d.     The AL-type carousel-pattern automatic loader is capable of handling cartridges of 950mm overall length (technically 975 is the physical limit, but it is believed that a 950mm cartridge overall length limit allows significant room for growth while leaving some clearance inside the autoloader). It services the gun in approximately six seconds, providing a reliable 10-round-per-minute rate of fire. It is fed by a 30-round carousel, with the cartridges arranged vertically around the turret ring. Reloading the autoloader carousel is conducted by the crew, and most of the shells are a single-person lift. Some of the more exotic types, including 3BK2, 3OF1, 3OF3, and 3UBM3 are shipped separately as two pieces, and assembled during loading into the autoloader carousel due to the high projectile weight.
The vehicle is provided with two hull ammunition racks flanking the driver, which are not able to be loaded from in combat and are NOT capable of storing 3BK2, 3OF3, or 3UBM3. The autoloader separates the turret basket from the hull with a steel splinter-protective bulkhead of 5mm thickness and the driver is unable to maneuver those sorts of ammunition through the loading hatch. Total ammunition stowage for the main gun is 45 rounds, 30 in the autoloader and 15 in the hull storage racks.


e.      The 7M13 fire control system and its 5E1 Turret/Weapon Management Computer (TWMC) provide gun-follows-sight operation. Bearing information from the sights is combined with the rangefinder setting automatically and continuously by the 5E1 to create ballistics solutions, which are fed forward to the gun laying system. The 7M13 is able to control the 2A35 or the coaxial PKT and the commander’s KPVT simultaneously at a ballistic solution rate of 2HzT. Computed ballistic solutions are then transmitted through the gunlaying subsystem, which integrates stabilizer feedback in an analog system and drives the controlled weapons to meet the trajectory demand. The TWMC then implements continuous-consent firing, tracking actual gun position against demanded and firing once aligned. Additionally, the TWMC is responsible for providing guidance commands for the AP-SFRJ projectile based on the SACLOS tracker.
Ballistic solutions take into account ammunition type (acquired automatically from the autoloader), barrel droop and wear (acquired from the muzzle reference sensor and a log of the ammunition fired), turret traverse, vehicle cant, wind speed/direction, as well as external atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. All parameters are acquired automatically by vehicle sensors, avoiding manual input into the system outside of the sights and rangefinder.
The 5E1 TWMC is a minicomputer-architecture system in a 2U rackmount chassis designed around 100μm CMOS semiconductors from the first-generation process (described in Appendix E: Semiconductor Manufacturing). The 5E1 is a 24-bit computer running at 100KHz, and also integrates a hardware fixed-point polynomial rootfinder for ballistic computation running at 10KHz. System main memory is 32kB alongside 256kB of EEPROM nonvolatile solid-state program and coefficient storage.
Crew Display Unit
Crew interaction with the vehicle automation systems, including the 5E1 and 5E3, takes place through two Crew Display Units (CDUs) provided to the commander and gunner. The CDUs consist of backlit TN LCD panels with pre-printed graphical objects and offer both daytime (5W fluorescent backlight) or nighttime (5W incandescent red) illumination. The CDUs display current computer status, gunlaying information, and provide a 64-character text input mode for digital communication and computer control. Interaction is provided through a integrated QUERTY keyboard as well as glove-compatible side buttons.
Each CDU is controlled by a driver IC made on the 100μm node implementing a write-line UART serial communication scheme from the TWMC. User input is fed back to the TWMC over a second serial bus.


f.      Neat features.

3.     Secondary weapon- Similar format to primary. Tertiary and further weapons- likewise.

4.     Link to Appendix 3- Weapon system magic. This is where you explain how all the special tricks related to the armament that aren’t obviously available using Soviet 1961 tech work, and expand to your heart’s content on extimated performance and how these estimates were reached.

B.    Optics:

1.     The TPD-2-49 rangefinding sight assembly is a fully stabilized combination rangefinder and gunsight with day and night capabilities. Day sighting is provided by two sights, a high field of view periscopic unity sight and a 3 to 12 power variable magnification periscopic sight with illuminated reticle, while night sighting is provided by F50 image intensifying tubes mounted in both the periscopic portion of the sight assembly and in the rangefinder. F50 is part of the Night Vision Generation II image intensifier program discussed in Appendix D: Electro-optical Program Night Vision Generation II. Provision is made for the replacement or augmentation of the image intensifying system with a thermal imaging system when such a system is ready. The sight is arranged such that replacement of the stereoscopic rangefinder with a laser rangefinder system is possible.
Range information from the TPD-2-49 is automatically transmitted to the 7M13 FCS and is included in the gun-follows-sight control scheme: the ballistic solution is continuously updated by the 5E1 and the gun aimed as the range is dialed in. As a result, firing can take place immediately after the correct range is found.


2.     Commander’s hunter-killer cupola with TDD-3 optical complex is provided with a 1-8x variable power periscopic optical system for use under armor. Control is through electric motors and geared drive, and the 125mm gun can be slaved to the sight. In combination with the 14.5mm KPVT machine gun, TDD-3 provides light vehicle and anti-infantry capability to 3,000m, as well as hunter-killer and slew-to-cue capabilities. The mount is fully stabilized and is able to be used effectively while on the move, and incorporates F50 NGVII image intensifying tubes for night operations.