Modele F2 (105 mm)
Contents
Description
The 105/47 F2 MECA 105 mm (otherwise known as the Modèle F2) is a medium-pressure cannon mounted in a GIAT Industries TK 105 three-man turret and fires 105 x 527R proprietary ammunition. The turret uses a SAMM CH49 electrohydraulic gun control system, albeit it lacks a stabilization system. An NF-1 7.62 mm machine gun is fitted coaxially to the main cannon and two electrically-operated smoke launchers are fitted onto each side of the turret. A total of 38 rounds are carried for the main cannon.
The 105 mm F2 rifled tank gun has a very light barrel with shallow rifling. The semi-automatic breech has a vertical sliding wedge block and electrical firing system. There is a fixed muzzle reference mirror just behind and above the double-baffle muzzle break, which helps with detecting barrel warping. A single hydropneumatic cylinder is mounted on the left side of the gun that acts as the recoil brake, while the recuperator cylinder is mounted on the right-hand side.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
The Modèle F2 is a very similar to the other 105 mm cannons found in the AMX-30s. It weighs around 720 kg and its firing range was little over 1,250 m.
Because it is a medium pressure cannon, it has great muzzle velocity. It has access to HE, HEAT-FS but also APFSDS, which unlike the APFSDS found in the AMX-30s, creates average amounts of spalling making one shot kills while using it, way more consistent and reliable.
The HEAT-FS round creates consistent damage after penetration, but just like other HEAT-FS ammunition, it isn't uncommon for a simple bush to stop the whole round. One should think about grabbing at least a few HEAT-FS rounds, as only chemical shells can cause hull-break to light vehicles and APFSDS rounds can just pass straight trough them, creating little to no damage as their armour is very thin most of the time.
Available shells
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Warhead type | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| OCC 105 F3 | HEATFS | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 |
| OE 105 F3 | HE | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| OFL 105 F3 | APFSDS | 325 | 321 | 318 | 316 | 308 | 303 |
| Shell details | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Warhead type | Velocity
(m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) | Fuse delay (m) | Fuse sensitivity (mm) | Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet chance | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||
| OCC 105 F3 | HEATFS | 1,120 | 5.65 | 0.05 | 1 | 1,020 | 65° | 72° | 77° |
| OE 105 F3 | HE | 800 | 7.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2,000 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| OFL 105 F3 | APFSDS | 1,400 | 3.8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 78° | 80° | 81° |
| Smoke shell characteristics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity
(m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) | Screen radius
(m) |
Screen deploy time
(s) |
Screen hold time
(s) |
Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) |
| O-FUM-PH-105 F3 | 800 | 7.1 | 20 | 5 | 25 | 50 |
Comparison with analogues
| Comparable cannons to the Modèle F2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year of Creation | Mass
(kg) |
Rounds Per Minute | Calibre |
| CN-105-F1 | 1966 | 2,470 | 9 RPM | 105 mm |
| OTO Melara 105/52 | 1977 | _____ | 7 RPM | 105 mm |
| L7A3 | 1957 | 1,287 | 6 RPM | 105 mm |
| M68 | 1958 | 1,128 | 6 RPM | 105 mm |
Usage in battles
The Modèle F2 excels at fighting over long distance due to its rounds having pretty high velocity. Because it is only mounted on the AMX-10RC, which is a light vehicle, one should not charge forwards and take on brawls. The effective way to use this cannon is to hang around in the back, preferably in a vantage point, and pick off unsuspecting enemies. The cannon has -8° of gun depression, but due to the AMX-10RC's controlled suspension, one can take advantage of hills and uneven terrain, effectively making the gun depression lower/higher.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High velocity of rounds
- Has access to APFSDS, which only a few vehicles have in that battle rating
- APFSDS reliably destroys tanks in one shot
Cons:
- Somewhat slow fire rate; roughly 6 rounds a minute
- Lack of a stabilizer system
History
The Modèle F2 (F2 MECA) was designed as a light gun that could fire fin-stabilized projectiles and it was made exclusively for the AMX-10RC. The 105 mm F2 guns installed in the AMX-10RC (6 x 6) vehicles of the French Army were to have been replaced by the rifled 105 mm 105 G2 gun.
It was only fitted to the AMX-10RC which is still in service with France, Morocco and Qatar. Since the AMX-10RC is not marketed by GIAT anymore, it is very unlikely that there will be any future productions of this gun.
Media
See also
- CN-105-F1 (105 mm) - similar to the F2
- OTO Melara 105/52 (105 mm) - An Italian 105 mm cannon
External links
| France tank cannons | |
|---|---|
| 20 mm | 20F2 |
| 25 mm | SA35 L/72 |
| 37 mm | SA18 L/21 · SA38 L/33 |
| 47 mm | SA34 L/30 · SA35 L/32 · SA37 |
| 75 mm | APX · APX Canon de 75 mm modèle 1897 · SA35 L/17 · SA44 · SA49 · SA50 L/57 |
| 90 mm | D.911 APX · CN90 F2 · CN90 F3 · CN90 F4 · D915 · DEFA F1 · SA45 · SA47 |
| 100 mm | SA47 L/58 |
| 105 mm | CN-105-F1 · Giat 105 G2 · Modele F2 · PzK M57 |
| 120 mm | GIAT CN120-25 G1 · GIAT CN120-26 F1 · SA46 |
| 142 mm | ACRA |
| 155 mm | GCT F1 · Schneider 155 C · L'Obusier de 155 Modèle 1950 |
| Foreign: | |
| 15 mm | MG 151 (Germany) |
| 20 mm | MG 151 (Germany) |
| 30 mm | Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA) |
| 37 mm | M6 (USA) |
| 40 mm | Bofors L/60 · QF 2-pounder (Britain) |
| 75 mm | KwK42 (Germany) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA) |
| 76 mm | M7 (USA) |
| 90 mm | M3 (USA) |
| 105 mm | M4 (USA) |
