Artillery ammunition. Combat properties, classification of artillery shells and tactical and technical characteristics of guns Dual-mode homing heads

Concrete-piercing projectile- a type of projectile with a high-explosive and impact effect, used to hit targets from large-caliber guns, the targets consist of reinforced concrete structures and structures of a long-term construction method, it can also be used to destroy armored targets.

The action produced by the projectile is to pierce or penetrate a solid reinforced concrete barrier to cause its destruction using the force of gases obtained from the explosion of the explosive charge. This type of projectile must have powerful impact and high-explosive properties, high accuracy, and good range.

High explosive shell. The name comes from the French word brisant - “crushing”. It is a fragmentation or high-explosive fragmentation projectile, which contains a remote fuse, used as a projectile fuse in the air at a given height.

High explosive shells were filled with melinite, an explosive created by the French engineer Turnin; melinite was patented by the developer in 1877.

Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile- an impact projectile with an active part called a core, the diameter of which differs from the caliber of the gun by three times. It has the property of penetrating armor that is several times greater than the caliber of the projectile itself.

Armor-piercing high-explosive projectile- a high-explosive projectile, used to destroy armored targets, it is characterized by an explosion with armor spalling from the rear side, which hits an armored object, causing damaging power to the equipment and crew.

Armor-piercing projectile- a percussion projectile, used to hit armored targets from small and medium caliber guns. The first such projectile was made of hardened cast iron, created according to the method of D.K. Chernov, and equipped with special tips made of viscous steel by S.O. Makarov. Over time, they switched to making such shells from puddling steel.

In 1897, a shell from a 152-mm cannon penetrated a slab 254 mm thick. At the end of the 19th century. armor-piercing shells with Makarov tips were put into service with the armies of all European countries. Initially they were made solid, then explosives and a bursting charge were placed in armor-piercing shells. Armor-piercing caliber shells, when exploded, create punctures, breaks, knocking out plugs from the armor, shifts, tears of armor plates, jamming of hatches and turrets.

Behind the armor, shells and armor produce a damaging effect with fragments, which also creates detonation of ammunition, fuels and lubricants located at the target or at a close distance from it.

Smoke shells designed to set up smoke screens and as a means of indicating the location of the target.

Incendiary projectile. It is used to create lesions from medium-caliber guns in order to destroy manpower and military equipment, such as tractors and vehicles. During military operations, armor-piercing incendiary-tracer shells were widely used.

Caliber projectile has a diameter of centering bulges or body that corresponds to the caliber of the gun.

Cluster shell. The name comes from the French cassette, which translates as “box”; is a thin-walled projectile filled with mines or other combat elements.

HEAT projectile- a projectile with the characteristics of a main purpose projectile, with a charge of cumulative action.

A cumulative projectile penetrates armor with the directed action of the explosion energy of the explosive charge and produces a damaging effect behind the armor.

The effect of such a charge is as follows. When the projectile hits the armor, the instantaneous fuse is triggered; the explosive impulse is transmitted from the fuse using a central tube to the detonator capsule and the detonator installed in the bottom of the shaped charge. The explosion of the detonator leads to the detonation of the explosive charge, the movement of which is directed from the bottom to the cumulative recess, along with this the destruction of the head of the projectile is created. The base of the cumulative recess approaches the armor; when a sharp compression occurs with the help of a recess in the explosive, a thin cumulative jet is formed from the lining material, in which 10-20% of the lining metal is collected. The rest of the cladding metal, compressed, forms a pestle. The trajectory of the jet is directed along the axis of the recess; due to the very high compression speed, the metal is heated to a temperature of 200-600 ° C, preserving all the properties of the lining metal.

When an obstacle meets a jet moving with a speed at the top of 10-15 m/s, the jet generates high pressure - up to 2,000,000 kg/cm2, thereby destroying the head of the cumulative jet, destroying the armor of the obstacle and squeezing the metal of the armor to the side and outward , when subsequent particles penetrate the armor, penetration of the barrier is ensured.

Behind the armor, the damaging effect is accompanied by the general effect of the cumulative jet, metal elements of the armor, and detonation products of the explosive charge. The properties of a cumulative projectile depend on the explosive, its quality and quantity, the shape of the cumulative recess, and the material of its lining. They are used to destroy armored targets from medium-caliber guns, capable of penetrating an armored target 2-4 times larger than the caliber of the gun. Rotating cumulative projectiles penetrate armor up to 2 calibers, non-rotating cumulative projectiles - up to 4 calibers.

HEAT shells first supplied with ammunition for regimental 76-mm caliber guns of the 1927 model, then for guns of the 1943 model, also by them in the 1930s. equipped with 122 mm caliber howitzers. In 1940, the world's first multi-charge multiple rocket launcher M-132, used in cumulative projectiles, was tested. The M-132 was put into service as the BM-13-16; the guide mounts carried 16 132 mm caliber rockets.

Cumulative fragmentation, or multi-purpose projectile. Refers to artillery shells that produce fragmentation and cumulative effects, used to destroy manpower and armored obstacles.

Lighting projectile. These projectiles are used to illuminate the expected location of the target to be hit, to illuminate the enemy’s terrain in order to observe his activities, to carry out sighting and track the results of shooting to kill, to blind the enemy’s observation points.

High-explosive fragmentation projectile. Refers to projectiles of the main type used to destroy enemy personnel, military equipment, field defensive structures, as well as to create passages in minefields and barrier structures, from medium-caliber guns. The installed type of fuse determines the action of the projectile. A contact fuse is installed for high-explosive action when destroying light field structures, a fragmentation fuse is installed to destroy manpower, for the slow production of destructive force on buried field structures.

The inclusion of a diverse type of action reduced its qualitative characteristics in comparison with projectiles of only clearly directed action, only fragmentation and only high-explosive.

Fragmentation projectile- a projectile used as a damaging factor against manpower, unarmored and lightly armored military equipment, the damaging effect is caused by fragments produced during the explosion, formed when the grenade shell ruptures.

Sub-caliber projectile. A characteristic feature of such a projectile is the diameter of the active part, which is smaller than the caliber of the weapon intended for it.
The difference between the mass of a sabot projectile and a caliber one, when considering the same caliber, made it possible to obtain high initial velocities of a sabot projectile. Introduced into the ammunition load for 45-mm guns in 1942, and in 1943 for 57-mm and 76-mm guns. The initial speed of the sub-caliber projectile for the 57-mm cannon was 1270 m/s, which was a record speed for projectiles of that time. To increase the power of anti-tank fire, an 85-mm sub-caliber projectile was developed in 1944.

This type of projectile acts by piercing armor, as a result of the core coming out of the armor; with a sudden release of tension, the core is destroyed into fragments. Behind the armor, the damaging effect is created by fragments from the core and armor.
Over-caliber projectile - a projectile in which the diameter of the active part is created
given a larger size than the caliber of the weapon used, this ratio increases the power of this ammunition.

Explosive projectiles. Based on their weight category, they were divided into bombs, which were projectiles weighing more than 16.38 kg, and grenades, which were projectiles weighing less than 16.38 kg. These types of projectiles were developed to equip howitzers with ammunition. Explosive shells were used to fire shots that hit openly located living targets and defense structures.

The result of the explosion of this projectile is fragments that scatter in large quantities over an approximately intended radius of destructive action.

Explosive shells are perfect for use as a damaging factor for enemy guns. However, a defect in the projectile tubes resulted in the inoperability of a number of explosive projectiles, so it was noted that only four out of five projectiles exploded. For about three centuries, such shells dominated among the artillery shells in service with almost all armies of the world.

Missile equipped with a warhead and a propulsion system. In the 40s XX century, during the Second World War, various types of rockets were developed: the German troops were armed with turbojet high-explosive fragmentation shells, and the Soviet troops were armed with jet and turbojet high-explosive fragmentation shells.

In 1940, the world's first multi-charge multiple rocket launcher, the M-132, was tested. It was put into service as the BM-13-16, with 16 132 mm caliber rockets mounted on the guide mounts, and a firing range of 8470 m. The BM-82-43 was also put into service, with 48 82 mm caliber rockets mounted on the guide mounts. , firing range - 5500 m in 1942.

