Name: Shell 105 mm FD Smoke BE L45A2 (fuzed)
Availability: InStock

Item Type

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Action

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Weight

Length, fuzed

Filling ×

Max range

Southern Asia

India

<h2>Armament</h2><p>RO Defence 105 mm L118 Light Gun; FV433 Abbot; RDM 105 mm M101/37 ; Indian Ordnance Factories 105 mm Light Field Gun and 105 mm Field Gun.</p><h2>Development</h2><p>Originally developed for the 105 mm L13A1 ordnance used on the Vickers Defence Systems FV433 Abbot Self-propelled Gun, the 105 mm L45A2 BE Smoke projectile is now used by the British Army with the RO Defence 105 mm L118 Light Gun as the Abbot has been withdrawn from service by the British Army. However, numbers of Value Engineered Abbots remain in service in India (68), and ammunition similar to the L45 BE Smoke has been produced in that country for them and for the locally produced Indian Ordnance Factories 105 mm Light Field Gun and 105 mm Field Gun. The first smoke projectiles used with the 105 mm Abbot and Light Gun were the L36A1 and L36A2; these are now obsolete. The 105 mm L45A1 BE Smoke may still be encountered and is basically the same projectile as the L45A2. The main producers of this round are RO Defence, Ammunition Division. In July 1995, the Spanish Army ordered 56 L118 Light Guns from Royal Ordnance (now BAE Systems , RO Defence). Ammunition for these guns is loaded, assembled and packed in Spain by EXPAL SA and SANTA BARBARA. RO Defence 105 mm Light Guns are in service in at least 18 countries. Well over 1,000 units have been produced. It should be noted that the 105 mm Light Guns deployed by the US Army are of the M119A1 standard with an L119 ordnance firing ammunition of the 105 mm HE M1 family.</p><h2>Description</h2><p>The 105 mm L45A2 BE Smoke is ballistically matched to the 105 mm L31 series of HE projectiles and has an identical external profile. The internal diameter of the 105 mm L45A2 BE Smoke is enlarged at the rear of the body to avert compression from the single copper driving band acting on the smoke container. Internally, the forward end of the shell is formed with a fuze cavity connected to a flash channel where the burster charge (28.35 g of gunpowder G12) is located. Inside the shell are three smoke canisters retained in position by a steel baseplate and a PVC locking ring which is screwed home against the baseplate. Washers are used as adjustable packing between the baseplate and the rear smoke canister. Each canister is filled with approximately 848 g of Composition SR 252, which acts as an igniter, and PN 800 smoke agent. In use the fuze functions at the selected time and the resultant flash ignites the burster charge. The burster charge sets up a pressure behind a baffle plate which then allows a small flash to pass down a perforated central channel to ignite all three smoke canisters. The pressure from the baffle plate also forces the PVC ring securing the baseplate to break the baseplate and canisters to be ejected, usually at an altitude over the target area of 200 m. The smoke canisters form a dense cloud of smoke for approximately 60 seconds. The smoke build-up is slower than White Phosphorus (WP) but the smoke cloud follows ground contours more closely and is more persistent. The Charge system is assembled in brass cartridge cases, Normal (L35A1/A2) having five increments and Super (L36A2/A3), a unitary charge. Ignition is by an electric primer ( L10A1 ) fitted in the cartridge base. Range performance is as follows: Charge 1 (L35A1/A2) - 2,500 to 5,700 m Charge 2 (L35A1/A2) - 2,700 to 7,200 m Charge 3 (L35A1/A2) - 5,900 to 9,500 m Charge 4 (L35A1/A2) - 7,900 to 12,200 m Charge 5 (L35A1/A2) - 15,300 m Super Charge (L36A2/A3) - 17,200 m. Minimum ranges with Charge 1 and 2 require L1A1 spoiler rings to be fitted to the nose of the shell. Also available is the Cartridge 105 mm FD Training L45A1. See separate entry for details.</p><h2>Authorised fuzes</h2><p>MT PD L34 or MT L92 Equivalent rounds INDIA</p><p>INDIA</p><h2>Manufacturer</h2><p>Indian Ordnance Factory</p><p>Dehu Road, Pune</p><p>Type: Shell 105 mm lFG BE Smoke</p><p>Description: Fitted with MT No 213 fuze. Contains four smoke canisters. Maximum range given as</p><p>11,000 m</p><h2>Manufacturer</h2><p>Indian Ordnance Factory, Khamaria</p><p>Jabalpur</p><p>Type: Shell 105 mm lFG BE Smoke</p><p>Description: Weight given as 16.9 kg with projectile length 465 mm</p>

The Shell 105 mm FD Smoke BE L45A2 (fuzed) is the 105 mm L45A2 BE Smoke is ballistically matched to the 105 mm L31 series of HE projectiles and has an identical external profile. The internal diameter of the 105 mm L45A2 BE Smoke is enlarged at the rear of the body to avert compression from the single copper driving band acting on the smoke container. Internally, the forward end of the shell is formed with a fuze cavity connected to a flash channel where the burster charge (28.35 g of gunpowder G12) is located. Inside the shell are three smoke canisters retained in position by a steel baseplate and a PVC locking ring which is screwed home against the baseplate. Washers are used as adjustable packing between the baseplate and the rear smoke canister. Each canister is filled with approximately 848 g of Composition SR 252, which acts as an igniter, and PN 800 smoke agent. In use the fuze functions at the selected time and the resultant flash ignites the burster charge. The burster charge sets up a pressure behind a baffle plate which then allows a small flash to pass down a perforated central channel to ignite all three smoke canisters.

The pressure from the baffle plate also forces the PVC ring securing the baseplate to break the baseplate and canisters to be ejected, usually at an altitude over the target area of 200 m. The smoke canisters form a dense cloud of smoke for approximately 60 seconds. The smoke build-up is slower than White Phosphorus (WP) but the smoke cloud follows ground contours more closely and is more persistent. The Charge system is assembled in brass cartridge cases, Normal (L35A1/A2) having five increments and Super (L36A2/A3), a unitary charge. Ignition is by an electric primer ( L10A1 ) fitted in the cartridge base. Range performance is as follows: Charge 1 (L35A1/A2) - 2,500 to 5,700 m Charge 2 (L35A1/A2) - 2,700 to 7,200 m Charge 3 (L35A1/A2) - 5,900 to 9,500 m Charge 4 (L35A1/A2) - 7,900 to 12,200 m Charge 5 (L35A1/A2) - 15,300 m Super Charge (L36A2/A3) - 17,200 m. Minimum ranges with Charge 1 and 2 require L1A1 spoiler rings to be fitted to the nose of the shell. Also available is the Cartridge 105 mm FD Training L45A1. See separate entry for details.

Shell 105 mm FD Smoke BE L45A2 (fuzed)

Shell 105 mm FD Smoke BE L45A2 (fuzed)

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