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Do you know? Why do APFSDS ammunition get stronger as they get longer?
In modern warfare, the development of armor-penetrating ammunition continues to bring forth new innovations. Among them, "Armor-Penetrating Flying Stabilized Disk Projectile" (APFSDS) has become an important weapon for main battle tanks. With its excellent penetration capabilities, this boot-shaped ammunition challenges increasingly thickening modern armor and has become one of the key weapons in modern combat.
As the increasingly thick armor of modern main battle tanks appeared on the battlefield after World War II, traditional armor penetrating rounds (APDS) can no longer meet the demand.
Historical background
Initially, APDS was the primary kinetic penetrating projectile design. In order to improve penetration efficiency, designers have designed ammunition to be longer and longer, thereby enhancing the penetration effect against the target while maintaining high kinetic energy. This long and thin ammunition must ensure stability when flying in the air, otherwise it will easily roll over, resulting in reduced accuracy.
In order to avoid these problems, the APFSDS ammunition is designed with stabilizing wings to ensure its flight stability.
Design principle
The diameter of long-tube penetrating projectiles is usually between 2 and 3 centimeters, but the length can reach 80 centimeters. This longer and heavier design allows long rod penetrating projectiles to penetrate deeper armor. This is a practical application based on the phenomenon of fluid penetration, that is, when the long rod hits the target quickly, even if the target material is crystalline , will also exhibit fluid characteristics due to high-speed collisions.
Long rod penetrating bullets show advantages in the density and length of the material, allowing for deeper penetration.
Selection of materials
When selecting penetrating projectile materials, tungsten alloys and depleted uranium alloys are the most common choices. Both materials have high density, hardness and toughness, making them particularly suitable for penetrating deeply into modern armor. Depleted uranium is characterized by its pyrophoric nature, which increases the chance of fires through entrainment, causing greater damage to the interior of the target. Tungsten material has better penetration performance in some cases.
Although depleted uranium material has advantages in penetrating power, its use has also triggered political and humanitarian controversies.
Ammunition launch design
The firing velocity of APFSDS ammunition is usually between 1400 and 1800 meters/second, which is much faster than traditional rifle ammunition. The performance of longer penetrating bodies in terms of rate of fire is not limited to speed, the length of the ammunition becomes a more important parameter in penetrating armor. Even new improved bullets, although faster, cannot effectively combat advanced armor systems if they are not long enough.
Adaptive design of ammunition is critical because penetrating projectiles made of different materials behave very differently under high pressure intensities.
Future development direction
As technology advances, future ammunition designs will move toward higher densities and longer dimensions. This will not only improve penetration, but also effectively resist new types of armor that may appear in the future. At the same time, market demand will also regulate the development of new ammunition, further placing higher requirements on materials and design.
Does this mean that weapon design will continue to develop in the direction of getting longer and stronger, and will we see even more amazing technological innovations in future wars?
