Posted on 12/05/2005 11:02:45 AM PST by 68skylark
FORT KNOX, Ky. (Army News Service, Dec. 5, 2005) -- While the booming sounds of a 120mm tank main gun firing on Cedar Creek Range were familiar, the type of tank round being fired was very unique.
The 16th Cavalry Regiment provided a live fire demonstration of the first M1028 canister rounds at Fort Knox, Nov. 10. The canister round is the newest 120mm tank main gun ammunition now available to the Armor Force, and has been deployed in the Middle East.
According to Maj. Kevin Parker, the S-3 of the 16th Cav., the purpose of the demonstration was to provide trainers with the opportunity to see close up the unique capability of the canister round.
New round flexibility
While the canister round is not the heaviest tank main gun round in the inventory, its size and weight distribution does make handling and loading the round a bit unique.
Soldiers and Marines who have handled and fired the round in preparation for deployment to Iraq have said that with a bit of practice the round can be handled in much the same way as the other 120mm rounds in the inventory.
Fort Knox senior leaders, including Fort Knox Commander Maj. Gen. Robert Williams and post Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Albert Bryant attended the demonstration.
Since the inception of the 120mm-armed Abrams tank, we have lacked a true anti-personnel weapon system. The M1028 canister round has satisfied that need, said Bryant. A documented operational need for such a round has long existed in Korea. Operations in Somalia and now in Afghanistan and Iraq have demonstrated that the requirement also exists for stability operations.
The M1028 canister round provides the tanker in the field with another option to defeat the enemy and protect our troops.
Battlefield promise
The canister round was awesome, according to Staff Sgt. Michael Hill and Sgt. Daniel Miller, of Troop B, 1-16th Cav., who were part of the firing crew. They said the round would be great for tankers confronted by massed enemy troops, inflicting massive casualties and providing a shock effect which will certainly make other enemy troops think twice before continuing their attack.
We know the canister round will be able to defeat enemy dismounted troops, no question, said Williams. Based on this demonstration, it is clear that it can also defeat other obstacles, such as wall barriers, during the close in fight. The good news for the tanker is that while the enemy can still run, the canister round will make sure they cant hide.
(Editors note: This story was submitted by the Fort Knox Turret.)
Earlier versions of the Abrams (M1, M1IP) had a 105mm main gun that would accomodate the 5 types of ammo (name 'em...and pass that station on TCGST!). One of the reasons why the tank Bn's in Korea were the last to convert to the M1A1 was due to the loss of that AP round with the 120mm.
In Iraq, my tanks carried HEAT, SABOT and MPAT. HEAT and MPAT were useful to a point. This "new" round will be helpful.
Adding a better TC and loader's Machine Gun stations would be more useful in my opinion...
A good article though!
Regards,
Tungsten is much denser than steel and retains more kinetic energy over distance, so it penetrates better at longer ranges. This is especially important with a round ball since they have poor sectional density (ratio of diameter to weight).
Googling led to this Kiwi history piece, which refers to case shot in the 1453 siege of Constantinople (not sure which side), and recalls its use in WWII jungle warfare:
How true and also a Union/Rebel favorite during the Civil War!
The big headed nail would have a much reduced range compared to a box nail or finishing nail. A small headed nail would also tend to tumble in flight, giving it some characterists of the flechette.
Requiring greater velocity, as well. The German tungsten round was hard on barrels, but they were rifled.
Thanks.
What is your opinion of the loader's turret mounted machine gun on the M-1. In Iraq has it seen effective use?
What targets are actually engaged with MPAT and which with HEAT in Iraq?
Thanks for info.
Ever see the 'Long Tom' 155 on the hill at Ft. Riley, KS? Believe it was intended to fire a nuclear shell.
(Which led to the nuclear handgrenade theory, only `hitch'
being that they had to wire a Silver Star to the pin . . . )
You mean flechette. "Fleshette" is pretty descriptive though :0)
I can only speak for our unit's area of operations, over the past year. We didn't fire any SABOT (nothing big enough to expend a SABOT on), and IIRC we only fired MPAT once at a building. HEAT was the round of choice and usually what was battlecarried. We used HEAT on RPG teams, because they would hide in buildings or behind walls.
Main gun engagements were very rare in our AO (mostly urban), but the MG's got quite a bit of work. Everyone fears/respects the .50, but the M1A1 TC station has always been a disaster to operate. The loader's 240 is good, but he has no shielding when he operates it, so the kid is usually exposed when engaging targets. The COAX was great.
Regards,
The next time a bunch of tracksuit-wearing ski-masked AK-wielding idjits decide to dance in the street in Ramadi, how I do wish Mr. Abrams would come around the corner right about then and send one of these right down Main Street. You'd never see THAT on the evening news. (And in fairness, it'd be pretty hard to eat your hamburger steak after seeing what that would do to somebody.)
I love it. It's like Raid for jihadis. Kills bugs dead.
}:-)4
Tungsten is more dense than regular steel.
This means that the balls will lose less velocity over longer ranges than lighter balls of the same diameter. The hardness helps a little, but not as much as it does on the penetrator rods.
Recently, there's been experiments with tungsten core bullets for the M-16/M-4 series rifles. 82+gr, IIRC, which can be loaded in magazine length cartridges. Holds more velocity over longer ranges, as well (not to be confused with the Black Hills 77gr loads). Very expensive and there's some experimentation with powdered (sintered) metal construction. It's very difficult (impossible) to melt tungsten into a copper jacket and you can't economically machine the bullet cores.
Grape shot
Canister
That's where Humphreys went after a Yank artillery battery.
Maybe the wide head adds drag, keeping the pointed end forward?
280mm M68 "atomic cannon". Here it is being fired:
I suppose you could call this an "anti-personnel" round ...
bttt!!
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