Full-Cal 120mm Ammo
ATK developed a full family of ammunition for the Abrams (left). The US military intends to maintain a dual source approach for its tank ammo procurement. The right picture shows the ATK version of the M0128 120 millimetre canister round developed to provide the Abrams with a shotgun-type capability to be used against infantry at short range. (ATK)
programmable multi-functional fuse it can be used in Delayed Impact, Super Quick or Air Burst modes. The M339 is able to penetrate a 200 millimetre-thick, doublereinforced concrete wall; choosing the right detonation mode the round allows to destroys bunkers, urban structures and light armour, while being also highly lethal against dismounted infantry. The M329 Apam was developed from the 105 millimetre version and entered service in 2009. It is made of six stacked warheads that can be exploded sequentially along the round’s path, for example to saturate a street with their fragments and hit infantry hidden in side streets. This is however only one of the five modes available, the other being super quick point detonation, point detonation delay, air burst, the stacked warheads exploding as The M339 is the Israel Military Industries multi-purpose round and as other similar rounds it features a treble-mode fuse to allow maximum operational flexibility. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)
NEXT ISSUE AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2014: 4 AUGUST ADVERTISING: 18 JULY Soldier Protection: We will analyse the most
recent developments in ballistic protection, both for body armour and helmets, new flame-resistant fabrics (burns being typical injusries resulting from bomb explosions), as well as other other systems that might increase the soldier capability to survive battlefield threats with no harm or with limited injuries.
Guided Bombs: Germany and the United
States both employed radio-guided bombs during World War Two. Although television- and radarguided ordnance followed, in Vietnam Americandeveloped laser-spot homing emerged as the lowcost precision system for clear-weather daylight strikes. Adding satellite guidance brought the operational flexibility needed for round-the-clock
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attacks. Several other countries are following America’s lead. Aerostat Observation: With a history stretching back at least to the American Civil War, the use of tethered balloons for observing enemy forces is the oldest military application of aviation technology. Modern aerostats have proved invaluable in recent wars in exactly the same basic role, but combined with modern sensor suites and communication system they provide a less mobile but far more persistent surveillance capability than manned aircraft and drones. Peter Donaldson assesses the state of the art in aerostats and the mission systems tailored for them. Littoral Combat Ships and HLDs: Geospatial Information Part 3 ‘’Mapping Thin Air’’: will address geospatial information solutions in the air and space domains, where value lies less
unitary warhead, and anti-helicopters. Last but not least, when confronted with some situations, IDF tank crews can employ the M337 stun round which provides deterrence, thanks to its flash, bang and blast, which are very similar to those of standard ammunition. I FRANCE
Currently being developed by Nexter is the 120 HE M3M with a three-mode programmable fuse. This allows the round to detonate in the typical point detonation mode, to be used in a delay mode, (e.g. to destroy buildings or hitting targets behind protection), or in air-burst mode (the fuse giving an “indirect firing” capability against masked targets). Though equipped with a base fuse this munition will have the same ballistics as the current 120 HE F1 round. The contract awarded by the Direction Générale de l’Armement will lead to the full development and to the qualification of the new round on board the Leclerc, which will thus acquire a much greater operational flexibility. in terrain features than in defining, positioning and navigating airspace volumes, trajectories, sensor footprints and weapon envelopes, in compliance with standardized procedures for use of air and orbital space Radio Compendium: Radios are the bedrock of awareness and teamwork in today's battlespace. Their combination of digital RF technology and software defined flexibility is increasingly vital as military forces continue to break out of stovepiped communication systems to enable combined arms, combined service, international and allied operations and provide combatants with broadband access to the information they need, when and where they need it. Armada’s Radio Compendium also presents essential data on the leading systems from the international industry through its now legendary four-page, fully illustrated fold-out chart.