How an armor-piercing projectile works. Tank. Hunting arrow-shaped bullets

Immediately after the appearance of armor protection for military equipment, designers artillery weapons began work on the creation of tools capable of effectively destroying it.

An ordinary projectile was not quite suitable for this purpose, its kinetic energy was not always enough to overcome a thick barrier made of heavy-duty steel with manganese additives. The sharp tip was crushed, the body was destroyed, and the effect turned out to be minimal, in best case- deep dent.

Russian engineer-inventor S. O. Makarov developed the design of an armor-piercing projectile with a blunt front. This technical solution provided high level pressure on the metal surface at the initial moment of contact, while the place of impact was subjected to strong heating. Both the tip itself and the area of ​​the armor that had been hit melted. The remaining part of the projectile penetrated the resulting fistula, causing destruction.

Sergeant major Nazarov did not have theoretical knowledge of metallurgy and physics, but intuitively came to a very interesting design, which became the prototype of an effective class of artillery weapons. His sub-caliber projectile differed from the usual armor-piercing one in its internal structure.

In 1912, Nazarov suggested inside conventional ammunition to introduce a strong rod, which is not inferior to armor in its hardness. The officials of the War Ministry brushed aside the annoying non-commissioned officer, considering, obviously, that an illiterate retiree could not invent anything sensible. Subsequent events clearly demonstrated the harmfulness of such arrogance.

The Krupa firm received a patent for a sub-caliber projectile already in 1913, on the eve of the war. However, the level of development of armored vehicles at the beginning of the 20th century made it possible to do without special armor-piercing means. They were needed later, during the Second World War.

The principle of operation of a sub-caliber projectile is based on a simple formula known from the school physics course: a moving body is directly proportional to its mass and the square of its speed. Therefore, to ensure the greatest destructive ability, it is more important to disperse the striking object than to make it heavier.

This simple theoretical position finds its practical confirmation. A 76mm sub-caliber projectile is twice as light as a conventional armor-piercing projectile (3.02 and 6.5 kg, respectively). But to provide striking power, it is not enough just to reduce the mass. Armor, as the song says, is strong, and additional tricks are needed to break through it.

If a steel bar with a uniform internal structure hits a solid barrier, it will collapse. This process, in slow motion, looks like the initial crushing of the tip, an increase in the contact area, strong heating and spreading of molten metal around the impact site.

Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile works differently. Its steel body shatters upon impact, absorbing some of the thermal energy and protecting the heavy-duty interior from thermal destruction. The ceramic-metal core, having the shape of a somewhat elongated thread spool and a diameter three times smaller than the caliber, continues to move, punching a small-diameter hole in the armor. At the same time, it highlights a large number of heat, which creates a thermal distortion, which, in combination with mechanical pressure, produces a destructive effect.

The hole, which forms a sub-caliber projectile, has the shape of a funnel, expanding in the direction of its movement. It does not require damaging elements, explosives and a fuse, fragments of armor and core flying inside the combat vehicle pose a mortal threat to the crew, and the released one can cause detonation of fuel and ammunition.

Despite the variety of anti-tank weapons, sub-caliber shells, invented over a century ago, still have their place in the arsenal of modern armies.

MOSCOW, July 23 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. If modern tank fired with an armor-piercing "blank" of the times of the Second World War, then, most likely, only a dent will remain at the site of the hit - penetrating through is practically impossible. The "puff" used today composite armor confidently holds such a blow. But it can still be pierced with an "awl". Or "crowbar", as the tankers themselves call armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber shells (BOPS). About how these munitions work - in the material of RIA Novosti.

Awl instead of a sledgehammer

From the name it is clear that the sub-caliber ammunition is a projectile with a caliber noticeably smaller than the caliber of the gun. Structurally, this is a "coil" with a diameter equal to the diameter of the barrel, in the center of which is the same tungsten or uranium "scrap" that hits the enemy's armor. When leaving the bore, the coil, which provided the core with sufficient kinetic energy and accelerated it to the desired speed, is divided into parts under the action of oncoming air flows, and a thin and strong feathered pin flies at the target. In a collision due to the smaller resistivity it penetrates armor much more effectively than a thick monolithic blank.

