Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: HEAT shell already exists. Message-ID: <13379@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 22 Jan 90 06:03:55 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 38 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Bertil Jonell There has recently been a discussion about the feasability of a shape- charge round that penetrates reactive armour kinetically before it fires the shapecharge and penetrates the targets main armour. Such a round exists. Excerpt from "Bofors - Special advertising supplement to IRD 6/1988, International Defense Review" (C) 1988 Interavia S.A., Geneva, Switzerland. >From the article "New lease of life for recoilless rifles" pg 24: "The new ammunition has flip-out fins to provide stability during flight and will function at impact angles up to 75 degrees (NATO). As the round is fired from the gun, the acceleration moves a magnet between two coils in the base of the shell, and the resulting current charges an accumulator. One terminal is connected to the shells casing, and the other to a contact strip inside the hollow ogival nose. On impact, the tip of the strengthened ogive penetrates the complete reactive element of the target. During and after penetration the shell's casing progressively collapses until it touches the contact strip; the electrical circuit is thus completed, and the hollow-charge warhead is detonated. The explosive in the reactive armour is ignited by shrapnel from the shell body. The shaped charge itself has a trumpet-shaped lined designed to maximise the jet's penetration of the target's main armour." The round is called 3A-HEAT-T and is for the 106mm BAT (Battalion Anti-Tank) a US designed recoilless rifle. An ad in the same issue (pg 10) says: "..ability to penetrate 700mm of RHA shielded by reactive armour." -- Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg NET: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se VOICE: +46 31 723971 / +46 300 61004 "Don't worry,I've got Pilot-7" SNAILMAIL: Box 154,S-43900 Onsala,SWEDEN (Famous last words) "GOOD DEEL ON SLIGHTLY USED CRANE" Orson Scott Card 'The Abyss'