rounds.

Rate of fire

The Soviet/Russian AK-130 (twin barrel naval 130 mm (5.1 in)), using autoloading, can achieve up to 40 rounds per barrel per minute. [7] The Italian 127 mm/5" Compact has similar performance. The largest caliber auto-loading naval rifles were the US 8"/55 Mark 16, deployed on the three cruisers of the Des Moines class in the late 1940s, and the 8"/55 Mark 71 tested aboard the destroyer USS Hull in the late 1970s. Both weapons achieved a rate of fire of 12 rounds per barrel per minute, compared to 3-4 rounds per minute for the preceding hand-loaded weapons.

A modern tank autoloader for a 120 mm (4.7 in) and 125 mm (4.9 in) caliber weapon in good condition can achieve about 10-12 rounds per minute. This rating may or may not include the time required to bring the gun to the appropriate loading angle (if required) and then bringing it back up to firing angle after loading. The autoloader on the cancelled Object 640 "Black Eagle" tank was supposed to have up to 15 rounds per minute rate of fire. [8]

For weapons above 127 mm (5.0 in), the increased weight of the round pushes this issue decisively in favor of the autoloader. For self-propelled artillery with calibers of around 152 mm (6.0 in) and 155 mm (6.1 in), for example, autoloaders can typically achieve 8–12 rounds per minute, while a human loader(s) can typically achieve 4 rounds per minute. For sustained bombardments, this may not be so important. Sustained firing rates for artillery are typically only 1–2 rounds per minute, but the rapid-fire capability is vital to shoot-and-scoot tactics to deliver enough fire and then avoid the rapid counterbattery response provided by modern counterbattery systems. On the other hand, even during sustained bombardment an autoloader could be useful, as the fatigue issues of loading an artillery piece for hours (i.e. 155 mm (6.1 in) projectile weighs ~45 kg (99 lb)) do not affect them.

In addition, an artillery piece with an autoloader and powerful fire control system can use the multiple rounds simultaneous impact technique, firing several shells with varying propellant charges so all of them land on their targets simultaneously.

Survivability

The most common tank autoloaders store their ammunition in the turret basket, increasing the possibility of a catastrophic explosion should the armor around the hull or turret be penetrated. More armor protection, and isolation/separation of the ammunition from the crew compartment has traditionally been available in tanks with a human loader, which can decrease the possibility of cook-off, or protect the crew in case of an ammunition explosion. For example, the M1 Abrams was designed to protect the crew from cooking off, which is accomplished by storing the main gun ammunition in a compartment at the rear of the turret. The compartment is separated from the crew by a power-operated armored door, which is only opened for a couple of seconds each time the loader needs to grab another round. The roof of the compartment has blowout panels, are armored against outside attack but much less resistant to pressure from inside, so that if the compartment is penetrated by enemy fire the panels will open, venting the explosion generated by the ammunition and protect the crew while keeping the tank in one piece. Other western designs from the later Cold War era to the present with manual loading have similar protective features. In contrast, the Soviet tanks of the Cold War which employ autoloaders store the ammunition on a carousel in the middle of the crew compartment, where any penetration by enemy fire is likely to incinerate the crew and blow the turret right off the top of the tank (known as the jack-in-the-box effect). [9] This is made worse by the fact that autoloader holds only a limited number of rounds, while the remaining ammunition is stored around the crew compartment. Result is that even if the carousel itself is not hit, ammunition stored around the tank may still ignite due to a penetrating hit, and thus set off the ammunition in the carousel. [10]

Some Western designs, such as the Leclerc tank, store the primary ammunition in an isolated compartment in the turret bustle, with blowout panels on top and the ramming mechanism underneath or in the middle. This allows for much better crew protection but the loading mechanism, taking up space in the ammunition compartment, reduces the available number of rounds that can be carried. Therefore, such a tank usually stores additional ammo in compartmentalized storage at the bottom of the fighting compartment, like older manual loading tank designs. This storage can be surrounded by water, but the reduced crew must still transfer this ammunition to the autoloader at some point. However, such a design can also allow for the rapid replacement of the autoloader and reloading of the ready ammunition by making the compartment at the rear of the turret a modular component that can be easily replaced with appropriate support equipment, similar to how the US M270 MLRS system is reloaded. Another possible advantage is that the door that separates the turret can be only large enough for one round of ammunition to slide through, rather than extending across the entire rear of the turret as in the case of the M1 Abrams – this could save additional mass and reduce the power necessary to operate the door, by using less armor for the same level of protection, since it would be part of the turret instead of a sliding component in a heavy frame.

Size

Autoloaders are often implemented in an attempt to reduce tank size and profile. The Stridsvagn 103 and T-64 are examples of this, both being significantly lower in profile than contemporaries with manually loaded guns and a fourth loader crewmember.

