M-46 52P482 130-mm Towed Gun - Program
During the Great Patriotic War, the basis of the corps artillery of the Red Army was the duplex (guns on a single carriage): 122-mm gun model 1931/37 A-19 and 152-mm howitzer-gun model 1937 ML-20. These guns, designed back in the 1920s, needed to be replaced with lighter, more accurate, faster-firing and longer-range ones. On April 23, 1946, the Main Artillery Directorate of the USSR Armed Forces issued a technical assignment for the design of a towed 130-mm gun for ground forces, which was to replace the 122-mm gun A-19 .
The design bureau of Plant No. 172, under the leadership of chief designer M. Yu. Tsirulnikov, began designing a new 130-mm gun. I The M-46 was developed from the M-36 130 mm naval gun used on ships and for coast defense. The Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers of July 10, 1946 set the development of a 130-mm gun and a 152-mm gun, or gun-howitzer, for corps artillery. The new corps duplex was created on a single carriage and was supposed to replace the 122-mm gun mod. 1931/37 and the 52-mm howitzer-gun mod. 1937.
The 130 mm cannon was supposed to have approximately the same weight, but have a significantly greater firing range and power than the 122 mm cannon mod. 1931/37. The 130 mm caliber was borrowed from naval artillery. The development was carried out on a competitive basis by two design teams - the Central Research Institute of Artillery Armament headed by V. G. Grabin and SKB-172 under the direction of M. Yu. Tsirulnikov at Plant No. 172 in Molotov (Perm). Grabin's team developed the 130 mm S-69 cannon and the 152 mm S-69-1 gun-howitzer, Tsirulnikov's SKV - the 130 mm M-46 cannon and the 152 mm M-47 cannon.
Experimental models of the 130-mm M-46 and 152-mm M-47 guns were manufactured in June 1948 by Plant No. 172. After factory tests, the M-46 tube and the experimental model of the M-47 gun were sent to the Scientific Testing Artillery Proving Ground, where competitive tests of the M-46 and S-69 guns were conducted from July to November 1948. The M-47 and M-46 barrels were fired alternately at the proving ground from a single carriage (M-46). 1,347 shots were fired from the M-46 barrel, 1,319 shots were fired from the M-47. Also, the carriage with the M-46 barrel was tested by towing an AT-S (during towing, with the barrel, which was not transferred to the traveling position at a speed of 5 km / h). The total distance of transportation was 2,277 kilometers. After eliminating design flaws, NIAP conducted repeated joint tests of the M-46, M-47, and S-69 artillery systems from July 27 to November 14, 1949, during which 1,249 shots were fired from the M-46 and 423 shots from the M-47. The M-46 also underwent transportation tests over 568 kilometers. Troop tests of four M-46 and M-47 guns were conducted from September 9 to November 9, 1950, according to the results of which both systems were recognized as having successfully passed the tests. Following military testing in September–November 1949, the M-46–M-47 duplex was recommended for adoption. In accordance with the Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers of December 31, 1950, serial production of the guns began at Plant No. 172. The M-46 gun (index 52-P-482) remained in serial production longer than the M-47 and became more famous.
On December 31, 1950, by Resolution No. 4900-2130 of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the M-46 gun was launched into serial production at Plant No. 172. In addition, it was mass-produced in China under the index Type 59. A total of several thousand of these guns were produced. Over the twenty years of production, the M-46 entered service in about 50 countries. Twelve countries still produce their own ammunition for the M-46. For example, China and Iran have developed active-reactive projectiles for the M-46, which allow hitting targets at a distance of up to 37 km.
The M-46 was first seen in public in May 1954 and thus originally was known in the West as the M1954. The M-46 system was exported to many countries around the world and participated in a number of local conflicts, including the artillery duel in the Taiwan Strait in the late 1950s, conflicts in Indochina and the Middle East. During the Sino-Taiwanese conflict, it was not possible to hit targets located on the other side of the Taiwan Strait at distances exceeding 27 km with the M46 gun. However, Soviet military instructors found an unconventional solution. Having waited for a favorable wind and heated up full propellant powder charges, they were able to significantly increase the maximum firing range and cover targets on the other side of the strait by changing the ballistic characteristics.
The first 130 mm field gun produced by China was the Type 59, a virtually direct copy of the Russian M-46. The Type 59 130mm gun, with maximum rate of fire is at 8-10 rds/min, fires an HE projectile capable of penetrating 250mm of armour set at 0 degree at a range of 1,500m. The Type 59 gun also fires enhanced range projectiles: the MP-130 RAP that weighs 33.4kg with a maximum range of 34,360m; and an ERFB HE that weights 32.7kg with a maximum range of 30km. Subsequently, the Chinese released the 130-mm Type 59-1 gun, which combined elements of the M-46 and the aforementioned D-74 guns.
The Extended Range Full Bore-Base Bleed round was specifically designed by NORINCO Industries (China) for use with the Chinese 130-mm Type 59 Field Gun. However, this round may be fired by the M-46.
The M-46 is found in gun battalions of artillery regiments/brigades organic at front and army level. These battalions may be assigned to maneuver divisions as part of a divisional artillery group (DAG). Today it is still found in the armies of many countries. In the Soviet Army, M-46 guns were used in artillery regiments under army command, each with two battalions with 18 guns (each with three batteries of six guns). The regiment also had a headquarters, an auxiliary battery, an artillery reconnaissance battalion, plus a battalion of 18 B-20 152 mm caliber gun-howitzers. An artillery division, which was part of a front or army group, consisted of two regiments each with 54 M-46 guns; an artillery regiment included three battalions of 18 guns.
Since 1978, two new nuclear-capable guns, the 152mm field gun M1976 and the 152mm self-propelled gun 2S5, began to replace the M-46 in Soviet forces.
The former Yugoslavia offered two modernization options for the M-46 gun, the M-46-86 model with a 152 mm caliber barrel of 46 calibers long and the M-46-84 model with a 155 mm caliber barrel of 45 calibers long.
The Israeli company Soltam has managed to interest the Indian Army, which operates around 1,200 M-46 guns, in its M-46 upgrade project. However, it appears that Indian designers have developed their own project, called Metamorphosis. The Indian project is still in the development stage. It is expected that in the future, all M-46 guns of the Indian Army will be re-equipped with 155 mm barrels. The Dutch company RDM Technologies is also offering an upgrade to the 155 mm caliber for the M-46.
These ideas were implemented long ago in the former USSR in the form of the 152 mm M-47 cannon, created simultaneously according to the same design on a single M-46 carriage.
Currently, Motovilikha Plants OJSC is modernizing the existing M-46 systems, which includes: replacement of the 130 mm barrel with a 155 mm barrel for standard NATO ammunition; installation of a semi-automatic breech and a rammer for loading the shot; introduction of an automated guidance and fire control system (AGFCS) using angle measuring systems, computers and displays; modification of anti-recoil devices in order to reduce the recoil length.
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