 30mm Armor-Piercing Ammunition
Rheinmetall Defense
To enable effective engagement of fast aerial targets, medium caliber
guns use ammunition offering high rate of fire and short time of flight.
On stationary targets, slower munitions means more precise engagement by
short bursts or even single shots. Rheinmetall Defense introduced two
new versions for its 30mm ammunition, based on its new Fragmenting
Payload (FRAP) concept, developed to defeat both "soft" and "hard"
targets utilizing the same projectile and fuse. FRAP uses a frangible
tungsten penetrator and additional tungsten preformed fragments. This
composition result in the design FRAP penetrating the hard, outer skin
of the target and then progressively breaking up inside it, releasing a
cloud of fragments inside the target.
The Frangible Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot with Tracer (FAPDS-T) type
is used as a general purpose ammunition, with sub-caliber "frangible"
core. Due to the subcaliber design, the muzzle velocity of this
projectile is much higher than a full caliber round. This kinetic
energy, coupled with its improved aero-ballistic, render this type
shorter flight time and higher hit probability.
Another version is the full caliber Frangible Armor Piercing (FAP) round
utilizing the same frangible core and additional preformed fragments,
held in molded plastic and steel body. This type is usually used in
aircraft, to eliminate the risk of discarding sabot elements. When
heavier armor is addressed, APFSDS-T rounds are used, utilizing tungsten
made, fin-stabilized sub-caliber to reach maximum muzzle velocity and
low drag characteristic with long rod penetrator. |
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Armored Fighting Vehicles