Serbia’s defence industry has completed the first example of a new remote-controlled turret (RCT), called the Dubs 20/3 mm Kerber, and initial firing trials are due to take place soon, following its first showing at the Partner 2019 defence exhibition in Belgrade.
The all-welded-steel turret is armed with three Hispano 20 mm (Model M55) single-feed cannons that were built in large numbers in the former Yugoslavia for various applications, including towed anti-aircraft guns and armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) turrets.
The RCT is marketed by Yugoimport as a low-cost solution to improve firepower for new and older AFVs. The company believes the system’s weight, 1,100 kg without ammunition, to be a market differentiator.
The Dubs 20/3 Kerber remote-controlled turret, armed with three 20 mm drum-fed cannons. (Christopher F Foss)
The 20 mm cannon is gas operated, fitted with a muzzle brake, and fed by a drum type magazine above the rear of each barrel. It holds 60 rounds of 20x110 mm ready-use ammunition, Yugoimport said. The ammunition is manufactured in Serbia by Sloboda AD.
The types of 20x110 mm ammunition being sold by Sloboda AD include high-explosive (HE), high-explosive-incendiary (HEI), high-explosive tracer (HE-T), HEI tracer (HEI-T), armour-piercing tracer (AP-T), and associated training rounds.
The AP-T has a muzzle velocity of 1,000 m/s and the others have a muzzle velocity of 850 m/s. According to Yugoimport, the effective range of the 20 mm cannon is 2,000 m.
The turret carries another three ammunition drums, each holding 60 rounds, and additional ammunition drums could be carried in the vehicle. Turret traverse is through a full 360°, with elevation from -5 to 70° under full electric control.
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