130 53 TK

130 53 TK or 130 TK ("130 mm, 53 length caliber, tower gun") is a Finnish stationary, heavy artillery piece, manufactured by Tampella. The caliber is 130 mm. 130 53 TK is the main weapon of the Finnish coastal artillery.

The maximum range with high-explosive fragmentation shells is 25 kilometers and with special sea target shells it is over 30 km. The initial speed of the shot is 860 m/s. When firing temporary bursts the gun can fire 3 shots in 20 seconds and during sustained firing up to 6 shots per minute. The gun weighs 16 tons (including shield) and the length of the barrel is 6 818 mm. The gun is manned by 3 NCOs and 7 gunners.

The development of the 130 TK started in the 1970s and lasted for 10 years. In 1971, the Finnish national defence committee suggested that the then main current coastal artillery gun (152/50 T) would be replaced by the end of the 70s. A development contract was signed with Tampella in 1975. It was decided that the calibre would be 130 mm, since the mobile coastal artillery used towed guns of same calibre (130 K 54). A prototype was constructed on the island of Isosaari in 1980, where test firing was conducted until 1983.

The Finnish Defence Forces signed a serial production contract with Tampella in 1982. The first battery was installed in 1984 and the final in 1990. The spaces required for the tower gun, such as room for the gun crew and ammunition storage was built inside rock. The 130 53 TK will probably be the last stationary coastal defence gun in the Finnish inventory.

Initially, there were no special sea target shells, instead, regular fragmentation shells were used. A first attempt to develop sea target shells failed in the 1980s, with the company going bankrupt. A fresh start was done in the beginning of the 1990s.

References

* Enqvist, Ove: "Itsenäisen Suomen rannikkotykit 1918–1998", Sotamuseo, 1999, ISBN 951-25-1033-2

External links

* [http://www.mil.fi/maavoimat/kalustoesittely/00152.dsp Finnish Defence Forces material presentation. Tornikanuuna]
* [http://www.rannikonpuolustaja.fi/rp195/130proj.htm Rannikon Puolustaja. Näin syntyi maailman — tai ainakin Suomen — paras rannikkotykki — 130 TK-projektin alkamisesta 20 vuotta]