A few hours ago I did a thread about tank ammo.
There were some questions and suggestions in the comments. Therefore I will do now a shortish "PS" thread to my earlier tank thread ๐งต:
1/12
If you have not yet read my earlier thread - I suggest you do so now, before continuing with this thread.
Yes, besides HESH, HEAT, APFSDS other tank rounds exist: like smoke, High Explosive Anti-Personnel, High Explosive Obstacle Breaching, Cannister, etc.
Cannister (shown in the video) turns the tank into a giant shotgun that shreds infantry that came too close to the tank. 3/n
Most of these rounds are being replaced by Advanced Multi Purpose rounds, which combine HEAT, Obstacle Breaching, and Anti-Personnel capabilities in one programmable round.
With the American M1147 AMP in this video being the most efficient and deadly of these new rounds. 4/n
Modern tank rounds consist of a propellant filled cartridge with a central primer flash tube that ignites the propellant. The projectile sits on top of the cartridge (with the fins of some projectiles embedded in the propellant).
It's in principle a giant bullet. 5/n
Leopard 1 and compatible 105mm rifled guns use a metal cartridge that is automatically ejected after firing.
This is the same cartridge/projectile combination as in NATO 105mm howitzers like the L119 or M119. 6/n
120mm smoothbore rounds use a combustible cartridge case made from cellulose, nitrocellulose and resins.
After firing only the metal base case with the primer flash tube remains and is ejected from the gun.
7/n
Due to this and better propellants 120mm rounds are similar in weight to 105mm rounds... but with much more punch.
In this video of a M1A2 Abrams firing a HEAT training round you can see the base case being ejected at the end. 8/n
The British Army's 120mm rifled guns use a different system: first projectile and charge are loaded. Once the breech is closed a primer (called Vent Tube) is loaded automatically into a chamber within the breach block. The Vent Tube then ignites the charge. 9/n
The round shape on tank barrels is the bore evacuator, which just by its design (without any mechanical parts) removes fumes and gasses from the tank barrel after firing.
10/n
The only Western tank without a bore evacuator is the French Leclerc. The Leclerc uses an autoloader and overpressure in the autoloader compartment to force gases and fumes out of the barrel. 11/n
There are tons of other aspects of tank design that are amazing, like gun stabilization, thermal sleeve of the barrel, tank optics and thermal cameras, the fire control systems, etc. etc.
But I will do Anti-tank guided missiles and mortar threads next
12/end
โข โข โข
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Older Western tanks (i.e. Leopard 1, M60 Patton, K1, Merkava I/II) use rifled 105mm cannons, as do current Western fire support vehicles (Centauro, M1128 MGS, Type 16, Griffin II). 2/n
The only outliers to this rule (older tanks use 105mm rifled - modern tanks use 120mm smoothbore) are the British Army's Chieftain (left), Challenger 1, and Challenger 2 (right) tanks, which use 120mm rifled guns.
Rifled guns spin-stabilize projectiles, while smoothbore guns 3/n
The problem with artillery ammo production is that you have to manufacture perfectly identical shells to ensure firing them is safe.
If the shell is too thick it will get stuck in the barrel, if it is too thin the gases will blow by it and the shell will fall short, if the 1/6
shell's wand is uneven it will tumble and crash. And once you have perfect shells, you need to pour in the molten TNT (or Composite B or IMX-101)... and the shell must be perfectly and evenly filled or it will wobble in flight and crash.
And before you can pour the explosive 2/n
another factory needs to produce it. Usually the explosive factory also produces the charges, which you need to actually fire the shell... and these too need to be perfectly precise. If the charges are not all identical the shell will overshoot the target or fall short. 3/n
I wanted to do a thread about operating mortars and a thread about tank ammunition... but can't, because before those two I have to do a thread ๐งตabout rifled and smoothbore barrels.
All NATO mortars (except for one) and all NATO 120mm tank guns (except for one) use
1/20
smoothbore barrels. This one mortar and this one tank use a rifled barrel, just like all NATO assault rifles, machine guns, auto cannons, recoilless rifles (photo: Carl Gustaf barrel), gatling guns, 105mm tank guns, howitzers, etc.
(Note: Shotguns use smoothbore barrels). 2/n
Why rifling? Well, you want the bullets, rounds, and projectiles to hit the intended target, therefore you have to stabilize them during flight. There are two ways to do that:
A thread about the best infantry fighting vehicle: the Swedish CV90.
Nine European countries (๐ธ๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ช๐ช๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฐ) have bought the CV90 and others are now eyeing it as their future IFV (๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ซ๐ท๐ฎ๐น).
1/25
The reason NATO's big four military powers are eyeing/assessing/trialing the CV90 is that it is a mature design with every imaginable variant already existing.
The CV90 isn't the best armored IFV - the best armored is the German KF41 Lynx in this photo. And the CV90 isn't 2/n
the cheapest IFV - that would be the South Korean Redback in this photo.
The CV90 is, due to its many users, the most versatile armored vehicle in production now. Similar to the Leopard 2 tank and the F-16 fighter many users means that there is constant development and 3/n
German submarines and frigates for Ukraine? Forget it.
1) On 27 February Turkey closed the Straits for warships. If you want a submarine or frigate for Ukraine to pass them, you will also reopen the Straits for russian warships - i.e. a the cruiser Varyag, which the russians 1/6
tried for months to get into the Black Sea as replacement for the Moskva. 2) and if you get Turkey to reopen the Straits, the russians will know EXACTLY when the Ukrainian ship passes & will be waiting with a fleet and fighters on the Black Sea side = good bye Ukrainian ship.
2/n
3) yes, you can send ships over the RhineโMainโDanube Canal, if their draft is less than 4 meters and if they are not higher than 6 meters above the water line, or the first bridge will stop you... and you need Hungary (!) and Serbia (!!) to agree to let you use the Danube.
3/n