The armored impact of such a "scrap" is colossal. Due to the relatively small mass - 3.5-4 kilograms - the core of the sub-caliber projectile immediately after the shot accelerates to a significant speed - about 1500 meters per second. When hitting the armor plate, it punches a small hole. The kinetic energy of the projectile is partly used to destroy armor, and partly converted into heat. Red-hot fragments of the core and armor go into the armored space and spread like a fan, hitting the crew and internal mechanisms of the vehicle. This creates multiple fires.

An accurate hit of the BOPS can disable important components and assemblies, destroy or seriously injure crew members, jam the turret, break through fuel tanks, undermine the ammunition rack, destroy the undercarriage. Structurally, modern sabots are very different. Projectile bodies can be both monolithic and composite - a core or several cores in a shell, as well as longitudinally and transversely multilayered, with various types plumage.

Leading devices (those same "coils") have different aerodynamics, they are made of steel, light alloys, and composite materials - for example, carbon composites or aramid composites. Ballistic tips and dampers can be installed in the head parts of the BOPS. In a word, for every taste - for any gun, under certain conditions tank battle and a specific goal. The main advantages of such ammunition are high armor penetration, high flight speed, low sensitivity to dynamic protection, low vulnerability to active protection systems, which simply do not have time to react to a fast and inconspicuous "arrow".

"Mango" and "Lead"

For 125 mm smoothbore guns domestic tanks also in Soviet time developed a wide range of feathered "armor-piercing". They were engaged after the appearance of the potential enemy tanks M1 Abrams and Leopard-2. The army needed projectiles like air, capable of hitting new types of reinforced armor and overcoming dynamic protection.

One of the most common BOPS in the arsenal of Russian T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks is the ZBM-44 "Mango" high-power projectile, which was put into service in 1986. Have enough ammo complex structure. A ballistic tip is installed in the head part of the swept body, under which there is an armor-piercing cap. Behind him is an armor-piercing damper, also playing important role in penetration. Immediately after the damper are two tungsten alloy cores held inside by a light-alloy metal jacket. When a projectile collides with an obstacle, the shirt melts and releases cores that "bite" into the armor. In the tail of the projectile there is a stabilizer in the form of a plumage with five blades, at the base of the stabilizer there is a tracer. This "scrap" weighs only about five kilograms, but is capable of penetrating almost half a meter of tank armor at a distance of up to two kilometers.

The newer ZBM-48 "Lead" was put into service in 1991. Standard Russian tank autoloaders are limited by the length of the shells, so Lead is the most massive domestic tank ammunition of this class. The length of the active part of the projectile is 63.5 centimeters. The core is made of a uranium alloy, it has a high elongation, which increases penetration, and also reduces the impact of dynamic protection. After all, what more length projectile, the smaller part of it interacts with passive and active obstacles at a certain point in time. Sub-caliber stabilizers improve the accuracy of the projectile, and a new composite "coil" drive device is also used. BOPS "Lead" is the most powerful serial projectile for 125-mm tank guns, capable of competing with leading Western models. The average armor penetration on a homogeneous steel plate from two kilometers is 650 millimeters.

This is not the only such development of the domestic defense industry - the media reported that specifically for the latest T-14 "Armata" tank, BOPS "Vacuum-1" with a length of 900 millimeters were created and tested. Their armor penetration came close to a meter.

It is worth noting that the potential enemy also does not stand still. Back in 2016, Orbital ATK launched a full-scale production of an advanced armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectile with a fifth-generation M829A4 tracer for the M1 tank. According to the developers, the ammunition penetrates 770 millimeters of armor.

The term "sub-caliber projectile" is most often used in tank troops. Such shells are used along with cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation. But if earlier there was a division into armor-piercing and sub-caliber ammunition, now it makes sense to talk only about armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles. Let's talk about what a subcaliber is and what are its key features and principle of operation.

basic information

Key difference sub-caliber shells from conventional armored ones in that the diameter of the core, that is, the main part, is less than the caliber of the gun. At the same time, the second main part - the pallet - is made according to the diameter of the gun. The main purpose of such ammunition is to defeat heavily armored targets. Usually this heavy tanks and fortified buildings.

