The M829 is an American armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) kinetic energy penetrator tank round. Modeling was done at the Ballistic Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, [1] which was incorporated into the Army Research Laboratory in 1992. The round is specifically designed for the 120 mm M256 main gun on the Abrams M1A1 and M1A2 main battle tanks. The penetrator is carried by a sabot during its acceleration in the gun barrel.
The M829 dart has a ballistic nose and six tail fins made of aluminum. It is carried in the gun tube by a four-piece aluminum sabot, which separates into four "petals" soon after the round leaves the gun tube. [2] The propulsion system uses an obturating case base with a semi-combustible cartridge wall. It has a total weight of 41.1 lb (18.6 kg) and a 627 mm (24.7 in) DU penetrator with a 27 mm (1.1 in) rod diameter, [2] which reaches a muzzle velocity of 1,670 meters per second (5,500 ft/s) using 8.1 kg (18 lb) of JA-2 propellant. Its maximum effective range is 3,000 m (3,300 yd). According to Jane's, the M829 is capable of penetrating 540 mm (21 in) of RHA steel armor at up to a 2,000 m (2,200 yd) range. [3] The original M829 is no longer in production and has been succeeded by the M829A1, M829A2, and M829A3. The corresponding training round is the M865, costing $1,121. [2]
The M829A1 (nicknamed the "Silver Bullet" by Operation Desert Storm tank crews) proved itself in 1991 against Iraqi T-55 and T-72M tanks during Operation Desert Storm. The M829A1 round weighs 20.9 kg (46 lb) and has an overall length of 984 mm (38.7 in). The 7.9 kg (17 lb) of JA-19 propellant creates a chamber pressure of 5,600 bars (81,221 psi), which results in a muzzle velocity of 1,575 m/s (5,170 ft/s). The 684-millimeter-long (26.9 in) penetrator and its sabot together weigh 9 kg (20 lb). The mass of the penetrator alone is 4.6 kg (10 lb). The effective target range is 3,000 m (3,300 yd). [4]
The next generation ammunition, called 120 mm APFSDS-T M829A2, entered service in 1994 and is the armor-piercing ammunition currently being produced by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems for the 120 mm M256 gun of M1A1 and M1A2 tanks. It is a technology improvement over the M829A1. The new ammunition's performance gains, while classified, result from several new features. These include a special manufacturing process that improves the structural quality of the depleted uranium penetrator. This, the use of new composites for the sabot, and a new propellant provide superior penetrator performance. Combined, these features increase the muzzle velocity of the M829A2 to approximately 100 m/s greater than the M829A1's (up to approximately 1,675 m/s) while operating at slightly lower pressure. The projectile's length is 780 mm, its mass 9 kg.
On 6 May 2014, the U.S. Army announced that it awarded a US$12 million contract to defense contractor General Dynamics for the demilitarization and disposal of 78,000 aging depleted-uranium (DU) tank rounds as newer rounds are added to the U.S. war reserves. The contract includes M829A1 and M829A2 rounds. [5]
With the Soviet creation of the Kontakt-5 Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), the M829A2 was the US immediate response, developed in part to take on this new ERA type. The M829A3 is a further improvement, designed to defeat any future armor protection methods, like 'Kaktus' ERA, which was seen on the now canceled prototype tank, the Object 640 "Chiorny Oriol" (Black Eagle) (sometimes falsely named the T-80UM-2). [6] [7] It completed type classification standard in March 2003. Very little is publicly known about the round, perhaps due to export restrictions (see International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)). The M829A3 uses a more efficient propellant, RPD-380, boosting its muzzle velocity. The M829A3 round has a total mass of 22.3 kg (49 lb) and length of 892 mm (35.1 in). It uses 8.1 kg (18 lb) of RPD-380 stick propellant, accelerating the 10 kg (22 lb) sabot and depleted-uranium rod penetrator assembly, and a muzzle velocity of 1,555 m/s (5,100 ft/s). [7] From patents submitted by Orbital ATK, the penetrator is composed of two sections, an approximately 100-millimeter-long (3.9 in) steel tip and the rest composed of a 630-millimeter (24.8 in) depleted uranium rod with aluminum fins with a tracer base. The penetrator diameter was also increased from 22 mm (0.87 in) to 25 mm (0.98 in), improving penetrator strength by 67% significantly increasing its resistance to ERA bursting plates as used in Russian ERA. The steel tip is used to defeat the ERA by detonating it early, causing the resulting ERA bursting plate to only partially affect the main DU rod which is used to complete the