The developed powerful M-20 132-mm caliber rockets, the firing range of these projectiles is 5000 m, and the M-30 are supplied into service. M-30 were projectiles with a very powerful high-explosive effect; they were used on special frame-type machines, into which four M-30 projectiles were installed in a special closure. In 1944, the BM-31-12 was put into service, 12 M-31 305-mm caliber rockets were installed on the guides, the firing range was determined to be 2800 m. The introduction of this weapon made it possible to solve the problem of maneuvering the fire of heavy rocket artillery units.

In the operation of this design, the salvo time was reduced from 1.5-2 hours to 10-15 minutes. M-13 UK and M-31 UK are rockets with improved accuracy, which had the ability to rotate in flight, achieving a firing range of up to 7900 and 4000 m, respectively, the density of fire in one salvo increased by 3 and 6 times.

Fire capabilities with a projectile of improved accuracy made it possible to replace a regimental or brigade salvo with the production of a salvo of one division. For the M-13 UK, the BM-13 rocket artillery combat vehicle, equipped with screw guides, was developed in 1944.

Guided projectile- a projectile equipped with flight controls, such projectiles are fired in the usual mode, during the passage of the flight path the projectiles react to energy that is reflected or emitted from the target, autonomous on-board devices begin to generate signals transmitted to the controls that make adjustments and direction trajectories to effectively hit a target. Used to destroy moving small-sized strategic targets.

High explosive projectile. Such a projectile is characterized by a powerful explosive charge, a contact fuse, head or bottom, with a high-explosive action setting, with one or two delays, a very strong body that perfectly penetrates the barrier. It is used as a damaging factor against hidden manpower and is capable of destroying non-concrete structures.

Shrapnel shells are used to destroy openly located enemy personnel and equipment with shrapnel and bullets.

Chemical and chemical fragmentation shells. This type of shell hit enemy personnel and contaminated areas and engineering structures.

Chemical artillery shells were first used by the German army on October 27, 1914 in the battles of the First World War, these shells were equipped with shrapnel mixed with an irritant powder.

In 1917, gas launchers were developed that fired mainly phosgene, liquid diphosgene, and chloropicrin; were a type of mortar that fired projectiles that included 9-28 kg of toxic substance.

In 1916, artillery weapons based on toxic substances were actively created; it was noted that on June 22, 1916, within seven hours, the artillery of the German army fired 125,000 shells, the total number of asphyxiating toxic substances in them was 100,000 liters.

Projectile duration. The amount of time elapsed, calculated from the moment the projectile collides with an obstacle until it explodes.

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Category: Industry in C 

Study questions
Question No. 1 “Definition of an artillery shot.
Elements of a shot. Classification of artillery
shots according to purpose and loading method"
Question No. 2 “Classification of artillery shells,
requirements placed on them. Ammunition."
Question No. 3 “Basic, special and auxiliary
types of projectiles, their design characteristics.”
Question No. 4 “Fuses for shells, their purpose
and device."
Question No. 5 “Marking on the closure, branding on
charges, shells, cartridges and fuses."

Educational and educational goals:

Educational and educational goals:
Explore:
1. Classification of shells and artillery rounds.
2.Elements of an artillery shot.
3. Types of projectiles, their design.
Requirements for projectiles.
4. Fuses, design and principle of operation
5.Instill in students responsibility for
in-depth study of artillery design
weapons.

Question No. 1 “Definition of an artillery shot. Elements of a shot. Classification of artillery rounds by purpose and method

Question No. 1 “Definition of artillery
shot. Elements of a shot. Classification
artillery rounds according to their intended purpose and
loading method"
An artillery shot is a collection
elements needed for production
one shot from a gun.
Siberian Federal University

Siberian Federal University
Artillery shots are classified:
1. By purpose:
- combat (for live firing);
- practical (for conducting combat training
shooting) ;
- blanks (for simulating combat
firing during exercises, for signals and fireworks. He
consists of a powder charge, a cartridge case, a wad and means
ignition);
- educational (for training gun crew
actions with a gun, handling shots,
preparation of warheads);
- special (for conducting experimental shooting at
polygons).

2. By loading method:
- cartridge (unitary) loading
(all elements of the shot are combined into one
whole);
- separate cartridge loading
(the projectile is not connected to the warhead in
sleeve);
- separate cap loading
(different from separate shots
sleeve
loading
lack of
sleeves, i.e. projectile + combat charge in
cap made of special fabric + product
ignition
(drum
or
electric tube).

3. According to the degree of readiness for combat use:
- ready (prepared for shooting, which can
be fully equipped (to the point of the projectile
fuse or tube screwed in) or incompletely
equipped
form
(V
point
projectile
screwed in
plastic plug));
- complete (unassembled shots, the elements of which
stored separately in one warehouse).
In artillery units, shots are stored only
ready, with shells in final or
incompletely equipped form.

Elements of an artillery shot:

-Projectile with fuse
- Combat propellant charge in the case
-IGNITER
-DIMENSIONER
-PHLEGMATIZER
-FLAME EXHAUSTERS
-SEALING (obturating)
device

10.

Siberian Federal University
Question No. 2
"Classification of artillery
shells, requirements for them.
Ammunition"
Artillery shell - the main element
artillery round intended for:
suppression and destruction of enemy personnel and
his fire weapons,
defeating tanks and other armored targets,
destruction of defensive structures,
suppression of artillery and mortar batteries,
performing other artillery fire missions.

11.

Siberian Federal University
For the correct use of projectiles and
providing troops with them, as well as facilitating accounting
artillery shells vary:
1. according to purpose (basic, special,
auxiliary purpose)
2 gauge (small up to 70mm, medium from 70-152mm,
large ones more than 152mm)
3. the ratio of the caliber of the projectile to the caliber of the gun
(caliber and sub-caliber)
4.outdoor
outline
(long-range
And
short-range).
5.method of stabilization in flight (rotating and
non-rotating).

12.

Siberian Federal University
Requirements for artillery
shells.
Artillery shells are presented
tactical, technical and production-economic requirements.
The tactical and technical requirements are:
power, range or height,
accuracy of combat, safety when shooting and
durability of projectiles during long-term storage.
To production and economic requirements
include: simplicity of design and production,
unification of shells and their bodies, low cost and
non-scarcity of raw materials.

13.

Siberian Federal University
Combat kit - set quantity
ammunition per weapon unit (pistol,
rifle, carbine, machine gun, machine gun, mortar,
gun, BM MLRS, etc.).
Table 4.1.
Dependence of ammunition composition on gun caliber
Table 4.1.
Gun caliber
57-85
100-130
152-180 203-240
Number of shots per
one BC, pcs.
120
80
60
40

14.

Question No. 3 “Basic, special and
auxiliary types of projectiles, their
design characteristics"
Main purpose projectiles are used for
suppression, destruction and destruction of various
goals. These include fragmentation, high-explosive,
high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing tracer,
cumulative, concrete-piercing and incendiary
shells. The vast majority of projectiles
to their device are a collection
metal shell (solid or
national team) and equipment appropriate for the purpose
projectile.

15.

16.

Siberian Federal University
Special-purpose projectiles are used
for illuminating the area, setting up smoke
curtains, target designation, target sighting and delivery
to the disposition of the enemy propaganda
material. These include lighting,
smoke, propaganda and sighting projectiles.
Smoke steel projectile D4 consists of body 4
(Fig. 4) with an iron-ceramic driving belt 6,
ignition cup 2, bursting charge 3,
placed in the ignition glass, and
smoke-forming substance 5 placed in
chamber of the projectile body, sealing plug
7 with gasket 5 and fuse /.

17.

Siberian Federal University
Auxiliary projectiles
used for combat training of troops and
carrying out various testing grounds
tests. These include practical,
training monitors and slab tests
shells.

18. Question No. 4 “Fuses for shells, their purpose and design.”

Fuses, explosives
devices and tubes are called
special mechanisms designed
to call the action of the projectile in the required
trajectory point or after an impact at
obstacle.

19.

Fuzes and fuses
are equipped with projectiles with high explosive equipment, and
tubes for projectiles having an expelling charge of gunpowder.
Detonation fuze chain and fire chain
remote tubes are shown in Fig. 1.
The detonation pulse in the fuses produces
detonation chain, which consists of an igniter primer, a powder retarder, a detonator primer, a transfer charge and a detonator. Ray
the impulse of the tubes is generated by the fire circuit,
consisting of an igniter primer, a moderator and
amplifier (firecrackers).

