View source for Engineering:AK-176

{{Infobox weapon
| name               = AK-176
| image              = Hiddensee AK-176 gun.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = Gun on the Tarantul I-class ''Hiddensee''
| origin             = [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet Union]]
| type               = Naval gun
<!-- Type selection -->
| is_ranged          = YES
| is_bladed          =
| is_explosive       =
| is_artillery       = YES
| is_vehicle         =
| is_missile         =
| is_UK              =
<!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1979
| used_by            = See Operators
| wars               =
<!-- Production history -->
| designer           = TSNII BUREVESTNIK
| design_date        = 1971
| manufacturer       = Gorky Machine Building Plant
| unit_cost          =
| production_date    = 1977
| number             =
| variants           = AK-176M, AK-176MA
<!-- General specifications -->
| spec_label         =
| weight             = 16,800 kg
| length             = 4484 mm (59 calibers) 
| part_length        =
| width              =
| height             =  
| diameter           =
| crew               =  2 (4 in manual control mode)
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| cartridge          = 
| cartridge_weight   = 12.4 kg
| caliber            = 76.2 mm
| Length of round    = 959 mm
| barrels            = 1
| action             =
| rate               = 120 rds/min
| velocity           = 980 m/s
| range              = 10 km
| max_range          = 15.5 km
| feed               = 152 ready to fire rounds
| sights             =
<!-- Artillery specifications -->
| breech             =
| recoil             = 380 to 500 mm
| carriage           =
| elevation          = -15° to +85°
| traverse           = ±175°
}}
[[File:ORP Metalowiec in Gdynia.JPG|right|thumb|Tarantul class corvette]]

The '''AK-176''' is a [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet]]  naval gun mounted in an enclosed turret, that may be used against sea, coastal, and aerial targets, including low flying anti-ship missiles.  The system is designed to arm small displacement ships and comprises the Gun Mount with a MR-123-02/76 Fire Control Radar System.  It has high survivability owing to autonomous use of the gun mount controlled from the optical sight in the absence of control from the radar system, as well as a capability for fire, if power supply is lost.

==Design==
The gun is fed by 152 ready to fire rounds and has selectable rates of fire of 30, 60 and 120 rounds per minute. The 120 r.p.m. rate is achieved by firing a burst of 75, but afterwards the gun has to cool off for 30 minutes.  The AK-176 is effective against missiles, being able to shoot down AT-2 Swatter (simulating a [[Engineering:Harpoon (missile)|Harpoon]] [[Engineering:Anti-ship missile|anti-ship missile]]), taking an average of 25 rounds per kill.

In the late 1980s an upgraded version the '''AK-176M''', with a new fire control system MR-123-02, television targeting and a laser [[Engineering:Rangefinder|rangefinder]], was introduced. This gun, is still in production (AK-176M1) and is the primary medium-caliber artillery systems to all small Soviet ships and is widely exported.

'''AK-176MA''',<ref name="urlRussian Navy ships to receive advanced 76-mm AK-176MA naval gun systems">{{cite web |url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2016/december-2016-navy-naval-forces-defense-industry-technology-maritime-security-global-news/4648-russian-navy-ships-to-receive-advanced-76-mm-ak-176ma-naval-gun-systems.html |title=Russian Navy ships to receive advanced 76-mm AK-176MA naval gun systems |format= |work= |accessdate=}}</ref> a further upgrade of the design intended for newer ship classes, such as the [[Engineering:Karakurt-class corvette|Karakurt-class corvette]]s and project 22160-class patrol ships, completed its trials in 2017.<ref name="AK-176MA-trials">{{cite web|title=В Петербурге испытали новую высокоточную артустановку для ВМФ|url=https://rg.ru/2017/03/03/reg-szfo/v-peterburge-ispytali-novuiu-vysokotochnuiu-artustanovku-dlia-vmf.html|publisher=Rossiyskaya Gazeta|language=Russian|accessdate=5 March 2017|date=3 March 2017}}</ref> The AK-176MA features improved accuracy, a stealthy turret design, and a significantly reduced weight of under 9 tonnes.<ref name="AK-176MA-trials"/> It will replace older guns on carrier ships on the process of their modernization.<ref>http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2019/0711/125053368/detail.shtml</ref>

The equivalent NATO system is the Otobreda 76 mm, another 120 rpm 3 inches gun, but the Soviet weapon predated it by several years, being in service since late '70s, while the 3rd gen Oto was ready around the mid '80s.

==H/PJ-26==
The [https://web.archive.org/web/20130301151001/http://en.csic713.com/ 713th Institute] (also known as Zhengzhou [[Electrical engineering|Electrical Engineering]] Research Institute) of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) of the People's Republic of China has developed a Chinese variant of AK-176, with Mr. Chen Dingfeng (陈汀峰) as the general designer. Design begun in 2000 and was completed in 2003.  The primary difference between this H/PJ-26 and AK-176 is that the Chinese variant adopts a stealthy [[Engineering:Turret|turret]] design, and more composite material is used in the construction of the turret. In addition, ready rounds for the H/PJ-26 are doubled to 150 rounds from the original 75 of the AK-176.

==See also==
*AK-726
*AK-100 (naval gun)

==Users==
===Actual===
* {{RUS}}
:* {{navy|RUS}}

* {{DZA}}
:* {{navy|Algeria}}

* {{BAN}}
:* {{navy|Bangladesh}}

* {{BUL}}
:* {{navy|Bulgaria}}

* {{CHN}}
:* {{navy|China}}

* {{CMR}}
:* {{navy|Cameroon}}

* {{EGY}}
:* {{navy|EGY}}

* {{IND}}
:* {{navy|IND}}

* {{PAK}}
:* {{navy|PAK}}

* {{ROM}}
:* {{navy|ROM}}

* {{VIE}}
:* {{navy|VIE}}

* {{YEM}}
:* {{navy|YEM}}

===Past users===
* {{POL}}
:* {{navy|Poland}} 

* {{USSR}}
:* {{navy|Soviet Union}} 

* {{UKR}}
:* {{navy|Ukraine}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed heights=100px style="text-align:left">
File:Algerian corvette El Kirch in 2006.jpg|Algerian corvette El Kirch AK-176
File:ORP Kaszub RBU.jpg|ORP Kaszub AK-176
File:76mm Gun.jpg|Zulfiquar Class Frigate H/PJ26
</gallery>

{{-}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNRussian_3-60_ak176.htm

[[Category:Autocannon]]

{{Sourceattribution|AK-176|1}}