Air Defense

120mm FAK-120

Also known as
  • Bofors FAK 120
  • FAK 120
  • FAK 12 X 53
  • 12 cm Lvakan 4501
  • 12 cm luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501
  • 12 cm Lvkan 4501
  • 120 mm Anti Aircraft Gun 4501
  • Bofors 120 mm Automatic Field Gun L/46
  • Bofors 120mm Automatic A.A. Field Gun L/46

The 120mm FAK-120 was the field anti-aircraft version of Bofors' 120 mm/46 automatic-gun family. Open sources describe it as a single large-caliber, water-cooled automatic gun with a 52-round feed system and a 70-80 round-per-minute rate of fire; NavWeaps identifies the later naval TAK-120 as a private-venture adaptation of the same Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 field-gun line.

120mm FAK-120, Prototype 120 mm/46 automatic anti-aircraft field gun, Air Defense
Image source: 12 cm lvakan 4501 firing-position image
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Sweden
Type
Prototype 120 mm/46 automatic anti-aircraft field gun
Service note
Cold War Swedish anti-aircraft prototype developed in the 1950s and reportedly retained in Swedish air-defense service from 1960 to 1973
Designer
Bofors
Designed
1953-1960
Produced
1950s; one prototype reportedly delivered to the Swedish Army in 1960
Number built
One prototype reported by From the Swedish Archives; TAK-120 sources describe the naval turret as derived from this field-gun line rather than as a mass-produced field system
Developed into
120mm TAK-120 naval turret

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm/46
Configuration
Single automatic anti-aircraft field gun on a transportable carriage
Role
Large-caliber ground anti-aircraft prototype
Rate of fire
70-80 rounds per minute reported for the field gun
Muzzle velocity
About 800 m/s with normal projectile data reported by From the Swedish Archives
Feed system
52 rounds in the gun and magazines
Elevation
-5 to +85 degrees
Traverse
360 degrees
Powered laying
Up to 25 degrees per second elevation and 32 degrees per second traverse
Weight
About 23 tons for the gun; over 30 tons including the transport vehicle
Crew
Two gunners on the gun, excluding the transport vehicle crew
Relationship to TAK-120
NavWeaps describes the naval TAK120 as developed from the Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 anti-aircraft field gun
Variants

The FAK-120 field gun and TAK-120 naval turret are documented as two configurations of the same Bofors 120 mm/46 automatic-gun family.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
120mm TAK-120, Single 120 mm/46 dual-purpose naval automatic gun turret, Naval Systems120mm TAK-120Navalized turret adaptation

NavWeaps describes the TAK120 as a Bofors private-venture naval weapon developed from the Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 anti-aircraft field gun.

Sources: NavWeaps 120 mm TAK120

Related Naval Turret

The field gun is cataloged here mainly to support the sourced design relationship to the TAK-120 naval turret.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
120mm TAK-120, Single 120 mm/46 dual-purpose naval automatic gun turret, Naval Systems120mm TAK-120Naval automatic gun turret

NavWeaps identifies the TAK120 as a naval development from the Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 field gun, while WeaponSystems.net describes TAK-120 as a smaller single-gun mount intended to deliver firepower comparable to the earlier Bofors M1950.

Sources: NavWeaps 120 mm TAK120, WeaponSystems.net 120mm TAK-120

Field Gun To Naval Turret

The FAK-120 record is relationship-only because the reviewed sources support design history and preserved-image context, not direct conflict use by this exact field gun. Its main catalog value is the sourced link to the TAK-120 naval turret, which NavWeaps describes as a Bofors private-venture naval weapon developed from the Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 anti-aircraft field gun.

Field configuration

From the Swedish Archives describes the ground gun as a water-cooled single 120 mm automatic weapon with powered traverse and elevation, two gunner positions, and 52 rounds in the feed system.

Naval derivative

NavWeaps identifies the TAK120 as the naval Bofors turret derived from the Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 line.

Sources: From the Swedish Archives FAK 120; NavWeaps 120 mm TAK120.

Timeline

120mm FAK-120 Key Events

  1. FAK 12 X 53 work begins

    From the Swedish Archives says work on adapting Bofors' large automatic-gun technology for ground anti-aircraft use began under the FAK 12 X 53 designation in 1953.

