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Autoloader

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532:, store the primary ammunition in an isolated compartment in the turret bustle, with blowout panels on top and the ramming mechanism underneath or in the middle. This allows for much better crew protection but the loading mechanism, taking up space in the ammunition compartment, reduces the available number of rounds that can be carried. Therefore, such a tank usually stores additional ammo in compartmentalized storage at the bottom of the fighting compartment, like older manual loading tank designs. This storage can be surrounded by water, but the reduced crew must still transfer this ammunition to the autoloader at some point. However, such a design can also allow for the rapid replacement of the autoloader and reloading of the ready ammunition by making the compartment at the rear of the turret a modular component that can be easily replaced with appropriate support equipment, similar to how the US 521:, are armored against outside attack but much less resistant to pressure from inside, so that if the compartment is penetrated by enemy fire the panels will open, venting the explosion generated by the ammunition and protect the crew while keeping the tank in one piece. Other western designs from the later Cold War era to the present with manual loading have similar protective features. In contrast, the Soviet tanks of the Cold War which employ autoloaders store the ammunition on a carousel in the middle of the crew compartment, where any penetration by enemy fire is likely to incinerate the crew and blow the turret right off the top of the tank (known as the 317: 177: 75: 34: 422: 525:). This is made worse by the fact that autoloader holds only a limited number of rounds, while the remaining ammunition is stored around the crew compartment. Result is that even if the carousel itself is not hit, ammunition stored around the tank may still ignite due to a penetrating hit, and thus set off the ammunition in the carousel. 561:
The replacement of the loader and gunner with a commander and driver could allow crewmembers to rotate shifts. This would enable continuous operations on the battlefield. Though in some retrofit cases (Abrams tank for example) there is nothing in the fitting of an autoloader that requires the removal
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The disadvantage of the need to keep most of the ammunition close to the autoloader can be actually turned into an advantage by using an unmanned turret design with a crew capsule. In this case, all the necessary ammunition can be kept in direct access to the autoloader, without affecting the safety
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system is reloaded. Another possible advantage is that the door that separates the turret can be only large enough for one round of ammunition to slide through, rather than extending across the entire rear of the turret as in the case of the M1 Abrams – this could save additional mass and reduce the
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was designed to protect the crew from cooking off, which is accomplished by storing the main gun ammunition in a compartment at the rear of the turret. The compartment is separated from the crew by a power-operated armored door, which is only opened for a couple of seconds each time the loader needs
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The most common tank autoloaders store their ammunition in the turret basket, increasing the possibility of a catastrophic explosion should the armor around the hull or turret be penetrated. More armor protection, and isolation/separation of the ammunition from the crew compartment has traditionally
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A modern tank autoloader for a 120 mm (4.7 in) and 125 mm (4.9 in) caliber weapon in good condition can achieve about 10-12 rounds per minute. This rating may or may not include the time required to bring the gun to the appropriate loading angle (if required) and then bringing it
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After the middle 20th century, autoloading became common on large 76.2 mm (3.00 in) caliber or greater naval guns. The size of the shells, when combined with the more elaborate autoloading facilities available in the wider spaces of a ship, makes an autoloader much faster than human
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response provided by modern counterbattery systems. On the other hand, even during sustained bombardment an autoloader could be useful, as the fatigue issues of loading an artillery piece for hours (i.e. 155 mm (6.1 in) projectile weighs ~45 kg (99 lb)) do not affect them.
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For weapons above 127 mm (5.0 in), the increased weight of the round pushes this issue decisively in favor of the autoloader. For self-propelled artillery with calibers of around 152 mm (6.0 in) and 155 mm (6.1 in), for example, autoloaders can typically achieve
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8–12 rounds per minute, while a human loader(s) can typically achieve 4 rounds per minute. For sustained bombardments, this may not be so important. Sustained firing rates for artillery are typically only 1–2 rounds per minute, but the rapid-fire capability is vital to
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The advent of jet aircraft, and the rate of fire required to engage them, hastened the adoption of automatic loaders on naval artillery. Development was often problematic, and reliability was seriously compromised in many cases. The US
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of the loader. In such situations the autoloader frees up the fourth crew-member to support the other three full-time, instead of just part-time when they are not doing their main job.
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power necessary to operate the door, by using less armor for the same level of protection, since it would be part of the turret instead of a sliding component in a heavy frame.
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in the late 1970s. Both weapons achieved a rate of fire of 12 rounds per barrel per minute, compared to 3-4 rounds per minute for the preceding hand-loaded weapons.
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127 mm/5" Compact has similar performance. The largest caliber auto-loading naval rifles were the US 8"/55 Mark 16, deployed on the three cruisers of the
