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From: jwm@wdl76.wdl.fac.com (Jon W Meyer)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: 155mm anti-tank ammunition? (was Re: Tank Info/ Chobham Armor)
Message-ID: <1990Oct25.150907.1294@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 25 Oct 90 15:09:07 GMT
References: <1990Oct19.033435.14863@cbnews.att.com> <1990Oct22.040305.18740@cbnews.att.com>
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From: jwm@wdl76.wdl.fac.com (Jon W Meyer)
dwells@fits.cx.nrao.edu (Don Wells) writes:




>The shell contains small bomblets. My memory is that they were of
>order 40-50mm in diameter, perhaps 80-100mm long. They have a cloth
>"tail" on them, kind of like a kite tail. The bomblets, as I call
>them, are *shaped charges*. The 155mm shell body contains a
>considerable number of them, several dozen at least.

This is DPICM (Dual Purpose Improved Conventioanl Munition).

>There was some sort of claim on the display panel that the shaped
>charges are effective against various armored targets that the US Army
>cares about -- I don't recall the exact wording.  But it seems likely
>to me that modern tank armor (e.g., Chobham) can't be pierced by
>shaped charges of such small diameter.  Now, my questions:

>(1) Is there any truth to the Army assertion of effectiveness for this
>155mm anti-armor ammunition?  If so, against what targets?

I've seen video tapes of tests of DPICM against armor, and the results were
quite impressive.  Can we kill the the latest or greatest tanks on the market
with DPICM?  The army says yes, but I don't know for sure.  Can we kill the
older tanks that (I believe) make up the bulk of Iraq's armor.  No problem.

>(2) My own guess was that this ammunition would be most effective
>against trucks and other logistical targets like ammo/fuel dumps; any
>validity to this guess? 

Trucks on the move might call for DPICM (the shotgun effect would increase
the number of kills per round).  Ammo/fuel dumps are better targets for
"shake n' bake" missions - H.E. and W.P. (White Phosphorous).


>Don Wells

Jon
____________________________________________________________________________
Jon W. Meyer |  "I'd travel 10,000 miles to smoke a camel"
FA, CA ARNG  |        Caption from an (unofficial) desert shield tee-shirt.
             |
             |  "If, when the battle's over, your infantry doesn't love you
             |   you are a poor artillery man."