Otobreda 76 mm

Otobreda 76 mm
The Otobreda 76mm Super Rapid as mounted in a stealth cupola (to reduce Radar cross-section) onboard the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen.
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1964 - present
Used by	See users
Production history
Designer	Oto Melara
Designed	Compact: 1963 Super Rapid: 1985
Manufacturer	Oto Melara (1963–2001) OtoBreda (2001 onwards)
Produced	Compact: 1964 Super Rapid: 1988
Variants	See variants
Specifications
Weight	Empty: 7.5 tonnes (17,000 lb)
Barrel length	62 caliber: 4,724.4 mm (186.00 in)
Shell	76×900mmR (complete round) 12.34 kilograms (27.2 lb)
Caliber	76.2 mm (3.00 in)
Elevation	-15°/+85° speed:35°/s (acceleration: 72°/s²)
Traverse	360° speed: 60°/s (acceleration: 72°/s²)
Rate of fire	Compact: 85 round/min Super Rapid: 120 round/min
Muzzle velocity	925 m/s (3,030 ft/s)
Maximum range	HE round fired at 45°: Compact: 20,000 m (22,000 yd) Super Rapid: 30,000 m (33,000 yd)
Feed system	Magazine capacity: 80 ready rounds on Compact gun mount 85 ready rounds on Super Rapid gun mount

The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier. A vehicle-mounted version known as the Otomatic was built for the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun role but was not put into production.

Unlike the older Allargato the Otobreda 76mm Compacto cannon system is compact enough to be installed on relatively small warships, like corvettes, avisos (a vessel somewhere between a corvette and a patrol boat), or patrol boats. The gun's high rate of fire makes it suitable for short-range anti-missile point defence, and its calibre also allows it to function in anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and ground support roles. Specialised ammunition is available for armour piercing, incendiary, and directed fragmentation, and a new stealth cupola has been designed in recent years.

The Otobreda 76mm has been widely exported and is in use with 53 navies. It has recently been favoured over the French 100 mm naval gun for the joint French/Italian Horizon CNGF frigate project. On 27 September 2006 Iran announced it has started mass production of a marine artillery gun, named the Fajr-27, which is a reverse-engineered Oto Melara 76 mm gun.

Other specifications

• Cooling: sea water—fresh water for flushing
• Electrical Power supply
  • 440 V, 3-phase, 60 Hz, main circuit;
  • 115 V, 1-phase, 400 Hz, servo and synchro network

Variants

• 76/62 Super Rapid - Also called the "Super Rapido" this is the most up to date development of the Italian 76mm naval cannons, with an increased rate of fire of 120 rounds per minute and increased range of 30 km. To achieve the higher rate of fire the Super Rapido requires a specially developed round that can be uploaded and chambered at higher speeds. While the older 76mm Allargato and 76mm Compacto can fire the new special round, it does not increase their rate of fire. Only the Super Rapido can fire at 120 rounds per minute. And that rate is only done in short bursts. The Super Rapido also improved on the serious vibration problems that the older Oto Malera and Otobreda 76mm mounts had that effected accuracy against smaller high speed air targets, for example anti-shipping missiles and guided bombs.

Users

Platforms using the Oto-Melara 76 mm include:

Asia

Bangladesh

• Ulsan class frigate

Indonesia

• Van Speijk class frigate
• Sigma class corvette

India

• Godavari class frigate
• Brahmaputra class frigate
• Shivalik class frigate
• kora class corvette
• Kamorta class corvette
• Veer class corvette

Iran

• Kaman class missile boat

Israel

• Saar 3 class missile boat
• Saar 4 class missile boat
• Saar 4.5 class missile boat

The OTO-Melara 76mm mounting is seen in this photograph of the Japanese Asagiri class destroyer Asagiri, formerly DD 156, renumbered TV 3516, seen here on 28 July 2008 departing from Portsmouth Naval Base, UK

Shells of the Otobreda 76 mm gun in Japanese service.

Japan

• Hatsuyuki class destroyer
• Asagiri class destroyer
• Murasame class destroyer
• Ishikari class destroyer escort
• Yubari class destroyer escort
• Abukuma class destroyer escort
• Hayabusa class patrol boat

South Korea

• Ulsan class frigate
• Pohang class corvette
• Donghae class corvette
• Gumdoksuri class patrol vessel

Myanmar

• Aung Zay Ya class frigate
• Anawyatha class corvette

Malaysia

• Laksamana class corvette
• Kedah Class Offshore Patrol Vessel

Philippines

• Gregorio del Pilar class frigate
• Jacinto class corvette

The OTO Melara 76mm Super Rapid gun mounted on the Victory class corvette - RSS Valour (89)

