Bigger in fact does seem to be better when it comes to the future of main battle tank guns. Rheinmetall already has a 130mm tank gun model it's shopping around and the US is even looking into the possibility of going up to a massive 140mm gun in some of it's next generation MBT concepts. While the safe money is on the 130mm seeing wide spread adoption, it's not only already is a working model at this point but also it's largely based on it's already successful RH-120 line of tank guns (and it being the cheaper options doesn't hurt either) making it easier to retrain crews to use and maintain it. The 140mm , while still in development at this point, does still have some advantages in its favor do its larger warhead giving it some more flexibility in munitions and it's greater penetration power will help keep it at over match capacity even against advancements in armor technology.
Well, if you want to seriously up the dakka quotient in your game, follow me after the jump.
Sa-bow indexed!
Tank identified, Twelve-hundred-up! On target! Fire!
Round away!
Cannon
Tank Gun, 130mm (TL9): A next generation heavy tank gun with a built in auto-loader that will replace the current 120mm and 125 mm guns on at lest some main battle tanks. Ultra-Tech materials allow for a gun that is only slightly heavier then current guns despite it's larger size, auto-loader, and over 50% increase in penetration power. Versions of this tank gun will often be designed as electrothermal-chemical or Liquid-Propellant capable (Ultra-Tech, pg. 139).
Besides Solid ( in the table), Tank Cannon, 130mm can also fire the following rounds; APEP (Dmg 6d×42 (3) pi++, Range 9,000/24,000), Canister (Dmg 3d pi-, ROF 1×5,400, Rcl 1), Thermobaric (Dmg 6d×14 cr ex), HEAT (Dmg 6d×14 (10) cr inc with 6d×4 cr ex linked), MS-HEAT (Dmg 6d×6 (10) cr inc with a 6d×14 (10) cr inc follow-up with 6d×4 cr ex linked), and HEDP (6d×9 (10) cr inc with 6d×7 [6d+2] cr ex linked).
Tank Gun, 140mm (TL9): An even larger and more powerful next gen heavy tank gun that is being considered as the main gun on some future main battle tanks including the US's follow up the M1 Abrams series of MBTs. While heavier and more expensive then the 130mm, it has even greater range and penetrating power and it's larger warhead allows for even more devastating payloads to be carried. Also uses an auto-loader and has the same upgrade options as Tank Gun, 130mm.
Besides Solid (in the table), Tank Cannon, 140mm can also fire the following rounds; APEP (Dmg 6d×46 (3) pi++, Range 10,200/26,000), Canister (Dmg 3d pi-, ROF 1×6,800, Rcl 1), Thermobaric (Dmg 6d×17 cr ex), HEAT (Dmg 6d×15 (10) cr inc with 6d×5 cr ex linked), MS-HEAT (Dmg 7d×6 (10) cr inc with a 6d×15 (10) cr inc follow-up with 6d×5 cr ex linked), and HEDP (6d×10 (10) cr inc with 6d×8 [7d] cr ex linked).
ARTILLERY (CANNON) (IQ-5) for indirect fire; GUNNER (CANNON) (DX-4 or other Gunner at -4) for direct fire
TL Weapon Damage Acc Range EWt. ROF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC Notes
9 130mm Tank Gun, 130mmCL 6d×37 pi++ 6 4,500/12,000 7,000 1 1 (6) 79M -17 5 $280,000 1
9 140mm Tank Gun, 140mmCL 6d×40 pi++ 6 5,100/13,000 8,100 1 1 (7) 82M -17 5 $324,000 1
Cannon Ammo
TL Ammo WPS CPS LC
9 130mmCL 60 $600 1
9 140mmCL 80 $800 1
Note: The weights here are based on a slightly different progression then that used by the Tank Cannon, 100mm. A 40lbs WPS is oddly high given the weights of modern real world rounds (it weights only slightly less then modern 120mm rounds), reducing it's WPS to 30lbs and it's CPS to $300 is a bit more reasonable in my opinion and the weights of the rounds listed above are based on this. Also the cannon's ST should only be 58M and it's Bulk should be -13 to bring it inline with High-Tech.
