AHEAD (ammunition)
The AHEAD ammunition ( English a dvanced h it e fficiency a nd d estruction , "advanced hit-effectiveness and destruction") is an air burst ammunition (ABM). It was developed by Rheinmetall Air Defense - the former Oerlikon Contraves - a subsidiary of the German Rheinmetall Defense . It is also called KETF ammunition designated (engl. K inetic e nergy t ime f uze, "time primed ammunition kinetic energy") and thus describes the effect of the ammunition.
operation area
The ammunition was developed for the combat against helicopters and fighter planes as well as small air targets. This includes drones , but also very fast and difficult to control small targets such as R aketen , A rtilleriegranaten or M örsermunition ( RAM ). It is also for use against armored or unarmored easily ground targets such as armored vehicles , fortified positions and infantry equally suitable for the destruction of small sea targets such speedboats .
Structure and effect
Depending on the caliber and the variant, the projectile is provided with a different number of sub-projectiles (152 to 330 pieces) made of a tungsten alloy . When leaving the barrel, the projectile is supplied with data from the fire control computer via an electric fuse programming coil. The calculation of the detonator setting time is carried out after measuring the muzzle velocity and taking into account the target distance and is programmed inductively at the muzzle for each projectile. The muzzle contains both the measuring device and the programming device. Assuming a muzzle velocity of 740 m / s and a distance of 20 cm between the two devices, there is only a total time of 270 µs for measurement, calculation and programming.
The target is combated by multiple impacts of the twist-stabilized heavy metal sub-projectiles, which are ejected from the decomposing charge by the programmed detonator immediately in front of the attacked target (just ahead of the target) . The time resolution for the decomposition is less than 10 milliseconds. The effect after dismantling is then comparable to the conical expansion of a shot load. With advanced control of the weapon system and precise programming of the dismantling charge, the operating principle picks up on the principle of shrapnel , which was used until the First World War, and was then uncommon for a long time . The effect in the target is based solely on the kinetic energy of the sub-projectiles. The AHEAD ammunition is therefore not cluster munition .
A short burst of fire creates a shielding of the calculated target position by a cloud of sub-projectiles due to possible different ignition times. The surface of the target is penetrated by the sub-projectiles. This multiple penetration destroys the target object or at least damages it so badly that it becomes ineffective.
The cartridge's propellant charge consists of monobasic nitrocellulose .
use
The AHEAD system has NATO approval and can be used on various weapon systems and guns.
Primarily, the ammunition comes to the widespread Oerlikon guns such as the famous Oerlikon 35mm Flak guns and 35/1000 - revolver gun or the American Bushmaster III Chain Gun used. The bullet with a caliber of 35 × 228 mm contains 152 sub-projectiles weighing 3.3 g. The ammunition is the only of their caliber in a position in the short-range defense (Engl. Close-in Weapon System) missile at distances over 1000 m to fight.
The 30 mm variant of the ammunition (caliber 30 × 173 mm) is intended as one of the standard types of ammunition in the new German armored personnel carrier Puma . It is then used in combination with the MK 30-2 / ABM machine gun from Rheinmetall , but can also be used in the Mk 44 Bushmaster II, for example. It contains 162 sub-projectiles with a weight of 1.24 grams each and a 0.5 gram fragmentation charge.
The 40 × 53 mm caliber was developed for firing with grenade machine guns (for example Mk 19 or HK GMW ). It contains 330 sub-projectiles.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Data sheet for 35 mm AHEAD ammunition on the Rheinmetall Defense website ( Memento from November 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Army-Technologay website on MANTIS . army-technology.com. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ↑ Information for the GDM-008 as CIWS on the Rheinmetall Defense website ( Memento from October 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Data sheet for 30 mm AHEAD ammunition on the Rheinmetall Defense website ( Memento from November 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Information about the Puma and the KETF ammunition on the Rheinmetall Defense website ( Memento from October 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Data sheet for 40 mm AHEAD ammunition on the Rheinmetall Defense website ( Memento from November 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive )