2A70

The 100 mm gun-launcher 2A70 (GRAU designation: 2А70) is a model of low-pressure rifled cannons designed in the Soviet Union by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau. Integrated into Bakhcha-U and Sinitsa turret modules, the gun equips the BMD-4, BMP-3, and BTR-90M infantry fighting vehicles. It is capable of launching the high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) 3OF32 and 3OF70 projectiles, as well as the 9M117 Bastion gun-launched anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and related systems.

100 mm gun 2A70
2A70 at the Motovilikha Plants museum
Type	Gun-launcher
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1990–present
Used by	See Operators
Production history
Designer	KBP Instrument Design Bureau
Designed	1980s
Manufacturer	Motovilikha Plants[1]
Produced	mid 1980s–present
No. built	2000+
Specifications
Mass	311.6 kilograms (687 lb)
Length	3,943 millimetres (155.2 in)
Barrel length	> 3 m
Width	281 millimetres (11.1 in)
Height	404 millimetres (15.9 in)
Caliber	100 millimetres (3.9 in)
Barrels	1, rifled, no bore evacuator or muzzle device
Rate of fire	8–10 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	See table 3OF32: 250 m/s (820 ft/s) 3OF70: 355 m/s (1,160 ft/s)
Effective firing range	3OF32: 300 m (980 ft)–4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Maximum firing range	3OF70: 6,500 m (21,300 ft)[1]
Feed system	autoloader (shell); manual (shell and missile)[1]

China produces a similar gun used on the ZBD-04 IFV, using technologies licensed from Russia in 1996.^[2] The VN20 has a version with a 100-mm gun.^[3]

History

By no later than 2006, the then-standard projectile 3OF32 was found to be underpowered. Being modified from the WW2 52-OF-412 projectile of the 100 mm field gun M1944 (BS-3), it was designed to withstand a higher ballistic-performance gun and thus has too thick walls and insufficient explosive filling.^[4]

Ammunition

Table of ammunition^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Cartridge	Projectile	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Mass (kg)	Range (km)	Area of destruction (m2)	Penetration (mm RHA)
HE-FRAG
3UOF17	3OF32	250	18.2	0.3–4.0	160	—
3UOF19	3OF70	355	15.8	0.3–6.5	360	—
3UOF19-1	3OF70	355	15.8	0.3–6.5	600	—
ATGM
3UBK10-3	9M117 Bastion		22	0.1–4.0	—	550 post-ERA
3UBK10М-3	9M117M Kan		22.9	0.1–4.0	—	~600 post-ERA
3UBK23-3	9M117M1 Arkan		21.5	0.1—5.5	—	~750 post-ERA

The 3OF32 has a point-detonating (impact) fuse.^[11]

Operators

See the articles for BMP-3, BMD-4, and ZBD-04.

See also

• Shipunov 2A42