The marvels of modern video technology and social media sometimes blend together to take you right into the action – in this case, the war in Ukraine.
A video circulated on social media this week chronicled the actions of the crew of a Ukrainian 100mm MT-12 equipped MT-LB as it provided low-angle indirect fire support in the Donetsk Oblast.
The nearly four-and-a-half-minute clip, which was posted to Twitter by the open-source intelligence group OSINT Technical (@Osinttechnical), showed the efficiency of the crew as the lightly armored vehicle took up position, and then proceeded to fire several rounds on Russian positions.
The video puts you right in the middle of the action as it unfolds. A crew of at least four could be seen quickly loading the gun, aiming, and then firing toward the enemy line. A number of spent artillery casings could be seen piled up next to the vehicle – reminiscent of past artillery duels from the First and Second World Wars.
A Ukrainian Rapier
Though the exact target was unclear based on the video footage, the MT-12 “Rapira” (also known as the GRUA-2A29 “Rapier”) is an improved version of the T-12 anti-tank gun. Developed in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s, it was primarily employed as a towed anti-tank gun.
During the Cold War, it was exported to a number of Soviet client states and used throughout the Warsaw Pact. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991, the MT-12 remained in the arsenals of a number of former Soviet republics – and Ukraine has remained one of the largest operators with some 500 in service/storage.
The gun has an elevation range of -6 to +20 degrees and a traverse range of 54 degrees. The smoothbore barrel offers a muzzle velocity of 900 meters per second for HE (high-explosive) and HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) rounds, or 1,500 meters per second with HYAPFSDS (Hyper-Velocity Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot). Effective direct fire range is approximately 1,000 meters with HEAT round and 2,000 meters with HYAPRSDS, while the maximum indirect fire range is 8,200 meters (5 miles) with HEAT round.
Though it isn’t considered effective against most modern battle tanks (MBTs), the MT-12 is still quite useful when targeting other armored vehicles. Moreover, it should be considered effective against early Cold War tanks such as the T-54/55 and even the T-62 – each of which is reportedly being pressed into service with the Kremlin’s forces.
A typical anti-tank gun crew consists of a gunner, a loader, and two ammunition carriers. It has a “theoretical” rate of fire of 14 rounds per minute, while the rate of aimed fire is six rounds per minute.
100mm MT-12 equipped MT-LB in Ukrainian service, seen here providing low angle indirect fire support in Donetsk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/1NSz0s9NeW
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 5, 2023
The MT-12 is normally towed by a vehicle such as the MT-LB, but in this case, the gun was actually mounted to the multi-purpose towing vehicle – transforming it into something that resembled a World War II-era “tank destroyer.” It is unclear how many of the lightly armored tracked MT-LBs have been modified or adapted to carry the 100mm gun, but it certainly made for a more mobile platform. The MT-LB is also fully amphibious and can cross rivers and streams. It features a box-like welded steel plate hull, which offers limited armored protection to the crew.
As seen in the video on social media, this gun-equipped MT-LB was able to quickly take up position and was ready to fire – while it could also be on the move quickly before its position could be located by the enemy. Given the muddy conditions, where a towed gun could become bogged down, this was likely a blessing to the crew.
Author Experience and Expertise:
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.