January 21, 2014
Field artillery. Ammunition and auxiliary systems


Artillery ammunition of different sizes are presented by the Ministry of Defence of Thailand

"Queen of the battlefield" absorb technology characterizing military operations in the XXI century, ranging from high-precision guidance and ending with the wireless network. Artillery also reaffirmed its adaptability to the limitations of the "war among the people", which is very important to win the hearts and minds of the civilian population. Artillery shells can be fully attributed to affordable armaments with little collateral damage. First, compared with conventional aerial bombs, they have less explosive charge, and secondly, they are cheaper to guided missiles.

Unguided artillery, in essence, can not be attributed to precision weapons, but, nevertheless, the basic accuracy improved by improving the production of guns and shells. Greater amount of information about the purpose of more accurate geolocation guns and orientation, a more accurate monitoring and forecasting weather, real-time measurement of the initial velocity of the projectile and the induction unit fuses plus intelligent integration with the combat information and control systems also allow calculation tools to lead a more responsive, accurate and effective fire than ever before. Development of guided artillery munitions goes in two directions: a specially developed precision-guided munitions with great accuracy, and the corresponding high price and relatively cheap sets course correction, making "silly" Rockets smarter.

Accuracy above all

Currently, important decisions faced by the military around the world, particularly in the countries themselves bichuyuschih austerity deal with priorities. In March 2013 a conference organizer Future Artillery Company Defence IQ conducted a poll among delegates requesting to place the problems of this kind of troops in order of importance. Precision-guided munitions were top of the list, followed by digital target information.

Circular error probable (CEP), defined as the radius of the circle within which landed 50% bagged shells, is a standard measure of precision artillery shells, mortar bombs, bombs, unguided and guided missiles. Since adopting the M-712 ammunition COPPERHEAD (first used in Operation "Desert Storm") and its Russian equivalent 3OF39 "Krasnopol" artillery shells with laser guidance already chalked direct hits on moving armored vehicles, which requires CWE around one or two meters, depending on the purpose. It is worth recalling that the tank T-72, for example, has a body about 7 meters long and 4 meters wide.

To achieve this accuracy requires detection of the target device associated with the guidance system, and control (aerodynamic) surface with considerable room for maneuver. In fact, these requirements lead to the development of designers launched from cannons missiles with their consequent cost and complexity, but, nevertheless, the development of such systems continues.

For example, high-precision 155-mm projectile meter accuracy MPM from Nexter / Thales is an experimental precision guided munitions (VUB) with strapdown seeker with semi-active laser, for which the company claims CWE 1 meter. Russian KBP offers a modernized version of the projectile Krasnopol; whereas Norinco offers GP1 and GP6; BNT Serbian company in late 2012, reportedly delivered 152 mm projectile Kvitnik laser-guided artillery Ukrainian housing; Malaysia showed experimental projectile TAMING SARI XK98; Iran in March TV «Press TV» showed a report about laser-guided projectile BASIR.

GPS-inertial guidance with duplication, finally, also came up to 155-mm artillery shells, which greatly contributed to the success of a family of ammunition air delivery Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). The big advantage of such shells is their insensitivity to weather conditions affecting the laser guidance system. However, against moving targets while they are not as effective as laser-guided munitions.

GPS / INS used in Raytheon M982 EXCALIBUR and advanced naval shells, for example LRLAP (Long Range Land Attack Projectile) from BAE Systems / Lockheed Martin with rocket boosters and VULCANO from Oto Melara / Diehl. All of them were originally created as VUBy with very little CWE for example EXCALIBUR and LRLAP have CWE 4 and 5 meters, respectively, regardless of distance.

China reportedly also developing a 155-mm VUB with guidance on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and inertial navigation system. Shell having the designation WS-35, attributed Corporation China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

"We do not shoot them very often because of their high cost," - said U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ralph Dabrovolni, platoon sergeant. He was referring to the projectile EXCALIBUR, he shot the M777 howitzer at the forefront of the base in Kandahar on January 20. "Shoot them mostly because of their accuracy, when they want to limit the indirect loss or damage that could cause the field artillery."

One shell EXCALIBUR costs about $ 80,000, with a set of shell PGK (for precision guidance unguided missiles) reportedly worth less than $ 3,000 and unguided projectile about 300 dollars.

Munition SMArt 155 for GPS-controlled systems of salvo fire (GMLRS), established companies and Diehl Defence Rheinmetall, touch fuse and two artillery projectile podsnaryadami provides long-range guidance for precise indirect defeat stationary and moving targets deep single, while largely reducing indirect costs. Equipped with high-performance sensors and intelligent signal processing, ammo can reliably identify armored vehicles, to distinguish them from decoys and accurately hit them even on difficult terrain and bad weather conditions. To avoid unexploded ordnance podsnaryady contain the redundant self-destruct. This ammunition was bought from Germany, Greece and Switzerland. Being precision munitions SMArt 155 is not covered by the Convention of Oslo.

Roketsan company offers 107 mm, 122 mm, 300-mm and 600-mm rockets, unmanaged and managed.

[SPILER=2][/SPOILER]
Scheme of the fuze

Soldiers from the brigade «Dagger» facing transport and loading machine, which drives up the ammunition for howitzers M-109A6 PALADIN (in the foreground). Brigade took part in a training exercise at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin February 23, 2013

Accurate, but not very

Work to eliminate the large gap in price between accuracy and precision weaponry and unmanageable artillery shells, fuzes focused on correction course CCF (Course Correcting Fuse). These fuzes navigation source and small control surfaces combined into a single unit that fits in place of the usual standard fuse artillery shells. For calculating the predicted meeting point in CCF used programmed ballistic characteristics of the projectile plus position and velocity measurements. Then, the correction of the course in order to bring the preliminary calculations as close as possible to the programmed aiming point.