It is worth noting that the armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile has increased penetration due to the high initial flight speed. Also increased the specific pressure when breaking through the armor. To do this, it is desirable to use materials having the highest possible specific gravity as the core. For these purposes, tungsten and depleted uranium are suitable. Stabilization of the flight of the projectile is implemented by plumage. There is nothing new here, since the principle of the flight of an ordinary arrow is used.

Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile and its description

As we noted above, such ammunition is ideal for firing at tanks. It is interesting that the subcaliber does not have the usual fuse and explosive. The principle of operation of the projectile is completely based on its kinetic energy. In comparison, it is something like a massive high-velocity bullet.

The subcaliber consists of a coil body. A core is inserted into it, which is often made 3 times smaller than the caliber of the gun. High-strength metal-ceramic alloys are used as the core material. If earlier it was tungsten, today depleted uranium is more popular for a number of reasons. During the shot, the pallet takes on the entire load, thereby providing initial speed flight. Since the weight of such a projectile is less than a conventional armor-piercing one, by reducing the caliber, it was possible to increase the flight speed. These are significant values. So, a feathered sub-caliber projectile flies at a speed of 1,600 m/s, while a classic armor-piercing projectile flies at 800-1,000 m/s.

The action of a sub-caliber projectile

Quite interesting is how such ammunition works. During contact with the armor, it creates a small diameter hole in it due to high kinetic energy. Part of the energy is spent on the destruction of the target's armor, and the projectile fragments fly into the armored space. Moreover, the trajectory is similar to a divergent cone. This leads to the fact that the mechanisms and equipment of the equipment fail, the crew is affected. Most importantly, due to high degree The pyrophoricity of depleted uranium causes numerous fires, which in most cases leads to the complete failure of the combat unit. We can say that the sub-caliber projectile, the principle of which we have considered, has increased armor penetration at long distances. Evidence of this is Operation Desert Storm, when the US Armed Forces used sub-caliber ammunition and hit armored targets at a distance of 3 km.

Varieties of PB shells

Currently, several effective designs of sub-caliber projectiles have been developed, which are used by the armed forces of various countries. In particular, we are talking about the following:

  • With non-separable tray. The projectile passes all the way to the target as a single whole. Only the core is involved in the penetration. This solution has not received sufficient distribution due to increased aerodynamic drag. As a result, the armor penetration rate and accuracy drop significantly with the distance to the target.
  • With non-detachable tray for conical implements. The essence of this solution is that when passing through the conical shaft, the pallet is crushed. This allows you to reduce aerodynamic drag.
  • Sub-caliber projectile with detachable pallet. The bottom line is that the pallet is torn off by air forces or by centrifugal forces (with a rifled gun). This allows you to significantly reduce air resistance in flight.

About cumulatives

For the first time, such ammunition was used by Nazi Germany in 1941. At that time, the USSR did not expect the use of such shells, since their principle of operation, although known, was not yet in service. Key Feature similar projectiles was that they had high armor penetration due to the presence of instantaneous fuses and a cumulative recess. The problem, which was encountered for the first time, was that the projectile rotated during the flight. This led to the dispersion of the cumulative arrow and, as a result, reduced armor penetration. In order to exclude negative effect, it was proposed to use smoothbore guns.

Some interesting facts

It is worth noting that it was in the USSR that arrow-shaped armor-piercing sub-caliber shells were developed. This was a real breakthrough, as it was possible to increase the length of the core. Almost no armor protected from a direct hit of such ammunition. Only a successful angle of inclination of the armor plate and, consequently, its increased thickness in the reduced state could help out. In the end, BOPS had such an advantage as flat trajectory flight at a distance of up to 4 km and high accuracy.

