XM1208/XM1180 C-DAEM DPICM replacement and Anti-Armor

[FlameCxbra]

I have recently been scraping the internet for stuff about cluster munitions, and have found concepts for xm1208 (DPICM replacement), as well as for xm1180 (Anti armor).
I am unsure how accurate these concepts are, especially for xm1208, although it seems pretty set that xm1180 will be a repackaged BONUS.

 

[Forest Green]

https://www.twz.com/land/army-wants...s-to-work-cooperatively-to-find-their-targets

The U.S. Army is looking to give its still-in-development anti-armor guided 155mm artillery shells the ability to ‘collaborate’ with each other to help find their targets and otherwise be more effective. The rounds as they are envisioned now are already set to give artillery units a new option for engaging enemy tanks and other armored vehicles, even ones on the move, via indirect fires.

 

[chimeric oncogene]

The C DAEM is said to be a unitary round, and the picture doesn't look like BONUS; is there any more information on M1180?

 

[HyFonic]

A market survey for the production of XM1208 projectiles has been posted on SAM.gov. The contract does not appear to contain any new technical information, although it does mention a "30,000 XM1208 projectiles per year" production number.

There is still a lack of information on the "M99 Advanced Submunitions".

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/5d9080536ac849eabac2c18019bd1ca3/view

 

[TomS]

A market survey for the production of XM1208 projectiles has been posted on SAM.gov. The contract does not appear to contain any new technical information, although it does mention a "30,000 XM1208 projectiles per year" production number.

There is still a lack of information on the "M99 Advanced Submunitions".

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/5d9080536ac849eabac2c18019bd1ca3/view

This adds a fair bit of info. Each M99 disperses 1200 preformed fragments at an altitude of 1.5 m using a proximity fuze, with several backup time and impact modes. That's presumably intended to keep the dud rate under the 1% target.



Source: https://jpeoaa.army.mil/Portals/94/Documents/JPEOAAPortfolioBook_2025.pdf

 

[Josh_TN]

This adds a fair bit of info. Each M99 disperses 1200 preformed fragments at an altitude of 1.5 m using a proximity fuze, with several backup time and impact modes. That's presumably intended to keep the dud rate under the 1% target.

View attachment 793113

Source: https://jpeoaa.army.mil/Portals/94/Documents/JPEOAAPortfolioBook_2025.pdf

What is the light armor defeat mode? EFP?

 

[TomS]

What is the light armor defeat mode? EFP?

Most likely just fragmentation. There are ways to tailor the frag size for various effects -- a mix of some larger pieces to penetrate light armor and smaller ones for personnel seems like a fairly simple approach.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Most likely just fragmentation. There are ways to tailor the frag size for various effects -- a mix of some larger pieces to penetrate light armor and smaller ones for personnel seems like a fairly simple approach.

Or simple shaped charge straight down, but with those being ground-prox fuzed I think big frags are more likely.

 

[Josh_TN]

Or simple shaped charge straight down, but with those being ground-prox fuzed I think big frags are more likely.

Would not EFP be an option?

 

[Josh_TN]

Is the best guess that CAEM-A is a bonus type munition? I cannot find any hard info, but the fact it is “area effect” would normally imply submissions. Although alternatively perhaps they are referring to scanned area - I did come across some links that implied the goal was for individual shells to have a scanning sensor and data link to share target info. Basically Golden Hoard for artillery. That seems kinda wildly complex for artillery fire, but in the other hand incredibly deadly if it worked. In that case the shell might have a wide area sensor (one link suggested something like ten square miles ?!) and the shells would share data and divy up the detected targets. That seems ambitious, but the kind of pie in the sky the U.S. Army lists for.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Would not EFP be an option?

Not really. EFPs require air space between their liner plate and the explosive, and there's only 9 submunitions with no mention of the subs having seekers to point an EFP at a vehicle. Compare with the description of the BLU-108 skeets.

 

[TomS]

EFPs require air space between their liner plate and the explosive

Not so. Most EFPs I'm familiar with have the explosive right up against the liner. The trick is in the shape and thickness of the liner.

 

[Josh_TN]

Not so. Most EFPs I'm familiar with have the explosive right up against the liner. The trick is in the shape and thickness of the liner.

My understanding as well. But fair point that 9 munitions probably won’t achieve direct hits unless the fuse is set for an extremely low release against a small area.

 

[A_Random_Guy]

Or simple shaped charge straight down, but with those being ground-prox fuzed I think big frags are more likely.

I did some image analysis (presuming it is in any way accurate) and the warhead area of the submunitions is about 55x140mm +-5mm. This roughly lines up with the section of a 57mm 3P round that has preformed fragments. The caveat here being that the 3P round has 2,400 3mm dia spherical fragments (around 0.25g per frag) versus 1200 in the submunitions.

Are the actual M99 frags around 0.5g? Maybe but there's so many potential errors here that I wouldn't draw any firm conclusions. It simply indicates that it likely has above average fragment size.