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From: nzt1939@dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil (William M. Aldo)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: reactive_armor
Message-ID: <13233@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 17 Jan 90 01:45:05 GMT
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From: nzt1939@dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil (William M. Aldo)
>From: terryr@ogicse.ogc.edu (Terry Rooker)

[stuff deleted.....]

>........ sufficient explosive mass.  Incendiary rounds may generate
>sufficient heat, but I imagine it would be easy to use explosives that
>are relatively immune to that.  The major problem is range.  The
>current primary use of HEAT is by ATGMs.  You are asking those
>operators to close to MG range (effectively 1000m) to scrub off the
>                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>reactive armor.  This denies them .....
 
[.....remainder deleted]

Using APIT (Armor Piercing Incendiary Tracer) gives a very distinct
flash upon impact with a hard surface (usually metal); however, if
you are going to guide your rounds on to the target by following
your tracers -- beware, tracer burn-out is 900m (at least, it was 
10-15 years ago when I was tank commander).

     **NOTE: you don't have to use APIT to get the 'distinct' flash
     I mentioned -- API would work also.

I remember a story about one of our battalion's older tank comman-
ders (at that time) having problems with his 50-cal engagements
on a firing range. He never seemed to get many hits. When questioned
about how well he zeroed the weapon --- the problem emerged. We
zeroed our main gun (105-mm) at 1200m, our 50-cal at 800m, and the
coax (7.62mm) at 500m (I may have the two MGs reversed, I don't 
recall). This guy had zeroed (?) his 50-cal at 1200m, with
tracer burn-out at 900m .....;-)  so much for our being serious the
remainder of that day!!! A little bit of trivia, I guess.

--

Mark Aldo                                      (osu-cis)!dsacg1!waldo
>From the Internet:                                 waldo@dsac.dla.mil
Defense Logistics Agency Systems Automation Center     | 614-238-5811
DSAC-ZTB, P.O.Box 1605, Columbus, Ohio (USA) 43216     | AV  850-5811
All views expressed are mine and not necessarily those of my employer.