Conclusion

A cumulative sub-caliber projectile is somewhat similar to a conventional sub-caliber. But in its body it has a fuse and an explosive. When breaking through the armor, such ammunition provides destructive action both equipment and manpower. Currently, the most common shells for cannons with a caliber of 115, 120, 125 mm, as well as artillery pieces 90, 100 and 105 mm. In general, this is all the information on this topic.

The term "sub-caliber projectile" is most often used in tank forces. Such shells are used along with cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation. But if earlier there was a division into armor-piercing and sub-caliber ammunition, now it makes sense to talk only about armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles. Let's talk about what a subcaliber is and what are its key features and principle of operation.

basic information

The key difference between sub-caliber shells and conventional armored shells is that the diameter of the core, that is, the main part, is less than the caliber of the gun. At the same time, the second main part - the pallet - is made according to the diameter of the gun. The main purpose of such ammunition is to defeat heavily armored targets. Usually these are heavy tanks and fortified buildings.

It is worth noting that the armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile has increased penetration due to the high initial flight speed. Also increased the specific pressure when breaking through the armor. To do this, it is desirable to use materials having the highest possible specific gravity as the core. For these purposes, tungsten and depleted uranium are suitable. Stabilization of the flight of the projectile is implemented by plumage. There is nothing new here, since the principle of the flight of an ordinary arrow is used.

Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile and its description

As we noted above, such ammunition is ideal for firing at tanks. It is interesting that the subcaliber does not have the usual fuse and explosive. The principle of operation of the projectile is completely based on its kinetic energy. In comparison, it is something like a massive high-velocity bullet.

The subcaliber consists of a coil body. A core is inserted into it, which is often made 3 times smaller than the caliber of the gun. High-strength metal-ceramic alloys are used as the core material. If earlier it was tungsten, today depleted uranium is more popular for a number of reasons. During the shot, the pallet takes over the entire load, thereby ensuring the initial flight speed. Since the weight of such a projectile is less than a conventional armor-piercing one, by reducing the caliber, it was possible to increase the flight speed. These are significant values. So, a feathered sub-caliber projectile flies at a speed of 1,600 m/s, while a classic armor-piercing projectile flies at 800-1,000 m/s.

The action of a sub-caliber projectile

Quite interesting is how such ammunition works. During contact with the armor, it creates a small diameter hole in it due to high kinetic energy. Part of the energy is spent on the destruction of the target's armor, and the projectile fragments fly into the armored space. Moreover, the trajectory is similar to a divergent cone. This leads to the fact that the mechanisms and equipment of the equipment fail, the crew is affected. Most importantly, due to the high degree of pyrophoricity of depleted uranium, numerous fires occur, which in most cases leads to the complete failure of the combat unit. We can say that the sub-caliber projectile, the principle of which we have considered, has increased armor penetration at long distances. Evidence of this is Operation Desert Storm, when the US Armed Forces used sub-caliber ammunition and hit armored targets at a distance of 3 km.

Varieties of PB shells

Currently, several effective designs of sub-caliber projectiles have been developed, which are used by the armed forces of various countries. In particular, we are talking about the following:

  • With non-separable tray. The projectile passes all the way to the target as a single whole. Only the core is involved in the penetration. This solution has not received sufficient distribution due to increased aerodynamic drag. As a result, the armor penetration rate and accuracy drop significantly with the distance to the target.
  • With non-detachable tray for conical implements. The essence of this solution is that when passing through the conical shaft, the pallet is crushed. This allows you to reduce aerodynamic drag.
  • Sub-caliber projectile with detachable pallet. The bottom line is that the pallet is torn off by air forces or by centrifugal forces (with a rifled gun). This allows you to significantly reduce air resistance in flight.

About cumulatives

For the first time, such ammunition was used by Nazi Germany in 1941. At that time, the USSR did not expect the use of such shells, since their principle of operation, although known, was not yet in service. The key feature of such projectiles was that they had high armor penetration due to the presence of instantaneous fuses and a cumulative recess. The problem, which was encountered for the first time, was that the projectile rotated during the flight. This led to the dispersion of the cumulative arrow and, as a result, reduced armor penetration. To eliminate the negative effect, it was proposed to use smoothbore guns.