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of the gun if it does not. It often replaces a human loader. Automation can streamline and speed the loading process, resulting in a more effective design.
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of the crew, because the crew compartment is completely separate from the autoloader and ammunition. Modern examples of this design are the Russian
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are examples of this, both being significantly lower in profile than contemporaries with manually loaded guns and a fourth loader crewmember.
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Applications of robotics and artificial intelligence to reduce risk and improve effectiveness: a study for the United States Army
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from the ammunition storage rack/compartment and loads it into a magazine or belt, if the gun has one, or directly into the
496: 449:(twin barrel naval 130 mm (5.1 in)), using autoloading, can achieve up to 40 rounds per barrel per minute. The 200: 139: 710: 683: 533: 111: 712:
Repeating and Multi-Fire Weapons: A History from the Zhuge Crossbow Through ... - Gerald Prenderghast - Google Książki
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technique, firing several shells with varying propellant charges so all of them land on their targets simultaneously.
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without being an integrated part of the gun itself. The term is generally only applied to larger weapons, such as
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The Modern Weaponry of the World's Armed Forces - Col. Y Udaya Chandar (Retd.) - Google Książki
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Hunnicutt, R. P. Pershing, A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series, 1996, Feist Publications,
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With a smaller crew, the vehicle can also be made smaller inside. This reduces the amount of
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was derated from 40 rounds per minute to 34 to improve reliability. The Soviet/Russian
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Autoloaders are often implemented in an attempt to reduce tank size and profile. The
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been available in tanks with a human loader, which can decrease the possibility of
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This article is about automated weapon loaders for vehicles. For other uses, see
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back up to firing angle after loading. The autoloader on the cancelled
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in the late 1940s, and the 8"/55 Mark 71 tested aboard the destroyer
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tank was supposed to have up to 15 rounds per minute rate of fire.
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In addition, an artillery piece with an autoloader and powerful
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is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load
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that needs to be armored, meaning the vehicle, especially the
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has used an autoloader. Their use has been mostly shunned by
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The current generation of tanks using autoloaders (Russian
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being one of the first tank designs to use an autoloader.
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to grab another round. The roof of the compartment has
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tactics to deliver enough fire and then avoid the rapid
393:5"/38 Mark 12 can load about 20 rounds per minute. 99:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 795:"Russia / USSR 130 mm/70 (5.1") AK-130 - NavWeaps" 960: 831:Creations, (c) 2005 Vasiliy Fofanov - Sauron's. 347:Autoloaders were developed at the beginning of 204:that contextualizes different points of view. 190:to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies 708: 849:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( 62:Learn how and when to remove these messages 857: 238:Learn how and when to remove this message 220:Learn how and when to remove this message 159:Learn how and when to remove this message 909:. National Academies. 1983. p. 18. 814:"USA 3"/70 (7.62 cm) Mark 37 - NavWeaps" 788: 786: 773:"USA 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 42 - NavWeaps" 420: 709:Prenderghast, Gerald (March 23, 2018). 961: 830: 811: 792: 783: 770: 951:"Tank Autoloader or Crewman Loader?" 311: 170: 97:adding citations to reliable sources 68: 27: 805: 764: 497:multiple rounds simultaneous impact 366:and Russian-derived tank since the 13: 891:"Tank Autoloader vs Manual Loader" 528:Some Western designs, such as the 14: 985: 947:"The Chieftain" about autoloaders 934: 556: 429:autoloader holds up to 18 rounds. 43:This article has multiple issues. 502: 315: 175: 73: 32: 897: 883: 433: 84:needs additional citations for 51:or discuss these issues on the 824: 746: 729: 405:was so badly delayed that the 1: 669: 7: 753:USA 5"/38 (12.7 cm) Mark 12 577: 416: 21:Autoloader (disambiguation) 10: 990: 943:, YouTube presentation by 389:loaders. For example, the 307: 18: 16:Mechanical ordnance loader 941:"Whither the Autoloader?" 399:5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun 281:An autoloader extracts a 833:"Black Eagle Autoloader" 473:Object 640 "Black Eagle" 540: 427:M1128 mobile gun system 381:, despite the American 523:jack-in-the-box effect 430: 424: 409:class destroyer (now 198:by rewriting it in a 93:improve this article 893:. January 22, 2023. 570:MBT and the Polish 493:fire control system 264:crew-served weapons 969:Firearm components 758:2008-09-05 at the 688:. April 24, 2017. 431: 327:. You can help by 871:on March 25, 2012 865:"T-72 Schematics" 812:DiGiulian, Tony. 793:DiGiulian, Tony. 771:DiGiulian, Tony. 622:, Sino-Pakistani 383:T22E1 medium tank 345: 344: 287:propellant charge 248: 247: 240: 230: 229: 222: 184:This article may 169: 168: 161: 143: 66: 981: 928: 927: 925: 923: 901: 895: 894: 887: 881: 880: 878: 876: 867:. 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Index

Autoloader (disambiguation)
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verification
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ammunition
crew-served weapons
naval weapons
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artillery
shell
propellant charge
chamber
surface area
turret

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