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Sub-caliber tank projectile. What is the difference between a sub-caliber projectile and a conventional armor-piercing projectile. Sharp-headed and blunt-headed armor-piercing shells

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 shells. 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 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 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.

Projectiles are called sub-caliber projectiles, the caliber of which is less than the caliber of the gun barrel. The idea of ​​sub-caliber shells arose a long time ago; the main goal is to obtain the highest possible initial speed, and hence the maximum range of the projectile. Sub-caliber projectiles are designed so that light medium-caliber projectiles of a special design can be thrown from guns more than large caliber.
The projectile is supplied with a pallet, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the gun. The weight of the projectile together with the pallet is much less than the regular one.
The powder charge is the same as for a regular shot of a given caliber gun. The design of a sub-caliber projectile makes it possible to obtain a significantly higher initial velocity of 1,500 - 1,800 m / s without resorting to constructive changes tools. Under the action of centrifugal force and due to air resistance, the pallet, after leaving the bore, is separated from the projectile, which travels a much greater distance than a conventional (caliber) projectile of this gun. Significant initial speed in this case used to destroy such a strong barrier as the armor of a tank, when a durable projectile is required that has great manpower (velocity at the moment it hits the armor).
The property of sub-caliber shells - a high initial speed - was used in anti-tank artillery.

Rice. 1 3.7 cm armor-piercing tracer mod. 40 (3.7 cm Pzgr. 40)

1 - core; 2 - pallet; 3 - plastic tip; 4 - ballistic tip; 5 - tracer.

Rice. 2. 75-mm armor-piercing tracer mod. 41 (75/55cm Pzgr. 41)

1 - pallet; 2 - core; 3 - screw head;
4 - ballistic tip; 5 - tracer.

Sub-caliber armor-piercing shells There are two types: arr. 40 (Fig. 1) and arr. 41 (Fig. 2). The former are applied to conventional 3.7-cm and 5-cm anti-tank guns, the latter to guns with conical bores, i.e., to the 28/20-mm heavy anti-tank gun mod. 41, and to the 75/55 mm PAK-41 anti-tank gun. There are shells 7.5 cm Pzgr.41(HK) with tungsten carbide core and 7.5 cm Pzgr.41 (StK) with steel core 7.5 cm Pzgr.41(W) coreless blank. In addition to armor-piercing sabots, high-explosive fragmentation sabots were also produced.
The device shells Pzgr. 40 Pzgr. 41 looks like. The projectile consists of a core -
1, a pallet - 2, a plastic ballistic tip - 3, a metal cap - 4 and a tracer - 5. In sabot armor-piercing shells there is no fuse, explosive charge and copper leading belt.
The core of the projectile is made of an alloy of high hardness and brittleness.
The pallet is made of mild steel.
The ballistic tip, which gives the projectile a streamlined shape, is made of plastic and covered with a metal cap made of an alloy of magnesium and aluminum.

The main difference between shells arr. 40 from shells mod. 41 lies in the design of the pallet. Pallets of shells arr. 40 (Fig. 1) to conventional anti-tank guns (3.7 cm and 5.0 cm with cylindrical barrels) consist of a body with 2 centering annular protrusions. The upper ledge plays the role of a leading belt, the lower one is a centering thickening.

7.5cm Pzgr.41

2.8cm sPzB-41

3.7cm Pzgr. 40

When the projectile is fired and moves along the channel near the barrel, the upper ledge of the pallet, which has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the gun, cuts along the fields, crashing into the rifling of the gun, gives the projectile a rotational
motion. The lower protrusion of the pallet, which has a diameter of the bore, centers the projectile in the bore, i.e., prevents it from skewing.
Pallets of shells arr. 41 (see fig. 2) to systems with tapered bores consist of a body with 2 tapered centering annular lugs. The diameters of the protrusions are equal to the larger diameter
barrel channel (near the breech). The cylindrical part of the pallet is equal to the smaller diameter of the bore (near the muzzle). When the projectile moves along the tapered barrel, both protrusions are compressed and cut into the rifling, while providing rotary motion projectile in flight.