Some interesting facts

It is worth noting that it was in the USSR that arrow-shaped armor-piercing sub-caliber shells were developed. This was a real breakthrough, as it was possible to increase the length of the core. Almost no armor protected from a direct hit of such ammunition. Only a successful angle of inclination of the armor plate and, consequently, its increased thickness in the reduced state could help out. In the end, BOPS had such an advantage as a flat flight path at a distance of up to 4 km and high accuracy.

Conclusion

A cumulative sub-caliber projectile is somewhat similar to a conventional sub-caliber. But in its body it has a fuse and an explosive. When armor is penetrated by such ammunition, a destructive effect is provided both on equipment and manpower. Currently, the most common shells for cannons with a caliber of 115, 120, 125 mm, as well as artillery pieces of 90, 100 and 105 mm. In general, this is all the information on this topic.

One of the tasks of the modern basic battle tank is the destruction of similar enemy equipment, for which he needs a powerful weapon and appropriate armor-piercing shells. Russian tanks are armed with several anti-tank ammunition, allowing you to deal with well-protected enemy equipment. In addition, in the near future, new samples intended for use with weapons of advanced technology should go into large-scale production.

Armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectiles (BOPS) show the highest armor penetration characteristics. Such ammunition appeared several decades ago, and later proved to be a convenient means of destroying armored vehicles with powerful protection different types. As a result, at present, it is BOPS that turn out to be the main tool for tanks to fight other tanks. The development of this class of projectiles continues.


Serial "Mango"

According to various sources, Russian armored units are currently armed with several types of BOPS, and the most widespread representative of this class is the 3BM-42 Mango product. The development of a new projectile with increased power under the code "Mango" began in the first half of the eighties. Through the use of certain materials, technologies and solutions, it was necessary to increase armor penetration in comparison with existing projectiles. Use future projectile 3BM-42 was supposed to be with the existing tank guns of the 2A46 family.

The T-72B3 main tank carries an improved automatic loader compatible with extended projectile lengths. Photo Vitalykuzmin.net

A few years later, the 3VBM-17 round with the 3BM-42 BOPS entered service. It includes the so-called. a burning cylinder, inside of which a driving device with a projectile is rigidly attached. Also, a separate partially combustible cartridge case with means of ignition is used for the shot. The cavities of the sleeve and cylinder are filled with tubular powder, which ensures the acceleration of the projectile.

The creators of the Mango projectile coped with the task of increasing armor penetration, and they did it very interesting way. The projectile has a special design, due to which an increase in the main characteristics is achieved. At the same time, outwardly, 3BM-42 is almost no different from other products of its class. This BOPS is a hollow cylindrical body of small diameter, made of steel and equipped with a tail stabilizer. The front end of the body is closed with a ballistic cap and the so-called. armor-piercing damper. Two tungsten cores are located one behind the other in the housing cavity, held in place by a low-melting metal jacket.

A resettable lead device made of aluminum is installed on the projectile. It has a conical shape with a widening front. Interaction with the bore is provided by several rings on the outer surface of the device. Shot 3VBM-17, including a cylinder, a projectile and a leading device, has a length of 574 mm with a diameter of 125 mm. The mass of the projectile itself is 4.85 kg.


Shot 3VBM-17 with a projectile 3BM-42 "Mango". Photo Fofanov.armor.kiev.ua

The combustion of gunpowder in the sleeve and cylinder makes it possible to accelerate the projectile with the driving device to a speed of no more than 1700 m / s. After exiting the barrel, the master device is reset. Upon hitting the target, the holding jacket melts, after which tungsten cores can pierce armor. The maximum armor penetration at a distance of 2 km is determined as 500 mm. With a meeting angle of 60 ° at the same distance, this characteristic is reduced to 220 mm.