Crew reduction

The replacement of the loader and gunner with a commander and driver could allow crewmembers to rotate shifts. This would enable continuous operations on the battlefield. [11] Though in some retrofit cases (Abrams tank for example) there is nothing in the fitting of an autoloader that requires the removal of the loader. In such situations the autoloader frees up the fourth crew-member to support the other three full-time, instead of just part-time when they are not doing their main job.[ citation needed ]

The disadvantage of the need to keep most of the ammunition close to the autoloader can be actually turned into an advantage by using an unmanned turret design with a crew capsule. In this case, all the necessary ammunition can be kept in direct access to the autoloader, without affecting the safety of the crew, because the crew compartment is completely separate from the autoloader and ammunition. Modern examples of this design are the Russian T-14 "Armata" MBT and the Polish PL-01 light tank.

Adoption

The current generation of tanks using autoloaders (Russian T-72, T-80, T-90 and T-14, Japanese Type 90 and Type 10, Chinese Type 96 and Type 99, South Korean K2 Black Panther, French Leclerc, Sino-Pakistani Al-Khalid MBT, North Korean M2020, Iranian Zulfiqar and Karrar) all weigh between 45–55 tons. Tanks that do not use autoloaders tend to weigh in the 55–70 ton range (American M1A2 Abrams, German Leopard 2, Indian Arjun, British Challenger 2, Turkish Altay, Israeli Merkava, and Italian C1 Ariete).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tank gun</span> Artillery used as a tanks main armament

A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are high-velocity, large-caliber artilleries capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high-explosive anti-tank, and cannon-launched guided projectiles. Anti-aircraft guns can also be mounted to tanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotchkiss gun</span> Guns from Hotchkiss arms company

The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different types of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch (42 mm) light mountain gun; there were also a navy (47 mm) and a 3-inch (76 mm) Hotchkiss guns. The 42 mm gun was intended to be mounted on a light carriage or packed on two mules to accompany a troop of cavalry or an army travelling in rough country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37</span> Anti-aircraft gun

The 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37 was a series of anti-aircraft guns produced by Nazi Germany that saw widespread service in the Second World War. The cannon was fully automatic and effective against aircraft flying at altitudes up to 4,200 m. The cannon was produced in both towed and self-propelled versions. Having a flexible doctrine, the Germans used their anti-aircraft pieces in ground support roles as well; 37 mm caliber guns were no exception to that. With Germany's defeat, production ceased and, overall, 37 mm caliber anti-aircraft cannon fell into gradual disuse, being replaced by the Bofors 40 mm gun and later, by 35-mm anti-aircraft pieces produced in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)</span> Soviet anti-aircraft gun

The 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) is a Soviet 37 mm calibre anti-aircraft gun developed during the late 1930s and used during World War II. The land-based version was replaced in Soviet service by the AZP S-60 during the 1950s. Guns of this type were successfully used throughout the Eastern Front against dive bombers and other low- and medium-altitude targets. It also had some usefulness against lightly armoured ground targets.

The jack-in-the-box effect, also known as a turret toss, is a specific effect of a catastrophic kill on a tank or other turreted armored vehicle in which an ammunition explosion causes the tank's turret to be violently blown off the chassis and into the air. It is named after the child's toy, the jack-in-the-box, in which a puppet pops up. The crew usually do not survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37 mm gun M1</span> Anti-aircraft autocannon

The 37 mm gun M1 was an anti-aircraft autocannon developed in the United States. It was used by the US Army in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6-inch/47-caliber gun</span> Naval gun

The 6-inch/47-caliber Mark 16 gun was used in the main batteries of several pre-war and World War II US Navy light cruisers. They were primarily mounted in triple turrets and used against surface targets. The Mark 16DP gun was a dual-purpose fitting of the Mark 16 for use against aircraft as well as surface ships. It was installed in the postwar Worcester-class light cruisers and the anti-aircraft gunnery training ship Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3.7 cm SK C/30</span> Anti-aircraft cannon

The 3.7 cm SK C/30 was the German Kriegsmarine's primary 3.7 cm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft gun during the Second World War. It was superseded by the fully automatic 3.7 cm FlaK 43 late in the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanks of the post–Cold War era</span>

The post–Cold War era is the period in world history from the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 27, 1991 to the present. During the Cold War, the Soviet domination of the Warsaw Pact led to effective standardization on a few tank designs. In comparison, France, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom had previously developed their own tank designs, but now tried to standardize their designs, while the smaller nations of NATO purchased or adapted these designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T69 tank</span> Medium tank

