GT-3 (105 mm)

This page is about the South African GT-3 (105 mm) cannon. For variants, see L7 (105 mm) (Family).

Description

The Denel GT-3 cannon is an South African cannon developed in their efforts to upgrade existing Centurions with a more powerful cannon. Due to international embargoes imposed on South Africa, the South African government had to outsource their parts elsewhere.

This cannon uses a modified 105 mm barrel while retaining the original 20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm) gun breech from their Centurions. The resulting gun could fire NATO compatible ammunitions.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Class 3 (P)
• Olifant Mk.1A
• TTD

General info

The Denel GT-3 cannon has a very similar performance to the powerful L7A3 (105 mm) cannon found on most Leopards and the Japanese Type 74s. More specifically, it has access to all ammunitions found in the Leopard 1A5 with the same characteristics, plus an M416 smoke round and the DM63 for the TTD. Thus, in War Thunder, the Denel GT-3 cannon is more akin to the Argentinian FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm) in every aspect. For example, the Olifant Mk.1A has every rounds available to the TAM except for its APDS round. The TTD, on the other hand, has all ammunition available for TAM 2C. Finally, the Class 3 (P) fires every round available for the TAM 2IP.

Available ammunition

The M152, M156 and M111 shells are available to all tanks using the Denel GT-3 cannon. The M416 smoke round is available only for the Olifant Mk.1A, the DM33 is present only in the Class 3 (P), while the DM63 is used only in the TTD.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M152 / DM12	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
M156 / DM502	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
M111 / DM23	APFSDS	337	335	330	322	314	306
DM33	APFSDS	408	405	398	389	379	370
DM63	APFSDS	436	434	426	416	406	396

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M152 / DM12	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.05	0.1	1,270	65°	72°	77°
M156 / DM502	HESH	732	14.85	0.1	4	4,310	73°	77°	80°
M111 / DM23	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
DM33	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
DM63	APFSDS	1,455	4.3	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M416	730	11.4	20	5	25	50

Comparison with analogues

L7A3 (105 mm): The Denel GT-3 is based upon the L7A3 in a lot of ways. Most importantly, the GT-3 was designed specifically to fire NATO rounds that is found in the L7A3. While similar, the Denel has no access to stock APDS rounds, which means that players must rely on the much more penetrating but less reliable HEAT-FS shots.

L7A1 (105 mm): Another gun the Denel GT-3 is based upon, and is located in the same tree but at a lower BR. The simplest way to describe the L7A1 is as an inferior GT-3. Most tanks armed with the L7A1 lacks a true APFSDS round or HEAT-FS round, while having access to a similar performing HESH round and an APDS round that is unavailable to the Denel GT-3. The only tank armed with the L7A1 that can fire HEAT-FS round is the Vickers Mk.3.

FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm): In War Thunder, both the Denel GT-3 and the FMK.4 Modelo 1L are practically the same gun. Both has the same reload speed and the same shells with no differences between the two. The only difference is the suspension and turret they are on and access to APDS round.

M68 (105 mm): the American version of the L7 cannon. Like the Denel GT-3, this cannon has access to HEAT-FS, HESH, APFSDS and smoke rounds. But, the M68 also has access to stock APDS rounds, unlike the Denel GT-3 cannon.

CN-105-F1 (105 mm): this unique French cannon is similar to the Denel GT-3 in practice. While it lacks in available HESH round or a stabiliser, it compensates them all with a terrifying APFSDS round and a functional HE round.

D-10T (100 mm)/D-10T2S (100 mm): the main adversary of the Denel both in War Thunder and in real life. The Soviet cannon has access to all ammunition the Denel could use, plus APDS, useless APCR rounds and the devestating APHE shots. While the APHE rounds have less penetration compared to anything else, it compensates by having a guaranteed one penetration one kill with over 94g of TNT. And because of the lack of armour in most MBTs at some spots, the D-10T could shoot more comfortably than the Denel GT-3. However, the HEAT-FS and APFSDS is inferior compared to the Denel GT-3. And with an extra 3 seconds of reload time across the board, this may prove detrimental in situations many MBTs find themselves in, which gives the Denel GT-3 quite a practical advantage.

Usage in battles

Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.

Pros:

Cons:

History

The Denel GT-3 was a South African cannon developed by Denel Land System DLS in their effort to upgrade existing Centurion tanks with a 105mm cannon. Due to international sanctions forbidding South Africa to acquire new weapons, their aging tank force and experiences in the Border War against Angola, the South Africans resorted to making their own weapons with whatever if available to them, including their Centurion Mk3s and their 84mm cannon. It was decided to use the Centurion as a basis for a new indigenous South African tank (as they have no other options available).

The resulting product was a 105mm cannon. This cannon, known as the 105mm Denel GT-3, retains the 84mm's breech assembly, while fitting it with new mounting lugs to fit existing recoil system. The barrel is a similar copy to the original British L7A3's own barrel, with a couple of minute changes to fit in with the different breech assembly. The resulting cannon could fire NATO ammunition.

The Denel GT-3, with the Israeli supplied M111 APFSDS round could penetrate a T-54/55 and T-62 up to a range of 2km. However, most Olifant Mk1A crews preferred HEAT-FS rounds due to it making a much more noticeable impact, considering that the Olifant Mk1A faces Angolan T-54/55 and T-62s that does not have any form of composite or reactive armour.

On Novermber 1987, as part of Operation Moduler, Lt. Hein Fourie destroyed the first T-55 with an Olifant Mk1A armed with the Denel GT-3 cannon. Overall, the Denel GT-3 cannon was successful in its role in modernising the South African army with a tank cannon that is capable of dominating the African battlefield without outside assistance.

Apart from the Olifant, the Denel GT-3 would also be installed in the Tank Technology Demonstrator (TTD) as a placeholder while a 120mm was being developed, which unfortunately was scrapped.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• GT-7 (105 mm) and GT-8 (105 mm); modernised and refined version of the Danel GT-3
• L7 (105 mm) (Family); a line of guns in which the Denel GT-3 is based on

External links

• http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product3619.html
• https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/south_africa/olifant_mk.i
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Ordnance_L7

Britain tank cannons
30 mm	L21A1
40 mm	QF 2-pounder
47 mm	Ordnance QF 3-pounder
57 mm	6pdr OQF Mk.III · 6pdr OQF Mk.V
75 mm	OQF Mk.V
76 mm	OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I · OQF 3in 20cwt · QF 17-pounder
77 mm	OQF Mk.II
84 mm	20pdr OQF Mk.I
94 mm	28pdr OQF · 32pdr OQF · OQF Mk.II
95 mm	Howitzer, Tank No.1, Mk.I
105 mm	LRF · Royal Ordnance L7A1
120 mm	Ordnance QF Tk. L1A2 · Ordnance BL Tk. L11 · L11A5 · L30A1
165 mm	ORD BL 6.5in L9A1
183 mm	QF L4A1
	Foreign:
25 mm	M242 (USA)
37 mm	M5 (USA) · M6 (USA)
75 mm	M2 (USA) · M3 (USA)
84 mm	kan Strv 81 (Sweden)
105 mm	Sharir (Israel)
120 mm	Rh120 L/55 A1 (Germany)
125 mm	2A46M-5 (Russia)
155 mm	M185 (USA)
	South Africa
20 mm	GI-2
76 mm	GT-4
90 mm	GT-2
105 mm	GT-3 · GT-7 · GT-8
155 mm	G6 L/45