Innovative Designs to Improve Medium Calibre Ammunition Effectiveness Parari 22-11-2017 Eelko van Meerten
Contents Innovative Designs to Improve Medium Calibre Ammunition Effectiveness Ground-to-ground & ground-to-air 30 & 35mm APFSDS-T 30 & 35mm KETF (ABM) Navy application 30mm PELE-T Air-to-ground 25mm FAP 22-11-2017 2
APFSDS-T key features (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot Tracer) Velocity Sub calibre Fin stabilised Fired with full spin High muzzle velocity (ca. 1400 m/s) Short time of flight Enhanced hit & kill probability Heavy metal alloy Co-free penetrator High penetration capability Insensitive Munition (IM) Designed to defeat modern armoured targets DW508B Long Rod (Fin Stabilised) Spin Rate Range 3 3
APFSDS-T penetrator design Typical range target representing modern Infantry Fighting Vehicles 4 4
APFSDS-T penetrator design Tungsten alloy Optimised against modern armour: High elongation (allow bending of penetrator) Flat nose, better penetration at oblique angles Spall after perforation of armour broken long rod Material properties adjustment Complete long rod 5 5
Operational capability Neutralize Tank APFSDS-T 6 6
KETF key features (Kinetic Energy Time Fuse) Programmable time fuse Air burst ammunition Spin stabilised Muzzle velocity (ca. 1100 m/s) Enhanced hit & kill probability Very small explosive charge; lower hazard classification then HE Fragmentation capability & good penetration capability Heavy metal alloy sub projectiles Designed to defeat a wide range of targets: Soft material targets (helicopters, aircraft, trucks, boats) Lightly armoured targets (attack helicopters, BTR80) Urban targets (adobe, concrete, brick) Asymmetric threat, personnel targets AB Mode Pen Mode Typical damage pattern 7 7
KETF principle 8 8
KETF principle The Vo measurement of each round and adaptation of the fuse-time (compensation) according to the actual Vo will reduce the dispersion in depth significantly Control the deployment of the sub-projectiles (distance to target) Without muzzle velocity correction With muzzle velocity correction Burst of 7 shots 35mm to a distance of 1.6 km 9 9
KETF characteristics Optimise payload for air defence, infantry fighting vehicles and RAM protection Small explosive charge opens the projectile body Due to the combination of projectile spin and velocity, the sub-projectiles are ejected in a forward directed cone Payload: Tungsten cylinders of; 35mm x 228-3.3g 35mm x 228-1.24g 30mm x 173-1.24g ~15 10 10
KETF operational effectiveness vs aircraft Projectiles programmed for airburst (burst of 3) Tungsten sub-projectiles perforated the outer skin killing pilot and electronics inside 11 11
KETF operational effectiveness vs covered foxhole Projectiles programmed for airburst Sub projectiles have been optimised for use against combatants Soldiers, weaponry and optics were killed 12 12
KETF operational Effectiveness vs commercial vehicle Projectiles programmed for airburst (burst of 2) Sub-projectiles perforates the outer skin killing internal components, driver and engine 13 13
KETF operational effectiveness vs main battle tank 1 Projectile programmed (air burst mode) to neutralize MBT All optical sights were hit and destroyed 14 14
15 KETF operational effectiveness vs urban area structure 1 Projectile un-programmed (impact mode) KETF projectile perforated wall releasing lethal tungsten sub-projectiles behind wall All standard fused ammunition like HE & MP were stopped by the adobe wall Concrete wall Adobe wall 15
KETF operational effectiveness vs jet ski 1 Projectile programmed (air burst mode) Sub-projectiles killed jet-ski and personnel 16 16
Operational capability Neutralize Tank KETF Programmed / Un-programmed 17 17
Operational capability Neutralize Tank KETF Programmed / Un-programmed APFSDS-T 18 18
PELE-T key features (Projectile with Enhanced Lateral Efficiency - Tracer) Full calibre Spin stabilised Muzzle velocity (ca. 1100 m/s) Enhanced kill probability No fuse or explosives; Insensitive Munition (IM) Fragmentation capability & good penetration capability PELE-Pen: heavy metal alloy penetrator Designed to defeat a wide range of targets: Soft material targets (helicopters, aircraft, trucks, boats) Lightly armoured targets (attack helicopters, BTR80) Urban Targets (adobe, concrete, brick) 100% reliability Available in: 30mm x 173 PELE Light Typical damage pattern PELE Pen 19