The 3VBM-17 shot with the 3BM-42 projectile was put into service in 1986 and had a noticeable effect on fighting qualities all existing main tanks Soviet army. This product is still used in tank troops and is almost the basis of their arsenals. Subsequently, modernization was carried out, which consisted in increasing the length of the body and cores. As a result, "Mango-M" weighs 5 kg and can penetrate up to 270 mm of armor at an angle of 60 °.

Long way "Lead"

Soon after the appearance of the Mango BOPS, well-known unpleasant events began in our country that hit a mass of spheres, including the development of promising shells for tank guns. Only towards the end of the 1990s was it possible to obtain real results in the form of another projectile with enhanced performance. This ammunition was the result of development work with the code "Lead".


Scheme of the product "Mango". Figure Btvt.narod.ru

Experience has shown that a further increase in the main combat characteristics is associated with a mandatory increase in the length of the projectile. This parameter was increased to 740 mm, but this fact did not allow the use of the future projectile with existing tank loaders. As a result, the next project for the modernization of armored vehicles had to include an update of the automation that serves the gun.

From the point of view of the general appearance, the 3VBM-20 shot with the 3BM-46 "Lead-1" projectile is somewhat similar to the older 3VBM-17 and also consists of a projectile in a burning cylinder and a cartridge case with a metal pallet. At the same time, the design of the projectile itself is seriously different from the existing one. This time it was decided to use a monolithic depleted uranium core (according to other sources, from a tungsten alloy), which is actually the basis of the projectile. A ballistic cap and tail stabilizers are attached to the metal core, the diameter of which is less than the caliber of the barrel.

For a longer projectile, an improved lead device was created. It is distinguished by its large length and the presence of two contact zones. In front of the device there is a large cylinder of the usual type, and the second zone is created by three rear supports. After exiting the barrel, such a master device is reset and releases the projectile.


"Mango-M" and a cartridge case with a propelling charge. Photo btvt.narod.ru

According to available data, Lead-1 has a mass of 4.6 kg and is capable of accelerating to a speed of 1750 m/s. Due to this, it penetrates up to 650 mm of homogeneous armor at a shot distance of 2000 m and a zero encounter angle. It is known about the existence of the "Lead-2" project, which provided for the replacement of the core with a product made of another material. Thus, similar shells from uranium and tungsten could appear in the arsenals.

Due to its long length, the new type of projectile could not be used with existing automatic loaders for mass-produced tanks. This problem was solved in the middle of the 2000s. The T-90A armored vehicles of the new series were equipped with modified machine guns compatible with "long" shells. In the future, the upgraded T-72B3 began to receive similar equipment. Thus, a significant part of the equipment of the armored forces can use not only the relatively old "Mango" with limited characteristics.

"Vacuum" for "Armata"

Observed increase in tank protection characteristics potential adversary is a real challenge for weapons developers. Further research work led to the conclusion about the need for a new increase in the length of the ammunition. An BOPS 1000 mm long could show the optimal ratio of characteristics, but such a projectile, for obvious reasons, could not be used with the 2A46 gun and its automatic loader.


Projectile 3BM-46 with a leading device. Photo Fofanov.armor.kiev.ua

The way out of this situation was the creation of a completely new weapon with additional equipment. The promising gun later became known under the index 2A82, and the new projectile received the code "Vacuum". From a certain time new complex weapons began to be considered in the context of the project of the promising Armata tank. In case of successful completion of work on the gun and BOPS, new tank could get them as the main weapon.

According to some sources, the Vacuum project was turned off in favor of new developments. In connection with the start of the development of the 2A82-1M gun, instead of such a projectile, it was proposed to create a smaller BOPS with the code "Vacuum-1". It was supposed to have a length of "only" 900 mm and be equipped with a carbide core. In the recent past, representatives of the defense industry mentioned that organizations from Rosatom were involved in the development of a new projectile. Their participation is due to the need to use depleted uranium.

According to some reports, a projectile called "Vacuum-2" is being created in parallel. In its design, it should be similar to a product with a unit, but at the same time differ in material. It is proposed to make it from a tungsten alloy, more familiar to domestic BOPS. Also, for use with the 2A82-M gun, a high-explosive fragmentation munition with a controlled detonation with the Telnik code and a 3UBK21 Sprinter guided missile are being created. Accurate information about the creation of a new 125 mm cumulative projectile are not yet available.