Weight of projectiles mod. 40 and arr. 41 is significantly less than the weight of conventional armor-piercing shells of the corresponding calibers. Combat (powder) charge is used the same as for conventional shells. As a result, shells arr. 40 and 41 have significantly higher initial velocities than conventional armor-piercing shells. This provides an increase in armor-piercing action. However, the ballistically unfavorable shape of the projectile contributes to a rapid loss of speed in flight, and therefore the firing of such projectiles at distances exceeding 400-500 m is not very effective.
The effect of projectiles on an obstacle (armor) is the same for both types.
When a projectile hits an obstacle, the ballistic tip and pallet are destroyed,
and the core, having high speed, in general, pierces armor. Having met the second obstacle in the tank - the opposite wall, the core, which already has a low speed, due to
of its fragility, it breaks into pieces and hits the tank crew with its fragments and fragments from the tank's armor. The armor-piercing ability of these shells is much higher than conventional armor-piercing shells and is characterized by the data given in the table.

7.5 cm Pzgr.41W and7.5 cm Pzgr.41 (StK):

The appearance of tanks on the battlefield has become one of the major events military history of the last century. Immediately after this moment, the development of means to combat these formidable machines began. If we take a closer look at the history of armored vehicles, then, in fact, we will see the history of the confrontation between the projectile and armor, which has been going on for almost a century.

In this irreconcilable struggle, one or the other side periodically gained the upper hand, which led either to the complete invulnerability of the tanks, or to their huge losses. In the latter case, every time there were voices about the death of the tank and the "end of the tank era." However, today tanks remain the main strike force ground forces all the armies of the world.

Today, one of the main types of armor-piercing ammunition that are used to combat armored vehicles are sub-caliber ammunition.

A bit of history

First anti-tank shells were ordinary metal blanks, which, due to their kinetic energy, pierced tank armor. Fortunately, the latter was not very thick, and even anti-tank guns could handle it. However, already before the start of World War II, tanks of the next generation began to appear (KV, T-34, Matilda), with a powerful engine and serious armor.

Major world powers entered the Second world war, having anti-tank artillery of 37 and 47 mm caliber, and finished it with guns that reached 88 and even 122 mm.

By increasing the caliber of the gun and the muzzle velocity of the projectile, the designers had to increase the mass of the gun, making it more complex, expensive, and much less maneuverable. It was necessary to look for other ways.

And they were soon found: cumulative and sub-caliber ammunition appeared. The action of cumulative ammunition is based on the use of a directed explosion that burns through tank armor, a sub-caliber projectile also does not have a high-explosive action, it hits a well-protected target due to high kinetic energy.

The design of the sub-caliber projectile was patented back in 1913 by the German manufacturer Krupp, but their mass use began much later. This ammunition does not have a high-explosive effect, it is much more like an ordinary bullet.

For the first time, the Germans began to actively use sub-caliber shells during the French campaign. They had to use such ammunition even more widely after the start of hostilities on Eastern Front. Only using sub-caliber shells, the Nazis could effectively resist the powerful Soviet tanks.

However, the Germans experienced a serious shortage of tungsten, which prevented them from mass-producing such shells. Therefore, the number of such shots in the ammunition load was small, and the military personnel were given strict orders: to use them only against enemy tanks.

In the USSR, serial production of sub-caliber ammunition began in 1943, they were created on the basis of captured German samples.

After the war, work in this direction continued in most of the world's leading weapons powers. Today, sub-caliber ammunition is considered one of the main means of destroying armored targets.

Currently, there are even sub-caliber bullets that significantly increase the firing range of smoothbore weapons.

Operating principle

What is the basis of high armor-piercing action, which has a sub-caliber projectile? How is it different from the usual?

A sub-caliber projectile is a type of ammunition with a caliber of the warhead that is many times smaller than the caliber of the barrel from which it was fired.

It was found that a small-caliber projectile flying at high speed has greater armor penetration than a large-caliber one. But in order to get high speed after a shot, a more powerful cartridge is needed, which means a gun of a more serious caliber.

It was possible to resolve this contradiction by creating a projectile, in which the striking part (core) has a small diameter compared to the main part of the projectile. The sub-caliber projectile does not have a high-explosive or fragmentation effect, it works on the same principle as a conventional bullet, which hits targets due to high kinetic energy.

The sub-caliber projectile consists of a solid core made of a particularly strong and heavy material, a body (pallet) and a ballistic fairing.

