2A46

The 2A46 is a family of smoothbore tank guns developed in the Soviet Union. It is the primary armament of many modern Russian and former Soviet bloc main battle tanks. The 2A46 has undergone several modifications and upgrades throughout its service life, leading to designations such as 2A46M, 2A46M-1, 2A46M-2, 2A46M-4, and 2A46M-5. These variants generally improve accuracy, rate of fire, and the ability to fire more advanced ammunition.

The gun is typically chambered in 125 mm caliber and is designed to fire a variety of ammunition types. This includes kinetic energy penetrators (like APFSDS rounds), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, and high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) rounds. Some versions of the 2A46 are also capable of firing gun-launched anti-tank guided missiles (GLATGM), significantly enhancing the tank's engagement capabilities. The gun is usually mounted in a two-plane stabilizer system, allowing the tank to fire accurately while on the move. The 2A46 is a testament to Soviet and Russian artillery design, known for its ruggedness and effectiveness.

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