The 60mm HVMS (High Velocity Medium Support) gun is a self-loading autocannon jointly developed by OTO Melara of Italy and the Israel Military Industries (IMI). It was designed to be mounted on light armoured vehicles to provide an anti-armour capability using high-velocity sub-calibre kinetic ammunition.[1]
Overview edit
The gun was designed for infantry support, to give infantry units increased anti-armour firepower through a powerful but light gun mounted on light vehicles deployed with these units.
The project commenced in 1977, originally as a joint development between Israeli Military Industries (IMI) and OTO Melara of Italy, whereby IMI were expected to develop the gun and ammunition, and OTO Melara the autoloader and a lightweight two-man turret which could be mounted on a variety of different vehicles. However, both companies went their own way developing their own versions, although each retained the same cartridge case dimensions. The IMI version is known as the High-Velocity Medium Support (HVMS) gun, while the OTO Melara version is known as the High Velocity Gun System (HVGS).[2]
Despite being judged a success by IMI, the gun did not enter service with Israel, and the only export sale was in 1983 to Chile to upgrade M24 Chaffee and M-50 Super Sherman tanks. OTO Melara's version was proposed for fitment to a variant of the Italian Army's Dardo infantry fighting vehicle (which the company co-developed with Iveco), but (as of 2021) this proposal has not eventuated.
Design edit
The gun features a barrel with a bore of 60 millimetres (2.36 in) and a length of 70 calibers (4.2 metres), with a fume extractor approximately halfway down its length. The barrel is fabricated using the autofrettage method to allow the wall to be thin but extremely strong. A hydro-spring recoil system employs a spring surrounding the breach-end of the barrel which is protected by a shroud and a truncated rubber sleeve, allowing quick barrel changes as the gun and recoil system can be removed/installed as a single unit.
Although originally designed with an automatic loading system, the gun can also be manually loaded. The automatic loader is recoil-operated and features a vertical magazine with capacity differing between the IMI and OTO Melara versions. Rounds can be fired individually or in a three-round burst, or in the case of the OTO Melera version, in full automatic with a maximum rate of fire of 30 rounds per minute. Manual loading consists of the traditional method of inserting the shells into the vertically-sliding breach by hand, augmented by hydraulic assistance. Manually loaded, the rate of fire is up to 12 rounds per minute with a reloading time of three seconds between firings. Firing is by an electrically-actuated system.
The gun was originally designed to be installed in the T60/70 turret, a lightweight two-man turret which also contained a 7.62mm machine gun and four electronically-operated smoke dischargers mounted on each side. The turret could be fitted to a number of light armoured vehicles, and was trialled by the IDF on the M113 armoured personnel carrier, and by Italy in the Fiat Type 6616 4x4 armoured car. However, this turret did not do into production and operational vehicles which received the gun (such as those of the Chilean army) had it fitted to existing turrets modified accordingly.
The gun can fire both armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot -tracer (APFSDS-T) and high explosive (HE) 60x640R ammunition. An inert training round is also available.[3]
Performance edit
For testing, the gun was fitted to a British QF 6-pounder gun carriage and fired against static Russian T-62 range targets.