Upgrade Options
Target Lock Advanced Capabilities (TLAC) (TL 9)
This upgrade option adds control surfaces and a seeker head assembly (mutli-mode with laser, radar, and ladar homing) to the round that allows it to adjust it course mid-flight to increase the chances of a hit on a target that has already been locked onto with some kind of active targeting sensor. The firing platform must have a targeting computer and its target must be locked on by an active sensor (it can be from another friendly designation platform, it does not need to be emitted by the firing platform) which must then maintain its lock for the rounds entire flight (if using time of flight rules, High-Tech, pg. 139). If target is still locked onto when the rounds lands increase Acc to (Base Acc +2) × 2 when making the to hit roll. Not Available for hand grenades, or mines. Triple cost.
Armor-Piercing Enhanced Penetrator (APEP) (TL9)
An ultra-tech armor piercing, fin-stabilized discarding sabot round with a core made of tungsten-reinforced bulk amorphous metal. This provides penetration equal to or superior to depleted uranium without the same level of environmental hazards. Add and armor divisor of (3). Multiply Damage by 1.15. If the caliber is below 20mm reduce damage type: pi++ becomes pi+, and pi+ becomes pi. Double range. Unavailable for hand grenades, or mines. Multiply CPS by seven. LC1.
High-Explosive Antitank (HEAT) (TL7), High-Explosive Dual-Purpose (HEDP) (TL7), and Multi-Stage High-Explosive Antitank (MS-HEAT) (TL8) are as per High-Energy Projectiles, High-Tech pg.170; just change the damage type of primary penetrating jet from crushing explosive to crushing incendiary. Canister is Multi-Flechette (MF), Multiple Projectiles, High-Tech pg. 174.
Now you might of noticed that some of the options I used for these guns don't quite line up with how Ultra-Tech does things so here I'll go into some of my reasoning.
TLAC: This is meant as a more realistic version of the guided projectile option presented on Ultra-Tech pg. 146 for projectiles (though they work fine for missiles). While guided projectiles are a possibility, the rules in Ultra-Tech are overly simplified and should cost more to turn a bullet into a guided missile. Perhaps stating more realistic guided bullets is a project for another day.
APEP: This isn't the first time I've reworked the rules for this round, though I feel this is the more realistic take on them. My original version was just a slight tweak of the rules for APFSDS-DU round from Kinetic Energy Projectiles, High-Tech pg. 169. Which made a deal of sense since based on the descriptive text APEP rounds are just ultra-tech APFSDS-DU rounds sans the depleted uranium. However after giving it some thought I realized that since tungsten-reinforced bulk amorphous metal isn't pyrophoric a long rod penetrator made of this stuff wouldn't have the same level of after armor damage. Sure it'll punch through just fine but it'll have a smaller area of effect after perforation. Of course I could of just used the original rules as is but if you compare the penetration of APEP to APFSDS-DU you'll find that APEP slightly under preforms. To remedy this I added the 1.15 damage multiplier to bring it back in line.
HEAT, HEDP, and MS-HEAT: While the rules for HEAT rounds aren't really an issue in Ultra-Tech (and in fact I agree more with it using cr inc for the penetrating jet's injury modifier over High-Tech's cr ex) it still has some oddities. For one I don't understand why they call TL10 HEAT High Explosive Multi-Purpose. The only difference between TL 10 HEMP and TL 9 shaped charge is that HEMP does more damage do to the higher TL. It's just TL 10 HEAT. Real HEMP is just another term for HEDP so it should have reduced penetration but a larger blast effect. The other issue is more of nick-pick. Calling TL 9 HEAT just a shaped charge warhead is a little weird. While yes, HEAT are shaped charge... well the best way to explain the issue is while all HEAT are shaped charges, not all shaped charges are HEAT. HEAT is a shaped charge explosive designed to be used only as a weapon by utilizing a liner of high-density, high-malleability metal and (usually) some form of wave shaping to allow the jet it forms to punch through more armor. Since TL 9 shaped charge warhead is explicitly meant to be used as a weapon it should just be called HEAT. I also had to use High-Tech rules for MS-HEAT because Ultra-Tech doesn't have version of it. Yeah... I think I'm definitely going to have to do a complete overhaul on Ultra-Tech's Warhead and Ammunition section at some point.
MF: The only change I did here was one that High-Tech already did with the MF rounds fired for the D-81TM Rapira which used a reduced NP modifier of 15 rather then 40 when figuring the amount of flechettes that it's canister round holds. I suppose they made the change to 15 to get it to better match up with real world listed amounts (though in all reality Han's probably just skipped the math and just listed the actual documented numbers heh).