Singapore 

Republic of Singapore Navy

• Endurance class LST
• Formidable class frigate
• Victory class corvette
• Fearless class patrol vessel

Sri Lanka

• Nandimithra Class Saar 4 class fast missile vessel

Thailand

• Pattani class offshore patrol vessel
• Ratanakosin class corvette
• Ratcharit missile boat
• Chuburi patrol boats
• Tapi class large patrol corvette
• Khamronsin class corvette

Republic of China (Taiwan)

• Cheng Kung class frigate
• Kang Ding class frigate

United Arab Emirates

• Baynunah class corvette

Africa

Egypt

• Ambassador MK III Missile Boat
• Descubierta class corvette - Spanish built
• Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
• Ramadan class missile boat
• Type-148 Tiger class fast attack missile boat

Morocco

• Descubierta class corvette - Spanish built
• Floreal class frigate
• OPV70 class patrol vessel

South Africa

• Warrior class - modified Sa'ar 4 class missile boat with two guns
• Valour class frigate - German built MEKO design

Tunisia

• Type 143 Albatros class fast attack craft

Europe

Belgium

• Karel Doorman class frigate

Denmark

• Flyvefisken class patrol vessel
• Thetis class ocean patrol vessels
• Ivar Huitfeldt class frigate (In service from 2012)
• Knud Rasmussen class patrol vessel

France

• FREMM multipurpose frigate
• Horizon Common New Generation Frigate

OTO-Melara 76 mm gun onboard the Sachsen class frigate - F221 Hessen

Germany

• Brandenburg class frigate - MEKO design
• Bremen class frigate - MEKO design
• Sachsen class frigate - MEKO design
• Braunschweig class corvette - MEKO design
• Gepard class fast attack craft

Greece

• Elli class frigate
• FACM Class La Combattante III
• FACM Class La Combattante IIIb
• FACM Class La Combattante IIa
• Osprey 55 class gunboat
• HSY-55 class gunboat
• Osprey HSY-56A class gunboat
• Roussen Class (62m Super-Vita design)
• Jason Class (LST)

76 mm OTO Melara cannon on the Irish Naval Service patrol vessel LÉ Niamh

Ireland

• Peacock class patrol vessels
• Róisín class Offshore Patrol Vessels

Twin 76 mm guns of the Italo-Franco Horizon class frigate, Andrea Doria

Italy

• Audace class destroyer
• Durand de La Penne class destroyer
• San Giorgio class amphibious transport dock
• Minerva class corvette
• FREMM multipurpose frigate
• Horizon class frigate
• Italian aircraft carrier Cavour (550)

Netherlands

• Karel Doorman class frigate
• Holland class offshore patrol vessels

Norway

• Fridtjof Nansen class frigate
• Skjold class patrol boat

Poland

• Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate

Portugal

• Bartolomeu Dias class (former Dutch Karel Doorman class)

Romania

• Regele Ferdinand frigate
• Regina Maria frigate

Spain

• Santa Maria class frigate
• Descubierta class patrol vessel
• Buque de Accion Maritima (BAM) Class

Turkey

• Doğan class fast attack craft
• Kılıç class fast attack craft
• Kılıç-II class fast attack craft
• Yıldız fast attack craft
• G class frigate
• Milgem class corvette

North America

Canada

• Iroquois class destroyer after TRUMP modifications (Canada)

The Mk 75 in use aboard USCGC Gallatin, 2005.

Loading of the 76 mm shells

Underdeck of a Mark 75 gun

Various aspect of the Otobreda 76 mm Mark 75 gun in US service

United States

• Famous-class medium endurance cutter (USCG)
• Hamilton-class high endurance cutter (USCG)
• Oliver Hazard Perry–class frigate (USN)
• Pegasus-class hydrofoil (now de-commissioned) (USN)

Mexico

• Oaxaca class Offshore Patrol Vessel(Mexican Navy)

Oceania

Australia

• Adelaide class frigate

South America

Argentina

• Espora class frigate - license built MEKO 140 design
• Intrépida class fast attack craft - based on the TNC-45 design

Chile

• Karel Doorman class frigate¨
• Type 22 Batch II frigate "Almirante Williams"
• Saar 4 class missile boat
• Type 148 missile boat

Colombia

• Almirante Padilla class frigate

Ecuador

• Quito class missile boat (Ecuador)

Peru

• PR-72P class corvette (Peru)

See also

• 76mm/L62 Allargato

References

Notes

External links

• Oto Melara products: medium calibres
• Italian 76 mm/62 (3") Compact, SR and USA 76 mm/62 (3") Mark 75 at NavWeaps
• "76SR - Your Solution to Any Naval Problem" YouTube video of Super Rapido in tests.