Image source: topwar.ru
European tank building is moving towards increasing the firepower of the main armament of combat vehicles. This is evidenced by the demonstration of concepts at the French Eurosatory 2022 exhibition, which has begun its work.
While the Panther tank from the German company Rheinmetall was equipped with a 130-mm gun, the largest caliber was presented by Nexter concern, which showed the public the 140-mm Ascalon cannon. Currently, its development is continuing, and later it can be installed on the promising Franco-German "tank of the future" MGCS.
The Ascalon presented at the exhibition is a technology demonstrator that uses components obtained as a result of work in the 1990s on the 140-mm FTMA gun, which was tested on the Leclerc tank. Then it was planned to abandon the 120-mm gun, significantly increase the chamber and limit the pressure of powder gases in order to increase survivability.
Its successor, the Ascalon cannon, should be ready by 2023. The weight of the system will be about 3 tons, which is less than the mass of the current 120 mm guns. The gun will use sub-caliber ammunition with an effective ratio of the length and diameter of the tungsten core exceeding the current proportions. The length of the 140 mm barrel will be approximately 7.3 m. For comparison, the current Leopard 2A6/A7 has a 120-mm gun with a length of 6.6 m, Leclerc – 6.24 m.
- according to French observers.
The Ascalon system will be capable of firing guided ammunition of the NLOS type (Non-Line of Sight), which allows you to fight the enemy out of line of sight from the tank, receiving target designation, for example, from drones.
