Artillery Ammunition
The defence landscape has evolved dramatically over the years, with a strong emphasis on advanced technologies and cutting-edge platforms. However, one crucial element that often remains overlooked yet forms the backbone of combat operations is ammunition. As the world witnesses the unfolding events of the Ukraine-Russian war, the western world recognizes the paramount importance of ammunition production increase and the strategic implications it holds for the future of modern warfare.
The escalating conflict in Ukraine underscored the significance of being prepared for high-intensity warfare, where ammunition plays a pivotal role in determining operational success. Invaluable lessons that the ongoing war has provided, highlights the need for substantial improvements in light weapons ammunition to equip ground troops for engaging adversaries at longer distances while ensuring greater impact force on targets.
The war in Ukraine has shown that near-peer conflicts are back after almost two decades of counter-insurgency operations. The lessons learned have led to several changes in the weapons and ammunition landscape. However, the most important issue was the stark realization that western countries were not prepared to tackle such a contingency. Their preparation for a high-intensity conflict was limited, while the defence industrial complex had limited its capacity despite having grown in the last decade.
With ammunition being consumed at extremely high rates during high-intensity wars, stocks were quickly depleted, while the defence industry did not have the necessary production capacity to cover the demand. On top of the war in Ukraine defence officials are faced with multiple challenges, namely the high inflation rates which end up reducing defence budgets in real terms, the disruption or difficulties in the supply chains and the energy crisis which further exacerbates the financial constraints.
Artillery ammunition is designed for use in guns, howitzers, and mortars. Size designations for artillery ammunition range from 37MM through 280MM. Artillery ammunition can be classified according to weapon system (gun, howitzer, mortar), filler composition (explosive or chemical), and military use (practice or service).
A gun is a cannon with a long barrel which fires projectiles at a low angle trajectory and high muzzle velocity. The bore of a gun can be smooth or rifled. A howitzer is a cannon with a medium length barrel which fires projectiles at a moderately high angle trajectory and medium muzzle velocity. The bore of howitzer weapons are rifled. A mortar is a short tube, usually mounted on a tripod stand, which fires projectiles at a high angle trajectory and relatively short range. 60MM, 81MM, and 120MM mortar launchers are smooth bore weapons, while 4.2-inch is a rifled bore weapon.
Artillery ammunition may be classified according to military use as service, practice, dummy, or blank. Service Artillery Ammunition is used in combat and in training. Practice Artillery Ammunition: Practice rounds contain a low explosive such as a propelling charge or spotting charge. The rounds are used for practice in firing a weapon. In most instances, practice ammunition simulates a service round in weight, configuration, and ballistic properties.
Dummy artillery ammunition items are completely inert. They resemble actual artillery items; however, they are not designed for use in conjunction with delivery systems. Lack of internal, functional components makes dummy ammunition suitable for exhibits (i.e., permanent museum displays), for such training operations as assembly and handling, and for dry-run operations of weapons and weapon systems. Blank Artillery Ammunition: Similar to practice ammunition, blank ammunition rounds contain some type of low explosive and are used to simulate live fire. In certain artillery weapons, Blanks are used for limited firing practice, maneuvers, and salutes.
Artillery ammunition may be classified by filler according to material composition such as chemical, explosive, or inert. Explosive-Filled Artillery Ammunition- Artillery ammunition items with explosive fillers typically consist of an explosive composition such as TNT or Composition B. Chemical-Filled Artillery Ammunition- Artillery ammunition items with chemical fillers typically consist of a chemical composition such as a screening smoke, incendiary (fire-causing) agent, or lethal/incapacitating agent. Inert Artillery Ammunition items contain no explosive or chemical filler and are normally filled with sand, concrete, or plaster to simulate the actual weight of a service round. Artillery ammunition items classified as inert will be marked "Inert."
High Explosive-High explosive or HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) projectiles can have an anti-personnel or anti-tank effect. They are filled with a high explosive (HE) filler and are intended to be detonated. Submunition- Submunition projectiles carry cargo (i.e. grenades or mines) that are to be ejected. They can have an anti-personnel or anti-tank effect. Submunitions are expelled with an expelling charge of either black powder or small arms propellant.
Common submunitions are the ADAM (Aerial Denial Anti-Personnel Mine), RAAM (Remote Anti-Armor Munition), and DPICM (Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition). Chemical projectiles may be loaded with a toxic, harassing, or smoke-producing agent. Of the smoke agents, white phosphorus (WP) is the most frequently used. WP projectiles are designed to produce heavy smoke and an incendiary effect.
Rocket Assisted- Rocket Assisted Projectiles (RAP) are designed to extend the range of howitzer weapons. RAP are filled with HE material and produce blast and fragmentation in their target area. High Explosive Rocket Assisted (HERA) projectiles provide increased range and lethality. HERA projectiles consist of loaded TNT with a high fragmentation steel warhead.
The Army is responsible for procuring and producing certain types of ammunition for all the military services. The Army procures most of this ammunition from five governmentowned, contractor-operated plants, which, according to the Army, reduces its role in the production process to one of management. The Army also retains a significant capacity for ammunition production that can withstand fluctuations in demand.
Government-owned, contractor-operated ammunition plants play a key role in the production of ammunition to support the warfighter. These plants are essential to maintaining readiness for DOD and have a key role in sustaining ammunition production and inventory to meet ammunition requirements in peacetime, wartime, and during national emergencies. The plants produce a variety of ammunition, propellants, and explosives for DOD. Examples of ammunition include small caliber (5.56 mm to .50 caliber), medium caliber (20 mm to 40 mm), and large caliber (105 mm and 155 mm) ammunition. DOD contracts with vendors to operate and maintain the plants as well as engage in projects to modernize them.
The Army’s artillery ammunition program includes 75 mm (used for ceremonies and simulated firings), 105 mm and 155 mm projectiles and their associated fuzes and propelling charges. Semifixed ammunition for short and intermediate ranges, used in 105 mm Howitzers, is characterized by adjusting the number of multiple propelling charges. 105mm HE M1, cartridge configuration is without a fuze. Semifixed ammunition for long ranges contains either a single bag or multiple propulsion bags obtaining high velocity. The primer is an integral part of the cartridge case, and is located in the base, with the cartridge case. The 105 mm cartridges are issued in a fuzed or unfuzed configuration. Both cartridge configurations are packaged with propellant.
Separate-loading ammunition, used in 155 mm Howitzers, has separately issued projectiles, fuzes, propellant charges and primers. After installing the appropriate fuze on the projectile, the fuzed projectile is loaded into the cannon along with the appropriate amount of propellant charges and a primer.
The artillery ammunition program includes fuzes for cargo-carrying projectiles, such as smoke and illumination, and bursting projectiles, such as High Explosives (HE). This program also includes bag propellant for the 105 mm semifixed cartridges and a modular artillery charge system for 155 mm Howitzers.
The Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) is a GPS guided, course correcting fuze for conventional 155mm High Explosive (HE) projectiles that improves effectiveness and efficiency of cannon artillery. The current PGK production fuze obtained Full Materiel Release in 2015 and is in Full Rate Production.
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