Ahhh... Quite a whle ago I was involved in game modding, for ARMA 3 specifically. Among stuff we added there was "M1A3" with 140mm cannon The default loadout consists of APFSDS-T, HE-MP, and HPM Electromagnetic-Kill shells.
ReplyDeleteAnother one was Bradley IV/50 with a 50x319mm autocannon. There was only two types of rounds, multipurpose HEDP, based on EAPS design
https://www.army.mil/article/156634/Army_engineers_demonstrate_anti_drone_technology/ and saboted penetrator, both guided. Thing was very... imbalanced))
Ah, good ol ARMA3. Don't actually have it but I do enjoy watching the 40k meme videos made using it. Speaking of 50mm autocannon, my next post is going to cover an 50mm autocannon using the RAVEN principle (or at lest should be, there's always the chance that something else shiny catches my eye before hand heh).
DeleteSpeaking of "Multi-Purpose", I managed to find patent for ET-MP grenade.
Deletehttps://patents.google.com/patent/US10066915B1/en
Besides explicit mention that it has a tungsten fragments and HMX charge, it also describes how it actually can be switched between modes. I guess that by TL10 any "MP" shell would use some kind of that tech, with ability to enable/disable fragmentation.
I'm still not sold on the ET-MP idea, some times it's better to have two devices that do a good job then one device that does a half ass job.
DeleteThe problem to me is that you basically have two explosives mated together, and inner one that's the frag part and an outer layer that's the concussive part. In either mode you're wasting some of the weapons blast effectiveness. Better to just simplify the design and concentrate all the explosives into make one big boom heh.
Consider ET-MP a late TL8 prototype of TL9 multi-mode grenades, heh)
DeleteI don't remember if current M1147 120mm shell have shaped charge liner, but what does it have is airburst, impact and delayed settings. I would dare to assume that ideal TL9+ HEMP shell should have evem more modes, like frag/blast, blast and shrapnel, incendiary, dud and HEAT/EFP. I think that such a warhead really should work in conjunction with fire control system to adapt its output, as manually determining the mode can be... complicated.
ReplyDeleteKinetic penetrator are harder. I guess they really will remain the premier anti-armor solution, but something should be done with behind-armor effects and poor capabilities against soft-skinned vehicles. So far I still don't see other ways besides incorporating some kind of reactive materials in construction, allowing th shell to light up. Probably, tantalum would be a better choice than tungsten, ehehe.
The M1147 isn't a shaped charge weapon, it's more of a supersized version of High explosive air burst rounds that the XM29, XM25 were going to use. So I can see it replacing the CAN and the HE-OR-T round but doesn't quite have the AP of a HEDP round but then again the effectiveness of HEAT isn't what it used to be. Between modern composite armors, modern ERA, and ADF, HEAT is having a harder time competing with KE as a main heavy armor killer (though against less defended targets it's effective).
DeleteI have the faith in shaped charges. Well, at least I have reasons to think that more massive jets (if jet will be formed from 90% of liner mass and with higher velocity) would produce larger holes and do more damage that raw Ultra-Tech suggest.
DeleteAnyways, you see what I mean. I believe that by TL9+ premier HE warheads would be the HEMP with larger number of modes, than "HE with optional airburst". That don't exclude various simplified budget options, of course)
Need some 155mm and 203mm self-propelled artillery pieces!
ReplyDeleteActually, a take on some quick-and-easy gun/cannon design system, like David Pulver's Blaster and Laser Design article, would be appreciated so we can make our own cannon of any caliber. (One of my starship designs back in the day had a 555mm cannon...)
DeleteArtillery and heavy naval grade cannons are on the todo list though baring me coming across something that tickles me in the muse these are not near term projects. I've got something else I'm... working towards atm.
DeleteBy the way, did you see newly introduced tank proposals?
ReplyDeleteIf you are talking about the next generation tank concepts that called for 130 or 140mm cannons then yes.
DeleteIf you are talking about the proposed stop gap Next Generation Abrams concept, then also yes heh.
About recently introduced German Panther with 130mm gun and the equally recently teased "Nextgen Abrams")
DeleteOh yeah though sadly the KF51 (as far as the last time I checked) hasn't been officially adopted and still is a just a private venture.
Delete