Main tank T-14 with 2A82-1M gun. Photo by NPK "Uralvagonzavod" / uvz.ru

Appearance and accurate specifications promising BOPS of the Vacuum family have not yet been specified. It is only known that a projectile with a uranium core will penetrate about 900-1000 mm of homogeneous armor. Probably, such characteristics can be obtained with an ideal angle of impact. Other details are missing.

Promising "Slate"

According to various reports of past years, promising domestically developed tanks were also supposed to receive armor-piercing projectile under the name "Slate". However, there was not too much information about him, which led to confusion and misconceptions. So, for some time it was believed that the "Slate" was intended for new 125-mm guns. It is now known that this product is planned to be used with a more powerful 152 mm 2A83 gun.

Apparently, the projectile for high-powered cannons will be similar in appearance to other representatives of its class. He will receive a core of high elongation, equipped with a ballistic cap and an armor-piercing damper in the head, as well as a relatively small caliber stabilizer. Earlier it was reported that the "Grifel-1" and "Grifel-2" projectiles will be equipped with tungsten and uranium cores. At the same time, there are no data on the parameters of the armor penetration of new shells.


Models of 125-mm guns 2A82-1M. Photo Yuripasholok.livejournal.com

According to various estimates, based on the caliber and estimated energy indicators, the Leads will be able to penetrate at least 1000-1200 mm of homogeneous armor at the optimal angle of impact. However, there are reports of some characteristic problems in the development of such ammunition. Due to certain objective limitations, the efficiency of using shot energy for 152-mm guns may be lower than for systems of a smaller caliber. Whether it will be possible to cope with such problems and fully use the energy reserve of the propellant charge is unknown.

The promising 2A83 tank gun is currently being developed in the context of further development unified tracked platform "Armata". The already created main tank T-14 is equipped with an uninhabited turret with a 2A82-1M gun. In the foreseeable future, it is expected that new version tank, featuring a different fighting compartment and a more powerful 2A83 gun. Along with them, the improved Armata will also receive the BOPS of the Grifel line.

Shells of the present and future

Currently, the armored forces are armed with several armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectiles designed for use with guns of the rather old but successful 2A46 line. A significant part of the main tanks of existing models has a relatively old automatic loader, and therefore can only use Mango shells and older products. At the same time, late-series T-90A tanks, as well as modernized T-72B3 tanks, are equipped with improved automatic loaders, thanks to which they can use relatively long shells of the Lead line.


The alleged appearance of the BOPS type "Slate". Picture Otvaga2004.mybb.ru

BOPS 3BM-42 and 3BM-46 have fairly high performance, and due to this they are able to deal with a wide range of targets present on the battlefield. At the same time, sub-caliber ammunition is not the only means of combating enemy tanks. For the same purposes, our tanks can use guided missiles and cumulative shots. Thus, "Mango", "Lead" and others tank ammunition provide combat with various targets in a wide range of ranges.

The next generation of Russian tanks, so far represented only by the T-14 Armata, is equipped with a new 2A82-1M gun, which shows higher performance and is compatible with new ammunition. The new family of shells and missiles will provide a noticeable increase in combat qualities and is quite capable of bringing the Armata to a leading position in the world.

It is no secret that in the recent past there has been a significant lag of domestic BOPS from modern foreign models. However, the situation is gradually changing, and new models of this kind are coming into service. In the foreseeable future, armored units will receive fundamentally new combat vehicles with modern weapons and ammunition. There is every reason to believe that the gap will at least narrow. Moreover, one cannot rule out the possibility of being ahead of foreign competitors with understandable consequences for the combat capability of the army.

According to the websites:
http://vpk.mane/
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
http://otvaga2004.ru/
http://btvt.narod.ru/
http://russianarms.ru/
http://fofanov.armor.kiev.ua/
http://gurkhan.blogspot.com/
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/