European MGCS ( Main Ground Combat System)

[muttbutt]

Though they seem to be pitching it squarely at the MGCS program, whether in earnest or just to get some of the R&D funding is debatable of course.

Well they are calling this version the SHARD 120 which is a very variant specific name and leaves open other calibres for SHARD plus,

The validation and qualification of innovative technology building blocks in the SHARD programme is also one of the milestones in the development of very high performance ammunition for future land combat systems, in particular the Main Ground Combat System.

Seems like they have ideas going forward with the whole SHARD project.

 

[muttbutt]

Rheinmetall also seems to be busy on new rounds

More on Rheinmetall tank guns and ammunition evolution - EDR Magazine

By Paolo Valpolini Following the recent briefing by Christoph Henselmann, Senior Vice-President and Head of Portfolio Tank Main Armament on

www.edrmagazine.eu

 

[muttbutt]

Nexter has been busy...

Nexter is proposing the ASCALON concept ("Autoloaded and SCALable Outperforming guN") designed to cope with the latest generation of heavy armor while staying ahead of the threats of the next half-centur

Nexter proposes ASCALON for future of battle tank armament | weapons defence industry military technology UK | analysis focus army defence military industry army

Leaning on its expertise in battle tank armament, illustrated by the Leclerc's self-loading gun, and on the excellence of its ammunition activity, Nexter (KNDS group) is presenting ASCALON, a new main armament concept for main battle tanks, designed to deal with future heavily armored threats.

www.armyrecognition.com

 

[TomS]

Modern sabot rounds are already heavily telescoped; this just takes it to the logical extreme by pushing the sabot all the way to the front of the dart and filling the volume of the case behind it. NEXTER has some experience with "puller" sabots like this, thanks to 40 CTA.

Just guessing that this is a 140mm gun, with a dart around 1 meter long.

Edit: interestingly, this telescoped round is about the same length overall as the new Rheinmetall 130mm design, at 1.3m.

 

[stealthflanker]

Well let's see if anyone would complain about Bore Riding points like what they did for Russian rounds.

 

[MihoshiK]

Modern sabot rounds are already heavily telescoped; this just takes it to the logical extreme by pushing the sabot all the way to the front of the dart and filling the volume of the case behind it. NEXTER has some experience with "puller" sabots like this, thanks to 40 CTA.

Just guessing that this is a 140mm gun, with a dart around 1 meter long.

Edit: interestingly, this telescoped round is about the same length overall as the new Rheinmetall 130mm design, at 1.3m.

Then that dart is what, 1.10 - 1.20 meters long? Damn son.

Also, that split flash channel for ignition looks funky.

 

[TomS]

Modern sabot rounds are already heavily telescoped; this just takes it to the logical extreme by pushing the sabot all the way to the front of the dart and filling the volume of the case behind it. NEXTER has some experience with "puller" sabots like this, thanks to 40 CTA.

Just guessing that this is a 140mm gun, with a dart around 1 meter long.

Edit: interestingly, this telescoped round is about the same length overall as the new Rheinmetall 130mm design, at 1.3m.

Then that dart is what, 1.10 - 1.20 meters long? Damn son.

Also, that split flash channel for ignition looks funky.

Probably on the low end of that range. The APFSDS round might actually be a little shorter than the other rounds, since HE/HEAT rounds want to maximize the volume of the projectile and can't be totally buried in the propellant like the APFSDS dart.

But yeah, it's a beast no matter how you measure it. OTOH, I've seen several articles noting that the KE being claimed isn't terribly impressive, only a modest improvement over the current long-barrel 120mm.

 

[Void]

KE figures are probably for the penetrator and not the entire projectile. Rheinmetall expected its old 140mm gun to impart 14 megajoules to the penetrator against 23 MJ to the projectile.

 

[TomS]

KE figures are probably for the penetrator and not the entire projectile. Rheinmetall expected its old 140mm gun to impart 14 megajoules to the penetrator against 23 MJ to the projectile.

I really have no idea how much energy gets left in the sabot. Presumably as little as possible?

 

[Grey Havoc]

German and British defense officials discuss ‘Eurotank’ cooperation

Germany has been supportive of Britain joining the program as an observer, though the French are said to be more apprehensive.

www.defensenews.com

Likely a dead end.

