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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran producing anti-cruise missile cannons
2009-05-25
TEHRAN - Iran launched on Sunday a production line for manufacturing cannons for warships which can be used against cruise missiles, the Fars news agency reported.
Wonder if they'll illustrate the article with a pic of the US Phalanx system ...
Ummm...sort of.
"The final range of the 40-millimetre naval cannon, named Fath (victory), is 12 kilometres (more than seven miles) and it shoots 300 projectiles per minute," Defence Minister Mohammad Mostafa Najjar said in a statement reported by Fars.

"It can be used against cruise missiles ... It is an anti-aircraft low-altitude weapon for use on warships," he said, adding that it was being entirely built by Iranians.

Iran has boasted in the past of developing new weapons systems only for its claims to be met with scepticism by Western defence analysts.
Posted by:Steve White

#5  My ship had two, one on each side, and a 5inch.38 at the stern, no forward gun, but the bofors could be aimed forward if desired.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2009-05-25 15:11  

#4  Time to make them out of composites, I suppose.
Posted by: gorb   2009-05-25 13:45  

#3  Ofcourse it has prox fuzes. They might try to emulate the Breda 40L70 anti-missile based on Bofors. The upgraded Breda Fast-Forty goes to 450 each tube and has proximity fuze amno for anti missile in 4-1km ranges and in 0-1km changes to APDSFS amno destroy the warhead. The Italians choosed the Twin Breda 40L70 in 70's but the improved Fast-Forty lost to 76mm Oto Melara with course corrected projectiles in 90's.
Posted by: Large Snerong7311   2009-05-25 07:17  

#2  Should I suppose it has some kind of proximity fuse?
Posted by: gorb   2009-05-25 05:56  

#1  This probably is basically an old twin-mounted Bofors 40mm/L70 (of 1950's vintage) with some window dressing. "Range" of 12km for a ballistic shot (which would be completely ineffective) sounds about right Same goes for the rate of fire (300r/m). Actual effective range is a lot less.

For a prime example, go look it up on WW2 warships - the L60 was used there in a twin mount as the Mk12. Here's a link to the manual online:

Navy Service Manual 40 MM Antiaircraft Gun, OP 820, 1943,

Navy replaced them with because they 40 didn't do as good a job against kamikazes.

Nice Job Iran, you've moved up to WW2/Korean war standards. You're only 60 years behind.
Posted by: OldSpook   2009-05-25 01:43  

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