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 can’t hide.”
(Editor’s note: This story was submitted by the Fort Knox Turret.)
Picture the scene in "Swordfish" when the chick runs out of the bank wired with the explosives and pinballs, runs past the range of the transmitters, *Boom*.
Nice that the M1A1s gun is smooth bore.
To quote Seargent Major Basil Plumley (Sam Elliott) in We were Soldiers:
"Now That's a nice day..[...].."
I think it's called the "Lock-key" or omething; in the movie Predator, the long-haired scout named Billy carried one.
That's easy...the M1 Tank was conceived first and last as a killer of other tanks (unlike earlier US tanks). That is why they gave it the gas turbine engine, the night vision systems, stabilized gun, and eventually that 120-mm Rheinmetal smoothbore.
Yeah but not supplying cannister is like leaving the .50 cal off the top, it trashes a tanks ability to defend itself alone against close in infantry.
So9
It also shredded the Bonnie Prince's forces at Culloden.
I would tend to agree, but that was the thinking back then. Also, the basic load of the M1 would have to be re-jiggered. How many HEAT or Sabots do you want to give up in favor of a few Beehive rounds? Plus, Soviet doctrine called for their infantry to be mounted (BMP & BTR's) because they were probably sliming you (Chemicals). You'd kill mounted infantry with HEAT. Frankly, the M1 does need better anti-infantry capability...
"New? This was around in WW2."
They were shooting canister during the civil war...just not out of tanks.
I'm unfamiliar with that. It sounds like what we used to call an "unauthorized MWO" (maintenance work order). The M203, of course, is shotgun like, in the sense that you "break" it open (slide forward) to insert a round. I just remember that we found M203 barrels and hand guards scattered around the arms rooms, apparently some of the soldiers who were involuntarily turned into M203 "grenadiers" replaced the components with regular M16 hand guards.
Be nice if they could get a herd of goats or something and test fire it so we could get a look at what it's capable of.
http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh17-e.htm
I believe that is the idea.
"Frankly, the M1 does need better anti-infantry capability..."
Bring back the flamethrower.
For a real kick, pop off white phospherous (Willy Peter) first. The skin burns have 'em jumpin' up and down out in the open just at the canister shot arrives.
Imagine the psychological impact of a "zippo" entering a contested city block in Falluja? Pretty demoralizing I would think.
They said the round would be great for tankers confronted by massed enemy troops...
While that isn't that likely, it is nice to have in the arsenal.
it might be, just east of Iraq
Similar to a shotgun round, Canister Rounds are cartridges made for the M1A1 main battle tanks, which are comprised of approximately 1,100 tungsten balls, three-eights of an inch in diameter, which are dispersed when fired from the main gun. The fuse-less rounds disperse the balls in a cone-like shape, increasing its impact area as the distance toward the target increases.
sure will clear a street
Master Key is what you are refering to
more info is avaliable on Remington.com look for the 870 MCS or Modular Combat Shotgun
Done, baked, roasted and pooped--OOOps, I mean...POPPED into the oven, antihannityguy.
We had a 90 MM canister round for the main gun on our M48A3 tanks in Vietnam. Worked damn good against RPG gunners in ambushes, and other living things as well.
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