Chinese Defence Today - Type 79/A Dual-100mm Shipboard Gun

The Type 79 twin-100mm, 56-calibre gun is the PLA Navy’s primary shipboard anti-surface artillery system. The gun is equipped by most of the Chinese-built surface combatants commissioned since the 1980s. On some later warships this has been replaced by the improved Type 79A and PJ33A which features a new turret. A new development variant with a ‘stealthy’ turret was introduced in 2003.

The development of the Type 79 dual-100mm shipboard gun began in 1970 and was completed in 1979, with the design certified in 1984. The Type 79 gun is equipped by all variants of the Jianghu class frigate family as well as the Jiangwei-I class frigate. The Type 79 is a fully automatic gun system designed to provide rapid and accurate firepower against surface ships, land targets, and airborne targets to a maximum range of 22km. The gun features a fully-sealed turret which offers better protection for the crews.

The Type 79A was first seen onboard the Type 052 (Luhu class) missile destroyer launched in the early 1990s. Compared to the Type 79, the gun features lighter weight, higher accuracy, shorter reaction time, and better automatic operation. This variant is equipped by Type 052 (Luhu class), Type 051B (Luhai class), and Type 053H3 (Jiangwei-II class).

A new improved variant of the Type 79 gun was first spotted in 2004. This design features a new turret with strong radar cross-section (RCS) reduction features. The gun was seen on some units of the newly built Type 053H3 frigate, and also on the Type 052, Type 051B and some units of the Type 051 destroyer after they finished their mid-life modernisation refits.

When the gun is operated in the automatic mode, it is controlled under the fire-control radar and ballistic computer. The gun can be switched to semi-automatic mode and manual mode. When it is operated in the semi-automatic mode, the gun is aimed remotely by operators using the electro-optical director. If necessary, the gun can also be operated and loaded manually by crews.

Ships: Type 79: Jianghu class, Jiangwei-I class; PJ-33A: Luhu class, Luhai class, Jiangwei-II class
Calibre: Dual-barrel 100mm
Rate of fire: 2 X 25 rounds/min (each barrel)
Range: (maximum) 22,500m
Elevation: -5~85 degree
Traverse: +/-225 degree
Muzzle velocity: 916m/s
Ammunitions: 52 rounds
Fire-control: Electro-optical + radar