Model 1968 Recoilless Gun
Encyclopedia
The Model 1968 Recoilless Gun is a 105-mm antitank weapon developed and employed by Argentina
. The weapon has been in active service since 1968 and 150 were still operational with Argentine forces in 2000. A similar weapon is the Argentine 105-mm Model 1974 FMK-1 recoilless gun.
. Ammunition for the Model 1968 includes both an 11-kilogram high-explosive and a 15-kilogram HEAT round. The Model 1974 fires a 16.6-kilogram HE round with a muzzle velocity of 400 meters/second and a 14.7-kilogram HEAT round at 514 meters/second.
The maximum range of the piece is 9,200 meters. Direct fire is limited to 1,800 meters using the optical sight with stadiametric rangefinder
or 1,200 meters using the spotting rifle. The Model 1974's range characteristics are the same. The Model 1968 is credited with a 200mm penetration of armor with its HEAT round. The HEAT round for the Model 1974 can penetrate 400 mm of armor.
Like many recoilless weapons, there is a significant back-blast from the Model 1968 with a danger zone of 40 meters designated to the rear of the weapon.
during the Falklands War
. The Model 1974 is in service with Argentina and Guatemala.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The weapon has been in active service since 1968 and 150 were still operational with Argentine forces in 2000. A similar weapon is the Argentine 105-mm Model 1974 FMK-1 recoilless gun.
Description
The Model 1968 is mounted on a towing carriage with wheels for transport and can be fired either with its wheels on or dismounted onto a tripod. Aiming is primarily done with the optical sight, but the weapon also includes a FAP (Fusil Automatico Pesado, heavy automatic rifle) spotting rifleSpotting rifle
A spotting rifle is a small-calibre rifle used as a sighting device for artillery. The ballistics of the spotting rifle are matched to those of the artillery piece, so that if a shot from the spotting rifle lands on the target, it may be assumed that the main weapon will also do so.- Anti-tank...
. Ammunition for the Model 1968 includes both an 11-kilogram high-explosive and a 15-kilogram HEAT round. The Model 1974 fires a 16.6-kilogram HE round with a muzzle velocity of 400 meters/second and a 14.7-kilogram HEAT round at 514 meters/second.
The maximum range of the piece is 9,200 meters. Direct fire is limited to 1,800 meters using the optical sight with stadiametric rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
or 1,200 meters using the spotting rifle. The Model 1974's range characteristics are the same. The Model 1968 is credited with a 200mm penetration of armor with its HEAT round. The HEAT round for the Model 1974 can penetrate 400 mm of armor.
Like many recoilless weapons, there is a significant back-blast from the Model 1968 with a danger zone of 40 meters designated to the rear of the weapon.
Use
The Model 1968 recoilless gun was employed in combat by the Argentine ArmyArgentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. The Model 1974 is in service with Argentina and Guatemala.