The pallet diameter is equal to the caliber of the weapon, it acts as a piston when fired, accelerating warhead. Leading belts are installed on the pallets of sub-caliber shells for rifled guns. Typically, the pallet is in the form of a coil and is made of light alloys.

There are armor-piercing sub-caliber shells with a non-separable pallet, from the moment of the shot until the target is hit, the coil and core act as a single whole. This design creates serious aerodynamic drag, significantly reducing flight speed.

Projectiles are considered more advanced, in which, after a shot, the coil is separated due to air resistance. In modern sub-caliber projectiles, the stability of the core in flight is provided by stabilizers. Often a tracer charge is installed in the tail section.

The ballistic tip is made of soft metal or plastic.

The most important element of a sub-caliber projectile is undoubtedly the core. Its diameter is about three times smaller than the caliber of the projectile, and high-density metal alloys are used to make the core: the most common materials are tungsten carbide and depleted uranium.

Due to the relatively small mass, the core of the sub-caliber projectile immediately after the shot accelerates to a significant speed (1600 m / s). Upon impact with the armor plate, the core pierces a relatively small hole in it. The kinetic energy of the projectile is partly used to destroy armor, and partly converted into heat. After breaking through the armor, the red-hot fragments of the core and armor go out into the armored space and spread like a fan, hitting the crew and internal mechanisms of the vehicle. This creates multiple fires.

As the armor passes, the core grinds and becomes shorter. Therefore very important characteristic, which affects armor penetration, is the length of the core. Also, the effectiveness of the sub-caliber projectile is affected by the material from which the core is made and the speed of its flight.

The latest generation of Russian sub-caliber projectiles ("Lead-2") is significantly inferior in armor penetration American counterparts. This is due to the greater length of the striking core, which is part of the American ammunition. An obstacle to increasing the length of the projectile (and, hence, armor penetration) is the device of automatic loaders of Russian tanks.

The armor penetration of the core increases with a decrease in its diameter and with an increase in its mass. This contradiction can be solved by using very dense materials. Initially, tungsten was used for the striking elements of such ammunition, but it is very rare, expensive, and also difficult to process.

Depleted uranium has almost the same density as tungsten, and is a virtually free resource for any country that has a nuclear industry.

At present, sub-caliber munitions with a uranium core are in service with the major powers. In the United States, all such ammunition is equipped only with uranium cores.

Depleted uranium has several advantages:

  • when passing through the armor, the uranium rod is self-sharpening, which provides better armor penetration, tungsten also has this feature, but it is less pronounced;
  • after breaking through the armor, under the influence of high temperatures, the remains of the uranium rod flare up, filling the armored space with poisonous gases.

To date, modern sub-caliber shells have almost reached their maximum efficiency. It can be increased only by increasing the caliber of tank guns, but this will require significant changes in the design of the tank. So far, in the leading tank-building states, they are only engaged in modifying vehicles produced during the Cold War, and are unlikely to take such radical steps.

In the United States, active-rocket projectiles with a kinetic warhead are being developed. This conventional projectile, which immediately after the shot turns on its own upper stage, which significantly increases its speed and armor penetration.

Also, the Americans are developing a kinetic guided missile, the striking factor of which is a uranium rod. After firing from the launch canister, the upper stage turns on, which gives the ammunition a speed of Mach 6.5. Most likely, by 2020 there will be sub-caliber ammunition with a speed of 2000 m/s and higher. This will take their efficiency to a whole new level.

Sub-caliber bullets

In addition to sub-caliber shells, there are bullets that have the same design. Very widely such bullets are used for 12 gauge cartridges.

Sub-caliber bullets of 12 caliber have a smaller mass, after being fired they receive more kinetic energy and, accordingly, have a greater flight range.

Very popular sub-caliber bullets 12 caliber are: bullet Poleva and "Kirovchanka". There are other similar 12-gauge ammunition.