20.

21.

Shooting setup
Desired projectile action
team
Travel (main) installation
cap
tap
Shrapnel
"Fragmentation"
Removed
On "O"
High explosive
"High Explosive"
Wearing
On "O"
High explosive with deceleration
"Delayed"
Wearing
On "Z"
Ricochet (for B-429)
"Ricochet"
Removed
On "Z"
Shrapnel
High explosive
High explosive
Fig.7. Installation of fuses according to the type of action
Fig.8. Operational (installation) tool
for RGM fuses (V-429)
The cap is on
Tap on "O"
Ricocheting

22.

Siberian Federal University
Question No. 5
“Marking on the closure,
branding on charges, shells, cartridges and
fuses"

23.

Siberian Federal University
Ammunition coloring may be
protective and distinctive.
Protective painting is applied to the entire
surface painted gray (KV-124) for
with the exception of centering thickenings and
leading belts; distinctive paint - in
in the form of rings of different colors on a cylindrical
parts of shells, on casings and some
fuses. The remaining elements of the shot are not
are painted.
The propaganda shell is painted red
paint, and the bodies of practical shells
painted black with white markings

24.

BRANDING
Brands are marks that are embossed or embossed on
outer surface of projectiles, fuses (tubes), cartridge cases
and capsule bushings. Artillery shells have basic
and duplicate marks.
Main stamps - signs showing the plant number, number
batch and year of manufacture of the shell (bottom) of the projectile, heat number
metal, marks of Quality Control Department and military representative of GRAU and imprint
samples.
Duplicate terminals are applied at factories producing
equipment of shells and serve in case of loss of markings. To them
relate:
explosive code (smoke-producing substance) and signs
mass deviations.

25.

FULL
name of the charge; Zh463M - charge index (in
sleeve or in a bundle); 122 38 - short name
guns; 9/7 1/0 00 - brand
gunpowder
additional
bunches, batch number,
year of manufacture of gunpowder and
designation
gunpowder
factory; 4/1 1/0 00 - brand
main beam powder
number
parties,
year
manufacturing
gunpowder
And
designation
gunpowder
factory; 8-0-00 - number
parties,
year
assemblies
shot and base number,
collected the shot. Letter
“F” at the end of the marking
indicates the presence in
phlegmatizer charge.

26.

Marking
on
shells
applied
on
head
And
cylindrical
parts
projectile
black paint.
00 - equipment factory number
; 1-0 - batch number and year
projectile equipment;
122 - projectile caliber (in mm); H sign of mass deviation; T designation of explosive;
OF-461 - projectile index
On smoke shells instead
BB code is set to
smoke-forming substance.
On armor-piercing tracers
shells also coded as explosives
apply the brand of this fuse,
by which the projectile is brought into
oxnarvid.

27. Self-study task

Siberian Federal University
Self-study assignment
Explore:
Material for this lesson
Main literature:
1.Textbook. "Ground Artillery Ammunition."
pp.3-10,65-90.

Artillery ammunition is an integral part of artillery systems, designed to destroy manpower and equipment, destroy structures (fortifications) and perform special tasks (lighting, smoke, delivery of propaganda material, etc.). These include artillery rounds, mortar rounds, and ground-based MLRS rockets. According to the nature of the equipment, artillery ammunition with conventional explosives, chemical and biological (bacteriological) are distinguished. By purpose: main (for damage and destruction), special (for lighting, smoke, radio interference, etc.) and auxiliary (for personnel training, testing, etc.).

Artillery shot- ammunition for firing from an artillery gun. It was a set of elements for one shot: a projectile with a fuse, a propellant charge in a case or cap, a means of igniting the charge and auxiliary elements (phlegmatizers, decouplers, flame arresters, wads, etc.).

According to their intended purpose, artillery rounds are divided into combat (for combat shooting; they make up the ammunition loads of guns), blank (for sound imitation; instead of a projectile, a wad or a reinforced cap; a special charge), practical (for training gun crews to fire; a projectile of inert ammunition; the fuse is blank) , educational (for studying the device and teaching techniques for handling ammunition, loading and shooting; elements of a shot - inert equipment or mock-ups) and system testing (for testing artillery guns).

An artillery shot is said to be complete when it has all the elements but not assembled, and ready when it is assembled. A ready-made artillery shot can be fully or incompletely equipped (with a screwed-in or unscrewed fuse, respectively).

According to the loading method, they are distinguished:

Artillery shot cap loading– the projectile, the propellant charge in the charging case (a shell made of dense fabric to accommodate the propellant charges of artillery and mortar rounds) and the ignition means are not connected to each other; used in large-caliber guns, loaded in three stages (by element). The use of caps became widespread from the first half of the 17th century, which significantly reduced the time required for loading. Before this, gunpowder was poured into the gun barrel by hand.

Artillery shot separate-case loading– the cartridge case with the projectile and the igniter are not connected to the projectile; used mainly in medium-caliber guns, loaded in two steps. Created in 1870–1871 by the Frenchman Reffi.

Artillery shot unitary loading– the projectile, propellant charge and means of ignition are combined into one whole; used in all automatic and semi-automatic guns, as well as in some non-automatic guns of various types of artillery, loaded in one step. A unitary caliber artillery shot is sometimes called an artillery cartridge.

One of the main components of an artillery shot was projectile- a means of destroying enemy personnel, materiel and fortifications, fired from an artillery gun. Most types of projectiles were an axisymmetric metal body with a flat bottom, on which powder gases formed during the combustion of the propellant charge were pressed. This body can be solid or hollow, streamlined or arrow-shaped, and carry a payload or not. All these factors, together with the internal structure, determined the purpose of the projectile. The classification of shells was carried out according to the following criteria. According to their intended purpose, the projectiles were divided into:

- armor-piercing shells designed to combat enemy armored vehicles. According to their design, they were divided into caliber, sub-caliber with a permanent or detachable tray, and swept-finned projectiles.

— concrete-piercing shells designed to destroy reinforced concrete long-term fortifications.

- high-explosive shells designed to destroy field and long-term fortifications, wire fences, and buildings.

— cumulative projectiles designed to destroy armored vehicles and garrisons of long-term fortifications by creating a narrowly directed stream of explosion products with high penetrating ability.

- fragmentation shells designed to destroy enemy personnel with fragments formed when the shell explodes. The rupture occurs upon impact with an obstacle or remotely in the air.

— buckshot — ammunition designed to destroy openly located enemy personnel in self-defense of the weapon. It consists of bullets placed in a highly combustible frame, which, when fired, scatter in a certain sector from the gun barrel.

- shrapnel - ammunition designed to destroy openly located enemy personnel with bullets located inside its body. The hull ruptures and bullets are thrown out of it in flight.

- chemical shells containing a potent toxic substance to destroy enemy personnel. Some types of chemical shells may contain a non-lethal chemical element that deprives enemy soldiers of their combat capability (tear, psychotropic, etc. substances).

- biological projectiles containing a potent biological toxin or a culture of infectious microorganisms. They were intended to destroy or non-lethally incapacitate enemy personnel.

- incendiary projectiles containing a recipe for igniting flammable materials and objects, such as city buildings, fuel depots, etc.

- smoke projectiles containing a formulation to produce smoke in large quantities. They were used to create smoke screens and blind enemy command and observation posts.

— lighting projectiles containing a formulation for creating a long-lasting and brightly burning flame. Used to illuminate the battlefield at night. As a rule, they are equipped with a parachute for longer duration of illumination.

- tracer shells that leave behind a bright trail during their flight, visible to the naked eye.

- propaganda shells containing leaflets inside for agitation of enemy soldiers or dissemination of propaganda among the civilian population in front-line settlements of the enemy.

— training shells intended for training personnel of artillery units. They can be either a dummy or a weight-and-dimensional mock-up, unsuitable for firing, or ammunition suitable for target practice.

Some of these classification characteristics may overlap. For example, high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing tracer shells, etc. are widely known.

