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Cased telescoped autocannon From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 40CTC (40 mm Cased Telescoped Cannon) is a 40 mm autocannon and the central component of the Franco-British 40CTAS (40 mm Cased Telescoped Armament System) developed by CTA International. It is designed to fire 40mm telescoped ammunition.[2] This format provides significant benefit within vehicles in the space envelope required for the gun and the ammunition storage.[3] However, the selection of the unfielded, thus unproven, new design for major French and British programmes was controversial.[4][5]
| 40CTC | |
|---|---|
40CTC of a British Ajax armoured fighting vehicle | |
| Type | Cased telescoped autocannon |
| Place of origin |  France United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2022–present |
| Used by | British Army French Armed Forces |
| Production history | |
| Designer | CTA International |
| Designed | 1997 onwards |
| Manufacturer | CTA International |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 340 kg (750 lb) |
| Length | 3,428 mm (11 ft 3.0 in) |
| Barrel length | 2,800 mm (110 in) |
| Cartridge | 40×255 mm |
| Caliber | 40 mm |
| Action | Recoil-operated, rotating breech |
| Rate of fire | 200 rpm |
| Effective firing range | 2,500 m (8,200 ft) (4,000 m (13,000 ft) for RapidFire) |
| Maximum firing range | 8,500 m[1] |
| Feed system | Automatic Ammunition Handling System (AHS) |
The 40CTAS has been ordered by the French Army for use on its future EBRC Jaguar armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The latter entered service in February 2022. It has also been mandated for the UK Ajax (formerly FRES SV) and (cancelled) Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) programmes.
In February 2010, CTA International signed a £11m contract with the French and British defence ministries to qualify the 40CT; this included environmental testing and the firing of 15,000 rounds.[6] The company has confirmed that the ammunition for the British weapons will be assembled by BAE Systems at the ROF Glascoed facility.[7]
The 40CTAS consists of the following modules:
The Naval RapidFire is a naval platform based on the 40CTC. Intended as close-in defense capability for surface vessels against air and land threats, it can fire the A3B round.[8] The RapidFire was selected for integration on the 4 Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces (BRF) of the French Navy as well as the upcoming class of 10 Patrouilleurs Hauturiers (PH) offshore patrol vessels. The first system was installed on the lead ship of the BRF, FS Jacques Chevallier, in February 2023.[9]
It is the land-based variant of the RapidFire and is meant for integration on military vehicles.[8] The turret can store between 70 and 120 rounds, with additional rounds stored in the turret structure's compartment. Rate of fire is 200 rpm with a range against aerial and surface targets of 4,000 m and 2,500 m respectively. The truck-based RapidFire can be mounted on a 6×6 and 8×8 chassis, the latter of which is able to de-mount the system onto the ground for it to operate independently.[10][11]
The 40CTAS's proprietary 40mm telescoped ammunition is manufactured for various applications, including anti-infantry and anti-materiel. The variants differ in weight, effective range, and payload depending on the intended target.
| Type | Projectile weight (g) | Muzzle velocity (m/s) | Penetration | Effective range (m) | Targets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APFSDS-T Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot - Tracer |
550[1] | 1,500[1] | 140 mm RHA at 1,500 m[1] | 2,500[1] | Medium armoured vehicles[1] | |
| GPR-T General Purpose Round - Tracer |
980 | 1,000 | 210 mm concrete or 15mm RHA at 1,000 m | <8,500 | Infantry, light armoured vehicles, defensive fortifications | Available as point detonating (GPE-PD-T) or airburst munition (GPE-AB-T) |
| A3B-T Anti Aerial Airburst - Tracer |
1,400 | 900 | - | 4,000 | Unmanned aerial vehicles, light aircraft, helicopters | |
| TP-T Target Practice - Tracer |
980 | 1,000 | - | 8,500 | - | |
| TPRR-T Target Practice Reduced Range - Tracer |
730 | 1,000 | - | 6,500 | - | Reduced range variant of TP-T |
France (300 + 8) United Kingdom (245)
Belgium (60) France (7 + 3 in option) France
Greece (200)
Kuwait
Luxembourg (38)
Qatar United Kingdom
Australia
Bulgaria
Lithuania
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