penetration through armor. The resulting muzzle energy is 12.1 MJ (8.9 million ft⋅lbf) The penetration as per the Lanz Odermatt calculator is about a total penetration of 680-millimeters (26.7717 in) up to possibly 720-millimetres of RHA to account for any discrepancies in measurement. The M829A3 is only used for training with a switched plastic sabot round. this is calculated from the 100-millimeter (3.9 in) steel tip adjoined to a 630-millimeter (24.8 in) DU body that is 25-millimeter (0.98 in) thick at 1550m/s (5085 fps) with a target RHA BHN of 250. The sabot is of composite material. This variant is unofficially referred to by Abrams tank crews as the "super sabot". [4] Although the M829A3 fired from the 44-caliber M256 gun has a lower muzzle velocity than 120 mm shells fired from the Rheinmetall 55-caliber gun barrel or Russian 2A46 125 mm gun ammunition, it uses a larger penetrator with increased mass to increase imparted kinetic energy. [8]
The A4 (formerly E4) variant was under development by General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems and Alliant Techsystems (ATK) [9] until ATK received a $77 million, three-year contract on 11 July 2011 to develop and qualify the M829A4 Advanced Kinetic Energy (AKE) round for the U.S. Army's M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) Abrams MBT. [10]
The M829A4 is a fifth-generation APFSDS-T cartridge using a depleted-uranium penetrator with a three-petal composite sabot; the penetrator includes a low-drag fin with a tracer and a windshield and tip assembly. [11] Its propellant maintains consistent muzzle velocities across operational temperatures from −25 to 145 °F (−32 to 63 °C). The new Advanced Combustible Cartridge Case is similar to previous models but has a relocated skive joint placement for better crew-member safety during handling. The initial order for 2,501 M829A4 rounds in 2014 had a unit cost of $10,100 each. [5] On 20 July 2015, Orbital ATK announced that the M829A4 had passed First Article Acceptance Testing and was entering production.[ citation needed ] On 12 October 2015, Orbital ATK announced the round had recently received type classification as the M829A4 and was awarded a full-rate production contract to begin in early 2016.[ citation needed ]
Electrothermal-chemical (ETC) technology is an attempt to increase accuracy and muzzle energy of future tank, artillery, and close-in weapon system guns by improving the predictability and rate of expansion of propellants inside the barrel.
A kinetic energy penetrator (KEP), also known as long-rod penetrator (LRP), is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate vehicle armour using a flechette-like, high-sectional density projectile. Like a bullet or kinetic energy weapon, this type of ammunition does not contain explosive payloads and uses purely kinetic energy to penetrate the target. Modern KEP munitions are typically of the armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) type.
A sabot is a supportive device used in firearm/artillery ammunitions to fit/patch around a projectile, such as a bullet/slug or a flechette-like projectile, and keep it aligned in the center of the barrel when fired. It allows a narrower projectile with high sectional density to be fired through a barrel of much larger bore diameter with maximal accelerative transfer of kinetic energy. After leaving the muzzle, the sabot typically separates from the projectile in flight, diverting only a very small portion of the overall kinetic energy.
The Steyr IWS 2000 is an Austrian single-shot bolt-action anti-materiel rifle produced by Steyr Mannlicher. IWS stands for Infantry Weapon System. Unlike other anti-tank rifle designs, it has a smoothbore barrel. This facilitates higher projectile velocities and allows a longer barrel service life, but the lack of gyroscopic spin-stabilization requires the projectile to have aerodynamic stabilizing fins instead. The IWS is chambered in a 15.2×169 mm armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot cartridge, and is the first man-portable rifle to use this type of ammunition.
Armor-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) is a type of spin-stabilized kinetic energy projectile for anti-armor warfare. Each projectile consists of a sub-caliber round fitted with a sabot. The combination of a lighter sub-caliber projectile with a full-caliber propellant charge allows for an increase in muzzle velocity compared to full-caliber rounds, giving the round increased armor-penetration performance. To further enhance their armor-penetration capabilities, APDS rounds typically feature a hardened core made from tungsten or another hard, dense material.
The CN-105-57, also known as CN 105/57 or D1504, is a light French 105 mm tank gun.