The projectile consisted of a body, ammunition (or tracer) and a fuse. Some shells had a stabilizer. The body or core of the projectile was made of alloy steel, or steel cast iron, tungsten, etc. It consisted of a head, cylindrical and belt parts. The projectile body had a sharp-headed or blunt-headed shape. For proper guidance of the projectile along the bore when fired, there is a centering thickening (one or two) on its cylindrical part and a leading belt (made of copper, bimetal, iron-ceramic, nylon) pressed into the groove, which ensures the prevention of breakthrough of powder gases and rotational movement of the projectile when fired, necessary for its stable flight on the trajectory. To detonate a projectile, an impact, non-contact, remote or combined fuse was used. The length of the shells usually ranged from 2.3 to 5.6 calibers.

By caliber, shells are divided into small (20-70 mm), medium (70-155 mm in ground artillery and up to 100 mm in anti-aircraft artillery) and large (over 155 mm in ground and over 100 mm in anti-aircraft artillery) calibers. The power of a projectile depends on the type and mass of its charge and is determined by the filling coefficient of the projectile (the ratio of the mass of the explosive charge to the mass of the finally loaded projectile), which for high-explosive projectiles is up to 25%, high-explosive fragmentation and cumulative up to 15%, armor-piercing up to 2.5 %. For fragmentation shells, the power is also determined by the number of lethal fragments and the radius of the affected area. Projectiles are characterized by range (height), accuracy of fire, safety during handling and durability (during storage).

Mortar shot– ammunition for firing mortars. It consists of a mine, main (ignition) and additional (propellant) powder charges with ignition means. According to their intended purpose, mortar rounds are divided similarly to artillery rounds. Mines are either feathered (most) or rotating. The final loaded finned mine includes a steel or cast iron body, equipment, fuze, stabilizer or tail that deploys after the mine leaves the bore. Rotary mines usually have ridges on the drive flange that engage the rifling of the barrel when loaded. To increase the firing range, active-reactive mines with a jet engine are used. The length of the mines was usually up to 8 calibers.

Missiles are described in the chapter “Missiles and Missile Weapons”.

During the war years, the USSR produced about 7.5 million tons of ammunition, incl. artillery rounds of field and naval artillery - 333.3 million pieces, mortar shells - 257.8 million (of which 50 mm - 41.6 million pieces, 82 mm - 126.6 million pieces), shells MLRS - 14.5 million. In addition, 2.3 million tons of artillery ammunition were at the disposal of Soviet troops at the beginning of the war.

In 1941-1942. Germany captured about 1 million tons of USSR ammunition, incl. 0.6 million tons of artillery.

It should be noted that during the war, Germany spent about 1.5 times (and at the beginning of the war 2 times) less artillery ammunition compared to the USSR, since German artillery fired at targets, and the USSR fired at areas. So on the Eastern Front, German troops spent 5.6 million tons. ammunition, against 8 million tons. Soviet troops.

In Germany, about 9 million tons were produced during the war years. ammunition of all types.

During the war years in the USA, 11 million tons of artillery ammunition and 1.2 million tons were produced. reactive. Including 55 million shells for howitzers, anti-tank and field artillery.

Below are the most common artillery ammunition by caliber and country.

The combat properties of guns are determined by the effectiveness of the combat mission. These tasks have their own specific characteristics, which necessitates the need for different types of tools. The combat properties of ground artillery guns are characterized by the following main indicators: power, range, shooting accuracy, rate of fire, fire maneuverability, mobility, buoyancy and air transportability.

Power gun primarily depends on the power and effectiveness of the projectile at the target. The determining factors are the caliber and mass of the projectile, which, in turn, affect the mass and mobility of the gun, its rate of fire and other interrelated characteristics.

Range guns reflects its ability to hit targets at long distances. For anti-tank and tank guns, the direct shot range is of greatest importance. Range depends on the design of the gun, the shape and projectile, the size of the charge, and the barrel elevation angle (the greatest range is achieved at a barrel elevation angle of about 45°).

The most important property of an artillery gun is firing accuracy, characterized by accuracy (dispersion) and accuracy of fire. Accuracy of fire is assessed by the deviation of individual shells from the midpoint of the gun's mass, as well as by the creation of special platforms and containers for landing materiel and ammunition.

A gun, like any machine (mechanism), is subject to requirements for reliability in operation, necessary survivability and strength, safety in handling, simplicity and ease of maintenance.

Reliability is expressed in the fact that the assemblies and mechanisms of the gun in any operating conditions do not have failures that impede the execution of fire missions for maneuvering the gun in battle and on the march. However, even if the gun is used correctly, after some time, breakdowns or malfunctions may occur that require elimination by crews and repair units. The average time between the elimination of one malfunction and the occurrence of another serves as an indicator of the reliability of the tool.

Under survivability guns understand the ability to withstand wear and maintain combat properties for as long as possible. The number of shots and the number of kilometers that a gun can withstand before failure are a characteristic of its survivability. Proper operation and maintenance of the material part increases the survivability of the weapon.

Safety in handling is achieved by the use of safety devices and warning notices, as well as the constructive arrangement of the implement control mechanisms, which reduces the possibility of bruises, pinching and other injuries when servicing the implement. Rational placement of mechanisms, tools and workplaces (seats, platforms, footrests, shields, instrument panels, etc.) ensures convenient work and less fatigue for crews.

Accurate execution by personnel of gun crews, instructions, instructions and manuals regulating the procedure for servicing the material part of artillery systems is the key to trouble-free operation.

Artillery ammunition. Artillery ammunition is a component of artillery systems directly intended to destroy manpower and equipment, destroy structures (fortifications) and perform special tasks (lighting, smoke, delivery of propaganda material, etc.).

Each projectile has several types of action on the target. Some shells hit manpower, but cannot penetrate armor, others are capable of penetrating armor, but are ineffective in destroying defensive structures. Therefore, artillery is armed with shells for various purposes and devices.

According to its design, an artillery system (gun, howitzer, mortar, etc.) can fire projectiles with different purposes, depending on:

• on the nature of the target (manpower, tank, dugout, etc.);
• the fire mission being performed (suppress, destroy, destroy, ignite, have a moral and psychological impact, etc.).

Therefore, there are several times more types of shells in artillery than there are artillery systems. Based on the nature of the equipment, a distinction is made between ammunition with conventional explosives and nuclear ammunition.

According to their intended purpose, artillery ammunition is divided into:

• to the main ones (for defeat and destruction);
• special (for lighting, smoke, radio interference, etc.);
• auxiliary (for personnel training, testing, etc.).

The main elements of most artillery rounds are a projectile with appropriate equipment, a fuse or spacer tube, a powder charge, a cartridge case or cap (bag), and a means of igniting the warhead.

Artillery shells are classified:

• a) by caliber: small (20-76 mm), medium (76-152 mm), large
• (more than 152 mm) calibers;
• b) method of stabilization (stability) in flight - rotating
• (rifled artillery shells) and non-rotating (mines and some shells);
• c) for combat purposes:
  • - for combat - for combat shooting,
  • - practical - for training gun crews to fire (projectile - inert ammunition, fuse - cooled),
  • - training - for teaching loading and shooting techniques, as well as handling ammunition (shot elements - inert equipment or mock-ups),
  • - blanks - to simulate combat shooting and fireworks (instead of a projectile, a wad or a reinforced cap, a special charge);
• d) by loading method:
  • - cartridge loading - all elements are connected into one unitary cartridge, loading is carried out in one step;
  • - separate-case loading - a powder charge in a case not connected to the projectile, the gun is loaded in two steps - projectile, charge;
  • - cap loading - the elements of the shot are contained separately, and the gun is loaded in several stages.

Artillery rounds are equipped with shells for various purposes: fragmentation, high-explosive, high-explosive fragmentation, concrete-piercing, armor-piercing, cumulative, incendiary, special and auxiliary purposes.

Main purpose projectiles(high-explosive, fragmentation, high-explosive, incendiary, armor-piercing, cumulative, concrete-piercing) are used to destroy enemy personnel, military equipment and destroy his defensive structures.

Special purpose shells(lighting, smoke, propaganda), although they do not directly hit the target, ensure the completion of the combat mission.

Auxiliary projectiles are intended for educational and auxiliary purposes.