    Sources: From the Swedish Archives FAK 120

  2. Prototype delivered to Swedish Army

    From the Swedish Archives reports that the gun was delivered to the Swedish Army in 1960 and received the 12 cm Lvkan 4501 or Lvkan fm/1 designation.

    Sources: From the Swedish Archives FAK 120

  3. TAK120 naval design period begins

    NavWeaps lists 1963 as the TAK120 naval design date and describes that turret as developed from the Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 field gun.

    Sources: NavWeaps 120 mm TAK120

  4. Reported Swedish retirement

    From the Swedish Archives reports that the single FAK/Lvkan prototype served with Swedish air defense from 1960 to 1973 before retirement.

    Sources: From the Swedish Archives FAK 120

Media

120mm FAK-120 Images

120mm FAK-120, Prototype 120 mm/46 automatic anti-aircraft field gun, Air Defense - view 1
Source: 12 cm lvakan 4501 transport image
Related Weapon Systems
120mm TAK-120, Single 120 mm/46 dual-purpose naval automatic gun turret, Naval SystemsNaval Systems120mm TAK-120Single 120 mm/46 dual-purpose naval automatic gun turretThe 120mm TAK-120 is a Swedish Bofors single-gun naval turret that adapted the linked FAK-120/Lvakan 4501 automatic field-gun line for fast attack craft and small corvettes. NavWeaps and WeaponSystems.net describe it as a water-cooled, automatically loaded dual-purpose gun with Finnish Turunmaa/Pohjanmaa and Indonesian Fatahillah-class service, but no source reviewed directly ties the turret to a cataloged armed conflict.
Bofors 40 mm L/70, 40 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannon, Air DefenseAir DefenseBofors 40 mm L/7040 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannonThe Bofors 40 mm L/70 is a Swedish postwar anti-aircraft autocannon developed by AB Bofors as a higher-velocity, faster-firing successor to the wartime 40 mm L/60 family. Its towed and naval variants remained in service through upgrades, with source-backed modern use including Lithuanian-supplied guns in Ukrainian air defense and Indian upgraded L/70 guns used as a short-range counter-drone layer during the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict.
OTO 76/62 Super Rapid naval gun, 76 mm rapid-fire naval gun mount, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsOTO 76/62 Super Rapid naval gun76 mm rapid-fire naval gun mountThe OTO 76/62 Super Rapid is Leonardo's Italian 76 mm naval gun mount for corvettes, frigates, patrol vessels, and other surface combatants. It combines a selectable 120-round-per-minute rate of fire, an 80-round ready magazine, anti-surface and air-defense roles, optional Strales/DART guided-ammunition integration, and compact installation on small naval units. Its 2014 Russia-Ukraine War link is Ukraine's Ada-class corvette program: Naval News identified a Leonardo 76 mm Super Rapid fitted to Hetman Ivan Mazepa during sea trials in Turkiye while the corvette project remained shaped by wartime transfer constraints.

Sources

From the Swedish Archives FAK 120Publisher: From the Swedish Archives | Note: Supports FAK 12 X 53 / 12 cm Lvkan 4501 development history, prototype count, reported Swedish service period, configuration, crew, feed arrangement, weight, rate of fire, elevation, traverse, and technical data. | Accessed: 2026-07-13NavWeaps 120 mm TAK120Publisher: NavWeaps | Note: Supports the relationship between the TAK120 naval turret and the Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 anti-aircraft field gun, plus TAK120 design date and general 120 mm/46 automatic-gun family context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13WeaponSystems.net 120mm TAK-120Publisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports TAK-120 family context, Bofors development and production background, and the design relationship to other Bofors 120 mm automatic naval guns. | Accessed: 2026-07-1312 cm lvakan 4501 firing-position imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the primary FAK/Lvakan 4501 gallery image; the Commons file identifies a 1953 AB Bofors image of the gun in firing position and lists public-domain Swedish-photo rationale. | Accessed: 2026-07-1312 cm lvakan 4501 transport imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the transport-mode FAK/Lvakan 4501 gallery image; the Commons file identifies a 1953 AB Bofors source image. | Accessed: 2026-07-13