Oto Melara 76 Super Rapid Compact Naval Gun

It was the 1960s and the Italian Navy was on the verge of designing a weapon that would be unmatched even in the new millennium. Developed by the OTO-Melara company, the 76-millimeter Compact

naval

gun soon conquered world markets. Its holistic design made it perfect for anti-missile and anti-aircraft roles, but also for anti-surface and general

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support missions, soon surpassing American and Russian developments. And even over the years, OTO-Melara has always adapted to the times. More than half a century later, the weapon still arms the navies of five dozen countries, some of which consider it the best naval cannon ever created...

Small problems The legendary OTO-Melara 76-millimeter naval cannon was designed by the Italian defense company of the same name in the middle of the Cold War. Based on the 76/62C, the new version later evolved into the 76/62 Super Rapid and the 76/62 Strales. The original Compact version was scaled to equip warships of relatively small sizes. And with its high rate of fire, coupled with the ability to fire a wide range of ammunition, it was a capable short-range anti-aircraft and point defense weapons system. Additionally, it could provide anti-surface or naval support and ground support as a secondary role. The first version of the weapon is distinguished from its successors by its angular mounting.

Developed from the earlier 76 millimeter/62 M.   M. I. assembly, the Compact used a two-piece water-cooled barrel with a replaceable liner. Additionally, it was equipped with a small-hole muzzle brake and a fume extractor, while its shield was made of fiberglass. The cannon was very successful from the beginning. However, the Compact is said to have had reliability and accuracy issues regarding its maximum rate of fire. According to a project engineer who worked on its development, the mount had a tendency to self-destruct at 85 rounds per minute and could not sustain a 20-round burst against a 6x6 meter target at 460 meters.

After the Compact design was created in 1963, the Army's attention began to shift toward missile-armed fast attack craft forces. For all its desirable qualities, the Compact showed many shortcomings that led the company to resume design studies for a more advanced model. Two decades later, an improved, faster-firing version, specialized in anti-ship missile defense, would appear and cause a stir. Super Rapid With an increased rate of fire of 120 rounds per minute, the Super Rapid addressed the problems of its predecessor, improving accuracy by reducing the weight of moving parts, which in turn reduced vibration problems. The weapon's minimum velocity was 10 rounds per minute, but it included a single-shot option.

The manufacturer also claimed that the changes reduced standard deviation values ​​to less than 0.017 degrees at 1,000 meters for each 10-shot burst at maximum rate of fire. Meanwhile, elevation limits range from minus 15 to plus 85 degrees, although maximum elevation for the above-deck version is limited to 70 degrees. Additionally, both models have the option of a reduced radar cross-section RCS gun shield. Although similar to the rounded design of the Compact's coat of arms, the Super Rapid is much stronger, as its mounting has been reinforced to withstand overpressures twice as high as its predecessor, at one kilogram per square centimeter. Additionally, its rockers were made of titanium instead of high-quality steel.

The weapon's

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ior performance was achieved by designing a faster feeding system, and the higher rates of fire were achieved because OTO-Melara modified the ordinance itself. Additionally, the company changed the ammunition feed and fuzes, resulting in existing older Compact mounts being unable to be converted to the Super Rapid standard. However, an upgrade is available to increase the proliferation rate of the original system. Finally, the Super Rapid loader works independently of the turret. The feed can be interrupted to insert various types of ammunition, making the weapon more capable against a wide variety of targets as it is significantly more flexible.

The Italian Navy considered the Super Rapid a very effective anti-missile weapon and soon began building its new ships with it instead of the older "Fast 40" twin. Projectiles In 2004, the Italians developed the new Strales system. Capable of firing DART ammunition, the weapon can counter various subsonic missiles up to a distance of 8,000 meters. And as a medium-caliber weapon with a relatively long range, the weapon can be used against surface targets in addition to its missile defense role. In addition, the company offers the DAVIDE anti-missile system both for new installations and for the modernization of old assemblies. The system was created to allow the cannons to act as internal defense against sea-skimming or subsonic

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sonic and subsonic missiles.

