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AK-726
AK-726
	AK-726 on a Krivak-class frigate
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1964–present
Production history
Designer	TsKB-7 (Leningrad)
Designed	1958
Produced	1962 to 1987–1988
Specifications
Mass	about 26 t (26 long tons; 29 short tons)
Barrel length	59 calibers
Crew	9
Shell weight	5.9 kg (13 lb)
Caliber	76.2 mm (3 in)
Barrels	2
Breech	Sliding wedge
Elevation	−10° to +85°
Rate of fire	2 × 40–45 RPM
Muzzle velocity	980 m/s (3,200 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	Horizontal: to 15,700 m (17,200 yd); Vertical: 11,000 m (36,000 ft) to self-destruct

The AK-726 (abbr. of артиллерийский комплекс) is a twin 76-millimeter (3 in) naval gun, which was developed in the Soviet Union and is still in service in various navies.^[1]

History

In 1954 the Soviet Union began development of a naval gun which could be used against both air and sea targets. The gun was developed by the development office TsKB-7 (later Arsenal Design Bureau) under the direction of Pyotr Tyurin. The first tests began in 1958. From 1960, the guns were begun to be installed on ships and tested. In 1962 the first gun was installed on the Groznyy cruiser. A second was installed on the Komsomolets Ukrainy destroyer. The system was officially launched on June 24, 1964. The guns were exported to various Eastern Bloc states over time. Due to the small caliber and lack of effectiveness they were soon replaced by the AK-100.^[2]

Construction

The gun has two barrels of 76.2 mm (3 in) caliber. The projectiles are hand-loaded into an elevator from the ammunition chamber to the gun. The weapon has an automatic charging system. Both barrels fire simultaneously. This would achieve a theoretical rate of fire of about 100 rounds per minute, but is unsustainable. The barrels must be cooled a few minutes after 40 to 45 rounds of continuous fire. The cooling system is connected to the vessel's main water line.^[3]

The fire control is carried out either automatically via a fire-control radar type MR-105 Turel (Russian: МР-105 «Турель», NATO code: Hawk Screech), semi-automatically with the Prisma optical sight, or manually. The gun can be used against air, sea or land targets. There are two different types of high-explosive ammunition available; contact and proximity fuzes.^[4]