HP-76/1
| HP-76/1 | |
|---|---|
 Diagram of the three HP-76/1 variants | |
| Type | Naval gun |
| Place of origin |  Menghe |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1980s |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Gyŏngsan Naval Artillery Plant |
| Produced | 1980s-present |
| Variants | HP-76/1G, HP-76/1SD |
| Specifications (HP-76/1) | |
| Weight | 17,400 kg with ammunition |
| Height | 3.34 meters deck to sight |
| Diameter | 3.53 meters below deck |
| Crew | 2 (4 in manual control mode) |
| Shell weight | 12.4 kg |
| Caliber | 76.2 mm |
| Barrels | 1 |
| Recoil | 380 to 500 mm |
| Elevation | -15° to +85° |
| Traverse | ±170° |
| Rate of fire | 120 rpm (max) |
| Muzzle velocity | 980 m/s |
| Maximum firing range | 15.5 km |
| Feed system | 128 ready to fire rounds |
| Sights | fire-control radar electro-optical sight |
The HP-76/1 (Menghean: 해군 포탑 76/1, Haegun Potab 76/1, "Navy Turret 76/1") is a Menghean 76mm naval gun mounted in an enclosed, single-barrel turret, for use on light to medium-displacement warships such as frigates, corvettes, and patrol craft. It is used in combination with the HGR-76 fire-control radar, and also contains its own electro-optical sight for passive targeting. It can be used against aircraft, helicopters, missiles, land targets, and other warships.
Design
The HP-76/1 turret is fully automated, and integrated into the ship's fire-control system, though a manual backup option exists for use if the ship's power supply is lost or if the fire-control radar is damaged. In powered mode, it can traverse at a rate of 45 degrees per second, completing a 180-degree rotation in four seconds.
Its autoloader offers the crew a selectable rate of fire, with options of 30 rpm, 60 rpm, and 120 rpm. The latter option is only available for short bursts, and would require 30 minutes to cool down after one minute of continuous firing. A "typical" ammunition load contains 128 rounds and penetrates only one deck into the ship's hull, but on larger warships an expanded two-deck magazine assembly with 256 rounds is available. The gun itself is 4.56 meters, or 60 calibers, in length, and is surrounded by a water-cooled sleeve which can circulate water drawn in from outside the ship.
The system's current high-explosive rounds are proximity-fused, and can be used against airborne targets, including anti-ship missiles. This allows the turret to function as a type of close-in weapon system. Against airborne targets, it has an effective range of 12 kilometers, and an engagement ceiling of 7,000 meters. Maximum range against surface targets is 16 kilometers. The gun's elevation ranges from -15 to +85 degrees, and its horizontal traverse is +/- 170 degrees at maximum, though it is usually limited by the positioning of the ship's superstructure.
HP-76/1G
The HP-76/1G (indicating 가벼운, Gabyŏ-un, "light") is a lightweight variant of the HP-76/1 first displayed at the 2014 international marine exposition in Sunju. The entire unit weighs only 10 tonnes, compared to 17.4 tonnes for the basic HP-76/1, achieving weight savings through its use of composite materials and a lighter loading unit. It also sacrifices some capabilities in the interest of saving weight and space, limiting maximum rate of fire to 60 rounds per minute and reducing magazine capacity to 96 rounds. The manual operation option is also removed, though the ship's crew can still operate the weapon remotely by means of a fold-away electro-optical sight on the roof if the fire-control radar is damaged or subjected to jamming.
The system is mainly being marketed for export, as an armament option for corvettes and light patrol craft.
PT-76 Ballob
In 2016, the Menghean Navy revealed that it was working with the Chŏnggong design bureau to develop a guided 76mm anti-aircraft round, designated PT-76 Ballob (포탄-76 발톱, "Artillery shell, 76mm, "Talon"). This is a sub-caliber, proximity-fused round which receives course-correction commands from the ship's onboard fire-control system. It is intended to improve the system's effectiveness against maneuvering anti-ship missiles.
To support the new course-corrected round, the PT-76 Ballob will be paired with a new turret that incorporates a built-in radar system mounted on the turret roof. The conceptual design displayed in model form in 2016 appeared to use the HP-76/1G turret as its base, and bears the preliminary designation HP-76/1SD (Sinsedae, "next-generation").
Work on the new guided round appears to be progressing at a slow pace, in part due to a requirement that the basic system be designed indigenously. By some estimates, it will not be ready for service deliveries to the Menghean Navy until 2020 or later.