Sense and Destroy Armor
Sense and Destroy Armor , acronym SADARM, identifier M898, was an American cannon ammunition used to fight armored vehicles. It was only produced and used in small numbers.
development
Development of the weapon began in the early 1960s, but progress was slow. The first demonstration models were completed in the late 1970s. In 1983, the developers decided on 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and in 1986 on rockets for MLRS as carriers. In 1989, grenades were successfully tested with this technology for the first time. Shortly before series production, tests in 1993 showed that the accuracy of SADARM was only low, so that in 1995 production began in small numbers and further attempts at improvement were made at the same time. In 1999, the US Congress ended the program on the grounds that the results were inadequate given the cost of around two billion dollars.
By then, 836 projectiles had been made. During the 2003 Iraq War , the US Army fired 121 projectiles that destroyed 48 vehicles.
technology
The ammunition is a 155-millimeter artillery shell that ignites at a height of around 1000 meters. In doing so, she releases two submunitions that begin a descent on parachutes. A second, ring-shaped parachute rotates the submunition, giving it a 30 degree incline. During this descent, the submunition sensor scans an area 150 meters in diameter on the ground in a spiral. The sensor works with radar and infrared. As soon as the sensor detects a suitable target, it ignites a projectile-forming charge consisting of 1.5 kilograms of LX-14. This charge is said to be able to penetrate the comparatively thin ceiling armor of most main battle tanks from a distance of up to 152 meters. If the submunition cannot locate a target, it will self-destruct upon impact.
Data
- Bullet M898
- Weight: 44 kilograms
- Length: 805 millimeters
- Caliber: 155 millimeters
- Range (shot down by the M109A6 self-propelled howitzer ): 22,500 meters
- SADARM submunition
- Weight: 11.77 kilograms
- Length: 204.4 millimeters
- Diameter: 147 millimeters
- Descent speed: 17 meters per second
- Sensor speed: 456 revolutions per minute
- Penetration capacity: ~ 80 mm RHA at 125 meters
See also
literature
- Jane's Ammunition Handbook 2003-2004