THE KING OF BATTLE GETS STRONGER
achieve fragmentation and penetration effects upon impact.
Although grenades dispensed in large numbers from artillery projectiles or rockets have a very high military util- ity, rounds now in the U.S. stockpile do not meet the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s goal of less than 1 percent unexploded ordnance (UXO). Teir use leaves large amounts of UXO, result- ing in hazards to friendly troops later passing through the targeted area and to noncombatants who come across an unexploded grenade on the ground. Future development programs that use this concept of delivering large numbers of grenades must meet the goal of less than 1 percent UXO.
In the 1980s, the Sense and Destroy Armor (SADARM) projectile added “smarts” to dispensed cargo with an even more lethal punch. Te SADARM projec- tile contains two sensor-fuzed munitions, which, after expulsion from the car- rier, scan the ground during descent for armored vehicle targets. Upon detection, they fire an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) through the target’s roof, defeating the vehicle.
In 2007, yet another significant advance occurred with the fielding of the Excalibur projectile. Excalibur is a coordinate- seeking, high-explosive (HE) projectile that uses an onboard GPS sen- sor to hit targets at extended ranges with accuracy of less than 2 meters’ circular error probable, or miss distance.
Finally, the Precision Guidance Kit (PGK), which is a GPS kit with fuzing functions, turned the U.S. supply of conventional HE projectiles into near-precision ammu- nition. Te PGK is placed on the nose of an M795 or M549A1 HE projectile, is programmed with the target’s GPS coor- dinates and guides itself to the coordinates with accuracy of less than 30 meters’ miss distance. Excalibur and PGK are in full- rate production and have proven to be extremely successful in today’s fight.
THE FUTURE IS HERE Planning for conflict with a near-peer competitor, of the kind feared during the Cold War, has resulted in a new frame- work of strategic thinking and analysis. Te C-DAEM AOA is simulating the use of current and near-term technology against our current threats to develop the program’s requirement document. Te best munition or mix of munitions will determine the next steps to bring this capa- bility into the hands of our war fighters as quickly as possible. Tis study, led by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Com- mand, is being supported by the Fires Center of Excellence and the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC). Te main goals of C-DAEM are to:
XTRA RELIABLE
ARDEC is developing several concepts, including the DPICM XL, to defeat widely dispersed personnel and vehicle targets as part of the CMRT program. The XL contains 60 munitions and high-reliability fuzing to ensure that it detonates as planned. (Image courtesy of PEO Ammunition)
• Develop and deliver new and improved capabilities that will provide highly lethal effects on a wide spectrum of sta- tionary or moving complex target sets (personnel and vehicles), where their exact position has high uncertainty.
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AMMO WITH A BRAIN
Industry has offered several concepts for new 155 mm ammunition. SMArt 155 is a German-made artillery round that contains two submunitions that neutralize stationary and moving armored vehicles. Its multiple self-destruct mechanisms ensure that it meets national and international requirements to limit the amount of UXO left on the battlefield. (Image courtesy of PEO Ammunition)
• Provide greater range and lethality to defeat enemy artillery counterfire.
• Deliver efficient effects against per- sonnel and light to heavy mechanized vehicles in poorly located and GPS- degraded or -denied environments.
• Deliver a modernized capability to replace the aging legacy stockpile, with increased reliability that improves effectiveness for our troops while nearly eliminating UXO dangers to friendly forces and civilians.
Given that the C-DAEM program may not complete EMD until FY23, the Army
Army AL&T Magazine
October-December 2017
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