WARHEAD HIT DISTRIBUTION ON MAIN BATTLE TANKS IN THE GULF WAR

M. Held

Abstract.  After the Gulf War, 308 armored vehicles were inspected to investigate the damage caused by kinetic energy rounds and shaped charge warheads. The resulting data is analyzed and compared to data from World War II 1944/45, the 1967 Six-day War, the 1973 Yom Kippur War as well as with the hit distribution data used by Germany, the USA and the UK for tank design and vulnerability prediction. It is shown that none of these correlate with the Gulf War data. Analysis is also conducted of the Coalition ammunition used and it is shown that the KE rounds (from type 3 on) and the SC warheads (from type 2 on) were overmatched to the T55, T62 and T72 tanks used by the Iraqi forces.

Related topics:  kinetic energy round, shaped charge, armored vehicle design, firepower and protection

View first page of "Held: Warhead Hit Distribution on Main Battle Tanks in the Gulf War"

British Spelling