The APFSDS-T ammunition was capable of penetrating 120 mm of rolled homogeneous armour sloped at 60 degrees at a range of 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). Rounds were measured leaving the barrel travelling at 1,600 metres per second (5,300 ft/s), losing only 91 metres per second (300 ft/s) after the first kilometre of travel. The rounds were able to penetrate the armour of a T-62 from any angle as well as the side armour (15–79 millimetres (0.59–3.11 in) thick) of two T-62’s arranged side-by-side at 2,000 metres (2,187 yd) and was highly accurate at distances of over 2,500 metres (2,734 yd). This performance bettered that of APDS rounds fired from the Royal Ordnance L7 105mm gun.[4] [5]
Vehicles fitted with the gun edit
The gun was mounted on the following vehicles in either a prototype or demonstration, or operational capacity:
- B1 Centauro wheeled tank destroyer (prototype only)[6][a]
- BWP-2000 infantry fighting vehicle (prototype only)[7]
- Dardo infantry fighting vehicle / C13-60 light tank / VCC-80 (prototype only)[8]
- Fiat Type 6616 armoured car (prototype only)[9]
- M24 Chaffee light tank[10]
- M41 Walker Bulldog light tank
- M-60 Sherman medium tank[3]
- Marder infantry fighting vehicle (prototype only)[11]
- M113 armoured personnel carrier (prototype only)
- MOWAG Piranha IB 6×6 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (prototype only)
- VBM Freccia wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (prototype only)[10]
Operators edit
Chilean Army: from 1983 fitted to M24 Chaffee and M-50 Sherman tanks, which were then known as the M-60 Sherman. It is believed that when the M24s were withdrawn from service in the early 2000s, some guns were fitted to M41 Walker Bulldogs (at least one prototype was created). At least one Piranha 6x6 IFV was trialled with the gun fitted. As of 2022 it is uncertain as to whether any vehicles armed with this gun remain in service.[12]
Specifications edit
Ammunition edit
The following specifications are for APFSDS-T ammunition:[1]
- weight:
- complete round: 6 kg (13 lb 4 oz)
- projectile: 1.35 kg (3 lb 0 oz)
- sub-projectile:870 g (31 oz)
- length:
- complete round: 620 mm (24.41 in)
- projectile: 292 mm (11.50 in)
- sub-projectile diameter:17 mm (0.669 in)
- muzzle velocity: 1,620 m/s (5,300 ft/s)
The following specifications are for HE ammunition:[1]
- weight:
- complete round: 7.2 kg (15 lb 14 oz)
- projectile: 2.9 kg (6 lb 6 oz)
- length: 640 mm (25.20 in)
- muzzle velocity: 815 m/s (2,670 ft/s)
- fuse: point detonating, base detonating, proximity and delayed
Gun edit
The following specifications are for the gun assembly (i.e. barrel and breech), less mounts:[1]
- bore: 60mm
- calibers: 70
- length: 4.2 metres (13 ft 9 in)
- weight:
- IMI: 700 kilograms (1,543 lb)
- OTO: 1,000 kilograms (2,205 lb)
- recoil system: hydro-spring
- recoil force: 9,000 kilograms (19,842 lb)
- recoil travel: 270 millimetres (10.630 in)
- rifling: right hand, 22 grooves, 1 in 30 turns per calibres
- firing: electrical
- firing modes: single shot, burst, full auto
- max. rate of fire: 30 rounds per minute
Turret edit
The following specifications are for the T60/70 turret originally designed to house the gun:[1][2]
- material: aluminium
- length: 6.165 metres (20 ft 3 in)
- width: 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in)
- height above turret ring: 661 millimetres (26.02 in)
- depth below turret ring: 1,162 millimetres (45.75 in)
- weight:
- without gun: 2,200 kilograms (4,850 lb)
- fitted and loaded: 5,000 kilograms (11,023 lb)
- elevation: electrically operated, -6 to +50 degrees
- traverse: electrically operated, 360 degrees
- sight magnifications:
- gunner's: x8
- commander's: x2.5, x10
- power supply: 24V
- crew: 2
A manual version (i.e. non-electrically operated) version was also available.
Notes edit
- ^ This was possibly the same vehicle as the prototype Freccia IFV fitted with the gun, as the Freccia is a modified version of the Centauro in Italian service.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Anthony G Williams (2014). Jane's Weapons: Ammunition 2014-2015. IHS. ISBN 9780710631084.
- ^ a b Anthony G. Williams (2 August 2022). Autocannon: A History of Automatic Cannon and Ammunition (pre-release ed.). Ramsbury, Wiltshire UK: Crowood Press (published 2022). ISBN 978-1785009204.
- ^ a b "M-60 Sherman (M-50 with 60mm HVMS Gun)". The Online Tank Museum. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Israeli IMI 60mm APFSDS-T Ammunition". International Ammunition Association. August 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ Jochen Vollert (2005). "IDF - Israeli Army IMI 60mm HVMS". Tankograd. Berlin, Germany: Tankograd Publishing.
- ^ Spidergrenadier (8 September 2018). "Centauro B1 60mm HVMS test bed" (JPEG). Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "BWP-2000". Military Today. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Giacomo Voceri (26 October 2020). "The IFV Dardo: History, Characteristics, Remarks and Possible Future". Ares Osservatorio Difesa. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "BRM Type 6616". 26 November 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b "M24 Chaffee with 60 HVMS". The Online Tank Museum. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Autocannon Ammunition - 60mm HVMS". Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ Anthony G Williams (17 August 2014). "Light AFV guns and the WCSP and FRES Scout projects". Retrieved 27 March 2022.