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Bofors 40mm (Series)

1932 FALKLANDS WAR GULF WAR KOREAN WAR MODERN VIETNAM WAR WORLD WAR 2

History of Bofors 40mm (Series)

In addition to the Swiss 20mm Oerlikon, the Swedish 40mm Bofors became one of the most successful light anti-aircraft weapons in military history. It appeared before World War II (1939-1945) and was mass-produced in Sweden and around the world, while being used on all major fronts of the conflict.

Although it originally originated as a naval anti-aircraft gun, its history expanded into land-based air defense systems and was adopted by a large number of operators. Eventually, changes in the base design were observed, and the type served a variety of clients from Algeria to Yemen. Both the British and the Americans produced the type locally, as did Germany (via the Norwegian factory). The Soviets took over the shares through Lend-Lease, while the Japanese army reused captured Dutch examples in the Pacific theater.

Such is the success of the 40mm Bofors design, which is still in service today (2014), seeing additional combat use in many deployments throughout the Cold War years.

The origin of the famous 40mm Bofors line is seen in an initiative of the Swedish Navy in early 1922 to replace their British Vickers 2-pounder anti-aircraft guns. AB Bofors was commissioned to design and develop a successor, and plans were officially launched in 1928. The first form came out in 1930 and was thoroughly tested through routine trials of this weapon. Swedish Navy submarines used an earlier version. A Dutch order in 1934 introduced the twin-gun variant, and the following year Bofors introduced a land-based version with its own movable wheeled undercarriage for military use - its first customer became Belgium army.

This version was officially adopted by the Swedish army in 1936.

Due to the growing foreign demand for this weapon, Bofors has entered into many local license production agreements with various potential customers, such as the United Kingdom, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland and the United States. In the UK, the gun was manufactured by Vickers and referred to as "Gun, AA, Mk I" with some modifications according to local requirements. The American form was the "40mm M1 gun", largely faithful to the original Swedish offering.

The Polish version was modified locally as "40 mm Armata Przeciwlotnicza wz. 36".

In practice, the various qualities of Swedish artillery make for an excellent overall military product: the system proved reliable and fast, while delivering a useful rate of fire and high muzzle velocity when firing 40mm projectiles. The gun could hit all aircraft at the time with lethal consequences. The quick-change function allows overheated barrels to be replaced on the fly. As long as the trigger is pulled and the ammo supply is properly managed (using the cartridge/clip to feed the weapon), the weapon's automatic fire action maintains a consistent rate of fire. Mounting hardware for both the land-based and sea-based gun versions allows the gun to perform a full 360-degree swivel with an elevation range of -5 to +90 degrees.

The included optics provide the necessary support when attempting to engage high-flying, fast-moving air targets.

Eventually, two major versions emerged - the original L/60 and the improved post-war L/70 in 1948. The latter is designed to increase the operator's chance of hitting by increasing the range and rate of fire. The main difference between these guns is the 40mm projectiles fired - 40x311mmR and 40x364mmR respectively - resulting in different performance statistics between the two. The L/60 version has a rate of fire of 120 rounds per minute, while the L/70 has a rate of fire of 330 rounds per minute.

The muzzle velocity in between is 2,900 feet per second and 3,350 feet per second, respectively. The maximum ranges are 23,500 feet and 41,000 feet, respectively. The L/60 system weighs 4,670 pounds, while the L/70 system weighs 11,350 pounds.

By September 1, 1939, when World War II began, production of this gun could be seen all over Europe. Local inventories in some countries have been augmented by buying weapons from other suppliers - UK inventories include not only local Vickers-made 40mm Bofors guns, but also Polish-made Bofors guns to support volumes.

During the war, the 40mm Bofors proved unlike any other weapon of the era - it served on both sides of the conflict on all major fronts of the war. Surprisingly, Bofors in Sweden produced this weapon from 1932 to 2000. German war production was via Norway's 4 cm FlaK 28 (Bofors) in Kongsberg. These weapons were held in such high regard that captured systems were quickly reassembled and used against previous owners. All this is not to say that the Bofors 40mm is not great in its role as a naval anti-aircraft gun.

It also appeared in many warship types - from submarines to light ships to the heavier capital ships of the time. These guns are often paired with the smaller Swiss 20mm Eerlikon guns to form a truly destructive and effective aircraft defense network.

Its extensive mass production and ammunition supply also ensured its health and longevity in modern times. In fact, the Bofors 40mm gun was used in many conflicts after World War II - the Indo-Pakistani War (1947, 1965, 1971, 1999), the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War (1982) and the Gulf War ( 1991) - A commitment to a more modern day today.

The weapon is also used in gun machines (such as the Lockheed AC-130 "Ghost") and armored tracked vehicles (such as the Italian DARDO IFV and the Swedish CV90 IFV).

40mm Bofors products were eventually incorporated under the United Defense Industries brand label between 2000 and 2006, and then under the BAe Systems brand label from 2006 onwards. So it's still in production today (2014).