57 Mk3
| Bofors 57 mm | |
|---|---|
A Bofors 57 mm Mk 1 live-firing on the Swedish Spica-II Class FAC
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| Type | Naval artillery |
| Place of origin | Sweden |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1966–present |
| Used by | See users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bofors Defence |
| Designed |
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| Manufacturer |
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| Produced |
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| Variants | See variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Mark 3: 14,000 kg (31,000 lb) (weight including 1,000 rounds onboard, each weighing 6.5 kg (14 lb) per complete round) |
| Barrel length |
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| Shell | 57 mm × 438 mm 6.1 kg (13 lb) complete round 2.4 kg (5.3 lb) pre-fragmented shell |
| Caliber | 57 mm/70 caliber |
| Barrels | Single barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 24 grooves) |
| Action | Electronic firing |
| Elevation |
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| Traverse |
Full 360°:
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| Rate of fire |
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| Muzzle velocity | 1,035 m/s (3,400 ft/s) (HE round) |
| Effective firing range | 8,500 m (9,300 yd) (HE round) |
| Maximum firing range | 17,000 m (19,000 yd) (HE round at 45°) |
| Feed system |
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| Sights | Gyro-stabilized in local control. |
Full 360°:
The Bofors 57 mm guns are a series of dual-purpose naval guns designed and produced by the Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors (since March 2005 part of BAE Systems AB), designed in 1964 as a revision of the 57 mm lvakan M/50 used on the Halland class destroyers. Production of the baseline 57 mm Mark 1 variant began in 1966 and was initially used to equip smaller coastal patrol craft and fast attack craft . The gun is remotely controlled, usually by a fire-control computer but, as a redundancy measure, the crew can also train and aim the gun using instrument panels that are either on or in direct contact with the gun. Although the Swedish Navy is the primary user of the gun, it has been exported widely by Bofors Defence for use by the navies of Brunei, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.
The gun was upgraded and improved several times, first the Mark 2 in 1981 which drastically lowered the weight as well as introduced new servo stabilizers. The Mark 3 came in 1995 with modifications made to enable the smart ammunition developed.
The Bofors 40mm gun was one of the most popular naval anti-aircraft guns during World War II, used long after the war in a variety of roles. However, as jet aircraft became more prevalent in the post-war era, it was clear the gun did not have the weight of fire needed to effectively deal with these threats. Flying at speeds close to 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph), a jet aircraft flew through the effective range of the 40 in too short a time for the gun to fire enough rounds to ensure a hit.
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Wikipedia