In the case of DU vs Tungsten the DU will have higher performance than the Tungsten but optimal speed is a little lower. The M829A3 will have ~720mm penetration as compared to <700 for DM73 when fired from L/55… and it is fired nearly 200 m/s slower.
I believe a BRL study showed usually DU performed better until around 1700m/s at which point Tungsten usually caught up.
source here: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA236191.pdf
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Which means given the weight of the rounds, you can fire a heavier DU penetrator and get more performance from the same cannon and Tungsten is limited in how much additional weight you can add at the cost of velocity. Once it dips below 1600 m/s there is no more room for improvement and DU has a performance lead.
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It’s kind of telling that where the US to improve ammo simply designed heavier and/or better rounds, the Germans had to resort to using a longer gun to improve their rounds in my opinion.
Mainly due to the refusal to use DU as it scary (its not)
The longer barrel improved accuracy and ammo performance without sacrificing the life-span of the breech. The US has deeper pockets. The Leopard is also exported more often than the Abrams. We do produce tungsten munitions, such as KE-W (kinetic energy weapon) A1, A2, A3, A4… etc.
Honestly, I sometimes wonder if the pyrophoric nature of DU penetrators is what made them ultimately decide kevlar spall liners weren’t really useful in the Abrams.
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Not only that, but it allowed for a less combustible propellent that hadn’t previously meshed well with use in the L/44, due to the available barrel length and flash point of the propellent.
Unlike M829, it was found that DM43 and DM53 were capable of being fired from the L/55 without accuracy and velocity drawbacks. M829A2 saw an almost 15% loss in accuracy with use in the L/55, and America’s KET testbed was the primary means of increasing accuracy and effectiveness through the longer barrel.
M829A2 was introduced shortly after though, and KET was dropped.
It has little to do with export, as it’s been shown that even without upgraded models with reinforced breechblocks the L/44 and L/55 are capable of firing M322 by 3 separate countries.
I feel as if kevlar liners would do the exact opposite, and be quite effective against DU penetrators. Like spaced armor, though, I don’t think it would make enough of a difference to entirely negate the munition.
You said youtubers didn’t need to hand over their footage when filming around modern military equipment for inspection.
“We’ve never had to do such things lol.” was your response so I figured you did some sort of military tech channel. Unless you have never actually engaged with classified military stuff in which case… why did you say that?
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The US actually did this by drastically increasing the pressure of their 120mm ammo, making it NATO non-compliant. Modern US ammo for the M256 can’t be fired safely by NATO allies, it’s a bit of an issue. Not to mention most countries want nothing to do with DU ammo given the environmental hazards.
Hull ammo? What do you think the blowout panels are for? Hull ammo only exists in a full load.
When we are doing public exercises there is no limitation to their footage. When news reporters have been permitted on base for certain events there was no limitation to their footage. When we did interview with people, there was no limitation to their footage. I’ve never once had media record us and then need to hand over their footage.
The only pictures and footage that are going to end up going through the classification systems are that which was taken by the military itself. If they were recording something that was restricted or classified they’d instead simply be asked to delete it. No one is taking their SD cards.
I was gonna mention this lol
There are no blowout panels for the hull ammo on the Leopard, and even in the most modernized versions of the Leopard the hull ammo doesn’t have any serious protection or compartmentalization from the crew. Forget spall liners, a single round through the lower plate and the entire tank is smithereens just like a T-72.
In any case, the spall liner people keep mentioning for the tank is not visible in this photo, nor would it have been useful. People really overthinking this.
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Maybe we shouldn’t have wars at all since it is harmful to human health. Let alone shoot each other…
Yeah its harmful if it enters you body so don’t eat it
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Which are also 30-40 years older lol
God I love marketing speak, cause I can’t find any actual reference to ‘M1A1 requirements’ anywhere.
Source here: https://www.bmidefense.com/vehicle-armor
You do realize the XM-1 (not the ones in-game, but the one the Abrams came from, which was almost identical to the first M1 Abrams) is from the 70s? The Abrams is almost 50 years old. Are you implying that the Leopard 2 and CV90 are from the 1940s-1950s?
30-40 years old is the 80s/90s my guy
Oh, so the Abrams is a brand new tank? My mistake. Didn’t know that.
The CV9040 does not have a “car dashboard rug” hanging.
that liner is covered by a inner layer as to nog get thing caught in the fabric while moving around in there.
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Crews breathe in the dust generated by firing and are exposed to it by handling it without PPE. In general it is a substantial health hazard.