Video about sub-caliber ammunition

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

IN game world of Tanks vehicles can be equipped with different types of shells, such as armor-piercing, sub-caliber, HEAT and high-explosive fragmentation. In this article, we will consider the features of the action of each of these shells, the history of their invention and use, the pros and cons of their use in a historical context. The most common and, in most cases, regular shells on the vast majority of vehicles in the game are armor-piercing shells(BB) caliber device or sharp-headed.
According to the Military Encyclopedia of Ivan Sytin, the idea of ​​​​the prototype of the current armor-piercing shells belongs to the officer of the Italian fleet Bettolo, who in 1877 proposed using the so-called " bottom shock tube for armor-piercing shells"(Before that, the shells were either not equipped at all, or the explosion of the powder charge was calculated on heating the head of the projectile when it hit the armor, which, however, was far from always justified). After breaking through the armor, the damaging effect is provided by shell fragments heated to a high temperature, and armor fragments. During the Second World War, shells of this type were easy to manufacture, reliable, had a fairly high penetration, and worked well against homogeneous armor. But there was also a minus - on the inclined armor, the projectile could ricochet. The thicker the armor, the more armor fragments are formed when pierced by such a projectile, and the higher the lethal force.


The animation below illustrates the action of a chamber sharp-headed armor-piercing projectile. It is similar to an armor-piercing sharp-headed projectile, however, in the rear part there is a cavity (chamber) with an explosive charge of TNT, as well as a bottom fuse. After breaking through the armor, the projectile explodes, hitting the crew and equipment of the tank. In general, this projectile retained most of the advantages and disadvantages of the AR projectile, differing by a significantly higher armor effect and slightly lower armor penetration (due to the lower mass and strength of the projectile). During the War, the bottom shell fuses were not perfect enough, which sometimes led to a premature explosion of the shell before penetrating the armor, or to the failure of the fuse after penetration, but the crew, in case of penetration, rarely became easier from this.

Sub-caliber projectile(BP) has a rather complex design and consists of two main parts - an armor-piercing core and a pallet. The task of the pallet, made of mild steel, is to accelerate the projectile in the bore. When the projectile hits the target, the pallet is crushed, and the heavy and hard sharp-headed core made of tungsten carbide pierces the armor.
The projectile does not have a bursting charge, ensuring that the target is hit by fragments of the core and armor fragments heated to high temperatures. Sub-caliber projectiles have a significantly lower weight compared to conventional armor-piercing projectiles, which allows them to accelerate in the gun barrel to significantly higher speeds. As a result, the penetration of sub-caliber shells is significantly higher. The use of sub-caliber shells made it possible to significantly increase the armor penetration of the existing guns, which made it possible to hit more modern, well-armored armored vehicles even with outdated guns.
At the same time, sub-caliber shells have a number of disadvantages. Their shape resembled a coil (there were shells of this type and streamlined shape, but they were much less common), which greatly worsened the ballistics of the projectile, in addition, the light projectile quickly lost speed; as a result, at long distances, the armor penetration of sub-caliber shells dropped dramatically, turning out to be even lower than that of classic armor-piercing shells. During the Second World War, sabots did not work well on sloped armor, because under the influence of bending loads, the hard but brittle core easily broke. The armored effect of such shells was inferior to armor-piercing caliber shells. Sub-caliber projectiles of small caliber were ineffective against armored vehicles that had protective shields made of thin steel. These shells were expensive and difficult to manufacture, and most importantly, scarce tungsten was used in their manufacture.
As a result, the number of sub-caliber shells in the ammunition load of guns during the war years was small, they were allowed to be used only to destroy heavily armored targets at short distances. The German army was the first to use sub-caliber shells in small quantities in 1940 during the fighting in France. In 1941, faced with heavily armored Soviet tanks, the Germans switched to the widespread use of sub-caliber shells, which significantly increased the anti-tank capabilities of their artillery and tanks. However, the shortage of tungsten limited the release of shells of this type; as a result, in 1944, the production of German sub-caliber shells was discontinued, while most of the shells fired during the war years had a small caliber (37-50 mm).
In an attempt to get around the problem of tungsten shortages, the Germans produced Pzgr.40(C) sub-caliber shells with a hardened steel core and surrogate Pzgr.40(W) shells with an ordinary steel core. In the USSR, a fairly mass production of sub-caliber shells, created on the basis of captured German ones, began at the beginning of 1943, and most of the shells produced were 45 mm caliber. The production of these shells of larger calibers was limited by the shortage of tungsten, and they were issued to the troops only when there was a threat of an enemy tank attack, and a report was required for each spent shell. Also, sub-caliber shells were used to a limited extent by the British and American armies in the second half of the war.