 

[MihoshiK]

KE figures are probably for the penetrator and not the entire projectile. Rheinmetall expected its old 140mm gun to impart 14 megajoules to the penetrator against 23 MJ to the projectile.

I really have no idea how much energy gets left in the sabot. Presumably as little as possible?

I recall reading somewhere that the sabot can eat up to 30% of the KE, but don't quote me on that. Anyway, the things aren't as light as you'd think (They have to be pretty sturdy after all), and reducing their weight is an important design goal.

 

[bobbymike]

Germany expects ‘wave’ of new Eurotank partners after September conference

The international event is meant to initiate an “opening wave” of interested countries from the European Union, NATO and elsewhere – provided that Germany and France agree on the prerequisites.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Looks like a potential partner/customer might be about to vamoose:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/poland-going-for-abrams-mbt-m1a2-sepv3.37527/

 

[Fluff]

Looks like a potential partner/customer might be about to vamoose:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/poland-going-for-abrams-mbt-m1a2-sepv3.37527/

When you dine with the French and the Germans, its going to be a very long and very expensive lunch. So I'd say a wise move by Poland.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Эти «монстры» пробьют все! Французы наконец показали бронебойные снаряды перспективной 140-мм танковой пушки

Эти «монстры» пробьют все! Французы наконец показали бронебойные снаряды перспективной 140-мм танковой пушки

naukatehnika.com

These "monsters" will punch everything! The French finally showed armor-piercing shells of a promising 140-mm tank gun. #Бронекаталог Sergey Shumilin Yesterday at 06:00 1084 0 New ammunition for the promising 140-mm tank gun Nexter ASCALON (Autoloaded and SCALable Outperforming guN) was shown at the DSEI arms exhibition 2021. The manufacturer of shells, as well as the tank gun itself, is the French company Nexter, which is part of the franco-German concern KNDS. Ammunition for the promising 140-mm gun Nexter ASCALON, arms exhibition DSEI 2021. Its concept of tank weapons " ASCALON (Autoloaded and SCALable Outperforming guN) the company Nexter presented in April 2021 The development includes a new tank gun with an automatic loader. It is designed to equip advanced tanks - primarily for the tank created in the framework of the Franco-German joint program MGCS (Main Ground Combat System - translated as "Main Ground Combat System"). According to Nexter, "A new generation of large-caliber weapons must guarantee the tactical superiority of the armed forces not only tomorrow (2035), but also in the decades to come." Conceptual images of the promising French tank gun Nexter ASCALON (Autoloaded and SCALable Outperforming guN) caliber 140 mm, and telescopic armor-piercing subcaliber shot for it. Features of the ASCALON system are declared: - increased caliber - 140 mm; - compact telescopic ammunition, thanks to this design, the core of the armor-piercing subcaliber projectile will have an "unsurpassed length" with a total maximum length of the shot of 1300 mm. Creating such projectiles is an extremely difficult technical task, because they, having a large length, must be perfectly balanced, otherwise it will not be possible to ensure their stable flight after the shot; - the possibility of using guided munitions, including over-the-horizon range; - high firepower: due to the special design of the gun chamber for sub-caliber ammunition, the energy level of the shot is declared to be about 10 megajoules, while maintaining the calculated pressure level in the barrel channel below the current calibers. At the exhibition, for clarity, promising 140-mm shells were shown together with standard 120-mm shells in service with the armies of NATO countries. The company Nexter has already experimented with a tank smoothbore gun caliber 140 mm. Its tests took place in 2012 Leclerc tank with new weapons made more than 200 shots. Now its specialists are very useful developments of those years. Image of a promising European tank MGCS (Main Ground Combat System). Recall that a new tank gun of increased power, which can also be used on the promising European tank MGCS, is also being developed by the German concern Rheinmetall. However, the caliber is smaller than the French - only 130 mm. Prototype - Rheinmetall Next Generation (NG) was first presented at the exhibition "Eurosatory 2016" in Paris. This 130-mm gun has a barrel length of 51 caliber, and muzzle energy, according to the developers reaches 19.5 megajoules. A 130-mm shot with an armor-piercing subcaliber shell with a detachable pallet (APFSDS-T) and a semi-combustible sleeve has already been developed for it.