Bofors 120 mm Automatic Gun L/46
Swedish naval/anti-aircraft gun
Bofors 120 mm Automatic Gun L/46, most commonly referred to as either Bofors FAK 120 or Bofors TAK 120 depending on the configuration (field gun vs naval gun), was a Swedish liquid-cooled single-barreled 120 mm (4.7 in) caliber long-range anti-aircraft autocannon designed by Bofors during the 1950s for indigenous use and export.
It was produced in two different variants during the 1950s and 1960s respectively, a field variant and a naval variant, and the latter still being in service today with the Indonesian Navy.
Variants
The Bofors 120 mm Automatic Gun L/46 was throughout its product life produced in two different main-variants, a field version named FAK 120 and a naval version named TAK 120.
Bofors FAK 120
The 120 mm Automatic Gun L/46 On Field Carriage, also sold under the name Bofors 120 mm Automatic A.A. (Anti-Air) Field Gun L/46, but most commonly known as the FAK 120, was the initial variant of the Bofors 120 mm Automatic Gun L/46. During development it was initially known as the FAK 120 X 53, were "FAK" means Field Automatic Gun (Swedish: fältautomatkanon), "120" being the caliber (120 mm) and "X 53" meaning model of 1953. It was developed during the 1950s to meet a request from the Swedish Army for a new long range anti-aircraft gun capable of engaging aircraft at high altitude with a high rate of fire. This request lead to a 120 mm (4.7 in) caliber fully automatic medium-high velocity gun with a high capacity magazine and a high rate of fire, mounted on a field carriage.
The initial plan was to acquire 6 guns for trial, only one prototype was produced. The prototype was designated 12 cm luftvärnsautomatkanon försöksmodell 1 (12 cm lvakan fm 1), meaning 12 cm automatic anti-aircraft gun trial-model 1. During trials the gun showed great performance but the advent of anti-aircraft missiles at the end of the 1950s meant that the project was a dead end and no more guns were ordered.
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