HEAT projectile(CS).
The principle of operation of this armor-piercing ammunition is significantly different from the principle of operation kinetic ammunition, which include conventional armor-piercing and sub-caliber shells. A cumulative projectile is a thin-walled steel projectile filled with a powerful explosive - RDX, or a mixture of TNT and RDX. At the front of the projectile, explosives have a goblet-shaped recess lined with metal (usually copper). The projectile has a sensitive head fuse. When a projectile collides with armor, an explosive is detonated. At the same time, the lining metal is melted and compressed by an explosion into a thin jet (pestle), flying forward at an extremely high speed and penetrating armor. Armored action is provided by a cumulative jet and splashes of armor metal. The HEAT shell hole is small and has melted edges, which has led to a common misconception that HEAT shells “burn through” armor.
The penetration of a HEAT projectile does not depend on the velocity of the projectile and is the same at all distances. Its manufacture is quite simple, the production of the projectile does not require the use of a large amount of scarce metals. The cumulative projectile can be used against infantry and artillery as a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. At the same time, cumulative shells during the war years were characterized by numerous shortcomings. The manufacturing technology of these projectiles was not sufficiently developed, as a result, their penetration was relatively low (approximately corresponded to the caliber of the projectile or slightly higher) and was characterized by instability. The rotation of the projectile at high initial speeds made it difficult for the formation of a cumulative jet, as a result, the cumulative projectiles had a low initial velocity, a small effective range firing and high dispersion, which was also facilitated by the non-optimal form of the projectile head from the point of view of aerodynamics (its configuration was determined by the presence of a notch).
The big problem was the creation of a complex fuse, which should be sensitive enough to quickly undermine the projectile, but stable enough not to explode in the barrel (the USSR was able to work out such a fuse suitable for use in powerful tank and anti-tank guns, only at the end of 1944). The minimum caliber of a cumulative projectile was 75 mm, and the effectiveness of cumulative projectiles of this caliber was greatly reduced. Mass production of HEAT shells required the deployment of large-scale production of hexogen.
The most massive HEAT shells were used by the German army (for the first time in the summer-autumn of 1941), mainly from 75 mm caliber guns and howitzers. The Soviet army used cumulative shells, created on the basis of captured German ones, from 1942-43, including them in the ammunition of regimental guns and howitzers that had a low muzzle velocity. The British and American armies used shells of this type, mainly in heavy howitzer ammunition. Thus, in the Second World War (in contrast to the present, when improved projectiles of this type form the basis of the ammunition load of tank guns), the use of cumulative projectiles was quite limited, mainly they were considered as a means of anti-tank self-defense of guns that had low initial speeds and low armor penetration by traditional shells (regimental guns, howitzers). At the same time, other anti-tank weapons were actively used by all participants in the war. cumulative ammunition- grenade launchers, air bombs, hand grenades.

High-explosive fragmentation projectile(OF).
It was developed in the late 40s of the twentieth century in the UK to destroy enemy armored vehicles. It is a thin-walled steel or steel-cast iron projectile filled with an explosive (usually TNT or ammonite), with a head fuse. Unlike armor-piercing shells, high-explosive shells did not have a tracer. Upon hitting the target, the projectile explodes, hitting the target with fragments and an explosive wave, or immediately - shrapnel action, or with some delay (which allows the projectile to go deep into the ground) - a high-explosive action. The projectile is intended mainly to destroy openly located and covered infantry, artillery, field shelters (trenches, wood-and-earth firing points), unarmored and lightly armored vehicles. Good armored tanks and self-propelled guns are resistant to high-explosive fragmentation shells.
The main advantage of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is its versatility. This type of projectile can be used effectively against the vast majority of targets. Also, the advantages include lower cost than armor-piercing and cumulative shells of the same caliber, which reduces the cost of combat operations and firing practice. On a direct hit on vulnerable areas(turret hatches, radiator of the engine compartment, knockout screens of the aft ammunition rack, etc.) HE can disable the tank. Also, the hit of large-caliber shells can cause the destruction of lightly armored vehicles, and damage to heavily armored tanks, consisting in cracking of armor plates, jamming of the turret, failure of instruments and mechanisms, injuries and contusions of the crew.

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 munitions that allow them to deal with well-protected enemy vehicles. 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. The future projectile 3BM-42 was supposed to be used 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 in a 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. The 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 is 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 an armor-piercing projectile called the Lead. 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, a new version of the tank is expected to appear, 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 other tank ammunition ensure the fight against 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/