Fragmentation shells are used in small and medium caliber guns to destroy enemy personnel with shrapnel and shock waves located openly or behind weak shelters, suppress artillery and mortar batteries, destroy light field shelters, make passages in wire obstacles and minefields.

The main requirement for these projectiles is the effectiveness of fragmentation, which consists in obtaining the maximum number of lethal fragments with the largest possible radius of destructive action.

The maximum number of lethal fragments is obtained as a result of the correct combination of the mechanical quality of the body metal and the power of the explosive charge. The explosion of fragmentation shells at the target is ensured by the activation of the head fuses of impact or remote action.

High explosive shells are used for firing from large-caliber guns and are intended to destroy field defensive structures (trenches, dugouts, observation posts), stone and brick buildings turned by the enemy into strongholds, bridges and other durable structures; suppression of manpower and fire weapons in shelters. The power of high-explosive projectiles depends mainly on the quantity and power of the explosive charge and can be increased by increasing the caliber, and within the same caliber, increasing the filling capacity and using more powerful explosives.

The high-explosive effect is expressed in the destruction produced by the force of the blast wave (shock wave) of the explosive charge in any medium.

The bodies of high-explosive projectiles are made of steel, which ensures their sufficient strength when fired (with insignificant thickness of the body walls) and when hitting an obstacle. Therefore, compared to fragmentation shells, high-explosive shells have thinner shell walls, a high filling factor, and a large mass of explosive charge consisting of cast TNT. The explosion of high-explosive shells at the target is ensured by head or bottom impact fuses, which can have a high-explosive or delayed effect.

High-explosive fragmentation The shells are a unification of high-explosive fragmentation shells and are intended to destroy enemy personnel, fire weapons and equipment with fragments, a shock wave and the destruction of his field defensive structures. In their fragmentation effect they are inferior to fragmentation shells, and in their high-explosive effect - to high-explosive shells of the corresponding calibers. But due to their wide range of impact, high-explosive fragmentation shells are widely used in medium-caliber guns. The use of high-explosive fragmentation shells simplifies the supply of ammunition to troops and reduces the cost of their production.

The shells of high-explosive fragmentation shells are made of steel and filled with TNT using the auger method. The explosion of shells at the target is ensured by impact or remote action head fuses, set for instantaneous, delayed or remote action. Depending on the installation of the fuse, the projectile can have a fragmentation or high-explosive effect. With a remote fuse, the projectile explodes in the air before it hits an obstacle.

Concrete shells are intended for the destruction of reinforced concrete and concrete, especially strong stone and brick structures, buildings and basements. In some cases, these shells can be used to fire at armored targets. With the force of impact, the shells penetrate a solid barrier and destroy it with the high-explosive action of the explosive charge. The power of impact and high-explosive action is determined by the high strength of the projectile body, the amount and power of the explosive. In addition to a durable body, concrete-piercing projectiles have a monolithic head part made of alloyed heat-treated steel and a bottom with a bottom fuse; Concrete-piercing shells are fired from guns with a caliber of more than 150 mm.

Caliber armor-piercing shells are intended to destroy armored targets (tanks, armored personnel carriers, armored cars, etc.) and are used for firing from small and medium caliber guns of ground artillery. The main requirement for armor-piercing shells is armor penetration, i.e. the thickness of armor penetrated by a projectile at a certain firing range. It is provided by the kinetic energy of the projectile at the moment of meeting the armor and the high strength of the head of the projectile body. To increase armor penetration, the head of the projectile (or the entire body) is made of special steel and subjected to heat treatment in order to give it hardness and strength. The separately manufactured head part of the projectile body is called an armor-piercing tip and is attached to the main part of the body by welding or a threaded connection.

The fuse in an armor-piercing projectile is located in the bottom part of the projectile body and fires with a delay, ensuring that the projectile explodes after penetrating the armor, which allows it to hit the crew and disable the internal mechanisms of armored vehicles.

The explosive charge of armor-piercing shells is made from a powerful high explosive. The damaging effect of armor-piercing projectiles behind armor occurs through fragments of the armor projectile and the force of the explosion of the explosive charge, which destroy tanks, pipelines, cause ignition of fuels and lubricants, warheads and detonation of ammunition located in the tank (vehicle).

All-metal armor-piercing projectiles are also used - without an explosive charge, which are a steel blank processed from the surface to the shape of the projectile.

In sub-caliber armor-piercing In shells, the main destructive element is a core made of hard metal or alloy, the diameter of which is 2-2.5 times less than the caliber of the gun. The core is placed in a housing (or two load-bearing elements) made of a softer metal, which directs the movement of the projectile along the barrel, deforms (breaks) when the projectile hits the armor and releases the core. Then the core, continuing to move, penetrates armor 2-3 times thicker than a conventional armor-piercing projectile can penetrate.

Sub-caliber armor-piercing projectiles are much smaller in mass than conventional armor-piercing projectiles of the same caliber, so when fired they receive a higher initial velocity. The core, having significant kinetic energy and high hardness, penetrates the armor and pierces it. When passing through the armor, as a result of strong compression, large internal stresses arise in the core. When the core leaves the armor, the internal stresses in it sharply decrease, and the core collapses into small fragments, which, together with fragments from the armor, damage the crew and internal equipment of the armored vehicle.

Cumulative shells can conditionally be classified as armor-piercing, since they are also intended for direct fire at tanks and other armored targets. Cumulative projectiles are distinguished by the fact that they penetrate armor not due to the kinetic energy of the impact of a durable projectile body on the armor, but due to the concentrated directed action of a cumulative explosive charge and metal lining.

This principle allows the use of cumulative projectiles when firing from medium-caliber guns with low initial projectile velocities. The effectiveness of armor-piercing action depends on the design of the cumulative projectile and the power of the explosive. Projectiles are divided into those rotating around the longitudinal axis and non-rotating ones, while for rotating projectiles the cumulative effect is somewhat lower than for non-rotating ones.

The body of the cumulative projectile is made of steel. The walls of the body have a small thickness, increasing towards the bottom, to provide the necessary strength when firing.

The shaped charge is the main part of the projectile that ensures the destruction of the target. It consists of a bursting charge, a metal lining, a central tube, a blasting cap and a detonator. The explosive charge is a powerful explosive with a cumulative notch in the head, which ensures the concentration of explosion energy. The most common conical shape of the cumulative excavation. Along the axis, the charge has a through hole connecting the head fuse with a detonator capsule located in the bottom part of the charge.

The metal lining of the cumulative recess is made of mild steel or copper and upon explosion forms a thin metal stream heated to 200-600 °C, moving towards the obstacle at a speed of 12-15 km/s. Having a high concentration of energy (jet pressure reaches 10 GPa (100,000 kg/cm), the cumulative jet destroys armor. The damaging effect behind the armor is ensured by the combined action of the metal cumulative jet, metal particles of the armor and detonation products of the explosive charge.

Incendiary shells are primary purpose shells and are used for firing at flammable objects (wooden buildings, warehouses of fuel and lubricants, ammunition, etc.) at the enemy’s location in order to cause fires. The strength of the incendiary action of these projectiles is determined by the number and composition of incendiary elements, which must have good ignition ability, sufficient burning time and resistance to extinguishing. Firing is carried out from medium-caliber guns.

TO shells special and auxiliary Purposes include lighting, smoke, propaganda, sighting, training, practical, carriage-test and other artillery shells that are not included in the main group.

Projectiles intended for the ejection of incendiary, illuminating, propaganda and other elements or materials along the trajectory are equipped with remote tubes, similar in design to remote fuses. The difference from fuses is that their fire chain has neither a blasting cap nor a detonator, since such projectiles do not have a bursting charge. The firing circuit of the spacer tube ends in a powder squib, which ignites the expelling charge of black powder, which ejects the contents of the projectile body.

Sleeve is an element of an artillery shot of cartridge and separate loading and is intended:

• for placing a combat charge, auxiliary elements for it and ignition means;
• protecting the combat charge from the influence of the external environment and mechanical damage during service handling;
• obturation of powder gases when fired; connection of a combat charge with a projectile in cartridge-loading rounds.

The cartridges come in metal and with a combustible body. For the manufacture of metal sleeves, brass and low-carbon steels are used.

The elements of the shot intended to ignite the warhead are called ignition means. According to the method of actuation, they are divided into shock, electric and galvanic shock.

