Profile
- Type
- Towed 100 mm smoothbore anti-tank gun
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Cold War design, retained in Ukrainian service during the Russia-Ukraine War
Artillery
MT-12 Rapira
The MT-12 Rapira is a Soviet 100 mm smoothbore towed anti-tank gun that Ukraine has retained as a direct-fire and light artillery weapon. Its high-velocity gun, relatively light carriage, and existing 100 mm ammunition stocks made it useful for Ukrainian artillery and National Guard units despite its Cold War origins.
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Built by
- Yurga Machine-Building Plant
- Built in
- Soviet Union
Service History
- In service
- Entered service in 1970; about 500 were reported in Ukrainian service as of 2014
- Used by
- Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Viktor Afanasiev
- Designed
- Late 1960s
- Built by
- Yurga Machine-Building Plant
- Built in
- Soviet Union
- Unit cost
- Not publicly reported
- Produced
- 1970s onward
- Number built
- Not publicly reported
- Variants
- MT-12, MT-12R, MT-12K
Specifications
- Caliber
- 100 mm
- Crew
- 6
- Weight
- 3,100 kg
- Maximum range
- 8,200 m
- Rate of fire
- 6-14 rounds per minute
- Carriage
- Towed gun carriage
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Ukrainian Armed Forces and National Guard units have used 100 mm MT-12 Rapira guns during the full-scale Russian invasion, including documented 93rd Mechanized Brigade combat work and training for National Guard artillery crews.
Related Weapon Systems
2S22 Bohdana155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzerThe 2S22 Bohdana is Ukraine's domestic NATO-standard 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, developed around truck-mounted mobility and rapid deployment. It became one of the most visible Ukrainian-produced artillery systems of the Russia-Ukraine War after early combat use around Snake Island and later serial production supported by Ukrainian industry and foreign financing.
D-4485 mm towed field gunThe D-44 is a Soviet 85 mm divisional field gun developed after World War II as a replacement for the 76 mm ZiS-3. Although originally a towed direct-fire and light artillery weapon, Ukrainian forces have documented improvised mobile use during the Russia-Ukraine War by mounting the gun on MT-LB carriers to gain limited shoot-and-scoot mobility.
M-46130 mm towed field gunThe M-46 is a Soviet 130 mm towed field gun built for long-range counter-battery and field-artillery missions. Its high-velocity gun and roughly 27 km standard range made it unusually far-reaching for its generation, and Croatia-supplied M-46H1 guns gave Ukraine additional non-NATO-caliber tube artillery during the Russia-Ukraine War.
TRF1155 mm towed howitzerThe TRF1 is a French 155 mm towed howitzer developed as a truck-towed, NATO-caliber field gun with its own auxiliary power unit for short autonomous moves. Former French systems supplied to Ukraine gave Ukrainian artillery units additional 155 mm fire-support capacity, with standard ammunition reaching about 24 km and extended-range rounds reaching roughly 30 km or more depending on ammunition type.
9K111 FagotMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as the AT-4 Spigot, is a Soviet man-portable SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system built around the 9P135 tripod launcher and 9M111 missile family. Its compact launcher, vehicle-mount compatibility, and 2 to 2.5 km range kept it relevant for legacy users, including Russian anti-tank teams documented in the Russia-Ukraine War.
9K114 ShturmRadio-command anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K114 Shturm is a Soviet radio-command anti-tank guided missile system built around the 9M114 Kokon missile and known to NATO as AT-6 Spiral. Designed by KBM Kolomna for attack helicopters and the MT-LB-based 9P149 Shturm-S carrier, it combines SACLOS guidance, a fast missile, and a roughly 5 km baseline range. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian 9P149 vehicles have been captured or displayed as battlefield trophies, while Ukrainian units have shown Shturm-S use and modernization efforts to keep the system relevant for anti-armor missions.Sources
MT-12 100-mm antitank gunPublisher: National Defence University of Ukraine | Note: Supports manufacturer, designer, service background, Ukrainian inventory context, and core specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Bulgaria Supplies Shells For Ukraine's 100mm MT-12 Rapira Anti-Tank GunsPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War operational use: used by the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade, Marine Corps, and National Guard units. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The National Guard of Ukraine Got Armed With 100mm MT-12 Rapira GunsPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War operational use: fielded by National Guard artillery crews receiving and training with MT-12 Rapira guns. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MT-12 100 mm anti-tank gun in Ukrainian servicePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the Ukrainian-service MT-12 photograph, sourced from ArmyInform and licensed CC BY 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20