The experience of local wars has shown that the problem of self-defense of a tank from tank-hazardous infantry is becoming more and more acute. Meanwhile, the tank has no real means of dealing with it. There is a search for new high-tech schemes for self-defense tank shells.
The famous inventor V. A. Odintsov proposed two new projectile schemes. We have already written about one of them - a fragmentation-beam projectile (Krasnaya Zvezda, August 18-24, 2010). Today we are talking about the second - a tank cluster shell.
V. A. Odintsov, Honored Inventor of the Russian Federation, author of many bright ideas in the field of weapons, member of the Scientific and Expert Council of the State Duma Defense Committee, ammunition specialists are known as the author of a fragmentation-beam projectile and holder of 35 patents for it. Much less known is his other major idea in the projectile field - the idea of a tank cluster projectile.
The design is based on the abandonment of the classical scheme of a cluster projectile with elongated small-caliber submunitions equipped with percussion fuses (a typical example is the 152-mm domestic 3-O-13 field artillery cluster projectile), and the transition to flat cylindrical submunitions with a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the body projectile, and to their trajectory divorced in time undermining with the formation of a chain of ruptures over the target, elongated along the trajectory. The creation of an elongated destruction zone makes it possible to compensate for the error in the position of the burst point relative to a tank-hazardous target, which is quite large for modern tank systems.
For example, for the trajectory detonation system of the domestic T-90S tank, the total error determined by the accuracy of measuring the range to the target by the laser rangefinder, which is part of the tank sight, and the accuracy of timing with the electronic time fuse 3VM18, is within 25 m.
In the case when a small error of the coordinates of the detonation relative to the target is provided, as well as during shock firing, the possibility of detonating the assembled projectile is provided. The design of the projectile with a solid filling of the hull provides sufficient strength when firing at structures. In this case, the fuse is set to shock action with deceleration.
The primary development of the appearance of cluster shells was carried out for tank guns, infantry fighting vehicles and light infantry guns. In the Tula KBP with the Deputy General Designer V. P. Back in 1998, Gryazev discussed the prospects for the development of a cluster projectile for the 100-mm 2A-70 cannon of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle.
The appearance of a cluster projectile for a light infantry gun was developed (patent No. 2213315 MGTU). The development of this weapon was carried out in 2000-2001 with the active support of the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense, General of the Army A. I. Nikolaev.
In January 1999, the model of the projectile was shown to the Minister of Defense Marshal I. Sergeev at the exhibition "Universities for the Defense of the Country" at the Moscow State Technical University. In 2000-2008, MSTU received 10 patents for various designs of cluster projectiles. Unfortunately, not a single industrial organization found support for the breakthrough idea of a cluster projectile. But in vain: abroad it was appreciated at its true worth.
The first successful development of the idea of a tank cluster projectile was carried out by the Israeli company IMI (Israel Military Industies). The APAM (Antipersonnel-Antimaterial) projectile was designed for the 105-mm rifled gun of the MK-1 and MK-2 Merkava tanks and is protected by European patent No. EP 0 961 098 A2. The appearance on the market of this shell, called "Rakafet", was accompanied by a noisy advertising campaign. In the company's brochure, the APAM projectile was characterized as "revolutionary", it was indicated that it would provide the ultimate solution (Ultimate Solution) to the problem of protecting tanks from tank-hazardous targets. In relation to it, the definition was used "brilliant solution" (Perfect Solution).
An agreement was signed on the joint production of these projectiles between IMI and the American company Primax Technology. It was reported that these shells, apparently, will be included in the ammunition of the 105-mm cannon of the future FCS (Future Combat System) combat vehicle, designed to replace tanks in the US Army in the future. Judging by the latest reports, the projectile entered service with the new Stryker BMP.
A little later, the same company began to intensively develop the 120-mm M329 (M339) Kalanit cluster projectile for the smoothbore gun of the MK-3, MK-4 Merkava tanks (shot weight 27 kg, shot length 984 mm, projectile weight 17 kg, projectile length 750 mm, maximum bore pressure 340 MPa, muzzle velocity 900 m / s).
The embodiment of the idea of a cluster projectile in Israel does not seem to be accidental. Heavy memories of the fateful days of the 1973 Israeli-Arab war (the Yom Kippur War) still hang over the Israeli tank crews. The war was ultimately won by Israel, but the loss of tanks due to the massive use of RPGs and ATGMs "Baby" by the Egyptian and Syrian sides was appalling - about 800 vehicles. This defeat led to the fall of the government of Golda Meir and the resignation of the entire military leadership of Israel.
Characterized by an extremely painful reaction of the Israeli society to any aspect of the combat survivability of its tanks. In this regard, the continuous improvement of the Merkava tanks, recognized by many experts as the best tanks in the world, the legend of the "tank guru" - its chief designer General Israel Tal (1924-2010), the adoption of the Trophy beam active protection system ", Which is considered the most advanced in the Western world, and the inclusion of the M339 self-defense cluster projectile in the ammunition are links of the same chain. According to individual reports, Israel is also developing its own design of a fragmentation-beam projectile.
When developing the Kalanit cluster projectile, special attention was paid to the prospects of using the projectile in "asymmetric" wars, taking place largely in populated areas. The projectile must penetrate a reinforced concrete wall 300 mm thick, ensuring a gap inside the wall and providing two shots to form a "window" in the wall, sufficient for the passage of an infantryman. The projectile creates a fundamentally new possibility of fire "neutralization" of the street along which the tank is moving, from the grenade launchers hiding in the windows of houses and entrances.
According to IMI information dated October 12, 2010, the Kalanit missile was successfully used by the Israeli army in Operation Cast Lead and in the Gaza Strip, as well as by coalition forces in Afghanistan. It is estimated that the use of the projectile will increase the survivability of the MK-4 Merkava tank by 40-50 percent. There were reports of the possibility of supplying these tanks to Georgia.
In the context of a sharp reduction in the tank fleet, the problem of tank survival on the battlefield becomes especially acute. At present, it has not yet been finally revealed which of the two new self-defense shells of the tank - cluster or fragmentation-beam - will be the most effective. Further research is needed. Particular attention should be paid to the problem of successful export of new shells and, in this regard, ensuring the protection of domestic intellectual property for them.
In the pictures: tank cluster shell "Likhoslavl" (US Pat. No. 2363923 RF); tank T-90S; the scheme of using cluster munitions in the city; the formation of a "chain" of explosions by a projectile over a tank-hazardous group target.