Impact ignition means are driven by the impact of the striker of the percussion mechanism and take the form of primer bushings and shock tubes. The former are used in separate-case-loading shots, the latter in cap-loading shots.

Electrical ignition means operate from an electrical impulse, which is provided by a voltage of 20 V.

Galvanic impact means combine electric and impact methods of action in one design. They are more reliable, reduce the time it takes to fire a shot, and eliminate delays, which is especially important when firing from tanks on the move.

Guided ammunition is a relatively late entry into the history of howitzers because it uses electronics that must be resistant not only to the crushing effects of the shot, but also to the destructive torsional forces created by the rifling system. In addition, receivers that can quickly pick up GPS signals at the exit of the muzzle and at the same time withstand enormous loads have yet to be invented.

The American army tested the Excalibur guided projectile in real combat, firing it from M109A5 Paladin and M777A2 howitzers.

The first shot of the XM982 guided projectile was fired in May 2007 near Baghdad from an M109A6 Paladin howitzer. This ammunition was developed by Raytheon in conjunction with BAE Systems Bofors and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

Directly behind the multi-mode nose fuse, it has a GPS/INS (satellite positioning system/inertial navigation system) guidance unit, followed by a control compartment with four forward-opening nose rudders, then a multifunctional warhead and, finally, the bottom of the projectile is located in the tail section of the projectile. gas generator and rotating stabilizing surfaces.

Excalibur guided projectile

On the ascending part of the trajectory, only inertial sensors work; when the projectile reaches its highest point, the GPS receiver is activated and after a moment the nose rudders open. Next, according to the target coordinates and flight time, the flight in the middle section of the trajectory is optimized. The nose rudders not only allow you to direct the projectile to the target, but also create sufficient lift, providing a controlled flight trajectory different from the ballistic one and increasing the firing range compared to standard ammunition. Finally, in accordance with the type of warhead and type of target, the trajectory at the final stage of the projectile’s flight is optimized.

The first version of the Increment Ia-1 ammunition, used in Iraq and Afghanistan, did not have a bottom gas generator and its range was limited to 24 km. Data from the front lines showed 87% reliability and accuracy of less than 10 meters. With the addition of a bottom gas generator, Increment Ia-2 projectiles, also known as M982, could fly more than 30 km.

However, reliability problems with MACS 5 (Modular Artillery Charge System) propellant charges limited their range; in Afghanistan in 2011, Excalibur shells were fired with charges 3 and 4. Severe criticism of these first Excalibur shells was associated with their high cost, which was also influenced by the reduction in purchases of version Ia-2 shells from 30,000 to 6,246 pieces.

US Army gunners are ready to fire an Excalibur shell. Option Ib has been in production since April 2014 and is not only cheaper than its predecessors, but also more accurate.

Excalibur Ib, currently in mass production, is ready to enter the foreign market. A laser-guided version of this projectile is being developed.

Since 2008, the US Army has been striving to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of new ammunition and, in this regard, has issued two contracts for design and modification. In August 2010, it selected Raytheon to fully develop and produce the Excalibur Ib projectile, which replaced the Ia-2 variant on Raytheon's production lines in April 2014 and is currently in mass production. According to the company, its cost has been reduced by 60% while increasing its characteristics; Acceptance tests showed that 11 shells fell an average of 1.26 meters from the target and 30 shells fell an average of 1.6 meters from the target.

A total of 760 live rounds were fired with this projectile in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Excalibur has a multi-mode fuze programmable as impact, delayed impact or air burst. In addition to the American Army and Marine Corps, the Excalibur projectile is also in service with Australia, Canada and Sweden.

For the foreign market, Raytheon decided to develop the Excalibur-S projectile, which also features a laser homing head (GOS) with a semi-active laser guidance function. The first tests of the new version were carried out in May 2014 at the Yuma test site.

The first stages of targeting are the same as the main variant of Excalibur, in the last stage it activates its laser seeker to lock on the target due to the reflected coded laser beam. This allows the ammunition to be aimed with great accuracy at the intended target (even a moving one) or another target within the field of view of the seeker when the tactical situation changes. For Excalibur-S, the date of entry into service has not yet been announced; Raytheon is awaiting the launch customer to complete the concept of operations to begin the qualification testing process.

Raytheon used the Excalibur experience to develop a 127 mm guided munition for naval guns, designated Excalibur N5 (Naval 5-Marine, 5 inches [or 127 mm]), which used 70% of the technology of the 155 mm projectile and 100% its navigation and guidance systems. According to Raytheon, the new projectile will more than triple the range of the Mk45 naval gun. The company also said that its testing "enabled Raytheon to obtain the data needed to advance to firing tests of controlled flight in the near future."

The MS-SGP (Multi Service-Standard Guided Projectile) projectile from BAE Systems is part of a joint program aimed at providing ship and ground artillery with extended-range guided artillery ammunition. The new 5-inch (127 mm) caliber projectile in the ground version will be sub-caliber, with a detachable tray. When creating the guidance system, we used the experience of developing a 155-mm LRLAP projectile (Long Range Land Attack Projectile - an extended range projectile for ground artillery), intended for firing from BAE Systems Advanced Gun System naval guns mounted on Zumwalt-class destroyers.

The guidance system is based on inertial systems and GPS, the communication channel allows you to retarget the projectile in flight (the flight time for 70 km is three minutes 15 seconds). The MS-SGP jet engine was tested; the projectile performed a controlled flight when fired from a Mk 45 naval gun, reaching a target located 36 km away, at an angle of 86° and with an error of only 1.5 meters. BAE Systems is ready to produce test projectiles for ground platforms; the difficulty here is to check the correct functioning of the breech with a projectile 1.5 meters long and weighing 50 kg (16.3 of them are high-explosive fragmentation).

According to BAE Systems, accuracy and angle of incidence largely compensate for the reduced lethality of the sub-caliber projectile, which also results in a reduction in indirect losses. Another major challenge for upcoming testing is to determine the reliability of the holding device used to secure the front and rear handlebars in the folded state until the projectile leaves the muzzle. It must be said that such a problem naturally does not exist for ship guns. The projectile's impact angle, which can reach 90° compared to the typical 62° for ballistic projectiles, allows the MS-SGP to be used in "urban canyons" to engage relatively small targets that have previously required more expensive weapon systems to neutralize.

BAE Systems reports the cost of the projectile to be significantly less than $45,000. She is collecting additional test data that would clarify the maximum ranges of the MS-SGP guided projectile. A recently published test report states that the maximum range is 85 km when fired from a 39 caliber gun with a modular MAC 4 charge and 100 km with a MAC 5 charge (which increases to 120 km when fired from a 52 caliber long gun). As for the ship version, it has a range of 100 km when fired from a 62 caliber gun (Mk 45 Mod 4) and 80 km from a 54 caliber gun (Mk45 Mod 2).

According to BAE Systems and the US Army, 20 rounds of MS-SGP guided ammunition at a target with an area of ​​400x600 meters can have the same impact as 300 conventional 155mm shells. In addition, MS-SGP will reduce the number of artillery battalions by one third. The phased program provides for further enhancement of the capabilities of the MS-SGP projectile. For this purpose, it is planned to install an inexpensive optical/infrared seeker so that it can destroy moving targets. The US Navy plans to begin a procurement program for the 127mm guided projectile in 2016, with the Army scheduled to begin the process at a later date.

155 mm Vulcano projectile from Oto Melara. When fired from a 155 mm/52 gun, the extended range variant will have a firing range of 50 km, and the guided version will have a range of 80 km

The MS-SGP guided projectile is a 127 mm ship-borne ammunition with a detachable sabot that can also be fired from 155 mm howitzers and reach a range of 120 km when fired from a 52 caliber gun

In order to increase the range and accuracy of land and ship guns, Oto Melara developed the Vulcano family of ammunition. In accordance with an agreement signed in 2012 between Germany and Italy, the program for these ammunition is currently being carried out jointly with the German company Diehl Defense. While development of a 127 mm caliber and later a 76 mm caliber projectile was carried out for naval guns, for ground platforms they settled on a 155 mm caliber.