This weapons system uses the steerable DART anti-missile projectile while providing a continuous data stream to all rockets in flight through the use of radio frequency beams. The 76/62 Sovraponte, or "Over Deck" in English, is the newest version of the

compact

and lightweight gun mount. Between 30 and 40 percent lighter than the standard Super Rapid, the Sovraponte has the advantage of not requiring penetration of the lower deck for installation. In particular, the Sovraponte was first installed on a Thaon di Revel class patrol vessel of the Italian Navy and was placed on the roof of the helicopter hangar. The mount is available for sale with or without the Stales system and holds 76 ready-to-fire rounds.

On the other hand, the weapon can use special pre-fragmentation ammunition in its anti-aircraft function, perfect for countering missiles and sea-skimming aircraft. As for its surface role, the weapon fires armor-piercing munitions, optimized for surface targets, such as Extended Range Guided Munitions or EGRMS rounds. These projectiles have a maximum range of 20 kilometers. Advantages Surprisingly, the Super Rapid remains in use to this day and its manufacturer estimates that, in combination with the FCS Dart, the system can attack missiles at around 6,000 meters. Even so, the first projectiles would reach the target sooner, at 5,500 meters. Given such incredible ranges, a single cannon can cope with up to four subsonic missiles arriving simultaneously and spaced 90 degrees apart.

What's more, OTO-Melara can destroy all four before any of them get closer than 1,000 meters. The guns have an actual diameter of 76.2 millimeters and, in terms of ammunition, include armor-piercing, incendiary and directed fragmentation projectiles. Additionally, the weapon can fire a guided round that can reportedly destroy maneuvering anti-ship missiles. Additionally, the system can also be installed in a hidden dome. Unlike the 12.7-centimeter guns of the US Navy and the 127-millimeter Italian ones, the 76-millimeter OTO-Melara has the advantage of being able to fire more sophisticated projectiles, although of a smaller caliber. Additionally, the Super Rapid has a much lower manpower requirement to operate compared to the older American 3-inch MMI and Italian 76-millimeter guns.

Another advantage is that it can carry a much larger amount of ready-to-use ammunition, allowing the cannon to fire longer bursts before needing to be reloaded. Since both the Compact and Super Rapid mounts are almost autonomous, they can fire in a very short time, not exceeding 5 to 10 seconds from a cold start. Typically, a man controls the weapon in the operating room or combat information center, and the weapon can be powered from the control panel on the deck or on the bridge itself. In reality, the turret houses both the gun and the installation system, while the training and elevation are controlled by electrical systems.

Operators The OTO-Melara became one of the most popular naval guns ever produced, even taking into account many systems made in the United States or Russia. The company reported one thousand examples of its

compact

, super-fast guns in service with 60 unrivaled navies around the world. As of 2010, the latest model was the dominant naval weapon of its class. The 76-millimeter gun has been widely exported. In France, its own 100-millimeter naval gun was preferred for the joint Horizon-class frigate project and the FREMM frigate. Additionally, the weapon is produced under license in Australia, India and Spain. In Japan, the OTO-Melara is produced by Japan Steel Works, while in the United States it is manufactured by United Defense, now part of BAE Systems.

According to US Navy nomenclature, the Compact is known as the Mark 75, and US Navy ships use the Mark 92 fire control system, the US version of the Signall series M20. The Naval Systems Division of FMC Corporation and the Artillery Systems Division of General Electric Co. competed for the right to manufacture the Mark 75 in the United States. Already in 1975, the NSD, now part of United Defense, won the competition and with it the right to produce the first gun mount in the country, which was delivered in August 1978. However, starting in 1981, all production orders competed. between NSD and OTO-Melara. Meanwhile, the US Navy has not acquired the Super Rapid version and reportedly has no intention of doing so.

Its fleet is equipped with the Compact, while newer ships will receive the 57-millimeter Mark 110. Due to its extraordinary success, the mounts of many original OTO-Melara 76 guns were reconditioned for use in many new Italian builds. And depending on the customer's needs, the system costs between 1.5 and 2 million dollars. Ultimately, the weapon can arm virtually all types of warships, as it has proven itself in seas around the world for decades, and it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. Thanks for watching our video! Hit the like button and feel free to check out all of our Dark Documentary channels for many more military developments from the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as exciting accounts of historical events.

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