2A19 or T-12 is a Soviet-designed 100-mm anti-tank gun. It was the first anti-tank gun to adopt a smoothbore barrel, and to introduce modern armor piercing shot, like the APFSDS. It uses long projectiles that are more powerful than its caliber suggests. The T-12 served as the primary towed anti-tank artillery in the Soviet and Bulgarian armies from the early 1960s to the late 1980s.
The following is a list of ammunition fired by the 125 mm smoothbore gun series used in the T-64, T-72, T-80, M-84, T-90, PT-91, T-14 Armata, and other tanks derived from those designs, as well as the 2A45 Sprut anti-tank gun.
The Rheinmetall Rh-120 is a 120 mm smoothbore tank gun designed and produced in former West Germany by the Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH company. It was developed in response to Soviet advances in armour technology and development of new armoured threats. Production began in 1974, with the first version of the gun, known as the L/44 as it was 44 calibres long, used on the German Leopard 2 tank and soon produced under license for the American M1A1 Abrams and other tanks. The 120-millimetre (4.7 in) gun has a length of 5.28 metres (17.3 ft), and the gun system weighs approximately 3,317 kilograms (7,313 lb).
The 14.5×114mm is a heavy machine gun and anti-materiel rifle cartridge used by the Soviet Union, the former Warsaw Pact, modern Russia, and other countries.
The 76 mm gun M1 was an American World War II–era tank gun developed by the U.S United States Ordnance Department in 1942 to supplement the 75 mm gun on the basic Medium tank M4. It was also used to arm the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer.
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), long dart penetrator, or simply dart ammunition is a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition used to attack modern vehicle armour. As an armament for main battle tanks, it succeeds armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) ammunition, which is still used in small or medium caliber weapon systems.
The L30A1, officially designated Gun, 120 mm, Tank L30,is a British-designed 120 mm rifled tank gun, installed in the turrets of Challenger 2 main battle tanks. It is an improved production model of the Royal Ordnance L11 series of rifled tank guns. Challenger 2 tanks and their L30A1 guns are operated by the British and Omani armies. In 2023, L30A1 armed Challenger 2 tanks supplied by the British were delivered to Ukraine.
The M830 is an American high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) high explosive multi purpose cartridge which has anti-armor and anti-personnel capabilities. This round is meant for the 120 mm M256 main gun of the M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams. The M830 HEAT-MP-T, 120-mm cartridge is a direct translation of the German DM12A1 round with the exception that a United States design fuze system and explosive is used. The propellant system utilizes a metal cartridge case base with a rubber obturator at the stub case mouth, M123A1 Primer, and a combustible wall which encapsulates stick propellant within six containment devices to prevent spillage should breakage or separation occur. The cartridge is black with yellow markings, weighs approximately 53.4 lb, and has a length of 38.6 inches (981 mm). The round was praised for its performance during the 1991 Gulf War. It is no longer manufactured and has been replaced by the M830A1.
The Ordnance QF 32 pounder or (32-pdr) was a British 94 mm gun, initially developed as a replacement for the Ordnance QF 17-pdr anti-tank gun.
The Royal Ordnance L11A5, officially designated Gun, 120 mm, Tank L11, is a 120 mm L/55 rifled tank gun design. It was the second 120 mm calibre tank gun in service with British Army. It was the first of NATO's 120 mm main battle tank guns which became the standard calibre for Western tanks in the later period of the Cold War. A total of 3,012 of the L11 guns were produced by 2005. The list price was US$227,000 in 1990.
120×570mm NATO tank ammunition, also known as 120×570mmR, is a common, NATO-standard, tank gun semi-combustible cartridge used by 120mm smoothbore guns, superseding the earlier 105×617mmR cartridge used in NATO-standard rifled tank guns.
The CN08 is a 120 mm 55-caliber smoothbore tank gun produced by Hyundai WIA. It is incorrectly known as the licensed production of the Rheinmetall Rh-120 L/55, but it was indigenously developed by the Agency for Defense Development and WIA from 2003 to 2008 for the XK2 development project started in 1995. The development was completed after the field test ended in September 2008.
The M68 is an American 105 mm tank gun. It uses British-designed L7 gun tube and cartridges with an American-designed mount, breech assembly and recoil mechanism.
The KE-W APFSDS round is a type of armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition designed for tank guns.