At the last stage of development there are three variants of the 155-mm Vulcano projectile: unguided ammunition BER (Ballistic Extended Range), guided GLR (Guided Long Range) with INS/GPS guidance at the final part of the trajectory, and a third version with semi-active laser guidance (a version with a seeker in the far infrared region of the spectrum is also being developed, but only for naval artillery). The control compartment with four rudders is located in the bow of the projectile.

Increasing the range while maintaining internal ballistics, chamber pressure and barrel length means improved external ballistics and, as a result, reduced aerodynamic drag. The body of a 155 mm artillery shell has a diameter to length ratio of approximately 1:4.7. For the Vulcano sub-caliber projectile this ratio is approximately 1:10.

In order to reduce aerodynamic drag and sensitivity to side winds, a design with tail rudders was adopted. The only disadvantage inherited from pallets is that they require a relatively wide safety zone in front of the gun. Vulcano BER is equipped with a specially designed fuse, which for a 127 mm caliber projectile has four modes: impact, remote, time and air detonation.

For the 155 mm version of the ammunition, a remote fuse is not provided. In air blast mode, the microwave sensor allows you to measure the distance to the ground, initiating the blast circuit in accordance with the programmed altitude. The fuse is programmed using the induction method; if the weapon is not equipped with a built-in programming system, then a portable programming device can be used. Programming is also used in impact and time modes, as for the second mode, a delay can be set here in order to optimize the impact of the projectile at the final part of the trajectory.

As a safety measure and to avoid unexploded shells upon impact, the remote fuse will always operate. Vulcano projectiles with INS/GPS guidance unit have a fuze that is very similar to the fuze of the 155mm BER variant, but slightly different in shape. As for the Vulcano shells with a semi-active laser/infrared seeker, they are, of course, equipped with an impact fuse only. Based on experience with these fuses, Oto Melara has developed a new fuze 4AP (4 Action Plus) for installation in full-caliber 76 mm, 127 mm and 155 mm ammunition, which has the four modes described above. The 4AP fuse is in the final stages of development; qualification tests were completed in the first half of 2015.

Oto Melara expects the first deliveries of serial products in autumn 2015. Vulcano ammunition has a warhead equipped with a low-sensitive explosive with a notch on the body to produce a certain number of tungsten fragments of different sizes. This, along with the optimal fuse mode programmed in accordance with the target, guarantees lethality, which, according to the Oto Melara company, is two times better than that of traditional ammunition, even taking into account the smaller size of the warhead of the sub-caliber projectile.

Extended-range sub-caliber version of the Oto Melara Vulcano ammunition, whose production should begin at the end of 2015

A variant of the Vulcano ammunition with a semi-active laser was developed by Oto Melara together with the German Diehl Defense, which was responsible for the development of the laser system

The unguided BER projectile flies along a ballistic trajectory and, when fired from a 52-caliber cannon, can fly to a distance of up to 50 km. The GLR Vulcano projectile is programmed using a command device (portable or integrated into the system). Once a shot is fired, its thermally activated battery and receiver are turned on and the projectile is initialized with pre-programmed data. After passing the highest point of the trajectory, the navigation-inertial system in the middle section of the trajectory directs the projectile to the target.

In the case of ammunition with laser semi-active homing, its seeker receives a coded laser beam at the final part of the trajectory. The inertial/GPS version of the GLR can fly 80 km when fired from a 52-caliber barrel and 55 km when fired from a 39-caliber barrel; the semi-active laser/GPS/inertial-guided version has a slightly shorter range due to the aerodynamic shape of its seeker.

The 155 mm Vulcano ammunition was chosen by the Italian and German armies for their PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers. Firing demonstrations carried out in July 2013 in South Africa showed that the unguided BER variant had a CEP (circular probable deviation) from the target of 2x2 meters in within 20 meters, while the version with GPS/SAL (semi-active laser) hit the same shield at a range of 33 km.

A comprehensive testing program began in January 2015 and will run until mid-2016, when the qualification process is completed. Testing is carried out jointly by Germany and Italy at their shooting ranges, as well as in South Africa. The Oto Melara company, while remaining the lead contractor in the Vulcano program, wants to begin supplying the first shells to the Italian army at the end of 2016-beginning of 2017. Other countries also showed interest in the Vulcano program, especially the United States, which became interested in shells for naval guns.

With the acquisition of ammunition manufacturers Mecar (Belgium) and Simmel Difesa (Italy) in the spring of 2014, the French company Nexter is now capable of covering 80% of all types of ammunition, from medium to large caliber, direct fire and indirect fire. The Nexter Munitions division is responsible for the direction of 155-mm ammunition, whose portfolio includes one existing guided munition and one under development.

The first of them is the armor-piercing Bonus MkII with two 6.5 kg self-aiming combat elements with an infrared seeker. After separation, these two combat elements descend at a speed of 45 m/s, rotating at a speed of 15 revolutions per minute, while each of them scans 32,000 square meters. meters of the earth's surface. When a target is detected at the ideal height, an impact core is formed above it, which pierces the vehicle’s armor from above. Bonus Mk II is in service with France, Sweden and Norway, and Finland recently bought a small number of such shells. In addition, its compatibility with the Polish Krab self-propelled howitzer has already been demonstrated.

In collaboration with TDA, Nexter is currently conducting a preliminary feasibility study on a laser-guided projectile with a CEP of less than one meter. The 155-mm projectile received the designation MPM (Metric Precision Munition - ammunition with meter accuracy); it will be equipped with a strapdown laser semi-active seeker, bow rudders and an optional mid-course navigation system. Without the latter, the range will be limited to 28 km instead of 40 km.

The projectile, less than one meter in length, will be compatible with the 39 and 52 calibers described in the Joint Memorandum on Ballistics. The MPM demonstration program was completed as planned in 2013; the development phase was then supposed to begin, but was delayed until 2018. However, the French General Directorate of Armaments allocated funds to continue work on GPS-based navigation, thus confirming the need for MPM ammunition.

The Nexter Bonus ammunition is equipped with two combat elements designed to destroy heavy armored vehicles from above. Adopted by France and some Scandinavian countries

Nexter and TDA are working on a high-precision 155-mm Metric Precision Munition projectile, which, as the name implies, should provide a CEP of less than a meter

The Tula-based Russian company KBP has been working on laser-guided artillery ammunition since the late 70s. In the mid-80s, the Soviet army adopted a guided missile with a range of 20 km, which is capable of hitting targets moving at a speed of 36 km/h with a hit probability of 70-80%. The 152 mm 2K25 projectile, 1305 mm long, weighs 50 kg, the high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighs 20.5 kg and the explosive material 6.4 kg. In the middle part of the trajectory, inertial guidance directs the projectile to the target area, where the semi-active laser seeker is activated.

A 155 mm variant of the Krasnopol KM-1 (or K155) with very similar physical parameters is also offered. This ammunition requires not only a target designator, but also a set of radio equipment and synchronization means; target designation is activated at a distance of 7 km from stationary targets and 5 km from moving targets.

Several years ago, KBP developed a 155-mm version of the Krasnopol ammunition, equipped with a French semi-active laser seeker

An updated 155 mm version of the KM-2 (or K155M) was developed for export. The new projectile is slightly shorter and heavier, 1200 mm and 54.3 kg, respectively, equipped with a warhead weighing 26.5 kg and explosives weighing 11 kg. The maximum range is 25 km, the probability of hitting a moving tank has increased to 80-90%. The Krasnopol weapons complex includes the Malachite automatic fire control station, which includes a laser target designator. The Chinese company Norinco has developed its own version of the Krasnopol ammunition.

...precision guidance kits...

The Alliant Techsystems Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) has been field-tested. In the summer of 2013, about 1,300 such kits were delivered to the American contingent stationed in Afghanistan. The first export contract was not long in coming; Australia requested over 4,000 sets, and in 2014 another 2,000 systems. PGK has its own power source, it is screwed onto an artillery shell instead of a native fuse, the kit works as an impact or remote fuse.

The length of the high-precision guidance head is 68.6 mm, which is longer than that of the MOFA (Multi-Option Fuze, Artillery) multi-purpose fuze and therefore the PGK is not compatible with all projectiles. Let's start from the bottom, first comes the MOFA adapter, then the M762 safety-cocking device, then the thread on which the PGK kit is screwed, the first part on the outside is the GPS receiver (SAASM - a noise-immune module with selective availability), then four rudders and at the very end remote fuse detonation sensor.

