40CT cannon
The 40CTC is a 40 mm autocannon and the central component of the Franco-British 40CTAS developed by CTA International. It is designed to fire 40mm telescoped ammunition. This format provides significant benefit within vehicles in the space envelope required for the gun and the ammunition storage. However, the selection of the unfielded, thus unproven, new design for major French and British programmes was controversial.
The 40CTAS has been ordered by the French Army for use on its future EBRC Jaguar armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The latter entered service in February 2022. It has also been mandated for the UK Ajax and Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme programmes.
In February 2010, CTA International signed a £11m contract with the French and British defence ministries to qualify the 40CT; this included environmental testing and the firing of 15,000 rounds. The company has confirmed that the ammunition for the British weapons will be assembled by BAE Systems at the ROF Glascoed facility.
Design
The 40CTAS consists of the following modules:- The 40 CT autocannon
- The AHS, a linkless carousel-type feeding system that can be adapted to any turret configuration in terms of shape and capacity. The Ammunition handling system isn't the same on French systems and the British systems:
- * French AHS: developed by Nexter and used on all its system.
- * British AHS: Lockheed Martin in collaboration with the British Army offered an alternative solution, aiming to separate the ammunition storage from the crew. Lockheed Martin subcontracted Meggitt to develop and produce the AHS for the Ajax, and the Warrior CSP.
- The GCE, an advanced pointing and stabilization system that ensures high site and bearing performance when firing on the move.
- The Gun Mount, the mechanical interface between the gun and the turret; it is adaptable to integration needs.
- The CTAS-C is the control and command box for the weapon and power supply system. Depending on requirements, it can also integrate fire control, including the "coincidence firing" function to maximize precision performance.
Variants
Nexter/Thales Naval RapidFire
The Naval RapidFire is a naval platform based on the 40CTC. Intended as close-in defense capability for surface vessels against air and land threats, it can fire the A3B round. The A3B rounds releases of tungsten pellets that form a cloud of sub-projectiles in front of a target. The suggested method for aerial engagements is to fire at 80 rounds per minute, shooting a 4-round burst at, then waiting a few seconds for damage assessment before firing another burst. The RapidFire was selected for integration on the 4 Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces of the French Navy as well as the upcoming class of 10 Patrouilleurs Hauturiers offshore patrol vessels. The first system was installed on the lead ship the BRF, Jacques Chevallier, in February 2023.Nexter/Thales Land RapidFire
It is the land-based variant of the RapidFire and is meant for integration on military vehicles. The turret can store between 70 and 140 rounds, with additional rounds stored in the turret structure's compartment. Rate of fire is 200 rpm with a range against aerial and surface targets of respectively. The truck-based RapidFire can be mounted on a 6×6 and 8×8 chassis, the latter of which is able to de-mount the system onto the ground for it to operate independently.Ammunition
The 40CTAS's proprietary 40 mm telescoped ammunition is manufactured for various applications, including anti-infantry and anti-materiel. The variants differ in weight, effective range, and payload depending on the intended target.| Type | Projectile weight / | Muzzle velocity / | Penetration | Effective range / | Targets | Notes |
| APFSDS-T Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot - Tracer | RHA at | Medium armoured vehicles | ||||
| GPR-T General Purpose Round - Tracer | concrete or RHA at | < | Infantry, light armoured vehicles, defensive fortifications | Available as point detonating or airburst munition AB version can spread fragments over a 125 m² area | ||
| A3B-T Anti Aerial Airburst - Tracer | - | Unmanned aerial vehicles, light aircraft, helicopters | ||||
| TP-T Target Practice - Tracer | - | - | ||||
| TPRR-T Target Practice Reduced Range - Tracer | - | - | Reduced range variant of TP-T |
Users
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Cancelled orders
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