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25 mm caliber is a range of autocannon ammunition. It includes the NATO standardized Swiss 25×137mm, the Swiss 25×184mm, the Soviet 25x218mmSR, and the Chinese 25×183mmB.
Usage
The 25 mm round can be used for anti-materiel or anti-personnel purposes. In the anti-personnel role, a 25 mm weapon armed with HE rounds can kill large numbers of opposing troops either in the open or in light fortifications. In the anti-materiel role, a 25 mm weapon armed with armor-piercing rounds can disable many types of aircraft and ground vehicles, including some main battle tanks.
The US military uses 25 mm weapons in their AV-8B Harrier, AC-130 gunship, M2 Bradley, LAV-25, F-35 Lightning II and as a standard ship-based munition in the Mk 38 autocannon.
Types of 25 mm ammunition
Several sub-types of the NATO 25 mm ammunition are available—the most common being armor-piercing, high-explosive, sabot, tracer, and practice rounds. Cartridges are usually composed of a combination of the aforementioned categories. For example, the M791 is an armor-piercing discarding sabot with tracer (APDS-T) round. It is used against lightly armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and aerial targets such as helicopters and slow-moving fixed-wing aircraft.
25 mm weapons
Current weapons
Weapon | Country of origin | Designer | Cartridge | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oerlikon KBA | Switzerland | Rheinmetall AG | 25×137mm | Autocannon |
M242 Bushmaster | United States | Hughes Helicopters | 25×137mm | Chain gun |
GAU-12/22 Equalizer | United States | General Electric | 25×137mm | Rotary cannon |
GIAT M811 | France | GIAT Industries | 25×137mm | Autocannon |
Oerlikon KBB | Switzerland | Rheinmetall AG | 25×184mm | Autocannon |
Oerlikon KBD | Switzerland | Rheinmetall AG | 25×184mm | Autocannon |
Type 61 | China | 25×218mmSR | Anti-aircraft autocannon | |
Type 95 SPAAA | China | 25×183mmB | Anti-aircraft autocannon | |
ZPT-90 | China | 25×183mmB | Autocannon |
Historical weapons
Weapon | Country of origin | Designer | Cartridge | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
25 mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gun/Type 96 25 mm AT/AA gun | France | Hotchkiss et Cie | 25×163mm | Anti-aircraft autocannon |
25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun | France | Hotchkiss et Cie | 25×193.5mmR | Anti-tank gun |
25 mm M1940 anti-aircraft gun | Soviet Union | Mikhail Loginov and Lev Loktev | 25×218mmSR | Anti-tank gun |
25 mm Bofors M/32 anti-aircraft gun | Sweden | Bofors | 25x205mmR (initial) or 25x187mmR (later) | Anti-aircraft autocannon |
See also
- 14.5×114mm
- 20 mm caliber
- 23 mm caliber
- 25 mm grenade
- 30 mm caliber
- List of cartridges (weaponry), pistol and rifle
Further reading
- U.S. Army Field Manual 3-22.1