PELE-T characteristics Fragmentation principle High density material for tube I.e. tungsten, steel Part I: Erosion by penetration Part II: Fragments by PELE effect ( Adjustable between 30% and 100% ) Part III: Penetration and/or PELE effect in next plates ( Adjustable between 0% and 70% ) low density material for Inner core I.e. plastic or aluminum t = 17µs t = 27µs Pressure distribution on penetrator kbar 4,8 1,6-1,6-4,8 Typical damage pattern Typical damage pattern Different inner core medium: different projectile body break-up PELE Light PELE Pen 20 20
KETF operational effectiveness High blast effect and fragmentation just after first perforation Perforation of last 0,5 Mild steel plate representing an engine block of FIAC Immediate blast and fragmentation Penetration 21 21
Operational capability Neutralize Tank PELE-T 22 22
FAP key features (Frangible Armour Piercing) Full calibre to be used for aircraft guns (sub calibre available for IFV guns) Spin stabilised High muzzle velocity (ca. 1000 m/s) Enhanced hit & kill probability No fuse or explosives; Insensitive Munition (IM) Frangible heavy metal alloy Co-free penetrator Good penetration capability & fragmentation capability Designed to defeat a wide range of targets: 20mm x 102 FAP PEA 280 25mm x 137 FAP PMB 352 27mm x 145 FAP PEB 327 Soft material targets (helicopters, aircraft, trucks, boats) Lightly armoured targets (attack helicopters) Medium armoured vehicles (BTR80, BMP-2) Urban targets (adobe, concrete, brick) Air to ground and air to air capability 100% reliability 23
FAP characteristics High penetration capacity in combination with radial fragmentation No explosive in projectile, insensitive ammunition Very lethal against both soft and hard targets on short and long ranges Fragment trajectories 24
FAP operational effectiveness vs helicopter FAP perforates the light structure incl. lethal fragmentation inside target 25 25 25
25mm x 137 FAP ammunition for F-35A Requirement: One general purpose Non-DU 25mm round without explosives for both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground employment Performance as defined in ORD (Operational Requirements Document): Ground targets incl. hard target (BMP 2 level) have to be defeated on long range (9000 FT) for specific aircraft conditions Penetrator has also to be effective against soft targets Combine RWMS 25mm Projectile with US-qualified primed cartridge case (OATK) and qualified propellant (St. Marks Powder - GDOTS): Projectile 25mm FAP Primed Cartridge Case (US-qualified) Propellant WC890 (US-qualified) Gun specifications from GDOTS : Critical Item Development Specification (CIDS) Integration GAU22/A Gun System for JSF 26 26
25mm x 137 FAP development & qualification Development funded by RNLAF Gun qualification funded by USAF Terminal ballistics: fulfilled Dispersion: fulfilled Structural integrity: fulfilled Environmental tests: fulfilled Functioning and casualty tests: fulfilled More than 10.000 25mm FAP rds successfully fired Result: 25mm FAP is officially qualified by USAF for the GAU-22A (Nov. 2012) Next phase: Live Fire Tests & Evaluation Flight certification for F-35 (JSF) by USAF 27 27
25mm x 137 FAP live fire test & evaluation Firings performed by USAF Eglin AFB, fired out of pressure-barrel (2015): BMP1, BTR-60, Toyota pick-up truck, Combatants, Cobra helicopter, A7-D Corsair aircraft Targets were positioned on a slope to simulate realistic dive angles China Lake, during F-35 flight tests (2017): CG-41 Patrol Boat will be added as target 28 28
25mm x 137 FAP live fire test & evaluation Results against all targets on 6500ft FAP proved to be a very effective anti-materiel round Perforation 80 cm Adobe wall A7D engine fuel feedline & hydraulics Cobra cockpit Toyata engine fire BMP Fragment impact area PGU-48/B (FAP) A7D Corsair Cobra USAF Trials Toyota pickup BTR-60 BMP Combatant European Trials Troops in the open Urban structures ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ -- -- ++ Target not in ORD! Air Burst munition required 29
25mm x 137 FAP (PGU-48/B) status Development in close cooperation with RNLAF and USAF USAF Gun Qualification (3400 rounds) and LFT&E successfully completed USAF procured 12000 rounds for flight certification (OT&E) late 2017 RNLAF procured 1900 rounds for flight certification and operational testing, to be started after finalizing USAF OT&E USAF procured first war stock order of ~48000 cartridges; delivery end 2017/start 2018 Small orders for internal testing from other users 30
Operational capability Neutralize Tank FAP 31
Summary All presented ammunition types are successfully fielded Designing innovative ammunition will result in: Low hazard classification Safe storage and transportation Improved effectiveness against a wide range of both soft and hard targets 32
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