MKE 76mm/62 Naval Gun to be Tested on TCG Beykoz Corvette
With this activity, the Leonardo 76/62mm Compact Naval Gun on TCG Beykoz, which replaced the 100mm 55 caliber CADAM Naval Gun previously on the ship, was replaced with the MKE product 76mm 62 caliber National Naval Gun. In the statement made by the Ministry of National Defense, it was pointed out that the 76mm 62 caliber National Naval Gun's ability to fire 80 shots in 60 seconds was once again demonstrated in the tests, and the following information was provided: “The National Naval Gun, which was successfully integrated into TCG Beykoz, has been made ready for port and sea trials. The National Naval Gun, which will join the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) inventory after successfully completing the remaining two tests, is used in air defense warfare, naval warfare, and shore bombardment. The system can reach 80 rounds per minute and has a range of 20 kilometers.”
The indigenously designed and produced 76mm 62 caliber National Naval Gun, which was intended to replace the Leonardo 76/62mm Compact Naval Guns that have been in the service of the Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC) for many years, was expected to enter the service of the Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC) at the end of February 2022 after the naval firing tests. According to the information I obtained during Exercise EFES 2022, land-based tests have been completed within the scope of the project, and it was planned to conduct a final firing test in Karapınar, Konya on June 30, 2022, with the participation of senior officials, and then proceed to the integration phase on the ship.
The 76/62mm National Naval Gun, which has a fully digital infrastructure in terms of Fire Control and automation, needs to be tested on a warship compatible with the national Combat Management System (CMS) GENESIS or ADVENT in order to monitor its full control and performance. Turkish Naval Forces (TNF) upgraded TCG Beykoz (F-503) Corvette, one of its five BURAK Class Corvettes in the fleet, in 2020. Within the scope of the 3-month effort, upgrades were carried out at Izmir and Istanbul Naval Shipyards and the 100mm 55 caliber CADAM standard naval gun was replaced with Leonardo’s 76/62mm Compact naval gun, the DRBC 32E Fire Control Radar was replaced with ASELSAN’s AKR-D and the DRBV-3A Search Radar was replaced with ASELSAN’s MAR-D. The TCG Beykoz Corvette was also outfitted with the national network enabled CMS ‘GENESIS ADVENT’ with 3 multi-function operator consoles. MKE Deputy Chairman and General Director Yasin AKDERE previously stated that the ship integration of the gun would take around 3-4 weeks.
Within the scope of the National Naval Gun Project, the first firing test of the 76/62mm National Naval Gun, consisting of 16,800 parts and developed with 300 man-hours of engineering labor monthly, by the main contractor MKE Inc., with the support of solution partners ANZATSAN, ERMAKSAN and İĞREK Makina, was conducted on November 10, 2021, and the Rapid-Fire Test was conducted during the Distinguished Guests Demonstration Day held at the Karapınar Firing Range in Konya on December 2, 2021, with the participation of Hulusi AKAR, Minister of National Defense, General Yaşar GÜLER, Chief of General Staff, and Force Commanders.
The 76/62mm National Naval Gun has an effective range of 16 kilometers and can fire 80 rounds per minute with 5 different firing modes. MKE is also developing different types of domestic ammunition for the 76/62mm National Naval Gun. During our interview at the SAHA Expo 2021, MKE General Director AKDERE stated that they were conducting R&D activities to indigenize the ammunition simultaneously with the development process of the National Naval Gun, and that they were developing 76/62mm particle and smart ammunition within this scope, and that they have reached the final stage in the activities regarding the GPS and laser guidance.
In the Product Brochure, the technical specifications of the 76/62mm National Naval Gun are given as follows:
Range:16km
Caliber: 76mm
Barrel Length: 4,700mm
Barrel Cooling: Sea Water (Water Jacket Cooling System, wash with fresh water)
Rate of Fire: Max 80 rounds/min
Weight (empty): 7,500kg
Weight (with ammo): 8,500kg
Capacity: 70 ready rounds on mount (the National Naval Gun uses a single main feed barrel which holds 70 rounds).
The 76/62 Compact Naval Gun is used on 31 surface platforms currently in the service of the Naval Forces Command, including 4 ADA Class and 1 BURAK Class Corvettes, 8 GABYA Class Frigates (Mk-75 gun, produced under license in the US) and 18 Fast Patrol Boats (DOĞAN, RÜZGAR, YILDIZ, (KILIÇ-I and KILIÇ-II), and in recent years, the Naval Forces Command purchased four second-hand 76/62mm Compact Guns from Denmark and Sweden (one of which was previously installed on the BURAK Class TCG Beykoz Corvette) and one Mk-75 gun from Australia for use on surface platforms.
