The system operated in conjunction with the data provided by the radars, the commander’s search periscope and the gunner’s optical tracking sight. Otomatic had a fire control system integrated with the gun and sensors installed in the vehicle. Both radars could track targets flying at speeds of up to 3,600 km/h and could be lowered onto the roof of the turret when the vehicle was in motion. The VPS-A05 radar covered 360º while the VPS-A06 covered a 180º sector and detected targets at an elevation between -5º to + 80º with respect to the vehicle. In addition, the Otomatic carried another Galileo Avionica SMA VPS-A06 radar for target tracking with a range of 20 km and an IFF system. The target acquisition radar was a Galileo Avionica SMA VPS-A05 with a range of 20 km and capable of tracking 24 targets simultaneously. The gun operated alongside two radars and an opto-electronic search and tracking system. The Otomatic‘s tactic consisted in firing bursts of 5 or 6 rounds equipped with proximity fuzes to the approaching targets before they can launch their weapons. The maximum rate of fire was 120 rounds per minute and the vehicle had 100 rounds ready for use. There was also a manual turret’s movement emergency system. A hydraulic system moved the gun, which had an elevation sector between -5º to +60º and another similar system operated the traverse movement of the turret through a hydraulic motor with a reduction gear drive. This round was of the APFSDS (armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot) type with great penetrating power. The AA rounds loader drum was located to the left of the barrel, while to the right of the barrel was an auxiliary loader drum for the anti-tank (AT) rounds. The feeding of the AA rounds consisted in a magazine-translator, a loader drum and two rocking arms. The round’s forward movement was boosted by a hydraulic system, and the ejection of the spent cases to the outside of the vehicle was performed by another hidraulic system. The automatic gun loading system consisted of a loading tray with vertical alternating movement actuating by the recoiling mass through a lever system. The breechblock was a vertical falling wedge type with a mechanical firing system. The rifled gun had a bore evacuator and a twin recoil and counterrecoil system along with a single run-out gas recuperator. In addition to being an anti-aircraft vehicle, the Otomatic could also act as a tank destroyer thanks to the powerful 76/62mm Super Rapid gun. The gun’s range against ground targets was about 20 km. What was intended with the use of this caliber was to shoot down the aircrafts or helicopters before they got close enough to launch their anti-tank missiles, which at that time had a maximum range of about 4 km. In addition, with a single round hitting the target, it was enough to knock it down thanks to the weight of the explosive charge of the 5 kg projectiles. Thanks to its stabilized 76mm gun the effective anti-aircraft range was about 6 km, while the other systems barely exceeded 3 km. OTO-Melara offered a vehicle capable to destroy low-flying aircrafts or helicopters at a greater distance than any other anti-aircraft vehicle of the time. The manufacturer’s claim was to offer the capability of medium-range anti-aircraft missiles at a much lower price. The turret was built in steel, weighed about 15 tons and had a maximum armour of 25mm. It was baptized as Otomatic, which was the combination of installing the HEFAS 76 turret on the chassis of a self-propelled howitzer or a battle tank. The caliber of the gun made it the most powerful anti-aircraft vehicle in the world, since the rest usually mounted 30 or 35mm guns, or 57mm at most in the case of the Soviet ZSU 57-2. In 1981, was introduced an anti-aircraft vehicle that carried a 76mm gun as main weapon.
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