The gun crew screws the PGK onto the body, leaving the casing in place as it also acts as an interface to the fuze installer. The Epiafs (Enhanced Portable Inductive Artillery Fuze Setter) is the same as Raytheon's Excalibur and comes with an integration kit that allows it to be integrated into a fire control system or DAGR Enhanced GPS Receiver . The installer is located above the nose of the PGK, this allows you to connect power and enter all the necessary data, such as gun and target location, trajectory information, GPS cryptographic keys, GPS information, exact time and data for setting the fuze. Before loading and sending, the casing is removed.

The kit includes only one moving part, a block of bow rudders that rotate around the longitudinal axis; The guide surfaces of the steering wheels have a certain bevel. The steering wheel unit is connected to a generator; its rotation generates electrical energy and excites the battery. Next, the system receives a GPS signal, navigation is established and 2-D guidance begins, while GPS coordinates are compared with the specified ballistic trajectory of the projectile.

The flight of the projectile is adjusted by slowing down the rotation of the control surfaces, which begin to create lift; signals coming from the guidance unit rotate the block of bow rudders in such a way as to orient the lift vector and accelerate or slow down the fall of the projectile, guidance of which continues until impact with the required CEP of 50 meters. If a projectile loses a GPS signal or leaves the trajectory as a result of a strong gust of wind, the automation turns off the PGK and makes it inert, which can significantly reduce indirect losses.

ATK has developed the final version of the PGK, which can be mounted on the new M795 round with low-sensitivity explosive. This option passed the first sample acceptance tests at the Yuma test site in January 2015; The projectile was fired from M109A6 Paladin and M777A2 howitzers. It easily passed the 30-meter CEP test, but most of the shells fell within 10 meters of the target.

Currently, the initial production of a small batch of the PGK kit has been approved, and the company is awaiting a contract for mass production. In order to expand the customer base, the PGK kit was installed in German artillery shells and in October 2014 was fired from a German PzH 2000 howitzer with a 52-caliber barrel. Some shells were fired in MRSI mode (simultaneous impact of several shells; the angle of the barrel changes and all shells fired over a certain time interval arrive at the target simultaneously); many fell five meters from the target, which is significantly less than the predicted CEP.

BAE Systems is developing its own Silver Bullet guidance kit for 155mm ammunition, which is based on GPS signals. The kit is a device that screws into the bow with four rotating bow rudders. After the shot, immediately after leaving the barrel, the supply of electricity begins to the guidance unit, then during the first five seconds the warhead is stabilized, and at the ninth second navigation is activated to adjust the trajectory all the way to the target.

The stated accuracy is less than 20 meters, however, BAE Systems' target is a QUO of 10 meters. The kit can be used in other types of projectiles, for example, active-reactive ones, as well as with bottom gas generators, which increases accuracy at long distances. The Silver Bullet kit is at the development stage of a technological prototype, its demonstration has already been carried out, after which preparations have begun for the next stage - qualification tests. BAE Systems hopes that the kit will be fully ready in two years.

The Norinco GP155B laser-guided ammunition is based on the Russian Krasnopol projectile and has a range of 6 to 25 km

ATK's Precision Guidance Kit fits two different types of ammunition, a 105mm artillery shell (left) and a 120mm mortar shell (right)

The photo clearly shows the elongated shape of the rear of the PGK precision guidance system, which is only compatible with shells that have a deep fuse socket

The Spacido course correction system, developed by the French company Nexter, cannot be called a pure guidance system, although it significantly reduces range dispersion, which is usually much greater than side dispersion. The system was developed in cooperation with Junghans T2M. The Spacido is installed in place of the fuse as it has its own fuse.

When mounted on high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, the Spacido is equipped with a multi-mode fuze with four modes: preset time, impact, delay, remote. When mounted on a cluster munition, the Spacido fuze operates only in preset time mode. After the shot, a tracking radar installed on the weapon platform tracks the projectile for the first 8-10 seconds of flight, determines the projectile's speed and sends a radio frequency coded signal to the Spacido system. This signal contains the time after which the three Spacido disks begin to rotate, thereby ensuring that the projectile arrives exactly (or almost exactly) at the target.

Spacido course correction system from Nexter

Raytheon's Epiafs Fuze Installer allows programming of a variety of temporary fuzes, such as the M762/M762A1, M767/M767A1 and M782 Multi Option Fuze, as well as the PGK Guidance Kit and M982 Excalibur Guided Projectile

The system is currently in the final stages of development, and Nexter has finally found a shooting range in Sweden to conduct tests with the longest possible ranges (in Europe it is very difficult to find a shooting range with a long-range directrix). It is planned to complete qualification tests there by the end of the year.

Some time ago, the Serbian company Yugoimport developed a very similar system, but its development was stopped pending funding from the Serbian Ministry of Defense.

...and traditional ammunition

New developments affected not only guided munitions. The Norwegian Army and the Norwegian Logistics Agency have awarded Nammo a contract to develop a completely new family of 155mm low-sensitivity ammunition. High Explosive-Extended Range projectile developed exclusively by Nammo. Before loading, either a bottom gas generator or a bottom recess can be installed in it, respectively, when firing from a 52 caliber barrel, the range is 40 or 30 km.

The warhead is equipped with 10 kg of cast insensitive explosive MCX6100 IM produced by Chemring Nobel, and the fragments are optimized to destroy vehicles with homogeneous armor 10 mm thick. The Norwegian Army plans to obtain a projectile that would have at least some of the same effects as the currently banned cluster munition submunitions. The projectile is currently undergoing the qualification process, the initial batch is expected in mid-2016, and the first production deliveries at the end of the same year.

The Spacido system, developed by Nexter, can significantly reduce range dispersion, which is one of the main causes of inaccuracy in artillery fire.

BAE Systems is developing the Silver Bullet precision guidance kit, which will be available in two years

The second product is a long-range illuminating projectile (Illuminating-Extended Range), developed jointly with BAE Systems Bofors. In fact, two types of projectile are being developed using Mira technology, one with white light (in the visible spectrum), and the second with infrared illumination. The projectile opens at an altitude of 350-400 meters (less problems with clouds and wind), instantly flares up and burns with constant intensity, at the end of the combustion there is a sharp cutoff. The burn time of the white light variant is 60 seconds, while the low burn rate of the infrared composition allows you to illuminate the area for 90 seconds. These two projectiles are very similar in ballistics.

Qualification should be completed in July 2017, and production deliveries are expected in July 2018. The smoke projectile, also being developed with the participation of BAE Systems, will appear six months later. It contains three containers filled with red phosphorus, and Nammo is looking to replace it with a more effective substance. After leaving the projectile body, the containers deploy six petal brakes, which have several functions: they limit the speed at which they hit the ground, act as air brakes, ensure that the burning surface always remains on top, and finally ensure that the container does not penetrate deep into the ground. snow, and this is important for northern countries.

Last but not least in the line is the Training Practice-Extended Range projectile; it has the timing of the HE-ER high-explosive fragmentation projectile and is being developed in unguided and sighting configurations. The new family of ammunition is qualified for firing from the M109A3 howitzer, but the company plans to also fire it from the Swedish Archer self-propelled gun. Nammo is also in talks with Finland about the possibility of firing the 155 K98 howitzer and hopes to test its shells with the PzH 2000 howitzer.

The Nammo company has developed a whole family of 155-mm insensitive ammunition specifically for 52-caliber guns, which will appear in the army in 2016-2018

Rheinmetall Denel is close to delivering the first production batch of its low-sensitivity M0121 high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, which it intends to deliver in 2015 to an unnamed NATO country. The same customer will then receive an upgraded version of the M0121, which will feature a deep fuze socket, allowing the installation of trajectory-corrected fuzes or ATK's PGK kit, which is longer than standard fuzes.

According to Rheimetall, the Assegai family of ammunition, expected to qualify in 2017, will be the first family of 155mm ammunition that is specifically designed for 52-caliber guns to be qualified to the NATO standard. This family includes the following types of projectiles: high-explosive fragmentation, illumination in the visible and infrared spectra, smoke with red phosphorus; they all have the same ballistic characteristics and interchangeable bottom gas generator and tapered tail section.