The T69 was a prototype American medium tank with an oscillating turret mounting a 90mm cannon with an eight-round drum autoloader. It held a crew of three. Developed on the basis of the T42 experimental medium tank in the mid-50s, the vehicle never entered mass production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PLL-05</span> Self-propelled gun-mortar

The PLL-05 is a Chinese self-propelled gun-mortar in use by Chinese mechanised infantry formations. Conceptually it is similar to the Russian 2S23 "Nona-SVK" three of which China purchased for evaluation; at one time it was reported that China would purchase 100 of the Russian vehicles however this failed to occur, nor does it appear that there was a formal transfer of technology to China. The Chinese system features a longer barreled weapon mounted on the Type 92 variant of the WZ551 armored personnel carrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AK-130</span> Naval cannon

The AK-130 is a Russian designed automatic dual barrel naval cannon with a caliber of 130 millimetres (5.1 in), capable of firing 10-40 rounds per minute.

The 152 mm /53 Model 1926–1929 were built for the Italian Navy in the years before World War II. These guns were used on all Condottieri-class light cruisers except the Duca degli Abruzzi-class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">152 mm/55 Italian naval gun Models 1934 and 1936</span> Naval gun

The 152 mm /55 Model 1934–1936 were built for the Italian Navy in the years before World War II. These guns were used on the Duca degli Abruzzi-class Light cruisers, which were the final series of the Condottieri-class cruisers as their primary armament and as secondary armament on the Littorio-class battleships.

The Škoda 15 cm K10 was a naval gun of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that was used by the Austro-Hungarian Navy during World War I. The gun was actually 149.1 mm, but the classification system for artillery rounded up to the next highest centimeter. The 15 cm K10 was called cannon 149/47 by the Italians and was used by the Italian Navy as coastal artillery during World War II.

The Škoda 19 cm vz. 1904 was a naval gun of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that was used by the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the World War I. The 19 cm vz. 1904 was also used by the Italian Navy and Italian Army as coastal artillery during World War II. The Italians referred to it as the 190/39.

The 21 cm Schnelladekanone Länge 45, abbreviated as 21 cm SK L/45 was a German naval gun developed in the years before World War I that armed the armored cruiser SMS Blücher of the Imperial German Navy. During World War I spare guns were converted to railway guns and later employed as coastal artillery during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Škoda 30.5 cm /45 K10</span> Naval gun

The Škoda 30.5 cm /45 and Škoda 30.5 cm /45 K10 were a family of related naval guns of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that were used aboard the last classes of pre-dreadnoughts and dreadnoughts of the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the World War I. Guns salvaged from these ships after World War I were later used by the Royal Italian Army as coastal artillery during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">203 mm 45 caliber Pattern 1892</span> Naval gun

The 203 mm 45 caliber Pattern 1892 was a Russian naval gun developed in the years before the Russo-Japanese War that armed a variety of warships of the Imperial Russian Navy during the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. Guns salvaged from scrapped ships found a second life as coastal artillery. It is believed none were in service during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">254 mm 45 caliber Pattern 1891</span> Naval gun

The 254 mm 45 caliber Pattern 1891 was a Russian naval gun developed in the years before the Russo-Japanese War that armed coastal defense ships and pre-dreadnought battleships during the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. Guns salvaged from scrapped ships found a second life as coastal artillery. It is believed none were in service during World War II.

References

  1. ↑ The Modern Weaponry of the World's Armed Forces - Col. Y Udaya Chandar (Retd.) - Google Książki. April 24, 2017. ISBN   9781946983794.
  2. ↑ Prenderghast, Gerald (March 23, 2018). Repeating and Multi-Fire Weapons: A History from the Zhuge Crossbow Through ... - Gerald Prenderghast - Google Książki. ISBN   9781476666662.
  3. ↑ Hunnicutt, R. P. Pershing, A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series, 1996, Feist Publications, ISBN   1-112-95450-3., p. 50.
  4. ↑ USA 5"/38 (12.7 cm) Mark 12 Archived 2008-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ DiGiulian, Tony. "USA 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 42 - NavWeaps". navweaps.com.
  6. ↑ DiGiulian, Tony. "USA 3"/70 (7.62 cm) Mark 37 - NavWeaps". navweaps.com.
  7. ↑ DiGiulian, Tony. "Russia / USSR 130 mm/70 (5.1") AK-130 - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com.
  8. ↑ Creations, (c) 2005 Vasiliy Fofanov - Sauron's. "Black Eagle Autoloader". armor.kiev.ua.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "T-72 Schematics". Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Tank Autoloader vs Manual Loader". January 22, 2023.
  11. ↑ Applications of robotics and artificial intelligence to reduce risk and improve effectiveness: a study for the United States Army. National Academies. 1983. p. 18. ISBN   9780309002318 . Retrieved May 1, 2011.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.