Next generation tank gun?

delft

Brigadier
Here's Skywatcher and his partner's take on this.

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Yes, a new tank please and something that does not looks like an upgrade from the one before.
It reminds one of the German WWII 88mm anti-aircraft gun that proved to be able to defend itself against tanks, was developed as an anti-tank gun and then as a tank gun. The barrel can be the same while it might be used for these different functions.
I can imagine that this gun would be awkward in a manned turret. Will it be part of a Chine tank similar to the Russian T-14?
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Still lots of questions to ask. Is it really rifled or smooth bore. Is it really even a tank gun? if it is a tank gun is it that the PRC is not confident in ETC or it's ability to build it to quality and quantity and this is a fall back or is this part of that ETC gun trialing the barrel and breach? is a 60 Calibre cannon really practical on a MBT?
 

Lezt

Junior Member
Still lots of questions to ask. Is it really rifled or smooth bore. Is it really even a tank gun? if it is a tank gun is it that the PRC is not confident in ETC or it's ability to build it to quality and quantity and this is a fall back or is this part of that ETC gun trialing the barrel and breach? is a 60 Calibre cannon really practical on a MBT?
Technically, it is a barrel length of 7.5m, the 88L71 was 6.58 m barrel, the 12.8 L55 is 7m long barrel. The 90mm T15E1 / T54 was also 6.5 m long,

so 7.5m is not really that extreme.
 
The barrel length factor against maneuvrability can be mitigated using a SPG configuration, even on a tank, where the turret is towards the rear of the vehicle.
 

by78

General
The barrel length factor against maneuvrability can be mitigated using a SPG configuration, even on a tank, where the turret is towards the rear of the vehicle.

Yep. A front-engine layout with an automated turret (with autoloader) in the rear and the fighting compartment in the middle would be an ideal set up for this gun, provided that it's indeed too long to be wieldy.
 

thunderchief

Senior Member
Length of the barrel reminds me of good old Soviet M-46 130 mm gun (link below) . Other similarities end there, but placing this into the tank would require drastic change in Chinese doctrine, and departure from Soviet model of medium tanks (T-72 , T-80) as MBT , and move to Western model of heavy tanks with larger dimensions .

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TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
It would I suspect push beyond that. Even the latest Russian Armada tank is far larger then classic Russian tank design ethics but that still has a standard gun size.
 
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