Includes precision guidance PGK (Precision Guidance Kit) from the company ATK used GPS-sensor and rotating nasal control surfaces. Its official CWE is less than 50 meters, but the recent shooting exercises in Afghanistan showed significantly better CWE. American soldiers of the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, based at the forefront Boris had shot five shells that fell within 25 yards of the target and within 5 meters of each other.

"Our missiles always reach the goal, this is what we pride ourselves as a platoon," - said the expert Ava Clayton operator fire control system of field artillery. "The spectacle of how PGK Rockets fly into each other, shell after shell was definitely impressive. Accuracy was definitely worthy of attention. "
Company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announces CWE "less than 10 yards on any range" for its fuse TOP GUN CCF dual sensor (GPS / INS), Nexter and declares more modest 95 meters to 34 kilometers for your fuse SPACIDO. However, SPACIDO has a guidance system independent of GPS, relying on Doppler radar.

TALIN takes aim

One way to improve the accuracy of ordnance, including missiles equipped with CCF, is to improve pointing guns. The American army has taken a big step in this direction by equipping their lungs 105mm howitzer M119A3 digital MSA and artillery advanced tactical land navigation aTALIN (artillery Tactical Advanced Land Navigator) from Honeywell, high performance hybrid system. This device, the company says, reducing setup time and calibration to ensure the accuracy of less than 1 mrad (1000th). In addition, aTALIN incorporates the newest ring laser gyro RLG (Ring Laser Gyro) from Honeywell and accelerometer with integrated GPS-receiver.

May 13, Honeywell announced that the 3rd Battalion 319th Regiment air artillery unit was the first to receive Howitzer M119A3, equipped aTALIN.

"The platform has ALPHA Three fire control computer, which is on the platform was not ALPHA Two, all make it more difficult or manually" - said Sergeant Gary Hedrick of the third battalion of the regiment. "The new platform also has a system of GPS (it does not use GPS-receivers military PLGR or DAGR), which constantly shows its location and the current azimuth. It also has a built-in radio system for receiving and sending data to our control center fire. "


Main unit TMAPS from IAI Tamam

TMAPS system from IAI Tamam

The Israeli Ministry of Defense is also investing in such systems and in January 2013 issued a division of IAI Tamam multi-year contract worth $ 40 million to manufacture modular system azimuth positioning (TMAPS) for installation on 155-mm self-propelled howitzers M109 Israeli army. This inertial navigation system based on technology from RLG Tamam, providing positioning data, guidance, direction and orientation. It can also be installed on various platforms, including towed guns, radar detection artillery, rocket launchers, mortars, machine monitoring and etc.

Using digital maps, TMAPS usually initialed accurate to one thousandth of the rms for seven minutes, adjusting the inertial errors using information from internal or external GPS (if applicable), odometer and amendments zero speed from the Kalman filter software that allows you to get the exact solution of all available.

For the control and navigation system TMAPS provides output data in digital format, including a horizontal position and altitude, azimuth, tilt, and angular velocity rectilinear. Communication interfaces include serial ports RS-422 and RS-232, Ethernet and optional quick bus Mil Std 1553B. The unit has dimensions of 296 x 170 x 158 mm and weighs 8.6 kg.

New gyrocompasses

Quickly and accurately finding true north is also important to improve the accuracy of artillery fire. In October last year, the company introduced new IAI Tamam gyrocompasses, unrestricted rules of the international arms trade NFS-R (NFS-200) and ANFS (NFS-100), based on the RLG that incorporate fiber-optic gyroscope Fibre-Optic Gyro ( FOG).

Gyro NFS-R weighs 6.7 kg, typical power consumption is 34 W, it is intended for use with a long-range rocket launchers and artillery cannon. It has a precision of 1 - 2 millirad and reaction times of from three to eight minutes. More lightweight and compact ANFS designed for towed and self-propelled artillery, weapon guidance systems and electronic theodolites. The most productive unit in the new family is the NFS-300 with the following basic parameters: 0.5-2.0 millirad, 2.5-3 minutes, 6.7 kg and 30 watts.

SIGMA 30-700

Sagem is also added to its line of artillery systems, navigation and targeting SIGMA 30, releasing in late September 2013 SIGMA 30-700 device for long-range weapons, including 52-caliber weapons. In SIGMA 30-700 uses the same digital technology RLG long optical path (32 cm) as well as in other products. System with independent GPS system is accurate enough to counter-battery fire and guidance radar for long-range air defense, according to Sagem.

Among describe family SIGMA 30 as a simple solution for towed, tracked and mounted on truck chassis howitzers, MLRS, mortars and light guns. The company Sagem do not call numbers for option 30-700, but the characteristics are known for Sigma 30-600 constitute rms 0.5 mil in azimuth, 0.35 mils in elevation, 0.05% error CWE horizontally and 0 02% error in the vertical position.

Any system in the family SIGMA 30 can also function as a static gyrocompass for two minutes, can provide corrections in motion and autonomous navigation without GPS, moreover, simplifies operations "shot and left" and can fire mode MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact - simultaneous impact of several shells. changing the angle of inclination of the trunk and all the shells fired for a certain period of time, fly to the target at a time).

----CONTINUE / PTO.