Bofors shipborne auto rocket launcher

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Blueking

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I have read that:about 1960s-1970s，Bofors developed a rocket launcher。2 launch tube，auto loading，and tested in Vietnam War installed on some US boats.

Anyone has more information?
Thanks a lots!
 
Two different things. (Neither of which are unbuilt systems or secret projects) [Edit: and it's been moved, so this snark isn't needed anymore.]

The rails on the 120mm gun turret are for illumination rockets (103mm, I believe). This was for night gunnery in the era before radar completely took over.

The ASW rocket launcher was for 375mm rocket-thrown depth charges. There were actually several 375mm launchers -- two-, four- and six-round tube launchers all existed and saw service with various navies. I'm not aware of any with the USN, but there might have been some Foreign Comparative Testing done at some point.


https://en.missilery.info/missile/bofors

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26hOlEP7QM&ab_channel=PeriscopeFilm


(As noted in the comments, the ship shown is Swedish, not Indian)

Edit: The video is about the older 4-barrel launcher. The twin-barrel version does have an automated, much faster loading cycle.
 
Last edited:
TomS said:
Two different things. (Neither of which are unbuilt systems or secret projects) [Edit: and it's been moved, so this snark isn't needed anymore.]

The rails on the 120mm gun turret are for illumination rockets (103mm, I believe). This was for night gunnery in the era before radar completely took over.

The ASW rocket launcher was for 375mm rocket-thrown depth charges. There were actually several 375mm launchers -- two-, four- and six-round tube launchers all existed and saw service with various navies. I'm not aware of any with the USN, but there might have been some Foreign Comparative Testing done at some point.


https://en.missilery.info/missile/bofors

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26hOlEP7QM&ab_channel=PeriscopeFilm


(As noted in the comments, the ship shown is Swedish, not Indian)

Edit: The video is about the older 4-barrel launcher. The twin-barrel version does have an automated, much faster loading cycle.
Click to expand...
Dear TomS：
thanks。
But the launcher I said in #1，is not for ASS. The two launching tubes is on the two side of turrent ，and is less 150mm, attack surface target.So，it is not the 375mm ASW 2/4/6 tubes launcher.
 
Blueking said:
TomS said:
Two different things. (Neither of which are unbuilt systems or secret projects) [Edit: and it's been moved, so this snark isn't needed anymore.]

The rails on the 120mm gun turret are for illumination rockets (103mm, I believe). This was for night gunnery in the era before radar completely took over.

The ASW rocket launcher was for 375mm rocket-thrown depth charges. There were actually several 375mm launchers -- two-, four- and six-round tube launchers all existed and saw service with various navies. I'm not aware of any with the USN, but there might have been some Foreign Comparative Testing done at some point.


https://en.missilery.info/missile/bofors

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26hOlEP7QM&ab_channel=PeriscopeFilm


(As noted in the comments, the ship shown is Swedish, not Indian)

Edit: The video is about the older 4-barrel launcher. The twin-barrel version does have an automated, much faster loading cycle.
Click to expand...
Dear TomS：
thanks。
But the launcher I said in #1，is not for ASS. The two launching tubes is on the two side of turrent ，and is less 150mm, attack surface target.So，it is not the 375mm ASW 2/4/6 tubes launcher.
Click to expand...

Then I have to say I do not know of any such system. If you have a picture or reference, that would help.

I definitely cannot think of any sort of automatic rocket launcher attached to the side of a gun turret. Definitely nothing from Bofors that fits that description.
 
TomS said:
Blueking said:
TomS said:
Two different things. (Neither of which are unbuilt systems or secret projects) [Edit: and it's been moved, so this snark isn't needed anymore.]

The rails on the 120mm gun turret are for illumination rockets (103mm, I believe). This was for night gunnery in the era before radar completely took over.

The ASW rocket launcher was for 375mm rocket-thrown depth charges. There were actually several 375mm launchers -- two-, four- and six-round tube launchers all existed and saw service with various navies. I'm not aware of any with the USN, but there might have been some Foreign Comparative Testing done at some point.


https://en.missilery.info/missile/bofors

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26hOlEP7QM&ab_channel=PeriscopeFilm


(As noted in the comments, the ship shown is Swedish, not Indian)

Edit: The video is about the older 4-barrel launcher. The twin-barrel version does have an automated, much faster loading cycle.
Click to expand...
Dear TomS：
thanks。
But the launcher I said in #1，is not for ASS. The two launching tubes is on the two side of turrent ，and is less 150mm, attack surface target.So，it is not the 375mm ASW 2/4/6 tubes launcher.
Click to expand...

Then I have to say I do not know of any such system. If you have a picture or reference, that would help.

I definitely cannot think of any sort of automatic rocket launcher attached to the side of a gun turret. Definitely nothing from Bofors that fits that description.
Click to expand...
My mistake.

I talked two rocket launcher.
First，two launch tube ,auto reload，attack sea/land target
Second，as pic,some launch rails, on the sides of gun turrent
 
Ah, I see.

Probably the Mk102 and Mk105 launchers for spin-stabilized bombardment rockets. They were on LSMRs but were strictly for shore bombardment.

1668167570611.png


The rocket rails on the sides of gun turrets are pretty much always for flares/illumination rockets (someone may have done the same with chaff rockets at some point).

The USN usually did things differently, though. On ships with more than one turret, during night bombardment fire missions one turret would be dedicated to firing illumination rounds while the other(s) fired HE.
 
Last edited:
Blueking said:
My mistake.
It is not bofors.
Click to expand...

Ah, that's an obscure one.

Turns out it was tested on PTF-13, one of the Nasty class fast patrol boats. I don't think it was ever adopted by the USN though, just tested.

Post in thread 'Semi-automatic or fully-automatic recoiless guns' https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ly-automatic-recoiless-guns.18338/post-177140

Also, a passing reference on a website about the PTF Nasty boats. Seems that PTF-13 was a training and test&evaluation boat and saw a lot of experimental weapon fits, including the Oerlikon launcher.


Edit: Why is it that I only spot typos after someone else likes my post?
 
Last edited:
TomS said:
Blueking said:
My mistake.
It is not bofors.
Click to expand...

Ah, that's an obscure one.

Turns out it was tested on PTF-13, one of the Nasty class fast patrol boats. I don't think it was ever adopted by the USN though, just tested.

Post in thread 'Semi-automatic or fully-automatic recoiless guns' https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ly-automatic-recoiless-guns.18338/post-177140

Also, a passing reference here. Seems that PTF-13 was a training and test& evaluation boat and saw a lot of experimental weapon fits, including the Oerlikon launcher.

Click to expand...
To TomS:perfect!and thanks!
 

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